There are two main aspects to the idea of health, which are physical and mental. It is highly important that you ensure you are taking good care of both of these aspects in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Physical health revolves around upholding good bodily health, which comes as the result of regular exercise, proper diet and plenty of rest. The well being of your physical health is the capacity of the heart, blood vessels and lungs as well as your muscles to function at optimum efficiency. Physical fitness can be divided into five categories, which are aerobic fitness, muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility, and body composition. Physical fitness can also be used to prevent or treat chronic health conditions, which can be brought on by unhealthy lifestyles or aging as well as other implications but in order to maintain the physical side of your health it is important to stay healthy by partaking in physical activity. This is because of the following:

- It reduces your risk of heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure and cancer - Exercise reduces your risk of bone and joint problems - It helps you manage your weight - Prevents and controls diabetes. - Can make you feel happier

However in order to see the best results from your physical activity you need to do at least 30 minutes of moderate activity for five days a week. To help aid you with the physical aspect of your health you also need to remember that nutrition is just as important as exercise to your health and when you are partaking in an ongoing form of exercise it is important to have a good diet to ensure that the body has the correct ratio of macronutrients whilst providing ample micronutrients, in order to aid the body with the recovery process following strenuous exercise.

When it comes to the mental side of your health; it highlights your emotional well being as well as the capability to live a full and creative life. The term mental health is used to describe a level of cognitive or emotional well being or the absence of a mental disorder. Mental health may include an individual's ability to enjoy life and procure a balance between life activities and efforts to achieve psychological resilience.

Emotional wellbeing is about how we feel, think and behave. No one feels blissful, positive and sensible all of the time but if your generally in a good state of mind it becomes easier to cope with life and looking after your state of mind is just as important as taking care of your body, even though most of us deal with the physical aspect of our health better than the mental.

An example of bad mental health is stress. Stress can have a high impact on your mental health and prolonged stress can have a negative impact on health by, for example, weakening your immune system. To help aid your mental health you should undertake stress management by either reducing your stress or increasing your intolerance towards it. One of the best ways of doing this is through relaxation techniques.

By improving both your physical and mental health you are combating the effects of disease and prolonging your life expectancy. Looking after your physical and mental health is an issue that shouldn't be taken lightly so it is important you do everything you can to keep your health in the best shape that you can. Helen is the web master of Medicalley, expert advisors in all aspects of Health and Health Insurance.