Connect and sync your brain to the information in our research-based articles about walking, step challenges, losing weight, health, nutrition, and more!
Flu season in the United States typically starts in October and goes through February – this is when we see the majority of flu cases. In Texas, we see flu activity through May. While this is the typical timeline, it is possible to get the flu at any time of the year.
As we have begun the approach to the end of summer in Texas, we have seen and felt the increase in temperature. With the rising temperatures, there has also been an increase in insect activity, including mosquitoes. These flying insects have made a name for themselves recently in the media as agents of spreading several diseases across the country and globe.
When it comes to exercise, there are lots of things that can get in the way of our good intentions. Asking yourself a few questions can help you break down the barriers that keep you from being physically active.
Tracking how many steps we walk each can be a great motivator. Having a number, like 10,000 steps a day can help us act on moving more throughout our day, and during intentional bouts of physical activity. Still, this number can sometimes seem daunting. So, what does the science say? Are there health benefits below 10,000 steps?
Your heart is a muscle, and like other muscles, the more you work your heart the stronger it becomes. With exercise, over time, your heart can work more efficiently and pump out a greater volume of blood with every beat, which helps oxygen and nutrients to be more efficiently delivered to your body. Measuring your heart rate is one easy way to gauge your health, since it gives you a quick, real-time indicator of your heart muscle function.
Are you confused about sugar substitutes? –Wondering if they’re healthy? Sugar substitutes are also known as artificial sweeteners, non-nutritive sweeteners, or non-sugar sweeteners (NSS).
Want to count your steps, but don’t have a pedometer, watch, or phone? Having a step count goal can be a great motivator to go just a little further. So, don’t stress if you don’t have a device, or forgot to set yours. Here are some simple ways to count your steps.
You’re exercising – that’s fantastic! But are you exercising at a rate that benefits you the most? By monitoring your heart rate, you can assess your exercise intensity and how hard your heart is working. Since working at a moderate to vigorous intensity offers the most benefits, we want to be able to exercise in a range that gives us the most benefit while still being safe.
As we work any of our bodily muscles, our heart muscle also works. Heart rate is an important factor that is often used to determine an individual’s health, especially cardiovascular health – that is, the health of the heart and blood vessels.
Set up a group step challenge at your worksite, school, church, and more!
With a vast network of 250 county Extension offices and some 900 professional educators, the expertise provided by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service is available to every resident in every Texas county.
