Exercise and Fitness Archive

Research we're watching

Walking even at a "casual" pace — covering a mile in 30 minutes — five days a week may lower the odds of high blood pressure in postmenopausal women, a new study finds.

Researchers relied on data from more than 83,000 women ages 50 to 79 who did not have high blood pressure. When they joined the study, they filled out questionnaires about their walking speed and duration. This was followed by yearly questionnaires that included checking for a diagnosis of high blood pressure.

Make sure it's tailored to your needs and has the elements that are essential for health and safety.

You've resolved to exercise more, and you're looking for an online exercise video that will help you achieve your fitness goals. That's a great start, but there's more to choosing an exercise video than simply finding workouts that appeal to you. "Online exercise videos aren't regulated. And trying to keep up with a workout that isn't designed for older adults could lead to injury," says Dr. Edward Phillips, assistant professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation at Harvard Medical School and Whole Health medical director at VA Boston Healthcare System.

Where to start

YouTube is a rich resource for effective exercise videos. You can find workouts designed for older adults from hospitals, government health agencies, academic centers (including Harvard Medical School), personal trainers, and senior centers. However, YouTube also contains scores of workout videos that could be risky for older adults. So it takes work to find a workout tailored to your needs.

Research we're watching

Good news if you take a more leisurely approach to your workouts: a recent study found that people who performed harder workouts didn't live any longer, on average, when compared with people who did more moderate workouts. Researchers studied a group of people in Norway who participated in five years of supervised exercise training. The participants included 790 women and 777 men (with an average age of 73), divided into three groups. Everyone followed federal recommendations to get 30 minutes of moderate exercise on most days of the week. But in addition to that, one group received two supervised weekly sessions of high-intensity interval training. A second group added two supervised moderate-intensity continuous training workouts per week. All three groups continued their assigned workouts for five years.

At the conclusion of the trial, 4.6% of the participants had died, but there was no significant difference in death rates between the group that followed the modest federal exercise recommendations and the two groups that did the more intense workouts. In addition, all groups had similar levels of cardiovascular disease and deaths from cancer. However, that's not to say that participating in regular high-intensity workouts wasn't linked to any benefits. The participants who did the harder workouts had better outcomes on certain measures of mental health and physical fitness.

No matter what your age, you can improve your fitness.

If it's been a long time since you've exercised and you're feeling less than fit, you might think that it's too late to make a change. But you're wrong. You can improve your fitness at any age.

"The stories in this area are actually very dramatic. Even people 100 years old or older can build muscle strength," says Dr. Edward Phillips, assistant professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation at Harvard Medical School.

If you've been diagnosed with heart disease, the FITT approach can reduce your risk for heart attack and stroke.

About half of all Americans have at least one of the key risk factors for heart disease, such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and excess weight.

You can address those risks with a heart-healthy diet and medications to lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels. But perhaps the biggest boost you can give your heart is regular aerobic exercise.

People looking for new ways to strengthen their core can try walk-and-carry exercises, also known as "loaded carries," where they hold weights like dumbbells or kettlebells while walking. This type of movement teaches how to brace the core, which engages much of the entire core musculature, including your shoulders, back, and hips.

Most people know exercise is good for their health, but only about half of Americans meet the recommended physical activity guidelines. Making exercising more fun helps keep people interested, and research has demonstrated that there is a relationship between using activity apps and increased engagement in exercise.

Often, feeling stiff and a little achy when you wake or during the day is related to periods of inactivity, perhaps while sleeping or parked in front of a computer. To counteract this, plan frequent movement breaks and try these stretches focusing on stiff or achy areas.

Research we're watching

American adults are gaining weight, according to data from the CDC. Twelve U.S. states now have obesity rates of 35% or higher, compared with just six states in 2017 and nine states in 2018. Experts say the trend is particularly concerning because adults with obesity are more prone to severe outcomes from COVID-19.

According to the CDC report, racial and ethnic minority groups are disproportionately affected by obesity. Prevalence rates nationwide were

The condition is an all-too-real problem for men, and one of the more difficult to treat.

After age 50, men often have periods of discomfort "down there." It could be a cramping, aching, or throbbing pain in and around your pelvis and genitals. You also may have issues in the bedroom and bathroom. While the problems are real, the cause is often difficult to pinpoint.

It's called chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CPPS) — also known as chronic prostatitis — and it's one of the most puzzling and difficult-to-manage conditions for older men.