6 Easy Ways to Extend Your Life in One Minute or Less

Photo: Dan Saelinger

By Dr. Mehmet Oz

If your reason for not adopting healthier habits is that you don't have enough time, consider your problem solved: I've put together a list of practices that could literally add years to your life, and each one can be done in 60 seconds or less.



Get Up Every Hour
A recent study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiologydiscovered that people who sat for four or more hours a day outside work had a 50 percent greater risk of dying from any cause than those who sat less than two hours a day. I recommend taking a minute-long walk at least once an hour. Every step counts toward the 10,000 you should be taking every day.

Eat an Egg
This nutritional powerhouse does a body good: One egg provides 13 percent of your daily protein requirement and only 4 percent of the average recommended daily calorie count. Plus, it contains a hefty dose of lutein, an antioxidant that protects your eyes from macular degeneration and UV damage. An egg a day may even help prevent Alzheimer's: The yolk is a significant source of choline, a nutrient that reduces inflammation in the brain.



Take Chromium
Research shows that the trace mineral helps maintain proper blood sugar levels by increasing cells' sensitivity to insulin, steeling your body against type II diabetes. Swallow 200 micrograms a day of chromium polynicotinate.

Don't Forget to Floss
When left to their own devices, the bacteria hiding between your teeth will infect your gums and enter your bloodstream, where they can cause inflammation in your arteries and contribute to plaque buildup on blood vessel walls. Recent studies have linked gum disease to other problems, too, ranging from respiratory infections to neurodegeneration.

Check Your Pulse
Before you get out of bed in the morning, press your index and middle fingers against the inside of your wrist below your thumb and count the beats for 30 seconds. Then double that number. A 2010 study found that compared with a normal resting rate of 60 beats per minute, a rate of 90 or above triples a woman's risk of dying from heart disease. If your heart rate is high, consider adding more omega-3 fatty acids to your diet.



Do Self-Massage
Stress damages every organ in your body. For quick relief, press your thumbs against the sides of your nose just below your browbone; then walk your index and middle fingers across your brows and finish by lightly rubbing your temples. Massage prompts a drop in cortisol and adrenaline and a surge in feel-good endorphins.

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