Spring is around the corner, the time of year signifying rebirth and a welcome return to the no-longer-frigid outdoors. It’s also the perfect time to make beneficial changes to your health. Here are 26 ways to improve your physical and mental well-being to the letter.
Abstain from, or cut back on, alcohol
Even drinking in moderation isn’t great for your body. It can affect your sleep, lead to high blood pressure and cause fatty build up around the liver. Plus, its empty calories often generate unwanted pounds. Try to limit your consumption to special occasions. If you feel you have a drinking problem, consider contacting Alcoholics Anonymous, 210 S. Fifth St. in Reading, at 610.373.6500.
Breakfast
It’s called the most important meal of the day for good reason. Breaking your nightly fast gets your metabolism in gear and prevents you from overeating later. Plus, studies show that eating after waking helps adults perform better at work and helps kids score better in school.
Colonoscopies
Yes, the preparation for these procedures can be a pain in the butt, but the colonoscopy itself is short and potentially lifesaving. When you hit 45, talk to your family doctor about setting up an appointment at a hospital, outpatient center or surgery center.
Drink plenty of fluids
As mentioned, all fluids are not equal. Water is best. Try to consume at least four to six cups a day, or more if you’re active. Keep highcalorie drinks like full-sugar soda, juices and saccharine coffee concoctions to a minimum.
Eat a balanced diet
You are what you eat. Well, not literally, unless you’re a cannibal, in which case, stop. But figuratively speaking, it’s not in jest to suggest what you ingest and digest affects your physical and mental wellbeing. A balanced diet consists of fruits and vegetables, lean protein and whole grains. You don’t need to cut out sweets, but keep them to a minimum.
Fitness
This is the perfect time of year to improve your physical health, much better than the first weeks of the new year, which feature frigid outdoor temperatures and gyms overflowing with New Year’s novices. Hit the roads or trails (see the hiking, running and walking entries for more information) and/or check out area gyms, which include Alliance Fitness Center, Anytime Fitness, Body Zone Sports and Wellness Complex, Garage Strength Sports Performance, LA Fitness, LJ's Fitness, Reading YMCA and Wyo Fit Clubs.
Gardening
Playing in the dirt as a child is all kinds of fun. Playing in the dirt as an adult is all kinds of beneficial. Spending time outdoors is good for your physical and mental health. And growing and eating your own fruits and vegetables can positively impact your diet.
Hiking
“Take a hike” isn’t only a well-worn way to ask someone to leave, it’s also a way to get in shape while enjoying nature’s grandeur. Berks County is home to a healthy mix of trails — including a stretch of the Appalachian Trail — that range from relaxing to challenging.
Immune System
“Sick” is slang for excellent. But you know what isn’t sick? Getting sick. To help reduce the frequency and severity, take steps to boost your body’s immune system, which helps fight infections and other diseases. Fittingly, these tips overlap with other entries in this story: eat well, exercise, maintain a healthy weight, get enough sleep and cut back on or cut out smoking and alcohol.
Joints
The areas where two or more bones meet, allowing for movement, are important to daily function yet often overlooked. Some easy ways to keep your joints healthy are warming up before physical activity, cooling down and stretching after physical activity, strength training and losing pounds if you’re overweight.
K
Potassium, represented by the symbol K, is special. The mineral helps your nerves, muscles and heart to function well; helps control blood pressure; and protects against strokes and osteoporosis. Foods high in potassium include bananas, avocados, raisins, apricots, beans, lentils, potatoes, spinach and broccoli.
Laugh
Calling laughter a great form of stress release might seem like a joke, but there’s a healthy dose of truth to it. In the short term, laughter increases the production and release of endorphins, can help decrease your blood pressure and soothes tension. In the long term, it can improve your immune system and relieve pain.
Massage
Besides the incredible, relaxing feeling they provide, massages have many physical benefits, including improved circulation and decreased muscle stiffness and joint inflammation. Area masseuses include 2024 Best of Berks winner New Beginnings Massage Wellness Center, Judith Gabriel Integrational Bodyworks, Massage Envy, The Salt Lounge, Sincerity Massage Therapy and Wellness and Tina’s Therapeutic Touch Massage Services.
Neatness
Being neat is neat. It’s not just putting things back where they belong and organizing your closet; it’s establishing habits, routines and mindsets. The more organized you are around the house, the more organized you will feel outside of it. “Cleanliness is next to godliness” and all that.
Outdoors
Spending time outside is priceless for your physical and mental well-being. Luckily, the Greater Reading area excels at nurturing nature. The county runs nearly a dozen parks and recreation areas; Blue Marsh Lake attracts thousands of boaters, fishers and swimmers; mountain bikers get in gear with the Greater Reading Trails System; and hikers have plenty of options for keeping in step with the times.
Physicals
Too many Americans put off their annual physical exams. That may be fine for those who are younger and physically fit. But as we get older, their importance increases. An annual exam allows your family doctor to assess your overall health, review your medical history and, perhaps most importantly, identify potential health risks in the early stages when they’re most treatable.
Quit smoking
Kicking the nicotine habit is difficult but life-changing. Benefits include improved circulation and lung function, a decrease in coughing and shortness of breath and a reduction in the risk of stroke and lung cancer. Plus, you won’t need to freeze your tail off going outside for a smoke during the winter months. If you need help, contact the Reading Area of Narcotics Anonymous at 610.374.5944 or rascna.org.
Running
It’s the best workout you can get in the least amount of time. Though daunting for beginners or those getting back into shape, running can be revelatory. And you don’t have to do it alone. Berks County is home to a healthy number of running clubs, organizations and specialty stores — including Pagoda Pacers, Pretzel City Sports, Nemesis Fitness and Fleet Feet West Reading — to assist you in your journey.
Skincare
Annual full-body skin exams at a dermatologist are as important as annual physicals. These exams, during which the dermatologist looks for suspicious growths or spots, can be a literal lifesaver because most skin cancers are treatable if caught early. And always use sunscreen.
Try something new
Routines can become a little too routine. A quick and easy way to change your perspective and step outside of your comfort zone is to do things out of the ordinary, no matter how small. Take a new route to work, try a new restaurant or cook something at home you’ve never tried, change the furniture around in your home or take up a hobby or craft you’ve always wanted to try.
Unplug
Electronic devices have become so interconnected with our existence that it seems impossible to imagine life without them. But a digital detox — getting back to basics by temporarily cutting out phones and tablets — can recalibrate your mind by cutting out the hustle-bustle, allowing you to focus on simply being.
Vitamins
A healthy diet will provide your body with most of the vitamins it needs. But it’s important to fill in any gaps, especially as you get older, and a daily multivitamin is a quick and easy way to do that. Add a probiotic to the mix for an additional boost to your immune system.
Walk
It’s the most basic form of exercise, one that most of us do daily without even thinking about it. But it’s effective, especially if you pick up the pace to increase your heart rate. Even a leisurely stroll has benefits for the body and mind. Just put one foot in front of the other.
X
The social media site formerly known as Twitter has become a very unwelcoming place. But other platforms aren’t much better, especially if you spend too much time on them. Either cut them out or create a social media budget and stick to it. And make liberal use of the “unfollow” and “block” functions.
Yoga
Its origins stretch back to ancient India, but yoga is hot today, especially the hot yoga variety. The exercise improves flexibility and posture, strengthens muscles, enhances balance and reduces stress. Local purveyors of the craft include Creation Yoga, BLDG. 7 Yoga, Double Sunrise Yoga, Hot Yoga West Reading and Orangetheory Fitness.
Zzzz
Don’t sleep on sleep. Getting seven to nine hours a night is essential. In the short term, shut-eye sharpens memory and focus. In the long term, it lowers your risk of heart disease and keeps your metabolism humming. Ways to get better sleep: eat a healthy diet; cut back on caffeine and alcohol; exercise; keep your room dark and quiet; avoid screens before bed; and try to stick to a sleep schedule.
