Stop Making Poor Health Choices – Tips for Living Healthier Every Day

If you regularly skip your exercise routine or “cheat” on your diet, you are making poor health choices.  Even though we have the best intentions, we are going to make bad decisions sometimes.  However, consistently making decisions that will affect your health in a negative way is a sign that you need to change the way you think about food and exercise.  If you view a healthy diet as denying yourself food that you enjoy, you are more likely to “cheat” on your diet.  Likewise, if you view exercise as a punishment or a chore, you will find reasons to skip exercise.  The bad health choices we make could stem from habits, stress or even something, we have learned; however, we must eat a balanced diet, get enough rest and exercise if we expect to maintain our health.

If you are ready to stop making bad health choices and if you are serious about changing the way you view eating and exercising, here are some tips that will help you on the road to making better health decisions.

1.  Get a physical.  See your doctor and get a complete physical.  In order to stay fit and healthy, you need to make sure there are no health problems that need to be addressed.  Having routine physicals and health screenings are part of a healthy lifestyle.

 2.  Learn about healthy eating choices.  Eating a healthy, well-balanced diet gives you more energy and helps protect your body from illnesses such as heart disease and diabetes.  If you are not eating a well-balanced diet, you are denying yourself the proper nutrition you need to be fit and healthy.  Many people make bad health choices because they have not taken the time to learn about proper nutrition.  For example, ChooseMyPlate.gov recommends that one-half of your meal should consist of vegetables and fruit.  Learning how to make healthy eating choices will have a positive impact on all areas of your life.  ChooseMyPlate has information on weight control, portion size and much more to help you make better eating choices.

 3.  Exercise does not have to be painful.  Exercise should be a part of your choice for a healthy lifestyle because it reduces stress, decreases the risk of certain diseases and gives you more energy.  The average adult should exercise four to six days a week for 30 to 60 minutes each day.  If you think of exercise as a punishment or a chore, you are less likely to stick to an exercise routine.  The key to exercising is finding an activity that you enjoy rather than forcing yourself to do something you hate.  Find an activity that you enjoy such as swimming, cycling or playing tennis and you will be more likely to stick to a weekly exercise routine.

Our daily lifestyle decisions influence our overall health.  Living a healthy life begins with making good health choices each day.  As you invest in your health through diet and exercise, you will begin to see positive changes that will last a lifetime.