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Finding ways to get exercise as you get older is a smart and easy way to stay fit and improve your health. Exercise is just as important in your older years as when you were younger. 

It's also well known that regular exercise can help to boost heart health, maintain a healthy body weight, keep joints flexible and healthy, and improve balance to reduce falls. 

The sun is out, the weather is great, the pools and beaches are open, and the ice cream trucks are out in full force. But while air conditioners crank on all across the country, most people aren't thinking about the importance of blood donation; a simple action with huge benefits. 

With summer in full effect, it should be easier to get some sun exposure to help boost your intake of vitamin D, aka the "Sunshine Vitamin." But have you ever wondered if you're getting too little? And what's the best way to get it? 

While you are enjoying fresh air and sunshine this summer, keep in mind:

One of the things many of us take for granted is a pain-free neck. It's only when we have a stiff or painful neck that we wish we had taken preventive measures. The exercises discussed below are to strengthen and stretch a normal neck. If you have preexisting neck pain or a spine condition, check with your health care provider before doing these exercises.

We've all heard the saying "no pain, no gain" when it comes to exercising, but how do you know when it's become too much pain? Before muscles can strengthen themselves, the muscles first must be stressed. As muscles, tendons, ligaments, cartilage and even bone are stressed slowly over time, they build up strength that allows them to perform better during strenuous workouts. But if your body isn't used to the stress of working out, or if you train too hard, often times the "burn" you feel during a workout is more pain than should be expected or is healthy.

Valentine's Day has arrived, which means those boxes of chocolates, chocolate covered fruit and other sweet treats will be hard to avoid. 

However, chocolate's reputation is on the rise. Recent studies have suggested limited consumption of chocolate can provide health benefits. Is your Valentine's Day chocolate a healthy indulgence or is this an age-old myth?

Athletes cower at the mention of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries. Depending on how badly it's torn, the injury can put an athlete out for an entire season, even Tom Brady had to sit out a season because of his ACL injury. Your ACL is one of four ligaments that work to stabilize the knee and is essential in starting to run, turning and stopping quickly. With that said, it's easy to figure out that if that ligament fails, then things can go wrong quickly.

Most likely, you know someone who has gone through cancer treatment. And oftentimes, treatment includes radiation oncology (aka radiation therapy). This uses beams of high-energy X-rays or radiation implants to eliminate tumors. Thankfully, advances in radiation therapy make the lifesaving treatment quicker, safer, more comfortable and more precise. 

If you live in Central Massachusetts, you're lucky to have these advances right in your own backyard.