As we move from 2021 into 2022, the COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect nearly every phase of our lives. For many, this crisis has produced a range of unique and personal impacts—including food access issues, income disruptions, and emotional distress.

Being healthy or leading a healthy lifestyle is more than just keeping yourself from falling ill. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines “health” as complete physical, mental, and social well-being, rather than simply the absence of disease or illness. Living a healthy life might seem like a tall order- the diet, the exercise, the inner peace!

Besides keeping yourself free from diseases, good health or healthy living comprises many other areas, like physical health, mental health, and health management. Everything is necessary for you to achieve better health and keep diseases at the shore. With a few simple tips for a healthy life, you can learn to manage the different aspects of health, and lead a more fulfilling and active lifestyle. 

We always set health goals before the new year, but most of us can hold to these goals for just a few months or few weeks. Why do we do this? Well, it is because these things take time to show the results. To live a healthy life, you need to adopt positive habits and adhere to them for a very long period. So, instead of waiting for the new year, you can begin now by adopting the following daily practices:

1. Physical Activity

Taking care of your body is vital for good health, but the problem is that people often ignore their bodies. If you do not eat a proper diet or get enough sleep, you are denying yourself good physical health! Keeping yourself physically healthy with an energetic lifestyle and physical activity will make you feel better and more vigorous every day.

According to Dr. Edward R. Laskowski ( Co-director of the Mayo Clinic Sports and Medicine and a professor in the department of physical education and rehabilitation), adults should participate in at least 60 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity, or at least 30 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity throughout the week for substantial health benefits.

2. Eat Healthy Food

Good nutrition is all about eating right. The food you eat provides the essential nutrients needed by your body. Eating a well-balanced and healthy diet will result in:

• a robust immune system to fight diseases
• negligible chances of falling sick
• better physical health

3. Active Lifestyle

Another thing you should do to remain healthy is to get active! An active lifestyle with sufficient physical activity and exercise can certainly help to improve your health, not only by decreasing the risk of cardiovascular (heart and blood vessel) disease but also:

• helps you feel more positive and better about yourself
• improves your strength and concentration
• reduces stress and anxiety

4. Mental Health

Besides having a healthy body, we also need to have a healthy mind. Diseases not only harm the physical body but the mind as well. Mental health is therefore a very essential element of your overall health and well-being.

The absence of mental ailments or disorders such as depression, dementia, bipolar disorder, or schizophrenia does not mean that a person is mentally healthy. The WHO describes good mental health as the nature of well-being in which a person can:

• cope with the normal pressures of life
• work productively and fruitfully
• realizes his or her potential
• contribute to his or her society

Having positive mental health will considerably change the way you cope with anxiety and will allow you to lead a more fulfilling and productive life. Some tips for a healthy life are:

• Learn to relax
• Communicate with your family and friends
• Be confident in yourself

5. Sleep

Sleep is a necessary, often neglected, element of every person’s complete health and well-being. Sleep is vital because it allows the body to repair and be fit and healthy for another day. Getting sufficient rest may also help prevent excess weight gain, heart disease, and other chronic ailments. Some of the benefits of having a good sleep are;

• Better productivity and consistency
• Better calorie management
• Less chance of a heart disease
• Strong immune system
• Prevents depression

6. Stay Smoke-Free

Being in good health also involves not smoking if you have not started or quit smoking if you already are a smoker. Smoking is the only avoidable cause of death. Globally, it has been evaluated that it kills one person every 10 seconds. Smoking not only causes cancer but is also a major factor for coronary heart ailment, stroke, and chronic obstructive lung disease.

Some of the benefits of quitting smoking according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are;

• improves the quality of life
• reduces the risk of premature death
• reduces the risk for many dangerous health effects, including cardiovascular diseases, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and cancer.
• reduces the financial burden
• improves the health of pregnant women and their fetuses and babies.

So we need a healthy lifestyle to build up a strong immune system and to avoid diseases. Being healthy does not stop at keeping yourself free from diseases. Being healthy demands you to take care of your physical, mental, and emotional well-being. There are no goals to how much health you can achieve, but adhering to the above things to do for healthy life can definitely make a huge difference. The healthier you are, the greater you will be able to enjoy life!