Easy swaps for good health

Studies prove these simple adjustments make your health and happiness soar

- BY BRENDA KEARNS

Curb stress with an exercise tweak

It’s true that jogging on a treadmill or going for a brisk walk will help you burn off stress. But you'll get even better results if you enjoy a leisurely stroll around your garden instead, British researchers say. In their review of 24 studies, a relaxing 15-minute walk through a green space cut stress, tension and anxiety by as much as 80%. That's better results than 50-minute power walks provided. Researchers explain that combining nature exposure with gentle motion dials down your body’s production of the stress hormone cortisol.

OR CHEER FOR YOUR TEAM

You don't have to play sports to benefit from them. Regularly rooting for your favorite teams from the comfort of home could help you feel calmer and happier, Japanese scientists say. Watching sports stimulates your body's “reward circuit”, which keeps tension at bay.

The bloom switch that erases aches

Nothing says spring quite like lilacs. And if an uptick in fair-weather fun has left you stiff and sore, set out a lilac bouquet-instead of traditional roses-in a room you frequent. Doing so could cut achiness by up to 73%, a Brazilian study suggests. The aromatic compounds that give lilacs their scent calm overactive pain nerves. And they can even curb the production of ache-triggering inflammation if you inhale them often.