Healthy lifestyles A healthy lifestyle can help you thrive as you move through your life's journey. Making healthy choices isn't always easy – it can be hard to find the time and energy to exercise regularly or prepare healthy meals. However, your efforts will pay off in many ways, and for the rest of your life. Steps you can take: Be physically active for 30 minutes most days of the week. Break this up into three 10-minute sessions when pressed for time. Healthy movement may include walking, sports, dancing, yoga or running. Eat a well-balanced, low-fat diet with lots of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Choose a diet that's low in saturated fat and cholesterol, and moderate in sugar, salt and total fat. Avoid injury by wearing seatbelts and bike helmets, using smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in the home, and using street smarts when walking alone. If you own a gun, recognize the dangers of having a gun in your home. Use safety precautions at all times. Don't smoke, and quit if you do. Ask your health care provider for help. UCSF offers a smoking cessation program. If you drink alcohol, drink in moderation. Never drink before or when driving, or when pregnant. Ask someone you trust for help if you think you might be addicted to drugs or alcohol. Brush your teeth after meals with a soft or medium bristled toothbrush. Also brush after drinking, before going to bed. Use dental floss daily. Stay out of the sun, especially between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. when the sun's harmful rays are strongest. Don't think you are safe if it is cloudy or if you are in the water, as harmful rays pass through both. Use a broad spectrum sunscreen that guards against both UVA and UVB rays, with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 or higher. Select sunglasses that block 99 to 100 percent of the sun's rays....

Help you get to and stay at a healthy weight. Along with diet, exercise plays an important role in maintaining a healthy weight and preventing obesity. If you are at a healthy weight, you can maintain it if the calories you eat and drink are equal to the amount of energy you burn. To lose weight, you need to use more calories than you eat and drink.
Reduce your risk of heart diseases. Exercise strengthens your heart and improves your circulation. The increased blood flow raises the oxygen levels in your body. This helps lower your risk of heart diseases such as coronary artery disease and heart attack. Regular exercise can also lower high blood pressure, cholesterol, and triglyceride levels, all of which are risk factors for heart disease.
Help your body manage blood glucose (blood sugar) and insulin levels. Exercise can lower your blood glucose levels and help your insulin work better. This can reduce your risk of metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes. And if you already have one of these diseases, exercise can help you manage it.
Help you manage a chronic health condition. For example, regular physical activity may help reduce pain and improve function in adults with arthritis. It can also help support daily living activities for people with disabilities. This may help them be more independent.
Help you quit smoking. Exercise may make it easier to quit smoking by reducing your cravings and withdrawal symptoms. It can also help limit the weight you might gain when you stop smoking.
Improve your mental health and mood. During exercise, your body releases chemicals that can improve your mood and make you feel more relaxed. This can help you deal with stress, manage anxiety, and reduce your risk of depression.
Help keep your thinking, learning, and judgment skills sharp as you age. Exercise stimulates your body to release proteins and other chemicals that improve the structure and function of your brain.
Strengthen your bones and muscles. Regular exercise can help kids and teens build strong bones. Later in life, it can also slow the loss of bone density that comes with age. Doing muscle-strengthening activities can help you increase or maintain your muscle mass and strength. For older adults, this can mean staying independent, like being able to get in and out of a chair or bed without help.