Make strides today toward improving your daily habits and your health.
There are so many things both children and adults can do day to day that can protect them from getting sick. With the increase in diabetes, 
heart disease and other potentially serious health problems in the US, it’s now more important than ever for our Brandon, FL, primary care physicians Dr. Joel Biggers and Dr. Elizabeth Biggers to provide some helpful tips for how to lead a healthier life:
Get Up and Exercise
Exercising is something that everyone should be doing and the goal should be to participate in physical activity for at least 30 minutes each day. Of course, it’s important that you start slowly and create attainable fitness goals.
Exercise doesn’t necessarily mean getting a gym membership or joining Crossfit. It can be as simple as taking three 10-minute walks around the neighborhood or tending to your garden. Find a workout buddy who will help you get motivated to start and maintain your new workout routine. Not sure where to begin? Our Brandon, FL, doctors can provide you with recommendations for workouts that will fit your current health and interests.
Get Quality Sleep
Sleep is one of the most important and restorative activities we can do for our bodies and our minds, and yet so many people don’t get the recommended amount of sleep each night. We can attribute a lot of this to being constantly attached to our electronics, which can impact our sleep. Proper sleep hygiene is important. If you are still having trouble falling or staying asleep despite good sleep hygiene, it’s important that you talk to a doctor.
Your Diet is Vitally Important
What you eat provides your body with the nutrients and vitamins it needs to function properly. As we know, eating a diet that is high in sugar or processed foods can lead to serious health problems such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes.
Start with simple changes in your diet from replacing butter with olive oil and reducing the amount of sugar or salt in the recipes you are following. Use low-fat dairy options or incorporate a bigger serving of vegetables than the recipe might call for. These are just small but potentially impactful changes you can make to improve your diet.
Get Routine Checkups
No matter how healthy you are, it’s important that you have a doctor in Brandon, FL, that you can turn to at least once a year for routine checkups, screenings and vaccinations. Children have a vaccination schedule that they need to follow, but adults can also benefit from regular health screenings to check for diabetes, high blood pressure and other serious issues. Sometimes we can even reverse these issues if we catch them early on.
Here at Biggers Family Medicine in Brandon, FL, we put the health of your family first. No matter whether you need to schedule a sports physical for your child before they start a new school year or you are experiencing changes in your health, we are here to provide you with the care and answers you need to lead the long, healthy life you deserve.