Live better: Go from sedentary to active and healthy, beyond the physical benefits.

You may often wonder if you’re moving enough to stay active or if your diet is adequate to be healthy. Staying active involves performing any body movement that increases energy expenditure. This includes everyday activities such as walking, climbing stairs, or doing household chores; all the activities we do require a greater or lesser energy expenditure.

Physical activity refers to any movement of the body produced by skeletal muscles that requires energy expenditure. This can include anything from walking to more intense activities such as running. On the other hand, exercise is a specific form of physical activity that is planned, structured, and repetitive, with the goal of improving or maintaining one or more components of physical fitness.

Training is a type of exercise that follows a structured, progressive plan designed to improve physical performance in a specific discipline.

As you can see, staying active, exercising, and training are not the same thing, and it is very important to be clear about this if you have more specific goals in terms of your physical condition. While it’s true that staying active is part of a healthy life and keeps your muscles and joints in good shape, it’s usually not enough to maintain a balance between a healthy weight and food intake.

Physical activity and exercise have numerous benefits for physical and mental health. Physically, they help maintain a healthy weight, improve cardiovascular health, strengthen muscles and bones, and increase flexibility and balance. Mentally, exercise can reduce stress, anxiety, and depression, improve mood, and boost self-esteem.

An article published in 2020 by the American College of Sports Medicine shows interesting results in a small study of adults over 60 years of age in good health. Moderate-intensity aerobic exercise, such as running or cycling, not only improved their fitness but also had immediate positive effects on their brain and memory. These acute effects can serve as a sign that your brain is ready to adapt and improve in the long term if you maintain a regular exercise routine. Researchers have found that these initial benefits can predict lasting improvements in brain function and memory, underscoring the importance of incorporating aerobic exercise into your lifestyle for long-term positive neurobiological and behavioral outcomes.

So don’t just work out for your body, but also for your mind! Beyond just doing the minimum daily activities that involve movement, it is more than proven that doing some type of exercise improves physical and mental health in the short, medium, and long term, and improves brain plasticity, challenging it to new learning.

Needless to say, a balanced diet provides the nutrients needed for optimal body function, improves digestive health, and reduces the risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease. Another study published in 2018 by the American College of Sports Medicine, conducted on 40 premenopausal women aged 18 to 40 years, shows that the physical exercise recommended by the WHO did not significantly change the diversity of the gut microbiota in women, but sedentary time and breaks were related to the richness of the microbiota. Microbiota diversity is important for health, and low diversity is associated with diseases such as obesity and diabetes. The study found differences in certain types of bacteria between active and sedentary women. Active women had more beneficial bacteria such as Bifidobacterium, R. hominis, A. muciniphila, and F. prausnitzii, which are linked to positive effects on gut health and metabolism.

For summarize, physical exercise modulates the intestinal microbiota, and it is important not only the amount and type of exercise but also avoiding long periods of inactivity to improve intestinal health. So, it is not only a balanced diet, but also a complete diet that nourishes every part of our body and what we provide has a strong impact on the development of our daily activities both physically and mentally, providing support to our muscles, bones, intestines, and brain that are there to function perfectly every day.

Everyday activities that require the most energy

Some everyday activities that require more energy include:

Climbing stairs: Burns approximately 235-257 calories in 30 minutes.

Cleaning the house: Activities such as sweeping, mopping, and vacuuming can burn about 130 calories in 30 minutes.

Gardening: You can burn between 165-185 calories in 30 minutes.

Remember that all activities require energy expenditure, even when you sleep, read, or sit working. Everything you do counts towards your daily energy balance (energy intake versus energy expenditure), so including activities such as reading or climbing a couple of flights of stairs makes a difference, especially if you are sedentary.

Small steps to take in your diet to maintain a healthy weight

In addition to protecting your joints and heart, these steps can make a difference in the medium and long term, so don’t hesitate to include:

· Vegetables and fruits: Rich in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber.

· Whole grains: Such as brown rice, oatmeal, and whole grain bread provide energy and micronutrients to your muscles and brain.

· Proteins: Such as chicken, fish, and legumes, they provide structural support to your systems.

· Healthy fats: are essential for the proper functioning of the body, as they help build cell membranes and provide energy. These include:

Monounsaturated fats: present in olive oil, avocado, and nuts such as almonds.

Polyunsaturated fats: present in fatty fish, sunflower oil, soybean oil, and chia seeds.

Omega-3 fatty acids: present in fatty fish, flaxseed oil, and walnuts.

Something that has changed the lives of many and their intestinal health, in addition to having strong scientific support, is the decrease in the consumption of ultra-processed foods. These foods are usually high in added sugars, fats, and salt, but low in essential nutrients. At the public health level, the high consumption of ultra-processed foods contributes to the burden of chronic diseases and increases health care costs.

Key tips for staying active, creating healthy habits, and eating healthy

Incorporate exercise into your daily routine: Get at least 150 minutes of physical activity a week. You can start with small daily walks, as the impact is more positive with daily physical activity, keeping your muscles and joints active. If you divide this time into 7 days, that’s 21 minutes a day.

Plan your meals: Opt for fresh and natural foods, and avoid ultra-processed foods. There is no need to buy expensive food; with natural foods that come from the earth is an excellent step to start taking better care of yourself. An example of this is seasonal fruits and vegetables, including more legumes and not making fried preparations every day.

Hydrate properly: Multiply your current weight by 0.033 and you will have the milliliters of water you should drink in good health.

Prioritize rest and sleep: Get 7-9 hours of sleep per night for optimal recovery.

Manage stress: Practice relaxation techniques such as mindfulness or meditation.

Staying active and eating healthy not only improves physical health but also mental health, creating a synergy that enhances overall well-being. Incorporating healthy habits into your daily routine, such as regular exercise and a balanced diet, can have positive effects in the short, medium, and long term, improving your quality of life and reducing the risk of chronic diseases.

Start taking care of your body and mind for a healthier future today!