It is important to both exercise and eat right to be healthy. Image by Engin Akyurt form Pixabay

With the weather getting warmer and summer right around the corner, a lot of people are thinking about themselves and the way they look for summer. Eating healthy and physical exercise play a big part in achieving your ideal form, and also help you come out with sunnier mental health.

Physical activity is important for numerous reasons: you look better, it boosts your morale, and you may actually enjoy it. Everyone benefits from it, no matter age, gender, race, or physical abilities.

Exercise is so important because it can physically, mentally and emotionally help you. But a lot of people think being physically active means working out once a week and eating salad or just dieting. But no, healthy diets or other eating habits alone don’t always have the same outcome as spending time in the gym, outdoors or in your home.

There are so many benefits to working out like controlling your weight, boosting your morale, and maintaining your health, Trips to the gym can allow you to lose weight and gain muscle mass. If ‘daily’ is not for you, you don’t even have to do it everyday. A lot of people have busy schedules, so going three – four times a week for an hour or two will also show progress. According to the World Health Organization, adults ages 18 – 64 should get 150 minutes throughout the week. Be aware that you’re not gonna see any change if you’re not consistent.

When it comes to kids, according to the World Health Organization, children from the ages of five – 17 should be getting at least 60 minutes of exercise three times a week to strengthen bones and muscles.

Staying physically active not only lowers physical health problems, like strokes, high blood pressure, and type 2 diabetes, but also mental health issues like depression and anxiety.

Harvard Health reports, “People who move more, are found to have a significantly lower risk for major depressive disorder — but only when the exercise was measured objectively using a tracking device, not when people self-reported how much exercise they performed.”

Of course, eating does play a part in your health. Cutting out fast food and unhealthy food is good for you, and maintaining a healthy and varied diet is vital. The World Health Organization states it is important to incorporate fruit, vegetables, vitamins, minerals, fibers, protein and antioxidants. It’s also important to eat the right amount of each; for instance, women should eat an average amount of 45g of protein per day, and men should eat about 55g. People that incorporate these food groups are at a lower risk of obesity, heart disease, stroke, diabetes and certain types of cancers.

Eating healthy does not mean you can not snack. Some healthier alternatives are fruit salads, nuts, seed, trial mix, greek yogurt, and dark chocolate. Baked or air-fried foods are also a great alternative to fried ones.

Physical activity and a strong diet are important for numerous reasons. Not only will you feel more confident and have more energy, it boosts your morale. Who knows – you may actually enjoy it too!