Shape Magazine
Make Over Your Health
5. Prevent period pain without over-the-counter drugs. Skip the ibuprofen, and relax. Take a walk, do some yoga or indulge in a juicy novel during the first two weeks of your cycle to keep monthly cramps at bay. Research in the journal Occupational and Environmental Medicine found that high stress levels can double your period pain.
6. Turn envy into inspiration. Do you find yourself turning green when you see women who are in great shape or who seem to be able to juggle a thousand tasks with a smile? Jealousy is a self-defeating behavior that can make you seek solace in something potentially destructive, such as alcohol or junk food, says Ellen Langer, Ph.D., a professor of psychology at Harvard University. "Rather than envy her, find out how she did it, and try her tips."
7. Plan a trip (and be sure to leave your BlackBerry at home). People who take a vacation each year have a lower overall risk of early death by almost 20 percent and a reduced risk of death from heart disease by as much as 30 percent, according to a study from the psychiatry departments at the University of Pittsburgh and the State University of New York at Oswego. When you take time off, don't stay home to catch up on errands. Experts say travel distances you, literally and figuratively, from your burdens and anxieties, so go on that trip to Paris or that hiking adventure you've always dreamed of.
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Kettlebell Training
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