By now, it's hard to imagine anyone arguing against the importance of heart health. But what seems a little fuzzier is how one achieves a healthy heart. While engaging in aspirin therapy or popping statins may lure some into a false sense of heart security, studies show that these Band-Aid solutions don't hit heart health at its...well, heart.
Grip strength was found to be a better predictor of premature death than other barometers, like blood pressure, in a massive study that tracked the health of 139,691 people for a median of 40 years. Another review of literature on the subject concluded: "There is adequate evidence to support the use of grip strength as an explanatory or predictive biomarker of specific outcomes such as generalized strength and function, bone mineral density, fractures and falls, nutritional status, disease status and comorbidity load, cognition, depression and sleep, hospital-related variables and mortality."
Fiorella Rafael remembers feeling stiff at the end of every day in her old office job. That lack of movement would creep up and compound over the week, she says. Though standing and walking meetings were encouraged, with deadlines to meet it wasn't always tenable. It's partly what drove me to become a pilates instructor, she says. Now Rafael teaches pilates at Sydney's Scout Studios, where she meets people like me who spend far too much time sitting.
Older people who onlywalk 4,000 daily steps once a week still reduce their risk of dying early by a quarter, a study suggests. Staying active is known to bring a wide range of health benefits. But many people in their 60s, 70s and beyond may struggle for a variety of reasons to maintain the step count they used to reach. Until now it has been unclear how much people need to do as they age to reap the rewards.
"Whether it's a young person who brushes off a fall or someone older who thinks it's just a part of aging, it's important to understand that falls can lead to complications like infections or long-term disability."
Momentum Park(our) offers an interactive experience that combines Parkour with educational insights about physical movement and urban play, aimed at all ages.
It's hard to bring those days back since we live in a totally different era right now. But what parents can do now is to create specific times when everyone has to put down their phones and play a game.
