Robert H. Shmerling

Now that it's 2024, perhaps you've thought about taking up a new exercise program, eating better, or some other ways to improve your health. That's great! Or, as my grandfather...

When my grandmother repeatedly clipped the mailbox backing out of her driveway, she always had a ready explanation: "the sun was in my eyes" or "your grandfather distracted me." Our...

One of the many underappreciated things about the human body is that it has a lot of excess capacity. That is, our organs have more reserve than most of us...

There was a time when pediatricians routinely recommended tonsil removal, even for healthy children -- including me. As far as I can tell, I suffered no ill effects -- plus,...

There are certain things our bodies do so often and so automatically that we barely notice them. Yawning, growling stomachs, and runny noses are good examples. Each is a universal...

When I took up running in college, a friend of mine scoffed at the idea. He hated running and was convinced runners were "wearing out" their joints. He liked to...