Basic Tips for a healthy lifestyle – Red Cross CMD

A healthy lifestyle is something that is not only a concern of people advanced in years but is also relevant to young people and should ideally be taught from childhood. But what does a healthy lifestyle mean and is it that difficult to lead?

A healthy lifestyle could generally be described as eating what we consider to be a healthy diet, participating in sporting activities, and maintaining a healthy mind. All of these aspects may at first give the impression that they are not very interrelated, but each one has a decisive influence on the other. Considering these three categories, it should be easier for anyone to assess what a healthy lifestyle means for them and how it can be implemented more easily in our everyday life with a few adjustments.

Eating a healthy diet

A balanced and healthy diet is the be-all and end-all of any healthy lifestyle and keeps us free from health problems and the need to take medication. Without sufficient vitamins, minerals, fiber, and more, our body and mind cannot fight off disease or achieve the optimized performance that is required to function effectively in our day-to-day activities. Contrary to what many people think, it is not difficult to create a good basis for a healthy diet. If you make sure to consume enough protein every day, eat enough fruit and vegetables, vitamins and fiber, and look out for good fats like OMEGA 3, you will be well on your way towards a healthy lifestyle. If you find it difficult to meet your needs with food, you can also use vitamin supplements, fish oil capsules, or the like after consulting your family doctor.

Sufficient physical exercise

It is not without reason that sitting has long been considered “the new smoking”. Most adults (and increasingly nowadays, children) spend most of the day sitting. Whether in the classrooms or the office in front of the computer, we are becoming more and more of a seated society. Prolonged and incorrect sitting not only harms male health and female health but can also cause one of the greatest common ailments - back pain.

Lower back pain is most common because the lumbar spine is more prone to injury and damage. Here, too, a few basic principles are sufficient to promote the physical health of our body. Sports such as jogging, cycling, swimming, or rowing not only promote our stamina but can also in most cases be performed outside in the fresh air without any problems. Engaging in outdoor activities is a real advantage, as adults in particular often spend too much time in closed buildings, which can permanently depress our mood.

Here sports like yoga are also great for a healthy lifestyle. Here, 3 × 20 minutes a week are enough to strengthen physical fitness. If you don't feel like exercising at all, you should try to take 5,000-10,000 steps a day - this value is recommended by the World Health Organization, among others, and ensures that our bodies remain in good shape even with less exercise.

A healthy mind

This aspect of healthy living is often forgotten and is hardly recognized in our everyday life, so it is all the more important to draw attention to this topic. A healthy diet and adequate exercise are two solid pillars in terms of a healthy lifestyle, but these three aspects can only provide a healthy basis for our health if they work together. If one of these factors is missing, we quickly feel far removed from what we are striving for.

The fact that the mind is so often forgotten or left out is probably because many people don’t recognize it or are embarrassed to seek mental healthcare services because mental illness is stigmatized in many societies. It is particularly important in today’s fast-paced world to pause and check on your mental health. This does not have to mean that a serious illness is immediately present. It is enough to look at your mood from a different angle and, if necessary, to take countermeasures against it. That can mean a well-deserved bath after a hard day at work, a round of video games during the lunch break, or even switching off the cell phone for a weekend. A healthy lifestyle also includes giving your mind the necessary breaks, rest, and treating yourself from time to time.

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