Health

A new study published in the June 8 online issue of the Neurology tells me something I already knew, but from a different angle. Older people who don’t exercise are at a greater risk for “silent strokes” that create small brain lesions over time and lead to impaired memory, increased risk of falls, and even dementia. If you engage in moderate exercise, however, you can reduce your risk of these silent strokes by about 40 percent.

Canadian women are underestimating the seriousness of stroke, and they're also unaware of the risk factors for it, according to a recent survey from the Heart and Stroke Foundation. Only 47 percent of women know that heart disease and stroke are the number one cause of death — and just 16 percent of women of Chinese and South Asian origin did.

It has been a head-shaking couple of weeks around my house. Full-time job aside, my extra-curricular tasks have piled up recently: let’s start with the renovation that’s currently going on at my home. I work at home, so that means I had to get comfortable with a parade of contractors going in and out all day long and balance my workload with shopping for vanities, shower fixtures and towel bars. Add in a five-day visit from my very lovely mother-in-law — again, not taxing by any means. But certainly I want to put on the best show possible, right? That generally means a clean house and home-cooked meals, my friends.

Over at Brain Pickings — a very cool site, by the way — Maria Popova brings attention to a new book by Robert Penn, It's All About the Bike: The Pursuit of Happiness on Two Wheels. In addition to delving into his personal relationship with the bicycle, Penn also explores bike history and culture.

Improve your posture and agility with these Pilates-inspired moves that will flatten your belly and strengthen your core.