Independent Living Archive

People who are hospitalized and stay in an intensive care unit have a high risk for home falls and injuries after being discharged, according to a 2025 study. Implementing physical therapy and increasing patient awareness about medication side effects may help.

An exercise routine that targets muscles in the legs and buttocks can help build the strength and stability that are essential for daily functioning. Lunges are an excellent exercise for this. Older adults can do them safely if they have sufficient leg strength to do the exercise correctly. For those who lack the necessary strength, modified versions can be done until it's possible to gradually work up to doing the full lunge. Once that is mastered, more advanced versions include the side lunge and walking lunge. Holding weights can increase the challenge.

A 2025 Harvard study found that people who most closely adhered to a Mediterranean or a plant-based diet had up to a 20% lower risk for chronic constipation, compared with people who followed other eating patterns.

A 2025 study found that people who had received a shingles vaccination had lower risks for stroke and various types of heart disease, including heart failure and heart attacks, compared with people who didn't receive a shingles vaccine.

Eating a plant-based diet may help people lower their risk for chronic constipation, according to a 2025 study. This effect may be due, at least in part, to the high fiber content of plant-based diets.

There are many normal reasons people's joints make clicking, popping, cracking, or other noises. Joints are also more likely to make noise when people stay still for long periods. Pain or swelling with joint noise should prompt people to see a doctor.

Colon cleanses are marketed to help detoxify the body, boost weight loss and immune function, and increase energy. But the colon removes toxins on its own. Colon cleanses also pose multiple health risks.

The sitting-rising test gauges how easily people can rise to their feet from sitting on the floor, using as little support as possible. A 2025 study suggested the test may help predict someone's longevity. People who scored the lowest were nearly four times more likely to die of natural causes and six times more likely to die of cardiovascular causes than participants who scored a perfect 10 on the test. The movement requires strength, coordination, balance, and flexibility. These components of fitness tend to drop off more precipitously in women as we age.

A 2025 study suggests that women who eat more high-quality carbohydrates-which include whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and legumes-in their 40s and 50s are more likely to age healthfully.

In a 2025 study, middle-aged and older people who could do the sit-to-rise test without support were less likely to die (especially of cardiovascular disease) within the following decade. The test is a good way to assess strength, flexibility, and balance-all of which are all vital for helping people to stay active and functioning well as they grow older.