Portrait of a Fit Senior Woman and Her Husband Walking Along With Yoga Mats Through the Park

(NAPSI)—Spring is here, and with it comes warmer weather, longer daylight hours, and for many, a desire to spring into new activities, including exercise. If you’re ready to kickstart a new fitness routine, here are three tips to help you get started.

1. Find What Motivates You 

Are you itching to get out into the sunshine for a walk? Are you eager to set up some friendly competition on the tennis or pickle-ball court? With warmer weather, there are so many outdoor options. But, if there’s still too much “brrr” in the air for you or if you’re motivated by more structured exercise options, such as strength training or cardio classes, there are many online workouts you can enjoy in the comfort of your home. For example, the Silver&Fit® Healthy Aging and Exercise program offers 54 free Facebook Live or YouTube classes each week. Thousands of people participate in these beginner, intermediate, and advanced dance, yoga, tai chi, cardio, strength, and flexibility classes.  Continue reading →

by Whitney Miller, DVM, MBA, DACVPM 

(NAPSI)—Whether you’ve just decided to welcome a new pet to your family or you’re in the throes of early pet parenthood, like all pet parents you may experience challenges along with the joy, cuteness and many other rewarding parts of having pets. Dog, cat, bird, fish, reptile or small pet, each animal that comes into your life has unique needs, from grooming and habitat to nutrition, exercise and enrichment. Here are a few veterinarian-approved tips to help navigate every step of the way—from preparation to “Gotcha Day,” early bonding, life stage transitions and beyond—and foster long-lasting pet health and wellness.

Do Your Homework: Help start your pets’ journey off on the right paw by researching what it takes to prioritize their well-being and help them thrive.

• The process can be overwhelming at first, but a Petco pet care center and petco.com are great places to start.
• Research the pet’s breed or species to ensure that you thoroughly understand the nutrition, exercise, grooming and habitat requirements as well as any common behavioral or health issues.
• Identify a trusted veterinarian for initial exams and vaccinations, routine check-ups and in case of an emergency. In fact, enlisting a full team of pet experts, including a veterinarian, trainer and groomer you trust, such as those at Petco pet care centers, can help you feel confident throughout every milestone.
• No pet parent likes to think about a pet going missing, but it’s important to note there are resources such as Petco Love Lost, which helps reunite lost pets with their families.

Continue reading →

COVID-19 Vaccine And Booster Myths

by the We Can Do This 

COVID-19 Public Education Campaign 

(NAPSI)—Two years into the COVID-19 pandemic, myths and misperceptions about COVID and vaccines continue to arise and evolve on social media, online, and in daily conversation. Getting facts from a reliable source can keep myths from complicating decisions about getting vaccinated and boosted or following other prevention measures.

“Misinformation tends to spread rapidly, and it can be difficult for people to sort fact from fiction,” said Dr. Mohamed Yassin, Chief of Infectious Diseases at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Mercy. “But at this point in the fight against COVID, there is no doubt that keeping up on vaccinations gives people the strongest defense against serious illness.” Continue reading →

Are You Eligible To Claim The IRS Saver’s Credit?

(NAPSI)—Here’s good news, for a change, from the IRS: It offers an incentive to lower your tax bill when you save for retirement. With pandemic-related employment disruptions last year, more taxpayers may be eligible to claim the Saver’s Credit but may not even know this tax credit exists. Also referred to as the Retirement Savings Contributions Credit, the Saver’s Credit can reduce federal income taxes for eligible taxpayers who save for retirement through a qualified retirement plan, such as a 401(k) or an Individual Retirement Account (IRA).

The 22nd Annual Transamerica Retirement Survey finds that fewer than half (48 percent) of workers are aware of the Saver’s Credit.

“People who are saving for retirement may be able to claim the Saver’s Credit and reduce their federal taxes,” says Catherine Collinson, CEO and president of nonprofit Transamerica Institute and its Center for Retirement Studies. “Perhaps people are confusing the tax credit with the tax-advantage treatment of retirement accounts. The idea of a double tax benefit may sound too good to be true but both are available to retirement savers.” Continue reading →

by We Can Do This COVID-19 

Public Education Campaign

(NAPSI)—Running was Rob Smith’s passion. He ran every day, ate healthy foods, and had good sleep habits. Because of his healthy lifestyle, Smith believed that it was very unlikely COVID-19 would have a serious effect on his health. In September 2020, at the age of 22, Smith contracted the virus, and his life changed forever.

“I used to run 5 or 6 miles a day. Now, when I walk up a flight of stairs, I’m gasping for air,” said Smith, who misses his daily exercise. “It feels like my brain is clouded, and I can’t think straight. It’s surreal.”

Smith is not alone. Though many healthy young people who contract COVID have mild symptoms and recover quickly, others experience a wide range of new, returning or ongoing health problems that can persist for months. This condition is referred to as long COVID. As scientists work to learn more about long COVID, many mysteries remain.  Continue reading →

(NAPSI)—Being a hero and helping repair the world may be easier than many people realize. How? Become a blood stem cell or marrow donor, volunteer or a supporter.

The Problem

Every three minutes, someone in the United States is diagnosed with a blood cancer such as leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma. The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society estimates that 186,400 people will experience this frightening news just this year.

While a bone marrow or blood stem cell transplant can serve as a cure for leukemia and other blood cancers, only 30 percent of patients have a matching donor in their families. The remaining 70 percent must hope that a compatible stranger can be found through the global registry.

Seeking Solutions

For the past 30 years, one organization has been singularly passionate about engaging the public to get everyone involved in curing blood cancer. Gift of Life Marrow Registry, a nonprofit based in Boca Raton, Florida, works globally to find matching bone marrow and blood stem cell donors for patients battling nearly 100 diseases, including blood cancer, immune disorders and sickle cell. Continue reading →

From www.archynewsy.com/nasa-shows-the-phenomenon-butterfly-nebula/

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), revealed through its official account on the social network Instagram: ‘NASA Hubble’ a impressive image taken by the Chandra X-ray Observatory.

It is the phenomenon called ‘butterfly nebula’, which is characterized by its extensive colors, formed by a star that consumes solar energy and sheds its outer layers of material.

“Streams of intense ultraviolet radiation cause material ejected from the nebula to glow”NASA explained.

But nevertheless, The space entity adds that from one moment to another said brightness will fade and leave a small stellar corpse called a “white dwarf”.

The Butterfly Nebula’s cosmic wings have never looked better, thanks to observations from both Hubble and the @nasachandraxray Observatory.

This nebula formed after a star like our Sun used up most of its fuel and shed its outer layers of material.

P.S.: Planetary nebulae really have nothing to do with planets! They were misnamed by early astronomers looking through small telescopes when they thought that these objects looked like planets.

Image credits: X-ray: NASA/CXC/RIT/J.Kastner; Optical: NASA/ESA/AURA/STScI

by Dr. Jay King, DVM 

(NAPSI)—By the age of three, 80% of dogs and 70% of cats show signs of dental disease. If your pet has smelly breath, it could be a warning sign. Pet parents might not know that bad breath is caused by harmful bacteria and can be an indicator of oral disease. Harmful bacteria in the mouth can also work its way under the gum line, cause gum disease and get into the bloodstream. It gets worse. Bacteria in the blood can harm joints, damage organs and lead to chronic disease.

Doctor’s Advice

As a veterinarian, I want you to know it’s important to be proactive when it comes to pets’ oral health, and how easy and affordable it can be to vastly improve it with an oral-care probiotic. ProBiora3®, a proprietary blend of three beneficial bacteria strains, found only in ProBioraPet®, is all natural and packed with beneficial bacteria. This abundance of “good bacteria” crowds out the “bad bacteria” and does away with the source of bad breath. Simply sprinkle one scoop daily into your pet’s food. There’s no odor and no taste. Pets still happily enjoy their chow—and you can enjoy sweeter pet kisses. Continue reading →

(NAPSI)—It’s still Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment season and many fitness-minded folks are choosing to sign up for Medicare Advantage and Medicare Supplement plans because they appreciate the extra benefits such as subsidized gym memberships. If you have one of these plans, or you’re thinking of enrolling in one, then you may be ready to take the next step in your exercise journey by joining a new fitness center. Here are three tips to help you select the best fitness center for your needs: Continue reading →