QUICK MOVES FOR BETTER HEALTH

Making big gains in your well-being can happen in just minutes each day.

- BY AMY PATUREL

INVESTING IN YOUR health takes time. That's true. But there are still plenty of things you can do to enhance your overall health—or even just your mood—when you only have minutes to spare.

"People often think they have to do this dramatic overhaul overnight and tug the rug underneath themselves," says LJ Amaral, RD, a clinical research registered dietician in oncology at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles. "But the small, simple approach is actually the best way to make a dramatic change in your life."

Ready to give it a whirl? Here are six simple strategies to squeeze into your day.

Start your morning with box breathing

Most of us breathe in and out all day without even thinking about it. But paying attention to your breath—and extending your inhales and exhales—has important mind-body benefits.

People often don't realize they're taking fast, shallow breaths, which activates the stress response, explains Neha Vyas, MD, a family medicine physician with Cleveland Clinic. But taking slow, deep breaths tells our nervous system it’s safe to relax, and “box breathing” does the trick.

Box breathing (also called foursquare breathing) involves four basic steps: Inhale for four seconds, hold for four seconds, exhale for four seconds, and pause for four seconds, then repeat. Ideally, you should practice box breathing for three to five minutes at a time, or until you feel calm. If counting to four is challenging, drop down to three. After consistent practice, you may be able to swap out four-second breaths for five or six.

A 2021 study reported that twice-daily box breathing enhances lung function, which is a key predictor of health and longevity.