Health mistake 1: Driving with the windows down – We feel pretty content cruising up the motorway with the wind blowing through our hair on a warm day, but we never spare a thought for our poor lungs. A study from the University of Southern California has found that spending a mere six per cent of our day driving in the car with the windows down exposes us to around 45 per cent of the pollutants that we encounter in 24 hours.
Health mistake 2: Carrying a HEAVY HANDBAG
You’ve packed your makeup, baby wipes, phone, purse and keys and your camera too. Oh, good to see you brought the old batteries from the remote – never know when you might need them. Erm, ladies (and gentleman, if you’re quite partial to carrying a ‘manbag’) do you really need all this stuff? Surely these ‘essentials’ could be cut down a bit? Lugging a heavy load around can really take its toll on your health by causing back spasms, disc degeneration, neck problems, arthritis, and poor posture.
Health mistake 3: Spending too LONG EXERCISING
It’s pretty common to think that the more time we spend on the exercise bike, the better. The truth is, too much of a good thing can be counterproductive and that goes for exercise too. Working your body too hard can lead to abnormal hormonal changes (which can trigger weight gain), a weaker immune system, muscle damage, shin splints, and knee, foot, or back problems. Whilst it’s important to reap the benefits of exercise for a healthy lifestyle, don’t go overboard;.
Health mistake 4: Scrimping on sleep – You’ve crammed everything you can possibly fit into twenty four hours and more, when suddenly you look at the clock and it’s way past the time you hoped to go to bed Scientific research has proven that we look less attractive when we’ve had little sleep, but droopy eyelids and pasty skin are the least of our worries when it comes to our habit of scrimping on sleep. Scientists studied 5,600 people of a healthy weight and size for three years and found those who skipped sleep quadrupled their risk of stroke and heart disease. Fix a specific time to go to bed and stick to it.
Health mistake 5: Avoiding the scales In many households across the world, the scales are the one piece of equipment gathering more dust than the treadmill. A common way to gloss over our weight problems is to avoid going on the scales altogether; we go by the mantra “If I don’t see that I’ve gained weight, then I don’t have to believe it”. Everyone’s weight naturally fluctuates so don’t panic if you’ve gained a couple of pounds here and there, but if you gain more than five pounds, you should probably reign in your eating habits. Checking your weight on a regular basis allows you to nip it in the bud if you discover a weight problem – llosing the odd few pounds is much easier than trying to shed a stone.
Health mistake 6: Silent worrying
You worry about the meeting at work, you worry about putting the bins out, you worry that you might forget to feed the cat, and it’s really getting you down. Whilst stress can be positive in helping to keep you alert and avoid danger, too much of it can be detrimental to your health. Endless worrying eventually leads to distress which causes headaches, high blood pressure, an upset stomach, chest pain, and sleep deprivation.
Whilst it’s natural to worry when you have a deadline looming, panicking too much about petty things needs to be sorted. When you’re worrying, ask yourself a few simple questions and answer them as honestly as you can. Will you still be worrying about this in a couple of week’s time? Can this problem be easily resolved? If you can’t let it go, tackle the problem head on until it is resolved. If you can learn how to control your worrying, you’re well on your way to a happier, healthier lifestyle.
