5 Ridiculously Simple Ways to Get Healthier

Glamour Magazine

The big surprise? None of them have to do with diet or exercise. Yes, those are the undisputed champions when it comes to building fitter bodies-but as the scientific link between stress and disease grows, researchers have uncovered lots of other things we can do to help ourselves feel better, live longer and reduce the risk of everything from colds to heart attack. Here, five easy, perfect-for-summer suggestions that are proven to help even the laziest among us get a little bit healthier.

1. OPEN DOOR. GO TO PARK.
British researchers recently found that strolling in a park reduced tension twice as much as walking indoors. Just eyeing pictures of nature has been shown to lower blood pressure and muscle tension within five minutes.

2. DUST OFF YOUR UNO DECK.
Bowling, sand-castle building, Scrabulous-turns out games are more than fun. "Playing seems to improve immunity and help people rebound from illness," says Stuart Brown, M.D., who researches the health benefits of play.

3. LOVE YOUR BODY MORE.
In one recent study, women who liked their bodies (even if they were overweight) felt sick about 30 percent less often than women who wished they were thinner. "Feeling bad about yourself activates stress centers in the brain that can actually lead to disease," explains study author Peter Muennig, M.D.

4. GET TO A POOL AND FLOAT.
Recent Swedish research found that flotation therapy in a silent, water-filled tank can reduce pain and speed healing. Lying back in a quiet pool for 20 minutes could boost health too, says the study's coauthor, Sven-Ake Bood, Ph.D.: "Floating produces a deep state of relaxation in the body."

5. HUG SOMEONE.
Cuddling, hugging or even just holding hands can trigger the release of oxytocin, "a hormone that has been shown to reduce stress, improve immune function and increase car-diovascular health," says James Fallon, Ph.D., professor of human behavior at the University of California, Irvine. No wonder a snuggle feels so darn good.

-JAN SHEEHAN

More from Glamour: