Researchers from the University of California, San Francisco, surveyed 2,270 women between the ages 40 to 80, 21% of whom had diabetes. The results? Women with diabetes reported having less satisfying sex lives and experiencing more sexual health problems than women without diabetes. More From Prevention.com: The Workout That Can Beat Prediabetes It wasn’t a matter of not being interested in sex—in general, women with diabetes were as up for it as women without the disease....

It is one of those facts that have gone pretty much unquestioned for decades: Get 8 hours of sleep every night. It’s a convenient starting point for adults, but not so much for older adults, children, and teens. Now, the National Sleep Foundation has updated its guidelines on how many hours of sleep people need, adding age brackets and widening the acceptable ranges of sleep every night for most existing age groups....

While you may be a pro at sorting delicates from dishrags and fighting stains to the death, a few missteps can leave you more susceptible to germs, allergy attacks, skin rashes—even cancer. To help boost your family’s health, adopt these laundry room habits with your next spin cycle. Empty the washer ASAP Why: Protect against germs Bacteria flourish in wet areas, so take clothes out within 30 minutes of a completed cycle; if they sit for an hour, rewash the load....

Get started today with these science-backed calorie-cutting shortcuts that’ll help you maintain healthy curves all year long. MORE: More Ways To Lose Those Last 10 Pounds Dim the lightsRegardless of what you thought as a kid, it turns out the dark isn’t so scary after all. A new study from Cornell University says the secret to eating less—and feeling more satisfied about what you do eat—could be as simple as turning down the lights....

Sure, Sheri the secretary has been replaced by voice mail. But Mona the teller has also given way to an ATM, Joey the pump jockey has been replaced by a credit card-activated gas pump, and Thelma the telephone operator has been bounced in favor of binary code. Even recreational shopping—that ancient bonding ritual of female connectedness—has been replaced by ordering stuff online. Most of the time, swapping human contacts for electronic ones looks as though it’s saving us time, money, and aggravation....

Hydration is essential when you are exercising. How much water you need and when you need it really depends on the length of your walk and the intensity of the walking. A casual stroll while chatting with a friend is a very different half hour spent than one of fast, high intensity walking. The general rule of thumb, however, is a woman of average weight needs 4-6 oz. of water for every 15 minutes of exercise....

While most people don’t participate in road rage, says Leon James, PhD, we all are aggressive drivers. “We are raised that way from childhood,” James says. We acquire competitive and aggressive attitudes in the car, from parents and TV, for example. By the time we start driving, our attitudes are pretty much set. Few people, however, consider themselves aggressive behind the wheel, he says. In surveys, 80% of drivers say others are aggressive on the road, but only about 30% admit they’re aggressive, too....

I recommend 2 great Pilates moves—the frog and the double-leg stretch—to focus on that lower stomach area that pregnancy stretches out of shape. Do these exercises at least 5 times weekly, and you can expect to see results in 3 to 6 weeks. Your Toning ProgramDo two sets of 10 to 12 repetitions of each exercise. Move slowly, allowing about 3 seconds for each phase of the exercise and a 1-second pause....

How you consume your food may determine how much you consume, finds a recent study. Researchers from Maastricht University in Denmark recruited 20 healthy volunteers and split them into three groups. After an overnight fast, the first group was given whole pieces of apple, apricot, and banana, along with a glass of water. The second group got the exact same meal, only this time, the fruit and water arrived pureed and served in a bowl with a spoon....

Researchers from the Norwich Research Park in the U.K. have coined the term “inflammaging”—low-grade inflammation that increases with age—as a result of the study, which looked at the gut barriers (the lining that provides protection for the good bacteria in your stomach, while combatting the bad) of three age groups: children 7 to 12 years old, adults 20 to 40 years old, and the “aging” (67 to 77 years old)....

Jump up and to your left while simultaneously turning your body 30 to 45 degrees to the right in midair. Make sure your hips, knees, and feet all pivot at the same angle. Note: Skip this exercise if you have orthopedic problems such as painful knees, hips, ankles, or back. MORE: The No Squats Belly, Butt, and Thighs Workout Downward-Facing Dog Nothing beats my favorite exercise, yoga, to help you relax and recharge....

A recent study published by the American Council on Exercise finds that with proper hydration, hot yoga is just as safe as its less sweaty counterpart. University of Wisconsin-La Crosse researchers recruited 20 healthy, relatively fit people between the ages of 19 and 44 and measured their core body temperatures after a 60-minute Vinyasa yoga class in a 70-degree F room, and then again after another class where the temperature was jacked up to between 90 and 95 degrees F with 35% to 40% humidity....

There’s always going to be something of indeterminate age in your kitchen, and you may be tempted to sniff, poke, and then taste it. But not so fast—you could be taking a risk you’ll regret. Each year, 76 million Americans fall sick with foodborne illnesses and 5,000 die of them, estimates the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Many of those illnesses are a result of improper food handling at home, which includes eating food that has spent too much time on the refrigerator shelf....

Lane first received medical care on January 13, and doctors diagnosed her with the flu and released her the same day. But her symptoms got worse, and she was hospitalized for several days. After being released, she ended up having trouble walking on her own. On February 5, Lane tested positive for hantavirus and was airlifted from Farmington, New Mexico to a hospital in Albuquerque. The family told KRQE-TV that they don’t know how she contracted the virus....

How positive thinking can heal Giffords faced scary odds from the start: Only 5% of those who suffer a gunshot wound to the head survive. As Giffords hit milestone after milestone—from regaining her motor skills to learning how to speak—it was clear something else was at work: Her constant conviction that life would return to normal. Even in her resignation, her optimistic attitude prevailed: “My spirit is high. I will return and we will work together for Arizona and this great country....

“Most types of exercise use linear motions—forward and back or side to side. Gyrokinesis is more about three-dimensional movements, including spirals and circles,” explains Justine Bernard, DPT, a physical therapist in Washington, DC. These actions better mimic the way your body moves in everyday life to target more muscles—including your deepest abs—and work your joints in a greater range of motion. Gyrokinesis was created in the late ’70s by Juliu Horvath, a former ballet dancer from Romania, after he suffered a career-ending injury....

What changed her eating habits—and her life? A program called integrative weight loss at Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health in Stockbridge, MA. The program is based on a powerful new understanding: To be successful over the long term, a program has to be about more than counting calories and crunches. It has to engage a dieter at the emotional level too, because willpower is only partially a function of rational “will....

While most health experts assume lost fat is converted to heat or energy—hence the term “burned”—you actually breathe out fat in the form of carbon dioxide, shows research from Australia’s University of New South Wales. That’s right. You exhale lost weight. “[Lost mass] goes into thin air,” says study coauthor Ruben Meermen, PhD, in a press release from UNSW. Along with Andrew Brown, PhD, head of bimolecular sciences at the Australian university, Meerman tracked the voyage of lost fat atoms....

The expert: Tracey Mallett, certified Pilates instructor in Los Angeles and creator of the Renew You Sleek and Lean DVD, designed this workout. Workout at a glance: What you need: A sturdy chair and a resistance band (optional)How to do it: Do this routine 3 to 6 times a week. Start with the Main Move. If that’s too challenging, try the Make It Easier option. Once you’ve mastered the Main Move, progress to the Make It Harder version....