The majority of individuals have busy daily lives, trying to juggle work, family and socialising, which can often make health and well-being more of an afterthought. However, maintaining a healthy lifestyle doesn’t have to be a time-consuming task or involve making big changes, taking small intentional steps towards improving your health can be just as beneficial. Embracing healthier habits and exercising regularly can go a long way in creating a solid foundation of good health, mentally and physically.
Pillars of well-being
Physical health and fitness
Regular exercise is extremely important in contributing towards your body’s health and well-being. It can help to prevent health problems, boost your mood, maintain a healthy weight and improve sleep. Exercising doesn’t have to be high-intensity to be effective, low-intensity exercise like walking can be just as beneficial to sustain a healthy lifestyle.
Nutrition
Maintaining a nutrient-dense diet is crucial in helping to support your immune system, boost energy levels and reduce the risk of illness and disease. Eating a varied and balanced diet provides the body with a sufficient amount of vitamins and minerals to support bodily functions.
Mental health
Mental health plays an important role in maintaining emotions and psychological well-being. Poor mental health can have an extremely negative effect on your daily life, so it is crucial that individuals take the necessary steps to support their mental health.
Supplements and tools to support your health
Supplements are used to provide the body with added nutrients that aren’t provided through diet alone. They can offer various health benefits from boosted energy levels to improved sleeping habits and overall help to ensure the health and wellness of your body. Every individual is different, meaning that supplements take a very tailored approach depending on the person and not everyone requires the same supplementation. It is important to understand the various types of supplements and the benefits they offer to ensure whether your body needs them. Here are some of the most common types of supplements and their benefits:
Multivitamins
Multivitamins contain a mix of essential vitamins and minerals to provide the body with a balanced amount of nutrients. These supplements are usually taken once daily and can improve energy levels and increase the body’s immune system. They are particularly great for individuals who have certain dietary requirements and can’t gain a wide range of vitamins and minerals through diet alone.
Minerals
Mineral supplements contain mineral elements that promote the healthy function of the body. Some of these minerals include iron, zinc, calcium, magnesium and so on. These minerals all provide different benefits for the body including reduced fatigue, immune support and nervous system function.
Probiotics
Probiotics are taken to support the health of the gut as they provide the body with live bacteria to create a balance of microorganisms in the gut. This can help to improve the digestion of food and reduce bloating, as well as improving skin conditions, like acne.
Amino acids
There are twenty different amino acids that the body needs to function properly, nine of which are considered essential amino acids. The nine essential amino acids should be consumed through a balanced diet, however, for those with dietary requirements this may not be feasible. Amino acid supplements therefore provide the body with the nine essential amino acids for those who don’t consume them through their diet.
Exercise
Regular exercise significantly improves physical well-being by raising fitness levels, strengthening muscles and improving cardiovascular health. However, it also plays a huge role in boosting mental wellbeing by stimulating the release of feel-good endorphins in the brain, which reduces stress and anxiety whilst boosting your mood. Many individuals have busy schedules and work long hours which can make regular exercise particularly difficult to implement. Therefore, it is a good idea to create an exercise routine by designating a select amount of time each day or a week for exercising.
If you’re struggling with incorporating exercise around a busy routine then walking or hiking is the perfect choice. This is one of the easiest and least intimidating forms of exercise to implement into your daily routine, as it is completely free, doesn’t require a high-level of skill and can be easily done during short breaks or before and after work. In addition, this is a form of low-intensity exercise so it provides all the benefits of high-intensity exercise whilst significantly lowering the risk of injury and making it more accessible to beginners. However, if you are walking or hiking regularly it may be worthwhile investing in a high-quality pair of walking boots or trainers to provide comfort and support whilst walking.
This blog provides practical and easily implementable strategies that help individuals to incorporate more healthy habits into their daily life. By focusing on the three main pillars of well-being, individuals are able to identify the areas of their well-being that may require attention and how to address these areas. It is important to remember that striving for perfection is not necessary, small habits can go a long way in improving your health and well-being without causing added stress.