Your 20s are when you should try to follow some ground rules to keep your body healthy into the next decade. However, most young adults today are tethered to their digital devices and spend long hours at work. This is concerning, considering that sitting for long hours has been associated with a volley of health problems. In addition to a sedentary lifestyle, young adults are often faced with stress over their family, jobs, and society that can further lead them to ignore their health. It is thus imperative that young people focus on their physical well-being so that they can have a healthy, robust and disease-free life as they grow older. Here are some easy, doable dietary and exercise tips that one can include in their daily lives, without having to compromise on their day-to-day commitments.

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Adding nutrients in your diet in an easy way

Despite the sedentary nature of their work, the average working youth is always “on the move”. They are ambitious and hence are toggling multiple things at a time. Hence, simple food preparation with mindfully-added ingredients and easy-to-prepare combination is the way to go for a diet selection. The nutritional value of seasonal veggies and fruits is uncompromised and hence, one should consider including plenty of veggies like carrots, peas, beetroot, and cauliflower, greens like spinach and methi, and easily available fruits like apple, mosambi, and oranges.

Deciding on the dietary combinations and preparations

Given their beginner salaries, young people must also be mindful of their expenses. Expensive foods that are often touted for their nutritional benefits like quinoa and avocado are usually unaffordable. But such factors shouldn’t’t control one’s ability to choose a healthy dietary routine. Preparations like a light dal khichdi with a lot of cut veggies, greens, and a dash of ghee, methi paratha with a bowl of curd and coriander chutney, or a big bowl of mix-fruit chart with a squeeze of lemon could be equally nutritional.

Realistic workout goals

Several researches in the past have shown that maintaining a healthy body and physique calls for 70% of diet regulation and 30% of physical workout. Among other things, one might not be able to make time for a gym session as it requires a high commitment. Leading an independent life in the early years of life also means that one has to look after not just their vocational work, but also after chores and tasks. In such cases, basic exercises can make space for other activities and are also easy to follow. Taking stairs instead of the elevator to one’s office building, apartment or in the malls, adding 1000 more steps to one’s daily step count, or going for a 15-20 minutes run twice a day, can be good full-body workout options.

Ample Sleep, Exercise & Stress Reduction

The importance of good sleep is often underestimated. It isn’t uncommon for people in their 20s to think of sleep as expendable and often go about their day with less than adequate sleep. However, sleep helps to combat stress and heal the body of physical and mental exhaustion. To facilitate good sleeping habit, one should make the effort of relaxing well before bedtime, cutting out on all gadget use, and trying a meditative approach to get to sleep

During your early 20s, your metabolism churns at full speed. So, having a few extra treats and not exercising isn’t going to make an immediate difference to your body. Unfortunately, as we age, our metabolism slows down. The only way to get it back on track is with exercise. Hence, it is important to start early and establish a pattern of good habits for when you really need them!

About the Author: Rohit Shelatkar, VP at Vitabiotics, Fitness & Nutrition Expert

Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.