Hi, Yahoo readers! My name is Rachel Grumman Bender, and I\u2019ve gathered some weekly wellness tips to help you get healthier and happier. A great place to start is by taking care of your heart.<\/p>\n
The new American Heart Association (AHA) report<\/a> is out, and Yahoo reporter Natalie Rahhal points out some troubling trends: While heart disease death rates overall have returned to pre-COVID levels for U.S. adults, which is good news, stroke deaths among 25- to 34-year-olds are climbing. More research is needed to unravel why, but there are steps you can take to reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease \u2014 no matter your age.<\/p>\n The AHA calls them \u201cLife\u2019s Essential 8<\/a>,\u201d a list that includes a bunch of healthy habits like eating better (namely, consuming more whole foods like vegetables, fruits and lean proteins, and fewer ultraprocessed ones); being more active by aiming to get in 2 \u00bd hours of moderate or 75 minutes of vigorous physical activity each week; quitting tobacco, if you smoke; and prioritizing sleep, along with getting cholesterol under control and managing your weight, blood sugar and blood pressure.<\/p>\n Before you head out to get some exercise, take a look at your local forecast<\/a>. And if you\u2019re curious, glance at your horoscope<\/a>, too. Then choose \u201cone small thing<\/a>\u201d for a healthier and happier week ahead. Let\u2019s dive in.<\/p>\n \ud83d\udeb6\u200d\u2640\ufe0f Go on a \u2018stupid little walk\u2019<\/p>\n A viral TikTok trend<\/a> may poke fun at taking a \u201cstupid little walk\u201d for mental health \u2014 even if you practically have to drag yourself \u2014 but experts say the habit really does help. Walking<\/a> releases feel-good hormones that improve mood, reduce anxiety and lower the risk of depression<\/a>. \u201cIt\u2019s definitely OK to be in a bad mood as you go,\u201d Melissa Gluck<\/a>, a psychologist and founder of Gluck Psychology Collective<\/a>, tells Bustle<\/a>. \u201cLeaning into it and thinking about these negative thoughts or emotions \u2014 or just feeling them \u2014 can actually help to process them. Over time, you might start to feel more at peace and regulated.\u201d<\/p>\n \ud83d\uddc2\ufe0f Get \u2018aspirational\u2019 clutter under control<\/p>\n Clutter isn\u2019t always as obvious as a messy stack of papers on the kitchen counter. There are sneaky versions too, like \u201caspirational clutter.\u201d Think: the exercise bike that\u2019s now become a coat rack or place settings for 12 when you don\u2019t really host any dinner parties. Ann Lightfoot, co-founder of Done & Done Home and co-author of the book Love Your Home Again<\/a>, gave the Washington Post<\/a> some tips on how to pare things down: First, identify things you\u2019ll realistically use in the near future, including seasonal items, and separate those from items you know will just collect dust. Next, create a limited space for what you keep, such as a single drawer for your crafting supplies or a small section of your closet for clothes you plan to wear. \u201cIf it doesn\u2019t fit,\u201d she says, \u201cchoose your favorites, and let go of the rest.\u201d And finally, with regards to the items you\u2019re keeping, write a to-do list or make notes in your calendar to remind you to hop on that exercise bike, throw a dinner party or start knitting a scarf. \u201cIf you can\u2019t find the time, it doesn\u2019t get space in your home,\u201d Lightfoot says.<\/p>\n \ud83e\uddd2 Hang out with your grandkids<\/p>\n Spending time with grandchildren isn\u2019t just meaningful \u2014 it may also be good for your brain. Grandparents who regularly cared for their grandchildren, whether it was babysitting overnight, driving them to activities, cooking for them or helping out with homework, performed better on memory and verbal fluency tests compared to those who weren\u2019t caregivers, according to research from the American Psychological Association. Experts tell USA Today<\/a> that being an involved grandparent helps older adults stay socially active while using important skills like planning and problem-solving.<\/p>\n \ud83e\uddd8\u200d\u2640\ufe0f Do this 1 exercise to relieve lower back pain<\/p>\n Got an achy back? Try doing a pelvic tilt. Start by lying on your back with your knees bent and your feet hip-width apart. Next, \u201ctake a deep breath in and fill up your stomach, and then exhale as you tilt your pelvis with your hips coming closer to your ribs, and your low abs pulling in and down,\u201d personal trainer Stephanie Mansour tells Today<\/a>. Repeat 10 times for some back pain relief.<\/p>\n \ud83e\udd63 Make a high-protein breakfast<\/p>\n If your go-to morning meal leaves you searching for a snack an hour later, it\u2019s time to swap it out for a more filling, high-protein breakfast instead. Yahoo Creator and food blogger Ale Graf shares some of her favorite protein-rich breakfasts, including Apple Cinnamon Overnight Oats<\/a>, which you make in advance, saving you precious minutes in the morning. Graf makes it with rolled oats, chia seeds and plant-based milk, and then tops it with a dollop of yogurt, diced apples and cinnamon. For some added crunch, sprinkle on some pecans. \u201cPerfect for meal prep or busy mornings when you want a quick, nutritious breakfast that tastes like dessert,\u201d Graf says.<\/p>\n \ud83e\ude8f Avoid shoveling snow at this age<\/p>\n If you live in parts of the country that are getting heaps of snow<\/a>, read this before you grab that shovel and head outside. Shoveling snow is riskier than you might realize, especially if you\u2019re 45 and older. The activity carries a heart attack risk, even for people without a history of cardiovascular disease, because it\u2019s physically demanding and cold weather can be hard on your heart. Instead, ask a (younger) neighbor to help or try an app-based service like Shovler and QuikPlow, which Dr. Andrew Choi, director of non-invasive cardiology at GW Medical Faculty and Associates, tells Prevention<\/a> is like \u201cUber for snow-shoveling.\u201d If doing it yourself is the only option, Choi recommends using a shovel with a small blade for a lighter load, taking breaks and hydrating.<\/p>\n \ud83d\ude34 Take an afternoon nap<\/p>\n Naps are one of those things that you don\u2019t appreciate when you\u2019re a kid and then wish you could take when you\u2019re a sleep-deprived adult. Here\u2019s an excuse to nab one: Even a short nap can do wonders for your brain. A new study<\/a> suggests that dozing off for 45 minutes is enough to \u201creset\u201d the brain, clear out mental clutter and get it ready to learn new information. While the study was small, other research has found similar brain benefits<\/a> to a short snooze.<\/p>\n \ud83c\udf73 Use an air fryer to cook high-fat foods<\/p>\n What can\u2019t air fryers do? They not only speed up cook times, but they may also help improve air quality in your kitchen. New research<\/a> shows that using an air fryer, even when cooking high-fat foods like bacon, produces fewer airborne pollutants, known as volatile organic compounds or VOCs, than traditional frying methods (the study found that cooking high-fat foods in a deep fat fryer, on the other hand, produces 10 to 100 times higher levels of VOCs). One caveat: You need to keep your air fryer clean; otherwise, those pollutants can start to build up. In the meantime, here are 16 air fryer recipes<\/a> for inspiration.<\/p>\n \ud83e\udd66 Eat plants to protect your kidneys<\/p>\n Plant-based diets come with a slew of benefits<\/a>, including reducing your risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Now you can add protecting your kidneys to that list. A new study<\/a> found that eating a plant-forward diet (basically, prioritizing vegetables, beans, fruits, nuts and seeds and eating limited amounts of meat and dairy) while limiting added sugars and fats was linked to a lower risk of chronic kidney disease (CKD), which is projected to become the fifth-leading cause of death globally by 2040.<\/p>\n \ud83e\udde9 Try a dopamine-boosting hobby<\/p>\n Dopamine, the feel-good hormone, can take a dip in the cold, dark winter months. Experts say that taking up a dopamine-boosting hobby, such as puzzles, can help. \u201cActivities like jigsaw puzzles not only put the brain\u2019s problem-solving skills to good use, but also activate reward pathways in the brain, leading to a sense of accomplishment,\u201d psychologist Leah Kaylor tells Real Simple<\/a>. \u201cEach time a piece fits correctly, the brain experiences a small dopamine release, reinforcing motivation and pleasure.\u201d Check out Yahoo Games\u2019 free puzzles<\/a>.<\/p>\n