Judy Young has been swimming since she was a child. But this year was her first time competing at the National Senior Games. Judy, of Youngstown, New York, is 97. She underwent two surgeries last year and says swimming helped her recover. She’s dedicated to remaining active and enjoying her life.
Read MoreHere’s a “good news, bad news” situation. The good news: More people over 65 are exercising than ever before. The bad news: The percentage of mature adults who are physically active remains low – so low, in fact, that the US government calls it a “public health concern.” I couldn’t agree more. I’m doing everything I can to change that here in our community. But we need YOU to make the biggest impact – for yourself and your family.
Read MoreMost people probably know that physical exercise is good for their health. But now, a new study makes the connection even more powerful. If you’ve been waiting for One More Piece of Evidence to convince you to exercise, this might be it. Meeting guidelines for aerobic and muscle-strengthening exercise cuts the risk of dying from flu and pneumonia almost in half – by 48%, according to a new study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
Read MoreSome people are motivated to get strong and stay fit by one or two reasons. Among the most common for people over 50? Playing with grandkids, traveling, maintaining physical autonomy, and continuing to enjoy their favorite activities. Susan Kupferberg, 65, has all of those and more motivating her quest to get strong and stay fit.
Read MoreIf you think it’s expensive to eat right and exercise regularly, just consider the cost of being cheap with your health. For example, some people drink so many sodas that eliminating them could save almost $1,000 a year. That’s from health coach Kathryn Eyring, who presented “It’s Cheaper to be Healthy Than It Is to be Sick” at the Functional Aging Summit, an annual event for fitness professionals who serve people over 50.
Read MoreFalling is a major fear about growing older – and it’s a leading cause of injury and death among mature adults. It's also a common problem for people who don't yet consider themselves “old” in the traditional sense.
But it is not inevitable. Here are the top five ways to prevent falling, according to fitness, health and aging experts.
With so much pressure to look a certain way (usually thin and young for women), how can we maintain positive self-esteem and health at the same time? Wouldn’t it be nice to be at peace with your body image? Counselor and nutrition expert Nina Manolson says it’s especially difficult for women, and even more so later in life.
Read MoreWe’re halfway through the year, and it’s a great time to assess progress on health, fitness, and other goals you had at the start of 2023. Or… maybe you didn’t have any and are only thinking about creating some goals now. That’s fine! With a new season upon us, we’re here with 23 tips to make this your sunniest yet. Forget regret. Abandon perfection. Embrace consistency!
Read MoreHow many push-ups can you do? The answer could be helpful to keeping your heart healthy, according to a study by Harvard and other institutions published by the American Medical Association. Cardiovascular disease remains the No. 1 killer worldwide. Contributing factors include diet, smoking, drink – and exercise. But predicting an individual’s likelihood to develop heart disease has been problematic. This survey seems to say that a quick test can act as a simple, no-cost, and generally effective crystal ball.
Read MoreHere’s further proof that exercise is good for us, body and brain alike. In recent months, research has been published showing that exercise is the “top theoretical treatment” for Alzheimer’s disease, aligning with previous research about how it fights dementia. Moderate physical activity among mature women helps lower the risk of cognitive impairment and dementia – again supporting the growing body of evidence that says physical exercise is also among our best defenses against losing mental health.
Read MoreWhat type of grandparent do you want to be? The strong and healthy kind that plays with the grandkids, even learning new sports later in life? Or the frail, retreating kind that sits and watches, instead? Well, we all know which we would rather be: strong and healthy, right? Strength makes all the difference as we age. We all lose muscle as we age unless we practice resistance training to maintain muscle. Without it, we get to the point where we simply can’t do much of anything.
Read MoreBeing obese means having a bigger body, of course. But research indicates it also means having a smaller brain – and a higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. “The more we understand about (body fat), the clearer it becomes that belly fat is its own disease-generating organism,” said Dr. Lenore Launer in a statement by the National Institutes of Health.
Read MoreAt every stage in life, physical health is tied to mental health. When we feel good physically, we’re more likely to feel good mentally, as well. And with dementia, depression, anxiety, and loneliness higher among people later in life, this is one more reason to get or stay physically fit. The World Health Organization has six tips for good mental health, and May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Four of WHO’s reasons are clearly connected to physical fitness.
Read MoreAfter age 50 or so, many people start to gain weight, develop high blood pressure, and become frailer and weaker by the day. Plus, we have universal fears that getting older means we’ll be likely to fall and develop dementia, losing our independence in life. But what if I told you about a miracle drug that would help you lose weight, manage your blood pressure, and improve your bone density and strength? What if this drug also helped prevent falls and memory loss?
Read MoreSometimes I like to share answers to questions I get asked the most. Here are a few of them. Enjoy!
Q. Are there any real health benefits to it? A. It’s hard to believe, but I hear this question often, so it must be true that many people don’t know about this. The simple answer is: There are COUNTLESS real health benefits for regular exercise, particularly after age 50 or so.
Parents might tell their kids to correct their posture more to instill pride and project confidence. But good posture is about a lot more at this stage of life. As we age, our bodies are “de-volving” into a more rounded, slumped posture. Not only does that add years to our appearance, but it also contributes to joint and muscle misalignment, which creates bad movement patterns.
Read MoreToo many myths cloud the topics of aging and fitness. They keep people from living a healthy lifestyle, and most come from younger people and society at large. But there’s one super-persistent myth that people over 50 perpetuate themselves. To be more precise, women over 50 use this falsehood too often to avoid the most important type of exercise they need: strength training. “I don’t want to lift weights because I don’t want to get all big and bulky.”
Read MoreDid you start the new year with a big fitness goal – like losing weight or going to the gym three times a week? And have you found it hard to stick to it, like so many people do every year? While setting goals can be motivating, it's easy to get discouraged when we don't see immediate progress or face unexpected setbacks. Instead of focusing on specific goals, what if we shifted our attention to the process of improving ourselves every day, one step at a time?
Read MoreWe usually think of February as the month of hearts for Valentine’s Day, but February is also heart-health awareness month in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and other countries. It’s observed to raise awareness and to help people lose weight, eat better, invigorate their exercise routines, and more.
Read More
