A Vaccine for Dementia? The Evidence Is Astonishing.

REFERENCES A natural experiment on the effect of herpes zoster vaccination on dementia https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40175... The recombinant shingles vaccine is associated with lower risk of dementia https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39053... Eligibility for shingles vaccination and hospital-coded dementia in England and Wales: a regression discontinuity analysis in England https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.64... Herpes zoster and the risk of ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke: A systematic review and meta-analysis https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28178... Efficacy of the Herpes Zoster Subunit Vaccine in Adults 70 Years of Age or Older https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27626... Dementia prevention, intervention, and care: 2024 report of the Lancet standing Commission https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39096... Efficacy of an adjuvanted herpes zoster subunit vaccine in older adults https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25916... Herpes Zoster Vaccination and Dementia Occurrence https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40267... Effect of Intensive vs Standard Blood Pressure Control on Probable Dementia: A Randomized Clinical Trial https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30688... Disclaimer: This is not personal medical advice and does not override what your doctor says. #dralex #doctoralex #shinglesvaccine #dementia #brainhealth #shingles

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5 timeless habits for better health

Adopting a healthier way of life moves us beyond quick fixes and fads.

September 24, 2025

By Francesca Coltrera, Editor, Harvard Health Blog

• Reviewed by Wynne Armand, MD, 

A veritable avalanche of influencers, news headlines, and well-meaning friends and family offer conflicting advice on wellness. If you’re overwhelmed by fads and hype around wellness, read on. Dr. Wynne Armand, a primary care physician at Harvard-affiliated Mass General Brigham health care in Boston, recommends five simple habits to boost health and wellness in everyday life.

Five wellness habits for life

Quick fixes and fads may do little for our health, and some even prove harmful. Try to work healthy habits into your daily routines. If you’re a parent, sharing and modeling them can help children and teens embrace wellness, too.

Bring mindfulness into your day

Mindfulness and meditation are overlapping techniques proven to ease stress, improve sleep, and enhance concentration. “Anxiety and stress are very common issues in my practice,” says Dr. Armand. Worrying too often about the past or future is rarely helpful. The too-frequent release of stress hormones affects our heart, brain, and sleep, all of which have downstream consequences for our health.A veritable avalanche of influencers, news headlines, and well-meaning friends and family offer conflicting advice on wellness. If you’re overwhelmed by fads and hype around wellness, read on. Dr. Wynne Armand, a primary care physician at Harvard-affiliated Mass General Brigham health care in Boston, recommends five simple habits to boost health and wellness in everyday life.Practicing mindfulness — whether simply by appreciating birds and plants on a walk in green space, or using apps like Calm and Headspace — anchors you in the present moment. This can calm anxiety, improve focus and concentration, and amp up positive feelings. When applied to eating, mindfulness may help with weight loss by encouraging people to slow down to savor meals.

Meditation knits together body and mind by focusing on sensations, such as breathing, images, or a repeated word or phrase. One exercise that works equally well for adults and younger people is box breathing. The rhythmic pattern of breathing helps regulate the nervous system, reining in anxiety and stress, lowering heart rate and blood pressure, and boosting focus. The rhythmic pattern of breathing helps regulate the nervous system, reining in anxiety and stress, lowering heart rate and blood pressure, and boosting focus.

Prioritize sleep

Sleeping poorly can leave you feeling awful — snappish, foggy-headed, slow moving — and take a toll on your health over time. By contrast, getting sufficient, restful sleep supports the immune system, helps control weight, and aids physical well-being, mental well-being, memory, judgment, and other cognitive functions. It may even extend longevity.

But how much sleep do you need? That varies with age and other factors: most adults need at least seven hours per night, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. However, sleep quality (a measure of refreshing, uninterrupted sleep versus tossing and turning) may be more important than nailing seven hours. And it’s worth noting that too much sleep — nine hours or more in one analysis of multiple studies — is linked to higher risk for early deaths, too.

Be aware that sleep patterns and circadian rhythms that help rule sleep and wakefulness change over time. Good sleep hygiene can help. Tips include getting regular exercise, setting regular bedtime and wake-up times, avoiding caffeine in the afternoon and evening and large meals and alcohol before bedtime, and turning off screens at least 30 minutes before going to bed.If you have trouble falling asleep, wake repeatedly at night, or often feel tired during the day, talk to your doctor about ways to improve your sleep. In some cases, sleep apnea, which can raise risk for many health issues, or another sleep disorder may be preventing restful sleep.

Eat real, whole foods

A wealth of evidence shows that diets rich in vegetables, fruits, legumes and pulses like lentils, peas, and beans, and minimally processed foods support longevity and vitality. Plant-based and plant-forward dietsare better for our health: research links them to lower rates of heart disease, certain cancers, and chronic illnesses like diabetes and obesity. They’re better for the planet, too.

When foods are processed, their health and nutritional value often decline, partly due to additives. “Industries are adding ingredients like excess salt, sugar, artificial sweeteners, colorings, and other chemicals that may be unhealthy or trigger reactions in the brain to keep us craving more,” says Dr. Armand.

Move more, sit less

The hurry of life often short-circuits opportunities to be active. So, swap out the thought “What saves me time?” for a healthier one: “What keeps me mobile, flexible, and functioning well within my world?” Polishing off exercise requirements through a 30-minute block once daily is great, but you may reap even greater health and well-being benefits if you seek out ways to stay active throughout the day.

“Stop thinking about efficiency and think instead about pleasurable or creative ways to keep your body active,” suggests Dr. Armand. Combine exercise with work or pleasure: instead of meeting on Zoom, walk and talk. Instead of sitting with friends for a meal, socialize over coffee followed by a walk.Of course, many people experience mobility challenges due to age, illness, or accident. Look for opportunities that suit your needs or move beyond your comfort zone, possibly through adaptive sports.

Protect your body from everyday toxins

Air pollution, microplastics, and forever chemicals known as PFAS (perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are difficult to dodge in modern life. Breathing in tiny particles (called particulate matter, or PM10, PM2.5, PM0.1) or ingesting microplastics and harmful chemicals affects your health in many ways.

For example, notes Dr. Armand, tiny pollutant or wildfire smoke particles travel deep into the lungs and may escape into the bloodstream, thus reaching tissues and organs throughout the body. This contributes to heart attacks, strokes, lung problems, and other health conditions. The use of gas stoves, which create nitrogen dioxide and release airborne PM2.5s, irritates lungs and is linked with higher risk for childhood asthma. Microplastics have been found in foods, water, cosmetics, and nearly everywhere in the human body. Their health impact is being investigated and may include raising risk for cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, and respiratory and vascular problems.

These tips can help you reduce potentially harmful exposures at home:

• Use a water filter to reduce your exposure to PFAS, microplastics, and other contaminants.
• Swap out kitchen plastics with glass (such as inexpensive mason jars or glass food containers), stainless steel water bottles, and lead-free dinnerware.
• Run a correctly-sized air purifier with a MERV 13 or higher filter when wildfire smoke or pollution affects air quality near you. Local news reports can help you understand when air quality is in an unhealthy range, particularly for people who are most vulnerable, such as children, older adults, people with lung disease, and people who work outdoors.
• Vent gas stoves when cooking. Opening windows can also help. Better still, cook as much as you can using electric or induction appliances.

  About the Author

  

  Francesca Coltrera, Editor, Harvard Health Blog

  Francesca Coltrera is editor of the Harvard Health Blog, and associate editor of multimedia content for Harvard Health Publishing. She is an award-winning medical writer and co-author of Living Through Breast Cancer and The Breast Cancer …See Full Bio

  View all posts by Francesca Coltrera

  About the Reviewer

  

  Wynne Armand, MD, Contributor

  Dr. Wynne Armand is a physician at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), where she provides primary care; an assistant professor in medicine at Harvard Medical School; associate director of the MGH Center for the Environment and Health; … See Full Bio

  View all posts by Wynne Armand, MD
  
  

Blood Types Are WEIRDER Than You Think

Make Weight Training a Habit: 4 Science-Backed Strategies

 Make Weight Training a Habit: 4 Science-Backed Strategies 

Motivation isn’t enough. Identity, planning, and behavior design create consistency.

Key points

• Motivation fluctuates. Consistency depends on systems, not willpower.
• Shrinking the workout to fit motivation increases follow-through.
• Focus on identity goals: “I’m someone who lifts,” not just “I want to get fit.”

In the last few years, working with hundreds of different people, I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how many already know they should be strength training. Aerobic exercise has always garnered attention (for good reason—it’s good for you), but the health benefits of resistance training are becoming harder to ignore.

Lifting weights improves strength, preserves muscle as we age, supports metabolic health, and even contributes to psychological well-being. And yet, many people still struggle to stick with it.

You get inspired, maybe train for a few days, but then life throws you off course. Travel, work, stress. Before long, the habit collapses. That’s the real issue.

The question isn’t why lift weights. It’s “How do I make lifting a habit I actually stick with?”

As someone who researches behavior change and coaches people through it, I want to offer a few science-backed strategies. Not motivational fluff—just practical ideas that work in the real world.

1. Plan It Like an Appointment

Planning is one of the most effective ways to bridge the gap between good intentions and real behavior. Once you’ve decided to strength train, your next move should be to schedule it. Not “I’ll try to go after work.” Put it on your calendar.

When a prompt arrives—like a phone notification or calendar reminder—it creates a simple yes/no decision moment. That removes ambiguity and helps you avoid missing the opportune window.

Some apps allow you to schedule your workouts (sometimes only with a coach working with you). Others allow you to do it on your own.

2. Start Small, Then Scale Up

Motivation is tricky. You might feel ready to train in the morning—but after a long day, the couch suddenly becomes more persuasive than the gym.

Behavior happens when motivation, ability, and a prompt converge. If your motivation is low, the task has to be easy—or it won’t happen.

Let’s say lifting for 30 minutes feels like a 7/10 in difficulty. But at 6:00 p.m., your motivation is a 4/10. That prompt will fail unless you reduce the demand of the task.

So instead of fighting your motivation, shrink the behavior. Ten minutes with a pair of dumbbells is still a win. These smaller actions make it far more likely you’ll act again, which brings us to point 3.

3. Past Behavior Predicts Future Behavior

In behavioral research, we often build models to predict future actions—using motivation, self-efficacy, and social support among predictors. These variables work—until we add past behavior. Once that’s in the model, it often becomes the strongest predictor.

Why? Because behavior builds momentum.

So even if your workout is short or imperfect, it still contributes to a pattern. That pattern matters. People often skip a workout because they “don’t have enough time to do it right.” But doing something is what increases the likelihood you’ll keep doing anything.

4. Build Identity, Not Just Habits

Motivation ebbs and flows. But identity is more stable.

In psychology, identity refers to your self-concept—the internalized beliefs about who you are. Identity helps provide meaning and direction. It’s what makes someone say “I’m a lifter,” not just “I go to the gym.”

James Clear, author of Atomic Habits, frames it like this:

“Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you want to become.”

Most people set outcome-based goals like “I want to lose 10 pounds” or “I want to lift more.” But once that goal is met, the behavior often ends. Identity-based goals are more durable. If you want to become “someone who trains consistently,” you simply ask: What would that kind of person do today?

That question gets you to the gym—even on the off days.

You Don’t Need to Be Perfect. You Just Need a System.

Consistency isn’t about high motivation. It’s about designing a life where working out is visible, accessible, and rewarding. Focus on identity-based goals and adjust the difficulty of the task to match your current motivation—not the other way around.

If you can stay consistent long enough, the benefits will start to reinforce the behavior. Over time, it becomes easier—not just because your body is stronger, but because your actions and identity are finally aligned. That’s how you create a virtuous cycle—and a lasting habit.

FAQ: How to Stay Consistent With Workouts

Q: How do I stay consistent with my workouts?

A: Start small, schedule workouts, and focus on building identity-based habits.

Q: Why do I keep losing motivation to work out?

A: Because motivation fluctuates. You need systems that support action even when motivation is low.

Q: What’s the best way to build a workout habit?