Pandemic ups and downs of your health
Shaquille O’neal’s weight hit 415 during the height of the pandemic — up from the 345 he says he weighed while playing for the Lakers. He’s not alone. According to the Health eheart Study, overall folks gained 1.5 pounds a month, and another study showed that many folks who were already obese gained 4 or more pounds monthly.
Researchers at the U.S. Department of Agriculture wondered how that happened. Their study, published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, reveals that while folks said they got 4.4 percent more exercise and 1.5 percent more sleep (good weight-controlling moves), that didn’t offset the 2.7 percent increase in the days they drank alcohol and the increased snacking they did. More folks also quit smoking, which can lead to (temporary) weight gain.
The good news: No matter how much you gained or what triggered it, you can regain your strength and energy.
New news you can use
A recent note from an 89-year-old asked, “What’s you recommendation for steps per day for people in my age group? My minimum step number is 3,000 (I usually exceed that), and gardening and yardwork (my favorite form of exercise) tops out at 7,000 to 10,000 a day.”
The short answer — as much as you can do, as often as possible. But keep in mind that 10,000 steps a day decreases all-cause mortality and the development of chronic disease. Also, all physical activities have a step equivalent; for example, 20 minutes of active gardening adds 1,660 steps.
Even better: At any age, a routine of strength-building plus cardiovascular exercise is important. Using your own body weight or stretchy bands can help preserve muscle, which will in turn make it easier to walk farther, faster.
On a totally different topic: COVID-19. First, there’s a new U.S. federal website that shows you locations in your community where you can pick up a free prescription for lifesaving antiviral COVID-19 pills: Google “COVID-19 Test to Treat Locator.”
Second, new data shows that you have a fivefold increased risk of deep vein thrombosis (a blood clot, usually in the legs) for 70 days after having COVID-19, twice the bleeding risk for two months POST-COVID-19, and a 33-fold increase in the risk of a blood clot in the lungs for 110 days after COVID-19. If you’ve had COVID-19, talk to your doctor about taking a lowdose aspirin daily and what symptoms to look for.