Developing good health habits is the key to living a long and enjoyable life. If you want to stay healthy, it’s important to take the right steps every day and avoid things that could damage your well-being. Here are four ways you can keep on top of your health.

Get Moving

Exercise is, without a doubt, one of the best ways to remain healthy over the course of your life. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you need to hit the gym every day or run a marathon, though. A basic exercise routine consisting of strength training, cardio, and some everyday activity will help you remain fit and trim without requiring you to spend every waking moment in the gym.

Eat a Better Diet

Most people can do wonders for their health simply by cleaning up their diets. Reducing processed foods, added sugars and red meat can help you enjoy better overall health. Try to work on more vegetables, fish, and whole grains, all of which support good heart health and reduce the risks of developing chronic diseases.

Get Checkups and Tests as Appropriate

While taking basically good care of yourself is the key to supporting your health, you also need to get tests and checkups regularly. An annual physical is a good way to detect problems early and address them before they become serious. As you get older, you’ll also need to get tests as recommended for your age group. These tests can include regular bloodwork, breast and prostate cancer screenings, and colonoscopies.

Kick Unhealthy Habits

Habits like smoking or excessive alcohol consumption can severely compromise your health over time. If you currently engage in unhealthy habits, one of the best things you can do for yourself is to quit them as soon as possible. For chemical addictions, consider joining support groups or using replacements to ease withdrawal symptoms. Quitting your bad habits is an especially good idea if you’ve been engaged in them for a long time since they will have had more time to disrupt your overall level of health. Quitting is difficult, but you will enjoy much better health once you have managed it.

By taking these four steps, you can keep on top of your health and give yourself a better chance of staying in good shape as you get older. The more effort you put into your health today, the better off you’ll be in the future.