Exercise and Fitness Archive

As children go through another school year under the cloud of the COVID-19 pandemic, parents are asking what they can do to keep their children healthy. While no magic solutions can ward off every illness, parents can take steps to help children - and everyone in their household - protect their health by keeping their immune systems robust.

If it's hard to fit balance training into a busy schedule, it might be easier to just do a one-minute balance exercise at different points in the day. Those points might occur during TV watching, cooking, or toothbrushing. Ideas for simple balance exercises include standing on one leg, heel raises, or sit-to-stands-going from a sitting to a standing position, arms crossed, then returning to a sitting position and repeating the process. It's best to stand near a counter or chair for support.

Most of us don't think twice about standing up, but for people affected by postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), standing can provoke lightheadedness and a racing heartbeat. While some people with POTS will require medications, most will improve with some specific dietary and behavioral changes.

A gentle form of soccer called walking soccer is packed with health benefits. It's a great way to socialize, exercise, and keep knee cartilage healthy. Playing the game also helps reinforce a person's ability to maintain balance and the ability to produce physical power, such as the force needed to get out of a chair and stand up. However, the game does pose some physical risks, such as ankle sprains, flare-ups of knee arthritis, and falls that result in wrist, arm, or elbow fractures.

The most common causes of hand pain include osteoarthritis, nerve conditions, and tendinitis. To help manage the pain and avoid surgery, doctors recommend splinting, corticosteroid injections, anti-inflammatories, heat and cold applications, and hand exer

A 2024 study found that offering reminders or incentives seems to motivate people to walk more than they normally do. And people who are offered incentives such as money or game points walk more than people who receive only daily reminders to walk.

The original Presidential Physical Fitness Test consisted of five exercises: a one-mile run, pull-ups or push-ups, sit-ups, shuttle run, and sit-and-reach. The test gauged upper-body and core strength, endurance, flexibility, and agility for America's youth. Still, with some modifications, older adults can use the test to assess a baseline of their fitness and identify areas where they need to improve.