Start The Climb: Beginning A Journey To Better Health

We all reach an inevitable point in a life of excess where we begin to think… maybe it would be a good idea if I got healthier?

It tends to come in drips. The first thought, which you push to the back of your mind and help yourself to the remaining slice of chocolate cake. Then it happens again. And again. Eventually, it becomes so constant that you realize it’s time. You’re going to have to do it. All the warnings about not maintaining your health are continuing to run through your mind, dominating your thoughts up to the point where you might as well go for it.

If you’re coming from a position of very little in terms of a healthy lifestyle, then knowing where to start can be a big problem. You find yourself having the desire to get things going, but being shut off from the routes you want to go down. Ideas about health, immunity and nutrition and how to maintain it are so varied, often to the point of being outright contradictory at times. So where do you begin?

The most important thing to realize is that there are many facets of good health. Depending on your starting point, you should have some idea of which you need to focus on the most to bring it up to a manageable level. If you’re starting from next-to-zero on all counts, then the key is to make small changes rather than grand, sweeping gestures. It’s going to be a long climb, but the view from the top is going to be worth it when you get there.

Mental Health

We’re kicking off with mental health as it is unfortunately usually so overlooked. Your mental health is not just important to how you enjoy life, but being stressed also has real physical ramifications. So realistically, it should be the start point from which everything else can follow.

There are a few areas to investigate with mental health, but a good place to start is making the time to meditate. Studies have shown again and again that this improves quality of life and might even be linked to helping you live longer. There are few better places to start on your health journey.

Diet

That’s not to say you should immediately go on a restrictive diet and spend your time obsessing about calories. The key is to focus on nutrition, and ensuring your body benefits in some way from everything that you eat.

If you have been eating poorly for a long time, you may find yourself low on a variety of nutrients. While you balance yourself out, consider juicing or diet supplements that can help you control your appetite as you learn to control your impulses.

Physical Health

It might sound like a good idea to throw yourself headfirst at a gym and just do what it takes to break a sweat. However, exercise without a solid knowledge in what you’re doing is only going to finish one way – with an injury. Go slow, build up your stamina and if necessary consult a personal trainer for advice.