Four Keys to Mental Health Through Keep-Fit Sessions

How do we exercise for mental health? What keys can help us implement an effective exercise program to help us become and remain mentally healthy?

Choose Appropriate Exercises

Not all exercises can enhance your mental health status. For instance, while heavy weight lifting can be suitable for muscle building and physical fitness, it may not be ideal if you’re looking for a mood booster. Instead, fun and easy exercises such as dancing, walking, cycling, swimming, and jogging have proven to be one of the best for mental health.

Wear Appropriate Attire Such as Sports Pants

If you’re going to jog or cycle, it pays to be in the right attire. For instance, sports pants available at aim’n, one of the biggest online shops, fit the bill. It doesn’t matter what type of exercise you’re doing, sports pants will give you the flexibility to execute anything and everything. Besides, aim’n sports pants are made of high-quality fabric; hence they are durable.

Exercise with Loved Ones

Your family and close relatives or friends can influence how you perceive exercise. Instead of jogging or swimming alone, you could go with your spouse or friend. It is more fun when you exercise with someone you love. You will also get the chance to get more intimate and share what could be ailing your mind.

Understanding Vitamins

Vitamins are an essential part of our diet and are included in the vast majority of foodstuffs in varying quantities. They are nutrients and they are needed for functions such as the repair of tissues, the maintenance of healthy bones, aiding growth and supporting the immune system. We need them and eating a balanced diet will help to make sure that we get exactly what we need. Supplements can be useful but they are not a substitute.

There is a total of 13 different vitamins and everyone needs all of them. The existence of vitamins was discovered in 1912. They were divided into two groups – those that are fat-soluble and those that are water-soluble. This defines how the body stores and processes the vitamins.

Fat-soluble

The body’s fat cells will store this type of vitamins. It also means that a certain amount of fat is required for the body to absorb the vitamins. Vitamins A, D, E and K are all vitamins that fall into this category.

Water-soluble

These are the vitamins that the body cannot store. Anything it does not need it will remove through the waste removal process. This means that the body needs to have a regular supply of these vitamins. Vitamins B and C fall into this category.

It is important that you know where to find these vitamins. For vitamin A, look to spinach, carrots, potato and eggs. For vitamin D, it is mainly found in dairy products. Vitamin E is found in seeds and nuts as well as leafy green vegetables. It is well-known that vitamin C is abundant in citrus fruits. Vitamin B is different as there are different types of it, but a good balanced diet will help to cover all types of Vitamin B.

Eating for Good Health

For any individual who wants to make sure that they are as healthy as possible, the best place to start is with diet. The phrase ‘you are what you eat’ is very true. Food is not just something that is there for amusement or to fill time. It is fuel and the body needs it to function properly. Choosing the right foods can help to keep a person in the best of health. Here are a few tips to help you to choose the right foods.

Carbohydrates

So many people try to avoid carbs but they are an essential part of the diet. It is recommended that you use starchy carbohydrates for one third of the total amount of food eaten. This includes bread, rice, pasta, cereals and potatoes. However, it is recommended that you choose wholegrain or high fibre versions. These can help you to feel fuller for longer and keep the tendency to snack at bay.

Boost fruits and vegetables

It is recommended that everyone should include at least five different types of fruit and vegetables in your diet each day. This is not limited to fresh fruit and vegetables though, it can be canned, juiced, dried or frozen too. It is relatively easy to do. Fruits can be added to breakfast cereals or you can make a smoothie from several portions of fruit and vegetables as an alternative breakfast.

Include more fish

Fish is an alternative to meat when it comes to protein and it naturally includes a good amount of vitamins and minerals. Most people are advised to have at least two portions of fish each week and one of these should be oily fish, which has good levels of omega-3. This is known to be good for heart health.

Reduce saturated fat and sugar

All diets need some fats but saturated fat can have a negative impact on levels of cholesterol. Women should aim for no more than 20g of saturated fat a day and men should have no more than 30g. This means checking the fat content of the food that you eat and making sure that consumption of foods such as butter, hard cheese, cakes and biscuits is kept as low as possible. Look for foods that have unsaturated fats and choose leaner cuts of meat.

Benefits of Alternative Medicine

The popularity of alternative (or complementary) medicine is not in any doubt. A lot of people prefer to try alternative or natural remedies before turning to standard medication and the growth of it’s popularity shows no signs of waning.

There are a variety of benefits to this type of medicine. They generally work on holistic principles. This means that the aim is to treat the body and mind and not just the specific symptoms that are being experienced. The use of alternative medicine helps to combat the environmental and lifestyle habits that damage our health and wellbeing.

Few side effects

Natural remedies are often plant-based and used in as pure a form as possible. This helps to minimise any potential side effects. Anyone who has read the list of side effects on a conventional medication is generally horrified at the potential problems that they might face by taking it. In reality, only a small proportion of people will experience a serious side effect, but for those who want to avoid them as much as possible, then a natural remedy is a valid alternative.

Cost

Many natural remedies are low in cost when compared with conventional medications. As an example, a small bottle of lavender oil costs just a few pounds and it can be used to help a variety of conditions. It can be used in aromatherapy to help with sleep, heal wounds and soothe bruises. A conventional cream would not be able to do all of these so you would have to spend more money for solutions to these things than you would on the oil.

Holistic approach

There are many conditions that are caused or aggravated by stress. For this reason, alternative medicine is designed to treat the whole person rather than just the symptom. As an example, if someone is unable to sleep, it could be due to stressful days at work. Finding it easier to cope with stress in the workplace will help to solve the problem with lack of sleep.