COLD WATER SWIMMING? A few days ago I received the latest issue of Scientific American and read an article which claimed that cold water swimming is surging in popularity. And today, I found a couple more accounts in which cold water swimming adherents maintain it can act as an anti-depressant and might help forestall dementia. Okay, that grabbed my interest—I’m ready to try almost anything that might work against dementia! Even though I usually wear a wet suit, I can’t say I ever got a kick out of cold water swimming. When I was a bit younger and entered triathlons...
3 SIMPLE EXERCISES TO STRENGTHEN YOUR LEGS FOR SUMMER FUN Remember that ancient song: “In The Good Old Summertime.”? Well, those summer days are almost here! It’s time to leave the gym where you’ve been working out the past few months and move your activities outdoors! It’s the season for hiking, swimming in oceans or lakes, long bike rides, and running or jogging on scenic trails rather than monotonous treadmills. To enjoy these activities, you’ll need to keep your legs in good shape. I recently came across a Harvard Medical School Health Letter that covers the basics of which muscle...
PREPARE FOR HEALTHY TRAVELS We’re going on a two-week international vacation in August. When we booked our flights and accommodations back in December, it felt like the trip was far off in the future. But now, it seems to be approaching quickly. Today, I looked into visas and then started thinking about what else I should be checking on for healthy travels. Luckily, I found an online article from the Mayo Clinic that outlines everything. If you’re planning a trip to distant places soon or are still in the planning stages, you might find these excerpts from the article, Health...
FOR AN EASY FULL-BODY WORKOUT, TRY NORDIC WALKING Back when I lived near Lake Tahoe, I skied cross country trails all winter long. But that was years ago and I’ve hardly skied since. However, today I came across an article extolling the benefits of Nordic walking—or walking with poles. This exercise turns a basic walk into a full body workout by mimicking movements used by cross-country skiers; hence the poles. With a bit of research, I found that you can’t use regular walking sticks. You’ll need poles with wrist straps and pointed tips for trails or with blunted rubber ends...
WHAT IS SLOW RUNNING? Lately, I’m seeing online articles promoting the rewards of “slow running.” I think I’d be classified as a slow runner, not by choice, but because my running pace has slowed down considerably as I’ve aged. At 80, I don’t even classify myself as a runner anymore—but as more of a jogger. Yet, some days I go on an all-out jog and others I just enjoy moving along. I can see the difference afterward when I check it out on my Fitbit. When I go for a faster time I’ve spent the majority of my jog at...
ENHANCE YOUR HEALTH: ADD MORE FERMENTED FOODS TO YOUR DIET Previously, I’ve discussed the critical role of our gut microbiome, (See my December 15, 2019 post Your Gut Microbiome can foretell your future.) Your gut is a micro-ecosystem, home to tens of trillions of microscopic creatures, mostly bacteria, but also viruses and fungi. In addition to eating more fiber, we’re advised to add more fermented foods to our diet. Fermented foods contain both prebiotics—ingredients that create healthy changes in the microbiome—and beneficial live bacteria called probiotics. Yogurt is the most popular fermented food (look for “live and active cultures” on...
LATEST ON BLOOD TESTS THAT SCREEN FOR ALZHEIMER’S I try to keep us seniors caught up on the latest Alzheimer’s disease news. Two years ago a blood test developed by neurologist Randall J. Bateman, MD, at Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis was shown to be highly accurate—up to 93%—at identifying people at risk of Alzheimer’s. In May 2022 it was approved by the FDA. Please see my August 19, 2022 post, New Blood Test for Alzheimer’s Since then, there has been further research on Alzheimer’s blood screening tests that are both accurate and affordable. Here are excerpts from...
CALL YOUR DENTIST, YES OR NO? A week ago, I woke to intense tooth pain that lingered for a couple of days before mysteriously vanishing. Then the discomfort returned but has again mostly subsided. I found myself pondering whether to call my dentist, yes or no? However, after coming across an online article, I decided to make the call and have an appointment scheduled for Monday. For fellow seniors who might face a similar uncertainty, I’m sharing this April 1, 2024, Harvard Health Letter by Heidi Godman, Executive Editor, titled Is that dental pain an emergency? Use this guide to...
CORTISONE SHOTS—BENEFITS & RISKS In my post last week, I discussed free or low-cost therapies to relieve pain: Pain Control Made Cheap. This week I’m adding another—cortisone shots. I finally resorted to this therapy because none of the others were alleviating the pain I had in my left hip when I got out of bed in the morning and especially when jogging. I went to my doctor who, after asking a few questions, determined I had bursitis in that hip and recommended a cortisone injection. She told me that she routinely gives cortisone shots to her patients with back pain,...
PAIN CONTROL MADE CHEAP When I have pain that just doesn’t want to go away—as in my hips when I jog or bike—I usually reach for ibuprofen or a Tylenol generic. Although these temporarily reduce the discomfort, I wondered if there are potentially more effective, pain-relief methods. While exercising with discomfort seems counterproductive to reducing it, I came across an article that actually promotes physical activity for pain control. Just as I had hoped, this piece also offers a number of additional strategies for pain relief. Here are excerpts from the April 1, 2024 online Harvard Health Letter article by...
