Many of us suffer from high blood pressure – half of us over the age of 20 have it, and 75% over the age of 65. And you probably already know aerobic exercise can help you lower it – but a new study shows that you can lower your high blood pressure without moving!

Running, rowing machines, ellipticals are all still good options – but the best exercise may just be planks and wall squats.

If you’re not familiar, planks are when you stay in a push-up position on your elbows and remain motionless. Wall squats are where you sit in an invisible chair with your back up against the wall.

They’re not easy, but they can drop your top blood pressure number by around 8 and the bottom number by around 4.

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If you want healthy gums, you know to brush and floss daily. But cutting calories will help too!

A new study found it helps slow the progression of gum disease. The inflammation on gumlines was reduced with lower calorie diets – as well as inflammation in the entire body.

It worked on the short-term as well – if someone started a new diet, the results would show rather quickly.

However, it’s important not to go overboard – getting a healthy number of calories is important, because malnourishment is also a cause of gum disease.

But if you’ve been looking to cut back a bit and slim your waistline, you may end up with healthier gums too!

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We’re in Pumpkin Spice Latte season, and there’s a good chance you’ll be having a few over the next month and a half.

But have you ever wondered how much exercise you need to burn it off?

Well, we have the answer!

If you get a tall with nonfat milk and no whipped cream – the healthiest version you can find – that’s about 200 calories – so you’d need to job a mile and a half or do dreaded burpees for 20 minutes!

The more you add to the PSL, the more you’ll need to do – a grande with whipped cream means a 3-mile jog, and if you go big with a venti and whole milk means a 4-and-a-half-mile jog.

So, enjoy the pumpkin spice latte’s this season, but make sure you’ve got your running shoes ready!

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Whether it’s hot or not, you need to drink water – but did you know you can make your water even more hydrating! There are a few things you can add to your water to boost its hydration!

Cucumber is a great addition – if you look closely, you’ll notice the seeds are sort in a slime, but it’s actually a gel of water – sort of a combination of solid and liquid, and it’ll double your glass of water’s hydration!

Chia seeds also contain gel water, and they’ll actually give you a fiber boost – they’ll clump together in the water for a tasty treat!

It may seem counter-intuitive, but sea salt will help replace the sodium that you lose when you sweat in hot weather. You’ll actually absorb more water!

Lemon can help with minerals you lose when it’s hot like potassium, calcium, iron, and magnesium.

And while most of us will go for a watermelon to add to water, apples have more hydration benefits – apples contain up to 86% water.

Start adding these treats now so you’ll be super hydrated and refreshed!

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If you kept yourself fit this summer, but worried with Fall approaching and you want to keep off the pounds, it’s doable – but there are a few sneaky things that contribute to weight gain to stay on the lookout for:

If you focus on whatever calories come in need to get burned off, it won’t matter if you’re not eating the right types of food. A lot of processed foods will cause blood sugar levels to spike, and you may end up feeling hungry all the time.

When you do snack, choose the right ones – donuts and potato chips are delicious, but opt for healthier snacks like nuts instead.

Eating vegetables is great, but too many starchy vegetables like potatoes and peas cause inadvertent weight gain – choose broccoli, Brussel sprouts, carrots, and mushrooms.

And if you sit around all day at your desk, but that’s not good for our bodies – we need breaks – the American Heart Association recommends at least two and half hours of exercise per week – so try a 30-minute brisk walk each weekday, and you’ll have the weekend to relax!

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