Teaching Old Dogs New Tricks When It Comes to Health
By Stephen R. Farris
Somewhere along the road of life you've probably heard old sayings such as old habits never die, or you can't teach an old dog new tricks. While there's a hint of truth in those old adages, they don't always hold true.
While it's human nature to be content to repeat the same old routines day in and day out, it's also that same nature that allows room for change. To learn something new.
For instance, we may have developed bad habits early on when it came to diet and exercise. After all, it's much easier to hit a drive-thru for food, rather than cook at home these days, and much more relaxing to lie on the sofa and flip through the television channels for hours at a time. Both are relatively unhealthy activities.
The good news is, it's not too late to learn some healthy habits before those old ones start to cause harm to your body and mind.
Weight Maintenance
Combining a healthy, balanced diet, along with regular exercise can extend years in your life. It can also help with weight loss or maintaining body weight, plus you'll see that you will feel much better physically and mentally.
Better Mood
Eating all that junk food and sitting around all the time can affect your mood. You might seem more irritable and grumpy than usual. However, consuming healthy foods and combining daily exercise into your everyday routine can be a mood-altering experience. In other words, you'll not only start to feel better about yourself, but other people will find it more pleasing to be around you as well.
Fighting Disease
Keeping those old habits around could also put you at risk for certain diseases such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease and cancer. Eating healthy and exercising regularly can reduce your risk of developing these diseases.
Energy Booster
Let's face it. Eating all that unhealthy food, plus inactivity, can leave you drained and even depressed. So if you're looking to boost your energy levels, make a healthy change in your diet, get up off the couch, and take walks daily, or run, or swim, or ride a bike. You'll find that in a short time your energy levels will start to pick up. The longer you follow these new habits, the more energy you will have.
To learn more about your health, wellness and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Clarksville, Tenn.