Matthew Solan

The stresses of daily life can keep us in a state of constant tension. Learning to belly breathe can help ease your body’s response to anxiety and stress.

Basic push-ups engage your body from top to bottom. They work several muscle groups at once including the arms, chest, abdomen (core), hips, and legs. How many you can do at one time offers a simple way to evaluate your strength and muscular endurance and is an easy tool to help you improve. To find your starting point, perform as many push-ups as you can with good form.

Are dairy products good for us, or not? There’s a lot of conflicting information. Dairy products are good sources of calcium, protein, and vitamin D, but choosing lower-fat versions is still probably better for overall health.

An annual health self-assessment—a full analysis of your well-being—is a way to evaluate your status, taking into account both what you have accomplished and where you may be able to improve.

In an unhealthy gut, the lining of your intestine weakens, causing bacteria and toxins to leak into the body, triggering inflammation. The most common causes are genes and diet, with age playing a role as well. But diagnosing the condition is challenging, and may require trying different treatment approaches.

Research shows that regular social interaction can lower risk for heart disease, depression, and early death, but not everyone is comfortable in social settings. If this describes you, there are still ways you can socialize without going beyond your comfort zone.

If you find yourself feeling like you are tired and lack energy, your body may be trying to tell you that you should make some changes to your health habits.

Art therapy can be an effective tool in the treatment and management of pain when used as an adjunct to medication. Taking the brain’s focus away from pain improves mood and helps people regain control of their lives.

Moderate alcohol consumption can have a beneficial effect on heart health, but the “moderate” part is the key. One drink a day is recommended as the safest amount that offers a heart-health benefit.

As we age, we are more likely to lapse into a sedentary lifestyle, but lack of physical activity is to blame for many health problems among older people. Making the effort to move more each day is one of the best things you can do to prolong your healthy years.