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Simple Solutions for Terrific Health from Head to Toe
Do you regularly feel like you can’t squeeze in opportunities for a solid health regimen? You might be surprised at how simple making room for a healthier lifestyle can be. Here’s how to work optimal health into your everyday life, while barely lifting a finger.
Embrace your benefits
Adulting is tough, and when you’re pulled in a lot of directions, it’s easy to let things slide sometimes. However, if we let go of certain things we’re entitled to, especially when it comes to health, that’s not in our best interests. With that in mind, make sure you’re making the most of your healthcare benefits. Getting routine dental exams, vision checks, and so forth, are tools for not only keeping you in shape, but also catching issues before they get worse. It’s especially important for seniors to monitor their health and healthcare coverage carefully. If you’re an older adult, you can take advantage of coverage for things like dental and vision care through programs like Humana’s Medicare Advantage plans. And you can even get things like wellness help and gym memberships. Regardless of your age, keep in mind that benefits can change annually, so make sure you’re making the most of everything you’re entitled to.
Take a deep breath
Is your home supporting your health, or damaging it? We like to think of our homes as safe havens, but whether you realize it or not, your home may be harboring several sources of indoor air pollution. Air fresheners, cleaning products, carpet, and pressed wood products are just a few examples of belongings that could be emitting harmful particles into the air, potentially damaging your family’s health. Even dust, pet dander, and mold can cause problems. By changing the air filters in your home regularly, you can reduce those unseen threats. When selecting air filters, check the MERV rating, and note higher numbers mean the filter provides better protection for filtering out contaminants.
Spend time with furry friends
Even though pets are a source of dander, Mother Nature Network explains there are numerous health-oriented advantages owners can gain from spending time with their furry companions. Pets can potentially alleviate depression and boost immune function, raise your fitness level, lower stress levels, and improve your heart health. Pet owners can even live longer, and as a bonus, might even experience better social lives. Consider playing games with your dog or cat. It’s a fun, easy way to enrich your and pet’s lives, and you can enjoy improved wellness.
Did you know you can practice yoga and get to spend time with your furry friends? Coming up May 11th, we are Partnering with Nutrition World to host our second annual Kitten and Puppy Yoga event! You can sign up for one or both of these super fun classes where all the proceeds go to helping our friends at McKamey Animal Center. Your tickets get you one hour of cuddle time with either kittens (at 12:30) or puppies at 2:30. It’ll be an awesome, furry, fun time, that you are NOT going to want to miss!
Soak up some sunshine
You have probably heard sunlight exposure helps your body produce vitamin D, but did you know too little vitamin D can have serious health ramifications? Some studies indicate links between vitamin D deficiency and several chronic health conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, arthritis, and hypertension. What’s more, MindBodyGreen notes there are several healing benefits you appear to gain from sun exposure. Sunlight can help kill harmful bacteria, reduce your risk for depression, and fight skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis. Adding more sun to your days can be super simple. Lounge on a park bench while you eat lunch, go for a walk with your dog, sip your morning coffee on the porch, or spend some time meditating.
Another idea is to join us for a Yoga in The Park! Now that the Weather is getting nicer you can join us for these free (donations accepted) events all around town. YOu get to experience your favorite practice at local parks, soaking up the benefits of Vitamin D as well as movement with Breath! It can’t really get better! Check out our Special Events Page to know when our next Park Yoga will be held!
Refresh your mind
Most of us think of meditation as a mental wellness booster, but there appear to be other health perks to enjoy as well. Some researchers feel meditation can help protect you from rheumatoid arthritis, high blood pressure, pain, and infertility, and it seems those who use relaxation techniques routinely have more “disease fighting genes” than those who don’t. You can also experience reduced inflammation, stronger immunity, and healthier hormone levels. One easy way to include meditation in your lifestyle is by adding an app to your smartphone. There are free ones, so just pick one to try and set aside a bit of time each day.
We actually have a great meditation workshop coming up on May 25th with Merritt Malouf and Tracy Busbee. These lovely ladies will teach us a little bit about natural stones and crystals and how they can be used to help enhance your meditation, and then Merrit will lead us on a guided meditation journey that will definitely help you feel relaxed, and untethered to the concerns of the day. Merritt will be leading monthly meditation workshops this summer, so be sure to keep an eye on our Special Events page!
In our busy world, good health can fall by the wayside. Thankfully, there are natural and easy things you can do which make a big impact with minimal time or effort. Make sure you’re healthy from head to toe with these simple lifestyle changes.
This is a guest post by Jason Lewis, Personal Trainer.