By: Claire Edicson
If you’re looking to get fit, healthy, and maintain your whole-body health for longer, then exercise is undoubtedly part of the equation. However, people can notice that their progress is a little lopsided if hitting the gym is all that they focus on. For that reason, we’re going to take a deeper look at what you should do to optimize your health across the board.
Make Quality Sleep A Priority
Sleep is perhaps the most underrated pillar of your health. Regular exercise means little if your body isn’t getting the recovery it needs through restful sleep. Deep sleep is when tissue repair, memory consolidation, and hormone regulation have a chance to do their thing, so you should ensure that you get 7-9 hours in a comfortable sleeping environment with a bed that supports you.
Stock Up On Whole Foods
You might already be managing your calories and even your macros if you’re into working out, but where you get those from makes a big difference. Whole foods provide the vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants your body needs to function optimally. Focus on unprocessed or minimally processed foods like vegetables, fruits, lean proteins, healthy fats, and whole grains. Try to keep things like added sugars, refined carbs, and seed oils to a minimum.
Top Up With Supplements
If you’re looking to make sure that your diet is truly complete, then a little help can go a long way. Supplements can fill the gaps that food can’t always easily cover. They’re not a replacement for food, such options like an NMN supplement can help improve cellular health, energy, and longevity. You might also want to consider magnesium for better muscle function, vitamin D for immunity and mental health, and omega-3s to keep your brain and heart strong.
Don’t Disregard Stress
To paraphrase an old saying, a strong mind goes well with a strong body. Don’t neglect the “mind” side of things. You should ensure that you’re making time for stress management, as letting it go unchecked can impact your sleep, digestion, hormone balance, and even how your body stores fat. Incorporating daily stress practices like breathwork, meditation, and journaling can help you keep things under control. If you start building small, manageable habits now, you can reduce your chances of stress taking a much bigger role in things down the line.
Be Mindful Of Your Gut Health
Your gut does more than help you digest food well, though that is important for nutrient absorption. Optimizing your gut health helps you regulate your moods, with immunity, inflammation, and more. Focus on adding probiotic foods to your diet, helping you keep a healthy gut microbiome, and make sure to drink plenty of water, as well.
Hopefully, the points above demonstrate that it takes a lot more than exercise to live a healthy life. Indeed, these tips are likely to help improve the progress you make with your workouts together. Whole-body health improves every aspect of your life, so be sure to fill in the gaps you’re currently missing.
About the Author: Claire is a technology journalist with extensive experience covering emerging tech trends, AI developments, and the evolving digital landscape. Her experience helps readers understand complex technological advancements, and how they can be implemented in their everyday lives.
