Just south of Kuala Lumpur are a number of educational institutions and training centres that offer a conducive and quiet place for both students and employees alike to pursue their dreams.
Additionally, the population density of the suburbs here is much lower, thus offering a more tranquil setting. However, for those enticed by the high life, the city is not too far away either.
Located within one of Malaysia’s main institutional and research zones is the 100-acre De Centrum City (DCC), a mixed development comprising high-rise residences, an infrastructure university, a neighbourhood shopping mall, a hotel and student hostel facilities.
Life in urban Malaysia is hectic and stressful. With increasing workloads, responsibilities, and pressure to perform better, it is not always possible to take the necessary measures to follow a healthy lifestyle.
Still, you must do what you can to stay physically fit and mentally strong. Here are five ways to prioritise your health and wellbeing.
1. Exercise
One mistake is to associate fitness levels with the number of kilometres a person runs or the maximum weight they lift. Although these are common indicators, they do not necessarily reflect a person’s health.
Instead, pay attention to your flexibility, heart rate, how much you sweat, and your mobility.
It is a good sign if you are able to touch your toes and move your body easily. If you sweat a decent but normal amount, and your heart takes less time to return to its regular rate after a workout, these are solid indicators that you are in good physical health.
2. Sleep
Sleep is one of the most vital components of a healthy life. After a long day, it is the natural process of relieving exhaustion and stress, as well as healing your body.
Adults require seven to nine hours of good sleep to ensure optimal functioning. You can improve your sleep by:
going to bed and waking up at the same time every day;
staying away from caffeinated beverages before bedtime;
keeping your bedroom cool, dark and quiet to improve sleep quality; and
exercising before going to bed, which is a good option for maintaining your heart rate for sound sleep.
Sleep is required after a long day to heal the body and help you to function at optimal levels. (Freepik pic)
3. Work-life balance
While work is important, it is also equally vital to nourish other aspects of your life. A healthy work-life balance refers to an individual’s ability to meet job-related deadlines while setting aside sufficient time for friends, family and personal growth.
It is about getting enough sleep and eating well, and not worrying about work all the time.
Although striking a balance can be challenging, it actually helps improve your productivity while looking after your mental and physical wellbeing.
4. ‘Me time’
Finding time for yourself to indulge in your favourite activity can lower stress and enable you to stay productive. Use your “me time” to pursue an interest or hobby, or simply relax and do some self-reflection.
5. Diet
Eating healthy does not mean you have to completely give up enjoying desserts or fast food. Instead, focus on a wide range of nutritious meals that allow you to enjoy what you eat.
Pay attention to your body’s requirements, as your diet will impact your mood and concentration. Regular bowel movements are also a sign that you are getting enough fibre and eating well.
Which do you prize more? The hustle and bustle of a metropolis or the peace and tranquillity of the suburbs?
Despite the stereotype that single professionals are attracted to the bright lights of the big city or families escape to more laid-back neighbourhoods in the suburbs, technological advancements and societal shifts have spurred developers to create premium choices as diverse as Malaysians themselves.
Gone are the days when many headed into the office to get work done or downtown to run errands; today, popular hybrid or work-from-home options have changed the way people live.
Citizens have the power to influence 25-27% of the savings needed by 2030 to keep global warming to 1.5°C.
According to a recent study, this goal could be achievable if governments and people in the world’s rich countries put these five lifestyle changes into practice.
Conducted by researchers from the United Kingdom’s University of Leeds, in collaboration with experts from the global engineering firm Arup and the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, the “Power of People” report is shared by the citizen climate movement “Take The Jump”.
“The research is clear that governments and the private sector have the largest role to play but it is also equally clear from our analysis that individuals and communities can make a huge difference,” explains Tom Bailey, co-founder of the “Take The Jump” campaign.
“Our research shows that all of us, from politicians, city and business leaders to individual citizens, have important roles to play.”
So, are you willing to get involved by making one or more of these lifestyle shifts?
The production of meat and animal products represents about 15% of global greenhouse gas emissions. (Rawpixel pic)
1. Eat a largely plant-based diet and minimise waste
Estimates suggest the production of meat and animal products represents about 15% of global greenhouse-gas emissions.
In this light, reducing meat consumption is a crucial factor in the fight against climate change.
According to the report, combining the fight against food waste with the adoption of a predominantly plant-based diet would make it possible to achieve “12% of the total savings needed by North American and European countries” to reach targets established by the Paris Agreement, i.e. to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions by at least 40% by 2030.
2. Rethink vacations, limit air travel
Air travel is known to be the most polluting mode of transport. It is even estimated to be 45 times more polluting than the train, according to the French Agency for Ecological Transition.
With this in mind, the report recommends – as far as possible – reducing leisure flights to one short-haul flight every three years and one long-haul flight every eight years.
So-called leisure air travel is increasingly being called into question as part of our everyday lives, especially among young people.
According to a recent survey conducted by Greenpeace, 53% of young people in France say they do not, or very rarely, fly for leisure.
Renting clothes or buying second-hand is way better than fast fashion that creates a lot of waste. (Rawpixel pic)
3. Keep new clothing purchases to a minimum
From clothing rental and buying second-hand to virtual clothes, eco-conscious approaches to fashion are on the rise.
The solutions to help consumers move away from the fast-fashion industry are becoming more and more numerous.
“By reducing the number of new items of clothing to a target of three, maximum eight, delivering 6% of the total savings needed,” the study estimates.
4. Give up your personal car (or don’t buy another one)
You know that car you take out of the garage three times a year but which still costs you a fortune in insurance?
If you live in a city well served by public transport, or if your colleagues and/or friends are ready to embark on a carpooling adventure with you, it may be time to take the plunge and give up on personal car ownership.
“For those who can, reducing vehicle ownership and – if possible – moving away from personal vehicle ownership would deliver 2% of the total savings needed by 2030,” according to the study.
Try optimising the lifetime of both electronics and appliances, by using them for at least seven years. (Rawpixel pic)
5. Use electronic devices for at least seven years
Are you eager to get your hands on the new iPhone SE 5G? It’s understandable. After all, it’s difficult – at a time when technology is not holding back progress – to ask you to keep using your current outdated smartphone.
What if, in these cases, you compensate by trying as much as possible to extend the life of your other electronics – refrigerator, microwave oven, tablets, computers, and the like?
“By optimising the lifetime of both electronics and appliances, keeping them for at least seven years, would deliver the 3% of the total savings needed,” the study states.
There’s a good chance you or somebody you know is experiencing acute back pain – the most commonly reported musculoskeletal condition on a global scale.
According to the International Association for the Study of Pain in 2017, lower back pain affected about 7.5% of the global population, or around 577 million people.
In Malaysia, that would translate to over 2.5 million people suffering some level of discomfort.
The causes of lower back pain are often harder to diagnose and seemingly appear out of nowhere. Primary care providers do not have a specific identifiable pathological or anatomical origin for the pain in 85-95% of those presenting symptoms.
The birth of a child should be a time of great joy for new parents. But for one young couple, the past few months have been filled with hospital visits, medical tests, prayers and worry.
Muhammad Firdaus and Najihan Roslan’s baby daughter Ramadhani is fighting for her life after being diagnosed two months ago with ventricular septal defect (VSD).
Now, the six-month-old urgently requires surgery to close a 10mm hole in her heart. The procedure and related treatment are expected to cost around RM80,000.
Feeling pain in your joints? Do they feel stiff in the morning, ache after physical activity, or even crack and grind when you move?
If so, you might be experiencing osteoarthritis, the most common form of arthritis affecting millions worldwide.
Traditionally, osteoarthritis has been described as a simple case of “wear and tear”, where the protective cartilage between bones thins out over time, leaving the bones rubbing against each other, causing pain.
In Malaysia, most schools begin as early as 7.30am. Some start even earlier at 7am. These means young people often have to wake up at 6am or earlier to prepare for school.
These early hours are typically justified by reasons such as reduced traffic congestion and smoother logistics, claims that mornings are better for learning and concentration, and alignment with parents’ working hours and afterschool activities.
While these may serve adult convenience and institutional efficiency, they often take precedence over the biological and mental health needs of adolescents.
Making simple lifestyle changes, such as eating a balanced diet and getting enough sleep, could help prevent individuals from developing long Covid, according to a recent US study.
Covid-19 usually affects sufferers for between two and three weeks, but some patients may still have symptoms four weeks or more after infection. This is referred to as long Covid.
According to researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health, adopting a healthy lifestyle can help reduce the risk of having prolonged symptoms from the virus.
People all around the world are obsessed with the idea of eternal youth, with many individuals going as far as undertaking various cosmetic surgery procedures – some extreme, others less so – to erase wrinkles, fine lines, and other signs of ageing.
But a healthy, specially developed diet, combined with lifestyle recommendations, especially in terms of sleep, stress, and physical activity, could also help individuals turn back time by a few years – or, in other words, significantly reduce one’s biological age.
