And of course I know what I like (not the gym environment) and you know what you like and neither of us know what others like. Which is why I was asking “those who dislike traditional weightlifting/machine … what sucks less for” them.
I agree. But some people who dislike weights dislike them because they dislike the gym environment, the technical skills, are self-conscious or have other barriers to getting to or enjoying a gym. Others just find lifting weights tedious busywork, tiring, painful, or technically difficult. They all dislike lifting weights, but the solution for “strength training they can live” with may differ.
I just started back after abdominal surgery, and I set everything to 60%. That was enough to feel something, but I don’t want to risk injury. After just four sessions, I feel taller - I’ve been slouching and getting back to the gym has made me aware of how lazy I’ve been.
I listen to music or humorous podcasts while working out, whether at the gym or doing bodyweight exercises at home.
Congrats! I hope things continue to go well.
Good to hear, and good luck with it!
Yes; until recently I was quite old school; using an MP3 player because I didn’t want my phone with me in the gym. But I’ve finally joined the 21st century by setting up an old phone exclusively for gym use, so I’ve started trying streamed music and podcasts while working out.
Now I just need to find a place to park my penny farthing bicycle 
Huh, when i used to go to the gym, i always had my phone with me. Why not?
(I didn’t take photos, and i didn’t let it make sound.)
I don’t want it getting damaged or stolen
Listening to music can improve performance by up to 10%.
I was also a devoted MP3 user. The best solution might be to buy a cheap “Spotify player” which allows you to use your streaming service without an Internet connection. (These players also can use Amazon Music, and other similar services).
Thanks I’m happy with the solution I have though. The gym has wifi and I also installed musicolet on the phone so it works as an mp3 player too.
I was forced into this option by this gym needing to scan an app for entry (and I don’t consider it safe to leave my phone in a locker either), but it’s something I should have done before.
Can you dance away dementia? (Gift link).
Excerpt:
What are the best ways to keep my brain sharp as I age?
There are several science-based ways to lower your risk of dementia — but one especially fun option might surprise you: dancing.
Dancing combines some of the best elements known to be associated with longevity: exercise, creativity, balance and social connection. You’re investing the same time as walking or other exercise activities but may be getting much more out of it.
In fact, one study found that people who danced frequently (more than once a week) had a 76 percent lower risk of dementia than those who did so rarely.
Gift link:
https://wapo.st/4sniJXA
Standard link:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2026/01/05/dancing-dementia-prevention/
It makes sense and fits also with why racquet sports lead the list of sports associated with longevity. Hits the list!
In fact the idea of “dual training” as a specific intervention … think of it as walking and chewing gum at the same time, more often doing some physical exercise and cognitive work like math problems at the same time … is hot as something that may have special efficacy for dementia prevention.
Or of course the association may be more of a marker … obviously if you had danced but now find it frustrating to manage, what with all the thinking and moving at the same time, you are unlikely to be someone still dancing more than once a week.
Still some reasonable evidence of efficacy for dual training on improving walking and balance stability, and a bit of evidence for impact on cognitive function.
On the diet side of things, dementia might be reducible through non-vitamin nutrients like Omega-3s, folate, lutein, choline, lithium, and phosphatidylserine.
Many of these are traditionally a part of our diet through higher intake of fish and river/seafood, and through eating organs. Oily fish, eel, whole animal consumption (oysters, clams, etc.), organ supplements, phosphatidylserine supplements, etc. might be advisable. Diets with lentils and pearl barley, potato skin, or occasional small supplementation of lithium orotate might be advisable.
Diet side - amazingly enough the oft recommended nutrition approaches in the DASH, Mediterranean, or Nordic veins, are all high in those nutrients. (Highest dietary sources for lithium include nuts, seeds, whole grains, legumes, and fish).
A specific version of it, the Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND) is provably effective at lowering rates of Alzheimer’s brain pathology, albeit so is the Mediterranean plan on its own.
62 year old woman falls in love with lifting. (Gift link to NYT today).
This is interesting. Of course I am biased to variety already, so maybe more prone to uncritically accept the findings as very solid …
https://bmjmedicine.bmj.com/content/5/1/e001513
Huge study. Of course correlations …
The physical activity variety score was inversely associated with all cause mortality, and this association remained significant after adjusting for total physical activity (Ptrend<0.001; table 3 and online supplemental table 8). Compared with the lowest group (group 1), the highest group (group 5) for the physical activity variety score was associated with a 19% lower all cause mortality (95% CI 0.78 to 0.85) and 13-41% lower mortality from cardiovascular disease, cancer, respiratory disease, and other causes. The model fit was improved by adding physical activity variety to the model with total physical activity levels and other covariates (P<0.001 for likelihood ratio test in the pooled analysis).
Including strength training as part of a mix seems to be the ticket.
I have been doing strength workouts with a fitness trainer and supplementing at home. Tuesday my car battery died due to extreme cold (and age) so I had to swap it with a new one. Those things are heavy! But I got the old one out and the new one in without too much strain and I didn’t hurt myself or break anything under the hood, so that’s something I would call a definite improvement in my overall fitness.
My husband has been doing light bodyweight and calisthenics daily for about a year. He was only doing one set of each. I encouraged him to add an additional set (he’s doing push ups, squats, lunges and planks) so he started doing that. He seems determined to keep doing the same thing every day, though. Does it matter with that kind of stuff or should he be giving himself a rest day in between?
Seriously this is a humble opinion - I think daily is okay for the intensity level he is doing. And it’s a good whole body plan.
Also nice to experience real world returns on your fitness investment aint it?! 
Sore from all that exercise? General advice for common injuries
This is a good article. I have Achilles tendonitis in both feet. I had physical therapy but maintaining progress is the challenge.
I’ve also had low back pain after working out. My hips tend to be very tight and I know it causes all kinds of problems. These exercises will help.
I’ve found that using a massage gun on my calves helps with the tendonitis. It usually increases my range of motion immediately.
I thought to do the same with my hips, but I’m not sure where I should be aiming.
I had a sore elbow for probably the better part of a year. I was complaining about it to my fitness trainer and he suggested that I just bend/unbend my elbow on that side regularly for a few minutes every day to try and get blood (and thereby all the healing components that float around in your blod) into the zone.
Fixed itself in a couple of weeks.
Might not be a cure to everything, but cheap and easy enough to be worth trying.