We go through great lengths to keep ourselves as healthy as possible. We exercise, we try to keep a healthy diet, we floss our teeth, we put sunscreen before we go out, we keep our annual appointments for our check ups and paps. OMG!! No wonder we are exhausted!!
We do all these things, but are you guilty of bad habits that pose a health risk — without even realizing it???
Here are some bad health habits that many women make:
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| Carry the flats for long distance walk |
1.
Walking In High Heels - We are sure that we are all guilty of this at one time or another. You love to wear those beautiful stilettos that you really look good in. But do you know that these beautiful shoes might be killing your feet?
Rheumatologist say that all
those hours in heels put undo stress on your hips, knees and back, and
therefore, create a health risk. Yep! Looking good sometimes comes with a price.
Solution: Wear those beautiful stilettos on special occasions
only and if you know you are going to be walking a long distance wear a pair of flats or sneakers, and change into your heels when you arrive to your destination.
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| Travel Light |
2.
Carrying Too Much Baggage- The majority of us women are notorious for carrying everything inside our purse or tote--makeup, magazines, gym shoes, wallets, cell phones, keys, water bottle, electronics, snacks, and if you have a husband and/or kids at times you have to carry all of their stuff too. But carrying all this could be putting your whole upper body at risk by knocking off balance your neck, shoulder and upper back.
The American Chiropractic Association (ACA) recommends that your tote weigh no more than 10 percent of your body weight, fully loaded.
Solution: You are going to have to learn to travel light. Pack only the essentials. If you must carry around a large purse or a gym bag, choose a
backpack with lots of pockets to help you distribute the weight as
evenly as possible. A backpack? Yes! we know is not fashionable, but it will help your back neck and shoulder.
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| Juggling Too Much |
3.
Staying Away from Strength Training - Women think that if they start lifting weight they might look too bulky. Not to worry, says the
American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), the high
levels of estrogen in our body will prevent us from looking like the incredible Hulk no matter how much weight we lift. Strength training protects your joint and
bone health, and helps you tone.
Solution: Add strength training twice or three times a week to your workout routine, using resistance bands or free weights. Don't be afraid you will look nicely toned.
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| Your Stilettos might be killing your feet |
4.
Juggling Too Much at Home - Women multitask. We tend to do so many things at the same time when we get home from work. Cook dinner, help the kids with their homework, prepare for the next day, do some laundry, and the list goes on and on..... This bad health habit leaves women feeling overwhelmed, overstressed, and exhausted,
Solution: Prioritize — and realize you can’t do it all, at least not everything at the same time! Ask your spouse and kids to pitch in.
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| Big Lunch |
5.
Lying About Your Diet - Unfortunately we lie to ourselves about what we eat. You enjoy a large slice of cheese cake after dinner, but later in the
evening, you’re telling yourself it was only a tiny sliver. You eat a big lunch and promise yourself you won’t eat a big dinner and then you forget and have a big dinner too. Sounds familiar? This habit could cause weight to creep up on you and unhealthy eating habits to develop.
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| Strength Training |
Solution: If you’re trying to lose or maintain your weight, journal your calories and exercise to stay honest. There are several
FREE phone applications that you can use like
My Fitness Pal or
Lose It to log everything and will help you to stay accountable.
6.
Putting Everyone First - Do we really need to explain this? We are sure you understand this one. Women tend to put ourselves last. We forget that we are vulnerable too and that if something happens to us, your loved ones suffer too.
This neglect leads to physical as well as emotional health problems.
Solution: Identify high priority and allow yourself time to
meet them, even if it means saying NO to the people
who are demanding your time. Allow some time for yourself also.
7.
Cutting Out All Snacks - You might think you’re helping to manage your weight by cutting out
between-meal eating. But snacking on
good foods is not bad. In fact, you can have more weight loss success when you eat two or three healthy
snacks a day — low-fat yogurt, almonds, carrots, or berries,
for example.
Solution: Eat two or three small 100 to 200 calorie snacks a day to fight hunger in between meals and this will prevent you to overeat.
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| Healthy Snacks |
8.
Skipping Sleep - The average American sleeps only 6.9 hours a night, even though 8 hours of sleep is ideal for health.
Sleep deprivation can cause a risk to women’s health and cause weight gain.
Solution: Make your sleep a priority by going to bed at the same time each night, if possible. Try to keep your bedroom cool, dark, and quiet; and reserve your bed for sleeping and sex only, not watching TV or working on your laptop.
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| Get Enough Sleep |
Maybe you are guilty of some of these bad habits OR all of them--- be aware of them--- and try your best to break them. We know that this does not happen over night, easy said than done, but if you make small changes it will lead to big differences.
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