How to stay healthy and active

Everyone wants to maintain good overall health and fitness. Staying healthy and active as long as possible can help you live a longer and fuller life, retaining not only the use of your body, but also your mind. Finding ways to eat right and exercise each day is an important part of that process. With a few simple tips, you can be on your way to a better, healthier lifestyle.

Instructions

• 1

  Eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables each day. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend everyone consume at least five servings of fruits and vegetables each day. Eating a diverse diet can help you get important nutrients, so mix it up. Sample many different fruits and vegetables to see which ones you like. You may discover that you greatly prefer the taste of green grapes to red ones. Look in the imported section of the vegetable aisle for additions to your diet. Bok choy, commonly used in Chinese cooking, is a crispy white vegetable with green ends. It is high in nutrients and easily prepared.

• 2

  Eat whole grains. Whole grains, which retain germ and bran, offer several advantages that can help you stay healthy. Whole grains have more nutrients than their refined counterparts. Consuming whole grains each day can make your digestive system function better. Getting enough fiber will also allow you to eat less and still feel full. Look for foods that have at least 3 grams of fiber per serving and contain the words "whole grains" in the first three ingredients. Examples of whole grains include brown rice, barley and even popcorn.

• 3

  Find exercise you like. Exercising at least three times a week is a good way to stay active and maintain your overall health. One of the keys to exercise is consistency. Aim for exercise that you can do each week. Try out new forms of exercise to discover what you like best. You may find that running hurts your joints but swimming supports them. If you are competitive in nature, consider joining a sports team. Working out with others to meet a common goal can help you enjoy participating, rather than viewing exercise as a boring chore.

• 4

  Reward yourself for sticking to your plans. Give yourself little rewards for each way you manage to stay healthy and active. If you exercise three days a week for a month, purchase an item of activewear that you like. If you eat five servings of fruits and vegetables each day for a week, treat yourself to a piece of pie. Reward yourself when you meet your goals and you'll be more likely to stick to them.