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Location, location, location: Store owners aren't the only ones concerned with finding the perfect spot in which to situate their stuff. Researchers in a wide variety of fields know that how you organize your environment — from where you stand in fitness class to the place you choose to store your meds — has a surprising effect on everything from your weight to your chances of staying well. In other words, when it comes to how you feel, it's not just what you do, it's where you do it. Here, surprisingly bad locales for your health — and the best places to optimize it.
The worst place for your toothbrush: on the bathroom sink
There's nothing wrong with the sink itself — but it's awfully chummy with the toilet. There are 3.2 million microbes per square inch in the average toilet bowl, according to germ expert Chuck Gerba, PhD, a professor of environmental microbiology at the University of Arizona. When you flush, aerosolized toilet funk is propelled as far as 6 feet, settling on the floor, the sink, and your toothbrush. "Unless you like rinsing with toilet water, keep your toothbrush behind closed doors — in the medicine cabinet or a nearby cupboard," Gerba says.
The worst place to set your handbag: the kitchen counter
Your fancy handbag is a major tote for microbes: Gerba and his team's swabs showed up to 10,000 bacteria per square inch on purse bottoms — and a third of the bags tested positive for fecal bacteria! A woman's carryall gets parked in some nasty spots: on the floor of the bus, beneath the restaurant table — even on the floor of a public bathroom. Put your bag in a drawer or on a chair, Gerba says — anywhere except where food is prepared or eaten.
The worst place for your sneakers and flip-flops: in the bedroom closet
Walking through your house in shoes you wear outside is a great way to track in allergens and contaminants. A 1999 study found that lawn chemicals were tracked inside the house for a full week after application, concentrated along the traffic route from the entryway. Shoes also carry in pollen and other allergens. Reduce exposure by slipping off rough-and-tumble shoes by the door; store them in a basket or under an entryway bench. If your pumps stay off the lawn, they can make the trip to the bedroom — otherwise, carry them.
The worst place to try to fall asleep: under piles of blankets
Being overheated can keep you from nodding off, researchers say: A natural nighttime drop in your core temperature triggers your body to get drowsy. To ease your way to sleep, help your body radiate heat from your hands and feet, says Helen Burgess, PhD, assistant director of the Biological Rhythms Research Laboratory at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. Don socks to dilate the blood vessels in the extremities — then take the socks off and let a foot stick out from under the blankets.
The worst place to cool leftovers: in the refrigerator
Placing a big pot of hot edibles directly into the fridge is a recipe for uneven cooling and possibly food poisoning, says O. Peter Snyder Jr., PhD, president of the Hospitality Institute of Technology and Management in St. Paul, MN. The reason: It can take a long time for the temperature in the middle of a big container to drop, creating a cozy environment for bacteria. You can safely leave food to cool on the counter for up to an hour after cooking, Snyder says. Or divvy up hot food into smaller containers and then refrigerate — it'll cool faster.
The worst stall to pick in a public restroom: the one in the middle
The center stall has more bacteria than those on either end, according to unpublished data collected by Gerba. No, you won't catch an STD from a toilet seat. But you can contract all manner of ills if you touch a germy toilet handle and then neglect to wash your hands thoroughly.
The worst place for a workout reminder: stuck on your post-it laden fridge
A visual nudge can help — but only if you notice it, says Paddy Ekkekakis, PhD, an exercise psychologist at Iowa State University. In one study, a sign urging people to use the stairs rather than the nearby escalator increased the number of people who climbed on foot by nearly 200 percent. Put your prompt near a decision point, Ekkekakis says — keep your pile of Pilates DVDs next to the TV; put a sticky note on your steering wheel to make sure you get to your after-work kickboxing class. Just remember: The boost you get from a reminder is usually short-term, so change the visuals often.
The worst place to sit on an airplane: the rear
Avoid this section if you're prone to airsickness, says retired United Airlines pilot Meryl Getline, who operates the aviation Web site fromthecockpit.com. "Think of a seesaw," Getline says. "The farther from the center you are, the more up-and-down movement you experience." Because the tail of the plane tends to be longer than the front, "that's the bumpiest of all," she says. "The smoothest option is sitting as close to the wing as you can."
The worst place to pick up a prescription: the pharmacy drive-thru
In a survey of 429 pharmacists, respondents ranked drive-thru windows high among distracting factors that can lead to prescription processing delays and errors, says survey author Sheryl Szeinbach, PhD, professor of pharmacy practice and administration at Ohio State University. If you don't want to give up the convenience of a rolling pickup, be sure to check that both drug and dose are what the doctor ordered.
The worst place to stand during your first few fitness classes: front and center
You might think that you'd want to be near the mirrors so you can check your form, but your sweat session will be more motivating if your view is obstructed, suggests a 2003 study at McMasters University. In that research, 58 sedentary women all exercised at similar intensity levels. But those who did it in a mirrored room reported feeling more anxious about their body's imperfections after their workout than women who sweated without mirrors distracting them.
The worst place for a nighttime reading light: overhead
These fixtures put out relatively bright light — enough to significantly delay the body's secretion of melatonin, showed a 2000 study. That can wreck your night, since rising melatonin levels are a major cue for your body to prepare for sleep. A low-power light clipped to your novel will let you read but leave the room dark enough for your brain to transition into sleep mode.
The worst place to keep medicine: the medicine cabinet
It's not uncommon for the temp in a steamy bathroom to reach 100°F — well above the recommended storage temperatures for many common drugs. The cutoff for the popular cholesterol drug Lipitor, for instance, is around 77°F. To stay out of the red zone, store your meds in a cool, dry place, such as the pantry.
The worst place to set fruit before washing it: the kitchen sink
Of all the household germ depots, the kitchen sink sees the most bacterial traffic — even more than the toilet, says Kelly Reynolds, PhD, a professor and environmental microbiologist at the University of Arizona. If the perfect berry drops while you're washing it, pop it in the trash — not your mouth.
The worst place to use earbuds or headphones: on an airplane, train, or subway
Sure, music's a better traveling companion than your seatmate's cell phone conversation. But studies show that if you listen through a headset in a noisy environment, you probably crank the volume too high. Harvard researchers found that in reasonably quiet surroundings, volunteers tended to keep the volume at an ear-friendly level. But when the researchers added background noise — the loud rumble of an airplane cabin — 80 percent boosted the volume as high as 89 decibels, a level that risks long-term hearing damage. If you must have music, consider noise-canceling headphones — only 20 percent of listeners in the study who used a set got close to the danger zone.
The worst place for your coffee: the refrigerator or freezer
Think that you're preserving freshness by stashing it in the fridge? Think again. Every time you take it out of the fridge or freezer, you expose it to fluctuating temperatures, which produces condensation. "The moisture leeches out flavor — it's like brewing a cup of coffee each time," says John McGregor, PhD, a professor in the department of food science and human nutrition at Clemson University. The best spot to store beans or grounds: in an opaque, airtight container kept on the counter or in the pantry.
The worst place for your TV: wherever you dine
Studies show that distraction is your waistline's enemy — it can keep you from noticing how much you're eating. In a 2006 study, volunteers ate faster when watching TV than while listening to music — consuming 71 percent more macaroni and cheese when watching a show. If you have the tube on while cooking, turn it off before dinner at the kitchen table, and avoid being tempted into eating in front of the TV in the living room. The best place for your television: up or down a flight of stairs, so you have to "work" to get a snack — you'll be much less likely to munch.
位置、位置、位置：商店店主不是唯一关心找到放置他们物品的最佳地点的人。广大领域的研究人员明白，如何安排你周围的环境－－从在健身课上站在哪里，到选择什么地方放置药品 －－对你的一切都有着惊人的影响－－从你的体重，到你保持健康的机会。换句话说，当说到你的感受时，不仅你怎么做去重要，你在哪里做也一样重要。下面就是一些对你健康很不利的储物地点，以及做出改变的最好选择。
放牙刷的最差地点：浴室的洗手池上方
洗手池本身没什么不对，但是它跟马桶太过亲密了。按照亚利桑那大学环境与微生物学教授查克·戈巴博士的说法，每平方英寸马桶有320万病菌。你冲马桶的时候，成雾状的马桶臭气能被冲出6英尺远，落到地板上、洗手池上、和你的牙刷上。戈巴说，“除非你喜欢用马桶水来漱口，否则把牙刷放在带们的药品箱或近旁的壁橱里。
放手袋的最差地点：厨房柜子上
你的漂亮手袋是一种主要的病菌携带物：戈巴和他的研究小组用棉签检测表明，钱包底部每一平方英寸有10000个细菌－－三分之一的检测的袋子上粪便细菌阳性！妇女的大手提袋搁在各种肮脏的地点：巴士的地板上，饭店桌子下面－－甚至是公共卫生间的地上。把你的手袋放在抽屉里或是椅子上，戈巴说－－除了准备食物的地方以外，哪里都行。
放置胶底运动鞋和夹趾拖鞋的最差地点：卧室壁橱里
穿着在外面穿的鞋子在屋里走是把过敏源和污染物带进家中的“好办法”。一份1999年的研究发现，在施用草皮化学药品一周后，在房子里还能追踪到药品的踪迹－－集中在沿着进门的路线。鞋子也会带进花粉或其它的过敏源。要降低屋子暴露在外面污物的风险，把乱哄哄的鞋子脱在门旁边，存放在鞋篮子里，或是放在门口长凳下面。如果你的轻便鞋不踩草皮，你可以穿着它们进卧室，否则还是提着它们吧。
睡觉的最差地点：在厚厚的毯子下面
研究人员说，过于暖和，会让你睡不着觉：夜晚身体内部温度的自然降低触发你的身体变得昏昏欲睡。海伦·伯格斯－－芝加哥拉什大学医疗中心的副主任，说，要让你容易入睡，就要让你的手脚散热。先穿上袜子使你的血管充分膨胀，然后脱掉袜子，让一只脚从毯子下伸出去。
放凉吃剩食物的最差地点：冰箱里
将一大罐子热吃的直接放到冰箱里是造成不平均降温的办法，还有可能导致食物中毒。小奥彼特·施耐德博士说，他是明尼苏达圣保罗的技术管理疗养院院长。其原因是：冰箱中间降温要花很长时间，这就为细菌的孳生创造了舒适的环境。做完饭，你可以放心地把食物放在柜子上搁一个小时，施耐德说，或者你把食物分放到更小的容器里，然后冷冻－－那样能凉得更快。
公共卫生间里最差的小隔间：中间的那个
根据戈巴采集的未发表的数据，中间的隔间比两头的具有更多的细菌。你不会从马桶座位染上STD（性传播疾病），但是如果你摸了沾有病菌的马桶把而又忘了彻底洗手，你可能感染各种疾病。
贴提醒字条的最差地点：粘满字条的冰箱上
可视的提醒能有所帮助－－但是只有你注意到才行，依阿华州立大学从业心理医师帕蒂·艾克卡凯斯说。一项研究中，敦促人们使用楼梯而不要坐边上电梯的指示牌让徒步爬楼梯的人增加了几乎2倍。将你的提醒条放在需要做决定的地方边上，艾克卡凯斯说－－把你成堆的Pilates DVD放在电视旁，将粘贴条贴在方向盘上，提醒你下班后去上跆拳道班。记住一点：你从提醒单得到的刺激是短暂的，所以要经常更换提醒单的式样。
飞机上最差的座位：后部的座位
正在运营的飞行网站fromthecockpit.com的联合航空公司退休飞行员梅林·盖特林说，如果你容易晕机，要避免坐在飞机后面。“想想跷跷板，离中间越远，你经历的上下运动就越多。因为飞机的尾部比前部长，所以是飞机上最颠簸的地方。她说，“最平稳的选择是尽可能坐得靠近机翼。”
取药的最差地点：药店的开车取药窗口
在一项对429位药剂师的调查中，参与调查者将开车取药窗口列在可能导致药方延迟或错误的因素前列。调查作家雪莉·森巴赫，俄亥俄州立大学的药品经营管理教授这么说。如果你不想放弃开车取药的方便，要记得检查药品和标注剂量同医嘱一致。
头几节形体课上最差站立地点：前面和中间
你可能觉得站得离镜子近一点，这样你就能检查一下自己的形体。但是一项2003年在麦克马斯特大学的研究显示，如果的视野被阻挡，你的出汗训练过程会更有动力。在那项研究中，58位从事久坐工作的妇女都按同等强度练习�？墒悄切┰谟芯底拥姆考淞废暗母九�，比那些在没有镜子的房间练习的妇女，在锻炼后对自己身体的缺陷更担忧；后者锻炼的注意力没有受到镜子的分散。
夜间读书照明的最差位置：头顶
这些固定灯放出的光线相当明亮－－足够明显地延缓人体褪黑激素的分泌。一份2000年的研究表明，这会毁掉你的夜晚，因为升高的褪黑激素是人体一项主要的表示做好睡觉准备的信号。一个别在小说上的低功率电灯既能让你阅读，也能保证房间足够暗，使你的大脑转换到睡眠模式。
存放药品的最差地点：药品柜
蒸汽浴室的温度达到100度（华氏）并不罕见－－远比许多常见药品的推荐储存温度高很多。常用的降胆固醇药立普妥，最高保存温度大约是77度（华氏）。要避开药品储存的危险区域，把你的药物放在凉爽干燥的地方，比如食品储藏柜。
放置没洗水果的最差地点：厨房的水池
亚利桑那大学的环境与微生物教授凯利·雷诺德博士说，住宅里细菌孳生地中，厨房的水池是细菌最多的－－甚至比马桶还多。如果洗水果时一枚完美无缺的浆果掉下来，把它扔到垃圾箱里，不要扔在自己嘴里。
使用耳塞或耳机的最差地点：飞机、火车或地铁上
没错，在旅行中听音乐要比听临座的人用手机聊天好多了。但是研究表明，如果你在嘈杂的环境中使用耳机，你就有可能把音量调得太高。哈佛的研究人员发现在相当安静的环境中，志愿者们倾向于把音量调节到对耳朵无害的程度；但是当研究人员增加背景噪音时－－飞机机舱的轰鸣声－－80％的人将音量调到高至89分贝，一种有可能造成长期听力损害的水平。如果你一定要听音乐，考虑一下用防噪声的耳机－－在用这种耳机时，只有20％的人将音量调节到危险的水平。
放咖啡的最差地点：冰箱或冰柜
你想把新鲜的咖啡储存在冰箱里？再想想看。每次你把咖啡从冰箱里拿出来，它就暴露温度变化的环境下，这会产生冷凝现象。“潮气会带走咖啡的香气－－就像是每次都沏走一杯咖啡，”克莱姆森大学食品科学与人类营养教授约翰·麦克格雷格说。保存咖啡豆或咖啡末的最好地点是：放在柜子或食品储藏室里密闭、不透光的容器内。
摆放电视的最差地点：吃饭的地方
研究表明吃东西时分散注意力是你腰围的大敌－－它会让你不注意吃了多少东西。一项2006年的研究显示，志愿者在看电视时比听音乐时吃得快－－在看节目时，多吃71％的通心粉或奶酪。如果你在做饭时开着电视，到餐桌吃饭前把它关上；要避免在起居室的电视前吃饭的诱惑。放电视最好的位置是在楼梯的上下，这样你必须“动一下”才能拿小吃－－你就不那么可能大吃大嚼了。
