WALK MORE FOR MORE MEMORY It’s a fact: Certain areas
of our brains shrink as we age, causing slower thinking and some memory loss. But three hours of brisk walking a week might stop, and even reverse, this, finds a University of Illinois study that looked at 59 sedentary adults ages 60 to 80 who were put on either
a walking or stretching-and-toning plan. After
six months, MRI scans revealed that walkers’ brains looked two to three years younger than others their age.
-Prevention
LETTUCE EAT Women who have a leafy, veggie-packed salad daily are twice as likely to get enough vitamin C as those who do not nosh on greens, according to a study from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge.
-Self
SCHEDULE FREE TIME Unstructured play is essential for helping children reach important social, emotional and mental developmental milestones, as well as helping
them manage stress. Play protects children’s emotional development, but a loss of free time in combination with a hurried lifestyle can be a source of stress and anxiety and may even contribute to
depression for many children.
-American Academy
of Pediatrics
WATCH THOSE NUMBERS 90%. That’s the risk all 55-year-olds with normal blood pressure face of
getting hypertension at some point in their lives, according to
the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. Sodium’s not the only culprit; being overweight and inactive are also major risk factors.
-Prevention
FREEWAY FITNESS Don’t waste the time you spend in traffic gridlock. Use it to get in a little body-toning exercise. To work your shoulders, grip the steering wheel hard with straight arms and push against it. To work the legs, push one foot against the floor and clench your muscles. Alternate with the other foot. To work your abdominals, push your back against the seat while tightening your stomach muscles.
