Dementia is the loss of cognitive functioning, like thinking, remembering, and reasoning, at levels that interfere with a person’s daily life and activities. Dementia affects the health and well-being of millions of older adults; with baby boomers reaching their senior years, that number is expected to grow substantially. [Read more…]
The Benefits of Deep Breathing and Why It Works
Feeling anxious? Angry? Frustrated? Disappointed?
The evidence clearly shows there is something you can do—no matter where you are or what the circumstances are. Take a few slow, deep breaths.
In most stressful situations, human nature actually drives us to take deep breaths. If you’re getting ready to give a speech to a large crowd or standing at the starting line for a community running race, you may find yourself taking a deep breath without even thinking about it. [Read more…]
Why Laughter Is Such Good Medicine
You know the feeling (hopefully!): Something silly sets you off – a movie, a joke, or maybe someone near you slips and falls – and you burst into laughter.
It feels good to laugh. And since the 1970s, medical experts have learned that laughter can boost pain tolerance and improve overall well-being. [Read more…]
How Heat Waves Affect Your Brain
As heat waves roll across the U.S. in the summer, heat-related illnesses are a serious threat to Americans. Although we often hear about the dangers of overheating and dehydration, heat waves lead to even broader consequences for the people coping with them. A “heat dome” covered the East Coast and southern U.S. last month, and has now shifted to California. [Read more…]
The Best Ways to Manage Anger
According to a worldwide Gallup poll of more than 147,000 people living in 142countries, nearly one-quarter of people feel angry on a regular basis, and that number has remained flat for the past three years.
Anger is one of the basic human emotions. Like other emotions, it is accompanied by physiological and biological changes in the body including increased heart rate and blood pressure, and higher levels of adrenaline and noradrenaline.
What Fitness Exercises Treat Depression the Best?
Chances are that someone you love has experienced depression. Approximately 8 percent of U.S. adults – some 21 million people – have a major depressive disorder each year. For people under age 18, depression is the most common cause of hospitalization. [Read more…]
The Power of Touch
Touch is ubiquitous throughout our lives. As newborns, it’s the first sense to develop and it provides much of our initial knowledge of the world. As we grow, we experience touch in a myriad of forms: cuddling, hugging, kissing, massage, and even petting a stuffed animal. [Read more…]
2 Easy Steps To Calm Down
For many people, hearing familiar Christmas jingles and seeing decorations galore in stores inspires happiness and excitement. But for others, the arrival of the holiday season can trigger feelings of apprehension, anxiety, and sometimes dread. [Read more…]
How Gratitude Strengthens Relationships
Millions of people will gather with family and friends this week to celebrate what may be one of the most quintessential American holidays: Thanksgiving. For many people, the holiday revolves around turkey, football, and the start of the holiday shopping season. Although those traditions are fun, research shows there are major benefits to remembering the sentiment that goes along with the season: gratitude. [Read more…]
As You Age, Exercise Prevents Cognitive Decline
If you aren’t already convinced that exercise is the best way to improve health outcomes as you age, there is now even more evidence to bolster that case. [Read more…]