Exercise and Fitness Archive

People can prevent excessive muscle loss while losing weight by doing resistance training to build muscle, consuming enough protein, and slowing their weight-loss pace.

With 10 minutes and a pair of dumbbells, people can do a full-body workout using a variation of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) called low-volume HIIT. With low-volume HIIT, people perform only a few sets of two to four exercises.

Wall ball exercises help increase strength, power, and endurance, and improve daily movements. They involve squatting while holding a large ball then rising explosively, throwing the ball high against a wall, catching it, and dropping back into a squat again.

A 2025 analysis found that people with chronic illnesses, who are highly susceptible to depression and whose conditions often make activity difficult, may need a relatively small amount of weekly exercise to ease depression.

A 2025 study found that people with high amounts of daily activity at middle age and beyond reduced their risk of developing dementia compared with individuals who had the least daily activity during these life stages.

A foam roller is a cylinder made of foam. When the tool is used properly, it can help reduce tension in muscles and other soft tissue. Foam rolling also helps increase flexibility, especially when used as a warm-up before exercise.

Physical activity improves physical and mental health, and walking is the simplest way to stay active. Walking for more than 10 minutes at a time may offer extra benefits, but all movement counts. For people over 60, 6,000 to 8,000 steps a day are optimal, regardless of walking speed.

Leg strength becomes even more vital as people age, as the legs are essential for routine movements such as going up and down stairs, sitting and rising from chairs, bending over and standing up, and protecting against falls. The main leg muscles are gluteals, quadriceps, hamstrings, and calves. Some exercises that can help strengthen these muscles are bridges, step-ups, and heel raises.

Simple mistakes can undermine an exercise regimen. Some errors can lead to muscle injury, such as skipping a warm-up before a workout, slouching while exercising, cramming too much into a single exercise session, lifting too much weight, and working the same muscle groups every day without allowing them to rest properly. Another big mistake is not staying properly hydrated, which can be tough on the heart and muscles. To avoid mistakes, it might help to work with a physical therapist or personal trainer.