Benefits of a Healthy Lifestyle

How many times have you looked at a magazine and thought "Man, that girl is HOT. I should really start working out and eating better." ? Then you flip to the next page of your tabloid and the thought about creating a healthy lifestyle is replaced with thoughts about George Clooney and Channing Tatum.  Or, maybe your thought doesn't go away. Maybe instead you go home open up your laptop and start searching for an easy workout program that will fit into your busy schedule. You find one that seems easy enough and you can even do it in the comfort of your living room. You start strong for the first couple of days, then the next week you get really busy and you tell yourself you don't have time to exercise everyday. You cut back to three times a week and then by week three you have complete stopped.

A healthy lifestyle can be hard to obtain and maintain. It is not a temporary thing, it's a way of living. Once you get into the habit of maintaining a healthy routine, you will be able to see, feel, and experience the benefits of a healthy lifestyle. There are significant benefits that come with a healthy lifestyle, like the reduction of stress, improved self confidence, healthier body and mind, and a happier mood (CDC, 2014). Not to mention a healthy lifestyle decreases your risk for cardiovascular disease, obesity, high blood pressure, and diabetes (Patterson, Moore, Probst, & Shinogle, 2006).

When you think about making healthy changes or start a workout plan you are attempting to create a healthy lifestyle. What exactly is a healthy lifestyle? A healthy lifestyle is more than a healthy diet and exercise. The World Health Organization defines health as a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, not simply the absence of disease. So a healthy lifestyle is a lifestyle that promotes physical, mental, and social health.

Entering into a 5K with your friends may be a great way to be active, social and support a charity.

How do you modify your lifestyle to become healthy? We will look at a healthy lifestyle by observing the three dimensions discussed above.

• The first is physical, which refers to health of the body. This aspect includes getting the proper nutrition, getting an appropriate amount of physical activity, and getting enough sleep. 
• Next, we have mental health, this is health of the mind. To achieve mental health you need to have proper stress management, a positive self-image, and you need to give and receive forgiveness and love. 
• Last but not least is social health. Social health includes developing friendships, dealing with conflict appropriately, and being connecting to a positive social network of peers.

Retrieved from http://blog.delimmune.com/2014/06/how-to-live-a-healthy-lifestyle/

For more information visit http://www.cdc.gov/healthyliving/.

References:

CDC. (2015). Obesity and overweight. Retrieved September 13, 2015, from http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs311/en/

Patterson, P. D., Moore, C. G., Probst, J. C., & Shinogle, J. A. (2006). Obesity and physical inactivity in rural America. The Journal of Rural Health, 20, 151-159