By Ms. Jyoti Punja, Deputy CEO, Cigna TTK Health Insurance
With increasing demand of family and office, many women don’t make their health a priority, though they book their kids' annual physical checkup in advance, or drive their parents to doctors' appointment. Too many commitments take priority over personal health, while most woman remain unsure about how to establish healthy habits. Women need to focus on their personal health and feel good about themselves. This woman’s day, build determination of doing healthy things systematically though following ways:
Get your heart pumping!
Cardio exercises are great for relieving stress and burning calories. More importantly, cardio offers the best workout for a healthy heart. It stimulates the heart to beat at higher rate than normal, enabling pumping oxygenated blood to working muscles and other tissues and organs in the body. Cardio exercises such as walking, climbing stairs, swimming, etc., help increase the functional capacity of the heart, enhance respiratory efficiency, lower bad cholesterol, and improve body’s ability to absorb glucose.
Opt for heart healthy diet
Heart healthy diet plan comprises of fruits, vegetables, low fat or nonfat dairy, grains, especially whole grains, lean meats, fish and poultry; nuts and beans. One should also regulate salt and sodium intake, avoid foodstuff that have unhealthy saturated and trans fats, and consume lesser refined and processed foods. These eating habits can lower cholesterol level, while making easy to lose weight. This healthy way of eating plan is designed to meet lifestyle and food preferences of most people.
Do things the sloth way
Sleep is most essential for a healthy heart. People who don't sleep enough are at higher risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) regardless of age, weight or exercise habits. Sleeping too little causes disruptions in underlying health conditions, and biological processes like glucose metabolism, blood pressure, and inflammation. So, ensure to accumulate 7-8 hours of sleep a day.
Don’t just secure your possessions
Insurance companies are providing necessary health coverage to women by making preventative care affordable, they are making it easy to find specialized doctors, and are also providing easy, friendly, informative customer service. Some insurance plans offer payment of entire sum insured on first diagnosis of 30 major critical illnesses and procedures. These seems like no-brainers, but women continually report absenteeism in their relationships with insurance providers.
Your healthy lifestyle should be fun! Building these actions into habits makes it easier to do consistently. Simple things like taking the stairs instead of elevator, packing an apple for a snack instead of going to vending machine, or going for a walk on lunch break, will yield desired healthy results. Don't try to do too much, don't overwhelm yourself. Just add one small health action to your day and celebrate your new habit. These small steps will definitely get you to your desired destination.
