Tips for Taking Health into Your Own Hands

• (Photo : LyfeFuel on Unsplash)

What is the difference between being proactive and reactive? Essentially, it all comes down to what comes first. Do you take an action to either progress toward something or prevent a potential issue? Or do you wait for something to happen that will then force your hand? When you leave the decision out of your own hands and simply wait to respond to circumstances, then you are being reactive.

The most effective strategy for supporting your health is to be proactive. Rather than waiting to hear bad news from a doctor or seeing a number that you hate on the scale, taking charge of your health and being decisive is a far better approach to wellness. 

Taking your health into your own hands can be done in several ways. Rather than waiting for your health to decline or for issues to come up, be proactive about supporting your health by experimenting with the following ideas.

Set Up a Home Gym

Most people are familiar with how much a busy schedule can take away from health goals. Maybe you planned to go to the gym after work, but by the time the end of the day rolled around, you felt exhausted and had no desire to be away from home any longer. Or, maybe you just hate the idea of working out in public. Setting up a home gym can alleviate those issues. If you have a spare bedroom, this could be the perfect location for your workout equipment. A home gym gives you the space and privacy to invest in physical wellness without the added pressures of following public gym protocols or being around strangers. It also creates a more relaxing setting, which can foster a better workout experience. Invest in some diverse exercise equipment such as dumbbells, resistance bands, or a multi-function machine to get the most out of your home gym.

Research Health Screening Gadgets

In the past, you had to go see a healthcare specialist to get any kind of substantial screening done. However, as medical technology continues to advance, personal health screening gadgets are becoming more reliable and accessible for home care. Some examples include tools for monitoring blood pressure, glucose monitoring, and pregnancy tests. Regularly screening yourself with these and other testing gadgets allows you to be proactive with your health and follow up with a doctor if any changes occur with the testing. 

Adding Supplements to a Healthy Diet

Everyone understands that what you put into your body will have a direct impact on your health. If you focus on consuming a balanced diet, then your cells will be receiving all the vitamins and minerals that they need to function. You can be even more proactive in supporting total body health by incorporating dietary supplements. Products such as a multivitamin taken regularly can support an already healthy diet with additional nutrients for your cells. This will promote optimum cellular health, allowing you to be proactive with your nutrition plan. Just remember that supplements should not be a substitute for a healthy diet, as food is a much better delivery system for vitamins and minerals. 

Set Specific Goals

Having a goal that is simply stated as "being healthier" is not going to be an effective way of pursuing wellness. It is way too broad and could be defined in too many ways. In the business world, many professionals talk about setting SMART goals, which are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely. This means that your health goal has a narrow focus, can be tracked, is possible for you to reach, and has a deadline. If your health goals follow all these guidelines, then they will put you in a better position to achieve them. Rather than wanting to just "be healthier," set a goal like "be able to run a 5k without walking by next January." 

Follow or Work with Health/Wellness Coaches

Inspiration and ideas may be hard to come by if you want to pursue health. Sometimes, you just aren't sure how to get started. One proactive way to take health into your own hands is to start following fitness or wellness personalities. Many of these individuals are certified to guide others toward their health goals, so they have a lot of ideas about what to do and how to do it. You can start small by simply following them on social media channels like Instagram or Twitter, as many will share helpful tips regularly. If you want to take the next step, you can reach out and see if working together or taking a class would be an option. 

Your Health Status is up to You

For the most part, everyone has the power to make their own decisions about their health. With that responsibility, you can either choose to be reactive and ignore healthy practices or you can take health into your own hands. A proactive approach allows you to take charge of your wellness today and in the future. Try out some of these ideas to get a handle on your health and invest in self-care.