Health

Health and Wellness – A Guide to Staying Active in Independent Living

You may have heard the terms “health” and “wellness” thrown around, often used interchangeably. However, these two concepts are pretty different.

Health involves eating healthy and staying away from diseases, while wellness is a more holistic concept. It includes everything from physical fitness to mental wellbeing. Read on to learn more about these concepts and how to improve your health and wellness.

Take Care of Your Health

People throw around the terms health and wellness often, but there is a difference between these two concepts. While having one without the other is impossible, wellness has a greater breadth than physical fitness and disease avoidance.

Wellness factors include everything from healthy food choices to emotional intelligence. They also involve avoiding certain lifestyle practices that can cause harm, such as smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, and unprotected sex.

Taking care of your wellness involves doing something active every day. Adults should aim for at least 150 minutes of exercise a week, but even starting small can make a big difference. Aim for activity that gets your heart pumping and your blood flowing, such as walking, swimming, dancing, or playing a sport. You can also try balance exercises, strength training, and yoga.

Stay Active Indoors

Being physically active is one of the best things you can do for your health. But when global pandemic control measures force you to stay home or in your facility like Westminster Suncoast and cancel your regular fitness routine, it’s easy to become sedentary. Sedentary lifestyles raise the risk of diabetes, heart disease, and other illnesses, according to studies.

The good news is that you can still stay active indoors. You can use the exercise equipment, indoor walking tracks, and group fitness classes (like yoga) at your local gym by obtaining a short-term membership. Or you can download an app that streams workouts to your TV, tablet, or smartphone.

Low to moderate exercise levels can also be obtained through daily routines like parking away from your destination and using the stairs rather than the elevator. Just keep in mind that any kind of exercise is better than none at all. Additionally, remember to stretch! This is a fantastic stretch routine.

Stay Connected

Having positive social connections is vital for a sense of well-being. You can keep in touch with friends and family via phone or email or participate in group activities like music, chess, golf, or walking.

One can meet people who share their interests and form new friendships by joining a group. Another way to stay connected is by volunteering, which can be a rewarding experience.

The key is to find the activity that’s right for you. If you’re not used to being physically active, introduce it gradually to avoid injury or overdoing it.

Wellness encompasses the whole person and focuses on all aspects of life that contribute to a feeling of well-being. It’s possible to have excellent health but still not feel good, so it’s essential to include all dimensions of wellness into your everyday habits.

Eat Healthy

Eating a nutritious diet is one of the best methods to increase your well-being and elevate your emotions. It also helps to reduce your risk of developing certain health conditions in the future.

Pick items from the five main dietary groups and make sure that complex carbs, fiber, protein, and healthy fats are included in every meal. Eating healthily doesn’t mean eating bland meals – you can find many nutritious options in fast foods, like muesli, whole grain bread or pasta, fruit, and yogurt.

Start slow, and don’t force yourself to change your diet overnight. It can be hard to break a lifetime of unhealthy habits, but try to eat healthier and avoid junk food gradually. For example, replace sugary sodas with fruit juices or water and eat fewer processed foods. Try to eat a balanced diet that’s low in salt and high in fiber. Then, exercise regularly to improve your strength, balance, and fitness.