Building Your Body for a Better You

What are some

things you can do to
maintain or achieve
good health?
You can maintain or achieve
good health by observing
proper nutrition, proper
hygiene, oral care, regular
physical activity, enough rest
and sleep, and good posture.
Self-discipline is the key to
managing your health.
Through proper nutrition,
good hygiene, regular
exercise, sufficient sleep
and rest, and proper
posture, you will be able
to manage your personal
well-being responsibly.
These self-management
skills can also help you in
many other aspects of
your life.
Certain food are rich in
specific nutrients while
some are not healthy at all.
You should know how to
eat the right kinds of food
in moderation.
The table below shows the recommended daily
dietary allowance of some nutrients children need.
As you grow up, you need to make sure that
you get the right amount of nutrients from
eating a healthy diet and practicing healthful
eating habits. If a person feels sickly, weak,
and unable to do physical activities, he or she
may not be getting the nutrition and energy
the body requires to be able to do daily
activities. Be sure to regularly consume food
that build the muscles, give energy, and
provide vitamins and minerals to the body.
Proper Hygiene
Good personal hygiene helps protect
you from catching and spreading
diseases caused by germs like fungi
and bacteria. Good hygiene means
maintaining personal cleaning habits
like taking a bath, brushing and
flossing the teeth, trimming the nails,
changing clothes, and frequent hand
washing.
Good personal hygiene also involves
preventing disease-causing germs
from spreading through the
contamination of food items and
personal belongings. Aside from
frequent hand washing, this can be
done by covering your nose and
mouth when sneezing or coughing.
Oral Care
One of the important steps in proper
hygiene is oral care. You should brush your
teeth at least twice a day and regularly floss
to help prevent tooth decay, halitosis,
bacterial sores, and other gum problems. A
visit to your dentist every six months is also
beneficial to keep your oral health in check.
Having fresh breath and clean teeth also
makes you feel more confident, especially
when speaking to other people.
Regular Physical Activities
Physical activities involve exercise,
active sports, and other activities
that work your muscles like dancing,
riding a bicycle, gardening, and
others. You need to engage in
regular physical activities to stay fit
and strengthen your bones and
muscles.
Engaging in physical activities
facilitates the circulation of blood
and oxygen in the body, the
excretion of toxins by sweating, and
the strengthening of cardiac and
lung muscles. Being active decreases
the risk of cardiovascular diseases
and improves your endurance,
balance, and agility.
Enough Rest and Quality Sleep
Your body is composed of different parts with
specific functions. These parts work together in
order for you to do your tasks every day. After
some time, your muscles get tired and require a
number of hours of rest in order to recharge from
fatigue or any injury before it can be ready for
another day of activities. Normally, your body
requires an average of eight hours of sleep every
night, but you may also take short naps and rests
throughout the day, depending on how much or
how strenuous your activities are.
Regular physical activity helps improve overall health
and fitness, and reduces the risk of developing
diseases.
When you rest, you feel good and do
not easily feel irritated. When you get
enough rest, your mind is clear and you
can keenly and quickly react to urgent
situations. A rested mind is able to
process mental activities more
effectively. A well-rested body is
energized and ready to take on new
physical activities.
Good Posture
Having good posture contributes not only to your
well-being but to the overall impression you
project to others as well. Maintaining good
posture when sitting, standing, or walking
maintains the alignment of your body parts, which
in turn lets your organs work properly. Because of
this, your breathing and other bodily functions are
improved. Moreover, proper posture creates a
good impression and makes you look strong and
confident. Bad posture, on the other hand, causes
head, neck, and shoulder pain, and can aggravate
spine conditions like scoliosis and lordosis.
It is not hard to practice good posture. Just
maintain a straight back and prop up your neck
so your head and shoulders do not droop
forward. Some exercises like yoga, tai chi, and
dancing can help you achieve good posture.