THE TOP 15 FITNESS TRENDS FOR 2024 The most popular fitness trends change every year. Compare the 2024 survey with last year’s post, The Top 15 Fitness Trends for 2023. Here are excerpts from the 18th annual survey from the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), published in its Health & Fitness Journal, Worldwide Survey of Fitness Trends for 2024: For the last 18 years, the editors of this Journal have developed and circulated an electronic survey sent to thousands of professionals around the world to predict trends in the health and fitness industry for the following year. This report for 2024...
MODERATE DRINKING & YOUR HEART We’re in the heart of the holiday season, a time filled with family gatherings, office parties, and special events for Yuletide and New Year’s Eve. During this period, our indulgence in festive foods like cookies, pies, scalloped potatoes, stuffing, and gravy often increases, along with an uptick in alcohol consumption. This might include enjoying eggnogs laced with brandy, sipping from a spiked punch bowl, or raising glasses in toasts with friends and family. As we move past New Year’s Day, most of us will return to our regular diets and resume watching our alcohol consumption....
THE TRUTH ABOUT FISH OIL SUPPLEMENTS I used to take fish oil supplement capsules regularly, believing they helped reduce cardiovascular disease. When I began phasing out red meat and replacing it with fish, I felt I no longer needed them. Still, I believed the product labels claiming they promoted heart health and supported healthy cholesterol and blood pressure levels. However, I’ve recently read articles in both Scientific American and from Harvard Medical School suggesting they actually lack any demonstrated benefits and that consumers are wasting their money. Since you—like many of us seniors—may take fish oil supplements, you may wish...
CRANBERRIES: FESTIVE, FLAVORFUL AND HEALTHY It’s that season again when cranberries take center stage; it’s the time when, along with turkey, potatoes, and pumpkin pie we often include cranberries in our Thanksgiving or Christmas feasts. The classic is cranberry sauce, but baked goods such as muffins, breads, and scones are also popular. I guessed that cranberries, like most fruits, are packed with health benefits. To get more detailed info, I found an article from the Cleveland Clinic, dated January 26, 2022, titled Are Cranberries Healthy? 6 Surprising Benefits. Here are excerpts: Cranberries, which are mostly carbs and fiber, contain about...
DIALING DOWN HOLIDAY SEASON STRESS Managing daily life can provoke anxiety in even the most resilient individuals. Yet, the holiday season, with its additional stressors, only amplifies this effect. The bustling nature of this time of year often leads to an overwhelming schedule, where the mere thought of another commitment makes you want to scream. Furthermore, the season brings unique challenges like gift selection, travel complexities, and potential financial worries. Increased stress, especially in us seniors, can have a significant impact on our mental well-being. I came across an insightful article on the AARP website, which highlights various strategies to...
DODGING WINTER BUGS The pandemic taught us to take proactive measures against harmful microbes. Most of us are continuing our vigilance—especially in winter—with its increase in influenza, common colds, RSV, gastrointestinal viruses, and even COVID-19. However, I still wasn’t certain which practices to maintain to keep safe and which to disregard as unnecessary. Now, I’ve found a respected source that spells out effective strategies and misconceptions. Here are excerpts from the December 1, 2023 article by Heidi Godman, Executive Editor, Harvard Health Letter, Warding off germs this winter: What’s helpful, what’s not Have you adopted additional anti-germ habits since the...
FEELING STRESSED? MAYBE IT’S BECAUSE YOU’RE NOT SITTING & STANDING UP STRAIGHT We’ve often heard that maintaining good posture helps reduce discomfort and physical stress in the body, particularly in the spine, neck, and shoulders. It seems simple: Improve your posture, improve your health. It’s not like I don’t believe that—it’s just that I don’t seem able to follow through. I’ve posted on this a couple of times in the past: Good Posture: It will Improve your Confidence & Your Health in May 2018 and Posture Problems? in August 2022. But now I’ve read an online article that tells us...
GETTING YOUR VACCINATIONS COULD SPARE YOU FROM ALZHEIMER’S I stopped by CVS and got the latest Covid-19 vaccine last week and my annual flu shot a few weeks before that. I’m also caught up on shingles and pneumonia vaccines. I really don’t understand why so many seniors don’t believe in getting vaccinated. Didn’t they get the polio and smallpox vaccines when they were young? And didn’t they not come down with either afterward? In any case, I’ve come across new research giving yet another reason to get your shots—vaccines may very well decrease the risk of dementia. Since I try...
PLYOMETRIC EXERCISE FOR SENIORS? You may have heard of plyometric exercises—dynamic movements involving jumping, hopping, or bounding, specifically designed to enhance muscle power, balance, and agility. I was intrigued by the idea of trying them, but I had reservations regarding their suitability for seniors. To address my concerns, I turned to my go-to source, Harvard Medical School. After conducting some research, I cautiously attempted the beginner plyometric exercises recommended in an online article, authored by Matthew Solan, Executive Editor of Harvard Health Watch. Not only did I find these exercises to be a refreshing change of pace, but just as...
ARE YOU A STEPS-PER-DAY COUNTER? My Fitbit tells me how many steps I take each day. It has a suggested default of 10,000 steps. Some days I reach that amount, but most days I don’t—but then it doesn’t take in my biking or swimming activities very accurately, which I think should also count. You might use a step counter such as your smartphone or a wearable device. And you may wonder—especially as a senior—how many steps per day to shoot for. I found an October 1, 2019 online article by Anthony L. Komaroff, M.D. Editor in Chief, Harvard Health Letter, that...
