60-SECOND HEALTH BOOSTERS
Easy, at-home ideas to try now
Got a minute? We have some good news. While a lot of what we’re supposed to do to keep ourselves healthy is, frankly, time-consuming, plenty of super-quick things will boost our health, too. The ideas here can be done at home, take just a minute (or less) and offer real results
1 Pause mid-meal
When you sit down to eat, take just a moment to physically divide your food in half before you begin eating. ‘Consider the divide a “speed bump”,’says Dr Michelle May, a reformed yo-yo dieter and author of Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat. ‘When you hit the bump, it reminds you to pause and slow down to reassess your hunger and fullness level – and stop before you’re too full. It’s very helpful.’
2 Build stronger bones
Running for at least one minute a day is associated with 4% better bone health (compared with running for less than a minute), according to research in the International Journal Of Epidemiology. ‘After menopause, the rate of bone mineral density loss is approximately 1% a year,’ says Victoria Stiles of the University of Exeter. ‘So doing 60 seconds of daily jogging reverses about four years of this decline.’
3 Save your face
You should be able to properly apply sunscreen to your face each morning in a minute or less, says Dr Maritza Perez, senior vice president of the US Skin Cancer Foundation. Use a £1-coin-size dollop for full coverage, ‘including the areas around the eyelids and nose’, she explains. Take a few more seconds each morning to apply SPF to the backs of your hands, your neck and your ears. ‘These are common spots for several kinds of skin cancer, so it’s vital not to miss them,’ says Dr Perez.
4 Change your thermostat
‘Lower the temperature two to three degrees after dinner and two to three more at bedtime, with a target of around 18°C,’ says Dr Chris Winter, author of The Sleep Solution. ‘In cooler temperatures, we tend to sleep more deeply and wake up less.’
5 No Use your weight
time for a full workout? ‘Do one minute of body-weight squats,’ says Dr Alex Robles, founder of The White Coat Trainer. ‘Squats strengthen your legs, improve mobility and increase blood flow.’ Make sure your heels are flat on the floor, your back is straight, and your knees are in line with your toes. ‘If you’re a beginner, work up to 25 squats in a minute,’ says Dr Robles. ‘For more support, hold on to the back of a chair.’
6 Dim the lights
Once the sun has set, mirror that darkness inside your home by dimming the lights. ‘This simple task helps promote production of the hormone melatonin, which has a sedating effect,’ says Dr Winter. That means when you go to bed, you should fall asleep faster. Your time starts now!
7 Try a mindful trick
‘Find a clock with a second hand, and focus your attention on the hand for one minute,’ says clinical psychologist Dr Clinton Moore. ‘The more you practise, the more you’ll build up your mindfulness.’ This can benefit both your physical and emotional health.
8 Floss smarter
‘With practice, you can floss in under a minute. The sides of the teeth are where food and bacteria collect and cause problems,’ says top dentist Sargon Lazarof. If regular flossing is hard, try a water flosser that sends high-pressure H2O between teeth. ‘While not as efficient as floss, it’s much better than not using anything,’ he says.
9 Gauge your fitness
Sit down in a sturdy armless chair, back straight and feet on the floor. Then stand up. Then sit down. Repeat this up-and-down as fast as you can 10 times. In one study, middle-aged folks who took longer than 26 seconds to do this, or who could not finish, had an increased risk of dying early. Can’t do it? It may be time to up your activity levels.
10 Dry your hands right
You know to wash your hands for at least 20 seconds but that’s not all. ‘You need to take another 20 to properly dry your hands,’ says Dr Jeffrey Klausner, professor of epidemiology at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health. Damp hands are more susceptible to germs.
11 Load up on morning H2O
‘Drink a large glass of water when you wake up, before your coffee,’ says gastroenterologist Dr Will Bulsiewicz, author of Fiber Fueled. ‘Not only are you super dehydrated from sleeping all night and perhaps getting up for the loo, but also, opting for water before coffee turns on your brain, kidneys and gut faster; you’ll find you are sharper and wake up quicker.’
12 Be nicer to yourself
When you’re about to tell yourself something harsh or demeaning, pause and ask, ‘Would I say this to a friend?’ Clinical psychologist Dr Jessica Zucker says, ‘This gives you the space to think about the compassion we have for others but don’t always show ourselves.’
13 Brew a cup of tea
For many varieties of green tea, just one minute of brewing is all that’s needed for a beverage that packs a big health punch. In fact, drinking green tea at least three times a week has been linked with an approximately 25% lower risk of heart disease and stroke, according to a new study in the European Journal Of Preventive Cardiology.
14 Perform a breast check
Do this once a month, ‘during the first week of your period, when the hormonal effects on breast tissue have subsided’, says Dr Sherry Ross, author of She-ology.
STEP 1 Look in a mirror, raise your arms over your head and look for changes in your breasts.
STEP 2 Gently squeeze your nipples to look for any discharge or fluid. STEP 3 Lie on your back with one hand overhead. Using the other hand, run your fingers over the breast in firm, purposeful circles. Do the other breast then check your underarms.
15 Go on a stair run
Vigorously climbing 60 steps in 20 seconds three times a day, three days a week for six weeks boosts fitness by about 5%, says a 2019 study. That might seem modest, but ‘even a small increase in cardio fitness reduces your chance of developing cardiovascular disease,’ says study author Professor Martin Gibala. That’s a big win!
16 Do produce prep
Cut up at least one fruit or vegetable to snack on during the day. ‘It increases your intake of vitamins, fibre, minerals and anti-inflammatory phytochemicals, to improve digestion, support healthy skin, keep blood sugar stable and make your body more resilient against everyday damage,’ says dietitian Desiree Nielsen, author of Eat More Plants.
17 Soothe back pain
Sit up straight with shoulders down. Pull your shoulder blades together and hold for five seconds. ‘Repeat three to four times daily to strengthen your back muscles and mitigate back pain,’ says Dr Neel Anand, a professor of orthopaedic surgery.
18 Swish for 30
Sloshing mouthwash for at least 30 seconds allows time for all of your teeth to be exposed to the antibacterial properties of the rinse. ‘Before bed is best,’ says dentist Sargon Lazarof.
20 Send a meaningful text
Take a few seconds to text a sincere compliment to someone you love. ‘It’s a quick way to do a random act of kindness that can boost the mood of the compliment receiver, and yours, too,’ says Laurie Santos, professor of psychology and head of Silliman College at Yale University. Research shows that these acts can also increase life satisfaction.
‘When you sleep, your mouth is drier, which allows bacteria to do most of the damage, so mouthwash can help.’
19 Boost breakfast
Add 3tbsp of hemp seeds to your yogurt, smoothie or oats for an extra 10g of plant-based protein. ‘Eating protein in the morning helps keep your blood sugar and energy levels stable,’ says dietitian Desiree Nielsen.
21 Stand up!
‘It’s thought that when we sit for prolonged periods, toxins sit too, which promotes damage to our blood vessels, increasing our risk of heart disease,’ says Dr Monique Tello, a clinical instructor at Harvard Medical School. To combat the effect, Dr Tello recommends standing up once an hour to help reduce the damaging effect on blood vessels.
22 Rinse your beans
The liquid that tinned beans swim in is mostly salt and starch; a strain and rinse will remove about 40% of the sodium. Then, ‘add half a cup to what you’re eating for lunch or dinner every day’, says Tamara Duker Freuman, author of The Bloated Belly Whisperer. ‘Eating legumes every day is the single common dietary factor among people who live the longest, most disease free lives.’