Summary

Jake Gyllenhaal put immense effort into getting his body in shape for Road House, and his personal trainer praises him for his efforts. The new movie is a remake of the 1989 Patrick Swayze film and stars Gyllenhaal as a former UFC fighter who is recruited to work as a bouncer. With Conor McGregor's Knox posing an existential threat, Gyllenhaal's Dalton has to be in perfect shape to stop his rampaging enemy.

Since there were multiple shirtless scenes and several real-world UFC fighters in the Road House cast, Gyllenhaal needed to get in shape to match everyone else. Men's Health spoke to Gyllenhaal and his personal trainer, Jason Walsh, about what it took to help him look like a UFC fighter.

While Gyllenhaal praised the entire team, Walsh wanted nothing more than to commend Gyllenhaal for his work effort. He emphasized that the actor was willing to engage in a variety of drills, including sled work, chain push-ups, and climber sprints, and he did so without faltering. Check out Walsh's quote below:

"The way he looked throughout the movie, there [are] peaks, right? People don't see the valleys. They don't see the time in between the peaks, it just looks like one continuous thing. It doesn't work like that... You can have a great trainer, a great program, great team none of this matters if you don't have the right person to do it all. Jake did the work . He earned it."

Walsh has good reason to praise Gyllenhaal's workout routine. To properly prepare for the movie, Walsh explained that he took part in mobility drills, isometric exercises, heavy sled work, squats, bag drills, push-ups, and presses. He also worked on sprints, push-pull machines, and various other drills that worked every muscle that Gyllenhaal needed to train. Many of the exercises were designed specifically to mimic the movements that he needed to make in Road House fights.

Gyllenhaal also needed to follow a specialized diet to build muscle. While putting aside sugar, he increased his caloric and protein intake. After discovering an allergy to his protein supplements, Walsh put together a specialized protein blend that Gyllenhaal could safely consume. Gyllenhaal also cooked much of his food for himself and his family and stuck closely with his plan.

Considering Road House was filmed in numerous locations, including the Dominican Republic, Florida, and Las Vegas, Gyllenhaal likely needed to maintain his physique for some time, even in various unfamiliar environments. While Walsh accounts for the "peaks" and "valleys" in Gyllenhaal's figure, it is still an impressive display, especially for a 43-year-old actor. With considerable effort, Gyllenhaal tailored his diet and exercise plan for Road House to make the movie as realistic as possible.

Road House is available for streaming on Prime Video.

Source: Men's Health

Road House is a remake of the original 1989 film, which followed protagonist Dalton, a Ph.D. educated bouncer at the roughest bar in the south known as the Double Deuce. Jake Gyllenhaal stars as Dalton, with two major changes including Dalton being a retired UFC fighter and the bar locale being in the Florida Keys.

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Jake Gyllenhaal's Road House Transformation & Diet Revealed By Actor's Trainer - Screen Rant

Obesity has been making headlines recently, with Oprahs TV special on weight loss and news of widespread shortages of weight-loss medications like Wegovy. A billion people are estimated to have obesity worldwide, and in the United States, Black, Native, and Hispanic Americans are more likely to have obesity than white Americans. This weeks guests on Basic Black discussed racial disparities around obesity and its various treatments, including diet and exercise, anti-obesity medications, and bariatric surgery.

Dr. Abdelrahman Nimeri, Director of Bariatric Surgery at Brigham & Womens Hospital, says people should approach obesity like they would any other disease. Most patients with the disease of obesity, they know the disease, and they try to figure it out on their own. They try diet, it doesnt work, they try exercise. And then rather than saying this is not working, let me see someone, they blame themselves, he said, pointing to the stigma around obesity. Someone with the disease needs an evaluation, he said, so that doctors can determine the appropriate treatment.

Obesity and mental health are connected, according to Dr. Stephen Tourjee, a child, adolescent, and adult psychiatrist and founder of Transcend TMS Boston. If somebodys depressed, theyre gonna have changes in their mood, their sleep, their appetite they might have some weight gain and feel less motivated, he said. [If] youve been struggling with obesity all your life, youre going to potentially internalize that struggle and that shame and the stigma that society places on us, and thats a heavy burden to carry too, and you can become depressed over time, he said.

Long-term stressors like poverty and racism can also contribute to obesity. Dr. Fatima Cody Stanford, an obesity medicine physician scientist and associate professor of medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital, said thats part of why Black Americans are more likely to have obesity than white Americans. Stress leads to storage of fat, she said. When we experience this chronic stress, our body doesnt recognize that a famine isnt happening. Its storing adipose and fat to prepare for a famine, but that famine may not come, she said.

Christine Sinclair, RD, is a licensed dietitian nutritionist with Stop & Shop Nutrition Partners. She provides workshops and free consultations at the Grove Hall Stop & Shop store in Dorchester. Theres no insurance involved, theres no cost involved, and we consider ourselves the bridge between the clinical providers, she said. Even reading a nutrition label, for some, is really confusing, she said, so she works to help customers read labels and understand which foods suit their needs.

Genetics also play a role. Patients should not feel that this disease came from them, because obesity is 60 to 70% genetic, said Dr. Nimeri. The effects of epigenetics, what we eat, how we exercise, the types of foods we eat, adds to that, he said.

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Diet, medication, and surgery can help people of color with obesity - GBH News

CLEVELAND, Ohio- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted approval of a drug that experts say marks a landmark shift in treatment for the most common form of liver disease.

Madrigal Pharmaceuticals, a small pharmaceutical company in Pennsylvania was granted approval for its one and only drug: Rezdiffra (resmetirom), the first and only approved drug for the treatment for a serious form of fatty liver disease in adults.

University Hospitals liver specialist Dr. Pierre Gholam said the drug is designed to help prevent progression to cirrhosis in persons with fatty liver who have already shown some liver dysfunction -- somewhere between 8 and 10 million patients. These patients often have difficulty losing weight, which up until Thursday was the only intervention proven to be effective.

This is a big deal because fatty liver is by far the leading condition we see in the treatment of liver disease, said Gholam, of the approval announced last week.

Out of 56 patients he saw in his liver clinic last week, 34 of them had fatty liver, he recounted. Where else do you see a situation where two-thirds of your patients have the exact same problem?

Fatty liver is seen most often in people who are overweight or obese and is becoming more common around the world, especially in Middle Eastern and Western nations as the number of people with obesity rises.

Initially there may be no symptoms, but some people with fatty liver can develop a more severe form of the disease called nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, or NASH. When this happens, the fat in the liver becomes toxic, and liver cells become inflamed and die. NASH can lead to cirrhosis, liver failure, the need for a transplant, and even death.

The new drug works by stimulating the thyroid to burn excess energy that the liver would otherwise store in the form of fat. In patients with NASH, it has been shown to prevent and even reverse liver damage.

However, it is not currently approved in patients whose liver damage has progressed to cirrhosis, and the dosage of certain other medications, like statins used for lowering cholesterol, may need to be adjusted. Madrigal says, they are currently investigating whether the drug can help patients with cirrhosis.

It doesnt work for every patient. It works for a subset of patients, explained Gholam. But when it does it reduces inflammation and scarring in the liver which is ultimately what leads to patients developing cirrhosis and getting sick from fatty liver disease.

The drug manufacturers say that it should not be considered a substitute for modifications in diet and exercise, but instead used as a complementary treatment to help nudge patients in the right direction. And for many patients this is a big relief.

On the morning following the FDAs announcement, Gholam says seven patients called his office asking if they could get on the drug, which demonstrates just how many people are desperate for a solution.

Its the first step after 15-20 years of trying and failing said Gholam. Its a small first step. We have not cured fatty liver disease and we certainly have not cured metabolic syndrome or obesity, but it is the first time that someone is going to come to my clinic with fatty liver with scarring and Ill be able to offer them something other than diet and exercise.

Unfortunately, 90%-95% of people who lose weight regain it within three to five years he says.

So it is not a realistic expectation for most people, Gholam said.

Gholam says this marks the beginning of what may be a turning point in the treatment of fatty liver disease, and hes hopeful that a decade from now, patients will have multiple options.

GLP-1 agonists, like the drugs liraglutide and semaglutide currently prescribed to treat obesity and diabetes are also being investigated for their ability to treat the liver along with several other classes of medications Gholam said. The studies should have results in the next 10-18 months.

Meanwhile, data on Rezdiffra will continue to be collected for the FDA over the course of a total of 54 month because it was approved under the accelerated approval pathway, which allows for earlier approval of drugs that treat serious conditions and address an unmet medical need.

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When diet and exercise arent enough, new drug can treat fatty liver disease, says FDA - cleveland.com

Its time to shake off the winter doldrums and embrace the boost of energy every Canadian feels as winter gives way to spring. Its been a long few months, but its time to say goodbye to the Netflix vibe and hello to spring training. Put down the remote and get moving.

To help you embrace this new energy, here are a series of 20(ish)-minute workouts designed to accommodate everyone from coach potatoes to avid exercisers. The workouts feature a series of intervals that range from easy (recovery mode) to high intensity. The idea is to cycle between intensities, so you get the maximum bang for your buck.

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Walk, run, bike or swim the workouts, just make sure youre breathing hard during the high-intensity intervals (you should be feeling the effort) and taking it easy during the recovery phase of the workout. The idea is to amp up your speed, knowing that you have a generous recovery period to catch your breath. Peaks and valleys in intensity will put the spring back in your step and get you ready for the active summer months ahead.

If youre worried that 20 minutes isnt enough time to whip yourself into better shape, think again. Small exercise bites are all the rage, with plenty of studies highlighting the benefits of short, peppy workouts. Get your sweat on at lunch, before the kids get up in the morning or shake off the stress of a long day with an after-dinner workout. And since the days are getting longer, theres more time at both ends of the day for a quick 20-minute exercise bite.

The four featured workouts are slightly different; mix them up over the course of the week. If you havent worked up a sweat in a while, take a day off between workouts. If youre active but in need of a spring tuneup, work them into your schedule as you see fit. Theyre perfect for days when time is tight, or motivation is low. You can add a five-minute warmup and five-minute cool down and boost the workout to 30 minutes. Bottom line is: You do you.

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Now for the housekeeping. The intervals are timed, so its helpful to use an app (see suggestions below) or smartwatch that tracks your speed, distance and time. Another bonus of a good app is reviewing your stats post-workout to track your progress.

You need to dress ready to sweat. Have a water bottle handy and your phone or watch so you can get the timing down pat.

You should feel a distinct difference between easy, moderate and fast-paced intervals. These arent steady state workouts. Your hard-paced efforts should take you out of your comfort zone and your recovery should bring your heart rate down and slow your breathing. The idea is to recover enough that you can maintain your intensity through all the fast-paced intervals.

Intensity is a relative thing, which means one persons fast-paced effort is another persons recovery. Thats why these workouts can be enjoyed by novice and experienced exercisers alike and why theyre adaptable to the pool, bike, treadmill, rowing machine and elliptical trainer and can be enjoyed be walkers, runners and everyone in between.

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Commit the workout to memory before you leave the house, text the workout to your phone so you can access it easily or go old-school and write the intervals on your hand or on a note you can tuck in the waistband of your workout gear. And dont play favourites. Each workout challenges your body in slightly different ways, so rotate through the full series every week.

Finally, dont forget to have fun. Challenge a friend to take on the workouts with you and commit to at least four weeks. If youre enjoying yourself, make these 20-minute exercise bites a staple in your schedule. Workouts dont need to be long, boring or repetitive to be effective. They just need to get done.

5 minutes easy pace

3 minutes moderate pace

30 seconds fast pace

1 minute recovery pace

3 minutes moderate pace

30 seconds fast pace

1 minute recovery pace

3 minutes moderate pace

30 seconds fast pace

2.5 minutes recovery pace

5 minutes easy pace

5 minutes moderate pace

30 seconds fast pace

4 minutes moderate pace

30 seconds fast pace

3 minutes moderate pace

30 seconds fast pace

2 minutes moderate pace

5 minutes easy pace

1 minute moderate pace

1 minute fast pace

1 minute easy pace

Repeat the 1-minute moderate/fast/easy intervals five times.

4 minutes easy pace

5 minutes moderate pace

2 minutes fast pace

1 minute recovery

Repeat the moderate/fast/pace intervals two times.

Interval timer

Strava

Nike Running

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Fitness: Put down the remote and get moving with 20-minute workouts - Montreal Gazette

Holly Madison refuses to talk about diet and exercise in front of her children credit:Bang Showbiz

Holly Madison refuses to talk about diets in front of her children.

The 44-year-old star - who was one of Hugh Hefner's girlfriends for 15 years at the famed home owned by the late magazine owner - has daughter Rainbow, 11, and seven-year-old son Forest with ex-husband Pasquale Rotella and explained that whilst she is "focused" on maintaining a healthy lifestyle, she won't discuss it in front of her kids.

She told Us Weekly: "Were really focused on healthy eating. Im really careful not to say anything about dieting or weight or anything in front of my kids. If theyre trying to shove something unhealthy in front of me, I just say, Oh, Im doing a health thing.

The former 'Girls Next Door' explained that she doesn't want her daughter to begin suffering from body image issues or seek "validation" through her appearance because she started to experience things like that when she was her age.

She said: "We dont want her to get into the mode where shes really focused on the way she looks, or trying to get attention for the way she looks or validation through that. I think weve been really successful so far. Shes on a better track than I was at that age for sure. I was already trying to look some sort of way when I was 11."

Holly was recently asked if it was true that the bathroom pipes had to be replaced from the amount of girls vomiting during their time in the mansion as they suffered from bulimia and she admitted it was "sad" to see so many women suffering at the time.

She said: "On my podcast, ['Girls Next Level with Bridget Marquardt'], we've talked to staff and other people who were there at the time that this allegedly happened, and I guess it was a thing. There were people who struggled with really bad eating disorders while I was there, and it was always a sad thing to see."

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Holly Madison reveals why she refuses to discuss diets in front of her kids - Yahoo News UK

An Australian nurse, who weighed about 115 kg, lost weight by making small dietary changes and doing simple exercises. She has lost almost 45 kg. Today, lets take a look at her diet and exercise plan. According to reports, the name of the woman is Samantha Abreu. She is 25 years old and hails from Melbourne. She had struggled with her weight problem since she was young. To improve her health, she started taking daily walks and changed her diet and included portion management. Samantha shared in a media interaction that she used to often binge eat and would fill up on cereal and toast after dinner. She added that she would get tired often and find it difficult to finish her 10-hour shifts at work.

Her life changed during the Covid-19 pandemic. Samantha, who was worried that she didnt want to turn like some elderly patients she would see in the hospital who wouldnt be able to walk after a fall, started going for daily walks for her mental health and realised it worked like magic for her mindset and body.

She slowly started incorporating portion control into her regular diet, decreasing the size of her meals, and dropping almost 45 kg in one year.

I see food as fuel now," she stated to SWNS.com.

She further said that by making a small change to her diet, she has made a great change to her health. As an example she said, she used to prepare a wrap pizza, as a healthy alternative to pizza when she felt hungry.

On TikTok, she talked about her whole diet and weight loss journey by following natural methods.

She said in a recent interaction with the New York Post that, Looking stronger is lovely. I hope other people can see themselves in me and realise they can slowly start implementing change; thats all I want."

Before: 115 kg

Breakfast: Bowl of cereal or toast

Lunch: Sandwich or dinner leftovers

Dinner: Roast snacks, cereal, toast, fast food

Now: 68 Kg

Breakfast: Oats and fruit

Lunch: Greek chicken pasta

Dinner: Chicken wrap pizza

She follows four weekly gym sessions, 10,000 steps a day, and five kilometre runs as part of her fitness routine.

first published: March 22, 2024, 18:24 IST

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Australian Woman Loses 45 Kg With This Simple Exercise And Diet Plan - News18

Sushmita Sen credits going to the gym for surviving a massive heart attack  The Indian Express

Excerpt from:
Sushmita Sen credits going to the gym for surviving a massive heart attack - The Indian Express

Sep 15, 2022

Eric GomezMexico writer

Canelo Alvarez will complete one of this century's most exciting boxing trilogies when he faces Gennadiy Golovkin on Sept. 17 in Las Vegas. The rivalry features hallmarks of some of the sport's all-time best -- explosive punching power by both fighters inside the ring, coupled with a fiery mutual dislike of each other outside of it.

Going into the trilogy, the fight also displays a subplot of its own: Alvarez's dalliance with a vegan diet, and a return to eating red meat following his most recent loss.

Before facing WBA light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol last May, Alvarez revealed he had adopted a near-vegan diet. He said he stopped eating red meat in 2018 following a positive test for clenbuterol, a banned substance sometimes fed illegally to cows in Mexico. Alvarez alleged he had come into contact with clenbuterol after eating tainted meat in his home country. Regardless, the Nevada Athletic Commission suspended him for six months, delaying his second fight with Golovkin -- a fight the Mexican boxer won via split decision.

"I'm not complicated when it comes to food. I adapt quickly," Alvarez told ESPN earlier this year. "I eat [a vegan diet] all week now and if one day the opportunity presents to eat red meat, chicken or whatever, I'll have no problem with that. But I do try to keep vegan [right now]."

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The impetus behind Alvarez's change to vegan came after watching "The Game Changers," a documentary about athletes who incorporate plant-based diets. During training, Alvarez relied solely on vegan protein five days a week but ate fish and chicken on weekends.

"His output hasn't changed at all, physically he looks very strong and I don't see any change in him after he switched his diet," said Munir Somoya, who worked with Alvarez as part of his training team.

Come fight night, Bivol dominated Alvarez and retained his crown by way of unanimous decision. Bivol relied on his superior size and reach to hold Canelo to a career-low 84 punches landed over a full 12 rounds. Fighting at his preferred weight, Bivol used a two-inch reach advantage and taller frame, coupled with fluid movements and high energy output throughout to flummox Alvarez. In the later rounds, the usually durable Alvarez, who has won titles in four different weight classes, seemed sluggish and tired.

Alvarez's sudden dietary switch became a talking point after the fight. Among the critics, Alvarez's former promoter Oscar De La Hoya questioned the boxer's choices in the run-up to the Bivol fight.

"When you change something drastic like your diet overnight, you run the risk of it not working for your body, and it not adjusting properly," De La Hoya told reporters.

Since the loss, Alvarez is no longer training on a primarily plant-based diet as part of his fight plan to face Golovkin at super middleweight on Saturday.

"I tried to do it for some weeks and it's very complicated to change everything all of a sudden," Alvarez told the Associated Press in an interview. "So now, like I have all my life, I'm eating what I did before."

While Alvarez didn't use the diet to excuse his loss, his flirtation with veganism is notable in the sports world. In recent years, a number of elite athletes, including tennis stars Novak Djokovic and Venus Williams as well as Formula 1 legend Lewis Hamilton have followed plant-based diets.

A consistent vegan diet over months or even as quickly as weeks can positively affect the maximum amount of oxygen a person's body can absorb and use during exercise, while maintaining strength through a similar level of plant-based protein intake. That's according to The Impact of Vegan and Vegetarian Diets on Physical Performance and Molecular Signaling in Skeletal Muscle, an academic paper published in 2021 by members of the Institute of Sport Science at the University of Hildesheim in Germany. However, the authors admit "research on the influence of a vegan or vegetarian diet on exercise performance is scarce."

Because of the lack of research, it remains impossible to make any conclusive judgment across the board for any athlete who chooses to transition toward a plant-based diet. Any change -- whether plant-based or not -- can carry adverse effects for a high performance athlete, the experts say.

"In Canelo's case, going on a mostly plant-based diet shouldn't have been done so near to a fight," said Colette Gonzalez, a nutritionist from Alvarez's hometown of Guadalajara. "We can't change a high-performance athlete's diet in such a radical fashion and expect them to perform the same way."

Though Alvarez has made other dietary shifts during his career before fights he ended up winning, a vegan diet -- or even a near-vegan diet -- requires time to adapt, Gonzalez said. "There was clearly not enough time to gauge how the change would affect his muscle mass or his energy requirements for such an important fight."

As for the apparent fatigue Alvarez showed during later rounds in his last bout, Gonzalez says diet isn't entirely to blame. Higher weight and muscle mass requires the body to exert more energy, and though Alvarez had sparred and fought at 175 pounds before, a fast opponent with quick hands like Bivol simply outboxed him as time went on.

"Any time you gain weight, your body has to adapt. If your opponent is more accustomed to that weight, it's a disadvantage," Gonzalez said.

Combat sports in general can claim a few top-level ambassadors for vegan or vegetarian lifestyles. Former heavyweight champion David Haye famously took on a vegan diet in 2014 in defense of animal rights, and maintained his diet toward the end of his career. Haye's change in lifestyle, however, had come after the dwindling of his prime, fighting only in a handful of bouts on a plant-based diet.

"If you don't have any examples of plant-based athletes who are succeeding in your sport, you're going to think this doesn't work here," said Bryan Danielson, a pro wrestler for AEW who went vegan in 2009. "You need people who look like you or do what you do to succeed."

Danielson initially adopted the diet for health reasons -- while training for WWE events, he developed three staph infections over the course of a year. Before then, Danielson suffered through a weak immune system for most of his life. Shortly after the switch to veganism, the infections went away and the diet became permanent.

With the guidance of a trainer, Danielson -- known as Daniel Bryan during his WWE days -- reached peak physical yield under the diet. "I've deadlifted 518 pounds while on a full vegan diet," Danielson said. "There was no difference in my performance. The only difference was I instantly stopped getting sick."

When Alvarez chose to drop red meat prior to his second meeting with Golovkin, he still ate other types of animal protein. The shift was made in direct response to, arguably, his career lowlight.

Alvarez tested positive for clenbuterol in 2018, a banned substance catalogued as a performance-enhancing drug. He claimed it had accidently entered his body via tainted meat. In Mexico, the illegal practice of feeding cows pulverized clenbuterol pills in order to stimulate their growth and obtain more meat has been well documented.

A six-month suspension followed, pushing his May bout to September, and leading to claims of foul play from Golovkin's camp. For his part, Alvarez espoused moving forward with an abundance of caution when it came to what he put in his body.

"After what happened to me, I've been very careful," Canelo told ESPN then. "Really, too cautious, I think, [to the point] of not eating meat."

3:36

Learn about the history and usage of Clenbuterol in cattle and the effects it can have on professional athletes.

When they finally clashed for their rematch on Sept. 15, Golovkin and Canelo staged The Ring magazine's Fight of the Year for 2018, with Alvarez narrowly coming out on top on two of the scorecards. The outcome did little to quell the debate over which fighter was better, as the controversy behind the draw in the first fight, coupled with Alvarez's previous doping suspension, created plenty of fodder.

Under the shadow of their third fight -- and as Canelo reels from the circumstances surrounding his second pro loss -- Golovkin continues to raise the issue, suggesting Alvarez's success might have less to do with diet and more with seeking unfair advantages.

"There are lab results," Golovkin told The Orange County Register in August. "And when asked, I said, 'Yes, I believe that he cheated.' And if somebody in his team didn't like my words, I believe it's their problem."

Alvarez will enter the ring at a dangerously unique point in his storied career. Coming off a loss for only the second time, he will stand opposite a man he has yet to beat convincingly -- whether in the scorecards or in the court of public opinion. Though Golovkin, who turned 40 in April, is likely in the latter stages of his career, a loss or even an unconvincing win will place detractors front and center.

Furthermore, Alvarez's flirtation with veganism will do little to subdue the debate as to whether a championship-level athlete in the most brutal of combat sports can thrive solely on a plant-based diet. Somoya is no longer advising Alvarez and has gone to work with another Mexican fighter, heavyweight Andy Ruiz.

"Someday, you'll have a fighter on [Alvarez's] level who wins championships and is on a vegan diet," Gonzalez said. "But that person will have likely been on the diet for years -- not just a few weeks."

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Why Canelo Alvarez moved on from a dalliance with a vegan diet after his recent loss - ESPN

A long, healthy life is the goal for many Americans, but according to astudy published in September 2022 in BMJ, the average life expectancy in the United States fell from 78.8 years in 2019 to 76.1 in 2021, marking the steepest two-year decline in a century. Research shows that the risk of many chronic diseases including heart disease, diabetes, dementia, and osteoporosis increases with age as well.

The news isnt all bleak, however. There are things anyone can do to lower their risk of many age-related diseases, add years to their lifespan, and make the dream of a long, healthy life a reality. The key is to start building those healthy habits now. Longevity experts share eight things you can do every day to make your golden years really shine.

Why Its ImportantRegular physical activity has been shown to counteract normal muscle aging and help preserve lean muscle mass, research shows.

How to Do ItTo get the most health benefits from physical activity, adults need at least 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity (such as brisk walking or fast dancing) each week, as well as muscle-strengthening activity, like lifting weights or doing push-ups, at least two days each week, according to guidelines issued by the Presidents Council on Physical Fitness. Thats approximately half an hour a day during the workweek, and the activity does not have to come from just a single gym session. Even short bouts of activity add up, and many experts (as well as the guidelines) argue that its better to spread them out, says Laura Carstensen, PhD, director of the Stanford Center on Longevity in California.

Find something you enjoy doing that is sustainable over time, she recommends. When its something that you can do relatively easily, it becomes a habit. You might love to swim or take spin classes, but if getting to the pool or the gym takes too much effort, youll probably skip your workouts. You might be better off keeping some exercise equipment at home, where the barrier to using it is lower.

Why Its ImportantAccording to the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, routine screenings can reduce your risk of early death because they help prevent illnesses or detect them earlier, when they are more treatable.

How to Do ItRachel Marquez, MD, a board-certified family physician at Kaiser Permanente in Virginia, recommends talking to your doctor to make sure youre up to date on your screenings. She says that depending on your age, gender, and other risk factors, you may need to be screened for colorectal cancer, lung cancer, breast cancer, cervical cancer, high blood pressure, abnormal cholesterol levels, high glucose levels, osteoporosis, or mental health conditions. Its a good idea to familiarize yourself with the screenings that are recommended by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.

Why Its ImportantLots of research has linked plant-based diets to longer lifespans. That doesnt mean you have to forego meat completely though. The evidence on meat is mixed, says Dr. Carstensen. Diets heavy in red meat are not recommended, but chicken and other meats are often recommended as good sources of protein.

Eating plans such as the Mediterranean diet and the Blue Zones diet, which emphasize seafood and poultry and minimizing red and processed meats, have been shown to reduce your risk of a host of conditions that can shorten your lifespan, such as heart disease, metabolic disorders, and some types of cancer, according to research published in Nutrients in 2021.

How to Do ItIf its more sustainable for you to switch to mostly poultry and fish rather than going full vegetarian, thats a step in a potentially healthier direction. Start by cutting back on beef and processed meats such as bacon, lunch meat, and sausage. Replace them with lean protein sources like fish, chicken, and turkey, as well as vegetarian sources like legumes and quinoa. It can help to experiment with healthy foods to find the ones you like, Carstensen says. If you need more help, or if you have some emotional eating challenges, finding a nutritionist could be beneficial.

Why Its ImportantAccording to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC), falls are the top cause of injury-related death in people ages 65 and older, and the death rate from falls is getting worse, especially in people ages 85 and older.

Core strength is central to balance, says Carstensen. Getting slightly off-balance is very common, but most of the time people dont even detect it because we automatically correct by using our core muscles. If your core is weak, you cant self-correct in this way and are more likely to fall.

How to Do ItExercise to strengthen your core. For an easy habit that can help, when you get up from a chair, use only the strength in your core and legs not your arms. Using your arms reduces the tension on your core muscles, Carstensen says. To strengthen your balance, try standing on one foot every time you brush your teeth. And talk with your doctor if you need more help: Working with a physical therapist could be beneficial, as most are trained to help with developing a fall-prevention routine.

Why Its ImportantSpending lots of time sitting increases your risk of heart disease and diabetes, even if you exercise, according to research published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine in 2019.

How to Do ItIf youre working from home, you may need to make an extra effort to add some movement to your day. You may not have those natural breaks where you walk into and out of the building, talk to colleagues in person, or move to a meeting room. So, you might want to walk around the block, take breaks for household chores like making your bed, or spend a few minutes doing some yoga poses. A meta-analysis published in March 2022 in The Lancet Public Health found that, in terms of reducing mortality risk, the ideal number of steps per day is between 6,000 and 8,000 for older adults and between 8,000 and 10,000 for younger adults. Even if you arent the fitness trackerwearing type, just developing a habit of walking more during the day is important, Carstensen says, even if its just for a minute every hour.

Why Its ImportantGood sleep predicts life expectancy, says Carstensen. And that doesnt just mean sleeping longer; it means getting the right amount of restful quality sleep for your needs. Onestudy found that getting fewer than seven hours or more than eight hours of sleep per night increased mortality risk by 24 percent and 17 percent, respectively. Official recommendations vary, and its not only the amount but also the quality of sleep that matters. The CDC recommends that adults ages 18 to 60 aim for seven or more hours per night, that those between ages 61 and 64 get between seven and nine hours a night, and anyone age 65 or older gets seven to eight hours.

How to Do ItSome components of good sleep hygiene include having a consistent sleep schedule, limiting caffeine and alcohol, especially before bed, and avoiding the use of electronic devices before bed as well, according to the division of sleep medicine at Harvard Medical School and WGBH Educational Foundation. If you practice good sleep hygiene but still have daytime sleepiness, its a good idea to follow up with your doctor to rule out things like sleep apnea.

Why Its ImportantWhile the evidence examining the effects of gratitude practices on health is limited, being grateful could help you be more inclined to participate in healthy activities such as exercise and also more likely to seek help when you have a health concern, according to The Wiley Encyclopedia of Health Psychology.

How to Do ItCarstensen practices gratitude by taking time to sit and reflect and be grateful, she says. Breathe, and think about whats good in the world and what you appreciate. It calms you. Theres a kind of a reset to it that is very useful for mental health. It really does change your outlook.

Why Its ImportantHaving fewer friends is linked with negative health outcomes as well as loneliness, depression, stress, and anxiety. Having just two to four close friends can reduce your risk, according to research published online in Ageing and Society in July 2022.

How to Do ItReach out to your friends, whether by text or a phone call and make plans to spend time together. Make sure they know you care. If you let them know you care, they are much more likely to let you know they care too, so carving out time for those exchanges is really important, Carstensen says.

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8 Everyday Health and Wellness Habits Linked With a Longer Life - Everyday Health

As you age, your body undergoes many different changes. One common age-related shift is loss of muscle mass, which can happen at a rate of around 3% loss of strength with every passing year once you enter middle adulthood. This is also known as sarcopenia.

"Sarcopenia, or age-related muscle loss, can begin as early as one's thirties and can result in a nearly 15% lean muscle loss due to aging throughout your lifetime," says Trista Best, MPH, RD, LD, a registered dietitian at Balance One Supplements. "And while this isn't always avoidable, it can be slowed through our diet and lifestyle."

Fighting sarcopenia involves a focused balance of both movement and nutrition, with things like a sedentary lifestyle and lack of dietary protein being common culprits of accelerating muscle aging. But when it comes to diet, it may take more than just adding protein.

Read on to learn more about helpful eating habits you can incorporate to slow the aging muscle process, and for more healthy aging tips check out 6 Best Breakfasts to Slow Aging.

One of the most foundational eating habits to pay attention to when it comes to slowing muscle aging is making sure you're consuming enough high-quality protein.

"All animal food sources are complete proteins, and plant sources of complete protein include hemp seeds, quinoa, tofu, edamame, tempeh, nutritional yeast, and a combination of beans and rice," says Best.

A complete protein has all 9 essential amino acids, which our bodies do not produce on their own, meaning we need them from the food we eat. Most plant proteins like vegetables are considered incomplete proteins, but if you have a balanced diet, you should still be able to hit your required amino acid profile.

And while some people may feel they need an exact amount, Lisa Young, PhD, RDN, author ofFinally Full, Finally Slim, and member of our medical expert advisory boardsays you may not need to focus as much on this."Rather than fixate on exact grams with people (which tends to confuse them), I advise being sure to include protein at each meal like milk, yogurt, eggs, chicken, fish, lean meat, nuts, and beans."

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According to Best, another crucial habit to get into for protecting your muscle strength is incorporating plenty of omega-3 fatty acids into your daily diet.

"Omega-3s are linked to muscle health due to their anti-inflammatory nature," says Best. "And the lower the rate of inflammation in the body, the less likely muscle cells are being broken down or damaged."

You can get omega-3s through many types of fish, seeds, and nuts, or you can supplement with an omega-3 pill.

RELATED:The #1 Best Omega-3 Supplement to Take, Says Dietitian

Vitamin D is important for your bone health, mental health, your body's calcium absorption, and your muscle health as well.

"Vitamin D is another important factor in your diet to prevent muscle breakdown because it assists in muscle protein synthesis and is also an anti-inflammatory in the body," says Best. "Many foods high in vitamin D are fortified with this vitamin and include juices, milk, yogurts, and cereals."

Similarly to omega-3s, if you feel you aren't getting enough vitamin D through your daily diet then you can supplement this as well. However, talk with a doctor before supplementing, as it's also possible you can have too much of this vitamin.

Your calorie intake, whether increasing it or decreasing it, can play a significant role in helping to fight sarcopenia as you age. Whether you need more or less entirely depends on what is recommended by your doctor.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

What we mean by this is that for some, it's a common struggle to not get enough nutrient-dense calories as you age because of age-related changes in appetite. This lack of nutrition can contribute to accelerated muscle aging. But for others, a calorie restriction plan may actually help with muscle aging.

According to a study published in the journal Aging, restricting calories without losing nutrients can possibly help with synthesizing muscle protein, delaying atrophy, and improving overall muscle strength. However, you should definitely talk with your doctor about your individual needs when it comes to your calorie intake.

Protein is certainly a crucial nutrient for your muscle strength, but it's important not to forget about incorporating healthy carbs, too.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, carbohydrates are necessary for building muscle strength because of the energy they provide your body for working out and getting enough exercise. Harvard Health also suggests combining a protein source with a carbohydrate after your workouts to help build more muscle.

In one study of over 800 elderly Korean adults, it was found that a combination of important nutrients like carbs, protein, fiber, and certain vitamins like zinc, vitamin B6, and carotene were helpful in lowering the risk of developing sarcopenia. When thinking of meals to cook for yourself that meet these nutrition suggestions, consider ways you can get plenty of protein while still consuming healthy carbs. An example would be a lean chicken breast with veggies and a sweet potato, or fish with rice and vegetables.

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5 Eating Habits To Help Slow Muscle Aging Eat This Not That - Eat This, Not That