Stay happy and healthy with these nine quirky tips.

High heels save knees High heels, as favoured by Sarah Jessica Parker, may actually be good for you. Researchers at Warwick and Oxford Brookes universities discovered that wearing high heels may make women less likely to develop arthritic changes in their knee joints as they age. At the very least, they were no worse off than those who opted for lower footwear.



The study comprised 111 women aged 50 to 70 and it's thought that by exercising the muscles of the leg, heel-wearers may build up better support for their knees. Especially if they regularly hit the dance floor.



Professor Margaret Thorogood, from Warwick University, says, "Women who wear stiletto heels will be reassured to learn that their choice of fashion-before-comfort footwear will not lead to joint problems and may even prevent them."



A separate study suggests heels can also do wonders for a woman's sex life. Italian urologist Dr Maria Cerruto discovered that a pair of "moderately high-heeled shoes" had the beneficial effects of toning legs and strengthening pelvic muscles. "They directly work the muscles which are linked to an orgasm," she says.

Ditch the whiskers to beat sneezes Allergy prone? A moustache can aggravate hay fever by trapping pollen. One study found men who washed their moustaches twice a day with liquid soap used fewer antihistamines and decongestants. The reason being that cleaning got rid of stuck pollen grains.



Dr Rob Hicks, GP and author of Beat Your Allergies (Infinite Ideas), says, "Like clothing, skin and hair, a moustache will trap pollen throughout the day. A man with hayfever might consider shaving off his moustache to see whether it makes a difference. That would probably be easier and more effective than washing it twice a day."

Keep tablets with the linen If medication is constantly exposed to light, heat or humidity – in other words, a steamy bathroom – it could degrade faster than it should, thus reducing its potency and efficacy. Neal Patel, from the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain, says, "A cool, dry, dark area such as the linen closet is ideal for storing medications.'

Retune the radio to lose weight Doing something different every day – even just switching radio stations – shakes us out of our routine and can help us kick bad habits, according to Professor Ben Fletcher, a psychologist at Hertfordshire University.



"Deeply engrained habits of thinking and behaviour keep us doing things that are bad for us, like smoking, eating and drinking too much or becoming stuck in negative thought patterns – all of which impacts on our health," he says. "We can make our lives much better with very small changes."

Wash your hands after getting cash Cleanliness tests have revealed that cash machines are as dirty, and carry the same germs, as public toilets.



When scientists took swabs from urban ATMs around the UK, they found the machines were heavily contaminated with bacteria, including those known to cause sickness and diarrhoea.



Dr Mark Fielder, a medical microbiologist at Kingston University London, says, "If people don't wash their hands properly, all sorts of organisms will be transferred to the buttons on an ATM. Just as it's important to wash your hands after using the toilet, it would be sensible to clean them after getting money out."

Use soap, not handwash They have become ubiquitous in our homes, but scientists have warned that expensive antibacterial washes are no better at cleaning hands than ordinary soap and they may even encourage superbugs.



American research published in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases found that triclosan, the main active ingredient in many antibacterial soaps, can cause some bacteria to become resistant to commonly used antibiotics such as amoxicillin. That's because triclosan targets bacteria in much the same way as antibiotics do, by destroying crucial components of their cells. Bacteria are highly adaptable and common ones such as E.coli and salmonella – major culprits in food poisoning – may develop some resistance to the threat.



Microbiologist Dr Anthony Hilton, of Aston University in the UK, says, "These products pander to people's insecurities and they are often used inappropriately – for example, either too briefly or with cold water. You should wash hands thoroughly for several minutes in warm, clean water. The action of washing and the temperature remove bacteria more effectively than a fancy [antibacterial] product."

Sniff an apple to stop a migraine An apple a day keeps the doctor away, but it turns out they may have specific health benefits beyond that.



A recent study of 50 people by The Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago found the odour of green apple helped reduce the severity of migraines.



"This may have something to do with the ability of pleasant fragrances to relax us and reduce tension," says Charles Spence, professor of experimental psychology at Somerville College in Oxford.



"The happy associations of the odour may also help to distract people from thinking about the pain of the migraine."

Flush with the lid down Microbiologist Dr Charles Gerba, from the University of Arizona, warns that you should always flush the toilet with the seat lid down. If you don't, polluted water particles float for a few hours around your bathroom before they all land, some on your toothbrush.



Dr Gerba says: "It doesn't happen all the time, but E.coli and other faecal-based bacteria really can make you ill, so unless you want to brush your teeth with what was in the toilet, close the lid."