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7 terrible things that happen to your body when you take a break from working out
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You'll be surprised how little time it takes to do damage to your body. - photo by Melinda Fox
Its easy to find reasons not to exercise: Its cold outside, you have a million things to get done, or youll do it tomorrow. But before you know it, you havent exercised in who knows how long.

Skipping the gym every once in a while is nothing to worry about. In fact, its good to give your body time to recover from intense workouts and build muscle mass.

However, you don't have to wait for dust to collect on your sneakers before your body starts reacting negatively to the break from physical fitness.

According to the Mayo Clinic, here are seven ways your body is ruined when you stop exercising:

You gain water weight

Many people don't worry about how a week off from exercise will affect their weight; but after going only one week without exercising, your body begins to retain more liquids, which can make you feel and look bloated.

You lose cardio endurance

You shouldnt be surprised to learn that the longer you put off facing the treadmill, the more challenging it will be to outrun ravenous zombies in a potential apocalypse. What may surprise you is that your cardiovascular endurance will noticeably decline in as little as two weeks.

This happens because the number of mitochondria, which fuel your muscle cells, decreases when you stop exercising, making it harder for you if you decide you'd rather not face the gym for a couple of weeks.

You feel more tired

When you stop exercising for a few weeks, your heart has to work harder to beat. This means that your lungs aren't able to absorb as much oxygen. This strain and lack of oxygen fatigue your body, making you more tired overall.

You can't sleep

Even though skipping workouts can make your body extra tired, sleeping becomes challenging. Exercise supports your circadian rhythms, or your process of living in a 24-hour period. When you disrupt them by neglecting exercise, you become more stressed and have challenges sleeping.

So if you're struggling with insomnia more and more, it's probably time to add exercise back into your routine.

You get depressed

Exercise triggers the release of endorphins in your body. These chemicals reduce pain and create positive feelings in the body (much like morphine).

Furthermore, exercising increases your self-esteem in more ways than one, which contributes to your overall happiness.

It's for these reasons that scientists cite depression as a negative side effect of not exercising.

You burn less calories

When you participate in a regular exercise routine, your body burns more calories -- even if you're just sitting. However, if you persist in skipping exercise for over a month, your metabolism is weakened. This means that you don't burn as many calories.

You get sick

When you exercise, your body makes more bacteria-fighting cells (macrophages) and they are able to move more quickly through your body, giving you a more efficient immune system. Limiting your exercise also limits these benefits, making you more susceptible to illness.

If your "break" lasts close to a year, the risks increase. You could be facing diabetes, insomnia, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity and clinical depression. While there are always reasons not to exercise, there also are these pretty important reasons to exercise. Make sure you make exercise a priority.
Its toxic: New study says blue light from tech devices can speed up blindness
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A new study from the University of Toledo found that blue light from digital devices can transform molecules in your eyes retina into cell killers. - photo by Herb Scribner
It turns out checking Twitter or Facebook before bed is bad for your health.

A new study from the University of Toledo found that blue light from digital devices can transform molecules in your eyes retina into cell killers.

That process can lead to age-related macular degeneration, which is a leading cause of blindness in the United States, according to the researchs extract.

Blue light is a common issue for many modern Americans. Blue light is emitted from screens, most notably at night, causing sleep loss, eye strain and a number of other issues.

Dr. Ajith Karunarathne, assistant professor in the UT Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, said our constant exposure to blue light cant be blocked by the lens or cornea.

"It's no secret that blue light harms our vision by damaging the eye's retina. Our experiments explain how this happens, and we hope this leads to therapies that slow macular degeneration, such as a new kind of eye drop, he said.

Macular degeneration is an incurable eye disease that often affects those in their 50s or 60s. It occurs after the death of photoreceptor cells in the retina. Those cells need retinal to sense light and help signal the brain.

The research team found blue light exposure created poisonous chemical molecules that killed photoreceptor cells

"It's toxic. If you shine blue light on retinal, the retinal kills photoreceptor cells as the signaling molecule on the membrane dissolves," said Kasun Ratnayake, a Ph.D. student researcher working in Karunarathne's cellular photo chemistry group. "Photoreceptor cells do not regenerate in the eye. When they're dead, they're dead for good."

However, the researchers found a molecule called alpha-tocopherol, which comes from Vitamin E, can help prevent cell death, according to Futurism.

The researchers plan to review how light from TVs, cellphones and tablet screens affect the eyes as well.

"If you look at the amount of light coming out of your cellphone, it's not great but it seems tolerable," said Dr. John Payton, visiting assistant professor in the UT Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. "Some cellphone companies are adding blue-light filters to the screens, and I think that is a good idea."

Indeed, Apple released a Night Shift mode two years ago to help quell blue lights strain on the eyes, according to The Verge. The screen will dim into a warmer, orange light that will cause less stress on the eyes.