The wrong shortcuts can hurt your health

It never seems like there are enough hours in the day, which is why we tend to take so many shortcuts in our everyday lives. Whether it’s driving to work instead of biking or counting chocolate as a vegetable (it is made of cocoa beans …), we’re constantly looking for ways to make our lives easier. But are these shortcuts jeopardizing our health? Use these basic guidelines to make sure that your time-saving tactics aren’t harmful:

1. Short bursts of exercise
It’s recommended that you exercise for 30 to 60 minutes each day, five day a week. While fitness enthusiasts are surely adamant about sticking to their workout routine of running on their home treadmills, sometimes things come up that throw a wrench in your plans. If you don’t have time to complete one of the preset programs on your TRUE Fitness treadmill, aim to walk for 10 minutes three times a day, whether you get off the bus a stop early or take the dog for a quick walk.

2. Wear sandals in the shower
You know that feeling of panic you get when you realize that you’ve forgotten to bring your flip-flops to the gym? Don’t worry! You can still take a shower. While it’s definitely advisable to wear sandals when you rinse off at the gym, the risk that you will pick up athlete’s foot is pretty low. However, if you have any cuts on your feet you are more vulnerable to viruses, so wearing flip-flops is a must.

3. Veggies in every meal
Doctors recommend that you eat five servings of vegetables every day, but for most of us that’s a pretty unrealistic amount. While we aren’t giving you permission to avoid veggies altogether, eating them with one or two meals a day is generally plenty. You can also sneak vegetables and fruit into your diet in unexpected ways, such as whipping up a smoothie made of frozen berries and kale.

4. Wash your fruit
Remember how your mom always used to wash your fruit before you ate it? Turns out she was onto something. While it may seem tedious, washing your fruit can protect you from exposure to bacteria, dirt and insect residue, as well as any residual pesticides. This is true no matter where it was purchased – whether from a roadside stand or the grocery store. Take a few seconds to rinse off your apple and you can truly enjoy it in all its healthy glory.