How Your Personalized Health Plan Can Change Your Life for the Better
- Nancy Tran
- Mar 13, 2021
- 5 min read
Updated: May 14, 2022
In an ideal world, we all want to feel better, live longer, and have a lot of energy. But the reality is that many of us spend a lot of time feeling unwell, struggling with chronic pain, or just feeling run down in general. Our health is the most valuable asset we have. So we need to ensure we take care of ourselves and look after our health.
People need to learn how to care for their health, and it can be done by having an excellent personal health plan. Good health is associated with longevity and a better quality of life, so it is essential to take the time to develop a personalized health plan.
Prioritize Your Health
Balance is crucial. It means that we are in control of our emotions and our thoughts. We can decide; what we eat, when we sleep, how much we exercise, and what we think. When we are balanced, we can maintain a healthy lifestyle and stay fit. (the importance of a balanced lifestyle) There is no one-size-fits-all approach to this topic; this is not a quick fix.
To live a long, healthy life, you need to focus on being healthy now and doing the things that will help you look and feel great at the end of your life. For example, suppose you’ve developed a chronic health condition. In that case, the day-to-day choices you make will impact whether you preserve vitality as you age or develop life-shortening illnesses and disabling conditions like heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and stroke.
For example, suppose you’ve had a heart attack or coronary event, had heart surgery, suffered metabolic syndrome as a teenager, or have certain blood disorders. In that case, you might be living with a disease that will shorten your life and wear you down in other ways. However, if you replace unhealthy habits with healthy ones, you can extend your life. For example, think about sports or lifestyle choices like mountain biking or ice skating. Do you have to train for hours to skate, or can you slide right out of the door when you have a day off?
Get in Shape
More recently, people have been looking inward as they make lifestyle choices, particularly weight loss. However, we may still use the terms healthy weight loss and slim waistlines interchangeably, and the reality is it's tough to live a long, healthy life if you have a large waist.
If you don't exercise, I recommend starting with a half-hour every day. Be careful not to repeat the same exercise routine every day. For example, if you're doing an intense ab workout one day, try switching it to general cardio.
According to recent studies, an exercise duration of 60 minutes per day does not result in any additional weight loss of more than 30 mins per day. This is excellent news for both your schedule and your level of motivation. So perform your best to increase the intensity in those 30 minutes.
Everyone should have an equilibrium and a setpoint where their body chooses to remain. Acknowledging a setpoint does not mean sacrificing, but it does mean recognizing the obstacles you face. For example, expect to hit a plateau with results over your fitness, but you can push past them with firm determination and guidance.
Don't be fooled by misleadingly healthy snacks that pretend to be right for you. Instead, look at the foods you eat regularly and try to figure out whether or not they are healthy.
Be careful not to put an end to your progress after a week-long break. Have a backup plan to be consistent, at least for the first month. If travel is on your schedule and you can't eliminate it, make an exercise plan before you leave.
Burnout is common early on when learning how to get in shape. You've reached your whole life to be healthy, so don't expect to go from slacker to athletic star player in a week. Increasing intensity and pushing yourself may come later when your body becomes comfortable.
Workout partners can help you stay motivated and make the exercise more fun. But they can also stop you from accomplishing your objectives. So when you start to experience a plateau, consider mixing things up a bit. For example, after taking a break from my regular workout partner, I found that I could increase my lifts by 30-50 percent more.
It is certainly possible to get in shape if you are motivated and have the time and energy to devote to it.
Be Mindful of What You Eat
Mindfulness is a mental state achieved by focusing awareness on the present moment while calmly acknowledging and accepting one’s feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations. This is often practiced through meditation and breathing exercises, but you can also get started with simple mindfulness practices that don’t require much effort.
Mindful eating is paying attention to your hunger, fullness, and the cues your body sends you. Instead of eating in response to emotions or feelings of stress, you connect with your body to understand what it truly needs. Mindful eating is a powerful tool to help you make better food choices, lose weight, and feel better overall.
The average American spends two-and-a-half hours a day eating, but more than half the time, we are distracted and unaware of what we are eating. A lack of awareness of our food may contribute to obesity and other health issues.
If you skip your meals, you may be so eager to get anything in your stomach that your priority is to fill the void instead of enjoying your food. Consider the health value of every item you add to your list and stick to it to avoid impulse buying when shopping. Devote at least five minutes to a thoughtful meal before chatting with your tablemates. Bring all your senses to dinner by being attentive to the colour, texture, aroma, and the sounds of different foods.
Much of the wellness advice on getting more exercise and being in better shape assumes that our modern, sedentary lives include staying sedentary. However, this isn’t very sustainable. For example, suppose sedentary living can significantly affect how effectively your body uses food and how your digestion works. In that case, you, as a modern, healthy, active person, should be working on getting in shape. But, how much exercise is enough? Furthermore, the amount of activity is different for different people.
For example, if you exercise regularly, you might need to increase your exercise amount by quite a bit to work on the points above. The amount will vary from person to person. What’s the recommended exercise amount, then? We never actually know the answer to this question because studies are few and far between. There are some guidance articles that you can find on the internet, but most of the published research is on sample populations that include healthy individuals.
Nonetheless, here’s a rough idea as to how much exercise is adequate to get various health benefits for an average person: According to available evidence, the study population you need to achieve roughly the same physical condition (moderate exercise, that is) and reap maximum benefit from physical activity is approximately 50 minutes per day.
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