Ready to take the plunge? Give your tush some TLC with a bidet, on sale from $43
It wasn't until we Americans feared losing access to toilet paper amid the 2020 pandemic that we began to come around to the idea of the bidet — a European novelty that for a long time was considered to be expensive. Not so anymore. With handy attachments, you can update any toilet for water-based cleansing. Right now, you can do it at a super steep discount with Amazon's deals on Bio Bidet toilet seats and attachments, starting at just $43.
If you have Amazon Prime, you'll get free shipping, of course. Not yet a member? No problem. You can sign up for your free 30-day trial here. (And by the way, those without Prime still get free shipping on orders of $35 or more.)
The reviews quoted above reflect the most recent versions at the time of publication.
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Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Yes, biking can be a lot of fun. But is it good exercise?
Few summer activities are as popular as cycling. Whether you're going for a leisurely ride along a city bike trail, hopping on a mountain bike to practice stunts and explore nature or using your bicycle as a mode of transportation to and from the store or work, you're sure to spot other cyclists nearby. In fact, cycling is the third most popular recreational activity in the U.S. with more than 56 million Americans doing it in 2024 alone. But beyond being a lot of fun and good for one's mental health by improving social connections and spending time outside, is cycling actually good exercise? Here's how biking can be good for both your heart and your muscles, plus how to get the most out of a cycling workout. Biking – or cycling, as it is more commonly called – "is considered an excellent form of exercise due to its numerous health benefits," says Dr. Michael Fredericson, director of the physical medicine and rehabilitation division of Stanford University. As a moderate-intensity aerobic exercise, it boosts cardiovascular health by elevating your heart rate, lowering your blood pressure, strengthening cardiac tissue, improving respiratory fitness and reducing your risk of heart disease. "It's also helpful in stabilizing blood glucose levels, lessening insulin resistance and lowering cholesterol by improving blood lipids," says Daryl Parker, emeritus professor of exercise science at Sacramento State University. Such benefits are among the reasons research shows "a strong relationship between commuter cycling and decreased all-cause mortality," says Fredericson. Cycling also builds endurance, releases feel-good hormones and improves flexibility and joint mobility. And the activity burns plenty of calories, with research from Harvard Medical School showing a 155-pound person burning 252 calories in just 30 minutes of moderate intensity cycling and close to 300 calories when doing so vigorously. The exercise also "enhances metabolic function," says Brad Schoenfeld, a professor of exercise science at Lehman College of the City University of New York, which means it's using more energy that other movements, leading to burning more fat stores for energy. This is why studies show that cycling can be helpful in preventing obesity and maintaining a healthy is aerobic exercise? And what are some examples? Along with such cardiovascular and weight management benefits, regularly riding your bike can also help you build muscle. While cycling involves muscle groups throughout most of the body, most growth occurs in the lower body and hip flexor muscles. "The quadriceps muscle group is particularly heavily engaged during pedaling," says Fredericson, "and the hamstrings are also activated." He points out that hip flexors are involved to aid with balance and stabilization and glute muscles are also strengthened. "And it's fair to say that upper body muscles such as the trapezius, latissimus dorsi and anterior deltoid are also engaged," he adds. Cycling accomplishes such growth through the force of resistance that propelling one's weight forward, but it also releases "chemicals known as metabolic stimuli in the muscle that can lead to an increase in muscle size," says Parker. What's more, the activity has the advantage of aiding in muscle growth and maintenance while still being a low-impact exercise – meaning it's unlikely to aggravate your bones and joints. At the same time, you're only likely to keep building muscle to a certain point before most of your time on a bike will be spent maintaining the muscles you already have. Because you're not able to keep adding more and more weight to the exercise, "cycling does not progressively overload your muscles," Schoenfeld says. "For continued increases in muscle size, a person would need to perform resistance training." Resistance vs. strength training? Learn how to build strength and muscle mass Capitalizing on the cardiovascular and muscle-building benefits of cycling means participating in the sport regularly. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity per week. Cycling is one of many exercises that qualify, but meeting this recommendation means doing it or other similar activities for at least 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week. No matter how often you engage in cycling, it's important to do so safely. "To stay safe while bike riding, wear a helmet, be visible with bright clothing and lights, follow traffic laws, use hand signals and be aware of your surroundings," advises Fredericson. He also recommends inspecting your tires, brakes and other components often to ensure they are in good working order and making sure your bike frame is the correct size for your body. Parker agrees, noting that local bike shops can be helpful with fitting you to the best size of bicycle. "And don't neglect learning how to handle your bicycle effectively," he adds. "The knowledge of how to stop quickly and dismount and how to make quick turns to avoid obstacles, other riders and automobiles are all important skills in staying safe." This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Is biking good exercise? It's better for you than you might think.
Newsweek
3 hours ago
- Newsweek
Can Tackling Addictions Reduce Medicaid Costs?
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Discussions around Medicaid costs have become more heated than ever in recent months as President Donald Trump's administration tries to push its budget bill through the legislative ranks. House Republicans have instructed the House Committee on Energy and Commerce to slash $880 billion in spending over the next decade, with Medicaid making up 93 percent of the committee's budget. As a result, the amount of money the federal Medicaid program needs to provide health care services for more than 70 million Americans has been under dispute, with some arguing there is significant waste and misuse of money in the system, while others have warned cuts would leave millions of vulnerable people without access to health care. While lawmakers continue debating the divisive legislation, experts have discussed with Newsweek whether there could be another way of reducing Medicaid costs—tackling substance use disorders. Medicaid enrollees with substance use disorders require significantly higher health costs than those without—around $1,200 per month on average compared to $550, according to KFF. Around 7.2 percent of Medicaid recipients age 12 to 64 have a diagnosed substance use disorder, and treatment is key to addressing overdoses, deaths and other health or social complications, KFF reported. So could tackling substance use disorders in turn reduce costs for the Medicaid program? Here's what experts told Newsweek. Photo-illustration by Newsweek/Getty/Canva Why Are Medicaid Costs Higher for Those With Substance Use Disorders? The reason Medicaid enrollees with substance use disorders have higher health costs is because they often also have additional health complications, Dr. Joshua Lynch, professor of emergency and addiction medicine at the University at Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, New York, told Newsweek. This could be physical health conditions, such as hypertension, high cholesterol and diabetes, or mental health disorders, "which can lead to more complex health care needs," he added. Those with substance use disorders also may "experience more fragmented care and more challenging access to high quality, lower cost care and preventative services," Lynch said. They may also struggle to work, or stay in work, and this may "contribute to increased reliance on higher-cost healthcare services," he added. Many Americans with substance use disorders also go undiagnosed, Brendan Saloner, professor of health policy and management at the John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Maryland, told Newsweek. He added that those with substance addiction can have a lot of problems, such as the risk of overdose, or contracting blood-borne diseases like HIV or hepatitis C, as well as other issues, so "it's much better to get people into care proactively then to wait for their problems to become a crisis." The higher costs for those with substance use disorders, therefore, could "reflect the devastating physical consequences of substance use itself," Heidi Allen, professor of social work at the Columbia University School of Social Work, New York, told Newsweek, pointing to overdoses, increased vulnerability for chronic illness and exposure to infectious diseases. It's also not just about health complications, John Kelly, professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and director of the Recovery Research Institute at Massachusetts General Hospital, told Newsweek. "The nature of these disorders means also that, on average, in the Medicaid population, individuals suffering from substance use disorder tend to have more social instability in terms of secure housing, employment, and criminal justice complications. These all contribute to increased costs," he said. Could Tackling Substance Use Disorders Reduce Medicaid Costs? While tackling substance use disorders may not slash Medicaid costs in the short term, as it would require investment in prevention and treatment, it could have positive economic impacts in the long run. "Prioritizing substance use treatment for enrollees might not reduce Medicaid costs in the short term, since we would expect more Medicaid enrollees to engage with treatment, which itself costs money," Allen said. However, she added that "it could certainly improve the health of enrollees, which might result in Medicaid savings down the road." If patients also have access to high-quality treatment and are able to manage their condition, "they have a lower reliance on high-cost health care such as emergency visits and inpatient hospitalizations," Lynch said. He added that other comorbidities also become more manageable, while housing stability and employment turn more achievable. "All of these will lead to a decrease in overall Medicaid spending," he said. Kelly also said he thought that tackling substance use disorders could reduce costs for Medicaid, adding that "focus on earlier intervention, and better implementation of care coordination will result in reduced use of more expensive acute medical care services, as well as prevention of the contraction of more chronic disease such as alcohol-associated liver diseases, HIV and hepatitis infections." "I am very confident that it would help to prevent some long-term costs to the program and would have a huge impact on other non-health needs like employment and reduced incarceration," Saloner said. But he added that whether it fully pays for itself, or saves money, is a more difficult question to answer. "We have some older studies showing that substance use care can offset lots of costs to society, but purely from the perspective of the Medicaid budget it's hard to say. The quality of life gains make it very cost-effective, whether or not it's cost saving," he said. Carrie Fry, professor in the department of health policy at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Tennessee, told Newsweek: "Research shows that addressing substance use disorder with effective, evidence-based treatments reduces Medicaid costs." In order to cut Medicaid costs, Fry said, making it easier for people with substance use disorders "to start and remain on effective treatment" would be an important step in the process. "For opioid use disorder, this means expanding availability of medications for opioid use disorder including methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone," she said. She added that only about half of Medicaid enrollees with an opioid use disorder receive evidence-based treatment in a given year. "So, treatment is an important first step to addressing the burden of substance use disorders in Medicaid and can reduce or prevent additional downstream costs," Fry said. She added that reducing the prevalence of substance use disorder via prevention will "require a more comprehensive approach to addressing broader social conditions that lead to increased risk of developing a substance use disorder."
Epoch Times
13 hours ago
- Epoch Times
Why Drug Price Reform Alone Won't Heal America
President Donald Trump's revived effort to reduce prescription drug prices is a long-overdue step toward affordability. For millions of Americans, the cost of staying alive has become burdensome, and any policy that eases the burden is worth celebrating. However, as a physician, I've seen what happens when medications become too cheap, plentiful, and automatic. If we don't reform how drugs are used, we risk trading financial hardship for clinical harm. Vagaries of Lower Drug Costs In today's health care system, medication is the first answer—and often the last, especially for older adults. More than 40
