All articles tagged with #health and fitness
A North Carolina teenager is critically ill after contracting Naegleria fowleri, a rare brain-eating amoeba found in warm freshwater; the illness progresses rapidly and is often fatal, with investigators still determining where the exposure occurred.
Dr. Brad Schoenfeld, a leading muscle-growth expert, says you can start seeing meaningful health and strength gains with just two 20–30 minute strength sessions per week. Focus on consistency (two non-consecutive days), progressively challenging technique (end-of-set reps should be hard), and full-body workouts that target major muscle groups. You don’t need heavy lifting—moderate to lighter loads work as long as you push the last reps. With proper recovery, nutrition, and time, these small, regular sessions can improve strength, heart health, mobility, and reduce chronic disease risk, and it’s never too late to start—even into your 90s. Evidence includes older adults (75+) showing benefits and a 1990 study where frail seniors gained function with resistance training.
Fitness experts summarize gym etiquette: clean and re-rack equipment after use, don’t hog machines, avoid unsolicited coaching, keep loud noise and phone use in check, don’t arrive late to group classes, feel free to chat respectfully but not interrupt workouts, rest between sets, and be mindful of filming others—if a space doesn’t feel like a good fit, seek another gym.
Experts say the dead hang—hanging from a bar with the body suspended—offers a simple, low‑equipment test and training method to boost grip and upper‑body strength for women over 40, supporting daily tasks as muscle mass and hormonal changes affect body composition. Start with controlled holds, maintain shoulder stability, and progress with variations like supported hangs or farmer’s carries to gradually increase grip endurance and functional strength.
With nationwide outbreaks of salmonella, Cyclospora, and other pathogens, health officials urge safer dining and food-handling habits—cook chicken and ground meats thoroughly, use pasteurized eggs for sauces, avoid buffet foods left at room temperature, and report suspicious or spoiled-looking food; investigations point to jalapeños linked to Chipotle and Qdoba and lettuce grown in Mexico, among other outbreaks in baby formula and produce.
Three probable tularemia cases (rabbit fever), a rare tick- and wildlife-borne illness, have been reported in Suffolk County on Long Island. Lab confirmation can take weeks, and diagnosis combines tests with clinical/epidemiologic criteria. The cases come during a notably bad tick season; prevention tips include wearing protective clothing and avoiding sick or dead wildlife, with antibiotics effectively treating the infection. Nationwide, about 200 tularemia cases occur each year, and NYS has not confirmed any cases in 2026 so far.
Lacking time isn't the real obstacle to exercise—it's low energy. The Independent feature outlines four actionable ways to fit movement into a packed schedule: boost energy through better sleep and nutrition; front-load healthy habits and “win the morning”; streamline workouts with quick at-home sessions or bite-sized exercise snacks; and prune commitments to make space for movement, illustrating how short, regular effort can deliver serious health benefits.
Walking speed is a powerful, low-cost health marker. A simple five-metre walk test can indicate mortality risk, cardiovascular health and cognitive decline, with faster paces linked to better heart, brain and overall longevity. If you walk slower than about 1 m/s, health risks rise; improving leg strength, balance and cardiovascular fitness through regular, varied training can increase your pace and predict better well-being.
A writer tries doing glute bridge marches daily for two weeks to combat chronic knee pain and boost running. Guided by physical therapist Dr. Andrew Gorecki, she reports knee pain easing during runs (pain-free by day eight), runs becoming slightly faster in week two, and knees feeling more stable going down stairs. The piece notes that the exercise strengthens the glutes without stressing the knee, but isn’t advised for acute injuries or certain knee conditions, and suggests starting with 8–10 reps per leg with proper form. The narrator plans to continue incorporating this glute work long-term.
A HuffPost piece gathers 15 rules personal trainers say you should never break in the gym, from warming up and not hogging equipment to avoiding judgment, listening to your body, following a plan, cleaning up after yourself, protecting form over heavy weight, and prioritizing rest and recovery to foster safety, consistency, and a positive gym culture.
A retired CalFire firefighter, George Rojas, survived a stroke after waking with symptoms and quickly received EMS transport to Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center, where he was treated with tissue plasminogen activator to dissolve a brain clot. The stroke-care window has been expanded in certain wake-up stroke cases, underscoring the importance of calling 911 promptly. Six months later, Rojas reunited with the doctors and nurses who saved him, celebrating recovery and emphasizing stroke awareness and urgent care.
Neither external resistance nor bodyweight training is universally better; weights allow progressive overload, while bodyweight routines are highly accessible and enhance functional movement. The strongest results typically come from a mix of both, starting with foundational movements and gradually increasing challenge for safety and gains.
Wellness expert Liz Earle shares a time-efficient weekly routine focused on consistency and variety to boost strength and longevity. The plan includes Monday home-strength training (dumbbells or bodyweight with household weights when travelling), cardio with walks or walk-sprint intervals, midweek mobility with yoga/Pilates, occasional plyometric work like skipping for bone density, Saturday online yoga plus an outdoor walk, and a Sunday active rest. She emphasizes short, regular sessions over long gym hours and uses variety to keep the body adapting, aligning with research showing benefits of regular strength training and varied activity for health and longevity.
A health writer tests daily 10-minute arm workouts for four weeks (varying dumbbell, Pilates-inspired, and YouTube routines) to see if short bursts can build upper-body strength. Experts say such sessions can improve strength and function when done consistently, even if they don’t maximize muscle growth. The writer notes subtle gains—shoulders look more defined, daily tasks feel easier, and heavier resistance is more manageable in Pilates classes—and a sustainable habit forms. The piece concludes that brief, focused workouts can add up over time and fit busy schedules, but they’re best used as a building block rather than a full strength program.
You don’t need to lift weights to build strength. Bodyweight and resistance-band exercises can train all major muscle groups by using the five fundamental movements (squat, hinge, lunge, push, pull) and by applying progressive overload through more sets, higher reps, tempo changes, or tougher variations. The piece shares beginner-to-advanced options, explains how to pace progression safely, cites BJSM and NHS guidelines, and points to a four-week bodyweight plan to get stronger without weights.