KEEP SHOULDER INJURIES AT ARM’S LENGTH You’ve probably put up with minor shoulder problems—such as sore muscles and aches and pain—which develop from everyday wear and tear or overuse. But more serious, especially for us seniors, are rotator cuff injuries or shoulder fractures. To give you more information on these particular injuries, here are excerpts from the February 1, 2022 Harvard Health Letter by Heidi Godman, Two common shoulder injuries and how to avoid them It doesn’t take much to sustain shoulder injuries once we reach our 50s. By then, shoulder muscles and tendons have become weaker, cartilage has worn...
WILD OR FARMED SALMON—WHICH TO EAT? We try to eat fish at least once a week because of all its health benefits. And often salmon is our fish choice. We usually buy it at Trader Joe’s, which offers both farmed raised and wild caught salmon. Although I put a lot of trust in Trader Joe’s, I still wondered which salmon is, in general, healthier to eat. Searching online, I found the December 2020 Cleveland Clinic article, Fish Faceoff: Wild Salmon vs. Farmed Salmon. Here are excerpts:. We know that salmon provides many health benefits and contains lots of omega-3 fatty...
NEW HOPE FOR ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE: ULTRASOUND STIMULATION If you’ve followed my posts, you know I try to share the latest news on Alzheimer’s disease. To me—and many others—it’s the most threatening thing about aging; at least one third of us will develop it by age 85. This week I read of a recent study where mice exposed to ultrasound stimulation over a period of time had not only reduced amyloid plaque and tau protein levels in their brain but also increased function. This is terrific news! If this is found to be an applicable approach for humans, it could significantly...
SEASONAL BOOSTER SHOTS—COMING SOON? We’re now entering the third year of the pandemic. The Omicron variant of Covid-19 is hard upon us. And who know what the next variant will bring? Thus, to me, it seems inevitable that we’ll keep needing annual booster shots for perhaps the rest of our lifetimes. The good news is that the Covid seasonal boosters can probably be combined with flu shots. That would mean we ‘d only need to get one all-purpose needle a year. I’m sure you’ve heard different guesses of what’s coming next. I searched for a concise summary from folks who...
SYSTOLIC VS. DIASTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE As we age, we increase our risk of having a stroke. And high blood pressure is the leading cause of stroke. Thus, it makes sense to regularly monitor our blood pressure. Because we always read it with systolic pressure over diastolic pressure, I asked myself, which of these has more significance in preventing a stroke? Here are excerpts from a recent Harvard Heart Letter by Deepak L. Bhatt, M.D., M.P.H., Which blood pressure number matters most? Top or Bottom Number—which is more important? This question comes up often, perhaps because doctors and patients alike tend...
ANOTHER REASONTO PRACTICE YOGA: IT IMPROVES YOUR BRAIN I subscribe to a Harvard Medical School online daily newsletter which often has fascinating new health information. I think today’s article is especially relevant to us seniors who want to maintain our cognitive skills. Here are excerpts from the January 8, 2022 article, Yoga for better mental health: With its emphasis on breathing practices and meditation—both of which help calm and center the mind— it’s hardly surprising that yoga also brings mental benefits, such as reduced anxiety and depression. What may be more surprising is that it actually makes your brain work...
THE TOP 15 TOP FITNESS TRENDS FOR 2022 Happy New Year! Happy 2022! The most popular fitness trends change every year. Compare the 2022 survey with last year’s post The Top 15 Fitness Trends for 2121,and the posts two years ago The Top 14 Fitness Trends for 2020 , three years ago The Top 12 Fitness Trends for 2019 and four years ago The Top 10 Fitness Trends for 2018. Online training went from the no. 26 trend in 2020 to the no. 1 trend for 2021, likely due to a shift in the fitness market from clubs to homes because of the COVID-19 pandemic....
AVOIDING FROSTBITE This post is a cautionary addition to my December 18 blog Winter Hiking Fun. I grew up in Denver Colorado where, in the winter, the temperature often goes below zero F. Between the ages of 12-16, I had a morning paper route delivering the Rocky Mountain News. I got up at 5am each morning and fetched that day’s newspapers bundled and left even earlier on my front porch. Then I folded and rubber- banded them on my kitchen table, and stuffed them in my bicycle’s cloth paper bags. Finally, I took off to deliver 100 + newspapers to...
WINTER HIKING FUN Sure, downhill or cross country skiing is enjoyable. But have you considered the fun you could have winter hiking? Not just back and forth in the snow to your ski resort’s 7-Eleven, but actually in the countryside, foothills or mountains? When I was younger, I took long winter hikes up into the Sierras with one or another of my kids, often taking a tent and sleeping bags and staying overnight. Once to a destination, we’d usually fish along small lakes or streams and fry trout for breakfast. But now that I’m a senior, I’m not ready to...
RETHINK ZINC A couple of decades ago, zinc—in the form of zinc lozenges—became extremely popular as a remedy for the common cold and even for flu. The lozenges were important because zinc needed to dissolve slowly to coat the mouth and throat, where a cold or flu virus thrives. Many people still pop a daily dose of zinc as soon as cold or flu symptoms occur and some folks even take them regularly as a cold and flu preventative throughout the winter. I haven’t been one of these. However, I just read an online Harvard University article that’s making me...
