We all know how important our physical and mental health are – because they both affect our lives in significant ways. While MyFiveFingers is primarily about running and physical fitness, we think it’s important to bring you a few ideas on how to up your game by promoting healthy habits. After all, every minute of exercise you do could result in you living seven minutes longer. With that in mind, here’s some tips on healthy habits that can contribute to a longer life.

Consistent Exercise

If you’re reading this post, you probably already know about the health benefits of running and walking. Running keeps you fit, alert, and ready to tackle challenges in other areas of your life. However, people often forget the important of consistency in exercise. This is especially important if you are just starting or stopping a workout routine. Always handle change slowly. Your body responds to rapid changes in your exercise routine by making you feel pain and soreness for extended periods of time. By changing your routine at a slow pace (for example, 1/4 mile distance increases every week instead of every day) your body will have more time to adapt and grow stronger at a comfortable pace.

Oral Hygiene

One of the most often-neglected areas of overall health is smiling back at us in the mirror every day: our teeth! Oral health is actually extremely important for overall health, as gum disease and poor hygiene can lead to an increased risk for heart attack or stroke. Many dentists and oral hygienists now offer online appointment booking services – there’s no more excuses to not have a healthy mouth!

Quality Sleep

Simply put – sleep is incredibly important to our overall health. Even though you might be unconscious at 3am, your body is hard at work. The hours we spend asleep each night are our bodies’ time to recuperate: repairing damage, processing nutrients from food, and preparing the brain for a long day of work or school. Always ensure you’re getting 7-10 hours of sleep a night for optimal health, and if you have issues with sleep like Sleep Apnea, get them treated!

Healthy Diet

Finally, it must be restated that nobody can be truly health without eating right. Every article with medical advice starts with “eating right” for a reason – without the fuel your body needs, you simply won’t be able to maintain a healthy lifestyle. This means avoiding eating too much (or too little) and understanding which types of foods your body needs more than others to help improve your overall health. This process is trial and error for each individual, but you can start with the federal Recommended Daily Values.