Ten health shortcuts

Exercise for 30 minutes. Eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables. Walk 10,000 steps. A get-healthy to-do list can seem endless and over whelming, but here are a few doctor approved tips that will save you time and money while maintaining good health habits from Woman’s Day magazine:

• Exfoliate with a washcloth. Skip the fancy products and just go over your face and body with a damp washcloth. Or, make your own body scrub by combining 1tablespoon coarse salt with 1 cup olive oil. Use once or twice a week on your body (never your face) and rub lightly to avoid irritating your skin

• Do a five-minute workout. You’ve probably heard that you can break up the recommended 30 minutes of daily exercise into three 10-minute chunks. Experts say that six 5-minute workouts a day can also do the trick.

• Make doctor visits a family affair. If you choose a family physician as your primary healthcare provider, you can save time by scheduling everyone’s doctor visits on the same day.

• Do a mole check in the shower. You’re already naked, so why not give your body the once over once a month? What you’re looking for: moles that are new, have changed (bigger, darker, different color), have irregular borders or are larger than a pencil eraser. Post-shower, make a pass by a full-length mirror so you can get a good look at your back. Then examine your scalp, checking for spots of unusual discoloration as well as new or changing moles while you’re styling your hair.

• Drink a smoothie. You can easily knock out two or three of those nine daily servings of fruits and vegetables in one smoothie.

• Carry your grocery bags to the car. This is a great way to work some weight training (which is crucial to keeping bones strong and staving off weight gain) into your weekly routine. And don’t forget to park far away from the store entrance!

• Get your calcium and fiber together. Mixing just 6 ounces of yogurt with 1/4 cup low-fat granola gives you 300 mg calcium and about 7 grams of fiber, which is 30 percent of the calcium and 25 percent of the fiber you need daily.

• Wash your hands for 10 seconds instead of 30. Sudsing up for 10-15 seconds, as long as you do a thorough rubdown, gets rid of the majority of bacteria on your hands after most germy encounters.

• Nab a nap. Research shows that if getting 7 to 8 hours of sleep just isn’t possible, grabbing some quick zzz’s during the day can really help. One study found that occasional napping lowered a person’s risk for coronary heart disease by 12 percent, but regular napping cut this risk by as much as 37 percent.

• Lift weights while you watch TV. Use 3-to-5- pound hand weights or make your own by filling a plastic bag with cans.