Our everyday routine can actually impact our health, whether we are aware or unaware of it. For example, if you are accustomed to driving to work with your windows down, not in the habit of flossing every day, and exercising beyond your physical capacity you are inviting severe health hazards on your body. A few simple modifications to your everyday routine can potentially prevent serious consequences and save your life. Let us look at some of the most common health mistakes that most of us make and those which can be easily avoided:
1.Common mistake one: speeding with the windows down.
We all love the wind cruising through our hair as we feel on top of the world while racing down the motorway. Although the feeling is ecstatic, it is time we give a thought to the condition of our lungs and the number of harmful pollutants breathed in by the body, as we are speeding across the highway with the windows down.
According to a study conducted by the University of Southern California, it was found that spending merely 5% of a day driving in a car with the windows down
or riding on a bike can expose an individual to more than 50% of pollutants encountered in just one day — which goes to show that the amount of harmful pollutants emitted by cars and other vehicles are absorbed by the body in a very short period of time.
It is not advisable to drive with the windows down, especially in cities, as it can pose a very high risk to one’s health. If you are anticipating traffic during your daily commute in the city, let some fresh air in the car from the countryside before you
hit the highway.
2. Common mistake two: lugging around with a heavy handbag.
On any given day, a regular handbag is usually filled with stuff that one does not necessarily need on a daily basis. For example you would have packed in your make-up kit, hand wipes, mobile phone, keys to the house, car keys, coin wallet, purse etc. amidst other sundries. If you rummage through you will also discover there is a camera hidden in there somewhere, a few old batteries (or perhaps new, but you don’t remember), headphones, medicine kit, some old tags, loose change and much more.
Before you set out to go on a short trip, for example to the supermarket or even to the chemist, it is important to look through your regular handbag and check whether some of these essentials can be cut down a bit. Carrying a heavy handbag can take a toll on your body that can result in back cramps, stiff neck problems, poor posture, degenerative joint disease, slip-disc and other spinal issues.
Make it a habit to regularly spring clean your often-used handbag and, probably consider opting for a smaller sling bag or a cut down version of your regular handbag.
3. Common mistake three: spending more time than necessary on exercise.
It is a common idea to believe that the more time one spends on exercising, for example on the treadmill or on the exercise bike, the better the results. In actuality, too much of a good thing can be harmful, which also applies for exercise. If you are straining your body too hard on any particular exercise it can lead to unnecessary hormonal changes, muscle spasms, back sprains, ankle injuries, shin splints, a weaker immune system and other related troubles.
Although it is important to take advantage of exercise in order to lead a healthy life, it is even more important to note that going overboard does not lead to faster results.
