Canadian Grandma Holds Abdominal Plank For 5 Hours

You can accomplish a lot in 5 hours. You can fly from Toronto to Vancouver, play an entire 18-hole round of golf, smoke a stack of ribs, or run a full marathon at an average pace. Now imagine holding an abdominal plank — one of the most notoriously challenging core exercises — for that amount of time. That’s exactly what 61-year-old fitness enthusiast DonnaJean Wilde did at the Huntsman World Senior Games in Utah. The games celebrate athletic achievements of people over the age of 50. Wilde broke her own record of 4 hours 30 minutes and 11 seconds set in 2024. A grandmother of 12 and retired school teacher, Wilde she was “feeling good” and waiting for Guinness to make the record official. An abdominal plank is an isometric core exercise where you hold your body straight like a plank of wood. Most adults can hold a plank for 20 to 60 seconds. Guinness World Records notes that to successfully achieve the record, the challenger’s forearms and toes must touch the ground at all times. The remainder of the body must be lifted off the ground and kept straight throughout. Wilde says she started planking about 15 years ago when she broke her arm and was looking for a way to stay fit. When she first started, she says she could hold a plank for about 60-90 seconds, but kept practicing. In 2024, she broke a second record, completing 1,575 pushups in one hour. Now, she does about 500 pushups a day.

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Trying to Lose Weight? Study Finds That Drinking Diet Soda is the Same as Drinking Water

The results of a recent weight loss study won't fall flat with diet soda lovers. A study from researchers at the University of Liverpool found that diet soda is equivalent to water in supporting weight loss and long‑term weight maintenance. The researchers followed nearly 500 overweight or obese adults over almost two years in England. Participants were randomly selected to consume either water or non-nutritive sweetened soft drinks daily. The results showed no significant differences in weight loss or weight maintenance between those who drank water daily or those who drank diet soda daily. Those in the study selected to drink non-nutritive sweetened (NNS) soft drinks could drink diet soda, diet fruit drinks, and diet fruit-flavored waters. They could also consume water, but they had to consume at least half a cup of the eligible drinks per day. Those in the study selected to drink water were asked to abstain from drinking any of the NNS drinks. Still, diet drinks like diet sodas carry health risks like accelerated cognitive decline, increased risk of liver disease, increased insulin, and increased blood glucose levels. Diet soda also wears away tooth enamel and worsens heartburn.

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Think Honey is Healthier Than Sugar? Here’s What to Know

For many people, a drizzle of honey can feel more wholesome and natural than a spoonful of sugar. Most people know that honey comes from flowers and bees, while table sugar arrives as crystals in a jar or a bag. However, “natural” doesn’t mean blood sugar neutral, and it doesn’t necessarily mean nutritionally superior either. Both are concentrated sweeteners, both count as added sugars when stirred into tea or baked into cookies, and both can raise your glucose levels. While honey does have some nutritional differences, it’s still a sweetener, not a multivitamin. Neither sugar nor honey are better for your overall health than the other, and both have distinct advantages and drawbacks. Honey adds a distinct flavor and aroma, can taste sweeter than table sugar — which means you don’t need as much of it — and helps to retain moisture when baking. Tablespoon for tablespoon, honey actually has more calories. Sugar, on the other hand, is more affordable, easier to measure, and more convenient to store. It also has a more neutral taste and cooking advantages, such as giving baked goods structure, browning, and crispness. What it doesn’t have is any of the protein, antioxidants, or the considerable micronutrients that honey has. It all boils down to personal preference. The American Heart Association recommends limiting added sugars to about 2 tablespoons for women and 3 tablespoons for men daily.

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Do Mothballs Actually Repel Mice?

Mothballs emit a strong, unpleasant odor, but are they effective in deterring mice? According to the National Pesticide Information Center, mothballs, flakes, crystals, and bars are insecticides. When used in an airtight space, the balls slowly give off a strong gas that permeates the air and kills moths, silverfish, and other fiber-eating pests that destroy wool clothing. They don’t, however, repel wildlife like mice or other rodents. The myth that mothballs will keep mice away persists because some groups classify mothballs as a rodenticide, or chemicals that kill rats and mice. If a rodent consumes enough mothballs, it can die,  but as long as there are other food sources around, rodents aren't going to eat mothballs. The only thing mothballs repel is people. The odor is strong and permeates clothing and the air. They’re also dangerous to pets. Now that you know that mothballs don’t deter rodents, here are some ways you can actually keep them away from inside and outside your home.

INDOORS

• • Seal any openings larger than ¼ inch to keep mice from entering. Steel wool makes a good temporary plug until you can tightly seal cracks in walls or floors and gaps around water pipes, vents, and utilities.
• • Be sure doors, windows, and screens fit tightly. Remember that mice can gnaw plastic sheeting, foam rubber, and even wood.
• • Keep a clean house. Store foods in air-tight containers made from glass and metal to keep mice away. Clean kitchen counters, sweep floors, and empty trash cans daily.
• • Eliminate clutter. Mice love to have a place to nest and hide and cardboard boxes are a favorite.
• • Move stored items 2-3 feet away from exterior walls to decrease hiding places. Mice don't like to be exposed out in the open.
• • Monitor pet feeding areas, as mice love dog and cat food. Empty uneaten food and water dishes at night, and store dry pet foods in mouse-proof containers.

OUTDOORS

• • Keep compost bins covered to prevent them from becoming a feeding ground for mice.
• • Store bird seed in a mouse-proof container.
• • Seal foundation gaps, as they are a direct conduit to the interior of your home.
• • Keep trash cans covered to keep mice away.
• • Get rid of clutter. Piles of junk provide a perfect warm, nesting place for mice and other rodents.
• • Keep stacks of wood and plant materials at least 3 feet away from exterior walls to lessen access into the home. Remove vines that are climbing up the house, since mice are excellent climbers.

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