Sports and Fitness

As I search for clues to my nomadic lifestyle, I often return to that childhood in Chicago's Humboldt Park neighborhood. Was there something way back when family lived down the block, when we romped with our buddies on the concrete streets, when parents sat on folding chairs watching over us — that stuck? Is it familial closeness, comfortable camaraderie, a sense of security that has spurred my frequent quests? Or is the answer much simpler: I like moving, and I have no regrets about any of the 17. So, I hereby announce I will no longer be cowed by my compulsion. more »

Editor's Note: I began listening to baseball when I was five years old on the radio ... there was no television at that time. Being an only child, I went to New York Giants baseball games at the Polo Grounds in the borough of The Bronx with my father regularly. We continued to listen to games if we didn't have a seat in the stands. When I moved to San Francisco in the '60s friends said they knew why I was going there ... to follow my team. Now after many years back East, I am again in the Bay Area and watching Opening Day for the SF Giants on television; we'll be attending some games at the newly named Oracle Park this season. Morris “Moe” Berg (1902-1972) was an American catcher in Major League Baseball from 1926-1939. He later became a spy for the Office of Strategic Services during World War II. more »

Rose Madeline Mula writes: I can’t remember when I became an insomniac. It’s mostly my own fault. I break all the rules. I know I’m supposed to limit screens (TV, computer, tablet, cell phone) for a period before bedtime — and certainly not allow any of these Morpheus murderers into my boudoir, but I just can’t do it. I need them all to distract my imaginative, catastrophizing mind from countless concerns, which multiply exponentially the moment I cross the threshold into my bedroom.  more »

In the five-year prospective study, researchers followed more than 5,800 women ages 63 to 97 to find out if higher amounts of light physical activity were associated with reduced risks of coronary heart disease or cardiovascular disease. The current study involved a racially and ethnically diverse group of 5,861 women who were enrolled between 2012 and 2014. None had a history of myocardial infarction or stroke. Participants wore hip-mounted accelerometers, a device like a fitness tracker, that measured their movement 24 hours a day for seven consecutive days. The researchers then followed the participants for almost five years, tracking cardiovascular disease events such as heart attacks and strokes. more »