
While teaching yourself to have better posture isn’t something that can be fixed right away, reminding yourself to sit up straight has a positive effect on your overall health. “Walking with your shoulders back and head held high can also make you feel good about yourself.” “You can try to leave yourself a note to sit up straight until it becomes an unconscious habit,” says Travers. Not only that, but good posture prevents backache, fatigue and muscle pain. Having good posture can prevent aches and can also reduce stress on your ligaments. When you were a kid, have your parents ever yelled at you for having bad posture? Well, the bad news is that they were right. You can often walk comfortably by dressing right: Start with a sweat-wicking layer next to your body, add insulating layers for warmth, and top them off with a waterproof shell. Sometimes the weather doesn’t cooperate and the last thing you want to do is go outside when it’s snowing or windy, but don’t let cold weather deter you. Remember, even the smallest amount of steps still add up. While running errands, try to find the farthest parking spot and walk from there. If you’re at work, walk to the furthest bathroom and take the stairs. “Take a walk during your lunch hour or to a store that is a block away to buy a gallon of milk - it’s all good for you.” “Even a 10-minute walk can help boost your cardiovascular health,” says Travers. Quitting cold turkey isn’t realistic but if you start decreasing the amount of diet soda and artificial sweeteners you ingest, you’ll be doing wonders for both your waistline and your health.


If you’re not a fan of carbonated water, try drinking unflavored tea, coffee or fruit-infused plain water. “Ingesting them frequently can increase your desire for high-calorie foods and put you at risk for weight gain.” “If you drink diet soda each day, use carbonated mineral water to help wean yourself off of it,” says Jeffers. Research suggests the brain reacts to artificial sweeteners much like it does to sugary sweets. If plain water isn’t your favorite, you can add flavor to your water to help up your intake. It helps keep your temperature normal, lubricates and cushions joints, protects your spinal cord and other sensitive tissues and gets rid of wastes through urination, sweat and bowel movements.īecause 50 to 75% of your weight is water, drinking some plain old H2O is imperative in keeping your body working the best it can and staying hydrated. It’s nothing new that there are health benefits to drinking more water.

Why buy expensive equipment when you can utilize your furniture instead? 2. Get even more creative by using wine bottles or a gallon of water as weights and your kitchen chairs for planks and tricep dip exercises. Start with a limited number of repetitions and then increase them as you feel stronger. For a strong cardio workout, walk up and down the stairs repeatedly. If you have stairs at your home or office, take them every chance you get. Use stairs and furniture as makeshift gym equipment PolicyĮxercise physiologist Christopher Travers, MS, and dietitian Laura Jeffers, MEd, RD, LD, offers some diet, nutrition and fitness ideas that you can incorporate into your busy life to be healthier every day. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center.
