Physical activity and exercise Archive

The new year is a good time to focus on cognitive fitness. Exercise, healthy eating, mental challenges, good sleep, controlling stress, and social engagement support neuroplasticity and help keep thinking and memory sharp.

Malaise is a feeling of weakness, fatigue, or being generally unwell. Addressing underlying causes and making healthy lifestyle changes - such as exercising regularly, eating a healthy diet, and getting enough sleep - can help people with malaise feel better.

High-intensity interval training alternates short bursts of hard effort with recovery, boosting aerobic fitness, heart health, and muscle in less time. For older adults, adjusting intensity to current fitness levels helps keep HIIT safe and effective.

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.

An October 2025 study found that at least 15 minutes of fast-walking each day was associated with longer life.

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.

Simple, proven strategies to live a longer, healthier life can help people become super-agers, defined as people who reach the age of 70 without any major diseases such as heart disease, cancer, or dementia. These habits include doing strength training to preserve muscle mass, eating a mostly vegetarian diet that provides many healthful nutrients, and prioritizing healthy sleep habits.

As the number of pickleball players has grown, so has the number of eye injuries in people ages 50 or older, according to a 2025 study. Such injuries include damage to the eye surface, retinal detach­ment, or fractures near the eye socket.

In a 2025 study, people who followed a Mediterranean diet, reduced their calorie intake, exercised at least 150 minutes a week, and received weight-loss support lowered their diabetes risk and lost more weight than those who only followed a Mediterranean diet.

There is little evidence that dietary supplements marketed as performance enhancers do more than following a well-balanced diet. Two nutrients that can help people during extended exercise are carbohydrates and caffeine.