This episode highlights the often underestimated role of upper body strength in maintaining balance and preventing falls, especially in older adults. It explains that strong arms and shoulders are crucial for stabilizing stumbles, using assistive devices, and protecting against injuries like fractures. The author connects weak upper extremities to conditions like sarcopenia, frailty, and osteoporosis, emphasizing that arm strength is vital for bone health and posture through Wolff's Law. The piece advocates for incorporating functional strength exercises, reaction training, grip work, and push-up progressions to improve upper body strength and overall stability, suggesting that neglecting arm workouts increases the risk of falls.

Welcome to the second installment of our How to Harm Your [Self] series. This time, we’re focusing on the joints—the essential hinges and levers that allow us to move, lift, bend, and live with ease. Want to make sure your joints ache, crack, and stiffen before their time? Great! Just follow these time-tested mistakes.

(Of course, we hope you’ll do the opposite.)

Welcome to the first installment in our “How to Hurt Your…” blog series—where we flip the script on heart health by exploring the very actions and habits that can damage your cardiovascular system. In this post, we dive into evidence-based factors that impair heart function and accelerate the development of heart disease. The goal? To help you recognize these harmful habits and steer clear of them for a healthier, longer life.