Having a Consistent Routine May Be a Key Factor for Developing Better Overall Health

While our preference for maintaining a predictable routine is often seen as an individual choice, new research coming out of the University of Missouri suggests that chaos can be counterproductive for health and longevity. Apparently, consistency really is key for increasing our sleep, reducing pain, heightening moods, and supporting a healthier aging process. Here’s why.

How Does a Consistent Daily Routine Improve Health and Longevity?

The recent study identified that daily routines helped to regulate the body’s circadian rhythm, a process that influences sleep, mood, and many other biological functions. “Regardless of sleep quality, those who reported having a regular daily routine had lower levels of physical pain and less depression compared to those without a daily routine,” said Eunjin Tracy, who is an assistant professor at the College of Education & Human Development, at the University of Missouri.

What Is Social Jetlag and How Does It Hurt Fitness and Recovery?

Insomnia is a significant problem, and affects around half of all adults over 60, so the idea that a more structured approach might help our relationship with sleep and ailments like pain and depression is welcome news, even if that means switching off the TV or putting down the game controller at the same time every night. “If we are consistent with when we wake up, eat, work or study, interact with others and go to bed, those time cues help synchronize our internal body clocks. Over the long term, that seems to be linked with improved health outcomes,” added Professor Tracy.

Researchers theorize that even small breaks in our routine can cause disruptions which mess with the body’s internal clock, resulting in a state known as social jetlag. “There is growing awareness about the concept of social jet lag,” said Professor Tracey. “Waking up and going to bed at different times on weekends compared to weekdays, and the disruptions it causes to our circadian rhythm, so hopefully this research helps more people consider the health benefits of a daily routine. Since one-third of our lives will be spent sleeping, I think health and well-being research should be looked at holistically from a 24-hour perspective and not just focus on when we are awake.”



from Muscle & Fitness https://ift.tt/DmVyNLk
via beheathandwellsness

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Equip Dad’s Special Day with Gear

Looking for the perfect Father’s Day gift can be a difficult task , but don’t panic, we’ve got you covered with our ultimate gift guide to impress your old man. From cool portable projectors to quirky accessories, our guide will help you find something more unique than the usual socks and ties.  from Muscle & Fitness https://ift.tt/oV3lvru via beheathandwellsness
Read more

What Happens to Your Body When You Breathe Out Through Your Nose or Breathe Out Through Your Mouth

Breathing is something we do without thinking, but it’s a powerful tool that, when wielded correctly, can help with everything from stress to core strength to digestion . With that in mind, we were curious if the way we exhale—either out from our nose or our mouth—makes a difference in general and while exercising. Long story short: It absolutely does. So what happens to your body when you breathe out through your nose vs. your mouth? Two experts break it down, below. “The nose possesses over 30 functions,” says Ally Maz, a guided meditation instructor for  Open . Key among those are filtering, humidifying, and regulating the temperature of air as we breathe. Jessica Phillips, meditation expert and mindfulness-based life coach with P.volve , adds that there is lots of research about the benefits of breathing—and specifically breathing from the nose. “It’s how our bodies were designed and why we have a nose (we don’t eat from our mouth)!” she says. “Nose breathing is scientifica...
Read more

For Elaine Welteroth, Saying No Is an Abundance Practice

For many, establishing and enforcing boundaries isn’t a natural proclivity, but more of a skill that’s learned over time. Whether in the personal or professional realms, deciding what you want and mapping out what you will and will not tolerate in order to get it can become easier with practice. Over the past 15-plus years, journalist, New York Times best-selling author, and television host Elaine Welteroth has built a big, multifaceted career. But she doesn’t sign on to every opportunity that comes her way. To help her draw boundaries that allow her to funnel her energy toward only what fuels and excites her, she credits a two-letter word as her guiding light: no. “If it isn’t a ‘hell yes,’ it’s a ‘hell no’,” Welteroth tells me of how she evaluates opportunities to ensure they align with her own goals. The advice doubles as a straightforward counsel for designing a life you want. Well, until it doesn’t. Life has a way of throwing curveballs, rendering the binary yes-no framework ...
Read more