DEATH IN CAMPUSES

5 LIFESTYLE CHOICES AFFECTING OUR HEALTH TODAY

1. INACTIVITY

Nowadays, it takes deliberate effort to be active enough each day. By the end of the week, you should have clocked up 2.5-5 hours of moderate-intensity activity such as a brisk walk, golf game, swimming, or mowing the lawn. Alternatively, you could do 1.5-2.5 hours of vigorous activity like jogging, aerobics, fast cycling, soccer, or netball.

If you don’t think you’re doing enough, then try building more activity into each day by:

• Walking or cycling for short journeys

• Parking further away

• Getting off the bus a few stops earlier

• Taking the stairs instead of the lift

• Meeting friends for a walk rather than a meal or a movie

• Doing more incidental exercise at home by cleaning or gardening.

Start with small changes and build up. A step-counter can be a great motivator, encouraging you to reach 10,000 steps a day

2  SITTING DOWN FOR TOO LONG

The new smoking, so they say, is sitting. A growing number of health issues, including obesity, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease, and cancer, are linked to excessive total sitting and prolonged periods of sitting. Try to stand up more as a result. Every little bit helps, so stand up and move around at least every half hour, use a standing workstation for part of the day, take phone calls while standing up, travel by train while standing up, and attend walking meetings rather than sitting ones.

3. UNBALANCED DIET

A healthy diet is high in fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meats, and whole grains. Watch your portion sizes too. The second and third helpings will always involve more calories than you need

To improve your eating habits, try the reflect, replace, and reinforce:

• Reflect on your good and bad eating habits, paying particular attention to the triggers for unhealthy habits

• Replace your unhealthy habits with better ones, for example, eating more mindfully, planning ahead, or eating only when hungry

• Reinforce your new habits one day at a time and treat any missteps as a learning experience.

• Try keeping a food diary for a few days to notice what you eat. And why do you eat? If you notice that you’re eating because you’re stressed or bored, then try to distract yourself with something else until the urge passes

4. NOT DRINKING ENOUGH WATER

The most important nutrient your body requires is certainly water. It is necessary for your body to function properly (or at all).

Men need 10 glasses of water each day, while women should consume roughly 8 glasses. Try these to determine how much to drink:

keeping a bottle of water at your workstation and drinking from it all-day

adding flavor with a strawberry or lemon slice

drinking water before each meal

maintaining a bottle in the car so you can sip while operating the vehicle

5. NEGLECTING RELATIONSHIPS

In fact, having a social life can help you stay healthier. Numerous studies demonstrate that people who have close relationships with their family, friends, and the larger community are happier, experience fewer health issues, and live longer.