Karen Joseph had no idea what was happening years ago when the first symptoms of neuropathy began. She assumed the pain and numbness in her legs were from a spinal injury she suffered in a car crash. But after her diagnosis in 2014, Karen learned how debilitating neuropathy can be. And she had to make
There are two kinds of couples when it comes to fitness. Those who work out together. And those who don’t. Which kind of relationship are you in? There are pros and cons for each, of course – and it’s entirely up to you. But since it’s the month of Valentine’s Day, right now we’re going
For Dr. Bruce Lockhart, it was finally back surgery that got him committed to regular exercise near retirement a decade ago. Over the years, he had treated enough patients with chronic back pain to know that he didn’t want to become one after the procedure. So he found the right trainer at the right gym
Over the holidays, you were probably focused on loving family and friends. With Valentine’s Day, you might turn your attention to a significant other. But what about loving yourself? That’s a foreign concept to many people over 50 who spent decades caring for spouses and children – and who remember a time when people, in
Do you want to learn how to make healthy habits stick? Specifically, how to develop eating habits that will lead to long-term, sustainable weight loss? Then pull up a chair with “The Habit Whisperer” Amy Lang, owner of Moxie Club for weight loss and a former longtime gym owner who spoke recently with the Optimal
What a difference a decade makes. Just ask Debbie Stevens. Or Terry Aguilar. Or any of the hundreds of thousands of people participating in Facebook’s #10YearChallenge – including countless people over 50 who have used the last decade to improve their lives through exercise, eating right, and other healthy habits. The challenge has provided more
Every year around the globe, 314,000 women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer, according to the World Ovarian Cancer Coalition. Of those, 207,000 will die. So when former tennis star Chris Evert disclosed her diagnosis recently, it made headlines everywhere. The discovery of Evert’s disease came in early stages, prompted because of new genetic testing available
You might’ve heard people talk about their metabolism and how it relates to their weight, maybe in statements like these: “I never gain a pound – I guess I just have a high metabolism.” Or: “I keep gaining weight since I turned 40. My metabolism must have slowed down.” But have you ever wondered what
Celeste Greene loved her grandmother so much, but she just couldn’t get the older woman to participate in rehab exercises after a fall. “She didn’t like to exercise – but she LOVED to laugh!” says Celeste, a certified physical trainer with a master’s degree in gerontology. “I thought, what if I combine what I’ve learned
Heading into a new year, so many of us are determined to take better care of ourselves – but then too often lose our steam by about the third week in January. It helps if you have good reasons to get fit – or, heck, even to stay fit, if you’re already active. Some of