Give your wellbeing a healthy boost with our fun, seasonal quiz
WORDS: ALI HORSFALL. PHOTOS: GETTY. IF YOU HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT YOUR HEALTH, SEE YOUR GP. CONSULT YOUR GP OR MEDICAL EXPERT BEFORE TAKING NEW SUPPLEMENTS. * AMERICAN ECONOMIC JOURNAL . **NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
Happy to see the back of long winter days and bad weather? The new season is a great opportunity to eat healthier, move more, be outdoors, and get your sleep back on track – but health niggles can also strike as we head into spring. Think you know what will help you feel your best? Test yourself and get our expert tips on handling the switch.
Take the testGrab a pen and circle your chosen answer for each question.
1 WHICH OF THESE MIGHT IMPROVE IN SPRING?
A Blood pressure B Inflammation C Eyesight
2 WHAT SURPRISING THING SHOULD YOU DO FOLLOWING THE CLOCK CHANGE?
A Drink more tea B Take care driving C Change your bed sheets
3 WHAT IS LEISURE SICKNESS?
A Being allergic to exercise B Feeling ill when you relax C A tummy bug caught at your local leisure centre
4 LOVE GARDENING?
WHICH BURNS THE MOST CALORIES?
A Mowing B Watering C Digging
5 WHAT’S THE HEALTHIEST WAY TO COOK YOUR SEASONAL VEGGIES?
A Steam B Roast C Air fry
6 WHAT VITAMIN COMBO HELPS SHAKE OFF A SPRING COLD?
A Vitamin E and omega-3 B Magnesium and vitamin B6 C Vitamin C and zinc
7 WHAT MAKES YOU A MAGNET FOR BUG BITES?
A Talking loudly B Wearing dark clothing C Eating garlic
8 WHAT TIME OF DAY IS THE POLLEN COUNT AT ITS HIGHEST?
A Lunchtime B Evening C Morning
9 HOW MUCH SUNLIGHT EXPOSURE IS NEEDED TO BOOST LEVELS OF VITAMIN D?
A 20 minutes B 3 minutes C 2 hours
See how you did
Ready for the right answers? Find out below if you’re clued up – you may be surprised!
1ANSWER: A
Blood pressure generally lowers at a warmer temperature, as it helps widen narrowed arteries. ‘High blood pressure often doesn’t have any symptoms,’ says GP Dr Gill Jenkins. ‘But left untreated, it increases your risk of serious health problems, such as heart disease and stroke.’ Ask your GP to check yours or use a home monitor – visit bloodpressureuk.org to understand the numbers. A healthy reading is between 90/60mmHg and 120/80mmHg.
2ANSWER: B
When the clocks ‘spring forward’ from 1am to 2am on Sunday 31 March, we’ll ‘lose’ an hour’s sleep and this impacts on our daily routines. What’s more, in the few days following the change, one study* found a rise i
