HealthyLife Articles

Tag: training

Be More Tech-Savvy

WORK LIFE

Keeping up with the latest technology can be daunting. Being tech-savvy means being proficient in the use of technology, especially computers.

While you may not need to be able to write complex codes, feeling confident and comfortable with modern technology makes you a valuable employee and helps you connect with family and friends. Here are some easy ways to boost your tech-savvy.

Google it

If you don’t know how to use a platform, software, or device, use a search engine like Google. The answer to most questions can be found online if you’re willing to take the time. Be as specific with your search terms as possible to find the best answer.

Search YouTube

A video with step-by-step instructions will get you in the know fast. There are videos out there on most devices, apps, programs, and even video games. Not all videos are equal, so take a few minutes to find one that provides the information you need.

Take a class at the library

Your local library likely offers classes that provide hands-on instruction on many new forms of technology. Plus, you get to learn in a supportive environment with others committed to broadening their horizons.

Troubleshoot

Impatience and frustration are barriers to learning. Take the time to explore new technology with a mindset of curiosity. Slow down and see what you can learn by clicking through menus and using the “help” function.

Learn about cyber security

Anyone who uses modern technology needs to know how to keep their personal information safe online. Password managers, updated software, and email security are some of the most essential tech-savvy tools out there.

Update your technology

While you don’t need to jump on every new gadget or device available, keeping your technology current will naturally keep you up-to-date. Newer technology is more user-friendly and offers a chance to gain new skills.

© American Institute for Preventive Medicine

January 23, 2026
Get Fit For A Cause

Fitness

Join a charity walk, run, or bike ride.

If you are struggling to find a reason to get off your duff and exercise, go online and find a cause that interests you – Alzheimer’s disease, animal welfare, breast cancer, heart disease, multiple sclerosis, etc. Chances are there is a fitness-related fund-raiser in your area that will inspire you to get fit and soothe your soul.

Don’t sign on the dotted line just yet.

* Pick a cause and/or activity (cycling, running, dance-a-thon) that will keep you interested.

* Find out the minimum amount of money you need to raise to participate. If you can’t afford it, are you willing to ask friends, family and co-workers to donate?

* Ask the organization how much of your actual donation goes to the cause, stays in your community, and is used to pay salaries of employees?

* Do a background check (www.guidestar.com) on the organization to make sure it’s legitimate.

* Find out how much training is involved. Do you have the time and devotion to stick with it?

Volunteer.

If you’re not interested in fund-raising or can’t commit to the extensive training needed to prepare for a marathon or a three-day walk, there are other ways you can still give to your community and get fit in the process.

* Volunteer at an area food bank that needs help picking up and delivering donations.

* Mow the lawn of an elderly neighbor every week.

* Become a sports coach for the local school or recreation department.

* Take part in community cleanup days.

* Help build a home for a needy family.

* Shovel snow off the sidewalks of family, friends, or neighbors who are not able to do this strenuous task.

Action Step

Fitness is also about the mind and the spirit. Find something to do that satisfies your desire to be fit, as well as your passion to make a positive difference in your community.

© American Institute for Preventive Medicine

January 23, 2026
Bed-Wetting

Children’s Health

Passing urine during sleep is called “bed-wetting” when it occurs after age 5 or 6. Children are usually expected to have nighttime bladder control by this age. Bed-wetting is a very common problem. In the U.S., 5 to 7 million children have it.

Enuresis is a medical term for bed-wetting. {Note: Bed-wetting itself, can’t be prevented, but damage to a child’s self- image can. Explain that bed-wetting is not his or her fault and that it will get better in time.}

Causes

Children don’t wet the bed on purpose. These are causes of bed-wetting:

* A lot of urine is made in the evening and during the night. A full bladder does not wake the child up.

* A child’s small bladder does not hold urine for an entire night.

* Other conditions, such as a urinary tract infection and diabetes. (Daytime wetting and other symptoms occur with these conditions.)

* For children who have been dry at night for 6 or more months, sometimes, emotional upsets and major changes can cause bed-wetting. An example is having a new baby in the house.

* Children are more likely to wet the bed if both parents did when they were children.

Treatment

Most of the time, children outgrow bed-wetting. Until then, self-care measures help with the problem. Medication can be prescribed when no other treatment works.

Questions to Ask

Self-Care / Prevention

Be patient and give your child lots of support. Children who wet the bed can’t help it. Getting angry only makes the problem worse.

Until Your Child Outgrows Bed-Wetting

* Do not blame or punish your child for wetting the bed.

* Limit fluids in the evening, especially 2 hours before bedtime. Ask your child’s doctor how much your child should drink. Don’t give drinks with caffeine, such as colas.

* Have your child urinate in the toilet right before getting into bed.

* See that your child can easily get to the toilet during the night. Keep the path clear. Use night lights, etc. If needed, put a portable potty close to your child’s bed. Assign a place the potty can be moved to for daytime, if your child wants to do this.

* Tell other members of the household that “teasing” about bed-wetting is not allowed. Respect your child’s privacy and feelings.

* You may want your child to use pull-up (training) pants when he or she sleeps away from home, camps, etc. On a regular basis, encourage your child to wake up to use the toilet.

* Keep a change of pajamas, a flannel covered pad, clean sheets, dry towels, etc., near your child’s bed. Show your child how to use these when he or she wets the bed. Include your child in the clean-up process.

* Have your child rehearse getting up from bed and using the toilet. Do this at bedtime. Do it during the day when your child gets the urge to urinate. Have your child lay down in his or her bed, wait a few minutes, and then get up to urinate in the toilet.

* If your child is 5 years old or older and he or she agrees to it, get a bed-wetting alarm. The child wears the alarm on his or her underwear. The first drop makes the alarm buzz. This wakes the child up. After awhile, the child learns to wake up when he or she has to urinate. Some of these alarms help prevent wet beds 85 to 90 percent of the time.

Resources

National Kidney Foundation

888.WAKE.DRY (925.3379)

www.kidney.org

© American Institute for Preventive Medicine

January 23, 2026
Learn Cpr. It Could Help Save A Life!

First Aid

Knowing how to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) can mean the difference between life and death. CPR can restore the flow of oxygen to the brain if the heart has stopped beating due to heart attack, drowning, electrical shock, suffocation, or a drug overdose. Learn to perform CPR correctly. Take a CPR training course to learn:

* How to contact emergency medical help.

* How to use an automated external defribrillator (AED).

* How to give rescue breaths, compress the person’s chest and when and how to do chest-compression only CPR. (It is important to push hard and push fast, giving 100 compressions a minute in cycles of 30 compressions for every 2 breaths.) {Note: Guidelines for CPR may change. Get updates for CPR and find out where you can learn how to perform it from the American Heart Association atwww.americanheart.org.}

You can also call your local chapter of the Red Cross or your local hospital to find out where you can learn CPR.

© American Institute for Preventive Medicine

January 23, 2026
Can You Take A Hit?

BE FIT

Short sprints might boost your fitness by significant levels in just 2 weeks. Really short sprints-like 6 seconds.

Researchers at Abertay University in Scotland have claimed that people can improve their fitness levels with just small amounts of exercise.

Participants were asked to cycle all out for 6 seconds then rest for one minute, repeating the cycle 10 times. They found that after 2 weeks participants recorded a 10% improvement in fitness.

The 6-second bursts are one of the shortest sprint durations ever used in high-intensity training (HIT). HIT involves short bursts of intense exercise and achieves similar results to long-distance endurance training.

However, the method is much less time consuming and comes with a lower risk of injury, making it ideal for athletes wishing to remain injury free.

© American Institute for Preventive Medicine

January 23, 2026
Run For Your Life

BE FIT

Vigorous exercise is good for your health, but too much can do more harm than good to your heart.

Limit your exercise to a maximum daily dose of between 30 and 50 minutes, say researchers in an editorial published in Heart.

The idea that more and more high-intensity exercise, such as marathons, can only do you good is a myth, say the cardiologists from St. Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute in Kansas City.

Routine moderate physical activity will add years to your life and life to your years, but running too far, too fast, for too many years may speed your race to the finish line of life, they said.

If you must train for a marathon, do just one or a few and then cut back to a safer, healthier exercise pattern.

© American Institute for Preventive Medicine

January 23, 2026
Train Like An Olympian

BE FIT

Olympic athletes inspire us with their fierce discipline and natural talent as they smash records, going higher, farther and faster. Their can-do spirit motivates us all to take on new challenges.

Whether your goal is to complete your first marathon or improve your golf game, there are lessons to be learned from the best of the best.

Saint Louis University assistant professor of physical therapy, Chris Sebelski, gives this guidance on how to train like a champion:

*Set a goal and break it down.For instance, if you’re training to get in shape for a cross-country hiking trip, you might aim to walk 3 miles a day for the first 2 weeks and build up to 10 miles a day by the end of 10 weeks.

*Cross-train.Cross-training reduces risks of overtraining and helps avoid injury. It also enhances muscle performance and stimulates the mind so you don’t become bored by too much repetition.

*Work out with others.Olympic athletes don’t train alone and they don’t train only with those at the same skill level. Run with different people. On one day, partner with someone slower than your normal pace. You’ll stay out longer and practice endurance. Another day, run with someone faster than your average pace. You’ll do a more intense cardio workout.

*Create a team.Olympic athletes know that they cannot do it on their own. You shouldn’t expect to either. Seek people and methods that can help you accomplish your goal. It could be a face-to-face session with a trainer, a nutrition class, or an online chat room of like-minded people.

*Find your motivation.Olympians use lots of techniques to manage their emotions. This year, for example, athletes reported using yoga, meditation, and even watching their favorite TV shows to calm themselves before an event.

*Put on an Olympic attitude.For most of us, our jobs, families and personal commitments mean we can’t spend as much time training as a world champion might. But you can adopt the mentality of an Olympian during the time you do train.

*Enjoy.Regardless of the scale of your goal, train for and accomplish a physical goal you set for yourself. Crossing that finish line is a feeling unlike any other.

© American Institute for Preventive Medicine

January 23, 2026