On the World Health Day today, take a pledge to go for regular health check-ups — if not twice a year, at least annually, more so if you have a battled a life-threatening disease. “If you have a family history of cancer or diabetes make sure you get screening and testing done periodically. Plus exercise everyday for 30 to 45 minutes. It is a must for everyone, no matter what your age is,” says Dr. Ajay Aggarwal, Fortis Hospital, Noida. “Pay attention to your body. Spend some time alone with it to understand what it is telling you. More often than not, our body gives out distress signals when it is fighting some ailment, but busy in our daily rut, we ignore it until it comes back with vengeance,” says cancer survivor Anita Moorjai in her book Dying To Be Me. To keep your body fit and mind healthy, three things are a must:
Walk, walk and walk
As per doctors, 10,000 steps a day is the minimum walk one must do to keep fit. It may seem an impossible task, but it isn’t that tough. Just be mindful and get up from your seat to walk a little after every half-an-hour. Also, use your lunch break to walk a little extra. Use half of your lunch break to walk, and half to eat. Further, instead of taking the escalators to walk up and down the Metro station, or elevator to reach your office, take to stairs.
In addition to walking, fix up an exercise regimen. Exercise, but choose an enjoyable one that you can stick to. There is no point going to the gym physically when mentally you are cursing your instructor. So, join a dance class or an aerobic group. The idea is to have fun while you exercise. For, when exercise is fun, you’ll have much more motivation to do it regularly.
Monitor what you eat
Go slow on sugar and salt in your diet, says most doctors. Plus consuming seasonal fruits is a must. They are packed with healthy nutrients needed for that particular season and come cheaper than your cold-stored foreign fruits. Make salads a must item in your diet. The best way to consume more greens is making a habit to eat raw or boiled salads. Focus on colors. Include as many colours in your food as possible. Try having all the colours of a rainbow, you will not only enjoy eating different flavours but also add different essential nutrients into your body. You won’t have to bother about vitamin tablets.
Be careful of who you spend time with Sometimes our mental wellbeing declines because of the people around. Be aware of who you work with and move around. While you cannot chose your colleagues, you sure can maintain a healthy distance so that you are away from their negativities. As far as possible, keep away from office gossip and office politics. Evaluate the kind of people around you. If they are fun, supportive and kind you are sorted, else change your company.
“People who are always complaining have a very negative effect on you. You may not understand it immediately their negative aura envelops you and in the long-run you too will turn into a complaining personality,” says spiritual healer Major Dalbir Singh. So, smile and move away from negativities. Enjoy life, you only have one!