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We all want to live healthy and pain-free lives, and in general, we understand what we should be doing in order to achieve those goals, such as eating healthy and getting plenty of sleep and exercise.
While these are tried-and-true recommendations for overall well-being, many people are busy, over-tired and often overwhelmed, and therefore inconsistent in their efforts to meet these healthy activity goals.
At Florida Pain Relief Centers, we understand that day-to-day living doesn’t always allow for a full-time gym membership or expensive organic diets. Finances and time constraints often take precedence over actions we know will benefit us in the long run because they’re not convenient in the moment.
And yet, we must reiterate that good health is the crucial foundation for all other daily activities; that healthy habits should be considered a good investment for better living, with less pain in your life. Here are just a few of the benefits to be gained:
- Increased energy levels (to meet the demands of the day)
- Improved strength (which may mean fewer injuries)
- Greater productivity, (when work is done sooner, there’s more time left for play)
- Fewer physician appointments, (i.e., less time and money spent on healthcare)
With this in mind, we want to offer some suggestions for those who want good health but have little time to invest for results.
It has been proven that the most beneficial healthy habits are the ones that people will actually do. Setting a too-high bar by aiming for a routine that doesn’t fit into your individual lifestyle will probably not bring results, simply because many people find it too demanding to maintain consistently and will ultimately give up over time.
The good news is, there are many daily habits that provide more ‘bang-for-the-buck’ than others, and they don’t involve hardcore commitments to benefit from them:
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Get Enough Sleep
This is sometimes more easily said than done, but it’s now common knowledge that sleep is far more critical than previously given it credit for. Sleep provides the body with necessary restoration and rejuvenation. Poor sleep habits can wreak havoc on the body’s vital systems, causing myriad issues including fatigue, diminished concentration, weight gain and more. Sleeping a minimum of 7 to 8 hours per night affords the body the rest it needs in order to function at peak capacity during waking hours.
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Drink Plenty of Water
Have you ever seen a drooping plant that noticeably ‘perks up’ soon after watering? This is a good visual representation of what water does for the human body as well. Sufficient amounts of water provide necessary hydration for the body’s organs and processes to function properly, and make us feel notably better in terms of overall energy and strength. The benefits are also seen in the form of better skin, hair and general appearance.
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Do Some Form of Regular Exercise
Again, we’re not pushing for a hardcore gym membership or personal trainer. But movement is critical to maintaining strength, reducing weight, and keeping the body processes functioning effectively. This doesn’t have to mean a rigorous workout routine; rather, many simple everyday activities constitute exercise, such as walking, gardening, swimming or even doing household chores. The key is regular daily movement for muscular and cardiovascular benefits.
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Maintain a Healthy Diet
This is another recommendation that makes readers cringe, with visions of tasteless food in minimal portions that can’t possibly sate the appetite. But the reality is, nothing could be farther from the truth, and a healthy diet doesn’t have to mean deprivation.
Ideally, we should eat only the best of all food groups at regular intervals, every single day. Yet we live in a world that makes it difficult to adhere to such a lofty health goal. With so little time available, we tend to opt for convenience and, in doing so, we often sacrifice our body’s nutritional requirements.
Fast foods and preservatives do little to provide proper fuel for the body, so when possible, we should always reach for more natural options. The good news is, that nature makes many ‘convenience’ foods such as fruits and vegetables, which are easy to grab on-the-go, yet super-beneficial for the body. While you might not have time and budget to map out a comprehensive dietary plan, you’ll still gain many benefits by simply grabbing a healthier food over a less healthy option, as often as you possibly can.
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Reduce and/or Eliminate Stress
Stress can cause a slew of unwanted conditions including headaches, heartburn, high blood pressure, depression, high blood sugar and much more. One of the best things you can do for your body and mind is to find ways to reduce stress, whether it be through meditation, music, massage or whatever takes your tension away, even if only for brief periods of time.
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Make Time for Rest and Recreation
More than ever, it is recognized that play can be just as important as work. It may be commendable to be a hard worker, but without periods of respite between responsibilities, the body and mind can become frayed and less than effective. Taking a step back and unplugging from the ‘noise’ of the day provides necessary decompression and rejuvenation that will ultimately lead to more productivity – and happiness – in your day-to-day.
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Maintain Healthy Relationships
This is another important component to overall health and well-being. Studies have shown that having healthy relationships helps reduce stress, and some research even suggests that this may actually be good for your bones and your heart! Not to mention that relationships provide accountability ‘partners’ who can help you stick with your healthy lifestyle habits.
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Practice Safety
“An ounce of prevention = a pound of cure.” This can mean many different things; wearing a seatbelt in your car, wearing safety equipment at work, or even taking proper precautions before engaging in sexual activities. Whatever the situation, all safety precautions should be taken seriously in order to prevent illness and injuries.
It’s true that including all of the above suggestions every single day without fail may feel like a commitment of sorts, and to some extent there is a minimum of commitment necessary to benefit from any endeavor.
But remember, the human body is designed with the human in mind; i.e., life inevitably includes extenuating circumstances or unexpected emergencies, and the body compensates for such circumstances by ‘taking up the slack’ in other ways. This allows for the body to periodically endure unhealthy circumstances on a limited basis.
What it is not designed for, however, is ongoing abuse and poor daily lifestyle habits. By integrating the above habits as consistently as possible in your day-to-day, you’ll be improving your overall health, so the body’s ‘backup’ mechanisms won’t have to step in as often to tow the line.
Even if you already feel stretched too thin in your daily life, it’s well worth taking the time to implement as many of these recommendations as you can; even if you can’t manage all of them every single day. When these steps become daily habits, you’ll find that you actually have more time and energy in your day so that you can enjoy a happier and healthier lifestyle!
Are you trying to navigate your daily activities while living with chronic pain?
If your lifestyle isn’t as healthy and happy as you’d like it to be due to chronic pain conditions, let the expert pain management experts at Florida Pain Relief Centers provide you with information on the latest minimally invasive, proven procedures and treatments to help minimize or eliminate your suffering.
We believe that life should be enjoyable; not just bearable. Call Florida Pain Relief Centers today at 800-215-0029 to schedule a consultation, or click the button below to set up a consultation online for one of our clinics.
