If someone said you could add a year to your life just for cutting out ice cream, you might say you weren’t interested. But would you be interested in adding two decades to your life?

A new study shows that there are eight habits that you should adopt by the age of 40, and you could live an additional 21 years for women, and 24 years for men.

The habits are straightforward – exercise, avoid excessive pain pills, don’t smoke, manage stress, eat mostly plants, avoid binge drinking, get enough sleep, and maintain good social relationships and friendships.

All make sense, and hopefully you’re doing most if not all. But if not, add them for a longer lifespan.

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It’s not a new year, but with kids going back to school and Summer winding down, the first week of September is a good week to reset and think about your goals. Making new habits stick is hard, but not impossible, and there are a few steps to take to make achieving your goals easier.

First, set specific goals – not just general statements like “I want to work out” – but more specifically, like I want to work out 3 days per week.

And plan – if you’ve got the goal, also plan out exactly when you’re going to accomplish it.

Also, don’t have goals, even though they may be good for you, be something you hate – if you hate running, try to find a different exercise that you do enjoy in its place.

You also will find that life may get in the way – and if it interrupts your schedule for the new habit, don’t be too hard on yourself. Just make sure you do get back to it!

And, finally, if you let your friends and family know about your goals, have them keep on you to encourage you to continue with it – you won’t want to disappoint them!

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Some of us are early birds, and some of us are night owls – but when it comes to burning more fat through exercise, one time is better than the other to do it.

Scientists have found that morning exercise can boost fat metabolism.

Now the study was done on mice – but they found that exercise at different times of day affects the bodies in different ways because of the rhythms our cells get into.

The mice working in the morning on an empty stomach had a higher metabolic rate than those who worked out in the evening.

So, if you’ve been dreading that early morning class you signed up for, stick with it! But no matter what time of day you exercise, as long as you keep moving, you’ll get a ton of benefits like improved brain health, reducing the risk of disease, strengthening bones and muscles, and managing a healthy weight.

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The first day after the weekend gives some of us a case of the Mondays – but you feel that way every day, there are some things that may be to blame that you can correct.

The most common reason we’re tired is simple fatigue – not getting enough sleep after a busy weekend. But if you’re constantly fatigued, let your doctor know in case they may find an underlying reason.

Also, if you’re too sedentary, it’ll make you tired – we need at least 2 1/2 hours of physical exercise per week.

If you’re anxious or depressed, it can be draining. And if you don’t get a consistent sleep schedule, that can affect you too.

Plus, make sure you drink enough water. Dehydration can make you tired, no matter what time of year.

Also, make sure your bedroom is conducive for sleep – a dark, cool room – and keep your phone away at night, along with alcohol and caffeine shortly before bed.

Hopefully, with some easy changes, you’ll start to find yourself more rested!

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