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Easy ways to improve your health in less than a minute

Yes, you can boost your health in just 60 seconds.

Easy ways to improve your health in less than a minute

Yes, you can boost your health in just 60 seconds.

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Easy ways to improve your health in less than a minute

Yes, you can boost your health in just 60 seconds.

Got a minute? We’ve got some good news. While a lot of what we’re supposed to do to keep ourselves healthy is time- consuming (such as homemade meals, a good night’s rest and aerobic exercise), plenty of super-quick things will boost your health as well. The ones here can be done right at home. They take a minute or less and yield big results.

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go the extra mile for your smile
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1

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 Sargon Lazarof, D.D.S., a dentist in Los Angeles. If regular flossing is hard, try a . “While not as efficient as floss, it’s much better than not using anything,” he says.

portrait of woman using mouthwash
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2

Swish for 30 seconds.

Sloshing mouthwash for at least 30 seconds allows enough time for all your teeth to be exposed to the antibacterial properties of the rinse. “While you can do it any time, doing it before bed is best,” says Lazarof. “When you sleep, your mouth is drier, which allows bacteria to do most of the damage, so mouthwash can help blunt the effects.”

cooking as a couple
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3

Drink H2O in the morning

“Drink a large glass of water when you wake up in the morning, before your coffee,” says , a gastroenterologist and the author of Fiber Fueled. “Not only are you super dehydrated from sleeping all night and perhaps getting up for the loo once or twice, but also, opting for water before coffee turns on your brain, kidneys, and gut faster—and you’ll find that you are sharper and can wake up more quickly this way.”

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stew with sausages, white kidney beans and cherry tomatoes, selective focus
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4

Rinse your beans.

That liquid your canned beans and veggies are swimming in is mostly salt and starch. A strain followed by a quick 10-second rinse will remove about 40% of the sodium. Then you can “add ½ cup to pretty much anything you’re eating for lunch or dinner every day,” says , author of The Bloated Belly Whisperer. “Eating beans/legumes every day is the single common dietary factor among people who live the longest, most disease-free lives,” says Duker Freuman.

eating brunch with waffle, avocado, cucumber, salmon and poached egg, personal perspective
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5

Pause mid-meal.

When you sit down to eat, take a moment to physically divide your food in half before you begin eating. “Consider the divide a ‘speed bump,’” says , 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.”

cup of tea and daisies
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6

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, .

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7

Prep some produce.

Take a quick minute each morning — or the previous night — to cut up at least one fruit and/or vegetable to snack on during the day. “It’s such an easy way to increase your intake of fiber, vitamins, minerals, and anti-inflammatory phytochemicals, which do things like improve digestion, support healthy skin, and help keep blood sugar stable and make your body more resilient against everyday damage,” says , the author of . that adding fresh fruits and veggies to your routine may improve your mood and motivation.

woman wearing running clothes sitting on garden chair drinking water
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8

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. , middle-aged folks who took longer than 26 seconds to do this, or who could not finish, had increased risk of dying early. Can’t do it? It may be time to move more.

women running together on remote trail
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9

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), . “This is important, especially because after menopause the rate of bone mineral density loss is approximately 1% a year,” says study coauthor “So doing 60 seconds of daily jogging essentially reverses about four years of this decline.” (It’s thought that the bone-building kicks in after six to 12 months of daily running.)

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10

Adjust the thermostat.

“Lower the temperature two to three degrees after dinner and two to three more at bedtime, with a target of around 65°F,” says , author of The Sleep Solution. “In cooler temperatures, we tend to sleep more deeply and have fewer arousals.”

family before going to bed mother reads to her child son book near a lamp in the evening
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11

Dim the lights.

Once the sun sets, 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 you’ll fall asleep faster.

making the health of her skin a priority
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12

Save your face.

You should be able to properly apply sunscreen to your face each morning in a minute or less, says , senior vice president of the . “Use a nickel-size dollop for full coverage, including the areas around the eyelids and nose.”

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13

Protect forgotten skin.

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.

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14

Dry your hands.

You know to . But you’re not done. “You need to take another 20 seconds to properly dry your hands,” says Dr. Jeffrey D. Klausner, professor of medicine and public health at and . Damp hands are more susceptible to germs.

cropped image of teenage girl using mobile phone
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15

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 , a professor of psychology and head of . that a random-acts habit can also increase life satisfaction.

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