Next time you feel like you’re about to lose it, switch off your computer monitor and take a look out the window.
New research shows it might be just that simple. Looking at a landscape in the middle of a stressful situation helps calm your heart rate. Read the rest of this entry »
Apr 17
We’ve got a surefire way to keep the happy feelings pouring in. And you don’t have to inhale.
Just grab your workout shoes and get going. Research now confirms it: Sustained aerobic exercise can give you a natural high.
Happiness Is All in Your Head
Researchers recently noted all sorts of endorphin activity when they studied the brain scans of people who’d gone for a 2-hour run. Their emotion- and mood-controlling brain regions were particularly saturated with the feel-good hormones. But you don’t necessarily have to run marathons to boost the natural mood-enhancing chemicals in your blood. In fact, you might not need to run at all.
Taking care of your emotional health and well-being can make your RealAge up to 16 years younger.
Feeling overwhelmed? A quick liaison with lavender may help keep things under control.
Seems a scant 5 minutes of exposure to mild lavender aromas helps curb the release of cortisol — a key stress hormone that can prematurely age you by triggering inflammation.
Bonus Scents
In a recent study of Japanese co-eds, sniffing lavender not only lowered cortisol levels but also may have enhanced antioxidant activity in their bodies — a double blow to the aging process.
5 More Ways to Relax and Live Longer
Every little bit of stress busting helps your health. So in addition to lavender baths and aromatherapy kits, help kiss your stress goodbye with these tips:
* Think it away. This in-the-moment technique will do it.
* Set your iPod to your “slow tunes” playlist.
* Try these calm-you-down-quick foods.
* Set aside some time to get your worrying done. Here’s why.
Managing chronic disease can diminish its effect on your RealAge.realage
Jan 16
Let It Out: 3 Breathing Exercises
To experiment with these exercises, sit in a chair with your back comfortably upright, feet on the floor, shoulders down, chest open, and hands resting in your lap. Let your abdomen expand with each inhale and contract with every exhalation. You may want to close your eyes and really focus on your breaths.
Exercise #1 — Let it all out.
Take a deep breath through your nose, and let it out easily through your mouth. At the end of the exhalation, silently repeat “la-lala-la-laaah,” which effortlessly extends the exhalation, releasing more air from your lungs. Feel your abdomen inflate with the next inhale. Do 5 times. Read the rest of this entry »
