Walking gets you where you need to go. But it’s also a great form of exercise.

It’s joint-friendly, and it’s a low-intensity way to burn fat and maintain weight. But there are some steps to take before you head out the door for your walk, so you can help prevent injuries.

First – make sure you’re hydrated. Drink water throughout the day, and really kick it into gear a few hours before taking your steps. Hydration helps your joints, prevents muscle cramps, and maintains body temperature.

Make sure you warm up your legs – stretch your hamstrings and glutes – sitting in the office or in the car all day, will tighten muscles – and when you go for a brisk walk, they’ll tighten even more. So make sure they’re ready for that walk.

Finally, pay attention to your feet too – they’re going to be getting the most action during your walk, so take some warmup exercises.

Get ready for your walk before you walk…so you can keep walking!

Image Credit: NickyLloyd / iStock / Getty Images Plus

If someone ever gives you a hard time for taking a nap, just tell them you’re making your brain bigger!

A new study found that our brains shrink as we age – and taking short naps can help prevent that. But the trick is not to nap for too long – just 15 minutes.

The study looked at nappers and non-nappers – and those who napped had bigger brains – on average from two-and-a-half to six-and-a-half years worth of brain shrinkage was avoided.

The one thing the study didn’t determine was if the napping was keeping the brains larger, or if those who napped more had larger brains. But either way, if you’re tired, take a nap, and if you’re brain comes back bigger – even better!

Image Credit: fizkes / iStock / Getty Images Plus

The afternoon rolls around, and you don’t have time for that coffee break pick me up. So instead, head to the office kitchen, and put your head in the freezer!

Seriously! It’s a tip from a neuroscientist at the University of California who claims that avoiding caffeine later in the day can keep you up at night, so instead, sticking your head in the freezer will actually give you an immediate boost of energy, and it won’t screw up your sleep schedule.

It actually works – there’s scientific evidence that the shock of cold will activate your arousal system.

There are other more sensible ways to do it as well – going on a quick walk, or focusing on something non-work related for ten minutes will all help – but the freezer method will work fastest, and best when your A/C fails!

Image Credit: Kateryna Kukota / iStock / Getty Images Plus