The origin of the term “KISS” meaning “Keep It Simple, Stupid!” has been largely credited to an American army aircraft engineer who was building spy planes.
Ignoring the insult of being called stupid, this principle is applicable to many aspects of our lives – including our health.
Let’s look at the simple steps one can take to a happier, healthier life.
Take the stairs. Okay, so if your office is on the 20th floor taking the stairs might actually kill you if you’re not fit. But what about taking the lift to the 15th floor and climbing the stairs the rest of the way to get your heart pumping?
Cardiovascular exercises have been shown to add years to your life and helps reduce the likelihood of diseases like high blood pressure and diabetes.
Climbing the stairs will also help engage your core muscles including your glutes. It’s a nice way to make sure that new pair of jeans looks even better on you.
Once five flights of stairs gets too easy, amp it up by running up the stairs or adding more flights.
Sit up straight. Don’t slouch. Bad posture is a side effect of our sedentary lifestyle. We spend our days at the office peering at computer screens. When we get home, we slouch on the couch watching Netflix.
It might feel like the most comfortable position in the world but bad posture is the most common cause of lower back pain.
Here’s a handy way to remind you to sit up straight. Get a chair with a high back rest that is slightly tilted at an angle. Put a tennis ball between your shoulder blades and the chair. When the ball falls off, that’s when you know you’re off position.
Good posture not only prevents back pain but also helps you exude a sense of confidence.
Cut the sugar. If you feel this is a step too far, start slow. Allow yourself a cup of coffee with just one teaspoon of sugar in the morning.
For the rest of the day, drink only plain water. If even this is too extreme, cut off at least one sugary drink and go from there.
Before you know it, you will be cutting sugar from everything else. By the way, ordering plain water saves plenty on your lunch bill.
Indulge yourself in the occasional Baskin Robbins but don’t binge. With less or no sugar in your diet, you’ll soon find you can fit into your smaller sized clothes again. Maybe, you’ll even start seeing your jawline.
As a bonus, you might just avoid getting diabetes.
Sleep earlier and ditch the screens before bedtime. Being well-rested will make you feel good throughout the day.
Sleeping early has been shown to sharpen attention, reduce stress, lower risk of depression and make it easier to maintain a healthy weight.
Flossing teeth. This habit never seems to stick despite all the benefits paraded about it. An extra few minutes after brushing your teeth helps prevent a variety of gum diseases and tooth decay. Take care of that winning smile.
Use sunscreen. Most people use sunscreen only during holiday season by the beach. But did you know using sunscreen regularly when outdoors is also beneficial?
Ultraviolet rays damage the architecture of the skin, giving you wrinkles earlier in life. Constant exposure to these rays also increases the probability of getting skin cancer especially if you’re fair-skinned as you have less protective melanin pigments.
Wearing sunscreen regularly helps maintain a youthful complexion and protects you from skin cancer in one smooth sweep of the hand.
Preserve your mental health. Stay organised with a daily to-do list. If anything on that list takes less than five minutes to do, do it immediately.
Procrastination is only stealing time from the future. What’s more, too many incomplete small tasks can weigh unnecessarily on your mind.
Stress is a risk factor of many diseases ranging from hypertension to depression. Five minutes of organisation daily in the morning might just do the trick.
DoctorOnCall is Malaysia’s first online clinic that allows chat, phone, and video calls directly with a registered Malaysian doctor at www.doctoroncall.com.my
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/doctoroncallMY
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doctoroncallmy
DISCLAIMER: The information in this article is not a substitute for professional medical advice. You are encouraged to confirm any information obtained here with other sources, and review all information with your physician. Please do not disregard professional medical advice or delay treatment because of something you have read here. FMT is not responsible and liable for any damage caused through information obtained here.