Prevailing theories of cognitive aging depict late life as a period of compensatory decline—an effort to preserve performance despite progressive neural deterioration. Researchers at the University of Arizona recently proposed instead that aging represents a continuation of development: a genetically conserved, adaptive reorganization of memory systems that parallels the brain’s earlier-life transitions.

As we get older, our episodic memory gradually gets worsens. That's the memory related to specific details, like where the car's parked or what time an appointment is. With age, the semantic memory tends to become more dominant. This is the "big picture, general knowledge, overall gist memory"


Conventional thinking amongst neuroscientists has long been that this brain shift is our way of adapting to increasing neural wear and tear. However, there is evidence of a plausible alternative theory and plenty of evidence of these kinds of changes happening at other periods of life: In childhood, the same shift happens, just in the opposite direction. There's also a case to be made that these age-related modifications aren't reflecting an overall loss of neural plasticity, but rather a way of redeploying resources.

Find the digestible version of the scientific article in Health.

Fernandez, F.-X., Burke, S. N., & Nadel, L. (2026). Aging as a Continuation of Development: A Hypothesis and Framework. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/17456916261469175

In a recent study that tested 5,000 American men, researchers found that in men under 60, low testosterone has less to do with aging and more to do with increasing unhealthy visceral fat. This type of fat isn't the cosmetically unappealing  superficial fat that is readily visible at the beach, but "hidden" fat that surrounds your organs and disrupts hormone activity, including tetosterone and insulin. Accumulation of this type of fat indicates an underlying metabolic disorder and is often related to poor food choices, chronic inflammation, sedentary lifestyle and inadequate sleep. The good news...THIS IS REVERSIBLE!

The easily digestible interpretation of the scientific article published in Healthspan 

Source: Adam W Potter, Karl E Friedl, Adiposity, not chronological aging, is the dominant determinant of circulating testosterone in US adult men, Journal of the Endocrine Society, Volume 10, Issue 9, September 2026, bvag194, https://doi.org/10.1210/jendso...

New research published in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine has found that mothers with poor sleep quality in late pregnancy had babies with lower weight in the first 6 months of life, but higher weight after age 1-2 years. This effect was strongest in male infants and in babies born at term.

Sleep health in pregnancy and childhood obesity are two major and modifiable public health concerns. Global childhood and adolescent obesity rates have more than doubled from 1990 to 2022, now affecting more than 390 million children aged 5-19 years.

Source: https://www.ajpmonline.org/







Continuous chronic back pain for more than a year is a risk factor for cardiovascular events in elderly men. Our findings confirm previous evidence, highlighting chronic pain as a clinically relevant and under-recognized risk factor for cardiovascular disease that warrants consideration in future clinical guidelines. 


Peterson M, Wändell P, Rönnegård AS, Schillemans T, Ärnlöv J. Continuous chronic back pain> 1 year and incident cardiovascular disease in elderly men: results from the ULSAM-study. Scandinavian Journal of Pain. 2026 Jan 23;26(1):20260020. Link



Source: https://www.degruyterbrill.com...

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Research suggests that spending more time in bright daytime light was linked to a lower risk of developing dementia. Investigators studied nearly 90,000 participants in a recent study published in the journal General Psychiatry.

Sunlight supports your body in ways that extend beyond vitamin D, influencing compounds involved in circulation, mood, sleep, immune function, and your body's natural daily rhythm.

Building simple habits such as spending time outdoors in the morning, taking daylight breaks during the day, and reducing dependence on dim indoor lighting may be a practical way to support long-term brain health.
Source: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/share/HIAHUN7VAAHYWEW6PVYN?target=10.1002/gps3.70039

A recent article published in Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy found that adults with nonspecific chronic low back pain demonstrated reduction in disability when exercise regimens were performed with greater frequency. Programs  that took into account & prioritized patient preferences, feasibility, and long-term adherence rather than a single frequency, intensity, type, and time component. 

In short, according to this research, finding an exercise you have the equipment for, like to do & will do frequently is more important than reps, sets and resistance used for improved disability in individuals with chronic lower back pain.


Blanco-Heras L, Rebollo-Salas M, Cardellat-González M, Cuevas-Moreno A, Jiménez-Rejano JJ, Rodríguez-Domínguez ÁJ. The Efficacy of Exercise Therapy for Non-Specific Chronic Low Back Pain According to the Fitt Principle: A Systematic Review With Meta-Analyses. Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy. 2026 Jan;56(0):1-48.

Source: https://www.jospt.org/doi/abs/...







Advice for healthy sun exposure:

• Get regular outdoor light early in the day. I prefer 20 - 60 min unfiltered pre 10am sun. This is for natural vitamin D conversion and circadian rhythm, not tanning.
• Build exposure gradually. The first sunny trip of the year is where people do dumb things.
• Never burn. Tanning is not the goal. A burn is a receipt for losing.
• Use mineral sunscreen when your latitude and genetics do not match. Think Irish skin in Miami, Scandinavian skin in Mexico, office skin on a ski mountain.
• Read the ingredients of your sunscreen - remember what goes on your skin is absorbed through your skin. I prefer zinc oxide or titanium dioxide.
• Be more careful near water, snow, altitude, and the equator. Reflected UV is rude.
• Use hats, shade, and clothing when the UV index is high. Avoid being cooked.
• Get suspicious skin lesions checked. 

Investigators in this 2016 study found that women with active sun exposure habits had a lower risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and noncancer/non-CVD death as compared to those who avoided sun exposure. Nonsmokers who avoided sun exposure had a life expectancy similar to smokers in the highest sun exposure group, indicating that avoidance of sun exposure is a risk factor for death of a similar magnitude as smoking. 


Lindqvist PG, Epstein E, Nielsen K, Landin-Olsson M, Ingvar C, Olsson H. Avoidance of sun exposure as a risk factor for major causes of death: a competing risk analysis of the Melanoma in Southern Sweden cohort. J Intern Med. 2016 Oct;280(4):375-87. doi: 10.1111/joim.12496. Epub 2016 Mar 16. PMID: 26992108.

Published: 07/21/2026

In a recent study published last month, investigators found that respondents with increased levels of leisure-time physical activity had lower odds of strong low back pain. Lifestyle factors such as sleep quality, social relationships, alcohol consumption and mental health contributed to the association with low back pain, with sex-specific differences." Need a refresher on the physical activity guidelines? Check out the guidelines on the infographic posted here on 7.7.2026. 
Schurz AP, Zwahlen M, Taeymans J, Lutz N. Leisure-time physical activity and low back pain in Switzerland: results from the 2022 cross-sectional Swiss Health Survey. BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders. 2026 Jun 30. 




Researchers in a recent study evaluated a cohort of individuals with chronic low back pain and found that they exhibit increased outer hip (gluteus medius) muscle activation during sustained walking activity. This likely indicates a compensation strategy for poor postural control and deficiency of inner core muscle activation.
Sornkaew K, Punyaphing K, Wongonta T, Phinthong S, Kiewsiri N. Increased gluteus medius activation during sustained walking in chronic low back pain: A compensatory strategy for mediolateral postural control. Gait & Posture. 2026 May 12:110218.


Rucking is the use of a weighted vest while performing walking or other weight-bearing exercise. In a recent pilot study, researchers investigated obese individuals placed on a weight loss diet with and without use of the weighted vest. They found that all participants lost weight with the dietary modifications, but only those that used the weighted vest maintained the weight loss. In the study, the amount of weight lost by the vested individuals was added to the weight of the apparatus. Apparently this increased gravitational load drives the resting metabolic rate (RMR) higher. Those participants that lost weight (and didn't replace weight by added vest weight) slowed their RMR and went into "power save mode" (think cellphone/computer) forcing the body to conserve energy (and not burn calories). Researchers postulate that the mature bone cells (osteocytes) sense changes in body weight and are animportant body weight regulator - communicating to the brain, ultimately influencing appetite and body fat stores.
DeLong, C., Nicklas, B.J., Beavers, D.P. et al. Does weighted vest use during weight loss influence long-term weight loss maintenance? A pilot study in older adults living with obesity and osteoarthritis. Int J Obes 49, 1662–1665 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41366...

Improved cardiovascular health is associated with substantially lower risk of osteoarthritis and biologic aging.
Luo J, Chen X, Chen N, Li Y, Zhao L, Cui J, et al. Cardiovascular health and osteoarthritis risk: a prospective cohort study with proteomic insights from UK Biobank. RMD Open. 2026;12:e006881.
Article access

US Health and Human Services recommendations for age - related MINIMUM exercise requirements for health maintenance.

A recent study in the American Journal of Public Health found that consumption of ultraprocessed foods (UPF) is associated with adverse risk factors, disease conditions, and all-cause mortality.

Am J Public Health. 2026;116(7):1015–1024
Check out the full article here

Pickleball is fun… until your shoulder or elbow says otherwise.Quick direction changes, repetitive swings, and sudden lunges can strain the shoulders, wrists, and lower back if you’re not prepared. Proper warm-ups, strength training, and recovery habits can make a big difference in helping you stay on the court longer and pain-free.Check out this infographic to learn more about preventing pickleball injuries and how to keep your game strong all season. https://chiroup.short.gy/0mfK7V

We generally recommend consuming beef on a regular basis because it is loaded with healthy protein, vitamins and minerals. Instead of avoiding red meat because of its fat content, choose grass fed (and preferably grass finished) meats and embrace HEALTHY fat consumption from the meat, which contains a more robust omega-3 to omega 6 ratio.

Otzi the Iceman is a mummy discovered in the Alps on the border of Austria – Italy in 1991. His remains have been studied for years and for a variety of reasons. Recently, scientists identified yeast in his stomach and on his skin that the used to ferment and bake sourdough bread. Would you eat the bread? See the story here

"Four studies demonstrated that exercise snacks significantly alleviated musculoskeletal discomfort compared to prolonged sitting or passive rest. Interventions incorporating targeted muscle stretching, strengthening, or moderate-intensity activities (e.g., stair climbing) demonstrated superior efficacy compared to low-intensity walking or passive controls." 
Zeng J, Lei D, Gao M, Li Y, Aslam S, Zhang W. Can exercise snacks alleviate musculoskeletal discomfort in prolonged sitting? A systematic review of randomized controlled trials. BMC Public Health. 2026 May 2. 

Source: https://link.springer.com/arti...

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Chiropractic Is Safe For Older Adults
Published: 05/21/2026

"No catastrophic adverse events were reported in older adults receiving chiropractic treatment services. Mild-to-moderate symptoms such as muscle soreness and stiffness were common." 
Daniels CJ, Farabaugh RJ, Salsbury SA, Anderson KR, Kleppe MJ, Whalen WM, Walters SA, Killinger LZ, Schielke AL. Adverse events among older adults receiving chiropractic spinal manipulation and related treatments: an updated systematic review. Chiropractic & Manual Therapies. 2026 Mar 16. Link



Source: https://link.springer.com/arti...

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