New Year New Life. Many people take advantage of these days to take stock of the last 12 months and, of course, make a list of good resolutions. If you are one of those who each year promise to give up vices and lead a healthy life , here is a series of scientific evidence that will reaffirm your good intentions. And happy New Year!
Join the gym
A study published in the journal PLoS Genetics showed that the benefits of sport begin to manifest after six months of practice: the risk of cardiovascular diseases is reduced, accumulated fat decreases and beneficial changes are also produced in the genetic material . In addition, exercise helps you maintain self-control and improves your immune system: a great ally against winter colds.
If you prefer something calmer, like yoga, you will be happy to know that more and more scientific studies support the benefits of this practice: it reduces stress and anxiety , improves your mental activity and strengthens your heart.
Give up smoking
The negative effects that tobacco has on health are well known and, if you consider quitting, you will be encouraged to know that a study published in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence showed that quitting improves memory by 15%. Another work revealed that quitting smoking before the age of 30 lengthens life by a decade.
Learn languages
Not only does it help you improve your job expectations , it is also good for your brain. Scientific studies show that learning other languages improves concentration, increases brain plasticity and even delays Alzheimer’s. Additionally, speaking two languages appears to slow down the cognitive decline of aging.
Sign up for a volunteer
Although it should not be the main reason for doing this activity, spending part of your time helping others will also give you a lot of personal satisfaction: scientific studies show that altruism improves our confidence and optimism, and also promotes physiological changes in the brain that help us to be happier.
Eat a healthy diet
After the Christmas excesses, nothing better than a healthy diet. Will we be able to maintain it? To motivate you, we will remind you that eating well improves your cognitive health, and that diets such as vegetarian lower blood pressure. In addition, recent studies extol the benefits of following a low-calorie diet, as it improves health and delays aging.
