With every New Year comes the common resolution to be healthy. But while this resolution involves diet and exercise for most people, being healthy is much more than just that. Beyond a balanced diet and frequent exercise, a commitment to health also means ensuring you and your family are free from sickness this 2016. This year, make your health your wealth. Transforming unhealthy habits may not be easy, but you can begin by setting small, achievable milestones along the way.
Here are a few simple yet impactful tips to jumpstart a healthier 2016:
1. Break down your fitness goal into weekly goals.
People race to the gym at the start of the year, but, as the months go by, attendance at the gym dwindles and progress toward that fitness goal stalls. Instead of making your fitness goal to lose 15 pounds over the course of the year, resolve to work out three times a week. This will make your progress more measurable in the short-term, and will help to keep you motivated.
As you visit the gym more frequently, it is important to understand the increased need for better personal hygiene. Since so many people go to the gym, you also need to ensure they are protected from germs. According to Microbiologist Philip Tierno, “80% of infections are transmitted by contact. The large number of people, exposed skin, and sweat are perfect ingredients for spreading infections.” Based on the research conducted by Tierno, Staphylococcus and E.coli were found on exercise bikes, dumbbells, lateral pull down machines and shower floors. These germs can cause skin infections and diarrhea.
To protect yourself from germs while working out, here are some tips:
- Avoid touching your face while working out by using a towel to wipe off your sweat.
- Wash your hands with soap and water immediately after working out.
- Wear slippers in the locker room and in the shower. Use an anti-bacterial soap in the shower to remove germs.
2. Set an alarm for changing your sheets and towels.
Many do not realize how everyday items like bed sheets and towels can impact a family’s health, and how often these items need to be changed.
According to a study by Professor Sally Bloomfield of London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, “Not washing your sheets regularly increases the risk of spreading bacteria.” If you feel that your sheets still look clean, you are wrong. With everyday use, sheets accumulate dust and germs that you cannot as easily see. Change sheets every two weeks to avoid allergies and the spread of diseases.
You need to change your towels even more frequently because these are exposed to water every day. An unpleasant or musty smell from these items may indicate the presence of germs. Experts recommend changing bath towels after three uses and hand towels every one to two days. The more frequently you use them, the more often you have to change them.
3. Clean your mobile phones.
Your mobile phone is your intimate possession: You keep it beside you when you sleep, and sometimes take it with you to the bathroom. What you may not know that your phone may have ten times more germs than a toilet seat.
In a study conducted by microbiologist Dr. Charles Gerba, mobile phones are ideal breeding grounds for germs. These germs, which thrive on the warm screens of mobile phones, may cause everything from skin problems like acne, to diseases like diarrhea and the flu. Another cause of concern is that mobile phones and other gadgets are often shared devices – particularly in families. This means that you are not only exposing yourself to germs, but you may get others sick as well.
Health experts recommend disinfecting your gadgets with an anti-bacterial wipe frequently. More importantly, make it a habit to wash hands with anti-bacterial soap and water frequently. This way, germs that may have been transferred from your mobile phone will not make you or your loved ones sick.
Remember that a healthier year begins with better personal hygiene among all members of the family. Health experts recommend Safeguard for superior germ protection for your family. Its patented anti-bacterial ingredient not only provides protection against more types of germs, but also reduces the regrowth of these germs in between washes.
Make 2016 your healthiest year yet! Keep yourself and your family protected from disease-causing germs by making frequent hand washing with Safeguard your healthy habit.
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