Not only does extra weight put stress on bones, joint and the heart, it also affects the bladder. Obesity has been linked to stress incontinence, leaking brought on by coughing or laughing. “If a woman with stress incontinence loses approximately 8% of her body weight her symptoms can improve by as much as 50%”, says Melissa Kaufman, M.D., Ph.D., and associate professor of urologic surgery at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine.

On days when you are feeling off, take a moment to pinpoint whether you are lonely, disappointed, frustrated, anxious or annoyed. A recent review of multiple studies in the Journal Current Directions in Psychological Science found big benefits for people who are attuned to different shades of negative experiences. Compared with those who use catcall words like “sad,” subjects who used more precise language lived longer and enjoyed better mental health. Psychologists explain that using specific language helps the brain identify the problem at the root of the bad feeling and summon the right resources to respond more effectively to challenges.

Getting less than seven hours of sleep daily is associated with chronic heath conditions that can lessen your life span, such as diabetes and high blood pressure.

USC Institute of Global Health

So say University of Florida scientists. In an animal study, they tracked mice from 6 to 24 months of age (the human equivalent of 25 to 60 years) and found that sedentary animals lost 60% of their hearing over time; mice that exercised lost only 40%. Study author Shinishi Someya, PH.D. says exercise boosts blood flow to the inner ear, protecting against the loss of capillaries and sound receptor cells that dim hearing.