For many of us, living a healthy lifestyle means paying attention to our diet, the amount of exercise we take and ensuring that we get enough sleep while avoiding stress wherever possible. By making the right choices we hope to feel and look better both now and as we age. However important looking and feeling good is, there are other benefits to be gained by choosing to live healthily. Let’s explore some of them.
Cheaper Life Insurance Premiums
Most insurance policies require you to fill out a health and lifestyle questionnaire and undertake medical testing. The more fit and healthy you are, the lower your premiums are likely to be in relation to the assured death benefit. To get an estimate of the value of your life policy, that is the dollar amount the policy’s beneficiaries would receive on your death, it’s wise to enlist the services of a tax or accounting professional. You can also find online calculators that will give you an estimate based on the information you provide. Further down the line, if you decide to pursue a life settlement, i.e. where you sell your existing life insurance policy to a third party in order to release funds to pay for medical care or end of life expenses, while you won’t be entitled to the full net death benefit, you’re likely to receive more than the cash surrender value.
Weight Maintenance or Loss
Possibly the most important benefit for people who follow a healthy lifestyle is weight maintenance or weight loss. Certainly, regular exercise and attention to diet can transform your physique in a positive way but it can also help to improve blood pressure and cholesterol levels too. Complimenting good foods with exercise will have the best results.
Better Sleep and Increased Energy Levels
The importance of a regular sleep pattern that enables you to get at least 6-8 hours of shut eye is well known and yet many adults in the U.S. don’t manage to achieve this. Failure to get an adequate amount of sleep can lead to dips in energy throughout the day and may put you at risk of developing chronic diseases. Adopting a healthier lifestyle by eating a range of low glycemic foods and incorporating exercise into your daily schedule should help you to sleep better at night, plus you’ll find you have extra energy as a result.
Improved Mental Health
Eating a wholesome and varied diet and adding daily exercise, even if it is just a walk in the fresh air, can give your mental health a boost. As you exercise, feel-good endorphins are released by the brain that help to reduce the symptoms of depression and anxiety. Your mental health can also be improved by eating a well-balanced diet rich in whole and nutrient dense foods to fuel your brain and your body.
Prevention of Injury and Disease
Choosing to eat nutritious food, exercise regularly and limit your intake of alcohol and other stimulants may help to prevent or slow the development of chronic diseases, such as dementia, hypertension, Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular and chronic kidney disease. The sooner you choose to adopt these measures, the less likely you are to develop chronic diseases later in life.