7 April marks World Health Day and the founding of the World Health Organisation.
It’s a great opportunity to take a fresh look at your lifestyle and adopt healthy habits that could see you meet new people, improve your physical and mental wellbeing, and even live longer.
While we have plenty of homegrown experts and techniques for healthy living, many global approaches are worth incorporating into your daily life too.
Here are just five of them.
1. You don’t have to visit the Mediterranean to enjoy their healthy diet
The Mediterranean diet is largely plant-based, with a focus on vegetables, fruits, and legumes.
It switches out unhealthy saturated fats like butter, cheese, and fatty meat and replaces them with unsaturated fats like olive oil, nuts, seeds, and fish.
You might also choose to swap starchy potato for vegetables and opt for mashed cauliflower or cauliflower rice.
This diet is common in Mediterranean countries like Italy and Spain but you don’t need to visit these places to adopt their healthy eating habits and lifestyle.
2. Take a Pilates class near you or online
Pilates was developed by the German physical trainer, writer, and inventor Joseph Pilates in the early 20th century.
Using around 50 repetitive exercises to encourage muscle exertion, improve balance, and condition muscles, Pilates classes now exist worldwide. In fact, it is said to be practised by more than 12 million people.
Find a class near you and try it out for yourself. As well as the physical benefits, Pilates can aid mindfulness, helping your emotional wellbeing. It’s also a great way to get out and meet new people.
Alternatively, you can find free Pilates classes online to enjoy at home.
3. Take a “fika” break to reset during your working day
“Fika” comes from the Swedish word for a coffee break but encompasses much more than a chat at the water cooler or a takeaway hot drink.
Used as both a noun and a verb, to fika is to take time out to enjoy a leisurely break with family, friends, or colleagues. Tea or coffee is usually accompanied by something sweet, like the pastry “fikabrod”.
Regular breaks from a stressful working day can help staff unwind and return to work reinvigorated. For this reason, some Swedish workplaces schedule fika into the working day, believing it boosts productivity, reduces tiredness and even improves memory.
Be sure to take regular breaks during your day. And if you time your breaks to coincide with family, friends, and colleagues, all the better.
4. Take up cycling like millions of workers in the Netherlands
The Netherlands has a population of around 17.5 million, but more than 23 million bicycles. With cities and towns designed to accommodate and encourage cycling, it’s the preferred method of travel for millions of Dutch workers.
There are environmental benefits to cycling over using cars, and numerous health benefits too.
According to NHS Inform, cycling (along with other forms of outdoor exercise) can reduce the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and strokes, and help you to keep a healthy weight.
You could find it has mental health benefits too, improving your mood and relieving some of the symptoms of depression and anxiety.
While British infrastructure isn’t set up in quite the same bike-friendly way as it is in the Netherlands, consider cycling to work if it’s an option (even for one day a week). Or, if you have free time at the weekend, get out into the countryside and enjoy the fresh air and benefits of exercising in nature.
5. Friluftsliv in Norway encourages open-air living
“Friluftsliv” is a Norwegian concept that translates as “open-air living” and, simply put, encourages time spent outdoors for physical and emotional wellbeing.
The term was coined by Norwegian writer, Henrik Ibsen in the 1850s. Since then, it’s become part of Scandinavian culture and the lifestyles of millions of people.
For Norwegians, the concept is incorporated into everyday life. Whether walking, cycling, picnicking, or simply sitting outside and enjoying the natural world, a life spent outdoors is embraced no matter the weather.
Preparation and the right gear are key.
While in Norway, open-air living often means braving the cold, if you want to adopt the same practice in England, you might need to consider wet weather gear. By accepting that rain is part and parcel of outdoor life, you can prepare for that eventuality from the off. You could find you’re better able to enjoy time spent outdoors, even if that means a soggy picnic.
