Try a weighted backpack, bond with new friends and air out your home — plus more wellness tips to know this week

Hello, Yahoo Life readers! My name is Kaitlin, and I’m sharing the week’s health and wellness tips you need to know.

It’s Labor Day weekend, which means the last days of barbecue season are here. Wondering if you should opt for grilling the vegan hot dog this time around? Experts told Yahoo it may be a good idea. If you’re lucky enough to lounge by a pool this weekend, make sure to follow our guidelines for how to stay safe in the water — especially if you have pool-happy little ones to watch out for.

Check out the weather in your area and, if you’re looking for some starry guidance, your horoscope. Then dig into these wellness bites!

👫Bond with new friends

Friends are so important, but new connections can be challenging to make as adults due to factors like shifting priorities and more responsibilities around family. Fortunately, it’s not impossible: Experts spoke to Yahoo Life about how to find and cultivate real bonds. One big tip? Don’t stick to the surface stuff. Engaging in meaningful conversations and finding shared experiences can build trust and emotional intimacy. Another surprising piece of advice is to ask favors from budding friends when you truly need them — it helps us build trust in our relationships.

🎒Go rucking

Rucking is when you wear a weighted backpack on a walk or hike. Though it was first popularized by the military, civilians can incorporate it into their exercise routines too — with great health results. Walking has so many benefits, from improving cardiovascular health to reducing stress, but on its own it isn’t a form of resistance training, which can help build muscle and bone density. Adding a weighted backpack to your walk, however, forces your muscles to work harder, enhancing strength and endurance while also increasing calorie burn.

Want to get started? Try wearing a weighted vest or sporting wrist or ankle weights when you walk instead, which are lower-weight options for beginners, before you move on to true rucking with a heavier load.

🪟Let in the air

Germans love to practice “Lüften,” opening your windows to ventilate your home. And there’s a good reason to try it: Doing so may improve indoor air quality by reducing the buildup of stale air, pollutants and excess humidity, while lowering the concentration of indoor allergens like dust mites and mold — meaning you may breathe easier. Plus, if you often sleep while running the air conditioner, opening the window before bed may cool down your room significantly, helping you sleep at an optimal temperature. However, it’s important to note that if you have seasonal allergies to things like pollen, you could be inviting unwanted allergens in as well, so you may want to keep windows closed in that case.

🥔Don’t pass on the potatoes

Potatoes get a bad rap, probably because they’re mostly famously eaten fried. However, there’s a ton to love about the spud, which is packed with nutrients like vitamin C, potassium (more than bananas!), fiber and even some protein. Research says they’re also more satiating than rice or pasta. One way to make the most of potatoes is to load them up with other good-for-you foods: Enjoy a baked potato with black beans and guacamole for a filling, plant-based meal that has gut-healthy fiber.

🏃‍♀️Keep up with exercise as you age

Longevity experts want older people to stop believing the myth that exercise gets less important — and even more dangerous — as you age. In fact, the opposite is true: Regular workouts improve muscle mass, strength and overall vitality well into the later years. One thing you should keep up with specifically as you get older is resistance training, as this type of exercise prevents bone and muscle loss, keeps you flexible and helps protect you from falls. One easy way to get started is to lift weights: Try exercises like bicep curls, squats and shoulder presses with a weight you can lift for eight to 12 reps comfortably, for three sets.

Not a fan of lifting weights? Resistance training also includes guided exercises like Pilates, which also has the bonus of improving balance. You can follow instructor-led videos online, or sign up for an in-person class for extra assistance.

😴Sleep in on weekends

You’ve probably heard that it’s best to stick to a consistent sleep schedule, even on the weekends — but now new research says there are benefits to getting some extra shut-eye on Saturday. Catching up on sleep over the weekend may reduce the risk of heart disease by 20%, especially for those who consistently don’t get enough sleep during the week — that is, less than seven hours of sleep per night, according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine’s recommendation. While the experts Yahoo Life spoke with suggest getting your recommended hours of sleep every night (as opposed to playing catch-up on the weekends) in order to avoid messing up your circadian rhythm, paying off your short-term sleep debt with some extra weekend sleep or even naps can help you feel more rested and productive.

🪑Don’t stress about perfect posture for back pain — do this instead

Are you trying to sit up straight more to fix your aching back? Poor posture, like slouching, may be a reaction to your back pain, not the cause of it, according to experts. Instead of focusing on perfect posture, aim for taking breaks from sitting for long periods. Get up and move every hour you’re sitting: Take work calls while you’re walking, try a treadmill desk or walking pad or just do some light stretching if you can only sneak in a few minutes of movement. Not only will your back thank you, but you’ll avoid the not-so-fun health implications of too much sedentary time, which include increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, dementia and cancer.

😊Say something positive to yourself

Affirmations are statements you say to yourself to challenge negative thoughts and replace them with positive ones. While it may seem silly to repeat “I am strong” in your head, there’s research that says doing so can make a big difference in behavior by reshaping your internal dialogues. To get started, write down a few positive statements that reflect your personal goals (such as “I handle challenges with confidence”) and say them aloud in the quiet moments of your day. For added impact, you can set reminders on your phone to repeat them, or write your affirmations on notes around your home to remind yourself that you are strong and capable — or whatever else you aspire to be!

💪Strengthen your pelvic floor

Yoga moves to strengthen the pelvic floor — a group of muscles that support the bladder, urethra, bowels and more — has long been recommended for urinary incontinence, but a new study from researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, found that general exercise, such as stretching and strengthening moves, was about as effective in reducing symptoms. The results suggest it may be just as effective for people to focus on exercises that improve overall physical function as they age as opposed to specific pelvic floor moves — further highlighting the importance of finding a workout routine you love and sticking with it.

🌳Spend time with trees

Results from the University of Louisville’s HEAL Study highlights the benefits of living near trees. The researchers found that people who lived in neighborhoods with more trees and other greenery had a lower risk of heart disease, diabetes and some types of cancer when compared with people who had less of them near their homes.

While the exact reason for these health wins are not yet known, previous research shows that living near green spaces can provide a wellness boost, including better bone health and slowing down the aging process. Plus, exercising in nature also reduces stress and negative feelings.

Don’t live near a place with a lot of trees? Drive to a park, or take a bike ride through a more leafy neighborhood — your health may thank you.