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Community Corner

Too Busy To Get Healthy? Think Again

Here are 31 ways to improve your health in 10 minutes or less.

What do you think if when you think of a healthy lifestyle?

I am sure the answers most people would give fall into something of these categories:

  • Not smoking or using “recreational drugs” and cutting back of alcohol.
  • Maintaining a healthy weight
  • Eating healthy foods
  • Working out

What percent of Americans do you think are doing all four of these things?

The answer is 1 to 10 percent!

Why is that? Well, for some the idea of maintaining all four of the categories is overwhelming. People can easily come up with excuses about why they can’t or don’t fit into these four categories. “It’s just too hard,” “I am so tired from working all day” “I am too lazy to cook,” “I have no creativity in the kitchen.”

All of these excuses are real and I am sure there are a million more where they came from. Being healthy doesn’t have to take up all your time. The idea of spending two hours preparing a healthy meal or having to run for an hour straight to exercise is enough can deter people from improving their health. Time and health seem to be at odds -- I totally understand that feeling!

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Do you have 10 minutes a day? Come on, 10 minutes?! Here are 31 of ways to improve your health in 10 minutes or under!

  • Sit up straighter
  • Brush your teeth
  • Do 15 sit-ups
  • Read Karen Fabian’s latest
  • Eat a piece of fruit
  • Stretch
  • Enjoy a cup of coffee or tea from Zume’s
  • Post an inspirational quote on Twitter or Facebook
  • Do 10 squats
  • Drink 8 oz. of water
  • Smile
  • Make instant oatmeal for breakfast
  • Walk to the next bus stop instead of the one closer to your house (come on- the 92 and 93 bus stops are really close together…you can do it!)
  • Ask to have your salad dressing on the side
  • Open a window
  • Take a deep breath
  • Put on your seat belt
  • Go to bed 10 minutes earlier
  • Find a new healthy recipe
  • Wash your hands
  • Check your blood pressure
  • Jog in place
  • Ask a friend to join you for a healthy dinner
  • Lose the remote and get up to change the channel
  • Hug someone you love
  • Lay out your clothes for the next day
  • Take a 10 minute break
  • Take a quick walk
  • Do 5 push-up every commercial break
  • Laugh!
  • Read this list again and see how many of these things you can try to add.

How many of these can you do today, this week, this month? It may not be the healthy four-course meal or that hour yoga class you had in mind…but every bit counts!

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