Study: 5 More Minutes of Increased Physical Activity Can Lower Dementia Risk


Senior couple jogging in the summer park

Moving Matters! Did you know that physical activity directly impacts your health?   The more work you put into your body, the more you reap the long- and short-term health benefits of exercise.  That’s true at any age, but especially in older adults, who experience higher risk for diseases such as heart disease and cancer.  One of the most serious diseases many older individuals face is dementia and Alzheimer's, which affects nearly 1 out of every 9 seniors in the US as of 2023, according to the Texas Department of Health and Human Services.  But with a well-balanced diet and regular exercise, symptoms have been known to ease and those who haven’t been diagnosed with the disease show a reduced risk for developing it.  In fact, a new study published by the Journal ...

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Benefits of Physical Activity During Pregnancy


Pregnant women attending a fitness class

From what you put into your body to what you do with it, just about anything can impact your health when you’re pregnant.   It can also impact the health of the unborn child.  That’s why it’s important to take the steps necessary to ensure the health and safety of both the expectant mother and baby.  The best way to start is to ensure you get the recommended amount of physical activity each week. The truth is that Moving Matters!  Let’s review the physical activity guidelines for pregnant and postpartum women and learn about the benefits of movement before and after pregnancy.   Physical Activity Recommendations  Like anyone at any stage of life, physical activity is vital to maintaining good health leading to a better quality of life.   For pregnant ...

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Obesity Care Week: Commit To Care!


Obesity Care Week healthy food market grocery fresh vegetables

Obesity Care Week 2025 (#ObesityCareWeek) is here! From March 3-7, 2025, Obesity Care Week is an annual public awareness effort to end weight stigma. It promotes education for a better world for people living with obesity. Also, World Obesity Day is March 4, 2025. Our Salud America! health team is happy to serve as an Obesity Care Week Champion to help raise awareness. "We need to continue to address the state of obesity care among Latinos and all people," said Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez, director of Salud America! and the Institute for Health Promotion Research at UT Health San Antonio. Salud America! research has found that many people face health issues due to the non-medical drivers of health, from poverty and support to affordable housing and transit. This contributes to ...

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Too Much Rest After Exercise Could Impact Cognitive Decline


senior couple jogging in the summer park

Physical activity is an important key to overall health. For example, studies have shown that dance can improve memory retention and even 10 minutes of physical activity can help destroy cancer cells. But what happens after you are physically active? Studies also found that increased physical activity was often followed by extended rest, which may reduce long-term benefits. Now, a recent research study has found that replacing rest between exercise sessions with additional ecologically relevant physical activities may help improve cognitive decline among Spanish-speaking Latino adults. Let’s dig deeper into this study and how it impacts older people. What is Ecological Momentary Intervention? Dr. Ulf G. Bronas at the Columbia School of Nursing and his research team ...

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Make Increasing Physical Activity One of Your New Year’s Resolutions


Woman wearing sport shoes physical activity

What is your New Year’s Resolution?  One of the most popular resolutions is engaging in more physical activity.   Moving matters for your health in many ways, so it’s no wonder that increasing physical activity makes it to the top of the goal list for many people every year.   However, being more physically active is easier said than done.   Let’s explore some of the health benefits of physical activity and go over some ways to keep you motivated throughout the year.   Physical Activity Benefits Against Cancer  There is a slew of reasons that exercise is good for ... well, everything.   Countless studies have shown that getting your recommended weekly exercise can greatly reduce your risk for at least eight types of cancer, including bladder, breast, colon, ...

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How Well Can Your Community Respond to Climate Change?


Heavy rain in neighborhood.

Climate change threatens communities by worsening air quality and increasing chronic disease risk and intensifying deadly storms, droughts, and heat waves. Certain communities – low-income neighborhoods and overlooked people – often suffer most because they suffer from health gaps, are more exposed to climate risks, and have a lower ability to prepare, adapt, and recover from their effects. How vulnerable is your community to climate change? The new U.S. Climate Vulnerability Index (CVI), a mapping tool, uses environmental, social, economic, and infrastructure data to help you understand your community’s ability to respond and adapt to climate change. “Better understanding of the intersection of vulnerability and climate change risks is key to effectively building ...

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7 Reasons to Screen for the Non-Medical Drivers of Health in a Healthcare Setting


sdoh screening patient doctor latino woman pregnant baby

Where you live can have a big impact on your health. Non-medical factors like where we are born, live, work, and age — known as the non-medical drives of health (NMDoH) — can influence health for better or worse. However, the U.S. has struggled to identify and help people with NMDoH issues. That's where NMDoH screening comes in. NMDoH screening is a questionnaire given to patients in a healthcare setting to help providers identify non-medical challenges to health. These include issues like financial hardship, transportation, housing, food, employment, and safety. Patients can then be referred to helpful community resources. Here are seven reasons to implement NMDoH screening in your healthcare system, hospital, or clinic. 1. NMDoH Screening Helps Patients Speak ...

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#SaludTues Tweetchat 9/5/23: Building a Healthier Future for Latinos and All People


healthy communities for latino and other populations

Latinos and all people face many challenges to good health. Access to healthcare is often out of reach. Unfair treatment is a reality for many, along with financial toxicity, limited health food, and unstable housing, transportation, and childcare. But we have an opportunity to create healthy changes. Let’s use #SaludTues on Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2023, to share how everyone – from healthcare to schools to local decision-makers – can get involved in building healthier communities for Latinos and all people as we near Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15 to Oct. 15)! WHAT: #SaludTues Tweetchat: Building a Healthier Future for Latinos TIME/DATE: 1-2 p.m. ET (Noon-1 p.m. CT), Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2023 WHERE: On Twitter with hashtag #SaludTues HOST: @SaludAmerica ...

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Play Deserts Common in Southern Areas



Play deserts are common among the Deep South and Southwest areas of the United States, according to a recent study from the University of Georgia (UGA).   You may have heard of food deserts and how healthy eating options are limited or hard to access in many background-rich and low-income neighborhoods.   Play deserts are defined as “areas where parks and other spots to run around and play are nonexistent, hard to access or in less safe locations that make parents second-guess taking their children to play there.”   The UGA study shows that play deserts cover about 7% of the US, but the rates are even higher in the Southern parts of the nation.   “Even if you have the park near where you live, if the environment is not safe or it’s difficult to access, then people ...

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