Researchers and doctors say walking cuts breast-cancer risks, protects your bones, helps you sleep, and more.

Well, that's why researchers and doctors are so gung ho about walking, especially in light of new research that credits it for everything from cutting breast-cancer risks to helping you sleep.

Walking is not just a weenie activity for the nonathletic, says Michelle Look, M.D., national medical consultant to the Breast Cancer 3-Day Walk and a physician who specializes in sports medicine in San Diego, California: "It's good for just about anybody, and the health benefits are particularly significant for women." Here, eight reasons to start walking -- or just walk a little more often.

1. It's great for the heart

In a recent study conducted at Duke University Medical Center, researchers found that walking briskly for 30 minutes every day lowers your odds of developing metabolic syndrome, a cluster of risk factors linked to higher risks of heart disease, diabetes, and stroke. Roughly 24 million women in the United States have metabolic syndrome. Don't have time for a daily half-hour walk? Try multitasking: A British study found that active commuting (incorporating walking and cycling into your sedentary commute) is associated with an 11 percent reduction in heart-disease risk, especially among women.

2. It cuts breast-cancer risks

Walking, even for a few hours a week, significantly reduces breast-cancer risk, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The thinking is that walking helps reduce levels of body fat, a source of estrogen. The research looked at 74,000 postmenopausal women between the ages of 50 and 79. Those at a normal weight lowered their risk by 30 percent; those who were overweight, by 10 to 20 percent. Younger women may also gain similar benefits.

3. It helps you sleep

A brisk walk in the afternoon will help you get a better night's sleep, according to the National Sleep Foundation. Experts say that walking may boost levels of the feel-good hormone serotonin, which relaxes you. Or, the rise in body temperature brought on by walking may signal the brain to lower your temperature later, which promotes sleep. (Avoid a walk two hours before bed --that's too late to cool down.)

4. It cuts down on aches and pains

Walk the "Chi" (pronounced chee) way and you could have fewer achy days. Nine years ago, Danny Dreyer, an ultra-marathoner then living near San Francisco, California, invented ChiWalking, which incorporates ideas from Tai Chi, yoga, and Pilates. It looks like regular walking but, because you consciously relax, improve the alignment of your body, and involve arm movements, puts less stress on the legs while you walk. That means fewer aches. "ChiWalking can cut down any risk of injury," says Alice Peters Diffely, a ChiWalking instructor in Portland, Oregon. "Your whole body will feel better."

5. It makes you happy

Walking can relieve depression, anxiety, and stress. Just one 30-minute walk may make you feel better when you're down, University of Texas researchers found. Head out for 90 minutes five times a week and you'll get the biggest boost, according to a new study from Temple University. One possible explanation: Walking helps the body produce endorphins, the mood-boosting chemicals linked to "runner's high."

6. It keeps you slimmer

Walking for 30 minutes a day can prevent weight gain in most people who are physically inactive, according to another Duke study. And researchers from Brown University and the University of Pittsburgh showed that women who walked for an hour five days a week and consumed 1,500 calories a day lost and kept off 25 pounds over the course of a year. The reason walking helps control your weight: It's easy! "The harder the exercise is, the less people will do it," says Johnny Benjamin, MD, chairman of the department of orthopedics at Indian River Medical Center in Vero Beach, Florida.

7. It staves off senior moments

Several studies in older people suggest that walking -- even for as little as 45 minutes a week -- helps ward off Alzheimer's disease. Regular strolls are also linked to mental sharpness in seniors. But regardless of your age, walking is likely to help keep your mind active, Benjamin says-particularly if you stroll with friends; walking while talking is a surefire brain booster.

8. It protects your bones

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"Your workload is growing, and it feels like there is not enough time in the day. You may be telling yourself a vacation is one luxury you can't afford. But the truth is that you can't afford not to take one.

A vacation allows you the opportunity to recharge your physical and emotional batteries, disconnect from everyday concerns, and return to work rested and refreshed. In fact, in a survey commissioned by Robert Half International, 51 percent of executives said employees are more productive after a vacation than before one.

To ensure your time away from the office is worry free, proper planning is required. Here are some tips:

Time it right. A Robert Half survey shows that executives consider July and August the most favorable months for employees to take a break. That's not simply because these months offer ideal beach weather -- many businesses slow down during this time of the year.

When planning your vacation, remember to take into account any activities that your department will be focused on during that time. For instance, if a big initiative is planned for the summer, you may consider postponing your trip until the fall.

Look to others for assistance. Ask trusted colleagues to handle your projects while you're away. Your supervisor can help you determine who is most qualified for a particular task. Also, provide your customers, boss and co-workers with a list of colleagues who will fill in for you. Include the list in your out-of-office e-mail and voice-mail messages, as well, so people have someone who can help them while you're away.

Consider planning a meeting with those who will be filling in for you to alert them to upcoming tasks and deadlines. Explain relevant processes and procedures and make sure they know where key files are kept.

Let your contacts know. Give colleagues and customers you frequently work with a few weeks' notice before you head off. This will give them enough time to plan for your absence.

If you take part in recurring meetings, make sure to decline them if they fall while you are on vacation. If you've organized a meeting, ask another colleague to lead it or cancel it so attendees know not to show up.

Leverage technology. One thing people dread when returning from vacation is the mountain of e-mail that often awaits them. To avoid sifting through hundreds of messages, take advantage of "rules" that allow you to sort incoming messages. Most e-mail programs offer this function. For example, you may designate daily IT updates to the Deleted Items folder since the content will be irrelevant by the time you return. Or you might set up rules that direct e-mails from certain contacts to the people who will be covering for you so nothing slips through the cracks while you're away.

Conduct a technical review. Before you leave, make sure there is plenty of room in your e-mail inbox so you don't exceed your storage limit while you're out of the office, which might prevent you from sending messages when you return. Also make sure passwords won't expire while you are gone. If you plan to work during your time off, ensure that you can use your laptop or BlackBerry from your vacation destination.

Limit contact with the office. If possible, pull the plug and leave your laptop, pager and files at home. If you have to call the office for a particular reason -- such as a conference call that requires your input -- don't let yourself be dragged into additional tasks. Limit your participation to essential items only.

Last but not least, try not to stretch yourself to the limit right before you head off.
While you may need to occasionally stay late to prepare for your vacation, don't leave everything for the final week, when you'll likely have other last-minute preparations to make. Knowing that everything has been taken care of well in advance will allow you to truly enjoy your time away from the office."

It is quite common for people to take for granted the things that they have, thinking that nothing can take such things away from them. However, experience will tell us that anything in the world can disappear in just a blink of an eye. The same is true for the faculties and senses that we have been blessed with. Our sense of smell, hearing, taste or sight can actually be impaired or lost if we do not take care of them properly.

One of the most taken for granted part of the body is actually the eye. Nowadays, people are more concerned about losing weight, etc. rather than thinking of ways to care for their precious eyes

With so many of us spending lots of time in front of the computer every day it comes to no surprise that research is showing a rise in visual problems. What can one do? here are some tips that can be followed in our daily life without any special instruments or cost...

Positioning is everything

Correct positioning of our computer, keyboard and typing copy is essential. Screen should be positioned about an arm’s length from our eyes and 20 degrees below eye level. Consider foot and wrist rests for added comfort.

While computer use won’t harm your eyes in the long term, experts say, working at a computer can cause eye fatigue and symptoms such as tired, dry, itchy or burning eyes. The screen shouldn’t be inches away (too close) or so far that you cannot see the print, easily.


Lighting can make all the difference

Room lighting should be diffuse, not direct, to reduce glare and reflections from computer screen. Look into an internal or external glare screen and be sure to set your colour, contrast and brightness levels to suit us.

Glare can create eye strain. People can combat glare at work with antireflective coatings on their computer screens as well as antireflective coatings on their glasses.

To help with the strain that artificial lighting can cause on the eyes, its recommended to convert to incandescent light from a regular soft white lightbulb or have lamps on our desks with incandescent light that illuminates the work area evenly.

A little extra help from our glasses

Anti-reflective coatings on the lenses of our glasses can be applied by optometrist to reduce discomfort and to ease reduced vision from bright and/or flickering light sources such as VDTs and fluorescent lights. And don’t forget, doctor of optometry can talk to you about eyeglasses designed specifically for people who use computers a lot.

It is a known fact that looking directly at the sun, lasers or any strong source of light for an extended period of time can make us go blind. However, not many are aware that mere but frequent exposure to sunlight, especially during midday, can cause real damage to the eyes in the long run. That is why, whenever we are driving or walking under the sun, we should always wear sunglasses with good UVA And UVB protection.

We really do not have to buy ultra-expensive sunglasses. Cheap ones that are available in warehouse store counters are already sufficient. But before we buy cheap sunglasses, we have to ensure that it truly protects your eyes from the harmful rays of the sun or other strong light sources.


Palming

Sit straight at workstation and rub our palms against each other till we feel them warm. The warmth of our palms helps soothe and relax tired eyes. Then, lightly cup our eyes with our palms and relax for 60 seconds. Count the seconds in mind. Repeat this exercise two to three times whenever our eyes feel tired, or as often as we want. While palming, we can either rest our elbows on our desk or keep away from the desk and cup our eyes. Both ways are fine.

Eat foods that are rich in vitamins A, C and E

Incorporate Vitamins A, C, and E on a daily basis; eat citrus fruits, green leafy veggies, tomatoes, spinach, poultry and dairy products. Pack a box of chopped carrots, cucumber and fresh fruits and munch in-between meals at the office.

Foods that are rich in Vitamin A, which is a source of eye-building nutrient beta-carotene, include carrots, squash, apricot, deep orange produce, cod liver oil, and green leafy vegetables such as spinach.

Vitamin C-rich foods include citrus fruits, mango, broccoli, strawberries and cauliflower.

Meanwhile, good sources of Vitamin E are eggs, peanuts, almonds, and sunflower seeds.


Splash water on your face

During breaks, splash water on our face while closing your eyes. This has an overall relaxing effect and helps us feel refreshed.


Drink Plenty of Water

Waste products and toxins that are not properly eliminated actually affect our eyes indirectly. If we love our eyes, we ought to make sure that our body is able to effectively get rid of the toxins and waste products we get from the things that we eat and other environmental factors. Drink at least eight to twelve glasses of water everyday for successful waste elimination.

Of course, don’t smoke!

Smoking increases the risk for eye diseases and vision problems, according to research. Smoking damages blood vessels, causing them to constrict and form atherosclerotic plaques — which can deprive the eye tissue of oxygen.

Take time out, 20-20-20 rule

Step I :-
After every 20 minutes of looking into the computer screen, turn our head and try to look at any object placed at least 20 feet away. This changes the focal length of our eyes, a must-do for the tired eyes.

Step II :-
Try and blink our eyes for 20 times in succession, to moisten them.

Step III :-
Time permitting of course, one should walk 20 paces after every 20 minutes of sitting in one particular posture. Helps blood circulation for entire body..It’s all in the blinking

Did you know that on average we blink 12 times per minute? But wait, did you know that when we’re on the computer we only blink 5 times per minute? That can add up to dry eyes. Relieve the discomfort by using artificial tear drops or gels and remember to blink!


Use tea bags

Keep two used tea bags in the refrigerator before we leave for work. Once we are home, place the tea bags on our eyes for a few minutes as we relax. This not only soothes tired eyes, but also reduces puffiness.


perfumes

If our eyes are sensitive, flagrance can make them red,. To diminish this effect without giving up scent, avoid classic spots-like behind your ears--that are too close to our eyes.


medical prescriptions

High blood pressure medicines and antihistamines for allergies can dry our eyes. Rehydrate with drops sans preservatives (they can be irritating) and, if we wear contacts, a moisturizing cleaning solution.


while exercising

When sweat drips into our eyes, so do dirt and oils-and rubbing our eyes with our fingers can start an infection. Instead, dab sweat with a towel and try to wear a sweatband.