Growing Bolder Community

When you’re debating whether to exercise or skip it, keep this list of benefits posted where you see it daily to keep yourself on track. Just say to yourself “Yes, I want to . . .” Reduce my risk of coronary heart disease and stroke. Raise the “good” artery-clearing HDL cholesterol. Control my blood pressure. Decrease my risk of osteoporosis and diabetes. Manage my...

After finishing my workout at a neighborhood gym, I frequently treated myself to iced tea at a nearby coffee shop. A couple of my classmates almost always beat me there, and by the time I arrived they would be settled in with their pastries and soft drinks. When I stopped by their table to chat one day, they told me that this was their reward for an hour of exercise. I've made this mistake as...

A study of 9,000 men and women in Australia found that being a little overweight didn’t impact mortality. The groups that were most likely to die were persons who were underweight or obese. However, the amount of exercise a person engaged in, rather than what the scale read, was the most critical factor in determining longevity. Women who had a sedentary lifestyle had twice the mortality risk of...

More than ever, seniors are discovering the athlete within. Since the early 1990s, total participation (and participation by those over age 45) has grown in 21 sports and fitness activities. Note that these sports aren't for sissies: basketball, bowling, mountain and rock climbing, walking, exercise with equipment, running and jogging, working out at a club, tackle football, golf, hiking, hunting...

As though working out on land wasn’t tough enough, try doing it while suspended in mid-air! The NBC affiliate in Philadelphia recently did a feature on the “aerial silks” class at the Philadelphia School of Circus Arts. My yoga-teaching artist daughter, Sarah Muehlbauer, is one of the students. You can watch the video. Sarah is the one in the purple tank top, dangling from two white...

Not every board-certified cardiologist wants to challenge the mantle of 83-year-old Dr. Ruth, a psychotherapist who pioneered frank discussions about sex. But Dr. David Sabgir is no ordinary cardiologist.According to Dr. Sabgir, the topic of sex comes up a lot in his daily practice. “I get asked about Viagra, Levitra, and Cialis ten times a day and most of the questions are coming from the...

A few years ago, I decided to get fit and lose 62 pounds. During this remarkable process, I developed a personal philosophy to guide my efforts. Articulating this creed was a useful exercise; hence, I am inspired to share my ideas with others who are undertaking their own fitness journey. Here are the 10 guiding concepts: 1. Just do it: At a minimum, each day needs to include a period of playful...

Excuses for not exercising each day abound. Maybe the excuse involves an injury, or a medical condition, or a dislike of gym, or the absence of a spouse to walk with, or a job that involves travel.One excuse, though, crops up more than any other: there just isn’t enough time! As a chronic user of this excuse, I can write about it as an expert. For most of my adult life, I could never find the...

Be Brave. Lose the Beige is the name of my little company as well as the name of my blog. Be Brave. Lose the Beige aspires to inspire and encourage Lady Boomers and other Empty Nesters to discover their own colorful spirits. Is running from meeting to meeting, checking off the to-do list really what life is all about? Lady Boomers! This is a clarion call to resolve this new year to imbue your...