Chapter 2.2 - Promotion of a Healthy Lifestyle

Summary

What we do throughout life contributes to accelerating or to slowing down the ageing process. Although we tend to remember the importance of taking care of ourselves when we feel ill, good health should be considered a long-term investment. A sedentary lifestyle, obesity, tobacco, consumption of alcohol and other substances, and stress, among others, are factors that negatively affect our cells, accelerating the deterioration of tissues in our body. Good health means staying active physically, intellectually and socially, as well as carrying out healthy and regular habits, including a balanced diet and varied physical exercise. Fortunately, control of these factors is in our hands. If we manage to transform healthy behaviours into habits, the effort to maintain them will be less and will be rewarded by the motivation and perceived benefits for health and quality of life.