It’s never too late to give your health a once over. Maybe there are areas you can improve.
And it doesn’t have to be hard work either. So many health tips sound like demands from a drill sergeant. They talk of dedication, working hard, “lifestyle changes”. No one’s saying it’s going to be easy, but if you’re not looking to join an Arnold Schwarzenegger lookalike contest, it doesn’t have to feel like a chore either. Take a look at our helpful tips to let you improve your health.
Switch from running to walking
The idea of exercise can seem more and more daunting as you age. Maybe, like a lot of people, it seemed daunting enough to begin with, but now you’re not as spry as you used to be. Things ache and tire more easily.
This is where the low impact exercise trend can come in handy for you. You don’t need to leave the gym or be overwhelmed by entering it. As long as you keep to low impact exercises, you should forgo the devastating effects of a hard workout.
And do not mistake a low impact workout for having no effect. If that were true, the stair master, the rowing machine, the weights wouldn’t be considered low impact and still have lots of people using them. It’s simply a set of exercises that are easier on the body.
Think about when you go for a run. You’re in the bath that night trying to repair a body that is in pain from head to toe. Whereas, if you go for a long walk, either in nature or on the treadmill, you feel good enough to do it all again the next day. Plus, on the treadmill you can up the incline and give yourself a challenge that you can face.
Switch from dieting to …not
We’ve all been through the cycle of dieting. You hear of this low carb/low fat/low sugar “lifestyle change”, get excited, spend far too much on your weekly shop loading up on all of them, only to fall of the wagon for a tub of ice cream and decide, “Well, I’ve ruined it now. Might as well give up.”
Does that sound familiar? A “lifestyle change” is as much work as that term makes it sound. Too much work for something you need to do every day when you’ve got work, family, money, and the rest of life’s obligations to think of.
Which is why you’re likely to see the “Not a Diet, Diet” trending, or even on a few bookshelves. It’s ultimately a diet of generally eating better, and cutting down, but not out, on what you love most. If you want a bar of chocolate, have a bar of chocolate, and just make sure you’re eating better for the rest of the day.
It’s about making small changes. White to brown rice, pasta, and bread. Swap that morning caramel latte for a black coffee, minus the trimmings. Swap ice cream for sorbet. Soda for water. After dinner biscuits for granola bars. That way, you don’t get this feeling of burnout from going too hard for a short amount of time.
If it’s combined with a good exercise routine, you’re likely to see results and at least feel them. Make sure you’re paying attention to how you’re feeling.
Switch from smoking to vaping
Smoking has a long list of negative health benefits that you’ve seen a million times before, so we’re not going to list them here. Instead, we’ll go for what you can get if you stop.
You’ll have a bigger lung capacity so you can run after the kids/grandkids. You’ll lower your risk of cardiovascular diseases and 12 different types of cancer, so you’ll get to see those grandkids. You’ll stop staining your teeth and aging your face. You’ll start to taste your food better. And you’ll have more money in your pocket.
If you’re having trouble getting off smoking, you can look into vaping. Disposable vapes are taking over the industry. They are safer than smoking cigarettes and you can control your nicotine intake and lower it over time so that you are off the habit entirely.
Switch from ignoring to improving
And let’s not forget about our mental health. It often gets ignored and shouldn’t. The good part of this is that exercise, a better diet, and getting into nature are all great ways to improve your mental health. However, if all the touching grass in the world isn’t doing anything to lift your mood or you have more substantial problems that cannot be solved by a long walk, it’s time to talk to a professional.
There is only so much that ideas like that can do, and when you’ve tried them and they’re not working for you, it’s time to contact your family doctor. They will have some recommendations either for medication or for therapists available for you to pursue.
