The answer to the question “What does a lifestyle mean?” does not have any candid response. However, you might have heard people defining it as a perception of life, or some people associate it with norms and traditions that resonate with their personal identity. In general, lifestyle is a broad picture of the collection of trivial details of our everyday lives. It is all about behavior, social patterns, and leisure activities that transform our lives and our personalities.
So, what does a lifestyle mean at an explicit level?
Lifestyle reveals who we are, where we love to go, what we think, what type of clothes we wear, and what kind of entertainment we choose. Lifestyle originates from our perspectives, convictions, and aspirations. Even our norms and traditions play a vital part in the evolution of our lifestyles. The term lifestyle can be classified in its numerous forms; however, the most typical types are as follows:
1) Sedentary or inactive lifestyle
2) Alternative lifestyle
3) Active lifestyle
A sedentary lifestyle is also widely known as an inactive lifestyle, and in this type of lifestyle, a person does not get sufficient physical activity. A person who adopts a sedentary lifestyle indulges in activities such as playing video games, surfing social networking websites, reading, watching movies/television, and using a mobile phone. A lack of physical activity may induce numerous physical and mental health diseases, for instance, anxiety and depression, diabetes, obesity, high cholesterol, metabolic syndrome, high blood pressure. You might face the following consequences if you have a sedentary lifestyle.
a) If you do not burn enough calories, you will put on extra weight that may leads to obesity and other chronic diseases.
b) If you do not frequently use your muscles, you will lose its endurance and strength.
c) An active lifestyle has a severe impact on your body’s immune system.
d) Physical activities help in circulating blood all over your body, but sedentary lifestyle prevents the blood circulation.
e) You may suffer from hormonal imbalance due to the lack of physical activity.
f) It becomes difficult for your body to breakdown sugars and fats of your body and, thus, affects the entire process of your metabolism.
Have you ever wished to break the norms of your culture and live your life according to your terms? If your answer is "Yes," then you wanted to adopt an alternative lifestyle. It could include traveling, socializing, and of course, not working. An alternative lifestyle encompasses all types of lifestyles that are unusual; therefore, it does not have any specific types. People with some common examples of alternative lifestyle include the following:
a) Vegetarian: People who avoid eating meat and rely solely on vegetables are in the minority in the world and, therefore, their lifestyle is called alternative.
b) Polygamy: The majority of people in the world have single partners. However, in this type of lifestyle, a woman can have only one husband; whereas, a man can have more than one spouse.
c) Global nomad: People who enjoy exploring and living in isolated areas without bothering about their responsibilities. These types of people do not stay at any place for a long duration and keep traveling from country to country.
d) Homeschooling students: Unlike regular schools and colleges, home education is quite rear in the world; nevertheless, some parents still prefer homeschooling for their children due to the advantages it offers for parents and their children.
Physical activities are indispensable for a healthy lifestyle, and people who indulge in such activities not only possess a higher tendency to resist chronic diseases, for instance, obesity, diabetes, heart disease, but also have higher cognitive capabilities. Active lifestyle includes activities, such as weight lifting, cycling, walking, elliptical workout, gardening, and different types of sports. There is no doubt that an active lifestyle offers innumerable advantages for a person; however, a few benefits are as follows:
a) Physical activities play a pivotal role in enhancing the functionality of different body organs, such as the heart, kidneys, lungs, and muscles. It helps in boosting your stamina, and you can easily carry out demanding jobs without even being tired.
b) Obesity is one of the chronic diseases that an enormous number are people are suffering from, and the sole reason behind it is the lack of physical activities. An active lifestyle helps to control weight by burning calories and fats from your body.
c) Indulging in physical activities will prevent you from several mental disorders, such as stress, anxiety, and depression.
d) An active lifestyle makes your muscles stronger and boosts their strength.
e) Physical activities not only control sugar level, cholesterol, and blood pressure but also reduces the risk of numerous illnesses, such as cancer.
Earlier, we discussed several benefits of living an active lifestyle, but what does a lifestyle mean to you that rely on physical activities?
Do you consider it healthy? If your answer is “Yes,” you are wrong. It is because an active lifestyle does not necessarily be a healthy one as there are many other important factors to consider in a healthy life. Health specialists include various factors for healthfulness; however, some very common and important are as follows:
The first and very significant part of a healthy life is doing regular exercise. It does not mean indulging in strenuous workouts at your gym; however, physical activities of any kind can fill the gap, such as doing your household chores, walking, swimming, or floor workouts. The more important thing is to make it as your routine instead of doing it once in a while. Health-specialists suggest doing physical activities at least three times a week, and each exercise ought to last 20-30 minutes.
Despite having regular exercise, you won’t live a healthy life unless you eat healthy food. To do so, you must avoid eating junk food, unhealthy fats, and sweets. A healthy diet means you should consume more vegetables, fruits, and reduce the consumption of carbohydrates.
Always take some time out for your passion, such as traveling, shopping. It not only alleviates your stress but also brings positive energy about life.
You might be wondering that what does a lifestyle has to do with an optimistic atmosphere. It has been proven that surrounding yourself in a positive environment has a notable impact on your mental health. Therefore, make friends who are more optimistic about life and keep encouraging you in your challenging times. Even if you are grappling in your life, always try to find a brighter perspective of life.
Living a healthy lifestyle is an arduous task. However, if you adhere to the recommendations discussed here, you will be able to live healthier in no time.
