Improve your health for free!

Put away your wallet! These easy tactics will help you reach all your 2025 health goals without costing a penny

- GABRIELLE LICHTERMAN

Lower high BP by breathing slowly

If you've resolved to protect your heart by reducing your blood pressure, you know limiting salt and increasing exercise are smart moves. And if you're in the prehypertension range, where your systolic (top number) is 120 to 129 mmHg, you can bring it back to normal with slow breathing. A new Harvard review shows that 10 minutes of inhaling for a count of 5, then exhaling for a count of 5 once daily reduces systolic BP by 7 points in eight weeks. It activates your calming parasympathetic nervous system, making blood vessels more flexible.

OR ENJOY A HOBBY Doing anything that makes life more satisfying curbs inflammation. And that lowers your risk of heart trouble and stroke, shows a new study in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

Music playlists increase joy!

You don't have to buy pricey tickets to a faraway destination to get happier. Putting a smile on your face is as easy as queuing up your favorite songs. A study in Cell Reports found that listening to music you enjoy synchronizes brain waves across areas that handle sound and feelings of reward, making your mood soar.

Tame tension with a scalp massage