Staring at Your Screen

08/11/2023

25/09/2023

If you're in good health, you should get at least 150 minutes of moderate cardio activity a week. It's better when you spread it out over 3 days or more, for a minimum of 10 minutes at a time. Also spend time at least twice a week specifically working the muscles in your legs, hips, back, abs, chest, shoulders, and arms.

25/09/2023

This quiet exercise is sometimes called "moving meditation." You move your body slowly and gently, flowing from one position to the next, while you breathe deeply. Not only is it good for balance, it can also improve bone and heart health. It may help ease pain and stiffness from arthritis. It might even help you sleep better.

25/09/2023

Actively holding a series of poses will stretch and strengthen your muscles, as well as the tendons and ligaments that hold your bones together. Mindful breathing makes it a kind of meditation, too. Yoga can help lower your heart rate and blood pressure and relieve anxiety and depression. Check out different styles and classes to match your level of fitness and what appeals to you.

25/09/2023

You can exercise for longer in the water than on land. There's no weight putting stress on your joints (and making them hurt), and the water offers resistance to build muscles and bones. Swimming laps burns calories and works your heart like jogging and cycling, yet you're not likely to overheat. The moisture helps people with asthma breathe. Water-based exercise improves the mind-set of people with fibromyalgia.

25/09/2023

Muscle loss is one of the main reasons people feel less energetic as they get older. When you lift weights, work out on machines, use resistance bands, or do exercises with your own body weight (like push-ups and sit-ups), you build strength, muscle mass, and flexibility. It'll make things like carrying groceries and climbing stairs easier. You can join a gym, but you don't have to. Digging and shoveling in the garden counts, too!

17/09/2023

If you like to take walks with a purpose, look online for secret "geocache" spots in cities, parks, or along hiking trails. You follow clues, usually GPS coordinates, to track them down. You could find a prize in the cache or sign your name in a journal that proves you were there.

17/09/2023

You'll burn around 5 calories a minute, about as many as with a brisk walk. And you'll use about the same amount of oxygen as if you were raking leaves. Plus, research shows that it may help prevent heart disease, though that only seems to be true if you’re in a healthy relationship.

17/09/2023

You might not think of it as exercise, but if you dig, bend, and clip around your garden for 30 minutes or so, you'll get a decent workout. And it may even put you in a better mood. If you don't have a plot of your own, consider volunteering at a community garden. They can probably use the help.

17/09/2023

Give your leg muscles -- especially your calves -- a gentle stretch when you're done with your walk. It will help you stay flexible. Don't overdo it -- stretches shouldn't hurt -- and don't bounce. Hold each stretch for 10-20 seconds. Use a chair or a wall for help with your balance.

17/09/2023

Gaze at your phone while walking and you could be headed for trouble. You might trip or even step into traffic. It happens a lot. Pedestrian injuries linked to phones has more than doubled since 2004, and most walkers -- 60% -- are distracted by their phones or something else. Stop, get out of the way, and finish your business before walking again.