5 Foods that Fight Inflammation
Inflammation is an overreaction of the immune system. We depend on our immune system to fight foreign invaders, like bacteria, viruses, and to be on alert for abnormal cells that can develop into cancer. But sometimes it is turned on even when there is nothing harmful to fight. This is…
6 Ways to Improve Your Deadlift and Get More Benefits from This Compound Exercise
Are deadlifts part of your strength-training routine? If not, they should be. Why should you take the time to master this exercise? The deadlift is a powerhouse of an exercise. Few exercises work more muscle groups simultaneously than the deadlift. Plus, they work the upper and lower body at the…
Resistance Training Improves Insulin Sensitivity and Here’s Why
Resistance training has many health benefits. For one, it protects against frailty by reducing age-related muscle loss. It also helps us stay strong and functional throughout life as we tackle its many challenges. No wonder! The movements we do every day require muscle strength and the ability of muscles to…
How Better Aerobic Capacity Prevents Those “Senior Moments”
Have you ever had a moment when a word or the name of someone is on the tip of your tongue, but you just can’t retrieve it? We all have. Some people refer to these memory slips as “senior moments” and they’re quite common. The ability to retrieve words from…
Can Exercise Boost Vitamin D Status?
Vitamin D is a vitamin with hormone-like properties. Its primary purpose is to increase calcium absorption from the gut and the kidneys to help get calcium into the bones. Researchers were hopeful that boosting vitamin D status might protect against osteoporosis and the fractures that go along with it. However,…
The Toughest Bodyweight Exercises: How Many of These Exercises Do You Do?
With challenge comes change. That’s why it’s good to tackle new exercises, including the tough ones! One means to do this is to make the current exercises you’re doing harder. A few ways to do that is by adding more weight, increasing the reps, slowing the tempo to emphasize the…
Seated vs. Standing Overhead Presses: Is There an Advantage of One Over the Other?
Overhead press is an exercise that works the shoulders, upper back, triceps, and biceps. In fact, it’s a compound exercise that works multiple muscle groups at the same time. It’s also a functional exercise as lifting overhead is a movement you do in daily life. Although overhead press primarily works,…
Is One Form of Protein Best for Older Adults with Muscle Loss?
Protein is made up of building blocks called amino acids. The amino acids are strung together into longer chains like beads on a string. Each amino acid is joined to the next by strong peptide bonds. When you consume dietary protein, your stomach breaks the peptide bonds and your intestinal…
How Your Anatomy and Build Affect How You Squat
Squats, the king of all exercises, are easy for some people to do and downright challenging for others. Why is this true? We’re all built a little differently and how your body is designed impacts how you squat. Let’s look at some of the anatomical factors, as well as some…
Does Weight Training Increase the Risk of Varicose Veins?
Hopefully, you never get them, but if you do, you’re in good company! Varicose veins are a common affliction. In fact, between 10 and 30% of the population suffers from varicose veins. These unsightly veins are more common in women, although men get them too. If you have them, you…