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Slow and sneaky weight gain usually happens over time — on average one pound a year — so it’s not always obvious at first, especially if you don’t regularly weigh yourself. But if this weight creep goes unnoticed year after year, by middle age, your middle may lose the sleek look you had when you were younger. Several factors could be to blame. Maybe you’re exercising less because family and work obligations have gotten in the way of regular gym visits. Maybe you’re eating more, such as having a cookie with your daily afternoon cup of tea. Perhaps you simply don’t need as many calories as you used to because of the gradual shift in body composition that can happen with age. Having less muscle and more fat can slow your metabolism, making it easier to gain weight. But you can work to avoid or at least limit this type of weight gain. Start by doing a quick self-evaluation. Has your activity level gone down? Are you eating more than usual? If you answered yes to these questions, make the commitment to get back on track both with diet and exercise. To improve diet, studies that tracked people for 20 years found the key is to switch to a way of eating that emphasizes fruits and vegetables, whole grains and nuts. You can replace low-nutrient… read on >

You know about the value of exercise for heart health and for staying strong and independent as you age. There’s also proof that exercise keeps your body young physically as well as mentally. A British study involving cycling enthusiasts between the ages of 55 and 79 found that their physical shape and abilities rivaled those of people much younger. Being physically active affects muscle strength, lung power and exercise capacity, and the sooner you start and the longer you keep it up, the longer benefits last. At the opposite end of the spectrum, a sedentary lifestyle can hasten the physical changes associated with aging and aggravate health problems. Cycling outdoors has many advantages, because it keeps you mentally alert as well as using your muscles, heart and lungs. Still, walking and virtually any type of moderate or vigorous exercise can yield benefits. You don’t have to exercise to extremes to stay youthful. Data from numerous ongoing health studies show that working out in line with national recommendations of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise a week can lower the risk of early death by 31 percent compared to people who don’t exercise. Note that if you’re gung-ho about exercise, there doesn’t appear to be any downside to doing even more, but there may not be any further increase in lowering mortality. More information The American… read on >

MONDAY, Jan. 21, 2019 There’s no doubt that an unhealthy diet and couch potato lifestyle put your health at risk, but when considering improvements, should you change one at a time or both at once? Northwestern University researchers found that it’s not only doable, but also more effective, to change unhealthy behaviors simultaneously. Different groups of study participants were given a pair of changes to make. One involved diet — either lowering saturated fat or increasing fruit and vegetables. The other involved activity — either increasing exercise or reducing screen time. All participants received remote coaching to help them with motivation, but those assigned to eat more produce and spend less time with their gadgets were most successful at making healthy changes stick. The researchers followed up with another study that looked at making all the changes simultaneously — increasing produce while reducing saturated fat, and exercising more while decreasing screen time. They added a smartphone component along with the coaching and found that participants who stuck with the program were able to reach all goals over the nine-month study. A separate study at Stanford University found that participants who boosted exercise and diet together improved in both areas. They also reached the goals of completing 150 minutes a week of physical activity, getting the recommended servings of fruits and vegetables each day, and limiting… read on >

To strengthen your back — the most commonly injured part of the body — it’s important to condition both the muscles in it and the ones that support it, notably the abs. Here are four moves to boost back fitness: For the bird dog, start on your hands and knees. Tighten your abs and simultaneously lift your right arm and your left leg until they’re in line with your back. Keep them straight as you hold for 15 seconds, then gently return to the start position. Do 10 reps, then switch sides and repeat. The plank works your back, abs and glutes. Lying on your stomach, bend your elbows to support your upper body on your forearms. Tighten your abs and glutes and turn your toes under, then lift your body off the ground. Keeping your back straight, hold for a count of 10. Slowly return to the start position, rest 30 seconds, and repeat. Side planks are a great variation. Lie on your left side, with your left elbow bent, forearm on the floor for support. Tighten your abs and glutes and lift hips off the ground, so that your body forms a 45-degree angle with the floor. Keep your back straight and avoid scrunching your shoulders as you hold for a count of 10. Work up to a total of 10 reps, then… read on >

When it comes to monitoring physical activity, we’ve come a long way from pedometers that only counted steps. Today’s health trackers use sensors to monitor movement and store and analyze the data. You can track calories burned, calories consumed, your heart rate during and after exercise, and even how long you sleep. Like a personal coach, a tracker can motivate you to reach goals and strive for new ones. It’s important to note that not all wearables perform equally well. A number of studies have compared the accuracy of many brands in lab tests to real-world activity. Their ability to estimate steps, distance, physical activity, energy expenditure and sleep can vary, but so do results from the various studies. For instance, one study found that step count and sleep time were recorded most accurately, but total daily energy expended less so. Such discrepancies aside, tracking your progress, even simply the number of steps you take toward the suggested goal of 10,000 a day, can be helpful. Before you invest in a device, you might want to first test an app to see if you’ll actually use it. Next decide on your budget — a good wearable can run well over $100, depending on its functions. Determine the type of wearable you want, such as a bracelet or watch for your wrist or a clip-on device… read on >

There could be an added bonus to keeping your cardiovascular health on track — a heart-healthy lifestyle can also prevent type 2 diabetes, researchers say. And it’s better to prevent type 2 diabetes than to have to treat it, the Ohio State University researchers added. “Healthy people need to work to stay healthy. Follow the guidelines. Don’t proceed to high blood sugar and then worry about stopping diabetes,” said study leader Dr. Joshua Joseph, an endocrinologist at the university’s Wexner Medical Center, in Columbus, Ohio. For the study, the researchers assessed diabetes among more than 7,700 participants in a stroke study. The investigators used the American Heart Association’s “Life’s Simple 7” factors to measure heart health. That well-known tool assesses physical activity, diet, weight, cholesterol, blood pressure, blood sugar (glucose) and tobacco use. Participants who were in the recommended ranges for at least four of the seven heart health factors had a 70 percent lower risk of developing diabetes over 10 years, according to the report. “What’s interesting is when we compared people who had normal blood glucose and those who already had impaired blood glucose,” Joseph said. “Those in normal levels who attained four or more guideline factors had an 80 percent lower risk of developing diabetes. Those who were already diabetic or prediabetic and met four of the factors had no change in… read on >

If you’ve vowed to be more active this year, be sure you have proper athletic shoes, a doctor suggests. “The right shoe is important for a runner as much as a good tennis racket is important for a tennis player,” said Dr. Ronald Lepow. He is an assistant professor in the department of orthopedic surgery at Baylor College of Medicine, in Houston. You don’t have to spend hundreds to get good athletic shoes, but you do need shoes that match your level and type of activity, Lepow added. For example, a training flat provides more protection and is a good choice for weekenders or those doing moderate exercise. Running shoes have added support and cushioning, and are good on tracks and for races. Training shoes tend to be more flexible, permit a wide range of movement, and are good to wear in the gym, according to Lepow. He said that athletic shoes should be a half size or full size larger than your regular shoe size. There should be a thumb nail’s distance between the end of your big toe and the end of the shoe, which can be checked when you’re standing with the shoes on and laced up. Wearing the wrong type of shoe can lead to injury, pain and discomfort after exercise. Back or hip pain, shin splints or cramps could be… read on >

Boosting athletes’ neck strength in the off season might reduce their concussion risk in sports such as football and soccer, researchers say. This is among several recommendations from researchers at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, N.J., who are looking to prevent these serious head injuries in athletes. “Our ability to detect sports-related concussions has greatly improved, but our ability to prevent concussions and decrease post-injury outcomes remains limited,” said study lead author Allison Brown. She is an assistant professor in the School of Health Professions. “We have identified neck strength, size and posture as potential factors that reduce risk by lessening the magnitude of force upon impact. Thus, increasing neck strength and possibly size could substantially reduce risk or severity of injury or outcomes,” Brown said in a university news release. For the study, her team reviewed previous research on the relationship between sports-related concussion risk and neck strength, size and posture. A neck that is stronger, thicker or in a forward posture — ears ahead of rather than aligned with the shoulders — may reduce the amount of energy transferred to the brain during an impact, reducing the risk and severity of concussion, said study senior author Carrie Esopenko, also an assistant professor in the health professions school. Esopenko noted that compared with men, women typically have less neck strength and a higher risk… read on >

Take a stand for a longer life. Researchers say even a few extra minutes off the sofa each day can add years to your life span. “If you have a job or lifestyle that involves a lot of sitting, you can lower your risk of early death by moving more often, for as long as you want and as your ability allows — whether that means taking an hour-long high-intensity spin class or choosing lower-intensity activities, like walking,” said study lead author Keith Diaz. He’s assistant professor of behavioral medicine at Columbia University in New York City. The new study involved nearly 8,000 American adults, aged 45 and older. Each wore physical activity monitors for at least four days as part of research conducted between 2009 and 2013. The investigators then tracked deaths among the participants until 2017. The results: People who replaced just 30 minutes of sitting per day with low-intensity physical activity lowered their risk of an early death by 17 percent, according to the study published online Jan. 14 in the American Journal of Epidemiology. More intense exercise reaped even bigger rewards, the researchers said. For example, swapping a half-hour per day of sitting for moderate-to-vigorous exercise cut the risk of early death by 35 percent. And even just a minute or two of added physical activity was beneficial, the findings showed.… read on >

To support your hip joints, you need to strengthen the muscles that support them. This can help prevent or relieve hip pain and guard against injury. Appropriate exercises target muscles of the thighs and the glutes. Here are three to add to your fitness regimen. Note: Before conditioning, always warm up with five to 10 minutes of easy exercise, like walking or riding a stationary bike. Hip abduction exercises primarily work the outer thighs. Lie on your left side, top leg straight but not locked, bottom leg bent. Slowly raise the straight leg to make a 45-degree angle with the floor. Hold for five seconds, then slowly lower. Do three sets of eight to 12 reps, then switch sides and repeat. Hip adduction exercises primarily work the inner thighs. Lie on your left side with both legs straight. Cross your top leg over the lower leg, placing the foot flat on the floor. Raise the lower leg six to eight inches off the floor, hold for five seconds, and then slowly lower. Do three sets of eight to 12 reps, then switch sides and repeat. Prone hip extensions primarily work the glutes. Lie flat on your stomach on a firm surface and place a pillow under your hips. Bend your right leg so that your calf makes a 90-degree angle with your thigh (the sole… read on >