Eleven Ways to Boost Your Health in One Minute!

If you're the type of person who is constantly wondering where the day went, you probably jump for joy whenever you read about short workouts, even 5 minutes long, that improve health. While that doesn't mean you should give up your lengthier workouts in favor of mere minutes of activity, it does add some strength to the comforting belief that every little bit counts.

And perhaps the best news of all is that it's not the only way in which you can improve your well-being in a brief amount of time. Some take even less. Here are eleven ways to boost your health in just one minute.

Give someone you love a hug

There's nothing quite like a good hug. And while a warm embrace certainly makes us feel happier and more relaxed, there are also physical health benefits of hugging, like lower blood pressure and heart rate.

Laugh

There's a good reason laughter has a reputation for being the best medicine. Not only is it one of the body's natural stress relievers, it also mimics (at least a little) some of the physiological responses in the body to physical activity.

Nibble some dark chocolate

The natural plant compounds in cocoa can protect the heart in a whole number of ways, from lowering blood pressure, raising levels of "good" cholesterol while lowering the "bad" and even helping with circulation. There's some evidence to suggest chocolate can also help ward off diabetes and protect the skin. Now that's sweet news.

Find the silver lining

A little optimism goes a long way. Looking on the bright side has been associated with a healthier heart and a stronger immune system, so next time you're voicing a complaint, take a minute to reframe those thoughts.

Look away from your computer screen

If you work at a desk job -- or even if you're just a tech fan outside of the office -- you probably spend a fair amount of time in front of screens. But all that computer time can do a number on your eyes. To combat strain, follow the 20-20-20 rule: Every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for just 20 seconds.

Wash your hands

This one also only takes 20 seconds -- and it's well worth it. Simply educating communities about hand washing can lower the number of people who get sick with diarrhea by 31 percent and lower the number of people who get colds and other respiratory illnesses by 21 percent, according to the CDC.

To do it right, wet your hands with clean, running water, lather with soap and scrub for at least 20 seconds. That's roughly about the length of time it would take to hum "Happy Birthday" twice (in your head, unless you'd like some strange looks from your coworkers). Rinse your hands under running water and dry completely.

Buckle your seat belt

Most American adults consistently buckle up in the car, but not everyone: According to the most recent data available, about 87 percent of adults wear their seat belts. For the 13 percent who haven't quite gotten the message, it takes mere seconds to protect yourself, whether you're driving or just along for the ride. More than 2 million adults are treated for car accident injuries each year, and more than half of teens age 13 to 20 who died in car crashes in 2012 were not wearing seat belts at the time of the crash, according to the CDC.

Rest in child's pose

It's one of the most relaxing, restorative yoga poses, but it's also a gentle, reinvigorating stretch that may help relieve back and neck pain. Sit back and hold for that entire glorious minute.

Wear sunscreen

Nearly 5 million Americans are treated for skin cancer each year, and sun exposure is one of the biggest causes of the disease. Yet it hardly takes any time at all to lather up against harmful UV rays. To cover yourself completely, aim to use about an ounce of the stuff if most of your skin is exposed.

Hold a plank

A daily one-minute plank is a classic fitness challenge you've probably seen hashtagged on your Facebook or Instagram feeds. Join the trend and you'll benefit from a stronger midsection, which can help ward off back pain and improve posture. Here's how to do it right.

Smile

It's no surprise that people who smile a lot are usually happy people, but 2010 research suggests that people who smile widest also live the longest. Even if you're feeling stressed, faking a smile can eventually make you feel more at ease -- and it only takes a moment.

Did you know that our Wellconnect Walking Program is not only FUN, but good for you too?!

Those pesky deer ticks. How to protect yourself this summer!

As the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) points out, onset of the disease is most common in June, July, and August, when ticks are more active and people spend more time outdoors. State health offices report 30,000 cases to the CDC every year, but the actual number of Americans diagnosed with the disease could be as much as 10 times greater.

A bacterial infection caused by a bite from the black-legged or deer tick, Lyme disease is prevalent in the northeast and upper Midwest. The first sign is usually a rash with a bull’s-eye shape that appears within weeks of being bitten by an infected tick. The rash may be accompanied by flu-like symptoms such as body aches, fatigue, and fever.

Not everyone develops a rash, according to Penelope Dennehy, MD, director of pediatric infectious disease at Hasbro Children’s Hospital in Providence, Rhode Island. In those cases, “it’s difficult to sort out Lyme symptoms from whatever garden-variety illness or virus is going around,” Dr. Dennehy says.

Untreated, Lyme disease can cause arthritis or neurological problems. Though less common, the Mayo Clinic lists an irregular heartbeat or inflammation of the liver as other potential complications.
RELATED: Protect Yourself From Deer Ticks When Hiking

Though most cases can be treated with antibiotics, it’s best to avoid getting Lyme disease in the first place. Here are some simple precautions you can take:

• Use insect repellent that contains at least 20 percent DEET. The American Academy of Pediatrics does not recommend using DEET on infants younger than two months.
• Light-colored clothing can help you spot ticks more easily. Wear long-sleeved shirts and tuck pants into your socks to reduce skin exposure.
• Wash clothes after being outdoors and inspect your body. Be sure to check kids and pets as well. Dennehy suggests parents look for “any freckles that weren’t there before.”
• Don’t panic if you spot a tick on your body. It has to embed itself for at least 24 hours and be infected in order to transmit the disease.
• If a tick is embedded in your skin, use tweezers to grab the tick near its head and pull straight up.
• If you think you’ve been bitten and have any symptoms, even if the signs seem to disappear, contact your doctor.

Summer is On! Simple precautions can ease the strain of warm weather.

Beat the heat

Some simple choices can help you weather the weather and keep heat from over stressing your heart and spoiling your summer.

Take it easy. Turn procrastination from a vice to a virtue by putting off exercise or other physical activity until things cool down. Evening and early morning are the best times to get out. If you do exercise, drink more than you usually do.

Cool is cool. Chilled air is the best way to beat the heat. Fans work, but only to a point — when the air is as warm as you are, sitting in front of a fan is about as helpful as sitting in front of a blow dryer. If you don’t have an air conditioner, spending an hour or two in a movie theater, at a store, or with an air-conditioned neighbor can help. So can a cool shower or bath, or putting a cold, wet cloth or ice pack under your arm or at your groin.

Drink to your health. The lower your coolant level, the greater your chances of overheating. Unfortunately, staying hydrated isn’t always easy. Stomach or bowel problems, diuretics, a faulty thirst signal, or low fluid intake can all interfere. On dangerously hot and humid days, try downing a glass of water every hour. (If you have had congestive heart failure, check with your doctor or nurse first.) Go easy on sugary soda and full-strength fruit juice since they slow the passage of water from the digestive system to the bloodstream. And don’t rely on caffeinated beverages or alcohol for fluid because they can cause or amplify dehydration.

Eat light. Stick with smaller meals that don’t overload your stomach. Cold soups, salads, and fruits can satisfy your hunger and give you extra fluid.

Warning signs of heat illness

Heat-related trouble ranges from irritating problems such as prickly heat (also known as heat rash) to heat exhaustion and the potentially deadly heat stroke. It can be hard to tell where heat exhaustion ends and heat stroke begins. Both can be mistaken for a summer “flu,” at least at first. Be on the lookout for:

• nausea or vomiting
• fatigue
• headache
• disorientation or confusion
• muscle twitches

If you think you are having heat-related problems, or if you see signs of them in someone else, getting to an air-conditioned space and drinking cool water are the most important things to do. If these don’t help or the symptoms persist, call your doctor or go to a hospital with an emergency department.

Walking Log

Here is the link for an electronic copy of the walking log.  This excel document will allow you to enter your daily steps, while it will calculate your totals and averages for you.

Meditation 101

 Little by little, meditation is shedding its image as a strange spiritual discipline practiced by monks and ascetics in Asia.

Beyond celebrities and the military, there's science. A growing body of research shows that meditation has a discernible effect on the brain that promotes various types of health and well-being.

Anyone interested may need to surmount the final hurdle: the assumption that meditation is hard, time-consuming, painful or complicated. Or religious. While there are lots of different kinds of meditation -- from transcendental meditation to Zen -- experts and health organizations such as the National Institutes of Health agree a beginner need not bother grappling with them. 

Meditation is simple and easy, and everyone can do it and benefit from it. Here are some tips:

Find some free time -- at least 20 minutes -- and as calm and quiet a place as you can. Meditating with interruptions from your BlackBerry or your computer doesn't really work.

Sit down and make yourself comfortable. Some traditions use physical positions -- mudras, in Sanskrit -- in meditation. The most famous is sitting on the ground in the lotus position, i.e., Indian style. If you are comfortable sitting this way for longer than a few minutes, fine. If not, sit in a chair.

Don't just do something, sit there -- to quote the title of a well-known book on meditation by Sylvia Boorstein. Don't launch immediately into what you think meditation is. Let your mind and body settle for a minute or so. Life is stressful enough; don't make meditation stressful and rushed.

Pick something and gently center your attention on it. It can be your breathing, which works well because of its easy, natural rhythm. It can be an image, mental or physical -- one can meditate with eyes open or closed, whichever works. It can be a mantra, a sound or word that you repeat in your mind or with your voice. "Om" -- with most of your time resting on that nice m sound -- is the most famous.

When your mind wanders, gently bring it back to the thing you picked.

When your mind wanders again, gently bring it back to the thing you picked. The mind is a wandering machine. Meditation is not having an empty mind; it's gently quieting your mind using the technique of concentrating on one thing. Over the time you sit, you will likely notice your mind getting a bit quieter.

When your mind wanders again, gently bring it back to the thing you picked. The key word is gently. Meditation is a simple technique, but it's also an approach, a way of being. People, especially Americans, tend to worry about doing it right. Worrying about doing it right is the one wrong way to meditate. Don't be angry or frustrated with your mind or yourself.

Gently close your meditation when you wish or need to. The idea is relaxation and reducing stress, remember? Make it smooth, not jarring. Let the relaxation you cultivated breathe a bit before going on to the next thing in your day.

Repeat as needed. Meditation works best when it's done regularly and over a long period. That doesn't have to mean for hours every day. It can be once every other day for 20 minutes. Many meditaters refer to their "practice." Its benefits happen, and happen more deeply, when it's something you do regularly for some time. 

Good Question!

How much water do I really need?

Our bodies are about sixty-five percent water (if you weigh 200 pounds, everything that isn’t water weighs just 70 pounds). So why would you need more of it? Because water helps us breathe, it regulates our metabolism and our temperature, and it helps us digest our foods. And since we lose water regularly—just like the planet, which is 70% water—we have to replace it.
 

A few myths have helped propel water to its status of healing elixir over the past few years. Debates continue over how much water we need daily. And while the 8x8 rule (eight 8-ounce glasses) is certainly easy to remember, the formula isn’t that simple.
 

You’ll need more water if you exercise—and extra one and a half to two and a half cups for a 30-minute workout. You’ll need even more for high-intensity and long workouts. Hot weather makes you sweat more. Illness makes your need for additional fluids greater.
 

Chances are good those eight glasses of water will do the trick, especially when you factor in the other water-based beverages you consume.