YMCA of the Desert (Y) is working to bring senior fitness to our community by hosting Vitality Forever’s Senior Classes three days per week in their space at The Shops at Palm Desert (formerly Westfield Mall). The classes are open to any person 55+ whose goal is to move and feel better. The classes, which… Read more »

The Coachella Valley is well known for being a resort destination where individuals enjoy fine dining, shopping and poolside relaxation. But the Coachella Valley also offers a more physical side. We have dozens of beautiful hiking trails, world-class golf courses, a famous international tennis tournament, professional polo, bike events, national pickleball tournaments, our new professional… Read more »

Many use this time of year to make lifestyle changes to look leaner and feel healthier. To help, I thought I’d propose a “planned food experiment” to inspire readers to prioritize meals and snacks around protein.  Protein is the most filling macronutrient and, in the right amount, keeps cravings and hunger at bay for hours.… Read more »

Imagine if public parks had a water therapy feature where citizens could walk barefoot in cool water. If one could practice earthing as they traverse through water troughs lined with pebbles to stimulate the feet, it would encourage circulation.  Imagine if hospitals in our country, as part of therapy for respiratory illness and rheumatic conditions,… Read more »

The fitness industry has experienced a strong rebound this year, as many people returned to gyms and studios making organized exercise a priority. Fitness is a community and a home away from home for many who realized how much they missed the social dynamic of going to shared spaces to workout. Industry professionals certainly learned… Read more »

As we head into summer, my phone rings off the hook from people who made New Year’s resolutions to lose weight. They joined a gym and went for a few weeks but haven’t been back for a couple of months. Now, warm weather is upon us, and coats and sweaters are making way for shorts… Read more »

Welcome spring! How are you doing with your New Year’s resolutions? In the fitness category may be the typical weight loss goal of 20 to 30 pounds or something as ambitious as your first marathon.  Hopefully, you are working hard and on your way to obtaining those goals. Or, possibly you’ve given up out of… Read more »

Weight training can be a challenge, especially if it is new to you. And when you add hormonal changes into the mix, it becomes even more difficult.  Menopause is a natural biological process that affects most women in their 40s and 50s. It marks the end of menstrual cycles and the beginning of many emotional… Read more »

Every New Year, if you’re like most everyone else, you make a list of resolutions, but they soon go by the wayside. What if you chose one goal for 2022? It sounds simple enough, but how do you pick just one?  Most of us accept that the past is history and the future is a… Read more »

“Welcome back” can have a multitude of meanings such as coming home, rejoining a social group, or returning to a healthy lifestyle. Those two little words have more gravity in recent months as we slowly return to a feeling of connection to one another, and to our better selves.  Through the holidays it is common… Read more »

Music has always played a critical role in celebrating cultural traditions, sporting events, holiday celebrations, civil rights protests, and entertainment. Music therapy has been in practice for centuries, but today, is increasingly recognized in the medical community as a treatment for depression, anxiety, and trauma. It is now being administered in hospitals, nursing homes, recovery… Read more »

Pickleball has become such a popular sport over the past 10 years that it is difficult find someone who hasn’t tried it. In 2020, there were an estimated four million active players in the U.S. – that’s a 21 percent increase from the year before.  This new fad is on fire, as young and old… Read more »

It can be frustrating when time is of the essence and you have chores that need to be done. You’ve done these things a million times; they have become routine and it’s necessary to do them in a timely fashion as your busy schedule demands. Then, something out of the ordinary happens. As you’re putting… Read more »

Arthritis is an inflammation of the joints that can lead to debilitating pain. More than 100 kinds of arthritis and related conditions affect more than 50 million adults and 300,000 children in the U.S. While there is no cure, creating a holistic wellness plan is often the first line of defense in managing pain and… Read more »

If you are one of those people who likes to work out and has fitness goals, but you recognize it will take strength, stamina and balance to achieve them, then you might want to think about sprint training. You don’t have to be a professional athlete to benefit from this method, as we all have… Read more »

Many Americans have developed unhealthy coping mechanisms to combat stress and anxiety caused by the trauma associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. Some of those negative behaviors include eating disorders and alcohol or drug abuse. This addictive pattern is true, especially for women. According to a RAND corporation study during the pandemic, “women have increased their… Read more »

The importance of fitness training has become wildly accepted in the modern-day sport of golf. In past generations, there was a bit of stigma in the game with lighthearted teasing for “spending too much time in the gym and not enough time playing golf.”  All golfers benefit from cross-training, especially seniors who need to maintain… Read more »

Is weight lifting only for the young? Not at all! Even those 50 and older can enjoy weightlifting, especially lifting weights in slow-motion. Slow-motion strength training involves 10 seconds of lifting and a 10-second lowering phase. The exercise’s ultimate goal is to gain momentary muscle failure. Slow-motion strength training is an example of a brief… Read more »