SHAPING UP FOR SPRING

THE NEFF ZONE -- BY JIM NEFF

CADILLAC NEWS -- MARCH 1, 2025

The weather prognosticators call this time of year a transition period. As we move from winter to spring, it's a good time to get our bodies and minds in shape. 

 

A great place to begin is to venture outdoors for a walk. “If there’s one activity that deserves its shiny health halo, it’s walking. It’s free to do, and it even helps you manage everything from your heart health to your weight to your risk of diabetes. One thing you may not have considered is that your walking speed can also be considered a vital sign. Multiple studies have shown that walking speed is a viable marker of our health. Having the ability to walk at a faster pace is an indicator that you’re in good physical shape.”

 

So, how how fast should you walk? “If you aren’t sure how to determine moderate activity level, use the ‘talk test’ — you should be able to have a conversation, but would get out of breath if you tried to sing.” 

 

Luckily, there are all sorts of different approaches to walking. These include: brisk walking, interval walking, mindful walking, hiking, and Nordic walking. More information is available at: https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/walking-speed-tell-health-155804700.html. 

 

“Another indicator of your physical condition is the familiar jumping jack. “The humble jumping jack holds its own as one of the top no-equipment exercises. If you're looking for a quick test to gauge your endurance, coordination, and cardiovascular health, jumping jacks are your answer.”

 

Your ability to do jumping jacks for one minute is a gauge to your fitness level. As a baseline, a beginner should be able to do thirty to forty in sixty seconds. You're an intermediate if you can crank out fifty to sixty. Doing seventy or more means you're at the advanced level. “This level demands top-notch endurance, explosive power, and impeccable coordination. It's a benchmark that separates the fit from the super fit.” More at: https://commonwealths/jumping-jacks-fitness-test/. 

 

Any exercise is enhanced by being able to see and hear what's going on around you. InterestingEngineering.com reports there's a new product aiming to help in this regard. “In a significant advancement in hearing and vision solutions, Nuance Audio Glasses have gained clearance from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for over-the-counter sales in the United States.” (https://interesting/health/smart-glasses-with-hearing-aid)

 

These provide users with an open-ear audio solution integrated within stylish smart glasses. The company says: “Our goal was to innovate in the smart glasses category, enhancing two critical senses with a single, stylish product.” Of course, there's also an app to help you manage the settings. Shopping information at: https://www.nuanceaudio.com/en-us/c/eyewear. 

 

After a workout taking a shower is pretty common. This raises the question as to how often your shower towels should be washed. A recent article from the BBC provides the (somewhat yucky) information. “While those fluffy fibres might not show any signs of dirt, they are a breeding ground for millions of microbes. Studies have shown that towels can quickly become contaminated with bacteria commonly found on human skin, but also with those found in our guts.”

 

There's more disturbing news. “For those of us who prefer to leave our towels to dry in the same room as your lavatory, every time you flush you are likely giving any towels nearby a light dusting with bacteria from your toilet, along with specks of your family's bodily waste.” 

 

“The overall recommendation is to regularly wash your towels. “Home hygiene is a form of altruism, much like vaccination. Each small practice you undertake to protect yourself, you also do to protect the people around you and reduce the risk of pathogens. Towels are a relatively small component, but there are definite risks with towels and it's easy to deal with that." More advice at: https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20250110-how-often-you-should-wash-your-towels-according-to-science.

 

Finally, some recent research may have a simple remedy for the winter blahs. “There's the old saying of 'an apple a day keeps the doctor away.' But maybe it should be an orange. A new study by Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital says eating an orange a day may lower a person's risk of depression by twenty percent.” 

 

The results don't seem to apply to other varieties of fruit. Researchers looked at data from more than 100,000 women who provided detailed information about their diet and health. The study only found the link to a lower depression risk with citrus, not other fruits such as apples and bananas.”

 

Scientists note that more study needs to be done. "There's such a huge unmet need for depression treatments, and eating citrus doesn't really have any major side effects, so it would be great to see how much this simple treatment can help."

(https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/orange-citrus-depression-risk/)

 

If further research is done, I would like to see my favorite orange mood lifter included. A few Lindor Milk Chocolate Truffles with Orange Filling always makes me happier. 

 

Jim Neff is a local columnist. Read Neff Zone columns online at CadillacNews.com and Neffzone.com/cadillacnews.