Men's Health Archive

Just as regular exercise has a host of health benefits for the body, staying mentally active appears to preserve memory and general sharpness. But for getting a good night's sleep, light workouts for both body and brain may be best, according to a study in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

The study focused on 72 people, ages 67 to 79, who reported poor sleep as well as declining mental sharpness. They were assigned at random to do either strenuous aerobic exercise or a gentler stretching routine, paired with either watching educational DVDs (followed by short quizzes) or engaging in more demanding computer-based brain training.

Low bone strength, or osteoporosis, is not just a women's problem, but some men may not receive the level of scrutiny they should for the condition, suggests a study at one hospital in The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery.

Doctors reviewed five years of medical records of 95 men and 344 women, all over age 50, who were treated for wrist fractures at Harvard-affiliated Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Breaking a bone is a possible sign osteoporosis, and some guidelines suggest bone density testing for people 50 and older after a fracture.