Keep in mind several safety principles when doing housework, preventing diseases and living longer.

　　Interviewed experts: Liu Xin, researcher of Shanghai Institute of Sports Science, and Li Juan, vice president of Beijing Geriatric Hospital.

　　People often refuse to do housework because they have no time and feel tired. However, a recent study by the State University of New York at Buffalo reminds the public that it is time to change the idea of hating housework, because doing trivial housework every day can prolong life.

　　A number of studies add luster to "doing housework"

　　The above research was published in the Journal of American Geriatrics Association. After studying more than 6,000 white, African-American and Latino American women aged 63-99, the researchers found that the participants who engaged in light activities such as folding clothes and mopping the floor for 30 minutes every day had a 12% lower death risk than those who basically did not move. Michael lamont, the lead author of the study, said: "Even if the amount of exercise for housework is lower than that suggested by the exercise guide, doing activities is better than doing nothing." A recent study published in the British Medical Journal also confirmed this point. A multinational research team composed of researchers from the Biomedical Research Center of the University of Leicester in the United Kingdom said that there is clear evidence that, regardless of the intensity, insisting on activities can reduce the risk of premature death of middle-aged and elderly people, while sitting for more than 9.5 hours a day will increase the risk of death.

　　Doing housework can not only reduce the risk of death for women, but also help to prolong men’s life. In 2016, the research of erasmus university rotterdam Medical Center in the Netherlands found that women who often do housework live three years longer than other women, and men who do housework will live an average of one year longer, among which men who often do gardening can live 2.7 years longer. Researchers from the General Hospital of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army and China University of Science and Technology have surveyed 13,000 urban men aged between 35 and 78 in China, and found that those who reach for food with clothes are more likely to suffer from diabetes, and rolling up their sleeves and doing more housework can help prevent diabetes. After considering age, hypertension, smoking, body mass index, fasting blood glucose level and family history of diabetes, compared with men who never do housework, those who do housework for less than 2 hours a day have a 20% lower risk of developing diabetes. Those who do housework for more than 2 hours a day reduce their risk by 40%; Doing more housework can also significantly improve the weight, waist circumference and blood lipid level.

　　Liu Xin, a researcher at the Shanghai Institute of Sports Science, said that the health problems of modern people mainly come from the imbalance of eating and moving, and any activity caused by skeletal muscle contraction that consumes more energy than the basal metabolic level is beneficial to health. Doing housework is a kind of physical activity, which is very suitable for people who can’t spare the whole time to exercise.

　　Li Juan, vice president of Beijing Geriatric Hospital, said that housework is the most cost-effective exercise, especially suitable for the elderly. Running, mountaineering and other sports certainly have many benefits, but after getting old, doing these excessive sports will make some old people feel uncomfortable, and strenuous exercise may also cause joint damage. Although the intensity of housework activities is not as good as running, it also has a certain exercise effect.

　　Light and heavy housework, each has its own effect.

　　Daily housework can be divided into heavy and light. Washing cars and moving furniture are heavy housework. Dusting, washing dishes, washing clothes by hand, hanging clothes and cooking can be classified as light housework. Every kind of housework has its "efficacy".

　　Washing clothes and cooking: it is not easy to get cognitive impairment. Cooking every day can produce a benign stimulus to the brain. This is because cutting vegetables into different shapes, such as shredded, sliced and diced, mastering the cooking temperature, and grasping the amount and sequence of seasonings such as oil, salt and soy sauce are all fine operations for the elderly, which can exercise hand-eye coordination and memory, which is equivalent to the daily cognitive function training of the elderly. Rush University Medical Center in the United States has studied 716 elderly people with an average age of 82, and found that housework such as cooking and washing clothes can reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease in the elderly.

　　Walking the dog to buy food: low risk of death. Going out to buy food and walk the dog requires walking. Liu Xin said that this kind of housework is close to walking and fitness, which virtually increases the activity. A large-scale long-term survey in Japan shows that people who have never had myocardial infarction have a 10% lower risk of death from pneumonia or flu than those who walk for half an hour every day, and those who walk for less than half an hour every day have a 33% higher risk of death; People who have had myocardial infarction have a lower risk of dying of pneumonia or flu by walking for more than one hour every day than those who walk for half an hour. It can be seen that going out to buy food and walk the dog can help reduce the risk of death caused by myocardial infarction, flu or pneumonia.

　　Cleaning the room: it makes people feel happy. After a day’s work, it is inevitable to accumulate some bad emotions and pressures. If they are not released in time, it will do harm to physical and mental health. A comfortable and tidy home environment makes people feel more comfortable. Cleaning the room can not only enjoy the warmth of the family, but also stimulate neurotransmitters in the brain, promote the secretion of dopamine, serotonin and norepinephrine, increase happiness, and relieve anxiety and depression. Especially for the elderly, making the home clean through labor can make the elderly feel their own value and have a positive impact on their physical and mental health. In addition, sorting out household chores such as wardrobes and bookcases can exercise upper limbs well.

　　Heavy housework: exercise cardiopulmonary function. Cardiopulmonary function is the ability of the heart to pump blood and the lungs to inhale oxygen, which is very important to the tissues and organs of the whole body. Heavy housework can promote blood vessel health, reduce the risk factors of heart disease such as hyperlipidemia, hypertension and insulin resistance, fully exercise lung function, improve muscle tension, reduce mental stress and consume excess calories.

　　Keep in mind several safety principles.

　　Of course, improper housework can also make people break down from constant overwork, resulting in lumbar muscle strain, cervical spondylosis, scapulohumeral periarthritis and so on. Housework is not only manual work, but also technical work. As long as you master the correct methods, you can avoid unnecessary injuries. In the specific division of labor, men are physically strong and should take the initiative to undertake heavy housework, such as repairing furniture and carrying heavy objects. Women with delicate minds can be responsible for sweeping the floor, washing clothes, cooking and other light housework; Let children take on some housework properly, which can cultivate their sense of responsibility and life skills. We can start with cleaning up toys, preparing tableware, folding clothes and quilts. Experts remind that no matter what kind of housework you do, you should pay attention to the following principles.

　　Combine work and rest. Liu Xin said that there is no upper limit for housework, but maintaining the same posture or doing the same action repeatedly for a long time, such as bending over to clean the floor, washing dishes and cutting vegetables, can easily cause some muscles to be sore and strain. Therefore, do housework should pay attention to the combination of work and rest, take a break every 10~15 minutes, exercise the cervical spine, lumbar spine, wrist, etc., and don’t finish it all at once. If you have more housework, you can divide your work with your family, and choose the categories you are good at to reduce your physical and mental burden.

　　Slow up and turn slowly. It is easy to flash to the waist if you suddenly get up or twist your body when you bend over to wash dishes and wash clothes. Li Juan reminded that elderly people who like to sit on a small bench to choose vegetables and wash clothes should pay special attention to it, and don’t get up too quickly. Standing suddenly after sitting for a long time, the head position rises rapidly, and the heart has not had time to transport enough blood to the brain, resulting in postural hypotension and easy to fall. It is recommended to get up slowly after sitting for a long time. You can get up with the help of large and strong furniture such as cabinets and tables around you, or hold the wall.

　　Bend your legs without bending over. When moving heavy objects such as sofas and boxes, don’t bend down to lift them directly. You should first squat down, straighten your back, hold the heavy objects well, and then stand up with leg strength to "bend your legs without bending down". Older people should do what they can, try to avoid housework such as lifting heavy objects and cleaning roofs, and leave such work to young people.

　　Smoke prevention. When cooking, smoke such as carbon monoxide and carcinogen benzopyrene will be produced, which is strongly irritating to the nose, eyes and throat mucosa, ranging from symptoms such as cough, tears and headache to respiratory diseases such as rhinitis, pharyngolaryngitis and tracheitis. Long-term inhalation of oil fume will also increase the risk of lung cancer. It is suggested that the range hood should be turned on all the cooking process, and it should be turned on for 10~20 minutes after cooking to avoid oil fume residue; Pay attention to put on apron, hat and mask to isolate pollutants. When cleaning the kitchen, you should not be careless. Some detergents that remove oil stains are also irritating and easy to cause respiratory diseases such as asthma. It is recommended to wear a mask and turn on the range hood when using.