Exercise & Fitness Archive

A few simple measures can protect your most flexible joint and put it back in service after overuse or injury.

All you need to do is rotate your arm to realize what a marvel your shoulder is. It's the body's most flexible joint and one of the most essential. Whether you're reaching the top shelf, swinging a golf club, or washing your hair, "it's the one joint you can't stop using," says Karen Weber, a physical therapist at Harvard-affiliated Spaulding Rehabilitation Network. "We do a lot of repetitive motions with our arms. When our shoulder muscles aren't strong, we can set ourselves up for injury," Weber says.

Boosting your muscle mass may trigger changes that enhance heart health.

Work with a physical therapist to learn how to use a walker to best advantage so you can take back your independence.

Walkers can put you back in action if you're recovering from an injury or surgery, or if you're struggling with balance and gait problems, fatigue, or muscle weakness. "Walkers help give people their independence back. They improve daily function, and they reduce the risk of falling," says Dr. Clare Safran-Norton, a physical therapist and clinical supervisor of rehabilitation services at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women's Hospital.

If you stay physically active in your older years, you're preserving your ability to keep moving. That's not just because you're exercising your heart and lungs and keeping your muscles and bones strong, but possibly also because you are warding off the effects of common age-related brain abnormalities called white matter hyperintensities (WMH)—small areas of damage in connections in the brain that are often related to long-term changes in the small blood vessels feeding the brain. High levels of WMH are associated with difficulty walking, but a study published in Neurology March 11, 2015, observed that older adults with WMH who were more physically active suffered less movement problems.

Researchers measured physical activity among 167 older adults with WMH. For the people who were the most active—in the top 10%—greater amounts of brain damage did not affect their scores on the movement tests. But for people who were half as active or less, more brain damage was associated with much lower scores on movement tests.

Strengthening your core offers big payoffs, including sports successes, a stronger lower back, independent living, and all-around fitness. Sounds great, right?

Even so, finding the time and will to do these exercises may not be easy. But experts say you're more likely to be successful if you set goals that are SMART — that is, specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-based. So when you set a goal for your core workouts, make sure it passes the SMART test:

On Marathon Monday, thousands of runners will start in Hopkinton, Mass., and finish in Copley Square. Some will glide along, some will lope, and others will shuffle. No matter how they run, or how fast they run, running the Boston Marathon is something special. Here are a few tips to make the Boston Marathon your marathon. 1) Never wear something on marathon day you haven’t worn for a distance run before. 2) If family or friends will be watching you along the route, try to know in advance where they will be. 3. “The wall” is real so have a plan. 4. Try to take in the atmosphere. 5. Enjoy the camaraderie.

Balance can't be taken for granted past a certain age; it must be maintained — both in mind and body.

General physical fitness and targeted exercises to improve balance can prevent falls. But so can staying mentally active to maintain brain health. A sharp mind helps you to think — and stay — on your feet.

Your bone strength and size peaks by age 30. After that, bones tend to become less dense, making them more fragile and subject to breaks. Bone strength in later life depends upon your peak bone mass in youth. An active lifestyle in youth can increase maximum bone density.

Even if you're older, exercise is still a great way to protect your bones. The physical stress placed on bones during exercise stimulates the growth of new bone tissue. The type of exercise you do matters. To bolster your bones, you need to get regular weight-bearing exercise. This includes weight lifting and resistance training, as well as any type of activity that forces you to work against gravity by standing or carrying your body's weight, including running, walking, dancing, and stair climbing. Activities such as swimming or biking aren't weight-bearing and thus don't build bone. Generally, higher-impact activities (such as running) or resistance exercises (such as strength training) have a more pronounced effect on bone than lower-impact exercises, such as walking.

Activities that lengthen and stretch muscles can help you prevent injuries, back pain, and balance problems.

A well-stretched muscle more easily achieves its full range of motion. This improves athletic performance — imagine an easier, less restricted golf swing or tennis serve — and functional abilities, such as reaching, bending, or stooping during daily tasks. Stretching can also be a great way to get you moving in the morning or a way to relax after a long day. Activities such as yoga combine stretching and relaxation and also improve balance, a wonderful combination.

To get the full benefit of your workout, you need to know how hard you're exercising, and that can be different for everyone.