Looking After Your Health as a Young Adult

It’s easy to overlook the importance of healthy habits as a young adult when risks seem far off, but establishing these at an early age will help prevent serious conditions such as diabetes and heart disease in the future.

Looking after your mind and body is also key to maintaining good energy levels and immunity and maintaining a balanced mood.

Discover the four cornerstones of looking after your health as a young adult, all of which are straightforward to integrate into your existing lifestyle. If you want to keep fit and healthy, get started with these healthy habits for young adults straight away. Trust us when we say that you’ll be feeling better in days!

Nutrition

When you plan your meals, pay attention to nutrition. Aim for a balanced intake of protein, carbohydrates and healthy fats, with plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables and limited sugar.

Ensuring you eat a wide variety of plant-based foods – the current recommendation is 30 different types per week – is an easy way to make sure you’re getting the rich diversity of vitamins and minerals in your diet which are essential for your physical health.

You can also consider multi-vitamin tablets to make sure you’re covered for what you need each day. There are also an increasing number of green powder options that consist of 30+ dried fruits, veggies, vitamins and minerals.

Routine check-ups

Schedule routine check-ups with healthcare professionals once or twice a year to identify issues early and help prevent problems from occurring in the first place. This will include a dentist visit, a GP examination and an appointment with your local optician.

Remember to check your sexual health too. You can order home STI test kits and do it yourself or pop into your local clinic where nurses are on hand to advise.

Women aged over 25 should have cervical examinations every three years – these are free when arranged through the NHS.

Exercise

Improved blood circulation and pressure, a healthy heart and lungs, increased bone density and enhanced stamina and flexibility – there’s no shortage of bodily benefits from exercise. Regular physical activity has also been shown to reduce stress and release happy hormones for a consistently better mood.

The type of exercise you choose is entirely up to you; each activity will have worthwhile benefits. Sweat it out with an outdoor run or high-intensity interval training (HIIT) session, lift heavy weights or challenge your strength and balance with slow-paced yoga and Pilates.

Mental health

Finally – and most importantly – don’t overlook your mental health. When ignored, mental illness can lead to behavioural issues like poor productivity and focus, emotional exhaustion and physical symptoms such as insomnia, all of which can cause decreased enjoyment in life.

Build up a strong sleep routine with hygienic habits such as limited screen time before bed and a set time for getting your shut-eye. Find out the things that make you happy and incorporate these into your week, whether this is spending time in nature, reading, cooking or relaxing in a long hot bath.

Remember the importance of socialising and schedule regular catch-ups with friends and family. Safeguarding your mental health by doing things that make you happy consistently is the best way to ward off anxiety and depression which can be isolating and debilitating.

Are you ready to embrace these healthy habits for young adults today?

If you are ever concerned about how you’re feeling, don’t hesitate to contact your GP.