Health is an important aspect of human life, arguably the most fragile one. Every year, the World Health Organization, WHO, engages in a global health campaign to commemorate World Health Day on the 7th of April.
It's celebrated on the 7th of April to mark the anniversary of WHO's foundation in 1948. Since 1950, World Health Day has been observed by highlighting a priority area in public health globally. WHO chooses a different theme every year addressing pressing public health matters.
In the past years, World Health Day has centered on universal health, health inequality, nurses and midwives, depression, vector-borne diseases, blood pressure, diabetes, and pollution.
The day aims to create global awareness of specific health issues. It brings together policymakers, health practitioners, families, and individuals to share in acknowledging issues in health and allows every stakeholder to contribute to remedying the situation.
The WHO also releases statistics on various health issues and demographics and engages in about 10 global health campaigns. Here are a few ways to celebrate World Health Day.
How to Celebrate World Health Day
Read Up on the World Health Day's Theme
Every year WHO sets a different theme to publicize a global health concern. Familiarizing yourself with the health issue is a good way of celebrating World Health Day. You may already know a few things about the specific health issue, but a deeper dive into it could give you useful insights. In some cases, it could point to how to deal with people facing health issues or inform you of a direct effect on you. Gaining more information on health matters could also give you ideas on how to be part of the solution.
Share Healthy Meals With Others
What better way to commemorate the day than sharing healthy meals with others? Pull out your family recipe and prepare enough delicacies to share with others. If the kitchen is not your forte, no worries; healthy snacks also count. In addition to the obvious benefits of healthy foods, the happiness you experience is good for your health.
Share Fitness Routines With Others
Sharing fitness routines with others is another way of celebrating World Health Day. You could use your social media platform to share tips on how you stay in shape with others. For those who visit specific fitness centers, you can exchange routines with others on the fitness journey. Sharing routines could also inspire those who want to start working out but don't know where to begin.
Go For Routine Checkups
As WHO creates global awareness on health issues affecting many people, you could also borrow a leaf by going for a checkup to ensure you know your health status. Call your doctor and make an appointment. The body requires periodic check ups the same way you take your car for regular service. But with hectic schedules in today's world, it's easy to assume regular health checkups aren't a priority. Unfortunately, many people detect illnesses when it's too late because they ignore checkups and minor symptoms.
Share Healthy Meal Recipes
You could share healthy meal recipes with others to contribute to the eating healthy foods initiative. Many people dislike healthy foods because they ‘lack flavor’. Share your favorite healthy meal with others; it could inspire them to be more proactive in their health journey. It also adds diversity to the recipes others use.
Observe Healthy Practices at the Workplace
A large section of the world's population spends most of their time at their workplaces. If people spend most of their hours at work, then it's important to create an environment that observes healthy practices. An excellent healthy practice would be getting a standing desk to avoid the health challenges caused by extended periods of sitting while working.
You could also get desk bikes to ensure you exercise from the comfort of your work desk. Finding the perfect work-exercise balance is hard due to job demands, so finding a solution that accommodates both items makes it easier for you. It's also important to use ergonomic furniture to ensure you maintain the right posture to avoid back pains. Ergonomic furniture also ensures that you have the right wrist and eye positioning while using your laptop to avoid eye strain and wrist problems.
Workout With Family, Friends, and Colleagues
World Health Day can also involve a fun workout with the people close to you. Have workout challenges with your friends and family. This is bound to get you charged if you're the competitive kind. Working out as a group could also motivate those members who find it difficult to exercise on their own. Don't forget to make it fun and memorable too!
Engage in a Relaxing Activity for Your Mental Health
Mental health awareness campaigns have helped highlight the need to focus on mental wellbeing. It's only befitting to take care of your mental health on World Health Day. Take the chance to practice meditation for a couple of minutes to center yourself. You could also engage in other calming activities that help you relax, like dancing, swimming, cooking, reading, or painting. Get away from the chaos for an hour or so to maintain your sanity.
Engage in the World Health Day Conversation on Social Media
Join other stakeholders in public health by amplifying the World Health Day campaign on social media. While you may not be a health practitioner or policymaker, you can contribute by sharing and retweeting World Health Day content on your social media platforms. Engage with the hashtag to amplify the campaigns' visibility. You may help someone on your timeline who needs the information to take charge of their health. Sharing World Health Day content also enriches discussions on many health issues in society. People also become aware of dealing with those suffering from certain illnesses. Everybody has a part to play in public health.
Have Family Discussions on Health Matters
With many diseases having links to genetic dispositions, World Health Day is a good day to discuss your family health history. In having such important discussions, you can identify diseases that you're at risk of developing and come up with measures to either prevent or navigate. It's also an appropriate time to encourage each other as family members to go for health checkups.
Ways to Maintain a Healthy Lifestyle
Focusing on health shouldn't be a reserve for World Health Day only, but it should be part of your lifestyle. Enjoying good health enriches your life, allows you to chase your dreams, spend quality time with loved ones and enjoy a better quality of life. Here are a few ways you can maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Consume Foods With Nutritional Value
If you use the wrong oil for your engine, your car will have a myriad of issues. The same applies to your body. The kind of food you eat has major effects on your body. Eating foods with very little nutritional value denies your body important nutrients for proper functioning. Add vegetables, fruits, the correct amount of carbs and proteins to your diet. Go the extra mile of finding interesting ways to prepare healthy meals so that it's easier to look forward to your meals and to maintain the lifestyle. After all, let's face it, if you have to eat bland food all the time, it becomes hard to stick to the lifestyle change.
Reduce Sugar and Salt Intake
Many people suffer from lifestyle diseases like diabetes, obesity, and fatty liver disease because of consuming foods with high sugar levels. Too much salt can cause hypertension, renal failure, renal stones, and cardiac problems. While it's difficult to prevent some illnesses, we need to do our best to avoid the ones that we can. Reducing the amount of sugar or salt can be difficult at first, but once you get used to it, you'll not be tempted to add that extra pinch once you get used to it. It might also help to understand that the long-term benefits outweigh the instant gratification.
Maintain Healthy Body Weight
In both adults and children, the number of people with obesity is on the rise. Regularly checking your weight helps you know when you need to take action. Maintaining the recommended body weight also includes watching what you eat and maintaining a physically active lifestyle. By ensuring you stay within healthy body weight limits, you also decrease the chances of getting other health complications, have better immunity, and it could also have psychological benefits.
Exercise Regularly and Maintain a Physically Active Lifestyle
While exercise isn't everybody's cup of tea, being physically active is imperative for your health. Try and push yourself to get in some exercise every day. You don't have to go to the gym; get creative by embracing other forms of exercise that you enjoy. Set aside some time to go for a walk, dance, or do some yoga.
Remaining physically active could also mean taking a walk to the grocery store instead of driving there. You could also take up cycling. Join your kids as they play around the house and earn the extra bonus of better bonding with them. Find an activity that fits your schedule and personal preferences; you don't have to follow the mob as long as you get some physical workout.
Cut Down on Alcohol Intake
Alcohol, when taken in excess, has various adverse effects on your health. Unfortunately, what starts as an occasional indulgence with friends turns into an addiction for many people. Taking alcohol also drains your energy and affects focus and productivity, leading to other problems. It becomes a cycle of frustration. Additionally, alcohol intake can cause strained relationships involving mental health too. If you can't totally eliminate alcohol, drink responsibly.
Drink Water
Drinking water has many health benefits. Water aids in digestion flushes out bacteria from the bladder, maintains tissues and organs, and prevents constipation. Water is also essential for your skin and other organs. Keep your water bottle next to you most times to constantly remind you to hydrate.
Wash Hands Frequently
Perhaps a positive consequence of the pandemic was the constant washing of hands. In the midst of the crisis, there was the washing hands campaign. Hands carry germs from surfaces to our bodies and to other items. Washing hands reduces the chances of transferring germs from one place to the body. This reduces the chances of getting various infections.
Get Enough Sleep
In the quest to achieve more and make more money, there's the misconception that sleep isn't that important. However, nothing could be further from the truth. Your body needs a decent amount of sleep to recharge and function properly. Ironically, lack of enough sleep leads to fatigue, so you're less productive. It's counterintuitive to achieve the goals you hope to accomplish when you sleep for fewer hours.
Proper time management helps you make the most out of the time you're awake, so you don't feel the need to cut down your sleeping time. Fewer hours of sleep lead to other unhealthy habits of taking too many energy drinks, excess amounts of caffeine, and sometimes even pills for concentration. You could solve your productivity and focus problems by getting enough sleep. Avoid getting caught in the rut of looking for a quick fix to boost your energy levels by getting enough rest. Respect your sleep.
Keep Track of Your Health
Technology has made it easier to monitor so many aspects of our health. You can use health monitors to track the number of steps you've made in a day, your heart rate, and other aspects. You also need to go for regular checks to ensure everything is fine. Don’t get caught unawares by preventable health issues. Tracking your health status also helps you remain accountable and maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Take Care of Your Mental Health
Mental health is paramount in ensuring your overall well-being. They say the biggest battle is the one in our minds. If you're in the right headspace, then it's easier to maintain a healthy lifestyle and tackle any other issues in life. Go for therapy, journal to reduce stress, avoid triggers and surround yourself with people and things that give you peace. Everybody has a unique approach to mental wellness, so identify what works for you and get started. Some of the physical manifestations of disease stem from high amounts of stress.
Conclusion
World Health Day is important because it amplifies public health issues. WHO leads in marking the event, but it takes collective initiative to overcome most health issues. Everybody has a part to play. Adopting a healthy lifestyle reduces the chances of contracting illnesses individually and sometimes protects those around you. You could inspire others to maintain a healthy lifestyle by simply taking water regularly, working out, cooking healthy meals, or sharing information with others. Sometimes people just need company in adopting healthy habits.