Drink water 2 hours before bed, sprint for 3 minutes and eat hard-boiled eggs — plus 5 more health tips to help you have a great week

Hi, Yahoo readers! My name is Rachel Grumman Bender, and I've rounded up the latest wellness advice to help you feel healthy, energized and refreshed this week.

Monday is Labor Day, which marks the unofficial end of summer — and one last chance to fire up the grill or snag a discount on that brand new bedding you've been eyeing. But the holiday also serves as a good reminder to actually take a break. Instead of spending your day off tackling your never-ending to-do list or catching up on emails, do something that helps you relax and reset. Grab lunch with a friend, browse an independent bookstore (and maybe pick up one of these bestsellers ?), join a calming yoga class or take a quick trip out of town . Even a brief break can leave you feeling refreshed when you get back to work.

Before you head out to enjoy the day, check your local forecast . And while you're at it, peek at your horoscope too. Then choose One Small Thing you can do for a healthier and happier week ahead.

Want to start a hobby, but not sure which one to try? Let your mood guide you. If you've been feeling fatigued or a bit down lately, go for something active like joining a dance class. Aerobic exercise helps boost feel-good endorphins and serotonin, reports The Guardian . Struggling to focus? Head outside for regular nature walks or hikes. Nature provides what's called "soft fascination," meaning it holds your attention without draining you, which may help restore mental energy and improve concentration. An added bonus: Being outdoors also helps reduce cortisol levels. Feeling stressed? Choose a creative hobby like painting or pottery. Research suggests that painting helps ease anxiety, while art-making in general helps lower cortisol levels.

Waking up on the right side of the bed may be as simple as sipping water before turning in. Researchers found that drinking about 9 ounces of plain water within two hours of bedtime was linked to waking up in a better mood, reports Woman's World . One possible reason is that going all night without water can leave you slightly dehydrated, which can impact your mood, leaving you feeling irritable, foggy or down the next morning. To reduce the chances of a trip to the bathroom in the middle of the night, aim to finish your water glass around two hours before bedtime rather than right before you hit the hay.

🎶 Listen to music to lower dementia risk

Putting on some tunes may do more than boost your mood — it could also reduce your risk of dementia. An observational study suggests that older adults who frequently listened to music had a 39% lower risk of memory loss compared to those who never, rarely or sometimes did, reports Good Housekeeping . Listening to music can "engage emotional, memory, and auditory networks across the entire brain," explains Joanne Ryan, the lead study author and a professor of epidemiology at Australia's Monash University. Playing an instrument is protective, too. People who always or often played had a 35% lower risk of dementia.

What's the perfect heart-healthy snack? Hard-boiled eggs, according to cardiologist Dr. Srihari Naidu. He tells EatingWell they're his go-to for several reasons: Each one packs 6 grams of filling protein and has only 72 calories. Worried about cholesterol? The American Heart Association says healthy adults can have one whole egg per day as part of a healthy diet. And if peeling your hard-boiled eggs leaves them looking like a mangled mess, try this hack from Cook's Illustrated.

Don't have time for a lengthy workout? Try sprinting for three minutes, breaking it up into six 30-second bursts. An observational study suggests that short intervals of intense exercise raise levels of proteins linked to a lower risk of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, including type 2 diabetes, reports Woman & Home . Whether you're sprinting on the treadmill or a stationary bike, aim to reach about 80% of your maximum heart rate. To estimate that number, simply subtract your age from 220 (for a more precise way to calculate this, check out the Mayo Clinic's recommendation ). Or simply go by feel: The pace should be challenging enough that you couldn't sustain it for longer than 30 seconds to a minute.

Xylitol is a popular sweetener found in a variety of products, including sugar-free gum, candy and baked goods, as well as mints, some nut butters, toothpaste, mouthwash, cough syrup and chewable vitamins. But a study presented at the 2026 European Society of Cardiology Congress suggests that people with high blood levels of the sugar substitute had a 57% greater risk of heart attack, stroke or death over a six-year period than those with the lowest levels, reports Men's Journal . More research is needed, however, and having a stick of gum once in a while isn't likely to cause a heart attack. Still, if you want to cut back, check ingredient lists and choose unsweetened foods when possible.

If you find yourself constantly checking your phone — and honestly, who isn't at this point? — author and happiness expert Arthur Brooks recommends breaking the habit by setting aside tech-free times throughout your day : the first hour after you wake up, meal times and the last hour before bed. Reaching for your phone first thing can trigger a spike in stress hormones, while staring at your screen at bedtime can make it harder to fall asleep. At meal times, Brooks says it's important to put down your device and focus on having a conversation, including making eye contact, which releases oxytocin and helps you bond and connect with others.

Beets bring more than a burst of color to your plate. The vibrant vegetable may help lower blood pressure and even enhance your workouts. Beets are rich in nitrate, which the body converts into nitric oxide, a molecule that relaxes blood vessels and improves blood flow to the brain and muscles, reports the New York Times . They also contain antioxidants that may help lower inflammation. Just don't overcook them, which can cause some of those beneficial compounds to break down or leach into the water. Instead, experts recommend using canned and pickled beets, lightly roasting or steaming them or grating raw beets into a salad. Need more inspiration? Try one of these 20 beet recipes you can eat on repeat.