You don’t need an expert to explain how beneficial sleep is for your overall health. You already know how much better you feel when you wake up after a good night’s rest. The benefits extend beyond an energy boost and better mood. Optimal sleep may help support your health far more than you realize, which is especially true if you aren’t sleeping enough right now. 

According to sleep experts, the average adult should get seven to eight hours of sleep every night. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that getting less than that may reduce immunity and increase the risk of chronic conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, depression, obesity, and heart disease. Yet, one in three people do not get enough sleep per night. Even though this is the case, you can improve your chances of getting better, more restorative sleep. The following tips explain how you can set yourself up for sleep success.

Lower Your Thermostat

There is an attraction to being warm and cozy and snuggling up like a little fox in a bed. According to sleep experts, though, keeping your bedroom cool at night can support more optimal sleep. The body’s core temperature naturally dips in the evening to prepare the body for bed. For this reason, experts recommend that you put your thermostat between 60 to 65 degrees Fahrenheit to keep the body cool. If you run hot at night, consider purchasing sheets or nightwear that is moisture-wicking or cooling. 

Move Your Body

Some evidence suggests that exercising during the day leads to more restful sleep, especially for adults and older adults. Physical activity actively tires out the body’s major muscles and helps to relieve stress, both of which relax the mind and body, making it easier for you to fall asleep. You don’t have to run a marathon or take part in a Spartan race to reap the benefits. A 2017 study found that regular movement can improve both sleep quality and duration, regardless of the intensity of your exercise. 

Make Your Bedroom A Sleep Haven

You do not need to do any major remodeling to your bedroom to sleep better. Set your bedroom up for sleep success by making it very dark, cool, and as tranquil as you can. Darkness is paramount because the more light you have, the likelier your mind is to race and wake up. Research from 2018 found that even a soft glow can disrupt your sleep, so consider purchasing blackout curtains or shades and unplug any devices or charges that emit light. Sleep experts also encourage you to make your bedroom a sleep-only zone, meaning you don’t spend time in bed catching up on work emails or scrolling social media. Treat your bedroom as a sacred space for sleep, which may help train your brain to power down when you go under the covers at night.

Try Relaxation Techniques In Bed

If you struggle to fall asleep because you get tense or anxious at night, it can be beneficial to engage in relaxation techniques. Many people benefit from guided imagery, meditation, deep breathing exercises, and progressive muscle relaxation. Trying to force yourself to fall asleep usually has the opposite effect. If you are not able to doze off with the relaxation techniques we just mentioned, consider reading, listening to an audiobook, or listening to calming music. Accepting your sleepless state can actually relax the mind and make it easier to fall asleep. 

Create A Relaxing Bedtime Routine

Sleep experts suggest going to bed and waking up around the same time daily to regulate the body’s internal clock. Research from 2015 found that consistent sleep and wake times may make it easier to fall asleep at night and wake up with more energy the next day. In order to do this, consider establishing a nighttime ritual, which can include pre-bed activities that aid sleep, such as: 

• Dimming the lights: A study from 2019 found that exposure to bright light suppresses the body’s production of melatonin. Turning off or dimming the lights an hour or so before bed may help you drift off more easily. Additionally, stop looking at screens an hour or so before bed to reduce your exposure to blue light. 
• Take a hot shower or bath: Taking a steamy, hot shower or warm bath is very relaxing, but it’s the aftermath that may have a positive effect on your sleep. Research from 2019 found that the body’s core temperature starts to go down after a hot bath/shower. That supports that natural temperature dip that occurs every evening to prime the body for sleep.

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A 2021 study found that people who practiced mindful meditation during COVID-19 reported better mental health than those who didn’t. Those participants also felt that it was easier to be more aware of their surroundings, while simultaneously connecting with inner feelings. By practicing mindfulness, you can benefit the mind and body, and this doesn’t have to be a trivial or difficult thing. Simple breathing exercises, yoga, or other small daily habits can improve mindfulness. 

What Is Mindfulness?

Mindfulness is a sense of awareness of your surroundings and your internal state of being. A mindfulness practice, then, helps you acknowledge your thoughts in a healthy, productive way. In doing so, you can avoid destructive habits or behaviors that cause stress. You can use mindfulness as a tool to mediate stress and promote relaxation. Modern practices tend to focus on meditation, attention, relaxation, and observing passing thoughts. 

In recent years, many reports have stressed the importance of mindfulness and how to practice it in the workplace. Expert advice or blog posts don’t always explain how to make mindfulness a sustainable practice. The following hacks can help you make mindfulness a daily habit. The goal is that you won’t need to think about mindfulness one day in the future because it will be a natural part of your day.

Find Mindfulness Role Models

Find people in your life that are very centered or grounded. If you don’t have these in your family or friend group, consider finding inspiration online or on social media. Allow these people to inspire you and lead you down a more mindful path. Perhaps you follow an Instagram profile that gives you new daily affirmations. Mindfulness can help you realize your happiness via regular practice!

There Are No Mistakes

A lot of people think that there is a right way to practice mindfulness. In reality, there are no mistakes, and it can take 10 to 200 days to make mindfulness a habit. Everyone makes mistakes, but the great thing about mindfulness is that you will eventually start to embrace it as your daily reality. One day, you will unconsciously be in the moment, but be kind to yourself as you begin your journey. 

Record Your Intentions

It can be beneficial to create a mindfulness mantra that you use as a trigger, for example, when you need to direct your focus to the present moment. It can be helpful to maintain a journal to track why you want to make mindfulness a daily habit. In this journal, you can release your frustrations or anything you want to let out. At the same time, write about the small, beautiful moments and then see which entries bring you more joy. Documenting your mindfulness can help cultivate more of it!

Don’t Censor Yourself

It is very easy for the mind to think about nothing and anything all at once. Yogis refer to the constant whirlwind of thoughts as “the monkey mind.” When practicing mindfulness, the goal is to witness these thoughts without attachment or judgment. Turn one of your senses in another direction and aim to become more aware of the moment, even if it is mundane. There is something very beautiful about observing yourself in the present!

Focus On The Benefits

As you engage in mindfulness practices daily, focus on the benefits you may or may not notice. Do you regularly engage in old, harmful, self-sabotaging routines? Is there anything different about you or the way you behave? Humans are naturally goal-oriented, which is not always a bad thing. Mindfulness is about the journey and commitment to the practice. Instead of focusing on a specific goal, empower yourself by realizing what you’ve gained along your journey.

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Shopping during the holidays is no easy feat, especially if you brave crowded malls to handpick items. Online shopping is so readily available and easy, making it a much less stressful experience. Regardless of how you do your holiday shopping, it is fun to do, especially if your entire mission is to show people how much you love them. 

Gone are the days of just giving gifts to give them. Thoughtful, personal, and practical gifts are much more appreciated by the receiver. And the great thing about a gift that fits in these categories is that it doesn’t have to be expensive. There are many useful or meaningful gifts that are budget-friendly. You may or may not have some of these gifts in mind for certain loved ones, but we’re here to help in case you don’t. You’ll find plenty of inspiration for others, or yourself, by exploring the following list of healthy gift ideas. 

Mental Health Gifts

A Subscription To Mindfulness Apps

If you know that someone struggles with their mental health, consider giving them an entire year of pick-me-ups. There are many apps that offer various services, including meditation, breath work, workouts, and morning motivation. The person you give it to may indulge in a one-minute deep breathing break, or a three-hour procrastinating-fighting playlist. For the person that loves breathing exercises, there are specific breath work apps that can help you harness the power of breath!

A Weighted Blanket

If you or someone you know needs a snuggly gift that boosts mental health, the weighted blanket is an excellent gift. Weighted blankets work to activate the parasympathetic nervous system by applying pressure therapy. That can help the body enter the rest-and-digest state, which helps in relieving anxiety, stress, and sleep issues. There are many weighted blankets on the market, so you may want to choose the one based on the material you or the gift receiver will enjoy.

Online Art Therapy Classes

Art therapy can have powerful mental health benefits because it provides a creative outlet for you to express your feelings and emotions. Research suggests that artistic expression is a great stress reliever and powerful way to reduce anxiety and self-worth. Give your most creative friend a subscription for an online class library, which includes various art therapy courses. If the online subscription doesn’t sound good, consider gifting some art classes at a local studio. 

Calming Gifts That Promote Recovery

Percussive Massage Gun

The great thing about percussive massage guns is that they are readily available at varying costs. You can spend anywhere from $30 to $500+ on these massage guns, just so you are aware of the range. Make sure to read reviews and see which attachments or shapes are best for your body. They provide just the right amount of pressure to help relieve muscle tension and have excellent battery lives. Consider getting a small travel-size one for someone who travels a lot.

Acupuncture Mat

This is the perfect gift for anyone who is always on their feet. An acupuncture mat is slightly cushioned with plastic spikes that target acupressure points in your feet. You can also lay on the mat on your back to help improve circulation and provide pain relief. It is foldable and easy to bring on the go if you want!

At-Home Spa Day Gifts

A Cozy Bathrobe

Treat yourself or a loved one to a five-star bathrobe that is incredibly cozy. These are perfect for at-home spa days, or just relaxing on leisurely mornings. You can even go the extra mile and have the robe embroidered with the recipient’s initials. 

A Heating Pad

Anyone who experiences regular muscle pain will appreciate this gift. A heating pad works to relax the muscles and provide relief from joint stiffness. Heat invites more blood to the area of application, which is integral for the recovery process. It can also be a great gift for anyone who experiences menstrual cramps. 

Bath Bombs

There is no reason that you need to soak in plain warm water when so many bath additions are available. Bath bombs are beautifully scented, they color the water, and help your skin feel so much better than it did before the bath. Consider getting a bath bomb set so that there are various options to choose from.

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Does becoming a morning person change your life? You have to first become a morning person and decide that for yourself. What you may come to realize is that investing time in the morning is an investment to your overall health and wellbeing. Giving yourself more time in the morning may promote productivity, better mood, and reduce levels of stress. Should you want to become more of a morning person, you’ll need to Ditch the following habits.

Waking Up Late

Most people think this is the dream, especially after a long week, but waking up late means less time for self-care. Waking up late on workdays leaves barely enough time to get ready, eat, and get out of the house. Without ample preparation time, you may start the day in a state of stress. You should ideally leave at least one hour in the morning for yourself. During this time, you can get ready, meditate, practice some affirmations, or engage in a gentle yoga sequence. This hour should help set your day up for success!

Checking Social Media First Thing After Waking Up

This is a terrible habit that many people have developed over the years. It is almost too easy to grab your phone and immediately check your email, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, text messages, and more. Once you stop looking at your phone immediately after getting up, you’ll realize how strongly that little habit affects your mood throughout the day. Even though it feels like an urge, we encourage you to not open your social media after waking up. You want to keep your mind calm in the morning, but checking your phone bombards your brain with images, news, notifications, and more. You lose focus and your sense of time while doom scrolling, which wastes time that could be spent on yourself. 

Not Letting Natural Light And Fresh Air In

A great habit to embrace during your morning routine is to look at the morning sun (not directly at it) for 10 minutes. This has proven benefits for your mental health. The reason to open your windows to allow fresh air and natural light into your home is to help wake up your brain. The natural light cues your body to be awake and keeps you from remaining sleepy as you begin your morning routine. 

Staying In Bed After You Wake Up

You most likely stay in your bed after you wake up because you don’t know what else to do. Sometimes, this habit causes you to fall back asleep, and then you wake up in a panic because you are late. When you wake up, it is best to rise immediately and meet yourself fully. That means that you engage in a yoga routine, meditation practice, or other morning routine right after you get out of bed. This takes time and self-discipline, but we believe that you can do it!

Not Having A Productive Morning Routine

If your morning lacks structure, then you will likely not have a productive or relaxing morning. Humans grow via action and doing things that add meaning or value to life can lead to feelings of satisfaction. When you wake up early, you need to have a plan or routine in place. If you don’t know what to do, then you will likely become frustrated. When you get morning light, take a cold shower or ice bath, meditate, stretch, or practice breathing exercises, your mornings will have purpose. Positivity and productivity will help you remain thankful in the morning. Don’t idle away during your morning time because that only wastes precious moments!

Not Making Your Bed

This may seem like it doesn’t factor into a successful morning routine, but the state of the surrounding room influences you more than you realize. A messy bed may cause you to feel messy or like you are in a state of disarray. When you make your bed and tidy up your room in the morning, you are more likely to feel light, bright, and clear-headed. If you think that making/not making your bed doesn’t affect your mental state, then you are probably wrong. You’ll be surprised how good the little things make you feel. 

Having Coffee As Your First Drink

The first beverage you want to drink after getting up is a tall glass of water. Extra points if you enhance that glass of water with some freshly squeezed lemon juice or apple cider vinegar. The body is in a dehydrated state, so drinking water puts you on the right step towards rehydrating the body. Drinking coffee not only increases cortisol (the stress hormone) levels, but it can also increase blood sugar and anxiety. Don’t alter the body’s energy level early in the morning; rather, have your coffee after 9:30 a.m. and you’ll start feeling a lot healthier.

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According to the Cleveland Clinic, an estimated five to 12% of adults deal with disorders of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). Jaw pain is rarely the only symptom related to these disorders. Neck and shoulder tension, in addition to headaches are very common symptoms that accompany TMJ disorders. Fortunately, there are a handful of yoga poses that may relieve tension and improve your daily life. 

Yoga poses work to relieve jaw pain in several ways. First off, specific yoga poses may correct a misaligned spine, specifically in the head and neck area. Staring down at your phone or computer can force the head forward and create tension in the neck. The muscles in the neck work to support your jaw joint, so you can experience tension in the jaw if they become tight. Yoga poses that aim to stretch the muscles in your neck and shoulders may help relieve TMJ symptoms. TMJ doesn’t always stem from neck pain, though, and jaw injury, arthritis in the jaw, stress, misaligned teeth, and teeth grinding can cause TMJ issues. If a tight neck accompanies your TMJ though, experiment with the following yoga poses for relief. 

Seated Neck Tilt

When you stretch the muscles in the neck, you can help relieve tension in the shoulders and TMJ. Make sure to take deep breaths as you stretch your neck muscles. Sit in a cross-legged position and keep your back straight. Rest your right forearm and hand on your right thigh and place your left hand behind your head. Hook your fingers under the bottom right side of your skull, just behind your ear. Gently tilt your head to the left and pull your head forward slightly to stretch the back right of your neck. Try to relax your jaw in this position and take four or five deep breaths. Return to the starting position and repeat on the other side. 

Locust Pose With Chin Tuck

Locust pose is an excellent stretch to relieve tension in your upper back. It involves lying on your stomach to elongate your spine and open your chest and shoulders. Adding the chin tuck may help realign the jaw, so long as you aren’t tightening it during the pose. Begin on your stomach and clasp your hands behind your back, so they rest on your buttocks. Your forehead should be resting on the ground. Take a deep breath in and keep your chin tucked as you lift your head away from the ground. Aim to left your upper back off the ground, engaging your glutes and lower back muscles to do so. Relax your jaw and breathe deeply for five breaths before releasing back to the ground. Repeat two more times. 

Heart Bench

If you have tight chest muscles, you may experience neck tension or TMJ pain as a result. Opening up those muscles in this supported heart bench can help counteract that tension. Roll up a towel or yoga blanket lengthwise and place it on your yoga mat so that it can support your spine. Lie on your back so that your spine is along the blanket or towel, ensuring that the base of your skull is resting on the edge of the blanket. Extend both arms out to the sides and close your eyes. Breathe deeply into your diaphragm and relax your neck, jaw, and forehead. Remain here for five to 10 breaths and then come out of the position. 

Thread The Needle

Jaw tension can occur simultaneously with thoracic spine and shoulder tension. If you open up your shoulders by engaging in this pose, you may find some relief in jaw and neck tension. Begin on all fours in a tabletop position, stacking your wrists above your wrists and hips above your knees. On a deep inhale, draw your left arm up toward the ceiling and then thread it through the center of your body. Drop your left shoulder to the ground as you “thread the needle” by reaching your left arm under and across your body. Rest your left temple on the ground and relax your jaw and face. Take three to five deep breaths, return to the starting position, and then repeat on the other side. 

Diaphragmatic Breathing With Neck Support

If you want to encourage blood flow to your chest, shoulders, neck, and jaw, one of the best ways to do that is via diaphragmatic breathing. Similar to the Heart Bench pose, roll up a yoga mat or blanket to place under your neck for support. Lie flat on your back and bend your knees to plant your feet flat on the floor about six inches from your buttocks. Make sure that your neck is resting on the rolled blanket, hanging your head off the back. Relax your jaw and face, taking a few deep breaths into your diaphragm. Try to expand your ribs as much as you can during your inhale and then contract inward during your exhale. If it feels comfortable, place the palm of your left hand on your forehead and press your right hand into the ground. Take three to five more breaths and then release.

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A lot of people think of meditation as a person sitting in the mountains becoming one with the universe. It’s not some lofty Hollywood trend, nor is it a practice reserved for the most elite monks. Meditation comes in many forms and committing to a daily practice can help you narrow your focus and feel more connected to the present moment. By doing so, you may lower stress levels, become more self-aware, and improve immune function.

Many spiritual traditions incorporate meditation into their teachings and practices. The actual practice of meditation does not belong to any particular religion or faith. Although it has ancient origins, it is a practice that people continue to use to establish inner peace, a sense of calm, and a healthy mind-body connection. You can easily fit meditation into your daily schedule, and it may be the practice that keeps you level-headed throughout the day. There isn’t a singular type of meditation, though. In fact, the following types of meditation can be very beneficial for beginners. Find a practice that suits your needs, or experiment with these variations until you find one that you like. 

Spiritual Meditation

This practice is used in nearly all spiritual traditions and religions. There are many types of spiritual meditation, as it is just about as diverse as spiritual traditions themselves. According to a 2017 study, spiritual meditation aims to develop a deeper understanding of spiritual or religious meaning and connect that to a higher power. Christian contemplative prayer, Jewish kabbalistic practices, and Sufi dhikr are common examples. You can engage in this practice whether you’re in your home or a place of worship. 

Breath Awareness Meditation

This type of meditation comes from the zazen breath awareness technique that Zen Buddhist practices teach. It is a form of meditation that is excellent for beginners. By focusing on your breath, you direct your attention away from your wandering thoughts. Even if your mind does wander, you can always bring the focus back to your breath. By practicing breath awareness meditation, you can meditate in any position you like, be that lying on the floor or sitting in a quiet place. You can even do it while showering! Ideally, though, try to practice in the same spot and at the same time every day for the most benefits. 

Mindfulness Meditation

This basic meditation practice is essentially the simple act of being aware of what you are doing in the present moment, i.e. mindful. You can practice mindfulness while eating, walking the dog, brushing your teeth, or mopping your floors. Being mindful means that you are 100% invested in the activity you are doing. You do not think about anything else that may distract you or add stress to your life. Many people struggle with this, though, which is why beginners start with a more formal mindful meditation practice. Set aside time to sit and focus on your breathing, even if you start with five minutes. Learn how to redirect your thoughts when you get distracted, allowing them to come in and out like waves up a beach. This practice is a great tool to help you improve self-control and your ability to focus on the present moment. 

Body Scan Meditation

As the name suggests, this form of meditation is about observing your body closely, noting any possible abnormalities. Do you notice muscle pain or stiffness in certain joints? Note what your body is taking in and letting go. This is a great way to connect your body and your conscious self. It also helps people who don’t know how to express their emotions physically. To perform body scan meditation, simultaneously isolate one part of the body, tensing and releasing the tension. In order to experience the benefits of this practice, you have to establish a regular routine. You should notice a decrease in tension and stress via regular practice. 

Open Awareness Meditation

Open awareness meditation is the opposite of breath awareness meditation, in that you focus on simply being instead of doing. Some people find this practice to be more complex because of the open-minded concept. Focus-based meditation can stabilize and frame the mind to keep it from wandering. Open awareness meditation is great if you have an active mind because you keep the body in a state of relaxation. Remain still in your practice, but allow your thoughts to flow freely. You can examine them if you want to help better understand how you process thoughts and emotions.

Movement Meditation

Walking, yoga, tai chi, gardening, and any form of gentle movement counts as a movement meditation practice. These activities aim to improve mindfulness, but the concept behind movement meditation is that gentle physical movements ground you in the present. Focus on how the body moves and the sensations you feel from these movements. This form of meditation is very similar to mindful meditation, only this involves movement. That makes this form of meditation beneficial for people who find it difficult to concentrate while sitting still.

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If you want to be a healthy person, you have to make certain choices that cater to that goal. You can’t eat fast food whenever you want and think that it’s acceptable because you went to the gym a couple times that week. Being healthy involves a series of choices and you have the power to steer yourself in the right direction. All it takes is a little discipline.

While certain factors are out of your control, many are within your grasp. In fact, many factors that you can control are vital in keeping your physical and mental health tip top. If you want to feel healthier, live longer, and be more productive in life, take a look at the following tips that contribute to a thriving, healthier life. 

Eat More Whole Foods

Focus on whole foods and try to eliminate processed or altered foods from your diet. We say this time and time again because the Standard American Diet is replete with unhealthy, processed foods. These foods contain a lot of harmful ingredients that help them taste good, but they don’t contain nutrients. Whole foods, including legumes, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and seeds, provide the body with vitamins, minerals, essential nutrients, and antioxidants. Scientific research states that poor nutrition increases the risk of heart disease and stroke, obesity, type 2 diabetes, and certain types of cancer. Plus, focusing on whole foods can help reduce your intake of salt, unhealthy fats, and other ingredients that have no nutritional value.

Stay Hydrated

It’s easy to drink water. Some argue that it’s too easy to drink water. Many people avoid it because they prefer soda, tea, coffee, energy drinks, alcoholic drinks, and juices. The body needs water to function properly. Water helps maintain body temperature, digestion, organ function, and it delivers nutrients to all your cells. Additionally, studies show that staying hydrated can benefit your brain, enhancing your ability to focus and reducing headaches and mood swings.

Manage Stress In A Healthy Way

Everybody experiences stress because it’s a normal part of everyday life. Short-lived stress can be useful, but chronic stress can be detrimental to your physical, mental, and emotional health. According to research, high stress levels increase the risk of depression, heart disease, high blood pressure, and weakened immune function. There are various relaxation techniques that can help you deal with stress in a healthy way. Breathing exercises, progressive muscle relaxation, drawing, painting, playing music, exercising, and meditating can all help relieve stress.

Practice Safe Sex

If you are sexually active, it’s important to be proactive about screenings for sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Certain STIs don’t reveal noticeable symptoms until weeks, months, or years after transmission. By that point, you could’ve passed it to someone else, and it may be more difficult to treat the disease if you don’t catch it early enough. For this reason, it’s integral to get tested regularly. Communication is key between partners, so talk openly about both of your sexual pasts and discuss barrier method preferences. 

Get Moving

Exercise benefits your physical, mental, and emotional health in several ways. You don’t need to be a gym rat or run ultra marathons to reap the rewards either. The average adult should get 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic exercise per week. 20-25 minutes per day is very feasible! A brisk walk or jog around the neighborhood, cycling, or a day doing yard work can count as movement. Regular physical activity can help reduce the risk of heart disease, boost cognitive function, aid with weight management/weight loss, and improve your mood. Exercise can also help strengthen bones and muscles, keeping the body in good working order as you age. 

Try To Quit Smoking If You Smoke

Studies say that smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that tobacco use accounts for one in every five deaths in the U.S. each year. Researchers estimate that smokers, on average, die roughly 10 years earlier than nonsmokers. Smoking increases the risk of stroke, heart disease, lung cancer and other cancers, and respiratory diseases. Although quitting can be difficult, there are steps you can take that aid that process. Trying to quit? Click here for more information.

Make Sleep A Priority

As you get older, you realize how much a good night of sleep can impact your health. Sleep is a time for the body to repair cells and restore energy. During sleep, the brain performs essential functions, including storing information, removing waste, and encouraging healthy nerve cell connections. The CDC recommends that adults get at least seven to eight hours of sleep per night, with children requiring a little more. Failure to get enough sleep on a regular basis can increase the risk of metabolic syndrome, weakened immune function, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, anxiety, depression, and high blood pressure. While there are many tips and tricks to help you sleep better, you should try the following first:

• Limit your caffeine, alcohol, and nicotine intake
• Create a dark, comfortable sleep environment, using an eye mask or blackout curtains if necessary
• Create a consistent bedtime routine. Try stretching, meditation, and breathing techniques to calm the mind and body before bed.

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Collagen is the beauty buzzword at the moment, and there is a constant quest to improve it or get more of it. Some people take ingestible powders while others apply skin care products that aim to enhance collagen function. In the simplest of terms, collagen is the most abundant protein in the human body, and it is responsible for ensuring healthy skin, nails, and hair. That means that what you do, what you eat, and what you put on your skin can affect collagen and the skin carrier. 

As you age, the body’s ability to produce collagen declines and skin loses elasticity as a result. This is why skin starts to sag or wrinkle, but there are things you can do to prevent this from happening early on in life. We aren’t saying that you can avoid aging altogether, but there are habits to both take up and break to achieve a glowing complexion. For example, you can click here to learn more about foods that help enhance collagen production. And you can continue reading to learn about common habits that damage your collagen. 

Sun Exposure

There’s no denying the wonderful feeling that comes from laying in the sun on a pristine beach. You want to tan the skin to achieve a beautiful bronze hue, but sun exposure is a big problem for your skin. UV damage breaks down collagen at a faster rate than natural aging. UV rays penetrate the dermis (middle layer of the skin), causing an abnormal build-up of elastic fibers (responsible for wrinkles). Additionally, UV damage increases the production of free radicals, raising the number of enzymes that break down collagen. If you decide to spend some time in the sun, use sunscreen and find shade whenever you can. 

Stress

You may have heard that stress contributes to early signs of aging, and you heard correctly. Stress can increase inflammatory markers in the body, ultimately decreasing the body’s production of collagen. Granted, that isn’t the only negative effect that stress has on the body. It can also worsen mental health and increase unhealthy eating habits. This is why so many health experts encourage people to incorporate more stress-relieving activities into their lives. Anxiety or stress is not a walk in the park, so take the steps you need to take in order to curb the effects. Practice meditation, breathing techniques, aromatherapy, massage therapy, yoga, or Tai Chi to help manage stress. 

Lack Of Sleep

Everyone always says they need to get their beauty sleep, and there is truth to this. Sleep does wonders for immune function, mental health, and the body’s largest organ: the skin. Several studies found that lack of sleep can affect collagen production in the body. When the body produces less collagen, the signs of aging are more noticeable. Sleep experts encourage adults to get seven to eight hours of sleep every night for optimal health. Can healthy sleep habits make you look younger? This is up for debate, but it is one step to help to prevent collagen levels from declining.

Not Enough Vitamin C

In addition to enhancing immune function, vitamin C stimulates collagen synthesis. This happens whether you apply a vitamin C product topically to the skin or eat vitamin C-rich foods. It is also a powerful antioxidant, which helps to fight free radicals that aim to break down collagen in the body. Because the human body cannot generate vitamin C on its own, it is your responsibility to obtain it via diet or supplements. You can click here to learn more about the best vitamin C foods to eat. 

These common habits can damage the collagen in your skin and contribute to accelerated skin aging. Remember, apply sunscreen when you go out in the sun and find ways to combat the stress in your life. Finally, get your beauty sleep and continue to eat vitamin C-rich foods to encourage optimal collagen production.

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When you work out, it’s very common to focus on chest, legs, shoulders, back, arms, and core muscle groups. An area that you probably don’t target is the muscles that help you breathe. According to new research from the American Physiological Society’s annual meeting at Experimental Biology 2022, it’s possible for muscles that control breath to enhance fitness levels.

What Is Endurance?

Endurance isn’t just something that athletes have to maintain. You need endurance to properly execute repetitive activities in your daily life. These activities range from low-intensity cooking or blow-drying hair to high-intensity hiking and stair-climbing. Your endurance is related to your ability to perform work over and extended period of time. Children seem to play for hours without ever getting tired, but this isn’t necessarily the case for older adults. Improving endurance can help your ability to perform aerobic activity and help you avoid muscular fatigue.

Conventional cardiovascular exercise can help improve cardiorespiratory fitness and exercise tolerance. The reality is that many people don’t engage in regularly aerobic activity, and their cardiovascular health suffers as a result. It’s a proven fact that improving endurance by way of regular cardiovascular activity can reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases as you age. The new study, however, said that high-resistance inspiratory muscle strength training (IMST) was an excellent way to strengthen breathing muscles. 

What Is IMST?

High-resistance inspiratory muscle strength training (IMST) is typically recommended for people with bronchitis, COPD, asthma, and emphysema. IMST originated in the 1980s as a method of breathing to open the narrow airways in people with the aforementioned conditions. New research states that it may also improve endurance and overall performance. By strengthening the respiratory muscles used for breathing, you can perform better. This happens because breathing volume increases as a result of practicing IMST. Continue reading to see what the study reported. 

12% Increase In Fitness In Just 6 Weeks

The study divided 35 people age 50 and older into two groups. One group used IMST at high resistance, while the other group was controlled and used the device at low resistance. Both groups performed IMST training for 30 breaths, which took about five minutes, every day for six consecutive weeks. The aim of the study was to see if the high resistance IMST group could improve endurance. 

After the six-week period, the high-resistance group experienced a 12% improvement in a treadmill time to exhaustion test. The low-resistance controlled group didn’t experience any improvement. The researchers conducting the study claim that the 12% increase in exercise tolerance is very promising. Tests revealed that high-resistance IMST evoked three-quarters of the increase in exercise tolerance that is consistent with aerobic exercise intervention. The only difference is that high resistance IMST requires very little time to complete. It’s a low-barrier strategy for improving exercise tolerance and cardiovascular health in middle-aged and older adults. 

Relationship Between Physical Activity And Respiratory Muscles

As we’ve discussed, strengthening the respiratory muscles is necessary for improved endurance and performance level. When you exercise, the body requires more oxygen and breathing volume must increase to accommodate the higher demand for oxygen. The muscles surrounding the lungs come into play in this situation, contracting to keep up with the need for oxygen. The more intense the workout, the harder these muscles must work. You need a lot of energy, then, in order to perform physically. When you improve respiratory strength, you increase the amount of oxygen that you can inhale in a given period. That ultimately decreases your energy consumption and enhances your endurance. Now, you know why IMST breathing can help you cardiovascular strength!

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Most adults have had the experience of being wide awake at 3 a.m. after waking up at night. The inability to go back to sleep is frustrating, to say the least, but also exhausting. Whether you wake up because your bladder beckons or a nightmare scares you awake, you don’t want to experience difficulty when you go to drift off again. 

The mind becomes flooded with thoughts, worries, or things you forgot to do during the day. You lose sleep as a result and the underlying question is: Will I be able to fall back asleep? Waking up from restful sleep is very common and most people can fall back asleep. According to sleep surveys, though, one-fifth of American adults experience difficulty falling back asleep after waking up at night. 

There are numerous reasons why a person wakes up from their slumber. Caffeinated beverages, too much alcohol before bed, the need to pee, and a few others are common causes. Instead of tossing and turning after waking up at night, experiment with the following strategies that help you fall back asleep.

Meditation

Meditation helps to calm the mind, so it stands to reason that it can help you fall back asleep when the mind is racing. By engaging in meditation, you activate the parasympathetic nervous system, encourage slower breathing, and lower the heart rate. According to one study, participants who practice mindful awareness saw a significant improvement in sleep. A simple exercise of following your breath and letting your thoughts come and go can help you sleep better and fall back asleep after waking up. 

Avoid Clock Watching

Unless you want to feel more anxious about not sleeping, don’t look at the clock when trying to fall back asleep. If you continue to look at the clock, you only increase your anxiety, when that effort could be spent falling back asleep. Sleep experts say that you should not get worked up about waking up at night and sleeping poorly. The anxiety around waking up can perpetuate the problem, leading to more restless nights of sleep. Obsessing over the time causes you to calculate how long you have until you have to wake up. This can make you anxious, which increases blood pressure, making it difficult to fall asleep. Don’t let the clock tempt you! Resist the urge!

Use Deep Breathing

If stress continues to keep you up after waking up at night, considering combating stress using deep breathing. When done correctly, deep breathing can promote relaxation and slow the heart rate to ease you in to sleep. Lie down on your back in your bed and put your hands on your stomach. Close your eyes and take a slow, deep breath in through your nose, feeling your abdomen rise. Try to breathe in for a six-second count and then release the breath out of your mouth for the same amount of time. Deep breathing in this way allows the diaphragm to relax the body and mind, according to sleep specialists. 

Distract The Mind With A Quiet Activity

Distracting the mind is a helpful way to fall back asleep. Instead of focusing you attention on falling asleep, engage in a non-stimulating activity like listening to music, guided meditation, or counting. A great distraction exercise to quiet the mind is counting backward from 300 in threes. It’s complicated and will keep your mind occupied, so much so that you may feel anything but stress. Just make sure to do the activity with the lights off, as turning lights on may cause your brain to feel more awake. 

Use A Weighted Blanket

If you experience anxiety after waking up at night, especially if a nightmare is the culprit, a weighted blanket may help lull you back to sleep. Weighted blankets apply gentle pressure to the body, which activates the parasympathetic nervous system. The more you activate the parasympathetic nervous system, the easier time you’ll have falling asleep. Additionally, the more active that system is during sleep, the more your body is able to recover. 

Cooling The Body

If you wake up from night sweats or you simply wake up from a warm environment, it will be difficult to fall back asleep without cooling the body down. Ideally, you should keep your sleeping environment at a temperature near 65 degrees Fahrenheit, give or take a few degrees. Sleeping in the right environment can help you avoid uncomfortable nighttime disturbances. Cool the body down by wiping the body off with a cool towel before you go back to bed. You can also take a drink of cold water. Lastly, consider placing an ice pack on the back of your neck, which will help cool the body and relieve potential neck pain or headaches. 

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