Although taking care of your health should be a long-term priority, there are small things that can be done in the short-term which can set people on the way to improving their overall health and reaping the rewards in the long term.
Here are 4 straightforward things you can do today to improve your health.
Health Tip 1: Spend More Time In Nature
Although it may sound simple, research has shown that spending time in naturally greener environments such as forests, parks and hilly environments reduces psychological stress levels which in turn has a positive impact on a person's health.
It may even be as simple as starting a garden in your back yard or taking up a hobby such as bird watching, clay pigeon shooting or archery. Even setting time aside each day to go for a walk in a local park or forest will have great benefits and make you feel more relaxed allowing you to enjoy whatever it is you choose to do throughout the day.
Health Tip 2: Drink More Water
You may have heard that everyone should drink 8 glasses of water a day, but how often do you actually do it? It is estimated that the average person in the UK drinks only 1.7 litres of water a day which is well below the recommendation for males (2.5 litres) and below the recommendation for females (2 litres).
Having good hydration levels keeps the entire body functioning properly and ensures that the joints are lubricated, essential nutrients to cells are delivered, proper organ function and body temperature is maintained and that infections are prevented from entering the body.
Health Tip 3: Improve Sleep Hygiene
Although getting enough sleep is a key component of good health, the quality of your sleep is vitally important. Many people allow things like phones, food, temperature and noise to interfere with their sleep hygiene leading to poor quality sleep and the worsening of their health over time.
It is recommended that the room is kept at a temperature between 15-19°C and kept as dark as possible to avoid distracting outside lights. It’s also recommended to go to bed and wake up at roughly the same time each day to train the internal ‘body clock’ to know when it’s time for sleep, remove electronic devices from the bedroom, avoid large meals and caffeine before bed and be physically active during the day to ensure you get deep and restorative sleep each night.
Health Tip 4: Enjoy A Glass Of Red Wine
The best till last! And no, it’s not a joke - kicking back with a nice glass of red has been shown to boost heart health. To be precise, the antioxidants in red wine were shown to prevent damaged blood vessels, reduce cholesterol and prevent blood clots.
However, the key is to drink in moderation as having more than one alcoholic drink each night will do more harm than good in the long run. For those who don’t drink, the same benefits can be felt by eating grapes or drinking grape juice.
The Bottom Line
Many people often get lost in the entire idea that the path to good and improved health is a long and drawn out process but with these four straightforward tips people can begin immediately taking care of and boosting their health which will have positive impacts not only in the immediate term but also in the long term.
The journey to improving all-round health doesn’t have to start with huge changes and doesn’t have to be an uphill struggle. It can start today with small changes in your daily life and it’s these small changes which will often compound into something much larger!