Being young is great for so many reasons. You have the opportunity to make and live life any way you choose. You can get to travel and spend your time studying or even working abroad and still have time for a career change. But the best reason being a young adult is great is because being young means, for the most part, being in optimum health.
As we get older, our bodies degenerate and our vision, cognitive functioning, and overall health can dwindle down. This doesn’t have to be a reality any time soon, however. The goal of practicing better health is to live in optimum health and in our prime for more years than we would have without being healthy. The more we neglect our bodies and ourselves, the sooner our health can quickly start to wear away, and the sooner we end up with life-long diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure.
Your Value System
Being healthy and practicing health improvement tips can seem daunting at first. If you’re someone who has never really tried to exercise, never fully committed to healthy eating, or simply don’t know where to start, improving your health might seem like a far-off goal. However, research has shown that people are more likely to work on a goal and stick to it if they align their values with that goal. If your goal is to lose weight, for instance, what value is behind that? Is it being healthy for your family? Setting a good example for your kids? Or simply to try to remain healthy? It’s important to have a strong value system before you start a diet or exercise program, and look back to your values to find motivation.
Forming Habits
Like all things in life, following health improvement tips each and every day is a choice that is yours to make. However, it’s easier to follow through with improving your lifestyle when it becomes ingrained in your daily routine. On average, it takes about 2 months or 66 days to get a habit formed. That’s no time at all, compared to a lifetime of medicine and hospital visits you can help prevent by doing preventative care! Start now, as a young adult, or even if you’re getting older in age. It’s never too late to find ways to improve your health, and it’s never too late to get in shape either. Check with your doctor before following these simple 15 health improvement tips to be on the safe side, and enjoy your life as much as possible while you still can!
1. Start Exercising
Exercising is by far one of the best health improvement tips you can follow. The more you exercise in your young adult life, the slower the onset of things such as muscle atrophy and fatigue will set in later on in life. Exercise not only helps keep your body in shape but also your mind and mental health by releasing healthy endorphins! Buy some trendy fitness gear, go on a bike ride or jog, and get your blood flowing.
2. Stay Hydrated
It’s incredibly important to stay hydrated throughout the day. It’s not enough to simply have one or two water bottles a day either. Though it’s been said to have 6 8 oz. glasses of water a day, this number might vary based on your size. Without properly hydrating, serious issues such as dehydration, fatigue, and later on renal failure can occur. Put some cranberry powder or even green juice powder in your water for an extra health boost, and hydrate your body thoroughly!
3. Visit Your Doctor Regularly
As a young adult, this is probably one of the most overlooked health improvement tips. It’s scary to visit a doctor on your own, and can be nervewracking to maneuver the health insurance world on your own. However, utilize your insurance to find a good doctor, and make appointments as soon as you feel any health issues are concerning you. For some diseases, such as cancer, time is of the essence, so it’s important to make regular check-ups a priority.
4. Practice Good Dental Hygiene
Of all the health improvement tips, you might be wondering why taking care of your teeth is so important. Failure to have proper dental hygiene not only leads to cavities and bad breath now, but later on can lead to tooth decay and loss! You can easily prevent this now as a young adult by brushing and flossing every day, utilizing preventive dentistry such as regular cleanings, and also staying away from too many sweets and sugars. These can cause tooth decay as well.
5. Practice Good Sleep Hygiene
Sleep is so important to have when growing up, and even as an adult. We still need to sleep 8 hours a night, however, as a young adult, this could be impossible with school, work, and friends. Make time to get the proper amount of sleep, turn off all cell phones before going to bed, and even do some relaxation techniques to help you lull away. Studies have shown that lack of proper sleep can lead to disorders such as Alzheimer’s and Dementia, and can also cause irritability and depression. Prevent these by getting some Zs as often as you can.
6. Do Stretching Exercises
Most people think that having a healthy body means having strong muscles and a slim physique. But did you know that flexibility is also taken into account when measuring a person’s health? It’s essential to do stretching exercises in order to keep your muscles from being tense, and preventing injuries that might later require chiropractic care. Do some yoga, get out some stress, and stretch at least once a day.
7. Have a Clean Home
Research has shown that cleaning and tidying up has a positive effect on people with depression. This might be because a clean home allows you to think more clearly, be more organized, and have an overall better outlook on life. Try tidying up not just the inside, but the outside of your home. Things like lawn maintenance can even serve to not just make your world more organized but also serve as light exercise as well.
8. Eat More at Home
Cooking at home is one of the most underrated health improvement tips, simply because it takes so much work to do sometimes. However, with more and more Youtube videos and instructions available online, it can be easy to find simple recipes that are healthy and cheap for you. You might think that cooking at home means dealing with loads of pots and pans, hours to meal prep, and hours to shop for groceries to prepare. On the contrary, simple one-pan meals and quick recipes can help you prepare a meal cheaply and within minutes. Use a 12 inch cast iron skillet to create one-pan pasta dishes, baked healthy meals, or quickly grill up healthy chicken and fish. Whatever you do, make a commitment to eat at home as much as possible to cut out processed foods.
9. Meditate Often
It’s important to meditate not just for your mental health, but also to create a calming atmosphere and healthy thinking habits. Many times, cognitive distortions can lead us to think negatively, and can even cause thoughts that lead to depression and anxiety. This is especially dangerous if you’re a young adult balancing school, work, and family life. It’s always good to follow health improvement tips that focus on meditation. Sitting down and focusing on your breath, doing muscle relaxation, and even journaling are all great outlets in order to allow your thoughts to flow freely and not bother you.
10. Try Using CBD
CBD is now being used for a variety of reasons. The popular chemical deriving from the cannabis plant first gained recognition after it was used to help those suffering from seizures and certain cancers to find relief. Now, more and more young adults, as well as those of all other ages, are using CBD for anything from pain relief to anxiety help. CBD oil for muscle recovery is also available to help athletes recover faster. If you feel you might benefit from using CBD, try it out and see for yourself how it works.
11. Aromatherapy
Aromatherapy has been around for centuries and is thought to help ease tension, promote a stress-free life, and help people unwind and feel at ease. Certain aromas such as Eucalyptus and Lavender have been shown to have calming effects on animals, even lions! It’s great to use whatever healthy improvement tips you can, and using aromatherapy is certainly one of them. Go to your local flower shops and buy some lavender or peonies, or invest in an oil diffuser that comes with a variety of essential oils. You can even have a spa day on your own, and fill your tub with oils. The choices are endless!
12. Have a Skin Care Routine
Skincare is sometimes overlooked when it comes to being healthy. However, not having a proper skincare routine can lead you to have acne outbreaks, oily skin, or even dry skin that ends up flaking and causing harmful blemishes and broken skin. In the future, you could suffer from early signs of aging as well. It’s a good idea to contact a dermatologist if you feel your skin is more damaged than usual, or you just can’t seem to find a moisturizer or cleanser that works for you. If you’ve been neglecting your skin, not to worry. Consult a dermatologist that can recommend cosmetic surgery to fix acne scars or other scars you might want to be taken care of.
13. Connect Family and Friends
Having a healthy social life is just as important for your health as is having good physical and mental health. Connecting with family and friends, and making time to have fun with them is so important to prevent issues such as loneliness and depression. Being able to be with your family and friends can help you have support during rough times, encourage and motivate you to stay positive, and overall lead to happier health. Though this might be difficult as life gets busier, you should try and prioritize time with family as friends as much as possible.
14. Use Your Brain
The saying use it or lose it not only applies to hour physical muscles but also your thinking muscles, that is, your brain and neurons! Without utilizing your brain often, you risk aging quicker cognitive wise, leading to more forgetfulness, fatigue, and comprehension. Doing puzzles has been shown to slow this degeneration down, but why stop there? Continue to learn new languages, take courses in whatever you like, and continue to learn every day! This is possibly the best of the health improvement tips you can follow.
15. Travel Often
Taking the tips to travel can help you become more cultured, empathetic, and overall happier. Being in nature has shown to have calming effects that help take away stress from the body. You don’t have to travel in nature to reap the benefits, however. City traveling can be just as relaxing, fun, and healthy too. City vacations are affordable, easy to navigate, and hold a plethora of activities not found in beach or suburban areas. While you can, travel to improve your mood, relax, and unwind in order to help your health.
Healthy for Life
Making an effort to follow these health improvement tips is a sure way to form healthy habits, increase your happiness, and have an overall positive and active lifestyle. It takes time to form these habits, but rest assured these tips are just the beginning of a new journey you can take to live life to the fullest, and be around as healthy as possible to enjoy every minute of it!
