Physical Activity/ Exercise

Dance Your Way to Better Health

By Dr. Kushner / December 5, 2021 /

We’ve known for a long time that the more you enjoy your healthier lifestyle, the better chances you’ll have of making health habits that can last a lifetime. Over seven years ago, my wife Nancy and I took up ballroom dancing and immediately got hooked. It has been life-changing. I love dance because it checks…

Gifts Ideas for Healthy Living 

By Dr. Kushner / November 15, 2021 /

It’s that time of year again when holiday gift giving is on all of our minds. For this year’s list of healthy living gift ideas, I decided to share some favorites that have helped my wife and I live more healthfully – and can help you too. To make our list, the item had to either have improved our eating habits or physical and mental health –…

Can Minutes of Movement Lead to Better Health?

By Dr. Kushner / September 18, 2021 /

We all know we sit too much – at our desks, in our cars and on the couch. A new study, published in the American Journal of Physiology, Endocrinology and Metabolism, sheds light on how taking short movement breaks every 30 minutes, can improve some metabolic parameters by lowering fasting blood sugar levels. Though the…

Don’t Resist Resistance Training

By Dr. Kushner / July 19, 2021 /

My patients who are trying to lose weight always ask me what’s the best exercise for them. My answer is consistent; the best exercise is the one you enjoy doing and can fit most easily into your lifestyle. But the truth is that a sound exercise or physical activity program is not just one thing.…

Put a Spring in Your Workout Steps

By Dr. Kushner / April 18, 2021 /

Though Spring is in the air as the weather gets nicer, you may find yourself still struggling with staying active. Different people have diverse reasons for not exercising regularly. Maybe competing demands like family or work responsibilities take precedence over your self- care routine. Sometimes feeling tired or having a low mood can sap your…

Use Core Strategies to Stay Healthy during Life’s Ups & Downs

By Dr. Kushner / February 15, 2021 /

You are probably all too familiar with the drill – you lose weight and feel good but when life throws you a curveball, you stop doing the healthy lifestyle behaviors that kept your weight under control. Though the specific life challenge can vary from person to person (examples may include a new illness or injury,…

Healthy Living Gift Ideas

By Dr. Kushner / December 12, 2020 /

I like to think of healthy living as a 3-legged stool that incorporates diet, physical activity and mindset. If one of these legs is ignored or not attended to on a regular basis, you won’t feel steady and your health may suffer. For this holiday season, I asked staff from our Northwestern Center for Lifestyle…

Use Exercise ‘Snacks’ to Feel Better, Improve Health

By Dr. Kushner / December 6, 2020 /

It’s no secret that we all sit too much – working at our desks, driving in our cars and relaxing on the couch. A small study published online in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, the official journal of the American College of Sports Medicine, looked at the effects that stair climbing exercise ‘snacks’…

Tips to Manage Menopausal Weight Gain

By Dr. Kushner / October 15, 2020 /

Some of my most frustrated patients are women requesting help for weight gain and changing body shapes that develop during their menopause transition years. And though each woman’s personal story and weight journey differs, what they share is a feeling of powerlessness to take back control. If this sounds like you, know that though I…

New Tool to Help You Eat Better, Move More, De-Stress

By Dr. Kushner / August 4, 2020 /

With stress levels high and routines disrupted in the midst of the coronavirus outbreak, we are all feeling challenged to maintain healthy lifestyle habits. And yet because excess weight and obesity have been identified as risk factors for worse coronavirus outcomes, managing weight and boosting health are now more important than ever. Over the last…