
Avocado nutrition: Health benefits and easy recipes

Swimming lessons save lives: What parents should know

Preventing and treating iliotibial (IT) band syndrome: Tips for pain-free movement

Wildfires: How to cope when smoke affects air quality and health

What can magnesium do for you and how much do you need?

Dry socket: Preventing and treating a painful condition that can occur after tooth extraction

What happens during sleep — and how to improve it

How is metastatic prostate cancer detected and treated in men over 70?

Could biofeedback help your migraines?

What is autism spectrum disorder?
Staying Healthy
Achieving and maintaining good health means adopting healthy lifestyle habits, from consuming nutritious foods and getting regular physical activity to prioritizing sleep and reducing stress.
Dietary patterns that are most closely linked to a longer, healthier life tend to focus on unprocessed or minimally processed foods like fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, and nuts as well as fish and healthy fats.
Physical activity can mean going for long walks, riding your bike, gardening, playing pickleball, or regularly participating in any activity you enjoy. Exercise lowers your risk for serious health problems, strengthens and tones your muscles, helps preserve independence, and boosts your mood.
Restorative sleep is similarly vital to your health and wellbeing, as is managing stress. Regular checkups, screening tests, and other preventive health measures are also important.
Over time, these efforts will pay dividends. You’ll be rewarded with more energy, improved mobility, less pain, a brighter outlook, and enhanced physical and mental health.
Related Articles

Skin and Hair
When is heavy sweating a problem?
Exercise & Fitness
Are there any benefits to exercising on an empty stomach?

Nutrition
Counting on fewer calories
Harvard Men's Health Watch
No place like home for knee replacement rehab
Controlling Your Blood Pressure
Elevated blood pressure may not predict early death in those with weak grip strength
Cholesterol
Can I use red yeast rice instead of a statin to lower my cholesterol?

Staying Healthy
Getting a start on growing stronger

Heart Health
Can your blood pressure be too low?
Nutrition
No need to shun gluten if you don’t have celiac disease, study suggests
Exercise & Fitness
Wrist-worn activity trackers offer inconsistent heart rate data

Harvard Health Blog
Shopping for sunscreen: Are all brands equal?

Exercise & Fitness
Lifestyle change: “I know what to do, I just need to do it…but how?”
Free Healthbeat Signup
Get the latest in health news delivered to your inbox!
Sign Up