Longer, less frequent sessions of aerobic exercise have no clear advantage over shorter, more frequent sessions of activity. Any type of aerobic activity contributes to cardiovascular fitness. In fact, even divided "doses" of activity — such as a few five-minute walks spread throughout the day — offer aerobic benefits, and accumulated activity throughout the day adds up to provide health benefits. Any activity is better than none at all. What's most important is making regular physical activity part of your lifestyle.

For most healthy adults, the Department of Health and Human Services recommends:

• At least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity a week, or a combination of moderate and vigorous activity. The guidelines suggest that you spread this exercise throughout the week. Moderate aerobic activity may include activities such as brisk walking or swimming, while vigorous aerobic activity may include activities such as running.
• Strength training exercises for all major muscle groups at least two times a week.

As a general goal, aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity every day. If you want to lose weight, maintain weight loss, gain more health and fitness benefits, or meet specific fitness goals, work to increase your activity even more. For example, you can aim for 300 minutes of moderate physical activity a week, or about 60 minutes or more of moderate physical activity five days during the week.

After a flood, be cautious about handling food and medications that were exposed to flood or unsafe municipal water. They may be contaminated with toxins or germs that can cause illnesses. Here's some information that may help guide you about what's safe to use.

Is your medication still safe?

Any medications — pills, liquids, drugs for injection, inhalers or skin medications — that have come into contact with flood or contaminated water should be discarded. The exception to this is drugs that are lifesaving and not easily replaced.

In these cases, if the container is contaminated but the contents appear unaffected — for example, the pills are dry — the pills may be used until a replacement can be obtained. However, if a pill is wet or appears discolored from contact with water, consider it contaminated and throw it out.

If the power was out for an extended time, and you keep life-sustaining medication, such as insulin, in the refrigerator, keep using the medication until you can get a new supply. But be aware that the medication may not be as potent as usual when it reaches room temperature.

Contact your doctor or pharmacist as soon as possible after a flood to get replacement medications.

Kitchen cleanup after a flood

Don't eat any food that may have come into contact with flood water. This includes food packed in plastic, paper and cardboard containers that have been water damaged.

Undamaged, commercially prepared food in all-metal cans or in packages used to seal food for long-term unrefrigerated storage (retort pouches) can be saved. But you'll need to remove the labels, thoroughly wash and rinse the outside of the containers, and then disinfect them with a sanitizing solution of 1 tablespoon bleach to 1 gallon safe drinking water. Be sure to write the food and expiration date on the containers when you're done.

Discard food and beverage containers with screw caps, snap lids, crimped caps (soda bottles), twist caps or flip tops, and home-canned food if they have come into contact with flood water. These containers cannot be disinfected. If in doubt, throw it out.

In addition, utensils, dishes and cutting boards made from wood or plastic cannot be properly disinfected. These need to be thrown away if exposed to flood waters.

Also keep in mind that if the electricity to your home was out, foods and medications stored in the refrigerator may be spoiled. As a general rule, an unopened refrigerator will keep food cold for about four hours. Food in a full freezer that stays unopened will last for about 48 hours. If the freezer is only half full, food will last about 24 hours if left unopened.

If the power outage lasted longer than those times or you're not sure how long the power was out, throw out all of the contents of the refrigerator.

With age, there is a natural loss of muscle mass that can lead to a loss of balance and coordination and affect the way you walk. This process can be accelerated by neurological disorders, such as dementia, as well as musculoskeletal disorders.

To improve her strength and ability to do normal activities, encourage your friend to talk to her doctor about:

• Assistive devices. These devices can help your friend maintain mobility and quality of life. A physical therapist can help her learn how to use a walker or cane.
• Exercise. Aerobic exercise, such as walking, and resistance exercise, such as using free weights or resistance bands, can enhance muscle mass and strength and improve gait. Balance training can also help correct balance deficits and prevent falls.
• Supplements or medications. Your friend's doctor might recommend calcium and vitamin D to improve her bone health or, if she has osteoporosis, medications to reduce her risk of breaking a bone in the event of a fall.

By working with her doctor, your friend can determine ways to improve her gait and reduce the risk of a fracture in the event of a fall.

Common skin changes that appear gradually as you age include age spots, freckles, discolored blotches, wrinkles, sallowness, roughness, very dry skin and leathery toughness. Some people develop scaly patches, skin tags, or bright red or purple raised bumps (cherry angiomas), which might be bothersome but are usually harmless.

Some skin changes, such as fine wrinkles from sun damage, may be reversed by treatment with retinoic acid. This treatment can also improve your skin's texture, reduce discoloration and increase collagen. Other effects of aging aren't reversible. But they may be treatable. For example, you may choose to have a rough patch or skin tag removed for cosmetic reasons. Or you could talk with your doctor about procedures for smoothing wrinkles and improving the appearance of your skin.

You can also prevent or slow further changes by having good sun protection habits and by quitting smoking if you're a smoker.

Some skin changes may be early signs of skin cancer. Talk with your doctor about whether you need to have them removed or checked regularly.

While aerobic activity is one of the keys to a healthy lifestyle, air pollution and exercise can be an unhealthy combination. This is especially true if you have asthma, diabetes, or heart or lung conditions. Young children, older people, and people who work or exercise outdoors can be especially susceptible to the effects of outdoor air pollution.

Outdoor air pollution can come from many sources, including:

• Motor vehicle traffic
• Pollen from flowers, trees and shrubbery
• Wind-blown dust
• Burning wood
• Construction
• Agricultural operations, including raising animals and clearing land
• Power plants

Even when you're not exercising, exposure to air pollution can cause health problems. But with the combination of air pollution and exercise, the potential health problems are increased.

One reason for this increased risk may be that during aerobic activity, you usually inhale more air and breathe it more deeply into your lungs. And because you're more likely to breathe deeply through your mouth during exercise, the air you breathe in generally bypasses your nasal passages, which normally filter airborne pollution particles.

Health problems associated with air pollution include:

• Headaches
• Irritation of the eyes, nose and throat
• Damage to airways of the lungs
• Increased risk of asthma development
• Worsening of existing asthma or other lung conditions
• Increased risk of heart attacks and strokes
• Increased risk of death from lung cancer and cardiovascular disease

People living in many areas of the world, especially large cities, are regularly exposed to air pollution levels far beyond the limit recommended by the World Health Organization. What's not clear with air pollution and exercise is how much exposure is a danger, how long you have to be exposed, or which types of outdoor air pollution are the most harmful over time.

However, because exercise has clear health benefits, don't give up on exercise entirely, unless your doctor has instructed you to stop. Research has shown that the long-term benefits of regular exercise outweigh the risks associated with exposure to air pollution.

To stay as healthy as possible while you exercise, focus on ways to minimize your exposure to air pollution. You can limit the effects of air pollution when you exercise in many ways, including:

• Monitoring air pollution levels. Most communities have a system for air pollution alerts. Contact your local or state air pollution control agency, a local hospital, or your doctor for information. Certain websites provide information about air quality from organizations such as the Environmental Protection Agency, and these sites can be accessed at any time. Local radio and television stations as well as newspapers also often report on air quality.

• Timing your workouts carefully. Avoid outdoor physical activity or reduce the intensity and duration of your outdoor exercise when an air quality alert has been issued. Air pollution levels tend to be highest near midday or in the afternoon, so try to avoid outdoor exercise during these times of the day.

  Exercising during rush hour can expose you to higher amounts of pollution. If you can, avoid exercising near roadways where there is heavy traffic.

• Avoiding high-pollution areas. Pollution levels are likely to be highest within 1/4 mile (400 meters) of a road. Urban environments and outdoor smoking areas also have higher pollution levels. If possible, avoid these kinds of areas when exercising.
• Exercising indoors. Vary your routine with occasional indoor activities, especially on poor air quality days. Take a fitness class, check out a local gym or run laps on an indoor track.

If you have asthma, diabetes or another condition, check with your doctor about when it's safe for you to exercise.

Generally, commercial air travel before week 36 of pregnancy is considered safe if you have a healthy pregnancy. Still, if you're pregnant, check with your health care provider before you fly.

Your health care provider might caution against air travel if you're experiencing pregnancy complications that might be worsened by air travel or require emergency care. The duration of the flight also should be considered. Similarly, your health care provider and many airlines might restrict travel after 36 weeks of pregnancy.

If your health care provider approves air travel and your plans are flexible, the best time to fly might be during your second trimester. This is when the risks of common pregnancy emergencies are the lowest.

When you fly:

• Check the airline's policy. Guidelines for pregnant women might vary by carrier and destination.
• Buckle up. During the trip, fasten the lap belt under your abdomen.
• Promote circulation. Take occasional walks up and down the aisle. If you must remain seated, flex and extend your ankles periodically. Also, avoid wearing tightfitting clothing. Use of compression stockings might help.
• Drink plenty of fluids. Low humidity in the cabin can lead to dehydration.
• Avoid gassy foods and drinks preflight. Entrapped gases expand at altitude, which can cause discomfort. Examples include broccoli and carbonated drinks.
• Make a contingency plan. Consider how, if necessary, you'll obtain obstetric care during your trip.

Radiation exposure associated with air travel at high altitudes isn't thought to be problematic for most who fly during pregnancy. However, pilots, flight attendants and other frequent fliers might be exposed to a level of cosmic radiation that raises questions during pregnancy. If you must fly frequently during your pregnancy, discuss it with your health care provider. He or she might recommend limiting your total flight time during pregnancy.

Air travel is appropriate for most infants. Before you fly with your baby, however, consider:

• Your baby's age. Your baby's doctor might discourage unnecessary air travel shortly after birth. Newborns have developing immune systems and air travel might increase their risk of catching an infectious disease. If you choose to travel with an infant, frequently wash your hands or use hand sanitizer and avoid contact with obviously ill travelers.

• Your baby's ears. Changing cabin pressure during a flight causes temporary changes in middle ear pressure, which can trigger ear pain. To help equalize the pressure in your baby's ears, offer your baby a breast, bottle or pacifier to suck on during takeoff and the initial descent. It might help to try to time your baby's feedings so that he or she is hungry during these times. If your baby has had ear surgery or an ear infection in the past two weeks, ask his or her doctor if it's OK to fly.

  Also, airplane cabin noise levels are loud, especially during takeoff. Consider using cotton balls, noise-canceling headphones or small earplugs to limit your baby's exposure to this noise and make it easier for him or her to sleep.

• Your baby's breathing. During flight, air pressure in an aircraft cabin is lower than air pressure on land. This temporary change in oxygen level doesn't seem to pose problems for otherwise healthy babies. However, if your baby was born prematurely, has chronic heart or lung problems, or has upper or lower respiratory symptoms, talk to your baby's doctor before flying.
• Your baby's safety seat. Most infant car seats are certified for air travel. Although airlines typically allow infants to ride on a caregiver's lap during flight, the Federal Aviation Administration recommends that infants ride in properly secured safety seats. If you choose not to purchase a ticket for your infant, ask about open seats when you board the plane — in case one can be assigned to your infant.

Don't be tempted to give your baby an over-the-counter medication, such as diphenhydramine (Benadryl, others), to encourage sleep during the flight. The practice isn't recommended, and sometimes the medication can have the opposite effect.

You may be able to lessen some side effects of albuterol if you change the method in which you take the drug or the amount you take. You may also find that a different prescription asthma drug has fewer side effects for you.

Albuterol is a type of drug called a short-acting bronchodilator. It provides relief from an asthma attack by relaxing the smooth muscles in your airways. It's usually taken with a metered dose inhaler (ProAir HFA, Proventil HFA, others), but it can also be inhaled with a device called a nebulizer or taken as a pill or liquid.

Side effects of albuterol include nervousness or shakiness, headache, throat or nasal irritation, and muscle aches. More-serious — though less common — side effects include a rapid heart rate (tachycardia) or feelings of fluttering or a pounding heart (palpitations).

If you find it difficult to tolerate side effects of albuterol, talk to your doctor about the following options:

• Changing delivery method. Albuterol side effects are less likely if you use an inhaler instead of taking a pill or liquid. If you use a nebulizer to inhale the drug, you may lessen symptoms if you can switch to a metered dose inhaler. If you already use a metered dose inhaler, symptoms may be reduced if you use a spacer or chamber device, which is attached to the inhaler.

• Managing your asthma. In general, the severity of side effects depends on how much of the drug you take. Albuterol is intended to treat noticeable asthma symptoms, but it is not intended for long-term asthma management. If you are taking frequent doses, your doctor will want to assess your overall treatment plan.

  Talk to your doctor if you take albuterol three or more days a week or you use an entire inhaler canister within a month. Better management of your asthma may lessen your need for albuterol and lessen side effects.

• Reduce dose. For some people, using one puff of albuterol, rather than two puffs, will provide good relief of symptoms with fewer side effects.

Drinking too much alcohol can raise blood pressure to unhealthy levels. Having more than three drinks in one sitting temporarily increases your blood pressure, but repeated binge drinking can lead to long-term increases.

Heavy drinkers who cut back to moderate drinking can lower their systolic blood pressure (the top number in a blood pressure reading) by 2 to 4 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) and their diastolic blood pressure (the bottom number in a blood pressure reading) by 1 to 2 mm Hg.

Heavy drinkers who want to lower blood pressure should slowly reduce how much they drink over one to two weeks. Heavy drinkers who stop suddenly risk developing severe high blood pressure for several days.

If you have high blood pressure, avoid alcohol or drink alcohol only in moderation. Moderate drinking is generally considered to be:

• Two drinks a day for men younger than age 65
• One drink a day for men age 65 and older
• One drink a day for women of any age

A drink is 12 ounces (355 milliliters) of beer, 5 ounces (148 milliliters) of wine or 1.5 ounces (44 milliliters) of 80-proof distilled spirits.

Keep in mind that alcohol contains calories and may contribute to unwanted weight gain — a risk factor for high blood pressure. Also, alcohol can interfere with the effectiveness and increase the side effects of some blood pressure medications.

For most people, plain water is better.

Bottled water sold as alkaline water is subject to regulation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Alkaline water sometimes has nutrients added to it to achieve an alkaline pH.

Scientists use pH to describe how acidic a substance is on a scale of 0 to 14. By definition, a substance is alkaline if it has a pH of over 7.

Because alkaline water has a higher pH level than does plain tap water, proponents say that it can neutralize acid in your bloodstream. However, research suggests that alkaline water is unlikely to significantly change blood pH.

Some studies suggest that alkaline water might help slow bone loss, but it's not clear if the benefit is maintained over the long term.

Some say that alkaline water can help prevent disease, such as cancer and heart disease. However, there's little credible evidence to support such claims.