For some reason, we all started thinking we had to take 10,000 steps a day for good health. It seemed to take hold when fitness trackers became popular, and we all were talking about “getting my steps in” every day. Well, despite some questions over the years about the validity of that number, new scientific
Big life changes often follow a moment of clarity that can be startling, liberating or even painful. For Gina Gross, 59, her epiphany came while she and her husband were taking a tour of a gym in their new community. Gross was a recently retired nurse and had become obese over the years, weighing 340
Everyone wants a “magic bullet” about healthy living and staying fit. But the truth is, there simply isn’t one. Still, successful active agers do share a few traits, along with the basics of exercising regularly, eating well, sleeping enough, and managing stress. Here are 5 truths among them: Slow Progress Is Ideal. You’ve learned that
A common myth about aging says that after 50, people (especially women) face a dreary life of loneliness, physical difficulty, and despair. But the opposite is true for millions, who are finding that the “grandma years” are turning out to be the best time of their lives. Adults 65 to 79 say this is their
Was it Freud who said we can’t get through the day without telling ourselves seven little lies? Or was it a magazine quiz we read in the dentist’s office? Doesn’t matter! The point is: We all love to tell ourselves “harmless” fibs to avoid doing something we know we “should” do. It’s easier than confronting
It used to be conventional wisdom that everybody wanted to retire to Florida or another sunny spot, find a comfortable place to sit and… wait for life to wind down. Today’s active agers aren’t settling for that. Sure, some people want a slow pace and lots of sunshine. But we’re also looking at other criteria
Like most women of her generation, Margaret Cone, now 79, never saw much reason to lift weights. She had always been pretty active and tried to stay in decent shape. Her family had a strong health history. But about 10 years ago, Margaret noticed she had gained weight from the long hours she was putting
Don Phillips won a slew of medals at the recent National Senior Games. But the real value of his healthy lifestyle is far more ordinary. It’s also what so many people want as they get older: Functional fitness. Don, a 91-year-old retired veterinarian, recently drove 250 miles to a school reunion. He putzes around
Oh, yeah! Let’s bust another myth about fitness over 50, thanks to a global study that found that “time-rich” Baby Boomers exercise more than Gen-Z. Data revealed that people 57 to 70 exercised an average of 215 minutes per week. That’s way more than Generation Z, which includes young adults 18-24. The Global State of Mind
You say you want to start exercising and eating right, but… well, gosh… you don’t know. You just can’t. There’s no point in trying. You’ll never be able to stick with an exercise regimen now because you were awkward in PE class. You can’t maintain a healthy weight because you’ve always been “big-boned.” You can’t