Sitting properly when you’re on the toilet to do your business is just as consequential as, say, sitting up straight at your desk. Alicia Jeffrey-Thomas, PT, DPT, a pelvic floor physical therapist, says learning how to sit on the toilet with proper posture can promote bladder health and help your stream come more easily (no, really). How To Sit on the Toilet Properly “The proper position should be to fully sit with the knees slightly elevated. This opens up the angle of the pelvic floor muscles, opening the pelvic diaphragm,” says Maude Carmel, MD, an associate professor in the department of urology at UT Southwestern Medical Center. “This will make the evacuation of the bladder and rectum much easier. Common mistakes are squatting position and not fully sitting on the toilet.” Below, you’ll find a handful of tips for how…
Slash Your Blood Pressure with these 4 Basics
High blood pressure doesn’t have to be your battle alone. With the updated definition—130/80 mmHg or more—it’s a reality for half of American adults. But don’t let that number intimidate you. Blood pressure naturally swings throughout the day, but a constant high can spell trouble, leading to heart attacks, strokes, and heart failure. Sure, medications are a go-to for many, but you’ve got power too! Simple lifestyle tweaks can tame those numbers, or even stop hypertension before it starts. Trim Down, Starting with Your Waistline Your waistline isn’t just about fitting into jeans—it’s a blood pressure barometer. Guys, if you’re over 40 inches and ladies, over 35 inches, you’re in the hypertension zone. Need a nudge to shed pounds? Remember, weight loss is your best bet to dodge high blood pressure and cut down on meds. Get Moving Shedding weight…
What’s Your New Year’s Dating Resolution?
Happy December, my 60 and Me friends. I know what a whirlwind December can be and how fast the month flies by – family, friends, parties, happy times, reminiscing of people we wish were still with us and happy to celebrate the festivities once again. And, maybe we get a moment to pause and think… where will this wonderful adventure of life take us in 2023? So, let’s take a few minutes to actually plan where we want our hearts to go in the new year. The Shyness Syndrome and Dating Are you a shy person? A bit skeptical about online dating? Still thinking the man must always pursue the woman? Well, I have news for you: There are large research groups that study this type of thinking, and according to their results, 43% of the singles’ population is shy.…
Unlocking the Fountain of Youth: Gut Microbiome & Neurodegeneration
The gut microbiome significantly influences long-term health, akin to physical fitness. As individuals age, the balance of microbial populations shifts unfavorably—one of the early detriments of aging. By the time someone reaches their mid-30s, meaningful changes become evident. Beneficial species that produce metabolites contributing to tissue function decline, while harmful species associated with chronic inflammation increase. Thankfully, interventions can restore a more youthful microbial balance. Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) from a young donor to an older patient is one such approach. In short-lived species, FMT improves health and extends lifespan. Although FMT is currently used in a limited clinical context, the broader availability of therapies to reverse gut microbiome aging remains uncertain. At present, self-experimenters are the primary recipients of this treatment. Research on the gut microbiome’s role in aging and neurodegenerative diseases has intensified. As the global population ages,…
You Are a Born Mover, so Move!
Actually, you were moving long before the day of your birth. Babies in utero kick, punch, get hiccups, suck their thumbs and move their heads. All these movements are vital to the development of bones and joints. Fetal breathing movements, which don’t actually move air in and out of the lungs, help the lungs grow and so the respiratory muscles develop a month or two before breathing air becomes a thing. Your Whole Body Health Depends on Movement, Not Exercise No matter how long you’ve been breathing air, movement has always been more important than exercise. Biomechanist Katy Bowman says you don’t need to exercise, you just need to move. Here’s why: Draw a circle and imagine it filled with all the ways your body moves every day – your heart beating, eyes blinking, breathing (more on this later). If…
Making a Break in Your 60s
Some years ago, at the age of 61, I quit my job, rented out my flat and flew to Australia to research my family history. It was not an easy business. In the days before Airbnb and other similar organisations made letting so much more flexible, agents insisted on a minimum of a year’s lease, with a six-month break clause, gas safety checks, inventories, fire-proofing and so on. On my part, there was the cancelling of utilities, council tax, water and phone and broadband contracts. I had to inform – and pay – my insurance and mortgage companies. And, of course, there was the packing up and storing of all my personal stuff. (Fortunately, I have a loft.) I Don’t Regard Myself as a Particularly Adventurous Person I’m a cautious soul by nature, and I like a certain predictability in…
Is It Better To Go on Multiple Short Walks or One Long One? Two Cardiologists Weigh In
Whether you prefer the “hot girl” variety, a morning stroll for your mental health, strutting on a treadmill, or powering through a few minutes on your lunch break, by now you are probably well aware of the many benefits of walking: It’s good for your heart and lungs, brain, mood, and longevity, among other things. But although it’s very clear why you should walk, there’s still a big question regarding the best way to go about it: Are short or long walks better for you? For example, how does getting up from your desk every hour to take a quick stroll around the block compare to carving out one chunk of time at the beginning or end of your day to walk a few miles? In general, all walking is good for you, so there’s really no right or wrong answer.…
Omics Points to a Role for the Gut Microbiome in Aging of the Hippocampus
Some of the metabolites produced by the gut microbiome aid function in the brain. For example, there is good evidence for butyrate produced by the microbiome to improve neurogenesis in the brain via modulating expression of BDNF. Unfortunately, the amounts of a number of beneficial metabolites produced by the gut microbiome declines with age, while harmful metabolites and inflammatory signaling increases. Researchers here gather data to support a role in the hippocampus specifically for a number of metabolites that originate in the gut microbiome, the area of the brain most involved in memory function. This and many other lines of research suggest that more attention should be given to the development of therapies capable of lasting restoration of a more youthful gut microbiome, such as fecal microbiota transplantation. Aging is an intricate biological event that occurs in both vertebrates and…
‘I’m a 68-Year-Old Trainer, and Have Stronger Arms Today Than I Did in My 30s Thanks to These 3 Moves’
The inspo of Michelle Obama’s swole arms has stuck around long past the Obama presidency, and for good reason. A strong upper body is linked to longevity, and assists with essential functions as we age like maintaining balance. Not to mention that toned shoulders, biceps, and triceps look dang impressive on anyone. Liz Hilliard, a 68-year-old trainer and the owner and creator of Hilliard Studio Method in Charlotte, North Carolina, focuses on arm strength for both herself and her clients. And she says that, personally, her arms are stronger today than they were in her 30s, since she added arm resistance training to her workout routine three times per week. “We begin losing muscle mass beginning around the age of 30,” Hilliard says. “While traditional workouts such as cardio and stretching are important, nothing beats resistance training for keeping our bones strong and…
Can Living in Fear Age You Faster?
Most of us would probably answer yes to that question, although there really isn’t any definitive physiological connection between psychological stress (fear) and premature aging. If you’re looking for a definition of fear, it’s anxiety that’s attached to a specific thing or a specific event or action. The dictionary defines it as an unpleasant emotion caused by the threat of danger, pain, or harm. Anxiety is a disproportionate and usually prolonged feeling of fear. Most people with anxiety realise how disproportionate it is. In any event, both fear and anxiety cause stress. It’s important to remember that the effects of life generally and specific stressful events are determined by the reaction and meaning given to the circumstances. Not the stressor itself. We all know research has shown that stress affects us physically. From our own experience, we all know that…
Galectins in Neuroinflammation, a Potential Target
In recent years, increasing attention has been given to the role of unresolved, chronic inflammation in the development of neurodegenerative disease. Normal tissue maintenance requires the involvement of immune cells, and inflammatory signaling is disruptive to that process. In the brain, immune cells take on a greater range of tasks than is the case elsewhere, becoming involved in maintenance of synaptic connections between neurons, for example. That too is disrupted by inflammatory signaling that changes the behavior of these cells. Chronic inflammation in the absence of the usual causes, pathogens and injury, is a feature of aging. Researchers are investigating the causes of inflammation and mechanisms of regulation of inflammation in search of ways to damp down the inappropriate excessive inflammatory signaling of aging without also suppressing the necessary inflammation required for a robust immune defense. Some of the causes…
9 Signs to Know If Your Retirement Is on Track
It might be intimidating to invest money for retirement, mainly since it’s usual for soon-to-be retirees to worry about whether or not they’ll have enough money to support themselves in their later years. Several general guidelines can be used to determine where you stand with your retirement funds. If you want to retire by the age of 67, you need to start saving your annual wage by the time you are 30 years old. You should also have three times your yearly wage saved by the time you are 40. By multiplying your annual expenses by 25, you may determine your “end goal” – the amount of money you need to save before retiring with enough money to last 30 years. This is called the 4% rule. However, there are other ways to monitor the development of your retirement savings…
Theorizing on Why the Heart Is Not Regenerative
After the central nervous system, heart muscle is one of the least capable tissues in the body when it comes to regeneration following injury. This is one of the contributing factors to the downward spiral of heart health in later life, particularly the cell death and scarring that occurs following the ischemia of a heart attack. Researchers here suggest that this lack of regenerative capacity is the rest of an adaptation in the nuclear membrane that protects heart cells from other damaging circumstances by reducing the number of pathways that allow signal molecules to pass into the cell nucleus. That is protective against harmful signals, but also interferes in the signaling necessary for regeneration. While skin and many other tissues of the human body retain the ability to repair themselves after injury, the same isn’t true of the heart. During…
Think You May Be Intolerant of (or Allergic to) Alcohol? Here’s What an Immunologist Wants You To Know
If your body doesn’t take well to alcohol, you may be wondering why your BFF can down a bottle of vino on their own—whereas you’re left with flushing, fatigue, hives, or other side effects after barely polishing off one glass. Could it be that you’re intolerant to alcohol, or maybe allergic to it? And what’s the difference between an alcohol intolerance and an alcohol allergy, anyway? Below, Gary C. Steven, MD, PhD, CPI, FAAAAI, FACAAI, FAPCR—founder of the Allergy, Asthma, and Sinus Center in Milwaukee and medical director of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Registry—offers a sobering explanation on adverse reactions to alcohol. Alcohol intolerance vs. alcohol allergy To begin, alcohol intolerance is a genetic condition characterized by the inability to process alcohol efficiently. Dr. Steven explains that there are two enzymes involved in metabolizing ethanol, an…
I’m a Personal Trainer, and These Are My 5 Best Tips for Fitting in a Workout When Your Schedule Is Chaotic
Tis the season to be booked and busy. Between getting ready for the holidays, meeting the end-of-the-year deadlines at work, trying to attend all the events, and everything in between, our schedules are filled to the brim. As a personal trainer, one of the things I see take a back seat is people’s fitness routines. It can feel nearly impossible to find ways to exercise on a busy schedule. We know that working out is important for both our mental and physical health. Yet when our appointment books start to look like a great American novel, exercise typically doesn’t rank that high on our list of priorities. But I’ll tell you something: You don’t actually have to dedicate that much time in your day to get the benefits of exercise. The key is simply to slip in more movement whenever…
Can Drinking Onion Water Really Heal You Faster From a Cold or Illness? We Had Experts Weigh in on the Viral Remedy
Read More at Well+Good If you haven’t already seen the onion water trend on TikTok, it’s only a matter of time. Across multiple posts, this trend has already accrued well over 200 million views. From speeding recovery from respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), sinus infections, colds, and coughs to helping improve asthma, gut health, and blood pressure, there are many health claims associated with this humble liquid. Let’s see what the evidence tells us about this trend and hear what some health experts have to say. Understanding the onion water trend Onions are so prevalent on TikTok right now that it’s making eyes water. Some are placing halved onions in the corners of their rooms as a natural air purifier, others are stuffing them in their socks overnight when they’re sick, and (of course) others are making them into onion water…
Mature Dating Tips: 5 First Date Questions… and 5 Topics to Avoid!
I believe that first dates are meant to be light and airy as you spend time getting to know someone. Most women in their 50s and 60s don’t realize they have choices they didn’t have in their 20s as to how a man can fit in their life. Men can be your lover, your friend, your boyfriend, your companion, your friend with benefits, your husband, or nothing. You get to decide. These choices give you the luxury of taking some time to discover a man’s personality without having to quickly assess him by using what I call The Dating Resume Questions. These are questions that you fire off one after the other like: How many kids do you have? What do you do? What type of relationship are you looking for? How many times have you been married? Questions like…
Job Search Getting You Down After 60? These 6 Tips May Give You the Pick-Me-Up You Need
Looking for a job in your 60s can feel similar to riding a wave. On one hand, you may welcome the chance to hit the restart button on your career and gain a fresh sense of purpose. On the other, landing your dream job isn’t always a smooth process, and you may experience a few setbacks along the way. Everyone’s journey is unique, and it’s difficult to predict how long your job search will last. But it’s important to remember that you aren’t alone and that the right job will come along eventually. Accepting this truth isn’t always easy, but here are a few things you can try to help you manage your happiness and well-being while you’re searching. Go Small Job searching can become overwhelming at times, especially if you set out to do everything required at once. Instead,…
Why Are Older People Considered Boring? Is It the Culture – or Is It the Truth?
Old people are boring – truth or myth? While you can split hairs and say, “it depends on the individual,” it’s certainly a broadly accepted stereotype that old people lead boring lives. Stuck in Our Habits Why? Basically, humans tend to fall into a serious habit of doing the same thing repeatedly. You could even say that a part of us is designed to be boring. Here’s what I mean. It’s a natural instinct for us to not spend our energy making conscious active decisions throughout the day. In fact, we make about 35,000 decisions per day on autopilot. They take place in our basal ganglia instead of the prefrontal cortex. The reason is, we were built to reserve our energy for fight-or-flight mode to survive in the wild. What’s more, we’re designed to procrastinate to avoid any stressors in…
Don’t Let Regrets Keep You from Enjoying the Holidays
As the holiday season is upon us – with friends and families making plans to get together, stores filled to the rafters with gifts to give to loved ones, airports and train-stations jammed with travelers hurrying to their joyful destinations – some may feel lost in all this happy celebration. After all, once we hit 60 or more, some of our family and friends have probably made their transition into the Great Beyond, and however you define that passage, the truth is, we miss them. And with that, some of us may have regrets. Things we left unsaid, harsh words never taken back, choices made we wish we hadn’t. The holidays can feel glum and depressing rather than a time of joy and laughter. Push Regrets Aside You would think that the older we get, the more regrets we would…
Medicare Part B – What You Need to Know
Medicare Part B, along with Medicare Part A, make up what is called Original Medicare. As I noted in my previous Sixty and Me blog, Medicare Part A covers inpatient care in a hospital and skilled nursing facility, hospice care and home healthcare. Medicare Part B covers the following costs if deemed medically necessary: The Cost of Medicare Part B Medicare Part B beneficiaries pay a monthly premium, unlike Medicare Part A, where few people pay a premium. The standard Part B premium amount for 2022 is $170.10. However, that amount goes up depending on income. For example, those making over $91,000 could pay from $238.10 to $578.30 per month. Medicare Part B premiums are automatically deducted from the monthly benefit for those receiving Social Security. Otherwise, payment can be made through check, credit card or other methods. Expect to…
Money Advice for Women in Their 60s
For many women, the years after 60 are dominated by the transition into retirement. Finally, all the savings and investing you’ve been doing for decades feel real. Your last day at the office isn’t out of reach; you can start pulling money from your retirement plans penalty-free and soon begin collecting Social Security. As you navigate your 60s, consider these eight smart money moves. Consolidate Your Retirement Accounts If you’ve worked for more than one company throughout your career, you likely have multiple retirement accounts at different institutions. If you haven’t done so, now is the time to consolidate everything into one central account. Utilizing one prominent account will make tracking statements, balances, and logins easier. Plus, if you need to take required minimum distributions (RMDs), it will be easier to keep track so you don’t miss an RMD and…
The 6 Foods an ENT Doctor Says Can Cause Gustatory Rhinitis, AKA an Eating-Induced Runny Nose
Do you ever dig into a meal only to find your nose dripping like a leaky faucet within seconds? Truth be told, this happens to me on the regular… and not only when I chow down on yummy soups or stews and super spicy fare (or if my palate is in for a treat, both). Nevertheless, the term “gustatory rhinitis” has remained new to me—until, well, now-ish. Although it can be a bit embarrassing when I’m dining in public or in the company of others, I never thought too much about it. But lately, I’ve been pondering about the what and why behind my long-term nasal overactivity, including if something more serious could be at play. Ahead, Ashley Agan, MD, an otolaryngologist (aka ENT doctor) with UT Southwestern Medical Center, unpacks why your nose may run when you eat and…
Most People Assume That Others Are Having More Sex Than Them
In the age of social media and all of its “highlight reels,” it’s perhaps never been easier to get trapped in a cycle of comparison. Is everyone having more fun than you are? Do they have better jobs? Nicer cars? Happier lives? It’s not fun to feel—whether the notion is reality or not—that others are in a situation you deem preferable to your own. And for some, this can manifest as the belief that others are having more sex than you. To be sure, you’re in good company if you’ve ever wondered, Do I have less sex than normal? According to the recently released 2022 Sex Report by sexual wellness brand Hims & Hers, 95 percent of the more than 7,000 people surveyed said they assume other people have had sex in the past month, but 25 percent of participants said…
Your Eczema May Be Worse the Week Before Your Period—A Derm Explains Why
If you have a pretty regular menstrual cycle, you know exactly when your body is telling you that your period is close. Pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS) can present itself in many ways from increased anxiety to changes in appetite. But if you have eczema, you might also notice an eczema flare before your period. “Your eczema sometimes can fluctuate with your hormone levels,” says Marisa Garshick, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in New York City. “We know that week before your period, when your estrogen level is lower, you may experience more dryness of the skin. And we know that when the skin is dry, it can predispose to a flare-up of eczema. We don’t warn patients about this but if somebody said they it, the rationale is there.” The available research on eczema flares in the week before a period is…
Here’s Why Rocking Back and Forth To Poop Actually Works, According to Pelvic Floor Therapists
There’s nothing worse than feeling like you have to poop, only to spend 15 fruitless minutes on the toilet squeezing every muscle you can think of to move things along. As you watch the seconds tick by, it can be tempting to try just about any technique to speed up the process and get on with your day (especially since experts recommend limiting your toilet time to 5 minutes or less). This is when rocking back and forth to poop sometimes enters the picture—and for good reason. “Rocking can, at times, help with bowel evacuation,” says Melissa L McElroy, PT, WCS, a pelvic health specialist at ProRehab in Louisville, Kentucky. For one, it encourages voluntary relaxation of the pelvic floor, which will improve the sphincter‘s ability to open and allow passage of stool, says Julia Connolly, PT, DPT, an orthopedic…
How many times a day/week/month should I have sex?!
When actor Andrew Garfield recently revealed on Marc Maron’s “WTF” podcast that he abstained from sex for six months in order to prepare for a role, actress/talk show host Drew Barrymore took notice. And she didn’t seem to think that six month was a big deal. What about you? Does it seem like it’s too long, or do you view it as an easy sacrifice for an important yet time-limited cause? When it comes to sex, we humans love numbers. How many orgasms can someone have in a row? Should I buy the jumbo pack of condoms, or just what I need for tonight? How many times a day/week/month should I be having sex? How many times day/week/month do I feel like having sex? See what I mean? We can get very quantitative about it all. While that’s all well…
Okay, Really: Are Bruised Apples Safe To Eat?
Just like doing the wave at a packed stadium, free food can instantly get a crowd riled up… which is exactly how I feel when I encounter a bowl of complementary fruit at a hotel or gym. My go-to are the nutrient-dense apples—I can barely pass an assortment of Granny Smiths without picking up one (or, okay, three) to snack on later in the day. However, when I go to scoop my apple out of my jammed-packed purse hours later, it tends to be a bit bruised and beaten up by the time I get around to actually eating it. And if, say, several days go by before I bob for apples in my bag, those bruises tend to turn into full-on wounds. So, is it safe to eat a bruised apple after it’s been through such a long journey?…
‘I’m a Gastroenterologist, and Here’s Why That Baking Soda Burp Test To Check Your Stomach Acid Levels Is a Huge Scam’
If you’re like us and you love nothing more than scrolling around on gut health TikTok, you’ve definitely seen the infamous “baking soda burp test” video that claims you can test the acidity of your stomach by seeing how long it takes to burp after drinking baking soda diluted in water. If your (ahem) gut was telling you that the science backing the accuracy of this test might be a little sparse, you were spot on. According to gut health expert Will Bulsiewicz, MD, gastroenterologist and New York Times bestselling author of the books Fiber Fueled and The Fiber Fueled Cookbook, the baking soda burp test is yet another reminder not to believe everything you see on the internet—especially when it comes to the microbiome. Here’s why he says that this test shouldn’t be used as an accurate assessment of a patient’s…
‘I’m a Gastroenterologist, and This Is Exactly What Happens To Your Gut Health When You Quit Drinking’
Those wrapping up a sober October may have noticed some significant changes to their overall health. When you stop drinking, your skin gets better, your sleep quality improves, and your energy levels increase. You may also notice improved digestion. The connection between alcohol and gut health is strong, says Niket Sonpal, MD, a New York-based internist and gastroenterologist. “As much fun as alcohol may be, it does have its share of negative health effects, especially for the stomach and the esophagus,” says Dr. Sonpal. Large quantities of alcohol can lead to gastritis, or stomach inflammation, which causes heartburn, acid reflux, and sometimes long-term esophageal damage. “Once it leaves the stomach and it gets metabolized, it hits the small intestine,” Dr. Sonpal says. From there, he says that alcohol can damage the lining known as the villi, making it harder for…