Gabi Steindl
photo by Corey Jones

HEALTHY LIFE – a Lifestyle Choice

The WHO (World Health Organization) definition of health is:

‘Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.’

Health is something most of us place “somehow” high on our priorities-list in life. However, many of us lose track of it in the “madness” of making a living, caring for the family, paying that mortgage, dealing with “the usual” daily problems and frustrations, and so forth. No doubt, we live in an extremely fast paced world that requires 100% commitment to achieve our goals. However, too often we jeopardize our health by putting it on the back burner “for the time being” in order to focus on the “currently” more pressing aspects of our career and life. The rat race is taking its toll on the human race, physically and mentally and regardless of all the tools, medical advances, studies and opportunities we have today to strive for overall health, it’s surprising, not to say shocking, that modern society tends to prioritize status, wealth, and many other factors over wellbeing.

The spine has a lot deal with in sports and life.
photo by Mathew Tildesley

Of course easier said than done, after all there are only so many hours in a day… But there are many simple, fairly easily achievable habits, yet so powerful in the long run, that can help boost your health, mental state, energy levels and ultimately happiness. Tweaking your lifestyle into a healthier direction, rather sooner than later, can also be very effective in order to minimize the risk of physical problems that often occur down the line (major diseases, postural issues etc.). Isn’t that reason enough to start addressing unhealthy habits right now?

Simple choices all of us can make for better health

Here’s a list of day-by-day, simple choices all of us can make in favour of our health. It contains everything else than “new” revelations and should just serve as a reminder for very basic healthy habits that all of us can develop and nourish—fundamentals for a healthy life that are too often “postponed” to later or overridden in favour of quicker, more convenient choices:

– Nutrition:

We are what we eat. Be conscious of what you eat, how much you eat and why you eat. It’s not rocket science: nourish the body with what’s good for it, cut out what’s not and only eat when you are truly hungry. Your body will be so grateful for it and reward you with high energy levels, a good digestion, a healthy heart, brain, weight and a long life.
Another important factor is to stay well hydrated (water, water, water!). Your body depends on water to survive. Tissues, cells, organs… in fact, all bodily functions and systems need water to work properly, including your brain, heart and all your muscles. Drinking enough of it every day is crucial for staying healthy.

Gabi enjoys life and looks after her health for peak performance – photo Mathew Tildesley

– Exercise:

We all know how important physical exercise is for good overall health. How is it possible that such a large proportion of all earthlings in the western world still have not made regular exercise a lifestyle choice? The health benefits of regular exercise are too many to mention. Even if your schedule doesn’t allow for a gym, yoga, or any other fixed sport routine x times per week, make sure you manage to find some time throughout the day to be active and to squeeze some exercise in, it doesn’t have to be on a treadmill! Lunch breaks are great opportunities for a brisk walk, take the stairs instead of the elevator, when your kids are napping, move with that Pilates DVD your friend gave you and so forth. Get that heart rate pumping and muscles working whenever you can, the more often, the better!

Gabi Steindl relies on selected brands to enhance her performance

– Exercise the mind:

Being mentally and emotionally in a good place is as important to overall health as is physical fitness. In fact, it’s highly unlikely to achieve one without the other. And even if, a healthy body means very little without a healthy mind. Meditation is to the brain, what a gym class is to your body.

Peak performance in sport can be enhanced by peak performance sleep environments. Photo by Gill Chabaud

– Spend time in Nature:

I think it’s very easy to underestimate how potent spending time in nature is for our health. Therefore, we all should prioritize to get out and feed the mind and the body with the power of Mother Nature as often as we can. Studies show that immersing yourself in nature reduces stress, anxiety, heart rate and blood pressure and that it even can improve immune system function. In our fast paced world, city-life, modern technology, high levels of stress, the connection to nature is often lost—it’s high time to re-connect and boost your health by doing so!

– Get enough Shut-Eye:

Getting adequate quality sleep (7-9 hours for adults) plays an absolutely vital role in achieving overall health and wellbeing. Please refer to my article “Sleep, a Legal Performance Enhancer” for more insights into the importance of getting enough shut-eye.

THERAVITAL with stretch effect

Not sleeping enough will mess with your weight, your mood, your energy levels and eventually your health. But it’s not only about quantity! Our sleeping environment and the mattress you sleep on are deciding factors for the quality of your sleep and I can only highly recommend reviewing and addressing these factors. I personally feel more rested than ever before since I’ve been sleeping on GEOVITAL’s PHYSIOLOGA and many of my almost chronic little daily laches and pains (neck and shoulder area) have disappeared.

We’re creatures of habit and it might require quite a bit of effort to change a habit. But the good news is, we all can do it! According to a study by Phillippa Lally and colleagues from the Cancer Research Centre at UCL (University College London) it takes an average of 66 days to form a new habit.

There’s no better time to start ingraining new habits right now!

When you struggle in the process, keep reminding yourself that the lifestyle-choices you make today will directly affect your life in 1, 3, 5, 10, 20… years from now.

Lifestyle-changes can reverse chronic disease. All it takes is taking responsibility.

So next time when you crave for that highly processed sugary snack, grab an apple instead, do that for the next 66 days, and sooner than you’ll know, you won’t even long for the unhealthy nosh any more. Simple J

Be healthy & stay fit,

Warmly

Gabi Steindl

www.kitegabi.com

https://www.facebook.com/kitegabi/

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HEALTHY LIFE – a Lifestyle Choice