Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Health Tips for July 30

Health Tip: Deep Breathing Techniques

Deep breathing techniques are a great way to fight stress and anxiety, and help you relax.

Here are basic steps to deep breathing, courtesy of the American Academy of Family Physicians:

* Lie on your back, on a flat surface.
* Place one hand on your stomach just above your belly button, and the other hand on your chest.
* Inhale slowly, making sure that your stomach rises a bit.
* Hold your breath for a second.
* Slowly exhale, letting your stomach sink back down.

Health Tip: Help Prevent Headaches

Headaches have a variety of causes and triggers, but stress is a common factor in many types of headache.

The U.S. National Library of Medicine offers these suggestions to lessen stress and reduce your chances of a headache:

* Get plenty of sleep every night.
* Maintain a healthy diet, including staying away from junk food.
* Don't smoke.
* Get plenty of regular exercise.
* Stretch your neck, shoulders and upper body frequently. This is particularly important if you work all day at a desk or computer.
* Maintain good posture.
* Practice meditation, yoga or deep breathing techniques.

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