The Best *Free* Things to do for Your Health
Because simple is often best: 25 uncomplicated & free wellness-boosters
So often we overcomplicate it: expensive supplements, stacks of books proclaiming the secret to health, convoluted practices, and confusing diet plans. But many of the best things we can do for our health are simple and free. Below, I’ve compiled a list of 25 such examples I hope will serve you.
Now let’s be honest, if we did everything that was good for us, we’d spend our entire lives in an endless cycle of self-care. Our morning routines would drag on until our nighttime regimens began. That’s just not the reality of life, nor would it be healthy. I say this as a reminder: we don’t need to do everything, every day to live a healthful life.
What I like most about this list (other than the budget-friendliness) is that many of the ideas can be done in unison. Take numbers 1 through 3 for example (mindful breathing, morning sunlight, and grounding). It might sound like a lot, but they can easily be practiced at once with a quiet, barefoot walk through the yard as soon you wake up. And even the slightly more complicated ideas (like cycle tracking for women), once you get used to them, become second-nature and can radically simplify your health and your life.
So with nothing to lose, I hope you choose one or two new-to-you ideas, try them out, and feel the goodness.
25 simple and free (or very low cost) ways to support your health:
Mindful breathing for stress management.
Viewing morning sunlight to support your circadian clock.
Grounding or “Earthing” to reduce inflammation and stress.
Short walks after meals for digestive support and balanced blood-sugar levels.
Body-weight workouts including movements like lunges, push-ups and planks.
Hydrating with water and electrolytes.
Hugs, because even science now shows what we all know intuitively: there is a healing power to human touch.
Walking hills at a local park (bonus: with a weighted backpack!).
Tracking your cycle (women) & learning to work with your body rather than against it (more on cycle syncing to come).
Meditation to gain focus and reduce stress.
Intermittent fasting for gut health, autophagy, energy, and longevity.
Opting for the stairs rather than elevators or escalators.
Spending time with good people, because iron sharpens iron, and because joy supports wellbeing.
Taking notice of how different things effect how you feel for better or worse (foods, activities, people, etc.), and adjusting accordingly.
Learn from health-centered podcasts (I love “Huberman Lab” and “Feel Better, Live More”).
Consuming less alcohol for physical, mental and emotional health.
Simple stretching to reduce body aches, increase mobility, and protect from injury.
Stop and smell the roses - literally! - evoking happiness, energy and calm.
Eat a variety of colors to support body and gut with varied nutrients, prebiotics and probiotics.
Avoiding bright light in the evening to support your sleep.
Sleep, because recovery is key to all parts of our health.
Snuggle a pet to drive oxytocin.
Participate in a free yoga, meditation or fitness class on YouTube.
Cold showers or baths to build resilience, activate brown fat, and support metabolism, immunity and stress-response.
Doing more of what matters to you, because meaning and purpose mean everything to a healthy life.
