You didn’t develop your bad habits overnight, and you won’t kick them on January 1st. It’ll take time and compromise (and maybe even a little cheating) to reach your goals. With that in mind, here are our very manageable top 10 2009 health resolutions.
No.10 - Have more sex
Now this is a resolution you can really live with. Having more sex can do wonders for your health, including lowering blood pressure and even extending your lifespan. Queens University in Belfast tracked the health of 1,000 middle-aged individuals over the course of a decade. They found that guys who got lucky a few times a week had about half the death rate of guys who got less action. Later, they also found a direct correlation between frequent sex and a reduced risk of heart disease. That’s not all, though -- Wilkes University in Pennsylvania found that people who have sex once or twice a week get sick less often.
No.9 - Stress less
Even if you can manage to keep up with the first resolution, sometimes even a good old roll in the hay isn’t enough to melt away your stress -- and stress can be a killer. Chronic stress can lead to hypertension, a weakened immune system and even a shortened lifespan. Do your best to drop your stress. For example, enroll in a meditation class. Mindfulness meditation can give you the tools to deal with everyday challenges without letting them get you stressed. Many HMOs even offer mindfulness meditation classes for free, so check with your health care provider.
No.8 - Sleep more
You don’t need a doctor to tell you what sleep deprivation does; miss a few hours of sleep and not only will you be caught in a fog of fatigue, but simple thoughts can also seem complex, and you often can’t remember a thing. A 2007 study published in the medical journal Hypertension found that people who sleep an average of six hours a night have a 42% higher chance of developing hypertension than those who get seven. Sleep deprivation has also been linked to stress, depression, immune-system suppression, and obesity. Go to bed at the same time every night. Turn off the TV, computer or anything that shines bright light in your face at least an hour before bed -- getting a few more winks can save your life.
No.7 - Read
If you don’t use your muscles, they’ll atrophy. This same principle goes for your brain -- neglect it and it’ll shrivel up like a prune. Luckily, there’s one easy, enjoyable thing you can do to keep your neurons pumping iron: read. Neuroscientists at UCLA recently stuck a few dozen middle-aged volunteers into an MRI machine to watch how their brains responded to reading. The scans showed that reading triggered significant activity in the language, memory and visual centers of the brain. In fact, when the test subjects surfed the internet for specific info, their centers for complex reasoning and decision-making lit up.
No.6 - Audit your diet
In 2009, take a good look at what you eat; chances are you’re missing a lot of what goes into your mouth. It’s easy to overlook that “fun size” candy bar you had after lunch or those extra Oreos you ate during the movie. It’s also easy to overestimate the amount of fruits and vegetables you eat. Get a notepad and write down what you eat for a week. Just knowing what you throw down your gullet can inspire you to eat healthier, and if it doesn’t, you’ll have a good starting point for planning a revamp of your diet.
No.5 - Eat clean
When Michael Pollan, author of The Omnivore’s Dilemma, advises readers to “eat food,” he means stick to stuff that’s easily recognizable as food. Steer clear of anything that looks like it was made in a lab or a factory. This means no day-glow cheezy poofs, sanguine Red Vines or TV dinners. All that crap is typically loaded with extra calories (that make you fat) and questionable chemical compounds (that could do much worse). Stick to fresh fruits and veggies (or frozen if it’s the off-season) and fresh meats from the butcher. Don’t worry -- cheese is food, whipped cream is food and apple pie is food (even if they are all man-made). The list of real food goodies goes on and on -- just don’t overdo it. Eat mostly vegetables, a little meat and just enough to satisfy your appetite without getting grossly stuffed.
No.4 - Eat nuts
Drop the chips and pick up some almonds or walnuts instead -- both nuts have been shown to lower cholesterol. A 2002 study published in the journal Circulation found that people who ate two handfuls of almonds a day lowered their bad cholesterol (LDL) by 9.4%. Walnuts performed even better, with a handful of the nuts slashing LDL by about 10%. Walnuts aren’t just good for your cardiovascular system: Malaysian researchers found that a compound in walnuts can, in significant doses, have similar effects to Viagra. Of course, you’d have to eat a few pounds of walnuts to get such a powerful effect, but small amounts could give you a little oomph.
No.3 - Walk
This one is easy -- take a break and take a walk. A 30-minute walk six days a week has been shown to have profound health benefits. A study by Duke University found that walking can decrease hypertension, lower bad cholesterol levels and help you lose weight. The study also found that people who took a leisurely stroll after dinner gained almost all the same health benefits as those who jogged six days a week. Add a quick walk into your daily routine and you’ll see great results.
No.2 - Do push-ups
Almost nothing can beat the push-up: they’re simple, they’re effective and they’re free; you can drop and push out a dozen of them in less than a minute, and they work your chest, shoulders, triceps, abs, and legs. Push-ups are one of the best strength-building exercises ever devised. Keep your body straight like a plank, drop down and then push up. Try to work a set of 10 to 20 push-ups into your daily routine. By adopting this simple habit, you’ll build upper body strength and stamina in a matter of weeks.
No.1 - Play a sport
The best exercise is fun exercise, so pick a sport and join a local team. Playing sports will get you fit, and, more importantly, will keep you motivated to stay fit. Softball, basketball, soccer, rugby, and Frisbee football are all good options. The key is finding something that you enjoy and then striking a balance between fun and competitiveness. Too much competitiveness can lead to conflict, injury or worse. On the other hand, have too much fun and you might not feel like it’s even worth playing. Finding the right mix between "fun" and "fight" will keep you in the game. Playing a sport will also help you forge friendships that could last a lifetime.
Resources:
- www.nytimes.com
- www.reuters.com
- www.webmd.com
- www.michaelpollan.com
- www.sciencedaily.com
- www.washingtonpost.com
- www.mayoclinic.com
- www.latimes.com
- www.nlm.nih.gov
- http://health.discovery.coml
- www.forbes.com
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