Page 4 - 2016Health&Wellness

4 – Thursday, January 28, 2016 – El Dorado NEWS-TIMES
Healthy habits that can have a lasting impact
A long and healthy life is the ultimate goal for many people. While a host of factors beyond a person’s control, such as genetics, impact how long that person lives and how susceptible to certain medical conditions he or she may be, there are many things men and women can do to improve their chances of living long, healthy lives.
• Keep working. While many working men and women dream of the day when they can leave the daily grind behind once and for all, they might want to think more about a second career than a long, carefree retirement. A study from British researchers published in the International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry found that each extra year that men and women work was associated with a six-week delay in the onset of dementia. While men and women may want to retire from their professions, finding second careers or volunteer- ing close to full-time hours may improve their long-term health and quality of life.
• Stay on your toes. A healthy diet is a key component of a healthy lifestyle, but diet alone is not enough to promote a long and healthy life. According to the Johns Hopkins Medicine Health Library, the risks associated with a physically inactive lifestyle are considerable. Such risks include a greater risk of developing high blood pressure and coronary heart disease and even a greater risk for certain cancers. In addition, phys- ical inactivity can add to feelings of anxiety and depression. Inactivity tends to increase with age, so men and women aiming for long and healthy lives should make physical activity a vital part of their daily lives.
• Get your whole grains. Whole grains may be another key ingredient to a long and healthy life. Numerous studies have shown that increasing whole grain consumption can help prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes. Researchers who con- ducted a systematic review of studies examining the link between whole grains and type 2 diabetes prevention in 2007 found that eating an extra two servings of whole grains per day decreased a person’s risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 21 percent. That’s an important finding, as addition- al research has found that people with diabetes have an increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, a neurodegenerative condition that can dramatically reduce quality of life.
• Visit your physician annually if not more fre- quently. While many people, especially those who feel healthy, are hesitant to visit their physicians, doing so may just save your life. Several diseas- es, including cancer and heart disease, are more effectively treated when detected early. Annual physicals and discussions with your physician may uncover a disease in its early stages when it is most treatable. Waiting until symptoms appear may not be too late to treat a condition or disease, but taking a proactive approach increases the like- lihood of early detection, which increases your chances of living a long and healthy life.
Healthy habits improve peoples’ quality of life while also increasing the likelihood that men and women live long, healthy and productive lives.
Save money and still get in shape
The costs of getting fit can some- times seem formidable. Men and women on tight budgets may feel that gym memberships, home exer- cise equipment or costly personal training sessions are simply beyond their means. Such concerns can have long-term negative impacts on individuals’ health, which only highlights the need to find ways to save when attempting to get in shape.
While there is no shortage of ways to spend money when trying to get back in shape, there are even more ways to save when adopting a healthier lifestyle.
• Buy in bulk. Many professional fitness services, whether it’s gym memberships or personal training sessions, offer greater discounts to individuals willing to make big- ger commitments. Men and women who commit to a 12-month gym membership instead of going month-to-month can typically save a substantial amount of money each month by making such long-term commitments. For example, a gym may charge $89 for a month-to- month membership, but only $69 per month for people who commit
for a full year. That’s a savings of nearly 23 percent. Personal train- ers also typically offer considerable discounts to clients who commit to a greater number of sessions than those who simply purchase one session at a time.
• Join a gym at the right moment. Many gyms capitalize on people’s New Year’s resolutions to get fit by offering steep discounts to men and women who sign up at the end of December or in January. Others may discount memberships in late winter when people want to get in shape before the return of beach season. Signing up during the height of discount season or when gyms are offering special discounts, such as anniversary or holiday deals, can save you a lot of money over the course of the year.
• Work out at home. If a gym membership is simply beyond your means, create your own workout area at home. Visit a nearby sport- ing goods store and purchase some weights and go for jogs around the neighborhood to meet your daily cardiovascular exercise goals. If space is limited at home, embrace yoga. Yoga provides both strength
and balance training, and all you need is room for a yoga mat.
• Investigate your health insur- ance. Many health insurance pro- viders offer gym membership rebates to their customers. If you have never had a gym membership in the past, you may not even know if your provider offers this benefit. Gym membership rebates typically require that policy holders visit their gyms ‘X’ number of times in a six- or 12-month span (i.e., 50 times in six months or 100 times in 12 months) in order to earn rebates. A $400 annual rebate on a gym mem- bership that costs $69 per month cuts the yearly cost of that gym membership by nearly 50 percent. If your existing insurance plan does not offer such rebates, speak with your employer about including it when the time comes to renew the insurance offerings in the future.
Getting fit does not have to break the bank. Health-conscious men and women can find numerous ways to save on their journeys to living more active lifestyles.