Healthy habits

While maintaining good health habits cannot guarantee a longer life, it can certainly improve the quality of your life. A few simple things, if practiced regularly, can help reduce your risk of illness and enrich your life:

• Get regular exercise and control your weight.
• Don't smoke or abuse drugs.
• Do not drink a lot of alcohol. Avoid alcohol completely if you have a history of alcoholism.
• Eat a balanced and healthy diet.
• Take care of your teeth.
• Manage high blood pressure.
• Follow good safety practices.

EXERCISE

Exercise is a key factor in staying healthy. Exercise strengthens the bones, heart, and lungs, tones muscles, improves vitality, relieves depression, and helps you sleep better.

If you are just starting an exercise program and have any pre-existing conditions, such as obesity, hypertension, or diabetes, ask your doctor about an exercise stress test. This test will help you establish safe limits for your exercise program.

Images

Exercise - a powerful tool

Exercise with friends

Exercise 30 minutes a day

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Healthy living Prevention

Review Date: 04/30/2011
Reviewed By: Linda J. Vorvick, MD, Medical Director, MEDEX Northwest Division of Physician Assistant Studies, University of Washington, School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)