The benefits of a healthy lifestyle may seem obvious. You’ll look better, feel better physically, be less likely to develop various illnesses and conditions, and see your doctor less often. However, there are many other benefits that are often overlooked or that people simply are not aware of. A lifestyle with plenty of exercise, nutritious food and sleep can produce the following benefits.
Better Mental Health
A balanced lifestyle is not just good for your body but also for your emotions. It can be an important element of managing many mental health issues. Exercise has been found in a number of studies to have a positive effect on mild to moderate depression. You do not have to be clinically diagnosed with a mental illness to benefit from exercise and other healthy habits. Overall, leading a balanced lifestyle in which you are active, eat well, take care of yourself, while getting the rest you need will keep your mood stable and your spirits higher.
Improved Intellectual Health
You may be aware that the right food, activity and sleep benefits your body and emotions, but did you know it can also improve your intellect? Studies have shown that as people age, physical activity is an important component in maintaining their intellectual capacity. There are benefits for younger people as well. Making the right food choices can also boost your brain capacity. For example, your brain is better equipped to build and repair cells with the doses of Omega-3 fatty acids that come from oily fish like salmon. Going to bed on time helps as well. A lack of sleep impairs your reaction time and judgment similar to the way alcohol does.
Long-Term Care Insurance
If you lead a healthy lifestyle, you reduce the likelihood that you will use any type of insurance except life insurance, and companies price their premiums accordingly. Long-term care insurance is often used near the end of a person’s life, when they may need long term health care, although this can also happen to a person at any age. To keep your costs down, the time to go shopping for it is when your health is good. If you are eating right and exercising, chances are lower that you will develop chronic conditions that lead to higher long-term care insurance prices in your 50’s or 60’s although once you hit 65, rates often rise significantly.
Cheaper Life Insurance Premiums
If you have a pre-existing medical condition, it can be difficult to get life insurance. If that’s the case, Special Risk Managers may be able to help. Typically, most good life insurance plans will ask you questions about your health when you sign up and give you lower rates if you are a nonsmoker and are not overweight. This has long been the case in the industry, but today, companies are offering better rates based on hard data, such as the information they get from customers who use free fitness trackers that they offer. Some people are hesitant to share information to this degree with any business, but if you feel the risks outweigh the rewards, you can still get cheaper life insurance premiums by sharing information the old-fashioned way, simply through noting it on the application.
The Editorial Team at Healthcare Business Today is made up of skilled healthcare writers and experts, led by our managing editor, Daniel Casciato, who has over 25 years of experience in healthcare writing. Since 1998, we have produced compelling and informative content for numerous publications, establishing ourselves as a trusted resource for health and wellness information. We offer readers access to fresh health, medicine, science, and technology developments and the latest in patient news, emphasizing how these developments affect our lives.
