Improving your health can start with exercise or healthy eating, but health experts say for many of us, it can even start with sleep. “There are physiological reasons for people being unhealthy when they’re not sleeping. Their hormone levels get messed up. They’re not making melatonin. Their cortisol levels are high, and it’s the same thing when you’re chronically stressed,” explained Dr. Salvatore Lacagnina, system medical director wellness of Lee Health.
The first step is addressing what part of your health needs to be improved. “If you’re depressed, if you’re not sleeping, if you have too much stress in your life, let’s work on those things first and get that in order,” said Dr. Lacagnina.
The next step is finding out how you need to improve health. “What can you do that really makes a big difference in your life over the next months, years,” he asked.
Most importantly, find out what are you’re ready to change. “If you’re not ready to start exercising or making a change in your nutrition, obviously the plan is going to fail,” said Dr. Lacagnina.
And before you start your plan, make sure you’ve included small, manageable changes. “You really have to celebrate the small wins. Make sure that you’re ready to do what you say you’re going to do. Also, you have to write down your plans. Statistically, when people actually write down their plans they achieve them more often,” said Dr. Lacagnina.
Make a health plan that includes your sleep, nutrition, stress, and physical activity. Focusing on all four areas of health can decrease your risk of developing a chronic illness by 90 percent. “This day and age where we are going 24 hours a day, seven days a week, if you’re not healthy mentally and emotionally stable, you’re not going to be well physically regardless of what you do,” he said.
Making small steps to improve your health can keep you motivated and greatly impact how you feel. “Anything good comes because you work hard at it,” said Dr. Lacagnina.
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