Best Practices for Achieving Optimal Physical Health

1. Regular Exercise for Strength and Endurance
Staying physically active helps us improve our cardiovascular health, build muscle strength, and enhances flexibility. It is important to incorporate different types of exercise to achieve a balanced fitness routine.

Key Exercise Tips:

• Engage in at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity per week, this can be dancing, running, playing sports. I recommend finding something you really enjoy doing, so it is easier to accomplish.

• Include strength training exercises at least twice a week. I personally go to the gym to lift weights. Going to the gym for me is not my favorite thing, but I love how I feel afterwards, it makes the hard work worth it, especially when you start to see the results. I have some friends that love crossfit and they have seen good results doing it as well.

• Try low-impact activities like yoga and Pilates for flexibility and relaxation. I do yoga every day, it not only helps me to relieve soreness and helps me with my flexibility but it really fills my soul with happiness afterwards. This is something I highly recommend people do.

2. Prioritizing a Nutrient-Dense Diet
We are what we eat, the food we eat significantly affects our physical and mental health. Consuming a well-balanced diet, rich in essential nutrients like grains, vegetables and lean proteins supports energy levels and prevents chronic diseases.

Healthy Eating Habits:

• Eat a variety of whole foods, including fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains; this will not only help you feel energized, healthy, and happy but it will help us lose those extra pounds we don't want any more.

• Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water throughout the day. I recommend a gallon of water per day if possible, or at least have the intención to drink as much water as possible until it becomes a habit, this would make your skin look younger and also help with your energy levels.

• Reduce processed foods and limit added sugars and unhealthy fats.

3. Quality Sleep for Recovery and Performance
Getting enough sleep is just as important as exercise and nutrition. This to me is one of the most important things, sleep helps in our muscle recovery, cognitive function, and emotional well-being. This is the time where our body and brain get to regenerate in self.

Tips for Better Sleep:

• Aim for 7-9 hours of sleep per night.

• Maintain a consistent sleep schedule, even on weekends, I understand we want to unwind and have fun on our days off which is also important to have a balance in our life, but is also important to try to remember to keep our circadian rhythm on track.

• Create a relaxing bedtime routine by avoiding screens before bed, maybe stop drinking water an hour prior to going to bed so we don't have to interrupt our sleep by going to the bathroom, and most importantly make sure to eat your last meal 2 to 4 hours prior to going to bed.

4. Managing Stress for Overall Wellness

Chronic stress can negatively impact our physical health, leading to conditions such as high blood pressure and weakened our immune system.

Stress Management Techniques:

• Practice mindfulness and meditation. This has been the number one priority in my life, it has truly changed my life, this is what I recommend people do the most, it would help us see things from the most positive perspective, no matter what you are going through. It is super important to start incorporating meditation into our daily lives. We can start by meditating 10 minutes a day everyday it would make a tremendous change in your life. Here is A Simple Meditation Guide for Beginners

• Engage in physical activities like walking or stretching. We can start by practicing different things, going to different classes or playing different sports until we find that one thing that we enjoy doing to make it easier on us.

• Connect with loved ones for emotional support. Social interaction is crucial, this contributes significantly to our mental and physical health by creating a sense of belonging and reducing feelings of loneliness.
  

5. Get Regular Sun Exposure

This one is a must for me to do every morning. Sunlight helps the body produce vitamin D, which is essential for bone health. It can also help us feel happy. It impacts our mood by boosting serotonin production, which also helps us to regulate our sleep cycles.

Sunlight Tips:

• Spend at least 15-30 minutes in the sun daily. I recommend receiving the sun from the morning and the evening to regulate our circadian rhythm

• Wear sunscreen to prevent overexposure. We want our face to look youthful for as long as we can.

• Supplement with vitamin D if necessary. I still take my vitamin D just in case.

6. Avoid Harmful Substances

Limiting or avoiding harmful substances can significantly improve our overall health. I know-I know is hard this are things that helps us to scape reality and sometimes we want to unwind in this way to balance our life, but is important to be conscious of what we are putting into our bodies, how much of these chemicals are we putting into our bodies, how often are we doing this to ourselves and how is this going to make us feel afterwards.

Healthy Lifestyle Choices:

• Avoid smoking and excessive alcohol consumption. They can cause problems like cancer, cardiovascular disease, and liver damage.

• Limit caffeine intake. One to 2 cups of coffee a day are fine, but when we over use it can cause us health problems.

• Reduce exposure to environmental toxins.

7. Engage in Active Hobbies
We need to find enjoyable activities we enjoy to keep us moving and happy. Especially activities we used to enjoy when we were little, this would help us reconnect to our inner child and help heal it.

Active Hobby Ideas:

• Dancing, hiking, or cycling.

• Gardening or swimming.

• Playing sports with friends.

8. Improve Your Breathing Techniques

Proper breathing enhances oxygen intake and reduces stress. Doing pranayama exercises improves our mood tremendously, it helps us to feel more naturally energized but calm and aware at the same time, is also a great way to heal trauma.

Breathing Techniques:

• Practice deep belly breathing.

• Try breathing exercises like the 4-7-8 technique.

• Incorporate breathwork into meditation or yoga (this is a most!)

9. Stay Consistent with Your Health Goals
Being consistent is key to long-term success in maintaining good physical health. Let's make that commitment to ourselves, to feel better and improve our life.

Goal-Setting Strategies:

• Set realistic and achievable fitness goals. We can start by doing at least one thing, we can always start somewhere.

• Track your progress with journals or apps. This is going to help us keep track of our changes, this can help us stay motivated.

• Celebrate small milestones to stay motivated. Every win is going to impact our life for the better.

Investing in our physical health through exercise, nutrition, sleep and stress management, can lead to a longer, healthier life. By making small, consistent lifestyle changes, we can enhance our well-being and enjoy a higher quality of life.

Are you ready to take charge of your physical health? Start today by incorporating these 12 essential tips into your daily routine!