4 Pillars of Health

4 Pillars of Health Nutrition, Exercise, Relaxation, Sleep

These pillars work together to keep your mind and body healthy.

1. Nutrition - A healthy diet promotes bacteria in the gut that helps “feel good” signals get through to the brain.

Tip: Make healthy food swaps, like trading white rice, pasta and bread for whole-grain versions. Aim for 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day.

Tip: Make meal plans for the week so you can make sure you are including all the nutrients you need but also planning food that you enjoy and look forward to.

2. Exercise - Moving your muscles produces endorphins and a chemical that helps the brain deal with stress as well as building a strong and healthy body at all ages and stages of life. This can be particularly important as we get older and certain hormone levels become lower resulting in less bone density and muscle growth.

Tip: Aim for 30 minutes of exercise a day. A varied fitness plan can include Walking, aerobic exercises, weight training, and yoga or Pilates so include a range of beneficial movement.

Tip: Build your routine gradually and record progress to ensure you are seeing and feeling results and stay motivated. Speak with the Sports Centre team to support you with a programme to follow.

Tip: Schedule in morning workouts and get your workout gear ready for you to get up and go before you talk yourself out of it. This way, you get to feel the post workout benefits for the rest of the day!

Tip: Workout with a friend or join a class to encourage and motivate each other to commit to workouts Tip: If time is limited, build movement into your daily activities eg take the stairs and walk to work.

3. Relaxation - Mentally unwinding can reduce stress and anxiety as well as increase energy and focus. Rest days are also very important when following an exercise plan as this is when your muscles recover to prevent injury and grow stronger.

Tip: Deep breathing, visualization and Tip: Rest days don’t need to mean do meditation are all effective relaxation nothing. Get out in nature to clear techniques. Aim for 10 minutes of deep your mind and switch off from daily breathing practice a day. worries and stresses.

Tip: Yoga stretches can be a great way to release muscles and introduce mindful breathing techniques.

4. Sleep - A good night’s sleep helps lower stress, improve concentration, and boost emotional stamina. Those who sleep less than seven hours a night on average are more likely to have weight and other health issues.

The National Sleep Association recommends adults get 7-9 hours of sleep per night.

Tip: Avoid rigorous exercise and eating large meals close to bedtime. Also try to ditch the bedtime caffeine (like coffee), alcohol or nicotine if you can, because these are stimulants and make us more alert.

Tip: Set a bedtime routine and stick to it where possible to train your brain that it’s time to sleep.

Tip: Put away electronic devices an hour before bedtime. Their light can confuse your internal clock.