Five Factors That Contributes To A Healthy Lifestyle
Concerned friends, countless blogs, and colorful prevention posters constantly admonish a “healthy lifestyle”. Health is trendy, but let’s be honest: Why is a healthy lifestyle important? The simple answer is: Health increases the quality of life and even increases life expectancy, says the Max Planck Society.
A healthy lifestyle is therefore not an achievement that you have to perform but serves your well-being. We take a closer look at this connection for you: Which factors make up a healthy lifestyle? What are the mechanisms behind it? And how can you increase your well-being in everyday life?
Five Factors For A Healthy Lifestyle
1. Regular exercise is one of the most important factors in a healthy lifestyle. There are many reasons for this: Sport strengthens the muscles and thus protects the skeleton from excessive and incorrect strain. The metabolism is boosted sustainably while the blood pressure drops. Physical activity prevents cardiovascular diseases. It also has a mood-enhancing effect, because happiness hormones and immune-strengthening messenger substances are released.
Three to five hours of moderate endurance sports – swimming, running, dancing, cycling – are sufficient to achieve these positive effects. Regular everyday exercise, such as climbing stairs and walking, is also good for you.
2. Sleep offers the body relaxation and it slows down the process of aging through cell rejuvenation. At night, the human body and brain function at full speed. A higher concentration of HGH (growth hormones) makes sure that accumulated metabolic supplements are spread to heal damaged body tissues. The brain scarcely is required to take external stimuli and therefore can process all information of the day.
Therefore, a regular sleep routine according to your individual needs makes a big contribution to well-being. The recovery and growth processes enable development and regeneration. Both children and adults should get enough sleep. However, enough is not measured in hours, but in the fact that you feel rested and powerful during the day.
3. A balanced diet makes a significant contribution to a healthy lifestyle and forms the basis of your well-being. Food should provide your body with all the vital substances it needs for a strong nervous and immune system. A wholesome diet with fresh vegetables and fruit, as well as sufficient whole-grain cereals and legumes is ideal. These foods are easy to metabolize and do not put a strain on your body. Be careful not to do too much damage to him. Reduce the consumption of additives and preservatives, alcohol, nicotine, and refined sugar as much as possible.
4. The autonomic nervous system has a lot to say about health. The sympathetic and parasympathetic nerves act as opponents for a balanced relationship between tension and relaxation and thereby regulate digestion, circulation, and the immune system. In everyday life, the sympathetic nervous system – the tension system – is often overly active. He reacts to the high density of stimuli, time pressure, and stress. The parasympathetic nervous system, on the other hand, is neglected. The lack of rest phases then causes an imbalance in the hormonal balance, permanent stress, and emotional imbalances. This is followed by physical symptoms such as indigestion, high blood pressure, and an increased risk of infection.
Set counter-impulses by specifically activating your parasympathetic nervous system: Treat yourself and your sympathetic nervous system to quiet time out, spend time with yourself, practice yoga and meditation, or go for a walk in the fresh air. Extensive stretching and yawning in between also ensure more relaxation in everyday life.
5. Scientific studies prove the influence of social inclusion and a positive attitude on life satisfaction. For your well-being, pay attention to the people you surround yourself with and how you view life. Maintain friendships not out of a sense of obligation, but in such a way that you feel comfortable and secure in them. The same applies to your views: Which gives you pleasure and which makes life difficult for you? Try to break away from negative thoughts and connections and instead develop strengthening perspectives and social relationships. This promotes stress reduction and sometimes even alleviates inflammatory processes in the body.