15 Easy Physical Self Care Practices to Boost Your Health

Physical self-care is more than a gym membership, even if you use it. Although that goes a long way toward your health, there are other considerations when it comes to caring for the body.

Proper rest, hydration, movement, and hygiene: what do you do well and where do you need more? Take a deeper look at what physical self-care entails, and how taking care of your body also supports emotional self-care and mental self-care.

Discover 15 easy physical self-care practices that you can start today. Add one to your daily routine and see how it makes you feel!

Why Physical Self Care?

Physical self-care is intentionally taking action to support your health, energy, and bodily functions. It’s an important component of your holistic self-care plan; it requires proactive listening to your body’s needs and taking consistent steps to meet them.

This can be a challenge in our fast-moving lives. Physical self-care can be the last thing we think about before the day is over, especially if you’re a woman, parent, or caretaker.

But that’s what makes it more important for us to practice self-care. Caring for our own needs at the most fundamental level enables us to be more present for ourselves and others.

We’re complex beings with complex needs. Physical self-care includes a healthy diet, physical activity, rest, hygiene (including energetic), and even stress management. All these aspects are interrelated and influence each other.

The good news is that intentional care in one area will improve others. Good habits in multiple areas will drastically improve your overall health.

Your physical well-being impacts every aspect of your life. Proactively support your physical health with the following self-care practices you can start today.

15 Easy Physical Self Care Practices

1. Take a Brisk Walk, Especially Outside

The average U.S. adult takes about 3,000 to 4,000 steps (1.5 to 2 miles) a day, research shows. Less than 5,000 steps a day is considered sedentary.

Walking between 10 and 20 minutes every day can have surprisingly powerful benefits to your physical, emotional, and mental well-being.

Walking increases circulation and lowers blood pressure, reducing the risk of heart disease. It also improves digestion, increases energy, and supports joint health. Walking, especially outdoors, has also been linked to a reduction of stress and anxiety and improved moods.

At the time of this article, the recommended guideline for daily walking is as follows:

7,000-10,000 steps per day for adults aged 18-59 years
6,000-8,000 steps per day for adults aged 60+ years
7,500 steps per day for women aged 62-101 years.

Start taking your daily walks today, preferably outside. It’s absolutely free!

2. Take Regular Movement Breaks

If most of your day is spent sitting in a chair, set your alarm for movement breaks. The idea is to get your body moving to increase blood circulation and get your energy moving.

According to one study, standing up and walking for 5 minutes every hour in a sedentary work environment improved people’s mood, retained focus and attention, and dulled hunger pangs. Frequent and short movement breaks improved well-being more than longer, concentrated movement, the study also found.

Sitting for too long without movement has also been linked to accelerated aging, according to another study.

Even if you don’t get moving for exactly 5 minutes every hour, remember to stand up and do something as much as you can.

3. Stretch Your Body

After your daily walk or movement break, stretch your body! Stretching lengthens your muscles and helps your joints move through their full range of motion. This makes daily activities easier and can help delay the reduced mobility associated with aging.

Regular stretching reduces the risk of injuries by loosening your muscles. It can also prevent or reduce chronic pain from your joints and muscles.

Check out this 5-minute stretching routine that covers your whole body, or this 8-minute routine designed for people with less flexibility:

Remember to warm up your muscles before stretching, and that consistency is key. Experts recommend at least two to three times a week.

4. Use Good Posture

Do you usually slouch when you stand? How about when sitting?

I didn’t even know this until a few years ago, but I have a habit of standing with my weight on one side. This, and the results of pregnancy and carrying my child around on one side of my body, resulted in a herniated disc and sciatica with excruciating pain.

Physical therapy, lots of energy work, and an amazing turmeric supplement eventually solved the chronic pain. But it took months of agony and focused effort to heal. The whole experience opened my eyes to the importance of good posture.

If you have any chronic pain in your joints or back, check your posture and make any necessary improvements. While it would be best to have the help of a professional, there are also useful guides on YouTube you can start with.

5. Eat Nutritious Foods

We have all heard the phrase, “We are what we eat.” This is especially true these days, when super-processed foods take up the dominant share of the grocery store aisles.

The best nutrition comes from fresh foods that come directly from Mother Earth, including proteins and a variety of vegetables, fruits, and grains.

A balanced diet means fueling yourself with the right mix of protein, healthy fats, complex carbs, vitamins, and minerals. When you eat well, you dodge mood swings, energy slumps, and future visits to your dentist or doctor.

If you don’t have enough time to cook, try simple meal planning techniques to plan for fresh ingredients. Focus on variety and color, which leads to a more complete intake of different nutrients. Read ingredient labels when buying processed foods, and stick with those with fewer, and preferably organic, ingredients.

6. Limit Caffeine and Sugar

Ah, coffee. And sugar. How many cups of coffee do you drink a day? How about those chocolates for an afternoon snack?

While there are some health benefits to coffee, too much of anything is always a cause for concern.

Excessive coffee consumption has been linked to decreased sleep quality, especially if consumed later in the day. It can also exacerbate anxiety, especially for people who are sensitive to caffeine, not to mention that it can lead to physical dependency.

For sugar, too much of it has been linked to insulin resistance and increased risk for diabetes. It also increases the risk for obesity, inflammation, and heart disease. The list goes on, though, with spikes and crashes in energy levels and reduced mental focus, as well as, well, risks to your dental health.

So, if you’re guilty of indulging in caffeine or sugar, consider cutting back a little. The good news is that experts say up to 3 to 4 cups of brewed coffee is safe for healthy adults.

Always read the labels and watch out for added sugars. The Centers for Disease Control recommends that less than 10 percent of our daily caloric intake comes from it.

7. Eat Mindfully

Mindful eating is healthy eating. It is paying full attention to the experience of eating without judgment. When we eat mindfully, we are aware of our hunger cues, satiation cues, food choices, and sensations.

We slow down and pay attention to what’s happening inside of us.

Eating when you are hungry and putting your fork down when you are full. No matter how yummy it is! Choosing to go for a walk outside instead of a large vanilla latte.

Mindful eating enables us to reduce emotional or binge eating and sustain a healthy weight. It has also been linked to decreased sugar intake and improved blood glucose regulation.

To eat mindfully, make a conscious choice in what you’re going to eat, then slow down. Look at your food in detail, and pay attention when you take a bite. Connect to all your senses as you chew, swallow, and digest, and lean into the enjoyment and gratitude of it.

8. Drink Enough Water

Our bodies are mostly water, and staying hydrated means that our organs, joints, and muscles operate like a well-oiled machine instead of a rusty tricycle. It also means that our bodies can conduct energy better, leading to better flow and optimal functions.

Dehydration can masquerade as tiredness or irritability—a sneaky saboteur of our sense of well-being. It can also lead to digestive problems, disorientation, muscle cramps, and headaches.

Drinking enough water can seem obvious, but it is a fundamental self-care that most overlook. You also need to drink WAY more water than you think you need, according to experts.

According to the Mayo Clinic, the average adult women need to drink at least 11.5 cups of water per day, while adult men need to drink at least 15.5 cups of water per day.

Start your day with a large cup of water, and set reminders to take a sip. Track your water consumption throughout the day, and avoid excessive caffeine consumption to hold on to your bodily fluids.

9. Get a Full Night’s Sleep

We all know what it feels like when we don’t get a good night’s sleep: fatigue, irritability, and even confusion.

Getting enough sleep gives your brain and body the ultimate reboot. Sleep isn’t a passive state; your body is actively working to support brain function and physical health. Quality sleep sets the foundation for all physical self-care, much like the strong foundation of a house.

Prioritize sleep to improve your mood and performance the next day. For most adults, between 7 and 9 hours of sleep is ideal.

Take active steps to invest in good sleep hygiene. Put away your devices at least one hour before your bedtime. According to a 2022 study, one hour of screen time after going to bed increased the likelihood of insomnia by 59 percent and reduced sleep by 24 minutes.

Create a cool (between 60 and 67 degrees Fahrenheit or 15 and 19 degrees Celsius), dark, and quiet environment. Pamper yourself with nice, cooling sheets and avoid caffeine or heavy meals just before bed. Try Yoga Nidra, which can help you fall asleep fast without the need of any substances.

10. Meditate or Practice Mindfulness

Meditation benefits the body in so many ways. In this world of chaos and constant stimulation, meditation provides our brain and spirit the space to breathe.

Research shows that meditation improves heart health, hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and high cortisol (stress hormone) levels. And because meditation helps reduce stress, it can lead to various other benefits, including reduced inflammation, improved sleep, and lower blood pressure.

Meditation is also easy to start, especially these days when many free videos and meditation apps are available. Start with five minutes of quiet sitting time at your convenience. Focus on consistency over duration, and build on your practice.

If you are hesitant to try meditation, start with simple mindfulness techniques or deep breathing exercises throughout your day.

11. Limit Screen Time

Screens are different from when I grew up. There are so many these days, practically everywhere I turn!

While there are many reasons to be thankful for this abundance of information and technology, too much exposure has its consequences. Higher levels of screen time are associated with a variety of health problems, including obesity, unhealthy diet, depression, and poor quality of life.

It is also linked to numerous mental problems, including lowered self-esteem, increased incidences of mental health issues and addictions, slowed learning, and increased risk of cognitive decline.

If you’re still unconvinced, screen time also strains our eyes, which can lead to dry eyes, blurry vision, and even headaches.

Set limits to your daily screen time. Practice the 20-20-20 rule for your eye health: take a break every 20 minutes to look at something 20 feet away, for at least 20 seconds. Engage in a non-screen hobby like gardening or dancing. Try making your bedroom a tech-free zone, or replace your smartphone with a flip phone!

12. Practice Good Personal Hygiene

Good personal hygiene might seem like a no-brainer, but it’s a crucial act of self-respect and physical health. Keeping clean guards against unpleasant odors, infections, and helps you be more aware of your body.

Experts say that a daily shower is unnecessary, noting that it can be excessive. Too much can kill off the good bacteria from our skin and dry our skin, for example. Showering several times a week is plenty for most people, they say, with short showers of 3 to 4 minutes with a focus on the sweaty areas.

In addition to the shower, teeth brushing, nail clipping, and hand washing, practicing energetic hygiene can transform your well-being.

Energetic hygiene helps you clean away any unwanted residue of emotional and other attachments that may linger on your body. When such attachments stay, they act as hitchhikers and drain your physical energy.

My favorite way to do this is during my shower. I simply take some sea salt and scrub it all around my body, and rinse off. With consistency, I have seen improved moods and increased energy and stamina.

13. Ground Your Body

Have you ever heard of grounding or earthing? The term earthing recently became popular after the book, well, Earthing. But the idea of grounding—connecting your body directly to the Earth—has been around for much longer.

Because our bodies are electric and conduct energy, grounding them to Mother Earth helps us regulate. Grounding is linked to reduced inflammation and reduced stress hormones, both of which are associated with improved sleep and reduced chronic pain, according to research.

My favorite way to ground is to take my shoes and socks off and stand on the earth. When I feel stressed or anxious, this is the top remedy with quick results.

Other ways to ground include moving your body, swimming, hugging a tree, and touching the earth with bare hands.

14. Go Outside and Be in Nature

Similar to grounding, spending time in nature benefits our physical health. Going outside can be a vital physical act, as research shows that even looking at pictures of nature benefits our mental performance.

Even spending just 20 minutes a day in nature lowers your stress hormones, one study found. Nature exposure is also linked to lower blood pressure and improved heart health, as well as a stronger immune system.

If that’s not enough to convince you, being in nature also lets us take in more vital life-force energy.

The prana, or chi, comes from the sun and the air, and by being outside—or sitting under a healthy tree—we can access it better and more directly. (From Miracles Through Pranic Healing, Master Choi Kok Sui.)

Spend time outside in nature today, and see how it makes you feel. Take a brisk walk outside and look at something green.

15. Stay on Top of Your Preventive Health

This may seem like the most boring of all self-care activities, but proactive management of your physical needs through routine medical check-ups is crucial. Routine medical appointments catch physical health issues before they worsen. Even if you feel fine, prevention is where the true magic happens.

For the average adult, routine medical care includes an annual wellness exam and dental cleaning and exam every six months. Additional medical screenings are recommended for different age groups; your primary doctor will point you in the right direction as they come up.

Scheduling and attending regular checkups often feels like a chore, but it’s a non-negotiable pillar of physical self-care.

Early detection and prevention make all the difference between manageable health and costly surprises. Think of these visits as investments with a big payoff in your well-being.

Final Thoughts

Even though some of these self-care habits seem like a no-brainer, actually doing them takes intention and effort. Different people also have different strengths and weaknesses, and maybe even some blind spots. Pick one, two, or more of the above easy ideas and implement them in your life.

Taking action will help you feel good as an exercise of self-love, and the physical benefits will follow. Physical self-care also supports your emotional health, mental and overall well-being.

This post was all about 15 easy self-care practices you can start today. I’d love to know if you tried any. Please comment below!

15 Easy Physical Self Care Tips to Boost Your Health