3 Drup-Free Ways to Protect Yourself from Disease and Live Longer
3 Drup-Free Ways to Protect Yourself from Disease and Live Longer
It is a well-known medical fact that stress impairs the immune system, increasing vulnerability to diseases such as cancer, heart disease and osteoporosis.(1) In addition, stress can accelerate the aging process, according to the American Psychological Association. The APA states that up to 90 percent of illness is stress-related.
In these stressful times, many health-conscious adults seek ways to build and maintain good health without drugs. Below are 3 drug-free options to consider as part of a regular health regimen. They are inexpensive (or free) and accessible to most adults.
Walking. According to an article in the Harvard Health Letter, "Walking can strengthen
bones, tune up the cardiovascular system, and clear a cluttered mind." The value of walking goes even deeper, as the article states, "(Walking) has long been recognized as a proxy for overall health and has been measured in many studies. Researchers have found a remarkably consistent association between faster walking speed and longer life."(2)
How much walking is enough? Six times a month for 30 minutes is very effective. This is the finding of a study conducted by Finnish researchers and published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Among pairs of twins, the twin who exercised regularly had a 56 percent reduced risk of death compared to the sedentary twin.(3)
Meditation.Dr. Deepak Chopra, board-certified in internal medicine and a specialist in endocrinology, is a renowned writer and speaker on alternative medicine and spirituality. He states that meditation lowers blood pressure and strengthens immune function. In fact, people in ancient times knew that meditation has positive effects on the body.(4)
Just 10 to 15 minutes of mindfulness meditation per day has been found to lower blood pressure.(5) Mindfulness meditation is one of many types of meditation. To learn more, explore books on the subject as well as recordings or classes, which are available in many communities or online.
Playing the piano. In a study which included researchers from Applied Biosystems, playing the piano keyboard was shown to reduce stress in individuals.(6) A group of non-musicians was directed to play the piano keyboard in a simple way after doing a stressful task. Blood tests from this group showed 19 lower-stress indicators, compared to 6 indicators in another group, which relaxed by reading their choice of newspapers or magazines after the stressful task.
Another study suggested that playing a musical instrument regularly is effective in preventing cardiac and cerebral diseases.(7)
For information about how to learn piano, go to http://www.MyPianoPartner.com
References
1."Reduce stress to fight disease and slow aging: chronic stress really does wear down your immune system--but simple strategies can help you manage it.(CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH)." Healthy Years. 2008.
2."Research Points to Even More Health Benefits of Walking, from the Harvard Health Letter." PRWeb Newswire. 2011.
3."BRISK WALKS, BIG BENEFITS FINNISH STUDY FINDS RISK OF PREMATURE DEATH CUT BY 43% FOR PEOPLE WHO FOLLOW REGULAR REGIMEN.(News/National/International)." Rocky Mountain News (Denver, CO). 1998.
4."Deepak Chopra Brings the Many Healing Benefits of Meditation to Stone Mountain, Georgia." PRWeb Newswire. 2011.
5."Consumer Reports Health News." PR Newswire. PR Newswire Association LLC. 2011. HighBeam Research. 24 Mar. 2011 .
6."Playing a Musical Instrument Reverses Stress on the Genomic Level." PR Newswire. 2005.
7.Takahashi, Takiko; Matsushita, Hiroko. "Long-Term Effects of Music Therapy on Elderly with Moderate/Severe Dementia." Journal of Music Therapy. 2006.
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