All posts tagged: lifting

Lifting weights builds a sharper mind and reduces anxiety in older women

Lifting weights builds a sharper mind and reduces anxiety in older women

Published by José Betancourt

Lifting weights provides a robust method for older women to improve their memory and mental health, regardless of whether they lift heavy weights for fewer repetitions or lighter weights for more repetitions. The recent clinical trial, published in the Journal of Affective Disorders, highlights exercise as a highly effective, non-pharmaceutical treatment for protecting the aging mind. The findings reveal that structured physical exertion delivers vast psychological benefits. As people age, they routinely face a gradual decline in multiple physical capabilities alongside an increased risk of cognitive impairment. Women in particular often experience heightened vulnerability to depression and anxiety in their later years. This elevated risk stems from a combination of biological shifts associated with menopause, hormonal changes, and various evolving social factors. Over time, poor mental health can accelerate physical and cognitive decline. Medical professionals routinely prescribe cardiovascular and resistance training to preserve physical independence. Beyond building muscle mass and raw physical strength, lifting weights initiates biological changes that protect the brain. Muscular contractions release specialized proteins into the bloodstream that travel to the brain, …

Lifting weights can slow down biological brain aging in older adults

Lifting weights can slow down biological brain aging in older adults

Published by José Betancourt

Lifting weights might help keep your mind young. A new study published in GeroScience suggests that older adults who engage in regular resistance training can actively slow down the biological aging process in their brains. These findings provide evidence that strength-building exercises offer widespread benefits for long-term cognitive health. Scientists have consistently linked physical exercise to better memory, sharper thinking, and a lower risk of brain diseases. Past studies tend to focus on how aerobic workouts, like running or swimming, change specific isolated parts of the brain. For instance, many projects look at changes in the physical size of the hippocampus, a brain region tied to memory. As a result, the effects of resistance training on the entire brain remained mostly a mystery. Scientists wanted to see if lifting weights could improve overall brain health rather than just tweaking a single area. To do this, they used advanced computer models called brain clocks. A brain clock is a mathematical tool that analyzes medical images of a person’s brain to guess their age based on biological …

This free Android app runs my routines without me lifting a finger

This free Android app runs my routines without me lifting a finger

Published by skeptic

I used to think I had my phone habits pretty much locked down. Then I started noticing the pattern. The same little actions, over and over, every single day. Toggling Wi-Fi, muting notifications at night, opening the same set of apps in the same order each morning. None of it felt like work, but together it added up in a way I couldn’t ignore anymore. So I went looking for something that could take over those little chores without turning my phone into a science project. That’s how I stumbled on Automate by LlamaLab, one of the top free apps for automating tasks on Android. At first glance, it looked intimidating. Flowcharts, blocks, arrows — it’s not exactly beginner-friendly compared to a simple automation app like MacroDroid. But once I actually spent time with it, I realized that these days I barely think about half the things my phone used to demand of me. OS Android Price model Free Automate lets you create custom workflows on your Android device to perform tasks such as sending …

Doctors Want More Women Lifting Weights. Experts Say Welcoming Gyms and Education Would Help

Doctors Want More Women Lifting Weights. Experts Say Welcoming Gyms and Education Would Help

Published by Sam Flores

During her first year of college, Elisabeth Bradley was inspired to try weightlifting after she followed a woman tracking her fitness transformation on social media, one barbell at a time. Then, Bradley found herself to be the only woman in the weight room at San Diego State University. “I felt like I stuck out a lot, and I just thought, ‘OK, I’m gonna look dumb,’” she says. Intimidated by a room full of grunting, muscular men, she moved over to the cardio area, mirroring countless women who, for various reasons, avoid the free weights and machines. But with research mounting on the benefits of resistance training, experts say a few things need to change at the gym to make it more enticing to women. Michelle Segar, a behavioral scientist at the University of Michigan who studies exercise habits, said that making the environment more palatable and familiarizing women better with weights will lead more to use them. More representation will in turn get more women to continue. Why women should lift weights Resistance training has …

Brazilians Lifting Jesus Up Around the World – OpentheWord.org

Brazilians Lifting Jesus Up Around the World – OpentheWord.org

Published by Sam Flores

Christ the Redeemer image created by drones on Dec 31, 2025 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Credit: X Capture According to Gateway Pundit, the New Year’s celebration that took place on Rio de Janeiro’s Copacabana Beach on December 31, 2025 set a world record. This is based on estimated crowd of 2.5 million people who showed up to celebrate the arrival of 2026. “Rio’s New Year’s Eve celebration has been officially recognized by Guinness World Records as the Biggest New Year’s Eve Celebration in the World,” Guinness officials stated in their announcement. But what was even more stunning is that event organizers used 1,200 synchronized drones to reveal a massive image of Christ the Redeemer rising out of the ocean against the night sky. It took a few minutes for the crowd to realize what was appearing before them. But once it became clear Brazilians responded with a massive roar of approval. Additionally to the crowd, millions around the world saw it through TV and video broadcasts. Christ the Redeemer statue, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil …

Should You Do Cardio Before or After Lifting Weights? Here’s the Definitive Answer

Should You Do Cardio Before or After Lifting Weights? Here’s the Definitive Answer

Published by Jenni Sidey

You arrive at the gym and find yourself at a familiar crossroads: Turn this way for the weight room, or that way for the cardio deck. You planned to do both—but which should you do first? Does it even matter? Spoiler alert: Not really. Generally speaking, that is. “The simple answer is it probably doesn’t matter,” says Luke Carlson, founder and CEO of Discover Strength. “There might be some mechanistic rationale for why it should matter. But, in the studies, we just don’t ever see it matter.” “It’s mostly a matter of preference,” says Alex Rothstein, EdD, MS, CSCS, exercise physiologist and coordinator of the Exercise Science program at New York Institute of Technology. “There’s such a minimal difference that I wouldn’t argue one versus the other is better.” That said, both Carlson and Rothstein point out that there are a few factors that might sway you one way or another, depending on your goals, behavioral tendencies, and more. Here’s what you need to know. Start with what matters to you most All things being …

I’m a fitness writer and I swear by Oner Active’s gymwear for lifting, Pilates and lounging—these are my top Black Friday picks

I’m a fitness writer and I swear by Oner Active’s gymwear for lifting, Pilates and lounging—these are my top Black Friday picks

Published by Jenni Sidey

Image 1 of 2 (Image credit: Future / Alice Porter) (Image credit: Future / Alice Porter) I’ve been a health and fitness writer for more than five years. That means, at this point, I need an entire wardrobe dedicated to activewear. I’ve been lucky enough to try clothes from every major brand that makes gym wear for women. But there’s one brand that I think performs the best, in terms of quality, style and price—Oner Active. And it’s offering up to 50% off in its Black Friday sale. Oner Active is a relatively new brand. It was founded by influencer and personal trainer Krissy Cela in 2020, who saw a gap in the market for performance-focused clothes for women who lift weights. Its pieces stand up against all of the bigger, more expensive brands and Oner Active is the gymwear in my wardrobe I reach for most often. I swear by its squat-proof leggings that are as comfortable as they are flattering, and its sports bras are stylish and supportive, even for people with bigger …

Best strength training, weight lifting gyms in Los Angeles

Best strength training, weight lifting gyms in Los Angeles

Published by Sam Flores

Seasoned fitness coaches Mary Pelino and Lizzy Picardi met at their local powerlifting gym, where they instantly became friends in meet-cute fashion. The hours they spent together sparked the beginning of an idea: to open an inclusive, women-owned gym. After finding a space, Pelino and Picardi officially launched the small-but-mighty Rose City Barbell in the summer of 2022. “Our mission from the beginning,” Pelino told me, “has been to make humans stronger. That includes everyone — women, men, any gender, from beginners to advanced lifters.” This is why Pelino designs the Monday through Friday barbell programming with modifications in mind: so that everyone can perform the same lifts, no matter their skill level. I am self-conscious about my piddly strength, but when I walked into Rose City’s brick-lined main room, where there were daisies painted on the lilac-colored deadlift platforms, my lizard brain felt at ease. The gym was also stocked with a variety of inclusive, high-quality equipment, such as 15 to 55 pound specialty barbells, belts of all sizes, 10-pound bumper plates and fractional …