Exercise Encourages Wellness

A recent research has shown that a single 20 minute exercise session each week can reduce stress, decrease anxiety, and increase happiness and energy levels. Researchers have also found that almost any type of physical activity, including housework, yard work, and brisk walking could help to decrease levels of mental distress.

Companies Charging Workers For Bad Habits

An increasing number of companies are charging their employees for having bad habits, such as smoking, eating excessively, and not exercising. Some people say that these types of programs violate a worker’s privacy and make group health plans too similar to individual insurance. At the same time, these programs force some people to take notice and be more aware of their bad habits that may affect their health.

Weight Gain Genes

It is found that overeating is related to the same gene involved in alcoholism and drug addiction. People who carried a certain variant of the gene and who used food to motivate themselves were the highest at risk for eating too many snacks when compared to people who had only one or neither of these traits. People with this gene variant could have a lack in reward-signaling in the brain and have to participate in more of the behavior to get as much pleasure as people with normal signaling. Exercising is something more positive that can release the same reward chemicals in the brain.

Music Increases Energy Levels When Exercising

It is found that upbeat music can increase the flow of the hormone adrenaline and increase energy levels to help a person workout longer. Exercising to the beat of a song can decrease the amount of oxygen the body needs and a person would be able to workout longer before feeling tired. To benefit the most, the song’s tempo should be four to five beats higher than a person’s heart rate.

Simple Ways to Live Longer

Living a long and healthy live doesn’t have to be difficult. There are simple things that you can do in your everyday life to increase you lifespan.

Exercising can increase your lifespan. Walking just a half hour each day can lengthen your life. Exercising regularly can burn calories and help to maintain a healthy weight, which can protect you against type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, strokes, and colon cancer. Exercising your muscles is very important because your muscles and bones weaken as you get older. Weight lifting can stop the weakening and will strengthen your muscles.

Losing body fat can increase you long you live. A body mass index is a measure of your body fat based on dividing weight and height. A body mass index of 25 to 29.9 takes three years off of your life span. A body mass index of 30 or above takes seven years off of your life. Extra weight can increase the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure.

Flossing your teeth can keep you healthier. The same bacteria that can cause periodontal disease can cause an immune response that will make your arteries swell, constrict blood flow, and collect plaque. These issues can increase your risk of cardiovascular disease.

Being optimistic can increase your life span by seven and a half years. This positive attitude and outlook boosts the body’s immune system and helps it to handle stress better.

Not smoking can also increase your life span. People that quit smoking by age 35 live 6 to 8 years longer than people who continue to smoke. Giving up smoking can decrease the risks of lung cancer, heart disease, stroke, chronic bronchitis, and emphysema.