7 simple daily habits to improve the quality of your health

To feel happy and at ease in your body, it’s not about upending your life but simply adding some habits that promote your well-being. Small daily rituals can greatly improve your well-being and promote overall happiness. Here are 7 good habits to adopt to live a healthier and happier life! We breathe, yes, but not correctly, and this has consequences for our posture and our health. Several times a day, remember to breathe deeply. Breathe in through your nose, hold the air in your lungs for a few seconds, then breathe out, still through your nose. During this breathing exercise, similar to a cardiac coherence exercise to relieve stress, focus on your heart by trying to feel its beating. Performed several times a day, such a ritual relaxes the body, recovers energy, and promotes creativity.

Embrace Conscious Breathing

Breathing is something we do automatically, often without much thought. However, learning to breathe consciously can bring profound benefits to your physical and mental health. Conscious breathing involves focusing on each inhalation and exhalation, ensuring that you are not just breathing deeply but also mindfully. Try incorporating a few minutes of conscious breathing into your morning routine to start the day with clarity and calmness.

Techniques to Enhance Breathing

1. Diaphragmatic Breathing: Lie on your back with your knees bent. Place one hand on your chest and the other on your stomach. Breathe in slowly through your nose, allowing your stomach to expand. Notice how your hand on your stomach rises while the one on your chest remains still.
2. Box Breathing: This technique is used by Navy SEALs to stay calm and focused. Inhale for four counts, hold for four counts, exhale for four counts, and hold again for four counts. Repeat this cycle for five minutes.
3. Alternate Nostril Breathing: This yoga technique can help balance your mind. Close your right nostril with your thumb and inhale deeply through your left nostril. Close the left nostril with your ring finger, release the right nostril, and exhale. Inhale through the right nostril, then switch and exhale through the left.

By practicing these techniques regularly, you can improve lung capacity, reduce stress, and enhance your overall well-being.

Get Moving with Regular Walks

Exercising is not about climbing Mount Everest; it’s about getting your body moving slowly but surely! Innate and practicable every day, walking is a universal activity. It improves general physical condition, erases fatigue, tones the body, and helps it regenerate. It also has a beneficial impact on our mind. Practiced at a good pace, it is beneficial regardless of age.

Benefits of Walking

Walking is one of the simplest forms of exercise yet offers a multitude of health benefits:

• Improves Cardiovascular Health: Walking regularly strengthens your heart and improves circulation, reducing the risk of heart disease.
• Boosts Mood: Walking releases endorphins, the body’s natural mood enhancers, which can help alleviate symptoms of depression and anxiety.
• Enhances Creativity: A leisurely walk can stimulate creative thinking and problem-solving skills. Consider this the next time you’re brainstorming!

Making Walking a Habit

You should do at least one hour of walking per week. You can invest in a pedometer or install an app on your phone. Playful and practical, this small instrument, which counts the number of steps according to the jolts, allows you to better assess your walking effort and to set goals. Aim for about 10,000 steps per day. As a reference, a sedentary worker or a college student walks three to five thousand steps per day. According to scientists, this is the minimum number of steps per day to maintain good health.

• Schedule Walks: Set a regular time each day for a walk, whether it’s during your lunch break or after dinner.
• Walking Meetings: Instead of sitting in a conference room, suggest walking meetings when appropriate. It can lead to more dynamic discussions and fresh ideas.
• Explore New Paths: Keep your walks interesting by exploring different routes or parks. This can also be a great way to discover new parts of your city.

Revitalize with a Scottish Shower

Practiced according to the rules, the Scottish shower allows you to recharge your batteries and revitalize yourself at a low cost; it is also a good preventative habit if you have heavy legs. The Scottish Shower involves taking a cold shower, starting with lukewarm water, and then alternating between cold and warm. A Scottish shower helps, under the action of the alternating temperatures, to stimulate blood circulation.

How to Take a Scottish Shower

1. Start Warm: Begin with a comfortable warm shower. Relax your muscles and enjoy the warmth for a minute or two.
2. Switch to Cold: Gradually turn the temperature down until the water is cold. Stay under the cold water for 30 seconds to a minute.
3. Alternate Three Times: Repeat the cycle of warm and cold water three times, ending with cold water.

Health Benefits

• Circulatory Boost: The alternating temperatures cause your blood vessels to expand and contract, improving circulation.
• Immune System Support: Good blood circulation allows the body to optimally moisturize the nasal and pharyngeal cavities and provide them with immune cells, making it harder for microbes to find their way into the mucous membranes.
• Skin & Hair Health: Cold water can make hair shinier and skin healthier by tightening pores and preventing dirt from entering.

The Art of Stretching

When you wake up or during the day, stretching is an easy way to get rid of contractures and calm your mind. As much as a few seconds are enough to fully enjoy the benefits. When stretching, the body temperature gradually increases by one degree and, through mechanical action, the contraction-relaxation of the muscles will modify the pressure of the blood capillaries and improve blood circulation, thereby flushing out toxins.

Daily Stretching Routine

• Morning Routine: Start your day with a full-body stretch before getting out of bed. Reach your arms overhead and stretch your legs out long. This simple movement can invigorate your body and mind.
• Office Stretches: Relieve tension from sitting by standing up every hour and stretching your back, neck, and arms. Try shoulder rolls and neck tilts to relieve stiffness.
• Evening Wind Down: Before bed, incorporate gentle stretches like the child’s pose or seated forward bend to relax your muscles and prepare your body for restful sleep.

Avoiding Stretching Mistakes

• Don’t Bounce: Avoid bouncing while stretching as it can lead to muscle strains. Instead, hold each stretch steadily for at least 15-30 seconds.
• Listen to Your Body: Stretching should never be painful. If you feel discomfort, ease off and try a gentler stretch.

Self-Massage for Stress Relief

Massage is a good way to reconnect with your bodily sensations and energize the body. If we do not always have the opportunity to have someone massage us, many self-massage exercises exist. There are also many self-massage machines that you can get at a reasonable price. Indulge yourself and feel better.

Types of Self-Massage

1. Energizing Massage: Inspired by traditional Chinese medicine, this massage will allow you to start the day on the right foot and take away the feeling of morning fatigue. This massage is mainly performed on the face, scalp, neck, and shoulders.
2. Relaxing Self-Massage: Ideal after a hard day’s work. It helps to eliminate the tensions accumulated throughout the day. It is inspired by the Californian massage and helps relieve physical aches and pains by getting rid of muscle knots. This type of self-massage is performed on the arms and legs, with or without massage oil.

Benefits of Regular Self-Massage

• Stress Reduction: Massaging pressure points can help lower cortisol levels, reducing stress and anxiety.
• Pain Management: Regular self-massage can alleviate chronic pain conditions and enhance mobility.
• Improved Circulation: Helps improve blood circulation and the elimination of toxins, promoting overall health.

Maintain a Healthy Back

The condition of our back, which is the keystone of your posture, says a lot about your physical condition. Consider relaxing regularly if you are stiff from stress or from sitting too long.

Exercises for a Healthy Back

• Knee-to-Chest Stretch: In the morning when you wake up or in the evening just before going to bed, do this exercise: lie down on a mat; hug your knees and tuck your chin in while breathing deeply; gently rock yourself from side to side, then back and forth.
• Cat-Cow Stretch: Get on all fours, then alternate between arching your back (cat) and dropping your stomach towards the floor (cow). This movement enhances flexibility and relieves tension.

Common Back Care Tips

• Ergonomic Setup: Ensure your workspace is ergonomically friendly. Your chair should support your lower back, and your screen should be at eye level to avoid neck strain.
• Regular Movement: Avoid sitting for extended periods. Stand up, stretch, or take a short walk every hour to prevent stiffness.

Enhance Blood Circulation

Because good blood flow is the key to optimal cell nutrition, it is important to take care of its circulation.

Diet for Better Circulation

By first adopting a diet that emphasizes quality fruits, vegetables, and vegetable oils. But also, by incorporating some ingredients into your diet such as garlic, seaweed, and soy. Garlic, in particular, is known for its regulating effect on cardiac activity. Arterial and venous circulation is also improved with garlic consumption, especially in the legs, which helps to gently fight against varicose veins.

Additional Tips for Boosting Circulation

• Hydration: Drinking enough water keeps blood well-hydrated and flowing smoothly.
• Exercise: Regular aerobic activity, such as walking, swimming, or cycling, enhances circulation.
• Compression Gear: For those who stand or sit for long periods, compression socks can help improve circulation and reduce swelling.

By integrating these habits into your daily routine, you can significantly enhance your health and well-being. Remember, it’s the small, consistent changes that lead to substantial improvements over time.