Agree or not, motivating yourself to adopt a healthy lifestyle is a tough nut to crack. But with the help of some infamous English proverbs for health and healthy habits, you may have a slightly higher chance of bringing aboard that little extra motivation on your fitness journey, you needed since forever. After all, proverbs are not just amature sayings, but philosophical thoughts passed down through history. Meanwhile, this blog focuses on providing you with valuable guidance for building a healthy lifestyle through the best health proverbs with meanings you could ever find across the internet as a source of encouragement.
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Must Read: 100+ Common Proverbs with Meaning and Examples
Top 10 Famous English Proverbs for Health and Healthy Habits
As you know, proverbs connect you to historical perspectives on health and well-being. More importantly, their catchy nature makes them easy to remember for that extra push. So, let’s find out some of those proverbial quotes for health and wellness you wished to find sooner in the table below:
Health Proverbs | Meaning/Explanation |
Health is wealth | Health is more important than money. It means you can acquire wealth as long as you are fit and fine. |
A clean bill of health | A clean bill of health means you do not have any ailments in the past and sustaining a healthy life. |
Fit as a fiddle | It means you have an excellent physical condition. |
He who has health has hope | The phrase in a complete sense suggests ‘He who has health, has hope, and who has hope has everything’, meaning, good health can accompany you in pursuit of achieving goals. |
You are what you eat | Eating a balanced nutritious diet is the key to maintaining good physical condition. |
Laughter is the best medicine | Being happy and cheerful can keep away stress and diseases for you. |
The beginning of health is sleep | Just like laughter, maintaining a good sleep cycle is a foundation of good health condition |
A picture of health | It means a person who is a picture of health is like a role model in maintaining a healthy physical condition |
In good shape | Being in good shape means denoting you are fit and perfectly fine. |
Prevention is better than cure | Being careful is better than going through medications later on. |
Quick Read: 7 Idioms for Health That You Should Know [with Example]
5+ Best English Proverbs for Health and Wellness for Today’s Youth
Here is a list of English proverbs for health and wellness to inspire the youth of today.
An Apple a Day Keeps the Doctor Away
The proverbial phrase ‘an apple a day keeps the doctor away’ means eating healthy foods like apples can help prevent illness. Although the current version of this proverb solidified in the 19th century with the rise of commercial apple production, references to the health benefits of apples appear in European texts from the 12th century.
A Healthy Mind in a Healthy Body
As the proverb states a healthy mind lives in a healthy body, meaning, physical and mental well-being are interconnected. The credit for advocating this quote is often attributed to the Roman satirist Juvenal. He wrote about the importance of a “sound mind in a sound body” in the 2nd century AD.
All Work and No Play Makes Jack a Dull Boy
The proverb first appeared in the 17th-century English nursery rhyme “There was a man in our town”. This line in particular from the rhyme signifies that it is important to balance work with leisure activities for the overall well-being of a human.
A Stitch in Time Saves Nine
The proverb A stitch in time saves nine is symbolic of taking care of small problems early on to prevent them from becoming bigger. It has likely its origin in England during the 15th or 16th century. Originally, it was used in a tailoring context but has been applied to various aspects of life, including preventive healthcare.
Look Before You Leap
Consider the consequences before taking action, especially regarding your health is the motif behind this proverb. Look before you leap as a proverb has roots in Aesop’s Fables and appears in various forms throughout history.
An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure
This proverbial phrase dates back to 17th-century England and means taking steps to prevent illness is more effective and less costly than treating it after it occurs. To elaborate, you should focus on avoiding food habits that can take a toll on your physical well-being.
Other English Proverbs for Health
Check out list of English proverbs for health:
Good health is above wealth | Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise |
A merry heart doeth good like a medicine | Take care of the pennies and the pounds will take care of themselves |
Sitting is the new smoking | You can’t buy health, but you can invest in it |
Take care of your body; it’s the only place you have to live | Health is a state of complete harmony of the body, mind, and spirit |
Find more proverbial reads below!
This was all about the proverbs about health and wellness with meaning you can find motivation in. Hope you understand the concept and know how to proceed. You can also follow the Learn English page of Leverage Edu for more exciting and informative blogs related to grammar.