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Manage Your Health with Confidence: Online Courses from Harvard Medical School Experts Experience Harvard-led learning and get started on your path to better health

Dear Reader, When it comes to your health, why not learn from the same experts who train the nation's top doctors? With Harvard Health Online Learning All-Access, you'll get expert guidance developed by Harvard Medical School physicians—trusted, evidence-based insights you can use to build healthier habits for the long haul—all at your own pace, in your own home. Whether you want to manage joint pain, improve heart health, boost your brainpower, or simply stay well, you deserve information that's clear, credible, and easy to apply in your daily life. These courses are developed by Harvard Medical School doctors specifically for people who aren't in the medical field, but want to understand and manage their health with confidence. A rare inside look at health from the top minds in medicine What you'll get: Unlimited access to dozens of doctor-developed online courses Short videos, interactive tools, and practical tips from Harvard experts—all in plain English Expert guidance that helps you ask smarter questions and make more informed choices about your health Certificates of Completion from Harvard Health Publishing Multiple-choice quizzes to help you retain what you have learned Charts, worksheets, lists of websites, programs, organizations, and more to help you stay on track Plus...New content is added every week at no extra cost Discover our extensive catalog — only $6.99 monthly Full-length courses normally cost $29.95. But once you subscribe to Harvard Health Online Learning All-Access, you can engage with 150+ (and growing) pieces of content for less than your monthly Netflix subscription. Return to any lesson, anytime, to refresh your skills, revisit strategies, or download your tip sheet again. It puts Harvard Medical School expertise at your fingertips to expand your knowledge, explore the questions on your mind, and help you manage your health with confidence. Single Course Purchase: All-Access Subscription: Single Course Access Unlimited Access to Full Courses  Mini-Courses Quizzes At-a-Glance Charts and Features Video Briefs Microlearning Features Helping you stay healthy and fit at any age Here is just a sampling of the topics you'll find in our extensive catalog of courses on Harvard Health Online Learning All-Access: Anxiety and Stress Disorders: Discover the keys to managing panic attacks, phobias, and other related conditions Fighting Inflammation: How to combat "bad" inflammation with diet and lifestyle changes Improving Memory: Learn dozens of evidence-based strategies to combat memory loss and boost cognitive fitness as you age Managing Your Cholesterol: Get clear, expert guidance on lowering bad cholesterol and triglycerides, and supporting long-term heart health Joint Pain Relief Workout: Learn targeted moves that can help ease ankle, knee, hip, or shoulder pain, to become more active again  And dozens more timely and important courses Remember, new quizzes, video briefs, and mini-courses are added every week. So, there’s always something new to learn to help you stay healthy and vital well into your later years. Courses range from less than 30 minutes to 3 hours long and can be taken at your own pace. Learn more, worry less When you learn from Harvard doctors, you're learning from the best. Doctors around the world look to Harvard Medical School for guidance on the latest advances in medicine.  With Harvard Health Online Learning All-Access, you won't waste time on questionable information. You'll get actionable, evidence-based advice you can trust to help you live longer and healthier no matter your age. See how good it feels to hone your knowledge and enrich your life with how-to help from Harvard Medical School doctors. Join Harvard Health Online Learning All-Access today and start learning. You have total flexibility with your unlimited All-Access account to Harvard Health Online Learning. Take as many (or as few) courses each month. There are no minimums, no commitment, no contract... and no hassle. You can easily cancel your account at any time with no cancellation fees. So why not start a subscription today? And see if it’s right for you. If you’re aiming to stay active and independent for years to come, then Harvard Health Online Learning All-Access can help you get there with vitality and gusto.

SUBSCRIBE | SHOP THE BOOKSTORE Want a stronger core? Skip the sit-ups Many people are surprised to learn that a strong core does more than just improve your shape-it also supports better posture, balance, and stability. A sturdy core acts as the central link between your upper and lower body, making everyday movements like bending to tie a shoe, reaching for something on a high shelf, or simply standing upright much easier and less tiring. Strengthening these muscles can help prevent falls and injuries, especially as we grow older. Sit-ups once ruled as the way to tighter abs and a slimmer waistline. Now plank exercises, in which you assume a position and hold it, are the gold standard for working your core, while classic sit-ups and crunches have fallen out of favor. Get your copy of Core Exercises Want to bring more power to athletic pursuits? Build up your balance and stability? Or are you simply hoping to make everyday acts like bending, turning, and reaching easier? A strong, flexible core underpins all these goals. Core muscles need to be strong, yet flexible, and core fitness — like the program in the Special Health Report Core Exercises: 6 workouts to tighten your abs, strengthen your back, and improve balance — should be part of every exercise program.   SHOW ME MORE → Why planks over sit-ups? One reason is that sit-ups are hard on your back. They push your curved spine against the floor and work your hip flexors, the muscles that run from the thighs to the lumbar vertebrae in the lower back. When the hip flexors are too strong or too tight, they tug on the lower spine, which can create lower back discomfort. In addition, plank exercises recruit a better balance of muscles on the front, sides, and back of the body than sit-ups, which target just a few muscles. Finally, activities of daily living such as bathing, getting out of bed, or walking, as well as sports and recreational activities, call on your muscles to work together, not in isolation. Planks recruit a better balance of muscles on the front, sides, and back of the body than sit-ups, which target just a few muscles. Through dynamic patterns of movement, a good core workout like plank exercises can help strengthen the entire set of core muscles you use every day, leaving you with a stronger and more balanced body. Here are some Plank Tips and Techniques to help you get started: Do form a straight line from head to heels. Don't bend at your hips. Don't let your belly drop toward the floor. No matter your age or fitness level, prioritizing core exercises like planks is a smart investment in your long-term health and well-being. By making core-strengthening a regular part of your routine, you can improve your posture, enhance your mobility, and lay the foundation for a more active, independent lifestyle. For more strategies on how to build up your core strength, read Core Exercises, a Special Health Report from Harvard Medical School. Image: © JohnnyGrieg/Getty Images Share this story: FEATURED CONTENT Core Exercises • The importance of your core • Before you start: Safety first • Posture, alignment, and angles: Striking the right pose • Getting started • Measuring gains • Floor Core Workout • Standing Core Workout Click here to learn more » Harvard Medical School offers over 60 special reports, 20 online guides and 36 online courses on various health topics. Visit our main website at http://www.health.harvard.edu to find reports of interest to you and your family, or check out more courses on http://www.harvardhealthonlinelearning.com/catalog.

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