What does a healthy lifestyle look like, and what are its benefits

Related Articles

We’re constantly bombarded with YouTube videos and Instagram posts about how influencers live a healthy lifestyle and how they promote it. Although it’s good that people are concerned about their well-being and want to improve themselves, the false image of social media on physical and mental wellness may confuse people on what they should do, mainly because influencers advertise unauthorized medical products. So, what does a healthy lifestyle look like, and what are the benefits of such a style of living?

The definition of a healthy lifestyle

Defining the term healthy when talking about one’s way of living can be controversial to many people because due to the fact each person is different, we can’t make everyone have the same routines and standards when it comes to a healthy life. It would be inappropriate to require all humans to eat the same meals and have the same workout routine, mainly because people can be organised in different categories according to age, sex, race and many other elements. Hence, you can’t expect an older person to have the exact needs of a ten-year-old, and so on.

So, defining what is healthy depends on several factors. But, according to the WHO, a healthy lifestyle is a sum of actions that lowers the risk of being acutely ill or dying early. And, given that scientists have found that some behaviors contribute to the development of many illnesses, we can start by defining what is not a healthy way of living. For example, smoking is known to kill up to half of its users, from which we can deduce this is a deadly behavior which, unfortunately, is more common than we’d think. Smoking usually leads to other illnesses and complications, like obesity or lung cancer.

On the contrary, a healthy lifestyle tries to minimize the use of toxic substances and products. It also requires you to move your body, eat nutritious food and have balanced mental health. It means being close to your loved ones and having a close-to-fulfilment life, but it also requires you to be mindful of your humanly limitations and know when having too much fun is too much. So, as you can see, healthy living depends on many factors. But it’s not that easy to assess a healthy life.

The consequences of a harmful lifestyle 

Most of the time, people get ill by mistake. They catch a cold due to exposure to the cold, or they get an infection caused by some external factors. Still, at times, they consciously contribute to an illness by repeating the same dangerous behaviors over and over again (smoking, sitting for too long, not eating properly). Therefore, they develop certain types of diabetes, hypertension, obesity and other common health problems. When reaching this point, many people reach out to doctors who provide cheaper services because they want to eliminate the problem as quickly as possible and with minimum expenses.

Unfortunately, such services are not always performed by professional staff, which can lead to more health complications during treatment. This is why medical malpractice happens, due to medical errors. However, according to https://www.medicalnegligencelaw.org.uk/, any patient who experiences such negligence is eligible to claim compensation to cover their financial losses and proper treatments. Whether it’s a surgical mistake, a misdiagnosis or a prescription error, if you can prove the duty has been breached, you can be successful in your case.

The benefits of a healthy lifestyle 

Living a healthy lifestyle involves continuous habits, meaning that if you suddenly decide to eat more veggies today, but then you end up having the same innutritious diet, nothing will change. So, in order to maintain your health at relatively good scores, you need to be consistent with your practices and embrace this lifestyle as something you do automatically.

However, it is not that easy to adopt a lifestyle you’re not used to, especially when it requires significant changes. Some people start with unrealistic expectations, which leads to considerable switches. But the best plan in such a situation is to start small and gradually adopt good habits to make yourself accustomed to these new behaviors.

Keeping this mindset for a longer time can help you benefit from the following:

  • Disease prevention. It has been proven multiple times that having a healthy life reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease, lowers the possibility of developing type 2 diabetes, and even extends your life.
  • Money in the bank. Making frequent doctor appointments instead of going only when you have a health issue will save you a lot of money in the long run. Consistency allows you to prevent and treat any developing problem, so you don’t risk spending a lot of money on surgeries and expensive hospitalization.
  • Improved mental health. Many people struggle with anxiety, depression and other problems. Although these disorders might require professional treatment, sometimes uneasy feelings can be driven away by a walk outside or a casual run. Given that frequent exercise can relieve stress and improve mood and sleep, it may be possible to minimize the impact of other disorders by getting enough physical activity.

What should I do to be healthier?

Starting your health journey may be tough. It would be best to get the advice of medical staff to ensure you start on the right foot, but some changes you can safely make consist of:

  • Spending more time working out (light exercises);
  • Adding more fruits, vegetables and other nutritious ingredients to your meals;
  • Take care of your health by keeping the environment you live and work in clean;
  • Make frequent appointments at the doctor;
  • Take care of your mental health as much as you can;

Final thoughts

There is no fixed recipe for a healthy lifestyle that could apply to anyone. Some factors, including age, sex and medical history, can affect your lifestyle and habits, so you need medical guidance on the things you need or not. Still, try to change your life by adopting a balanced diet and working out more. And if you do it for a longer time, you’ll notice the benefits.

HomeLifeHealthWhat does a healthy lifestyle look like, and what are its benefits