Tips For Staying Healthy And Well This Fall
October Newsletter
3 Ways To Keep Your Lungs Strong And Healthy
As we enjoy breathing in the crisp fall air, there is no better time to celebrate National Healthy Lung Month. Lungs are the main organ in the body’s respiratory system, and they consistently cycle oxygen through the bloodstream to every cell. Healthy lungs keep us breathing properly, support our sense of smell, and protect the body from harmful substances.
According to the American Lung Association, these three best practices can keep your lungs in good health:
- Maintain a smoke-free lifestyle: The best thing you can do for your lungs is to avoid cigarette smoking and tobacco use. These habits increase the risk of lung cancer, causing chronic inflammation and destroying lung tissue. If you are a smoker, considering taking the steps to quit.
- Monitor air quality: When outdoors, be mindful of spending prolonged time in polluted air. Avoid burning trash or wood, and avoid exercising outside on bad air days. For your safety indoors, keep up on home and workplace inspections and talk to your doctor if you think something inside is making you sick.
- Stay up-to-date with medical check-ups: Visiting your doctor at least once a year can help prevent disease. Lung disease can often go undetected, so it’s important to have your doctor check your breathing.
Are You Keeping Your Bones And Joints Strong?
This October, celebrate Bone and Joint Awareness Month by brushing up on the best ways to keep your body strong. Bones are not only the foundational structure of the body, but they protect organs and muscles in addition to storing calcium. As we get older, the risk for osteoporosis, a disease causing bones to become brittle and weak, increases. In addition to age, there are a number of risk factors such as gender, body frame, hormone levels, and family history.
While we can’t control some of these risk factor, Mayo Clinic shares lifestyle habits that we can put into practice to keep our bones and joints healthy:
- Get enough calcium in your diet: Dairy products, broccoli, salmon, kale, and almonds are foods rich in calcium. Your body also requires plenty of vitamin D to properly absorb calcium.
- Maintain an active lifestyle: Getting enough exercise is one of the best ways to keep your bones strong and your joints working. Those who lead a sedentary lifestyle are prone to weak and brittle bones.
- Avoid smoking and excessive drinking: Unhealthy habits like tobacco use and alcohol use can weaken your body over time.
- Talk to your doctor: Regular visits to your primary care physician can help monitor risk factors and assess bone health as you age.
Watch this video from Mayo Clinic to learn more about the importance of exercise for bone health as you get older.