Motivated by the rising costs of healthcare and a will to live longer, Americans are going above and beyond to improve their lifestyles for the better. With new diet and exercise programs, holistic approaches, and home remedies easily accessible to the average person, more individuals are inclined to make healthier decisions. Though it is paramount to adopt better habits and develop a system for remaining healthy, sometimes, people go overboard.

As you may have heard before, too much of anything can be bad for you. It is therefore wise for everyone to find a balance and set limits to avoid stunting or reversing their progress towards being healthy. Below are some things you commonly do to stay healthy or improve your health, that could be chaotic if done too often.

Exercising

Though great a few days per week, exercising too much can be bad for your health. Too much physical activity can lead to injuries, extreme exhaustion, and mental health issues including depression. It can result in soreness and body aches, restlessness, a weakened immune system, and an increased heart rate.

Your body needs time to recover and your “off days” give it adequate time to heal and rebuild. It is recommended that you stick close to a regimen of 30 minutes per day, five days per week to avoid overworking your body.

Taking Medication

Medication is sometimes necessary to soothe the symptoms of pain, disease, and illness. When doctors prescribe medication, they do so with a set of instructions that should be followed to the tee. Often patients wanting desperately to feel like themselves again overdo it and take more than they should. Increased doses can heighten your chances of experiencing side effects. It can also ruin the lining of your stomach, destroy your liver, and even result in dependency or addiction.

If your medications aren’t working and you find yourself suffering, it is best to talk with your doctor about other options or increasing the dosage. If, however, you’ve become dependent upon certain prescription drugs like opiates, finding a drug detox program is your best resolve.

Eating Diet Products

Fueling your body right is a big part of staying healthy. While many are starting to catch on to the fact that ingredients like sugar and salt are detrimental to their health, the foods chosen to replace them aren’t always the best. Often turning to things like diet soda and sugar-free products, people make the assumption that because it doesn’t have certain ingredients you can consume as much as you’d like.

Contrary to popular belief, consuming too many diet or sugar-free products is essentially just as bad as consuming too much sugar. As artificial sweeteners and additives are incorporated into the products, your body is unfamiliar with how to process these ingredients causing more issues than benefits. It is best instead to eat these foods and other foods in moderation for optimum health.

Sleeping

Getting some shut-eye has always been known as a key factor in staying healthy. Sleep is required to allow your body time to rest from the stress it’s been under throughout the day. Lack of sleep can ruin your concentration and put you at higher risk for things like diabetes, weight gain, and heart disease. That being said, if you’re sleeping more than 8 hours a day on the regular, this can be bad. In fact, sleeping too much can actually put you at risk for the same exact complications as not getting enough.

Yes, exercising, taking prescribed medications, steering clear of sugar and salt, and getting good rest are all excellent methods of developing a healthy lifestyle. However, 30 minutes of exercise 5 days a week, taking medication as prescribed, eating diet products in moderation, and getting 8 hours of rest is all you need. Going overboard could do the body more harm than good.

Useful Apps

Technology is nearly touching every aspect of our lives, and it is thus no doubt that it could play a crucial role in maintaining our health. In this section, some useful apps for our health are revealed.

PlushCare

What better way to monitor your overall health than with PlushCare? All you have to do is schedule an appointment. Then, you will be able to consult with a physician directly over your phone. The doctor will ask a few simple questions and you are also free to ask questions of your own as well. Whether you are suffering from an unknown rash or if you’re interested in getting std testing, the physician will be able to diagnose you and prescribe medicine that you can pick up at your local pharmacy. PlushCare makes it easy to treat and diagnose many ailments while simultaneously saving you from waiting in a traditional medical office setting.

MySugar

For diabetics or pre-diabetics looking to improve their lifestyle, mySugar helps you monitor what types of foods you’ve eaten that contain sugar. This makes it easy to cut back on certain foods that may pose a threat to your overall health and wellness. Cutting out sugary foods will also increase your energy levels.

In conclusion, if you’re searching for the best cell phone apps to keep you healthy, these six applications can do just that and you’ll be having so much fun with them; you won’t even miss going to the gym.