Wellness Minute by Phil Mateja

A healthy lifestyle doesn't have to mean treadmill and salads everyday.  Many activities that are fun and pleasurable are also good for you.  Here are some:1.  Smile - it changes your attitude, makes you connect with people and gives benefit to your body.2.  Relax - the opposite of stress.  It helps the body rest, heal and function better.3.  Make Exercise Play - games and sports are a great way to keep both your body and mind healthy.4.  Sleep - you get more energy, better immune function and keeps you from stress.5.  Be Positive - i

 Keep your brain fit!  Try these ways to also help.5.  Exercise Your Body to Exercise Your Brain - by moving your body, your brain has to learn new muscle skills, estimate distance and practice balance.6.  Read Something Different - if you read history books, try a contemporary novel.  Read foreign authors, the classics and random books.7.  Learn a new skill - works multiple areas of the brain.  Your memory comes into play, you learn new movements and you associate things differently.8.  Make simple changes - change routes to the groc

Here are some ways to keep your brain fit:1.  Play Games - suduko, crossword puzzles, word jumbles help your brain's speed and memory.2.  Eat for Your Brain - You need less saturated fats in your diet.3.  Tell Good Stories - helps solidify memories, interpret events and share moments.4.  Turn Off the TV - get out and exercise your mind and body. 

Brain fitness has basic principles:  variety and curiosity.  When anything you do becomes second nature, you need to make a change.  If you can do the crossword puzzle in your sleep, it's time for you to move on to a new challenge in order to get the best workout for your brain.  Curiosity about the world around you, how it works and how you can understand it will keep your brain working fast and efficiently.

Some additional tips to prevent back pain:6.  Find the Best Sleeping Positions - this will help avoid placing unnecessary strains on your back or neck.7.  Warm Up - if you exercise, warm ups are a must.  You need to acclimate the muscles to a more intense activity level gradually enough to prevent injury and pain.8.  Cool Down - you must stretch after exercise.  It relieves tightness which is one cause of back pain.9.  Interrupt Long Sitting Periods - force yourself to get out your chair as long as your work environment will permit.  Sitting loa

Preventing back pain may be the simplest way to deal with it.  Here are some ways to help you care for your back:1.  Lift Safely - use your legs, not your back, keep objects lifted close to your body.2.  Minimize and Avoid Twisting Motions - especially when lifting heavy objects.3.  Drink Plenty of Water - that keeps you fluid, rather than stiff.  Water helps the vertebral disks, keeping them the healthy shock absorbers that they are.4.  Be Active and Strengthen Your Abs - you need to keep the spine strong.  To avoid back pain, strengthen your a

Here are some changes you can make to lead a healthier, less stressed lifestyle:1.  Healthy Eating - switching to a healthier diet brings some of the greatest benefits of wellness.2.  Regular Exercise - keeps your weight in check, manages overall stress levels and keeps many health conditions at bay.3.  Quality Sleep - very important, lack of adequate sleep has many negative consequences. 

Many people feel intimidated by making healthy lifestyle changes for a few reasons:1.  There are so many changes that can benefit health and wellness that it's difficult to know where to start.2.  People often try to make too many changes at once, then find it too difficult and give up their effort.3.  Let's face it:  change is difficult, especially when you are stressed.  Sometimes lifestyle stress takes over and diminishes momentum. 

While maintaining healthy habits is a bit more challenging than trying a stress relief method only once, the benefits you receive from maintaining a healthy lifestyle are more than worth the effort it takes to maintain it.  The increases in health and wellness that you experience, and the reduction in stress, will make you wish you'd made these changes sooner.  These changes can be a wonderful source of continued motivation.

Maintaining a balanced, healthy lifestyle is important for several reasons:1.  Can help you reverse your stress response, enabling you to avoid or even reverse the negative effects of chronic stress.2.  Can bring additional benefits, such as endorphin rush, a release of frustration, or added longevity.3.  Can help you become less reactive to stress in the long run, providing protection against stress you haven't even experienced yet! 

We all experience stress.  And, just as stress comes from many areas of life, effective stress management comes from combating stress on many different fronts.Part of a comprehensive stress relief plan involves finding ways to calm down quickly so you can more effectively manage stress as it comes, while avoiding the negative effects of chronic stress.  Another important way to relieve stress is to maintain healthy lifestyle habits.

Sitting might be killing you.  In the short run, it may be slowing your metabolism so you burn less fat when you finally get up and exercise.  If you find yourself sitting for hours a day, try these ways to add more activity:Set a Get-Up Break Each 30 Minutes - move around 2-5 minutes to feel better.Pace While on the Phone - stand up and move while talking to break up sitting time.Don't Make Things Too Convenient - put some items outside of easy grabbing distance so you get out of your chair.Get Up and Walk Rather than E-Mailing or Messaging - g

It may be ironic, but if you've ever felt too tired to workout, exercise is the one thing that may cure you.  Getting enough sleep, reducing stress and eating a nutritious diet are all important for energy, but one major factor is movement.  Studies show that exercise increases feelings of energy and lessens feelings of fatigue.  Exercise also teaches the body how to produce more energy, making it more efficient at burning fat.

Exercise not only strengthens your body, it can also strengthen your mind.  One study found that moderate exercise by older adults can reduce the odds of mild cognitive impairment by 30% to 40%.Some experts believe that exercise can keep our minds sharp because it improves circulation throughout the body and the brain, which boosts your attention and ability to concentrate.Exercise can even make you more productive at work.  People who exercise during the day perform better, manage their time more efficiently and are mentally sharper. 

High blood pressure, which is considered anything over 149/90 mm Hg, can contribute to a number of health problems including coronary heart disease, stroke and congestive heart failure.  Losing weight and watching your salt and alcohol intake are the best ways to lower your blood pressure.  Studies have found that 3-5 moderate intensity workouts a week for 30-60 minutes each is sufficient to reduce high blood pressure.  Regular exercise may even protect you from developing high blood pressure, which can be a problem as we age.

Of all the health problems we suffer from, diabetes can be the most maddening.  Diabetes affects how your body digests food.  Your body can't break down sugar, which leads to high glucose levels and potential health problems like nerve damage, kidney failure, vision problems, heart disease and depression.Obesity is the top risk factor for getting Type 2 diabetes, which is one reason why exercise is such a powerful tool.  Exercise also helps manage blood glucose levels and enhance insulin sensitivity. 

Besides watching your calories, studies show that exercise is one of the most powerful tools for weight loss.  The calories you burn during cardio and strength training help you lose weight, prevent future weight gain and avoid obesity.This is critical since being overweight or obese can put you at risk for a variety of health problems such as Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, gallstones, depression, low self-esteem and more. 

What if there was one thing you could do to live longer, have more energy, potentially avoid heart disease, cancer, stroke and injury, while boosting your mood, self-confidence and body image?  Would you do it?  That one thing does exist but unfortunately, there are too many of us who aren't taking advantage of it.  That one thing is exercise, one of the few activities you can do that can improve every aspect of your life--physically, mentally, emotionally, psychologically and socially.

An important tip is to watch your portion sizes when you eat in restaurants.  Many restaurants serve huge portions, so take half of your dinner home in a to-go container.  The next day, all you need is a clean plate and a microwave for another tasty meal.

Exercise is important for people with arthritis and for those who have had a joint replacement.  Keeping your weight down and your muscles strong can help to delay joint replacement and improve your surgical result from joint-replacement surgery.  Learn different ways to exercise so that you are pain-free, despite your arthritis.

There are a few warning signs that may indicate a problem that needs immediate attention by a physician:1.  Your back pain persists beyond a few days2.  Your back pain awakens you at night3.  You have difficulty controlling your bowels or bladder4.  You have a fever, chills, sweats or other signs of infection5.  Any other unusual symptoms 

The most frustrating aspect in treatment of back pain is that there is no "magic bullet."  Most individuals recover by simply avoiding strain to their spine.  Patients often find help from ice, heat and medications.  If the basic steps do not alleviate back pain, the next step is to seek medical evaluation.  Depending on the symptoms and the length of the problem, your physician can properly organize a treatment schedule.

The complaint of low back pain is among the most common medical problems.  To begin on the positive side, people must understand that most episodes of back pain resolve, and usually within a few weeks.  Unfortunately, back pain can be among the most difficult and frustrating problems for patients and their doctors.Understanding the cause of back pain is the key to proper treatment.  Because back pain is sometimes difficult to treat, a better understanding of the causes of this problem will assist patients in their recovery from back pain. 

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, yet many skip it because they are in too much of a hurry.  Your body needs the energy to get your body and your brain through the morning.  So what can you do to have a quick and healthy breakfast?  You can prepare some hard-boiled eggs and whole-grain muffins, then store them in the refrigerator.  Keep cold cereals on hand.  Choose healthy foods and you'll start the day with good nutrition. 

1.  Keep your goal reasonable.  Don't worry about your ideal body weight.  Try to lose 10 pounds, then keep it off.2.  Low-Impact Workout.  Try swimming or water aerobics rather than walking to reduce joint pain.3.  Diet.  Watching what you eat is just as important as exercise.  Don't try to lose weight by a sudden, drastic change in exercise habits or diet.  Make your changes subtle.4.  Get help.  Find a support network which includes talking with your doctor, making goals with friends and using online tools to help you achieve your goals. 

The scientific data is very clear:  even modest reductions in body weight can significantly reduce the symptoms of joint pain.  While no one is suggesting that losing weight is easy, this does provide optimism for people who are overweight and have arthritis.  Weight loss is difficult when you have bad joints; however, there are ways to exercise that do not place too much stress on the joints of your body.

Having trouble exercising?  Try some of these simple steps to become more active:1.  Get up 15 minutes earlier than normal and go for a walk.2.  When you get to work, park your vehicle in a far-away spot and speedwalk to the door.  3.  Get up every hour and stretch if you work at a desk.4.  On a break, take a brisk walk around the building or down the stairs.5.  On your lunch hour, save a few minutes for a walk before you eat.6.  Rather than send an e-mail, go talk to the person face-to-face.