Walking - The Most Underrated Form Of Movement
We are told to stay frequently active and keep our bodies moving, so most of us resort to running, going to the gym, or trying out different sports. While all forms of movement are good, we often underestimate how simple yet effective walking can be for our health.
It is something that the mast majority of people can do and is widely available to be done in various different locations. Instead of looking at walking as just a commuting thing or to go for a relaxing stroll, we can also try to incorporate walking, either on flat ground, uphill or at a faster pace, into our weekly lifestyle for a different and low impact form of movement.
Ready to explore why such a simple thing as walking can be so profound on our health?
Then read onwards đ
WHY IS WALKING GENUINELY GOOD FOR YOU?
A simple action such as walking can have profound impacts on both your mental and physical health. Find out all about these benefits bellow:
MENTAL BENEFITS
Improves your mood
Reduces stress and anxiety
Improves memory and mental cognition
Increases general energy levels during the day and alertness
Reduces the frequency of depression and negative emotions
Fights against fatigue
Increases creativity
PHYSICAL BENEFITS
Improvs cardiovascular fitness and health
Improves muscle endurance
Works to prevent a variety of chronic conditions (heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, cancer, type II diabetes)
Reduces blood pressure
Slows down our resting heart rate
Contributes to maintaining a healthy weight
Strengthens our bones and muscle tissue
Helps with ensuring deeper sleep
Walking after a meal can help with lowering blood sugar and keeping it within healthy measures
Reduction in overall body fat
Works to improve your balance and coordination
Strengthens your immune system
Improves posture
Eases joint pain
HAVING THE RIGHT TECHNIQUE FOR WALKING
Although the vast majority of us know how to walk and can do so with ease, I wanted to direct some special attention to certain aspects of walking to watch out for:
When walking, keep your head up and your gaze directed forward, instead of looking down
Try not to walk while looking down at your phone since that additionally worsens your posture
Keep your shoulders, neck and back relaxed
Don't lean or slouch forward with your shoulders and instead keep them slightly more back to to keep a straight back and keep a good posture
Your arms swing alternatively with a slight bend in your elbow
Keep you abdominal muscles slightly tightened, helping to create a straighter back
When walking, your heel touches the ground first, rolling onto your toes afterwards
If you would like to use walking as a way to loose weight and tone your muscles, specialists think it is best to achieve this when we are repeatedly lowering and raising our heart rate, instead of keeping our heart rate at one pace. Therefore, if you decide to walk on a treadmill, make use of the incline and speed options to vary your walking movement and style on the treadmill to maximize your bodies caloric output. Similarly, if you rather walk outside, finding a hill or uneven trail path will also do the job just as well.
It is overall recommended to be active for at least 30minutes per day, where if you are a beginner when it comes to exercising, walking is a great way to start moving your body more an gradually start incorporating more different types of exercises into your daily or weekly routine as you feel more comfortable. Remember, moving your body should not be seen as a chore or something that you have to do, but instead, movement is something that you get to do. Not everyone has the ability or vitality to just freely move their body around, so if you do, respect and honor that ability.
HOW TO WALK MORE OFTEN
It is definitely true that if you want to make something a consistent habit, it is much more easier to do so if we find the activity enjoyable. Therefore, I have put together a list of ideas for how to personalize your walks and make them that much extra more enjoyable, while making sure to keep you consistent with them.
Try walking with friends or joining a walking group
To keep you motivated, use a walking app that will also simultaneously track your steps
Listen to music or a podcast while you walk
If you walk outdoors, try to keep the scenery or walking location varied
Investing in a good pair of walking shoes and activewear that makes you feel good
Track your progress in terms of how often you go on walks and how many steps you walk per day
Getting a dog who loves going on walks might give you a great source of motivation and enjoyment for going on more walks
Join online or in person walking challenges
Start with a simple walking goal and then gradually work your way up the numbers
Try varying your route or walking location to keep the walks more interesting
Don't be too hard on yourself if you miss a day or two or you find that somedays you just cant fit in a certain amount of steps. Its all okay, just keep trying your best
Try fitting in walking into more mundane parts of your day (Eg: Commuting, going on a walk during your lunch breaks, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, parking a bit further from your work place)
If you have a family, try finding a time for walks that works for all of you (Eg: After dinner)
đ§ KEY IDEAS
In this blog post we have looked at the profound and varied benefits that lie behind one of the most understated forms of exercise : Walking. Find out all about why its good for you, how to have a proper walking posture and some ideas for making your walks more enjoyable and exciting.
âď¸ REFERENCES
Steinhilber, B. (2017, September 2). Why walking is the most underrated form of exercise. NBC News. https://www.nbcnews.com/better/health/why-walking-most-underrated-form-exercise-ncna797271
Chertoff, J. (2018, November 8). What Are the Benefits of Walking? Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/benefits-of-walking
Harvard Health. (2022, August 25). 5 surprising benefits of walking. https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/5-surprising-benefits-of-walking
12 Benefits of Walking | Arthritis Foundation. (n.d.). https://www.arthritis.org/health-wellness/healthy-living/physical-activity/walking/12-benefits-of-walking
12 Benefits of Walking | Arthritis Foundation. (n.d.). https://www.arthritis.org/health-wellness/healthy-living/physical-activity/walking/12-benefits-of-walking
Staff, M. C. (2021, May 19). Walking: Trim your waistline, improve your health. Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/walking/art-20046261
The Powerful Practice Of Yoga
Recently I have fallen in love again. I have been doing so almost every morning, for 10-15 minutes in order to wake my body up and improve my flexibility. Since doing it and especially on the days on which I do yoga, I notice a big difference in my energy and general focus throughout the rest of the day.
I wanted to look into why I have experienced more clarity and calmness as a result of it, which brought me onto writings todays topic. In this way I hope to provide more insight into the ways that a consistent yoga practice can benefit you and how to make it easier to implement into your lifestyle. The great thing about yoga is that it can be adapted to your abilities and strength making it suitable for almost everyone, where I believe that everyone can gain something from it.
BRIEFLY ABOUT YOGA
If you are unfamiliar with yoga, we can describe yoga as being both a mind and body practice, which emphases controlled movements, strength and flexibility. It is a form of movements which combines a set of postures and poses (called âasanasâ), where it is often also combined with various breathing and meditation techniques.
Yoga is said to have originated from India as long as 5000 years ago.
Nowadays there are many different types of yoga practices you can find, such as Ashtanga, Hatha, Hot, Vinyasa to mention a few. Each are different in their intensity, room conditions (such as temperature), tempo and difficulty, which is why yoga can be adjusted for your abilities and strength level.
10 HEALTH BENEFITS OF YOGA
Improvement in Flexibility, Balance and Strength
Yoga is often under estimated as a form of exercise, but it actually is really beneficial for gradually building up body strength, flexibility as well as improving your balance. Through this, your body feels less stiff and you develop a greater range of motion in your joints, which allows you to move with more ease through any other form of movement you do. (Find out more about the benefits of stretching here)
Helps With Weight Loss
If required, yoga can also be a way to loose weight, as there are types of yoga which are more difficult and intense, allowing you to break up a sweat and over time help with weight loss.
Reduction of Heart Disease
A steady aerobic form of movement like yoga can be a great way to prevent heart disease as it has been scientifically shown to lower important aspects such as your blood pressure, resting heart rate, blood lipid levels (cholesterol) and you blood sugar levels.
Relaxes The Body
If you have ever done yoga before, you have likely experienced that you felt more calm and relaxed afterwards. This is a common finding among common yoga practicers, where this relaxation can ease anxiety and stress levels, deepen your sleep quality, fight inflammation as well as lead to better immunity (Read more about immunity here)
Can Lift Your Mood
After a yoga session you may also feel a sense of being reenergized yet calm. You may find that your mood feels elevated and you have a greater sense of positivity throughout your day.
May Improve Bone Health
Like most other exercise, yoga can also strengthen your bones by over time improving their density. This usually occurs when we apply gradual pressure on our skeletal system as when we physically exert our body.
Improvements in Body Posture
Yoga puts a lot of attention towards the way we position and hold our body throughout the practice, which is why it can be a great way to improve our overall body posture. Because of this, many people also find that it eases physical discomforts within their body or helps with lower back pain. (Read more about how to have good posture here)
More functional Breathing
Another aspect which yoga emphasizes is the importance of breathing during your practice. Your breath is the bedrock of your life and it is what keeps you alive; Notice how your breathing changes when you are excited, stressed or calm. If we can control our breath we can likely also control the way we react to an experience. Much like mediation, yoga tries to synchronize your breathing with the movements and poses you do, which centers your mind, calms you down and improves your mental focus.
Better Management of Depression
Some studies have also shown that yoga can be affective for people struggling with mental health or emotion related disorders such as depression. The reasons for this might be similar to other forms of exercise which re-oxidse your blood and release mood boosting chemicals.
Helps With Increasing Mindfulness
Just like meditation, yoga can also heighten your mindfulness and levels of awareness. This can help you with being more present int he current moment, making it easier to express gratitude for something and experiencing a sharpness of mental focus and concentration.
HOW TO DO YOGA MORE OFTEN
Below you can find some advice and practical tips on how you can implement yoga into your own life and schedule if you are interested:
Attend a (online) beginners yoga class or two to get an idea of the poses
Begin with doing easier poses and build your way up in difficulty as you gain strength and mobility
At the start, I suggest you begin with shorter routines (10-15 minutes) and then once you want more, you can increase that time span
Set yourself a challenge and commit to trying yoga out for a week
Put an intention behind it - Why do you want to start doing it in the first place?
Try it out with a friend
Consciously decide at what time in a day will you do it
Put away judgements and expectations on yourself about the practice
Become more comfortable with stillness and slowing down
Try it out with calming music or silence and see what you prefer (There are plenty of yoga related music playlist available online)
Implement it into a already existing routine your may have (morning, evening, exercise routine)
Purchasing an exercise or yoga mat will likely make your practice more enjoyable and comfortable
Find a place where you feel comfortable and calm with doing yoga (In your bedroom, living room, yoga studio, park, garden, terrace etc.)
I hope that you found todays topic useful and interesting because I do genuinely believe that everyone can benefit from doing yoga at least in some way, even if you decide to not do it regularly. Try it out and see how you feel afterwards or wether it was something you enjoyed and want to continue doing. Let me know :)
Thank you so much for reading, wishing you all happy winter holidays đ âď¸
The Importance Of A Good Posture
I got the idea for wanting to write a post on how to have good posture a while back, but only now did I realize that this is again one of those neglected yet super important topics especially now where we spend so much of our day sitting down; Working, eating, commuting etc.
I like to focus on things that we have control over in our lives, which also includes our posture. I took a look into why does good posture actually matter in the end and what are some simple ways we can start improving it, and the information I found was surprising.
I hope you enjoy this one and see for yourself what kinds of benefits having good posture can bring to you.
WHAT IS A GOOD POSTURE?
â When talking about good posture, I am talking about the proper alignment of your body when we are standing or sitting down . Good posture is about holding your body against gravity in such a way that it puts minimal strain on your supportive structures like muscles and ligaments. This keeps our joints and bones in their optimal alignment and over time prevents excessive wear and tear.
Standing up:
Our chin is parallel to the floor
Our shoulders are even (To achieve this roll the up, back and then down)
Having a neutral spine (No flexing or arching)
Our arms hang naturally at our sides with elbows straight
Our abdominal muscles are active
Hips are even and not tilted
Knees point straight ahead
Our whole body weight is evenly distributed on both feet
Sitting down:
Both of our feet are placed flat on the ground in front of the chair
Our ankles are in front of our knees
Try to avoid sitting with legs crossed
Keep your knees below or at hip level
Your abdominal muscles are active
Relax your shoulders
Ensure that you chair supports your middle and lower back
10 REASONS WHY GOOD POSTURE MATTERS
Less headaches
Through better posture, we are able to keep the muscles around our neck area more relaxed and prevent them from getting tense which otherwise can lead to frequent headaches.
Less tension in shoulder and neck area
When our head is tilted forward too much or when we look down at our screens extensively, we can start experiencing uncomfortable tension in our shoulders which further encourages poor posture.
Improves spine health and eases lower back pain
Sitting for extensive periods of time especially with poor posture, results in more pressure and tension being put onto our lower back which can over time cause back pain and discomfort. Try to stand up and walk around a bit every 30 minutes.
Better and deeper breathing
When we are slouching over or in a bent over position, we are essentially compressing our lungs and our airways, so when we open up our chest and roll back our shoulders it becomes easier to breathe and inhale more fresh air.
More energy and better mood
With better posture we can experience and elevation in mood and energy levels due to deeper breathing and also the fact that our body and muscles can move with more ease when everything is properly aligned and we have proper posture.
Boosts circulation and digestion
With good posture we prevent any of our organs and internal systems from getting compressed, ensuring good blood flow, proper working of digestive organs as well as the delivery of nutrients and oxygen around our body.
Keeps your core strong
In order to keep good posture, some level of muscular effort is required, especially from our core and upper back muscles, which keeps them active and engaged.
Makes you appear taller
Although this is more of a side note, people who have good posture seem more attractive to us by looking taller and generally healthier.
Improves your form during exercise
With better posture your muscles and bones are properly aligned which allows you to execute certain movements more correctly. This over time means we become more mobile, flexible and also prevent any unwanted injuries.
Makes you feel more confident
Interestingly enough, some research has pointed out a link between people who practice good posture and a higher level of confidence, which might be due to the perceived image that people get of themselves when they have better posture which as we have seen improves their mood and appearance
5 WAYS TO IMPROVE YOUR POSTURE
Move and stretch your body: Over time when we are regularly active, our muscle and bone mass increase, which helps to stabilize our posture and stability.
Ergonomic Workspace: Ergonomics is the study of how to improve peoples performance in a work environment. An example can be investing in a ergonomic desk chair which effectively supports your back and optimizes your typing or writing position. Also it is encouraged to have your screen directly in front of your head, instead of looking down.
Backpack: If you often carry heavy things, opt for carrying them in a backpack on your back that will distribute the weight more evenly than compared to a shoulder or cross body alternative.
Increasing awareness: When sitting down or walking around we often simply forget about our posture and before we know it we are slouched over our desk or computer screens. Take a moment every so often during your day to check on your posture and adjust it accordingly. Become more aware of your posture and when you need to realign it.
Less bending down: Try to limit the amount of time you spend bending down or crouching and if you do find yourself being often in those positions, being aware of your posture is even more important.
I have to admit that I learnt a lot of new things about our posture and what are some practical ways of improving it. I hope that you learnt something new as well and that you found this topic interesting.
Even-though it is quite a small and often neglected topic, I think that if we begin to practice proper posture and become more aware of when we need to realign our body, we can set ourselves up for better health and physical condition when we are older.
Thank you so much for reading.
10 Amazing Benefits Of Regular Exercise
Regular exercise can have profound impacts on our health and well being. I wanted to take a look into the topic of exercise as I have always heard that exercise is beneficial for us, but why exactly is it so important? How exactly does it impact our health?
I found out that the benefits range everywhere from from helping to protect against common chronic conditions, aiding with our sleep quality as well as our strengthening our immune system, and the benefits don't stop there.
Lets take a look at some of these powerful benefits a little further and also find out how we can actually incorporate more movement into our life as an enjoyable habit.
Hope you find this one interesting.
MAIN GUIDELINES
When starting to do exercise of any type, it is important to keep the following in mind for your own health and well being:
Minimum 30min of exercise per day: This is the generally accepted minimum that allows you to stay in shape and take care of your physical wellbeing.
Warm up before: This warms up your body, increases your range of motion as well as prevents possible injuries.
Stretch afterwards: This increases your flexibility as well as prevents excessive muscle soreness which helps with muscle growth.
Fuel your body before and after: This is fore mostly important for you to have enough energy for movement and proper execution of exercises, as well as promoting effective muscle growth and recovery after exercise.
Drink enough water: Water is needed for practically all bodily functions and biochemical reactions going on within us. Keeping properly hydrated enhances your physical performance and later recovery.
Move because it feels good: This is the most underestimated part of exercise, because movement should after-all be a celebration of our body and everything it is capable of doing for us. Don't treat exercise as a chore or something âyou have to doâ. Choose to do it because you are fortunate enough to be able to move and it makes you feel great. Focus on moving because it makes you feel good, not because it only yields you good looking physical results.
10 MAIN BENEFITS OF REGULAR EXERCISE
Prevents a myriad of chronic diseases
Type 2 diabetes: Exercise helps with regulating blood pressure, improving our insulin resistance as well as our glycemic control, all of which work to combat diabetes.
Heart disease. Regular exercise has been clearly shown to help protect against cardiovascular conditions, since it strengthens your heart muscle and improves your blood circulation.
Different types of cancer. Some of the cancers which can be prevented through exercise are: Breast, colorectal, gallbladder, kidney, lung, liver, ovarian and pancreatic cancers.
High cholesterol. Doing regular moderate physical activity has been show to increase HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol) in our blood and lower the other bad LDL cholesterol that can otherwise block our arteries.
High blood pressure: Those who regularly move their bodies have lower blood pressures, since with exercise your heart becomes stronger meaning that is becomes easier for it to pump blood around your body and which in turn decreases the force exerted on your arteries.
Improves Mood & Mental Wellbeing
For a while now, sleep has been shown to release chemicals such as serotonin and endorphins which have been shown to improve our mood, emotional well being as well as decreasing the chance of developing a mental illness.
Regular exercise is known to decrease feelings of anxiety, depression and stress.
Better & Deeper Sleep
Moderate to vigorous exercise done during the day has been shown, according to the sleep foundation, to reduce the amount of time we need to fall asleep, improve our sleep quality and increase general feelings of relaxation. Additionally, being active means that we have elevated energy levels through the day, which means that we feel less of a craving for sugary energy drinks and caffeinated drinks which could further upset our sleeping patterns.
Read more about how to improve your sleep here
Weight Control / Weight Loss
Exercise is beneficial for helping us with our weight loss goals or just generally keeping our weight levels within our healthy range. It does this, by speeding up our metabolism, which means that we burn more calories during the day just for staying alive. Furthermore, exercise can increase our muscle mass, which furthermore means we burn more calories as we have more tissues to feed.
Increases Energy Levels
While exercising, you increase your pulse and circulation which means that more oxygen is able to enter your body. This allows the cells of your body to have access to more oxygen rich blood which enables them to make more energy, causing you to feel more energized.
Beneficial For Muscles and Bones
When you are physically active, you regularly apply pressure and tension onto your muscles and bones. With the adequate nutrition, your muscle mass starts increasing due to more muscle repair happening. Additionally, putting more pressure onto your bones, causes more cells in your bones to be synthesized which strengthens your bone tissue, helping to prevent further unwanted injuries.
Healthier Skin
Exercise increases blood flow to our cells, meaning that more oxygen and nutrients are deliver to our cells for optimal growth, as well as that any produced waste products and unwanted free radicals are removed by it. This benefits our skin, by improving its elasticity and youthful look.
Increased Cognition and Memory Retention
The direct effect of exercise improving our mood, mental state and lowering our levels of stress, has been indirectly shown to improve mental cognition, thinking abilities as well as memory retention.
The process of physical activity is associated with a greater synthesis of neurons in our brains, which allows us to think faster and have sharper memory. It has also been shown that people who are regularly active have a much lower chance of developing Alzheimers disease in their lifetime.
Here you can find out how diet can impact your brain health.
Boosts Your Immunity
Some studies have shown a link between people who are regularly active and a stronger healthier immune system. The believed reason behind this is that exercise stimulates the circulation of immune cells around our body, which helps our body detect any infections earlier on.
Furthermore, the rise in core body temperature during exercise is believed to prevent the growth from harmful bacteria that could make you feel sick. Lastly, moving our body reduces levels of inflammation and allows us to sleep better, which is again better for out immune system.
You can read more about strengthening your immune system here
Increases Flexibility
By being more active, you warm up your muscles and allow them to become stronger and be able to endure tension for longer periods of time. In this way, your muscles are able to become more flexible (stretch further), by increasing your range of motion with them and in turn being able to execute certain movements more correctly.
Click here to find out more about the benefits of frequent stretching
HOW TO MAKE EXERCISING A HABIT
Make it enjoyable:
Try some of the following ideas to make your workouts more enjoyable:
Use music
Try it with friends
Track your progress
Eat enough and balanced
Do an activity you love (This makes it sustainable in the long run)
Keep it varied (Exercise does not only mean going to gym)
Try doing it outside
Be specific:
When planning your workout, ask yourself the following questions:
When will you do it? (Set yourself a reminder)
How long will you do it for?
Where will you be doing it?
What will you do?
With who will you do it?
Keeping motivated:
In order to continue enjoying your workouts in the long run, try some of the following:
Set realistic personal goals
Start with small steps
Measure your progress over time
Prepare your clothes/ equipment in advance
Don't get discouraged about missing out sometimes
Surround yourself with positive media and people
The topic of this post wasn't particularly new or unique, however it was fundamentally important for our health. It is important for us to understand how exercise affects us, why we should bother to do it in the first place and also how to integrate it as a enjoyable activity into our life.
What ever physical activity or activities you choose to spend your time doing, I am sure your health will be thankful, both your physical and mental well being will profit.
Don't neglect these basic components of our health and also make sure to not take it to extremes (exercising too much all the time).
Enjoy your movement and celebrate your amazing body; It does so much for you already.
Why Stretching Is More Important Than You Think
You have probably heard before that stretching is beneficial for you and that it is important for keeping flexible, but many of us still underestimate the importance of stretching and all its benefits.
Nowadays where we spend more and more of our days in a sitting down position, it is more important than ever to include movement and stretching in our daily lives, to keep ourselves healthy and mobile.
Stretching is a great way to add in a little burst of movement into your life, which can be down anywhere and does not take a lot of time at all.
Either before/ after exercise or just simply doing stretching because it feels good, stretching can pretty much be recommended to everyone and can bring almost immediate benefits to all who do it.
So how exactly is the best way to stretch, what kind of stretching is there and what are its proclaimed benefits? Read on to find out.
Wishing you happy stretching :)
Types of stretches
Active
A type of stretching where you hold a certain pose while exclusively utilizing the muscles within the muscle group that you re targeting
Example: Pointing and flexing your ankle, which stretches the calf muscles (One muscle is being contracted, while the other lengthened)
Passive
Passive stretching involves holding a stretching pose in a way that you are letting your hand or gravity perform the stretch. This type of stretching is excellent for enhancing balance.
Example: Performing hamstring stretches by trying to touch your toes by bending over ins a standing up position.
Dynamic
In dynamic stretching you are required to do repeated movements and produce momentum, with which you slowly stretch the muscles.
Example: Doing a hamstring stretch where you are swinging up your legs (extended), while standing up
BASICS OF STRETCHING
When to stretch?
Before and after exercise
Between long periods of sitting down/ inactivity
How long should stretching last?
Do the stretches slow and careful to not over stretch a muscle, especially after exercise
Hold each stretching position for about 20-30 seconds
Make sure to breathe deeply while doing the stretches
Stretching can last as long as you want it, but I would advise 5-10 minutes each before exercise and after
Optional equipment
Foam rollers
Blocks
Resistance bands/ elastics
Exercise mat
10 BENEFITS OF REGULAR STRETCHING
Greatly increases your flexibility
Increases your range of motion and mobility
Improves your performance in physical activities
Reduces chances of injuring yourself during exercise
Increases blood flow to your muscles
Improves your posture
Helps to heal and prevent back pain
Great for stress relief
Calms your mind (Especially slower stretching)
Helps decrease tension and headaches
How To Naturally Boost Your Immune System
With the cold winter months coming before us, it is now a good time to start thinking about how best to protect and reinforce our immune system for this winter, and to prevent any unnecessary sicknesses in the times of this pandemic.
As you will see, our immunity largely depends on external factors such as food, exercise, and lifestyle habits, meaning that it is well within our control to promote and maintain a healthy and strong immune system.
If you are interested in finding out how to take care of your immune system and how to prepare it for the colder months ahead of us, then read on.
Hope you enjoy : )
ESSENTIAL MICRONUTRIENTS FOR IMMUNITY
VITAMIN A:
This vitamin has been linked with lower levels of inflammation in our body, which is directly linked with a healthier and stronger immune system. Not only that, but scientists believe that it has a role in the way our immune system responds to pathogens and how our white blood cells
Sources: Eggs, cod liver oil, orange and yellow colored vegetables and fruits, broccoli, spinach
VITAMIN C
It enhances white blood cell functioning and is needed for initializing cell death of old and unuseful cells. Apart from that it also protects against oxidative stress as it functions as an antioxidant, where lower levels of oxidative stress have been linked to lower incidences of chronic diseases.
Sources: Red bell pepper, citrus fruits, kiwis, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, spinach, green peas
VITAMIN D
Enhance the ability of white blood cells in our blood to fight pathogens and prevent our immune system from becoming too sensitive to the environment around us.
Sources: Salmon, sardines, egg yolks, mushrooms, sunshine (outside)
VITAMIN E:
Vitamin E is also an antioxidant and a crucial substance that plays a part in almost 200 biochemical reactions inside your body. It is well recognized as a contributing factor in the development and healthiness of your immune cells.
Sources: Sunflower seeds, almonds, sunflower oil, hazelnuts, olive oil, pine nuts, avocado, brazil nuts
ZINC:
Zinc is required for the development of white blood cells as well as the communication between your immune cells in combating inflammation inside your body.
Sources: Oysters, beef, seafood, legumes, pumpkin seeds, natural yogurt
SELENIUM:
A rather understated mineral, but selenium has more recently been shown to have a role in regulating inflammation and overall immunity in our body, where sufficient levels of this mineral have been linked with resulting in a less over-reactive immune systems and being able to treat chronic inflammation
Sources: Brazil nuts, seafood, and organ meats
5 PILLARS OF A STRONG & HEALTHY IMMUNE SYSTEM
NUTRITION
ADEQUATE SLEEP
MODERATE EXERCISE
HEALTHY LIFESTYLE HABITS
STRESS MANAGEMENT
1. NUTRITION
EATING WELL
Perhaps food is not the first factor you expected to see on how to maintain a healthy immune system, but it is a crucial and often an understated factor. Food has been used for millennia as not only a source of energy and time for socializing but as a way to treat, regress, and prevent diseases and sicknesses. Back then, medicine as we know it today was not available, so they had to take care of illnesses with what they had around, which was most of the time food in some shape or form.
The food we eat plays a crucial role in our health and consequently also our immune system, as whatever we input into our bodies, we absorb and use, so we have to be mindful of what we eat.
In terms of food that has been scientifically shown to have a positive effect on our immune system, you will see foods in their whole food (unprocessed) form, many of which are rich in micronutrients such as vitamin C and zinc, as well as foods naturally rich in antioxidants and probiotics. Here are some of the best foods you can eat to maintain a healthy immune system:
Red bell peppers
Spinach
Citrus fruits
Ginger
Natural yogurt
Almonds
Turmeric
Broccoli
Seafood and shellfish
Kiwi
Green tea
DRINKING ENOUGH WATER
Unsurprisingly, drinking water also affects our immune system just like at large it affects our overall health. Water plays many vital roles in our body, which is why it is so important to keep hydrated throughout the day. You can read more about the importance of water and why it is relevant to our health in this blog post: Why Drink Water
In short, water plays a few key roles in terms of our immunity. Firstly, keeping hydrated makes us less susceptible to germs and harmful bacteria as when our body is well hydrated it functions better all together, meaning that our immune system can fight off pathogens and viruses much more effectively.
Secondly, water is needed to allow our body to naturally detoxify itself and remove any unneeded metabolic waste products out of our system.
Thirdly, drinking enough water also makes sure to keep our blood healthy as our blood is predominantly made out of water so that our blood can effectively transport the needed nutrients and micronutrients to our bodyâs cells whenever they are needed. Linking with the previous point on food, if we want to be consuming foods with a high vitamin C content, it is additionally advised to drink water during your meal or your day, as vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin, meaning that without water, our body will not be able to absorb it and thus make use of it.
CONSIDER SUPPLEMENTATION
Although I am a strong advocate for getting your nutrients straight from their raw source - food - as that brings along with it the most health benefits, it may also be worth considering supplementation in the case that you fall short of the recommended daily dosage of any of the important micronutrients for your immune system.
Supplements can come in the form of tablets that you take with a glass of water or tablets which you dissolve in water, but do your own research in terms of which nutrient you may be lacking and what dosage do you have to take, to cover your needs.
Regardless of whether it is our diet, our lifestyle our the weather outside (Vitamin D), we have to make sure that we are doing our best job of getting sufficient amounts of these micronutrients every day. Always try to first source your nutrients from food and then resort to supplements in the case that you may be deficient in any nutrient, especially if that nutrient is important for your immunity.
2. ADEQUATE SLEEP
More and more research is coming out reporting a strong link between poor sleep quality and a weaker immune system. The main reason behind this is that during sleep our body both produces and releases special immune proteins called cytokines, which are heavily responsible for controlling and fighting both inflation and infection in our body.
If we sleep less than what we should be or if our sleep is of poor quality, our body produces less of these cytokines, leading to a weaker immune system. Furthermore, sleep plays an important role in regulating our internal environment, where it also affects the efficacy of other immune cells.
In addition to this, sleep in general is very important for our health, as it performs a variety of different functions in our body. Inadequate sleep has also been correlated to a greater incidence of developing chronic diseases as well as greatly impacting our mental well being. You can read more about sleep and its importance here: The Hidden Power Of Sleep
3. MODERATE EXERCISE
It has been found that doing moderate exercise every day not only improves our cardiovascular health, lowers blood pressure, and reduces our chances of developing chronic diseases, but it also positively contributes to the well being of our immune system. The reason behind this is still being researched since there are a lot of factors to take into consideration here.
One idea may be that doing exercise improves our blood circulation, which may help in expelling unwanted toxins and inflammatory molecules from our bodies. Better circulation also delivers more oxygen to our cells, which can directly impact their functioning as our cells need oxygen for respiration and for staying alive.
Since our breathing rate is faster during exercise, exercise may actually help clear up our lungs and airways, by flushing out harmful bacteria through having to breathe faster.
Lastly, since exercise has been effectively shown to decrease levels of stress in our body, that has also been linked with better immunity, as you will see below, stress has a direct impact on our immune system
4. HEALTHY LIFESTYLE HABITS
QUIT SMOKING
Smoking has been for a long time now labeled as a hazard for our health, including our immune system. Smoking and inhaling smoke has been linked with our body being less effective at fighting disease and inflammation, making us more susceptible to falling ill.
Furthermore, smoking distorts the balance of our immune system where it increases the chances of us developing autoimmune diseases (Diseases where our body will attack its own healthy tissues and cells). Overall smoking is not a healthy practice as it impacts a myriad of other aspects of our health and acts as a major carcinogen for our body. Abstaining from this practice is one of the best things you can do for your health.
KEEP ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION MODERATE
Excessive alcohol consumption has more recently been linked with a poorer immune system, whereby immunologists have observed that drinking too much alcohol, destroys different types of cells throughout our body, such as those in our respiratory pathways that are responsible for clearing up our airways of trapped dust particles and bacteria.
Furthermore, alcohol has also been shown to kill healthy normal gut bacteria, that otherwise have a positive impact on our health, but due to excessive alcohol consumption, their functioning is inhibited.
Apart from that, alcohol also interferes with our sleep where it has been shown that it impacts the REM part of our sleep cycle, and as we have seen previously, whatever impacts our sleep also impacts our immune system.
HYGIENIC PRACTICES
Keeping a good level of hygiene is important for general well being and preventing seriously harmful pathogens from entering our body.
This however does not mean that our environment should be excessively sterilized and sanitized, as our body needs to be exposed to a certain degree of uncleanliness for our immune system to stay active and also for it to not become over-reactive.
Generally, try and keep yourself clean and avoid having your hands in contact with your face, as our hands usually carry the most bacteria, but however do not go overboard with your sanitation practices, as that can also have an adverse effect.
5. STRESS MANAGEMENT
You might be surprised to hear this, but high levels of stress have been associated with a weaker immune system, which might be making you more susceptible to infections and illness.
A reason for why this may be happening is that when we are stressed, our body produces different stress hormones such as cortisol and corticosteroids, which have been shown to suppress the effectiveness of our immune system.
Stress impacts our body in more ways than you may initially think, ranging from slower digestion, headaches, higher blood pressure, raised heart rate, and raise blood cholesterol levels. All of these individual factors do not only contribute to a higher incidence of developing chronic disease, but also resulting in a weaker immune system.
Apart from this, people also use different coping methods to handling stress, such as excessive alcohol drinking, poor diet choices, sleeping less, or not taking time to exercise, all of which additionally add on top of the stress and worsen our immune system even more.
Hacking Your Negative Exercise Habits
Exercise; We either seem to love it or hate it. It seems like some people are just naturally born as being more athletic and sports-driven while others simply just donât fit into the category of âathletesâ and rather find exercise annoying or treat it as a chore they know they should do but donât like to do. Well, I believe that both of those assumptions are wrong. I believe that through the right shit in mindset, the implementation of correct habits and tailoring exercising to our preferences is the correct way forward in making people believe and understand that everyone is able to become physically fit - while also enjoying the process.
Proven by a multitude of existing studies and more that are in the process, scientists are now starting to unravel the array of benefits exercise can bring to our physical, mental, and emotional well being, so it is our job to implement a sustainable exercise habit/routine into our life.
Want to know how? Keep on reading to find out.
I want to first begin by defining what âexerciseâ even means, because from the majority of people that I have encountered in my life, they seem to have a misconception of what exercise actually is. Exercise, for many, is associated with going to the gym, more specifically either running on the treadmill for hours on end or lifting heavyweights. Now, I am a big fan of going to the gym and if you are too, then great, but exercise is most definitely not only just defined by going to the gym and doing endless cardio and weight training. The gym can be so much more, and so can exercise.
Exercise can come in hundreds of different forms and types, ranging in intensities, time lengths, techniques, and results. Below I have listed four of the main categories of exercises we usually sort exercises in.
TYPES OF EXERCISE GROUPS:
Endurance exercises: These are high-intensity cardio-based activities such as running, sprinting, high-intensity workouts, dancing, aerobics, and swimming that use up a lot of energy and increase our stamina and coordination skills.
Strength training exercises These exercises are specific for toning our muscles and focusing on slower and more controlled movements, such as weight lifting, using resistance bands, walking up the stairs, and carrying heavy objects.
Balance exercises: These are slow and controlled movements that target our main balancing muscle groups, and involve using a balance ball/board, doing exercises on one leg, yoga and many martial arts.
Flexibility exercises: Usually implemented before and after endurance and strength training in order to warm our bodies up or to stretch out and dissipate the lactic acid that has gathered in our muscles after an intense workout (Which usually results in muscle soreness the following day). These types of exercises include dynamic (before activity) and stationary (after activity), as well as gymnastics and martial arts.
The reason why going to the gym is usually associated with the word âexerciseâ is because, at a place like a âgymâ, we have the chance to do all four of these types of exercise groups, which makes it very convenient for people and one of the reasons why gyms are so popular. Some physical activities can fall into two or even more groups depending on the intensity and pace we do them at. For example, swimming done at a slower pace is a great exercise to focus on specific muscle groups but done at a faster rate it becomes much more of an endurance exercise
WHY WE FACE RESISITNCE TOWARDS EXERCISING:
Often when wanting to implement a positive change into our lives, we faced what is called âresistanceâ. Resistance is a nonliteral obstacle in our life, something that prevents us usually from starting or continuing something, but it is something that we all battle with.
Resistance in our lives usually arises because we see the action that we are trying to implement, as something foreign. The resistance that we encounter at times where we are potentially putting ourselves in an unknown territory, is there to act as a safety caution, where it is warning our bodies that whatever we are wanting to do will likely be hard, dangerous, and uncomfortable. Once we get used to staying within the walls of our comfort zone, our comfort zone actually stars to shrink so we become comfortable with doing and trying fewer and less things in our life - which is exactly what happens to us with exercise. We want to start a regular exercise routine, however, we face resistance towards it because a) it is hard and requires effort and discipline, b) we are maybe not yet at a level where we feel comfortable at executing the exercise and c) we may feel like we donât have the self-esteem or needed abilities and capabilities to start it. But guess what? All of those 3 doubts are removed once we start what we want to start.
By starting, you learn along the way, adjust your goals, master new skills, and practice new knowledge along while expanding your comfort zone.
Isnât that what we all want to do?
Below I have listed some common excuses we may come up with to avoid us starting to exercise, even though most us realize and acknowledge that exercise is good for us. It is in human nature to face resistance to anything that is harder or more strenuous than what we are currently doing, as it requires more thought and energy, but overcoming that resistance can have profound and positive long term benefits on all aspects of your health.
EXCUSES FOR NOT EXERCISING:
âI donât like exercisingâ
Identify what about the idea of exercising you donât like and how you could change it. For example, if you donât like hard physically intensive exercises, perhaps try starting out with something like slower and more controlled strength/resistance training, or maybe you like yoga that is both good for your mind and body.
Pick an exercise or pick several exercises that you enjoy, whether that is a sport like football, basketball, hockey, or tennis or pick another activity like dancing, running, hiking, martial arts, or rock climbing. There is something for everyone, and itâs up to you to find what you enjoy and focus on doing more of those things, while also gradually improving in your skills in exercises you are less comfortable with doing.
âI donât have the time to exercise every dayâ
This is often the result of the idea that exercise has to take a large chunk of our every day, but that is simply not true because even just 30 minutes a day can have profound impacts on our health. A small amount is always better than nothing.
Another cause of not having âenough timeâ to exercise because exercising simply is not high enough on your priority list. I firmly believe that whatever you prioritize in your daily life is what is most important for you to get done that day, so by doing the same with exercise whether that is on a daily or weekly basis, we are on the right path to creating positive change in our wellbeing.
âI am too tired to exerciseâ
Everyone has moments where we feel tired and exhausted, but how often do we ask ourselves what caused us to feel this way; was it our own actions or something else, and what can we do to get out of the trap of exhaustion. These are important questions to identify.
Some of the most common causes of lethargy or a lack of energy are insufficient sleep/poor quality sleep, an unbalanced and highly processed food diet that makes our blood sugar levels fluctuate, thinking too much all the time and dehydration. Exercise, even though it is seen as an energy-consuming activity, actually recharges our bodies with more energy during the day and makes us more tired in the evening, meaning that we will sleep better at night and have more energy the following day. As counterintuitive as it sounds, exercise can wake you up from a state of drowsiness and fatigue, powering you up with energy.
âMy health is not good enough right now to exerciseâ
We often have the idea that âWhen we will beâŚ.â or âwhen we will have..:.â then we will be able to pursue whatever is in our intention of doing, however, that in other words, is simply just a method of procrastination.
The same concept can be applied to exercise, where we make unnecessary excuses such as âI am not fit enough to do thatâ, âI am not flexible enough to try thatâ or âI can t exercise because I have pain in my armâ. Here it is crucial to realize that in the case that âwe are not strong enoughâ to do a certain exercise or sport, that we will get stronger by doing more exercise, so if we donât start with any exercise, we wonât get anywhere to a position where we will have a chance to improve our strength.
While it is important to respect our bodies needs when we are ill and listen to it regarding what feels right for it and what doesnât, it doesnât mean that we canât do any exercise at all during this period. Perhaps if our ankle hurts, we might not be suited for running at the moment, but maybe we could replace running with walking or something less intense. Adjust exercise to your current needs and abilities.
HOW TO BUILD A CONSISTANT EXERCISE HABIT
Things to consider, which will help you stick to your exercise habit:
Changing your exercise mindset
Start treating exercise as a gift: It is important to realize that the ability to be able to move your body and to be in a healthy state, is not something that should be taken for granted. There are so many people in this world who are physically ill, missing a limb, mentally unwell or unable to move by themselves, so if you are lucky enough to that your body and mind are well, use that and invest it in exercise because it is something, not everyone can afford to do.
Identify, why you want to start exercising: Everyone has different goals for wanting to start something and the same, goes for exercise. Some people focus on physical results such as losing or gaining weight, more muscle definition, etc. , while others prefer to integrate exercise into their life because of the mental benefits that come from it such as increased energy, clarity of thinking, and having a more positive mindset.
Starting with what you have: We often think that we need to have the newest running shoes and most prestigious gym membership or that we have to be in a certain shape for us to start exercising, but all of those thoughts are just a form of procrastination that is preventing us from starting. The best way to combat this is to just start with what you have around you; furniture, outdoor space, indoor space, and people that you can be active with.
Not being too harsh on yourself: Everything that is usually worthwhile to implement requires time, energy, and effort making it hard. While doing any action that is hard for us, we will likely have moments where we will struggle keeping on track and even experience thoughts of quitting, it is important that in the case that we do go off track, it doesnât mean that we completely quit, but we simply pick ourselves back up and continue onwards. Stopping temporarily and continuing is better than stopping permanently.
Personalizing your workout
Type of exercise: Chances are that if you like and enjoy your exercise regime, then you are much more likely to stick to it. So it is up to you to identify what kind of physical activity you enjoy thinking, and again donât only feel constrained to the idea of going to the gym. Feel free to add variety into your exercise regime and keep it exciting but also challenging for yourself.
Clothing: Perhaps you are the type of person who gets motivated to exercise by the clothes you wear or the gear you use, which is great. Find something you feel good in while allowing you to stay practical and flexible.
Audio: Some people enjoy listening to music during their exercise, however, it doesnât end there. Instead of music, you also have the option to listen to audiobooks, podcasts, and speeches - all of which can add value to your life alongside being physically active.
Scheduling your exercise
When will you do it: it is important to in advance roughly determine the time we plan to be active because it is up to us to set exercise as a priority for ourselves and whatever we prioritize in our day, we will usually get done.
What sort of exercise will you do: This is another decision that is good to make in advance because believe it or not, but our brain can only make so many well thought out decisions in a day before it starts resorting to irrational choices. Therefore, by picking our workout in advance, we save our brain energy and time, which can instead be spent on making more important and impactful decisions during our day.
How long will you exercise for: When deciding on the duration of our exercise, it is important to be realistic with ourselves and also not to start to overwhelmingly huge, since our goal is to gradually build progress and increase our performance through regular practice.
Rewarding yourself afterward
Exercise really becomes a repetitive habit once we fall in love with the process of doing it, because we get pleasure from its results. In the case of personal benefits, exercise offers a myriad of health benefits for our mind and body, both of which can act as rewards to continue the habit.
Mental benefits of exercise: Exercise releases chemical endorphins into our bloodstream, which are known to stimulate a more positive outlook on life, thus increasing our self-esteem, as well as reducing stress, anxiety, and depression rates on a long term basis, as was proven by several studies. Apart from endorphins, exercise recharges our mind with more energy, greater clarity of thinking, as well as showing vast improvements in sleep quality which has been scientifically shown to greatly improve our memory.
Physical benefits of exercise: Several studies have shown that people who exercise have lower rates of chronic diseases are generally at a healthier weight, have a greater bone density as well as having increased flexibility and strength.
Having accountability
Social connectivity: Through a social basis you can stay accountable and on track with your fitness goals by working with someone else or a group of people that encourage and care for your progress, as well as perhaps getting involved with a personal trainer that will make your health and progress their priority.
Progress tracking: Nowadays there are plenty of fitness tracking applications and gadgets you can buy to help keep you on track with your exercise habits as well as connecting you to an online community of people that will keep you motivated to exercise.
Designing your environment accordingly
Our environment plays a huge role in either the continuity or cessation of our habits, so it is important as to how we design it so we enforce the correct habits.
Examples of environmental design: Preparing your exercise clothing and gear in advance, keeping around a gym bag or running shoes in convenient places such as a car or in a hallway, preparing healthy meals and snacks in advance, and fueling your body with the correct food.
DISCRETE WAYS TO BE MORE PHYSICALLY ACTIVE
Using your cleaning chores as a way to be active
Opting for stairs when we can, instead of the escalator or elevator
Opting for walking, biking or any other nonmotorized transport method, instead of relying on vehicle transport like cars and buses
Taking breaks during work, to get up for a quick stroll and stretching our legs, especially if we sit at a desk for the majority of our day
Try seeing if there are any lunch break or coffee spots next to your workplace, that are within walking distance
Organize or propose ideas for active team-building with your coworkers, that can be either indoors or outdoors
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