Unhealthy habits can start to develop after many years of neglecting your body, without you ever realizing it. Look over the list carefully, and start planning for your future by putting a stop to these unhealthy habits:
10. Not Setting Aside Time To Exercise
Most people barely have any time for sleep, let alone exercise. Living a sedentary lifestyle with little to no exercise can lead to serious health conditions like stroke or arthritis. For adults, better health practices include 30 minutes per day of physical activity. This doesn't have to be done all at once. For example, think about doing a 10 minute walk during the day, and 20 minutes of light weight lifting or cardio when you get home. There are even exercises that can be performed when you're at work or while you travel.
9. Drinking Your Calories
Many people prefer drinking any other type of beverage aside from water. Companies have even gone to great lengths to entice people to drink water by creating flavored water. The fact of the matter is these people are drinking their daily allowance for calories away. What about diet soda and other diet beverages that use artificial sweeteners? Diet drinks are fine, until you are unable to find one, and resort to a non-diet drink like regular cola because you still can't stand the taste of water.
8. Having Too Much Junk Food
An addiction to junk food is just something that gets harder and harder to avoid as people get older. With less and less time on your hands, it's easier to get a hold of food that's really bad for you as opposed to something healthy. Fast food, vending machines and microwave meals can satisfy your hunger pangs, but they are also filled with foods high in calories and sodium that can lead to health complications like heart disease and too much "bad" cholesterol, also known as HDL cholesterol.
7. Eating In Front Of The TV
Eating junk food is one problem, but doing it in front of the television just compounds the issue and can lead to obesity and other health complications. The main issues with eating in front of the TV are:
- You are so distracted that you don't know when to stop stuffing your face and end up eating more than you actually require. How many times have you eaten an entire bag of chips or popcorn while watching a movie or sporting event without even realizing it?
- Every time you eat in front of the TV, you develop a tendency to always have something to eat while you watch. That means every time you want to watch your favorite movie or program, you're more inclined to bring something to munch on, even if you're not hungry.
6. Abnormal Sleeping Patterns
Skipping even one hour of sleep per day can have drastic effects on your health. When you're constantly tired, you are more prone to accidents, and you run the risk of developing:
- Heart disease
Studies have also shown a correlation between type 2 diabetes and too much sleep due to a disruption in blood sugar levels. That means you'll want to aim at eight hours per day; no more, no less.
5. Caffeine Addiction
An occasional cup of coffee can actually be very beneficial to your health, but an addiction to caffeine is a whole other story. Too much caffeine can affect your regular sleeping pattern and can lead to high levels of stress.
4. Ignoring Your Nutrition
If you've developed some of the previous unhealthy habits, then you've probably been ignoring your nutrition as well. If you aren't supplying your body with the right amount of vitamins and nutrients, you are putting yourself at risk for developing severe health complications.
3. Too Much Time In Front Of The TV
Spending too much time in front of the TV creates a sedentary lifestyle. This makes you lazy, and less likely to get up and exercise. Pair that with the bad habit of eating in front of the TV, and you've got yourself a double dose of trouble. If you need your TV time, then try doing something productive while you watch like running on the treadmill or some other type of exercise.
2. Going Overboard On The alcohol
Alcohol is something that's meant to be consumed in moderation, not every time you have a bad, or good, day at the office. Many people tend to overlook the dangers of alcoholism and excessive drinking. Some of the potential health risks of excessive drinking include:
- Liver disease
- Liver cancer
- Colon cancer
- Breast cancer
The worst of all these unhealthy habits on this list is smoking. Not only is smoking one of the leading causes of death, it can also lead to:
- Increased risk of heart disease and stroke
- Lung cancer
- Increased risk of chronic bronchitis
- Kidney cancer
- Cancer of the larynx
- Stomach cancer
- Cancer of the uterus
- Cancer of the throat
- Oral cancer
With so many health risks associated with smoking, it's a mystery as to why people don't quit this unhealthy habit sooner.
The Bottom Line
The worst thing about this list is all of these unhealthy habits are, somehow, interconnected:
- Not getting enough sleep creates a dependency on caffeine to function throughout the day. This leads to a caffeine addiction that can lead to sleeping disorders.
- Spending too much time in front of the TV leads to spending less time exercising. If a person enjoys eating in front of the TV, more TV time means more eating, and in most cases, the type of food being eaten is junk food.
- If a person drinks too much, they are drinking their calories. Heavy drinking is commonly associated with eating junk food, smoking and a complete disregard for proper nutrition.
By breaking these unhealthy habits, you are not only improving yourself, but you are also making a lifestyle change for the better.