These M’sian Health Junkies Share 5 Super Easy Tips On How They Keep Fit & Healthy

We all aspire to be healthy and we all want that perfect beach body, but nobody likes working for it or doing all that boring, healthy stuff. We’d much rather lie in bed with a bag of chips watching Netflix instead of dragging our butts to the gym. Leceh lah. Well, if you completely understand how this feels but you still want that perfect bod, we got Malaysian health junkies to share some teeny tiny lifestyle changes we could make to bring us that much closer to our health goals. Here’s what they shared:

1. Chew your food at least 30 times

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“Some of us only chew two to three times before swallowing when in fact, we’re supposed to chew at least 30 times for every bite we take!” -Joanna, 27

Malaysians love food. That’s a fact. But sometimes, our love for food causes us to practically inhale whatever is placed in front of us without first chewing properly. Practising this habit of chewing 30 times will offer you these benefits:

• You’ll end up eating slower and lesser but you’ll still feel as full #magic (this is great if you tend to overeat or are trying to control your weight)
• Studies have shown that the action of chewing helps suppress hunger and encourages less snacking throughout the day too
• Chewing and breaking down food in your mouth helps your body absorb more nutrients

2. Short workouts are better than no workout at all!

Source: Freepik

“Since the idea of doing a complete workout can be a little bit daunting (and tiring) at times, I just force myself to always do simple workouts everytime before I take a shower.” -Chloe, 25

Some workouts you can try include squats, high-knee march and arm circles, and more. You could even exercise your calves and glutes while brushing your teeth! First, try balancing on one foot. Once you’re balanced, bring it to the next level by balancing on the balls of that one foot. Try doing this for 60 seconds per foot. Remember, consistency is the key!

“These workouts require very little time and if you do it for 21 consecutive days, it will automatically turn into a habit that you’ll repeat daily,” Chloe shares.

3. If you plan to exercise, always do it BEFORE a meal, not after

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“But of course, don’t exercise on an empty stomach either! Have some bananas or light snacks beforehand to ensure you have the energy to workout and avoid passing out.” -Saiful, 29

On the other hand, if you’re about to have an entire meal, make sure it’s after your workout. This is simply because digestion requires energy, so you would either feel too lazy to workout after eating, or your workouts would be much less efficient. Additional benefits that come with exercising before a meal include:

• You allow your body to burn off the fat and carbohydrates already in your body as opposed to burning whatever you ate had you eaten before exercising
• The level of fat being burnt is also much higher during workouts before a meal as opposed to workouts after a meal

4. After eating, make sure you walk around for at least 15 minutes

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“Try to avoid going near comfy chairs or your bed! You’ll be even more tempted to sit or lie down and this can cause indigestion.” -Divi, 24

It’s very tempting to just sit back, relax and catch up on some TV shows after a meal but if you want to avoid gaining weight, make sure you take a brief walk wherever you are. Whether you’re in the office, or at home, keep yourself on your feet for at least 15 minutes after you eat. Doing so will help your body:

• Digest food better and faster as walking can help move food through your GI tract
• Lower post-meal blood sugar levels as these levels tend to spike up after eating and large spikes can lead to heart problems and diabetes

5. Use an app to keep track of your day-to-day health and fitness 

“Similar to how you should use an app to track your daily expenses, you should also have an app that tracks your health and daily fitness routines too!” -Steve, 31

It helps to know how active (or inactive) you are on a daily basis and this can be a good way to push you to work harder. It’s even more beneficial if the app can help ensure that you’re constantly in the pink of health. One app you could try is Pulse by Prudential.

This app is literally an all-in-one, first-of-its-kind, AI-powered health app that lets you:

• GET AN ONLINE CONSULTATION

The Online Consultation feature allows you to consult a doctor from the comforts of your own home via video or audio call. Of course, this does not mean you don’t need to consult an actual doctor! If the illness or problem persists, make sure you visit a clinic.

This consultation is completely FREE for Prudential customers, while non-Prudential customers only need to pay RM10.

• TAKE A HEALTH ASSESSMENT

You can do a healthcheck based on a few different aspects including lifestyle, mental health, current organ health, future disease risk and more. This feature will provide you with a general health assessment and general wellness advice by asking you a number of questions.

• CHECK YOUR SYMPTOMS

Using an AI-powered Symptom Checker as well, the chat service will help you understand your symptoms better and learn about the possible causes, conditions as well as issues related to it.

• TAKE NOTE OF THE DENGUE HOTSPOTS AROUND MALAYSIA

Dengue is becoming more and more prevalent in our country so it’s good to be aware of all the Dengue affected areas and avoid these places.

• TRACK YOUR FITNESS

• LOCATE NEARBY CLINICS & HOSPITALS

Evidently, Pulse truly is the first-of-its-kind seeing as to how it offers some pretty incredible features and is available to everyone 24/7. It offers real-time health info and integrated health checks too.

So if you’re looking for some simple ways to keep fit, make sure you remember these easy tips!