Regular weight training does more than just build better muscles, it builds a better, healthier body. Several new studies confirm the benefits of mild-to-moderate resistance training, which includes reduced blood pressure, lower LDL (''bad'') cholesterol levels and higher HDL (''good'') cholesterol levels, all of which improve cardiovascular health overall. Weight training is also believed to improve the way the body processes sugar, which could reduce the risk of developing diabetes. Another study examined the effect of weight training on osteoarthritis, a common condition among older adults that affects balance and increases the risk of falling. This study and others confirm that exercise of any kind improves strength, gait and ability to perform activities of daily living among older adults with osteoarthritis, and, in many cases, reduces the pain associated with the disease.

This is the back side view of a 70 year old women who previously had high blood pressure.   After a year of clean eating and weight lifting she has the bootay of a younger women and best of all lower HDL and blood pressure.  She did not start this journey until she was 69 years old.  NO EXCUSES,  It's Your Time 2b Fit.

A new study confirms what many of already know: Regular exercise is one of the best ways to combat daily stress. Researchers at the University of Texas, Houston, asked 135 college students to fill out questionnaires to assess their daily stress loads as well as their moods, physical activity patterns and overall health. Those who reported exercising less often experienced 37 percent more physical symptoms and 21 percent more anxiety during periods of high stress than those who exercised more frequently. Exercise, it seems, offered students a temporary respite from their problems, a period of rejuvenation before returning to the pressure of daily stress. According to lead researcher Dr. Cindy L. Carmack, ''Minor, everyday stress contributes to the development and exacerbation of physical and mental health problems. However, people experiencing minor stress develop different degrees of symptoms, depending on their level of physical activity.''

Colds can strike at any time. Wintertime, late spring, early fall. It doesn't matter. These nasty bugs can disrupt your schedule and linger for weeks at a time, making it difficult if not impossible, to stick to an exercise program. And then there's the question of whether you should be exercising at all, or if you should just ride out the worst of it and resume your workouts once the cold has passed. New research may help make that decision a bit easier. Scientists at Ball State University in Muncie, Ind., gave 50 healthy students ages 19 to 29 an upper-respiratory virus. Sixteen students were instructed to remain as sedentary as possible while the remaining 34 exercised moderately for 40 minutes per day. Both groups were told not to take any cold medications. After 10 days, researchers found no differences in the duration or severity of symptoms between the two groups. While the exercise didn't speed up recovery, it didn't slow it down either. Previous studies have found that regular, moderate exercise is effective for reducing one's risk of catching a cold. With these new findings, it appears the best medicine may be to continue exercising moderately while the cold runs its course.

Researchers at Tufts University in Boston have come up with a way to calculate the antioxidant properties of fruits and vegetables. Antioxidants are believed to provide a protective effect against conditions such as heart disease and cancer by interfering with the damage caused by free radicals. Antioxidants are also believed to help retard the aging process. The seven foods listed below provide additional individual benefits as well. Prunes, for example, are frequently used to relieve constipation, while spinach may be helpful in avoiding memory loss and staving off Alzheimer's. Consumers are urged to not only eat the recommended five servings of fruits and vegetables each day, but to choose nutrient-rich sources such as these:

• Prunes
• Kale
• Raisins
• Strawberries
• Spinach
• Blueberries
• Blackberries
• Grapefruit

look at the difference in Lilly's face.  The before picture she is 69 years old in the after picture she has been eating clean sources of food for over a year and she is about to turn 71.   They say a pic is worth a thousand words.  She also reduced her blood pressure so as to not need medical assistance.  Take control 

In a recent study, British researchers confirmed that some exercise is better than nothing. Researchers found that for sedentary people, even a few minutes of daily stair climbing ( a vigorous but easily accessible form of exercise) can improve cardiovascular health. Previous studies have shown that accumulating short bouts of exercise can make a difference; this one shows just how short those bouts can be. Twenty-two sedentary college-aged women walked up 199 steps - more than you're likely to find at home, but doable in a high-rise - in 2.25 minutes, a "brisk but comfortable" pace which shot their heart rates up to 90 percent of their predicted maximum. They progressed from one ascent per day during the first week to six ascents per day, for a total of 13.5 minutes over the course of a day, during the sixth and seventh weeks. By the end of this modest exercise program, the women were measurably more fit: Heart rate, oxygen uptake and blood lactate levels during climbing were reduced, and their HDL (''good'') cholesterol levels had increased.

Time should never be an excuse to remove exercise from your daily goals.   Even a little here and there as reported can make a difference.  The more successful you are the more you will be motivated to do it.  That is a vicious circle which you can benifit from!!!