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Five doctors reveal sleep-hygiene habits that actually help you fall asleep fast
1 day ago•Source: Tom's Guide
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18.07 min•5 days ago
Active seniors: diversify movement and prioritize sleep to prevent overuse
A geriatric physical therapist explains that highly active seniors can suffer from repetitive-stress injuries when recovery is neglected. She recommends diversifying movement to include cardio, strength, balance, and tissue-restoration, scheduling rest days and prioritizing high-quality sleep, and consulting a physical therapist to tailor a safe, well-rounded plan.
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Trainer-approved 10-minute morning routine to boost joint mobility after 60
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Beat the 2 PM Slump by Aligning With Your Body Clock
The article explains that the familiar afternoon energy dip is tied to our circadian clock, with a natural slump between 1 and 4 p.m., and offers practical steps to combat it: start the day with bright light (and use 10,000-lux lamps in darker months), keep a consistent bedtime to avoid social jet lag, consider shifting to an earlier wake time if possible, use short 30-minute naps if needed, incorporate light exercise, avoid high-carb lunches and front-load calories with a big breakfast followed by a lighter, high-protein lunch, limit blue-light at night and practice good sleep hygiene, and consider nightly magnesium to improve sleep. The overarching goal is to anchor your day to your circadian rhythm to improve alertness and performance.
Move more, load muscles, and fear less: a geriatric PT’s guide to aging actively
A board-certified geriatric physical therapist explains that aging-related weakness and frailty can be slowed by staying active, regularly loading muscles, and breaking activity into short, practical bursts; she emphasizes moving throughout the day, overcoming fear of activity, and working with a licensed PT to safely build strength, balance, and independence.
Three simple fitness checks that help adults 60+ stay mobile
Tom's Guide highlights a Southwest Nebraska Public Health Department fitness kit for older adults, outlining three safe, at‑home tests—sit-to-stand for lower-body strength, arm curls for upper-body strength, and sit-and-reach for hamstring flexibility—to help people 60 and older gauge functional fitness and track progress over time.
Weight-Loss Drugs Getting Cheaper, Doctors Explain Who Qualifies
After Aishwarya Mohanraj’s Mounjaro confession, Soha Ali Khan discusses price with doctors: lower doses around Rs 12,000 per month (recently down to about Rs 10,000), higher doses about Rs 20,000–22,000, with overall monthly costs roughly Rs 12,000–20,000; prices are expected to fall as more companies produce them, but not everyone qualifies—BMI thresholds and co-morbid conditions determine eligibility, and medical supervision is essential due to side effects.
Potassium Power: 10 Foods That Help Lower Blood Pressure
Americans largely under-consume potassium, a nutrient vital for fluid balance, muscle function, and heart health. The piece lists 10 potassium-rich foods (tomato paste, lentils, avocado, dried apricots, bananas, citrus, melons, kiwi, potatoes, coconut water) and notes the NIH guideline of about 3,400 mg daily; it argues for getting potassium from foods rather than supplements to support blood pressure and cardiovascular health.
Potato Bed Sleep: Cozy Trend, Cautious Wake-Up Call
A HuffPost piece explains the TikTok ‘potato bed’ trend—flipping a fitted sheet and stuffing the bed with pillows/blankets to cocoon like a baked potato—promising a comforting sense of safety and potentially better sleep, but sleep experts warn it may not be suitable for everyone (young children, pets, mobility issues), can trap heat or strain the back, and should be approached with moderation; consider room temperature (60–68°F), explore safer alternatives (weighted blankets, sensory-friendly bedding), and use a simple morning check-in to judge sleep quality rather than pursuing an obsessive “perfect” sleep.
Morning Hip-Mobility Hack: 3 Minutes to Feel Younger
A mobility coach promotes a simple 3-minute morning hip-mobility move—performed in a tabletop position with external hip rotation and a step outward—to open tight hips, improve range of motion, and potentially ease lower back pain, with guidance to do 2–3 sets of 6–8 reps per leg and progress gradually for lasting benefits.
Strength in Five: a simple at-home routine for the over-65s
Sponsored wellness piece notes that aging muscles respond well to progressive strength training and shares a 5-move, at-home routine for people 65+, including sit-to-stand, wall push-ups, step-ups, farmer’s carry, and shoulder bridge, with a gradual 3×10 (or 30–60 seconds for carries) structure to build strength safely over time.
Under-7-Hour Sleep? A Sleep Expert Weighs In on Health Risks
A reader who often sleeps fewer than seven hours learns from a sleep expert that cutting sleep can carry health risks, with explanations of why even modest sleep loss matters and practical tips to improve sleep quality and duration.
Therapist-approved trio to rebalance hips, core, and upper back
A physical therapist outlines three daily moves—wall angels, hip flexor stretch, and abdominal brace—that engage the hips, core, and upper back to improve posture and ease lower-back tightness.