There’s a lot of advice out there on how to live a healthful life. So many pieces of advice that it can be hard to prioritize which ones to follow. We asked our editors: What’s one piece of health advice you ignored and regretted? Here’s what they said.
I used to work out on an empty stomach because I exercise early in the morning. Adding pre-workout protein coffee has helped fuel my workouts.
-Jamie Wolff
Give your eyes a break from screens. I didn’t take this advice seriously until I started getting tension headaches during work. Now I do my best to follow the 20-20-20 rule: Every 20 minutes, stare at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds.
-Jenna Anderson
Strength training can prevent injuries, and I pretty much ignored that until after my third soft tissue injury. Now, I do exercises that support my posterior chain (the muscles on the backside of the body), ranging from body weight moves to barbell squatting. And guess what?! I haven’t torn anything in almost three years.
-Anisa Arsenault
I hated sunscreen as a kid and got some terrible burns because of it. I’m now a daily sunscreen wearer, but I still worry about problems that might arise later from that past sun damage.
-Hannah Harper
I’ve always dealt with aches and pains—even in my 20s—but I used to brush off stretching as unimportant. I was totally wrong! Stretching helps my body feel much more limber, and when I do have pain, like in my back or neck, a long stretch session can actually help relieve it.
-Jani Hall
Everyone has different health needs and wants. Advice for one person might not be the advice for another. Before listening to any new health advice, talk with your doctor about the potential effects and how to best implement the change.
