Take a few minutes and watch THIS VIDEO to discover an easy way to improve your overall health and well-being.

Walk your way — quickly — to better emotional health. Regular physical activity like brisk walking is linked to less depression. One great way to get out the door and start your routine is with the Wabash Wellness Walks in October with Joe Haklin! Details here: Wellness Walks

Jump for joy — literally! Women who exercise more and channel surf less are least likely to be diagnosed with depression, according to a study in the American Journal of Epidemiology. Older women who spent less time in front of the TV and more time being active saw their risk of depression go down, compared to those who spent several hours a day in front of the tube. Walking was the most common type of exercise reported in the study; however, only those who kept a brisk or very brisk pace demonstrated an emotional health boost. Give your mood a lift by turning off the TV and lacing up your walking shoes. Then get outside and walk for at least 30 minutes a day. — Source: Cleveland Clinic

Want to enjoy a long, healthy life? Resolve to quit smoking and avoid second hand smoke in the New Year.

What’s the most important New Year’s resolution you can make? To quit smoking. Smoking puts you at an increased risk for chronic diseases like lung cancer, emphysema, bronchitis, heart disease and diabetes. Smoking also ages you: It can make you look and feel eight to 13 years older than you really are, says Dr. Mike Roizen, chief wellness officer at the Cleveland Clinic. Stay away from secondhand smoke too: The smoke that burns off the end of a cigarette or cigar actually contains more harmful substances than the smoke inhaled by the smoker! — Source: Cleveland Clinic

To avoid making poor food choices, write down everything you eat in a small notebook.

During the holidays, keep a small notebook with you at all times or use a notebook page in your smartphone and write down everything you eat, advises Dr. Mike Roizen, chief wellness officer at the Cleveland Clinic. This will keep you from eating absentmindedly and from making poor food choices. Keeping a food journal helps control caloric intake and prevents between-meal munching. It’s simply too much trouble to eat if you have to write it down every time! Not only will this trick prevent weight gain, it may even help you lose a few pounds. During the weeks between Thanksgiving and New Year’s, the 25 percent of people who had lost weight during the rest of the year — those who most consistently recorded every bite of food — lost an average of seven pounds, whereas the other 75 percent regained an average of three pounds. — Source: Cleveland Clinic

According to the Cleveland Clinic, your body needs to recoup every hour of lost sleep at some point — or you risk losing your cognitive edge — focus, learning, and memorizing. 

If you burn the midnight oil during the week, you can’t catch up on all of your lost sleep by sleeping in on the weekend. Your body needs to recoup every hour of missed shut-eye. So if you deprive yourself of two hours of sleep Monday through Thursday to meet a major deadline, that’s eight extra hours of bedtime that you have to make up in order for your body to recover. People who routinely get fewer than six hours of sleep per night may be unwittingly racking up this so-called sleep debt, which can impact performance and cognitive function. Even if you feel only slightly drowsy, you may still have a tough time focusing, learning or memorizing. New research suggests that significant and chronic sleep deprivation may even have long-lasting negative effects on the brain. Here are some tips for falling asleep quickly.

Concerned about heart health? Boost good cholesterol and slash your heart attack risk by exercising vigorously for three hours a week:

Men concerned about their heart health may want to step up the pace during their workout sessions. Research published by the American College of Sports Medicine suggests that men can lower their heart attack risk by 22 percent just by exercising vigorously for three hours a week. The researchers believe the protective effects are due to the benefits of rigorous activity on “helpful” HDL cholesterol levels. Vigorous exercise works better than moderate efforts for raising good cholesterol. However, it’s not so great at keeping blood sugar levels in check — which is why people with existing conditions should always consult their doctor before starting any new activity. Of course, any exercise is better than none, so do what you can — and if you’re up for the challenge, push a little harder to get your heart pumping. — Source: Cleveland Clinic's Wellness 360-5

Got asthma? Your pillow, a haven for dust mites, could be making matters worse. Wash your pillows regularly and replace them annually.

No matter how picky we are about our bunkmates, there will always be unwelcome visitors. Namely, dust mites. They love a warm environment like your bed just as much as you do. And since they snack on dead skin cells, they have no reason to leave. (We’re guessing they never heard the saying about not relieving themselves where they eat.) Good news is, they’re harmless unless you have allergies or asthma.

To keep their count down, wash your sheets in hot water regularly, and fluff your pillow in the dryer on its hottest setting. The most recent information on dust mites suggests using a combination of physical measures - including pillow and mattress covers, washing bedding in hot water and carpet removal - rather than chemical treatments. But be forewarned: at least three to six months of sustained intervention is necessary to show real benefit. That means you should put measures in place that you can sustain over time and expect symptoms to improve gradually.