Luke Hall, FNP-C

The world we live in is often very busy and demands a lot from us. As a result, most adults likely find it hard to focus on their health day in and day out. This struggle only becomes more evident when the responsibilities pile on, like long hours at work, raising a family, or running errands. We unfortunately cannot create more time, but we can do our best to adapt to this busy world and take charge of our well-being by creating healthy, sustainable habits that prioritize preventive health.

Nutrition

While it is convenient to order a pizza or pick up something to eat for dinner after a busy day, these choices often consist of fatty or fried foods that, over time, increase your risk for high cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart disease, and other chronic illnesses.

According to the CDC, most adults should aim for a variety of colors when making dinner. Fresh fruits and vegetables such as broccoli, bell peppers, tomatoes, or blueberries are great choices. It is also important to be mindful of how we prepare some of these foods.

Here in the South, we often cook with added salt. Reducing salt (sodium) is one way we can help prevent high blood pressure, strokes, and heart attacks. More than 70% of the sodium we consume comes from packaged and prepared foods, so it’s no surprise that opting for unprocessed fruits and vegetables helps us maintain a healthier diet.

What should you do when you are short on time during a chaotic day? Try meal prepping earlier in the week to see if this helps you save time. If you must go to a fast food restaurant, consider the choices that are not fried and do not come with calorie-dense dips or processed sides like fries or tater tots. Instead, opt for grilled options, whole grains, and vegetables or fruit whenever possible.

Healthy eating habits for most adults should include:

• Fruits and vegetables of various colors
• Whole grains
• A lean protein source like chicken, turkey, or fish
• Healthy fats from sources such as avocado or olive oil

Exercise

After working all day, it can be difficult to muster the willpower to go to the gym and work out. I understand this one personally. It can be especially hard if you know there are dishes to do, kids to feed, and another day to prepare for, or if you are simply mentally exhausted. The bottom line is that it is hard to suddenly make extra time for exercise. How do we build it into our day-to-day life instead?

Consider that the CDC recommends 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity per week (about 2.5 hours). This can be broken down into about 30 minutes a day, five days a week. Some simple ways to add this to your busy lifestyle might include briskly walking on a treadmill while working at a computer, or outside while talking on the phone. If safe, park further away from where you are going to add some extra steps. These are all just a few ways to adopt a more active lifestyle while simultaneously getting things done.

Other ways to increase movement include:

• Riding a bicycle
• Doing yard work (it has to be done anyway, and it certainly counts!)
• Briskly walking through the neighborhood
• Swimming
• Listening to music and dancing

The other side of this coin is to ensure you do muscle-strengthening activity at least twice a week, with a focus on all the major muscle groups. There are several great gyms in the area that offer access to free weights and weight machines. With proper form and safe practices, weight training offers many valuable benefits beyond what you might think. According to the University of Utah, benefits include slowing the loss of bone density, boosting metabolism, improving balance and stability, and even managing chronic pain. Always consult with your provider before starting an exercise regimen to ensure you do it safely.

For muscle strengthening, try safely implementing:

• Free weights
• Weight machines (to target muscles like legs, arms, hips, or abs)
• Resistance bands
• Body-weight exercises (such as push-ups, squats, or lunges)

Overall Health and Wellness

It is also important to note that many medical problems develop in silence long before we notice symptoms. For this reason, it is important to routinely see your primary care provider for appropriate screenings, labs, and other preventive health measures based on your personal history. Chronic illnesses such as Type 2 Diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and heart disease can often be strongly influenced by our daily diet and physical activity levels.

The idea here is to build habits that fit into your weekly routines so that, eventually, they become normal and effortless for you. Just like anything else, there are good habits and some not-so-good ones. Small changes will often yield big results. We are all human, and it is not always easy, but hopefully through repetition and conscious decision-making, we can make strides towards preventing chronic illnesses and staying healthy in this busy world!