Seniors riding bicycles
Maribel Mármol López, president of the Community Nursing Association (AEC), has revealed the key habits to improve our health
Taking care of our health means attending to several spheres, not only the physical, emotional, but also the mental, or social.
Recommends taking advantage of the good spring and summer weather, as well as setting realistic goals that we can achieve.
With the arrival of good weather there is more desire to do things, but take care of our health It’s not always easy. We lack time during the year. We live busy lives and this prevents us from prioritizing healthy habits, such as exercising or resting adequately.
This is why we ask Maribel Mármol López, president of the Community Nursing Association (AEC), belonging to the Spanish Society of Public Health and Health Administration (SESPAS), to help us discover what are those habits or guidelines with which we can take care of our health without knowing it. Thus, this nurse specialist in family and community nursing, and member of the board of SESPAShighlights in an interview with Infosalus, for example, that taking care of our health means attending to several spheres, not only the physical, emotional, but also the mental, or social.
The problem of ingrained habits
Apart from our stressful life, he regrets that another difficulty that prevents us from taking care of our health on a daily basis is ingrained habits, “behavioral patterns that are very complicated to modify”, with which we have been able to be educated, for example, about the way to eat, exercise, or manage stress and emotions. “It requires additional and constant effort,” insists Maribel Mármol.
With all this, this expert nurse advises, first of all, to take advantage of the good spring and summer weather, as well as to establish realistic goals that we can achieve little by little, strengthening habits and seeking the support of friends and family, and health services if necessary; with the following tips or guidelines:
No to miracle diets
- First of all, talk about nutrition, and remember that one way to take care of our health is, for example, fleeing from miracle diets “that harm us”; as well as maintain a balance dietif possible based on the Mediterranean pattern.
- The second of his tips would be to maintain a adequate hydrationespecially in these hottest times of spring and summer.
- Maintaining proper posture and performing physical exercisewith warm-ups before and after to avoid injuries: “In addition to strengthening our cardiovascular system, and avoiding back pain, we improve our flexibility and, above all, reduce stress.”
- Before going to sleep, to facilitate rest, it is important to follow a relaxation routine. He maintains that getting enough sleep helps us recover energy, strengthens the immune system, and improves mood. “Before falling asleep it is better to avoid activities that make us alert, or in a more activated way, such as physical exercise late in the afternoon, or watching television; we should replace it with calmer activities, and For example, recovering reading habits helps mental health,” he says.
- “Sleep bad is becoming an epidemic today, people go to health services to find a solution, and in some cases pills are prescribed to help them sleep better, instead of recommending or facilitating relaxation activities before going to sleep, such as reading, but also meditation, or any other activity that encourages us to have adequate rest,” he says.
- Keep a rhythm and schedule always the same Going to sleep is also another way to take care of our health on a daily basis, which makes that schedule regular. Here remember that it is always said that the number of hours suitable for rest is 8, and within these, it can range between 7 and 9; emphasizing the need for “a restful sleep.”
- Take advantage of the good weather, and go for a walk, go to the beach, with friends, be in contact with nature. “Walking through parks and gardens, not everyone lives in healthy environments, going to nature also helps us take care of our health,” suggests this SESPAS expert.
- leave the disconnected mobile devices at some point because outdoor physical activities will help us maintain mental health and reduce the stress and pressure of everyday life.
- It proposes, within the family environment, support each other for this change of habits because he says that if it is not complicated: “If adolescents, adults, or older people have to do it alone it is more difficult, and that is why it is important to have the support of the closest circle. For example, being more Paying attention not only to ourselves, but also to those around us is very important, because spring also represents a time that can unbalance us on an emotional level.
The importance of socialization
- Socialization It is important at all stages of life, highlights the nurse specialist in family and community nursing and member of SESPAS, and in the case of adolescents, specifically, she points out that it is an ideal time to recover street games, which currently with the use of devices is very forgotten.
- Set a limit on use at all ages and reduce screen time.
- Establish technology-free zones in the family, as it encourages family dialogue and improves sleep quality.
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Old people
- Regarding older people, it is recommended take advantage of time with the grandchildren outside the obligations of the school year, “without the marathon schedules of the rest of the year”, and for example he says that it is a good time to play with them.
- Participate social activities and strengthens emotional and social well-being.
Creative activities
- “It is important to incorporate moments of laughter and fun because there are proven benefits of laughing: it strengthens the immune system.
- Dedicate time to creative activitieslike painting, or writing, is also taking care of our health.
- Cooking, and batch cooking.
Skin care, medications and scooters
- Use the appropriate Solar protection: “Now there is no lack of information about the problems that too much sun brings with it, and even more so at peak hours, but there are still people who sunbathe during the hours of greatest solar incidence, and sometimes without protection; this is important because incidence of skin disorders has increased.
- One has to pay special attention to heat wavesespecially in the most extreme populations (children and elderly people), and not going out at the recommended hours, as well as maintaining adequate hydration.
- Ensure adequate medicine storage against high temperatures to guarantee its conservation.
- Special care with vial education, including the use of a helmet and seat belt; apart from being cautious in the use of electric scooters and bike lanes.
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