Self-care is a practice encouraged by the World Health Organization (WHO), which refers to an active and responsible attitude toward quality of life.
Practice a sport or do some physical activity
Sport is one of the pillars of healthy lifestyles. If you think you don’t have time or that your physical condition is not adequate, don’t worry. Sport is within everyone’s reach. Practicing long-term, moderate physical activity daily, such as brisk walking for 30 minutes, has numerous health benefits:
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Helps you maintain your weight
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Helps control blood sugar levels and reduces the risk of coronary heart disease.
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Promotes sleep quality.
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Reduces the risk of premature death.
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Increases self-esteem and improves depression.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has updated its global physical activity recommendations and advises adults to get between 150 and 300 minutes of moderate to vigorous aerobic activity each week, including those with chronic illness or disability.
Take note of these tips to include sports in your self-care routine:
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Take the opportunity to play sports with small changes in your routine: for example, go up the stairs instead of taking the elevator.
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If you sit for long hours, get up every 60 minutes and walk around a bit to keep your muscles active.
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Gradually increase the intensity of the sport you practice. Learn to listen to your body, and try not to force it.
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Breathe through your nose to prevent flatus*
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Choose a team suitable for the sport you practice. Good footwear is essential, as well as breathable clothing.
* When we run, the organs move down with each stride from the impact, while simultaneously the diaphragm moves up to expel air from the lungs when exhaling. The resulting tension can cause a sharp pain to appear on the side, which we call ” flatus “.
Take care of your hygiene
It is very important to maintain good personal hygiene and cleanliness of the home to prevent many diseases. We are in frequent contact with germs that can affect our state of health, we have lived experiences that have shown us our biological vulnerability to germs, therefore, we must continue with self-care measures,
Some essential tips are:
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Wash your hands when you get home, before eating, and when you have been in contact with animals. Hand washing is critical if you are immunosuppressed.
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Shower daily to control germs that may affect your skin. Specifically, you must do it after practicing physical exercise, since this favors sweating and contact with bacteria present on the surfaces with which our skin comes into contact.
Sleep well
All the functions of our body are affected by lack of sleep: from the hormonal, immune, or respiratory systems to blood pressure or cardiovascular health.
In addition, several investigations indicate that not sleeping adequately can increase the risk of obesity, infections, and coronary diseases.
Well, how many hours of sleep are adequate? General recommendations depend on age and are as follows:
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Newborns up to 3 months: 14-17 hours.
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Babies up to 11 months: 12-15 hours.
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Children up to 2 years old: 9-15 hours.
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Children up to 5 years old: 10-13 hours.
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Children up to 13 years old: 9-11 hours.
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Adolescents up to 17 years old: 10 hours a day.
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Adults: 7-9 hours daily.
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Older adults over 65 years: 7-8 hours a day.
To sleep better, we recommend that you implement these habits:
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Have a regular time to go to bed and get up.
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Link some routine when you go to sleep. They can be simple actions like brushing your teeth, taking a bath, or reading.
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Practice physical exercise, but try not to do it right before you go to sleep.
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Do not drink stimulants such as coffee or other caffeinated drinks after 4 p.m.
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Sleep in comfortable clothes, in a dark and quiet room.