For many people, staying healthy can become overwhelming. Balancing a full-time job, raising children, taking care of a home as well as getting in exercise and eating well can be difficult. Add having a healthy social life and socialising to the mix, and you can feel overburdened. All too often, people put their health on the back burner. However, there are many ways in which you can improve your health as well as socialising often and keeping up with friends and family. By incorporating these tips and tricks into your everyday routine, you will be able to balance both.
Take An Exercise Class
One of the best ways in which you can keep up with your friends as well as get your exercise in is to sign up for an exercise class together. There are many fun and interesting exercise classes that you can take part in once a week, and taking a friend along with you will make the experience much better. For example, you could sign up for a dance class, puppy yoga, pole fitness or climbing. This is a great way to get some movement in, try something new, and socialise with your friends.
Go For Regular Walks
If you’re constantly working, this could involve sitting at a desk for hours on end. Sedentary lifestyles are one of the biggest ways you can slowly increase your likelihood of developing health problems. Making sure you get your 10,000 steps a day is one of the best ways in which you can improve your health. On your breaks and lunchtimes at work, try to go for a long walk so you can get more steps in. Standing may also be better than sitting down, so if you stand up a couple of times an hour, this could be beneficial for your health. If you’re going for a casual meetup with friends, why not go for a walk through a park or natural spot instead of going for a coffee? This way you can socialise with your friends without sacrificing your health.
Drink Responsibly
One of the biggest factors when it comes to worsening health could be the amount and type of alcohol that you are regularly consuming. After-work drinks and weekend meet-ups with friends often involve drinking and socialising at bars, pubs and restaurants, which often include alcohol. However, you don’t have to go teetotal in order to make better choices with your drinking habits. For example, instead of having a beer or wine, opt for lower calorie drinks such as spirit and soda or hard seltzer. You should also make sure you’re drinking water alongside your alcoholic drinks so that you don’t become dehydrated. Keeping an eye on your alcohol consumption is one of the best ways to keep healthy without risking your health.
Get Your Sleep
When you’ve got a tight schedule, especially if you’re raising children or managing a full-time job, it can be easy to not get enough sleep. Adults need at least 7 hours of sleep per night in order to stay healthy. Being in a sleep deficit can have a very negative impact on your health. Try to make sure you’re getting as much sleep as you possibly can – always plan to get at least 7 hours. If you’re having trouble sleeping, try to optimise your relaxation by investing in comfortable bedding, and staying away from your phone and TV at least an hour before you go to sleep. This is especially important if you work with computers often, as blue light can disrupt the brain, and make it harder to sleep.
Make Better Food Choices
When you go out with friends to a restaurant or cafe, try to make better food choices. If you like to go out to eat often, you could unintentionally be eating a lot of full-fat, high-sugar, calorie-dense food. Eating this food as a treat is great, however, if you go out to eat multiple times a week, this could be negatively impacting your health. When you look at the menu, try to pick something made with fresh ingredients and has a lot of protein – this way, you can socialise without ruining a healthy diet. Constantly dining out can also have an effect on your teeth, particularly if you have dentures or all on four implants, which is common in older people. You should try not to pick foods which have high sugar content or are particularly hard on the teeth. This way, you will look after your dental health without having to sacrifice your social life.
You don’t have to put a stop to a healthy social life in order to keep your body healthy. In fact, having a great social life is a key part of being healthy, as human socialisation has fantastic benefits for our mental health. Instead of choosing one or the other, these tips will help you stay healthy whilst also having an active social life!
Written by: Zoe-Louise Thomlinson
About the Author:
Zoe-Louise is a freelance writer who loves to write about healthy living for people of all ages. When she’s not writing, you can find all of her spending money in a bookshop. Connect with her on Twitter here: @ ZoeThomlinson