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4 Ways a Little Decadence Is Good for You

Indulging yourself may have some positive effects on brain health

   

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Lose weight, get in shape, stop eating Twinkies — good health can be such a chore. But some of our favorite guilty pleasures are actually good for us. Try indulging in these five healthy sins.

1. Have sex — frequently!

Making love once a week is good for your brain. In a study from Coventry and Oxford universities in England, frequent lovemakers outperformed their less-aroused counterparts on tests that measured verbal fluency (naming as many words as possible that start with F, for example) and visual processing (such as copying a complex design). Both tasks involve working memory and executive function, says lead author and Coventry research fellow Hayley Wright.

So what’s the link between working memory and making whoopee? The improvements could be due to higher levels of hormones such as dopamine, which studies have linked to certain brain benefits.

2. Listen to Mötley Crüe

Or the Cure. Or Men Without Hats. The type of music doesn’t matter: If you enjoy it, your brain will benefit. In a study at the Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, participants listened to music they liked and disliked most, from classical to country. Researchers then used brain scans to examine brain connectivity —  interactions between different parts of the brain. The scans showed that the music people liked — not the type of music — increased connectivity, particularly on a brain circuit called the default mode network, which is associated with introspection, empathy and self-awareness.

“Few human experiences activate so many circuits in our brains as music,” says study leader Jonathan H. Burdette, M.D. “I know personally, if I listen to music during the day, I will have a better day.”

3. Take a nap

A short snooze has major brain benefits. Chinese adults 65 and older performed better on a series of tests — from math problems to memorization — if they took an hour-long nap after lunch, according to research published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. In a study at Germany’s Saarland University, people who napped for roughly an hour improved their ability to retain new information. A 60- to 90-minute nap even beats coffee as a mental pick-me-up: Nappers outperformed non-nappers on memory tests in a University of California, San Diego, study.

The prime time for a nap is between 1 and 3 pm, says Sara C. Mednick, a University of California, Riverside, professor and the author of Take a Nap! Change Your Life. “This time has been related to a naturally occurring dip in alertness,” she says. Mednick recommends a 90-minute nap, but if your time is limited, a six-minute nap can enhance declarative memory — where you keep facts and events — researchers at the University of Düsseldorf found.

4. Get a massage

A relaxing rubdown can improve stress-related insomnia and ease headaches, according to the Mayo Clinic. “Research shows that massage reduces cortisol — the body’s stress hormone — and increases our white blood cell count, thereby boosting our immune systems,” says Karrie Osborn, senior editor with Massage & Bodywork magazine.

Some soothing stroking can also spice up your relationship. When couples completed a three-week massage course, their massage sessions reduced their stress, improved their physical and mental well-being, and increased satisfaction with their relationship, researchers from England’s Northumbria University found. And both partners said they felt better whether they gave or received the massage.

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