Small, significant changes can have a big impact on your overall health and well-being. In 2024, commit to taking small steps to change your daily routines and habits to benefit your health.
1. Eat a healthy diet
What Balanced diet Appearance may differ from person to person, depending on your culture, where you live, and the food available locally. Yet the principles are the same: making informed choices can help you improve the way you eat. Reducing your intake of foods high in salt, free sugars, saturated fats and trans fats may seem overwhelming at first, but simple steps add up, like replacing a lunchtime soda with soda. water. Eat at least five servings of a variety of fruits and vegetables every day. Think about a balanced and diverse diet and keep fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes and nuts in mind when planning your daily meals. Read WHO recommendations for healthy eating.
2. Be active
Being active every day can be a challenge, but did you know that every move counts? Adding a walk after a meal, sweeping the floors, or taking the stairs can all improve your cardiovascular health. Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate activity per week if you’re an adult. For additional health benefits, adults should increase their moderate-intensity physical activity to 300 minutes per week or equivalent. If you have children or teenagers, get active together and help them reach their 60 minutes of exercise per day. There may be many environmental or mental barriers to physical activity, but always remember that physical activity has important benefits for the health of the heart, body and mind.
3. Avoid harmful alcohol consumption
Did you know that alcohol consumption contributes to more than 200 illnesses, injuries and other health problems? Alcohol consumption increases the risk of injury, as well as long-term effects such as liver damage, cancer, heart disease and mental illness. Any level of alcohol consumption carries risks. If you drink alcohol, you may want to discuss your drinking with a healthcare professional. Learn more about alcohol in the Western Pacific..
4. Do not use tobacco or vape
THE benefits of quitting smoking start 20 minutes after your last cigarette. All tobacco use and exposure to tobacco smoke is harmful. Quitting smoking reduces your risk of heart disease, cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and other illnesses.
Quitting vaping can also be part of a journey towards better health. E-cigarettes are harmful to health and have long-term consequences, especially among young people, as users are exposed to nicotine and other harmful chemicals.
5. Pay attention to your sexual health
Sexual health is essential for a healthy life. Sex is more than just a physical connection: it’s about respect, pleasure and safety. Sexual activities involving other partners require explicit consent and must be free from coercion, discrimination and violence. It’s also important to be safe during sex! Using condoms during sexual activity can help prevent sexually transmitted infections (STIs), unplanned pregnancies, and HIV.
6. Connect in person to support your mental health
Solitude constitutes a serious health risk. Much research shows that social isolation and loneliness have serious consequences on physical and mental health, quality of life and longevity. Face-to-face or digital contact with friends or family can help you form meaningful social connections.
It is also important to be kind to yourself and adopt good mental health habitsto help you manage any mental health issues or stressful situations in your daily life.
7. Get vaccinated
Make sure you and your family are up to date with your routine vaccinations. Vaccines reduce your risk of getting disease by working with your body’s natural defenses to increase protection. If you have children who have missed essential vaccinations during the COVID-19 pandemic, consult your healthcare provider to help them catch up and protect their health.
8. Take antimicrobials the right way
Bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites have evolved over time and some no longer respond to medications. Antimicrobial resistance makes infections more difficult, and sometimes impossible, to treat, increasing the risk of disease spread, serious illness, and death. To help fight antimicrobial resistance, take antibiotics and other antimicrobials only if prescribed by your healthcare professional, complete your treatment days, and do not share your remaining antibiotics with others. Don’t ask for antibiotics to treat colds and flu: antibiotics won’t work for viral infections. Learn more about how WHO is tackling antimicrobial resistance.
9. Wash your hands
Clean hands help stop the spread of infections. Be sure to wash your hands properly with soap and water or an alcohol-based solution. Get more tips on hand washing.
10. Get Regular Checkups
Consult your healthcare professional for regular, annual check-ups. These visits can help you monitor your blood pressure to control and prevent hypertension − the number one silent killer in the world. Many people are unaware that they have hypertension, and without proper treatment, uncontrolled hypertension can lead to serious health complications later in life.
Regular check-ins with your healthcare provider will also help you monitor your health if you are at risk for hepatitis, HIV, tuberculosis, or STIs.
Essential tests, such as those measuring your cardiovascular health or your sugar levels, can help with the diagnosis and early management of non-communicable diseases like heart disease or diabetes. For women and men, health exams like Pap smears or prostate exams, respectively, can help detect cancer. Check with your healthcare professional to find out what tests or screenings you need. Learn more about noncommunicable diseases..
Let’s all choose to be healthier in 2024!
