Tips To Maintaining A Healthy Lifestyle
Did you know that there are different ways to maintain a healthy lifestyle other than just eating right and exercising? Though eating right and daily activity are two very important ways to keep healthy there are other changes that can be made to your lifestyle to ensure a long and healthy life. Some tips include:
- Schedule screening tests you may need: For women: make sure you stay up on mammogram and pap smears. Breast cancer is the most common cause of death for women between the ages of 50-74. A mammogram should be done every 2 years and Pap smears should be done every 3 years. For both men and women: a colonoscopy should be conducted every 10 years starting at the age of 50. Earlier if there is a history of colon cancer in the family. Also make sure you keep your shots up to date; such as: tetanus-diphtheria booster and a flu shot. Talk to your doctor about any other screenings or shots that you should have done.
- Control your blood pressure and cholesterol: high blood pressure and cholesterol can be a result of obesity. The best way to lower BP and cholesterol are by losing weight and watching what food you eat on a daily basis.
- Quit smoking or using tobacco: Smoking or using tobacco is a very dangerous habit that causes 440,000 deaths in the US every year. Diseases such as emphysema, mouth, throat and lung cancer, and heart disease can be a result of smoking or using tobacco
- Protect yourself from too much sun: The sun has vitamin D which is good for your health, but too much sun exposure can cause skin cancer. The best way to protect yourself from the sun is wear protective clothing and sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15 and blocks both UVA and UVB light.
- Moderate alcohol consumption, or don’t drink at all: daily alcohol consumption for men is no more than 2 drinks a day and for women 1 drink a day. One drink is equivalent to: 1 can of beer (12 ounces) = 4 ounce glass of wine = 1 ounce of liquor. Too much alcohol can damage the liver and contribute to some cancers.
- Drink lots of water
- Protect yourself: wear helmets, seat belts. Wash hands to stop spread of germs.
- Manage Stress: balance work, home and play. Live positively and relax. Try and get 7-9 hours of sleep each night
By making just a few changes to your lifestyle you can live a longer, happier, healthier life. Check back next week for tips on healthy eating and daily exercise activities! Have a happy healthy day from your friends at Farmingdale PT West!
