Every Little Step Counts: How to Live a Healthier Life

(ARA) - When it comes to your health, forget grand goals -- simple positive additions to a lifestyle can be more effective and enriching, and longer lasting than big changes.

"Instead of aiming for the moon by giving things up, add simple activities to your life and see how easy they are to integrate. Simplicity and small steps are the keys to reaching and exceeding your goal," says Robyn Flipse, MS, RD and author of "Learning Through Laughter."

Here are five simple ideas to incorporate into your daily routine to improve your well-being.

1. Challenge your brain. Along with showing off a great physique, flex your mental muscles. Because the human brain develops through activity with the world, mental stimulation actually improves brain function. Even as you get older, the area of your brain devoted to memory can still grow new neurons.

* Activities like crossword puzzles, Sudoku or word games can aid memory retention.

2. Unleash laughter. Give yourself a mental and physical boost with a good belly laugh. According to researchers at Vanderbilt University, laughing boosts energy expenditure and increases heart rate from 10 to 20 percent.

* Laughter helps reduce food cravings and strengthen the immune system, as well as relieve stress and regulate hormones.

* Laughter's contagious effect connects you with the world around you, creating a "halo" effect that helps you remember happy times more vividly and feel more positive.

3. Step up your sleep. Experts agree that a good night's sleep is crucial to give you energy to face the day ahead. Most adults need between six and eight hours of sleep to avoid fatigue, irritability, and the concentration and short-term memory loss associated with sleep deprivation.

* Maintain a consistent bedtime, even on weekends. Sticking to a schedule helps reinforce your body's sleep-wake cycle and can help you fall asleep better at night.

* Do most of your sleeping at night. Napping during the day steals valuable hours from nighttime slumber.

4. Dance, dance, dance. ABC's "Dancing with the Stars" has taken the nation by storm for a reason. Dancing is fun and a great way to burn calories. According to research presented during the recent American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions conference, dancing the waltz three times a week for eight weeks is just as effective in improving cardiopulmonary function as exercising on a treadmill or bicycle for the same period.

* Add some fun to your exercise program, and have a good time with friends.

* Different styles of dance give the body a total aerobic workout, develop flexibility and coordination and tone muscles.

5. Add simplicity to your routine. You can do that by incorporating a series of small, simple changes, like taking the stairs instead of the elevator, to achieve a more balanced, healthy lifestyle.

* Walk wherever you can and wear a pedometer to measure your steps. Every 2,000 steps burns about 100 calories.

* Be aware of "mindless eating" -- snacking simply out of habit or because the food is in front of you -- and make conscious decisions about the foods you eat.

* Drink an Enviga. A recent study revealed that drinking three cans of Enviga, a delicious and refreshing sparkling green tea that gently invigorates your metabolism, over the course of a day can increase calorie burning by 60-100 calories. Enviga is a simple positive step you can take toward a healthy balanced lifestyle. For more information on Enviga, visit www.enviga.com.

Courtesy of ARA Content