Seven Simplest Health - keeping Habits, Just a Few Dozen Minutes a Day, and Your Body Will Truly Appreciate You!

The best way to pursue health and longevity is to stick to several good health - keeping habits. Some people often complain that they are so busy in daily life that they have no time or energy for health - keeping. In fact, health - keeping doesn't require a lot of time. Just a few dozen minutes a day can bring significant benefits to your body! So, what reason do you have not to keep it up? 1. Walk briskly for 10 minutes a day, reducing the cancer risk A 2023 study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that doing 11 minutes (75 minutes a week) of moderate - intensity exercise, such as brisk walking, is enough to reduce the risks of cardiovascular diseases, strokes, and some cancers. ① Data shows that 75 minutes of moderate - intensity exercise a week can reduce the risk of premature death by 23%, the risk of cardiovascular diseases by 17%, and the cancer risk by 7%. Especially for some specific cancers, the risk reduction is even greater: the risks of head and neck cancer, myeloid leukemia, myeloma, and gastric cardia cancer can be reduced by 14% - 26%; the risks of lung cancer, liver cancer, endometrial cancer, colon cancer, and breast cancer can be reduced by 3% - 11%. 2. Take a 10 - minute nap a day, delaying brain aging A 2023 study published in Sleep Health showed that there is a causal relationship between regular napping and a larger total brain volume. Napping slows down the rate at which the brain shrinks with age, thus helping to maintain brain health. The study found that compared with people without a genetic tendency to nap, those with a genetic tendency to nap are associated with an increase in total brain volume of 15.8 cubic centimeters. Researchers estimate that this is equivalent to the brain volume aging of people with a napping habit being slowed down by 2.6 - 6.5 years. 3. Do wall - sits for 10 minutes, helping lower blood pressure A review published in the journal Sports Medicine in 2024 stated that isometric exercise has been proven to be a new effective way to lower blood pressure. In terms of blood - pressure - lowering effect, wall - sits may be the most effective isometric exercise. Data shows that wall - sits can reduce blood pressure by 11.41/5.09 mmHg. ③ Why does isometric exercise help lower blood pressure? The review introduced that the mechanism of blood - pressure reduction after isometric exercise is complex, and the reduction of total peripheral resistance seems to be the key. It is most likely due to the improvement of local endothelium - dependent vasodilation and vasomotor tension function, and may also be related to vascular structure remodeling. 4. Sunbathe for 10 minutes, helping prevent diabetes A 2019 cross - sectional study in middle - aged European populations published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism showed that more sun exposure can enhance insulin sensitivity and reduce triglyceride levels, thus helping to reduce the risks of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. ④ Long - term exposure to strong sunlight may cause sunburn and increase the risk of skin cancer. Usually, 15 - 30 minutes of sunbathing a day is enough to meet the vitamin D needs of most people. 5. Laugh for 10 minutes a day, relieving dry eye A 2024 research result from the Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center of Sun Yat - sen University was published in The BMJ: patients with mild to moderate dry eye can effectively improve their symptoms through "laughing training", and the treatment effect is no less than that of using artificial tears (0.1% sodium hyaluronate). "Our research has confirmed the therapeutic effect of 'laughing training' on dry eye." Liang Lingyi, deputy director of the Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center of Sun Yat - sen University and director of the Office of Prevention and Treatment of Blindness, said in an interview with the People's Daily Health Client. The research team designed the "laughing training" commands based on the movements of facial and eye muscles: "hihihi (phonetic spelling), hahaha, qiezi qiezi qiezi, qixi qixi qixi, hahahahaha", 30 commands for one training session, and 4 sessions a day. After 8 weeks of intervention, the symptoms and signs of patients in both the "laughing training" group and the 0.1% sodium hyaluronate group improved, and the "laughing training" group was no less effective than the 0.1% sodium hyaluronate group. Even in some improvements of signs, the "laughing training" group was better than the 0.1% sodium hyaluronate group. ⑤ 6. Climb stairs for 10 minutes, reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases A 2023 study published by researchers from Peking University in the journal Atherosclerosis found that compared with people who don't climb stairs, those who climb more than 5 times (10 steps each time) a day have a nearly 20% lower risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases. The analysis found that compared with people who don't climb stairs, the risks of atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases of people who climb stairs 1 - 5 times, 6 - 10 times, 11 - 15 times, 16 - 20 times a day are reduced by 3%, 16%, 22%, 23%, and 19% respectively. Researchers emphasized that climbing stairs is a low - cost and convenient exercise method. In our fast - paced life, it is crucial to find effective ways to stay healthy. 7. Stroll in the park for 10 minutes, driving away negative emotions A 2024 study published in Science Advances showed that spending time in contact with nature is beneficial to people - exposure to nature through smell can affect emotions, thoughts, reduce stress, and improve physical health, thus enhancing our well - being; even short - term contact with nature can be helpful. ⑦ That is, if you're unhappy, stressed, or have some negative emotions like anxiety and depression, staying in the park for ten or twenty minutes will relieve them.