What's yoursign?

• Five presidents, including Joe Biden, are Scorpios. The most of any sign. In fact, there are more leaders worldwide that are Scorpios than any other sign.

• A rental car service in Australia found that out of 100,000 customers, Leos were the worst drivers and racked up the most traffic violations.

• In a study of the Forbes billionaire list, it was found there were more Libras than any other zodiac sign.

• The most common birthday is September 9, which is under the sign of Virgo. The most common sign overall swings between Virgo and Scorpio. Capricorn is the least common sign.

• The 10 most popular astrology apps made $40 million in 2019. It’s estimated about a third of the world’s population believes in astrology.

• Sorry Pisces and Gemini, these signs are most often connected with serial killers. Most loners are under the Pisces sign and most charmers are under Gemini. Of course, those aren’t bad traits, but taken to extremes, they can produce some scary people. But hey, Geminis, don’t worry, you also lead the category for most Nobel Prize winners and actors.

• Some of the greatest athletes in history were born under Aquarius: Babe Ruth, Jackie Robinson, Hank Aaron, Michael Jordan, Cristiano Ronaldo, Jim Brown, Bill Russell, Dr. J, and Jack Nicklaus, to name just a few.

*Elements

March 20 – April 19 (2023 dates; check online for your year of birth dates)

Symbol: Ram

Element: Fire*

Mode: Cardinal**

Ruling Planet: Mars No filter; gets angry, then forgets why; thinks everything is a game they can win; will do anything for a dare; easily bored

Best Career: Stunt double; pro wrestler; thief; cereal box mascot

Compatability: Gemini, Libra, Aquarius

Fire: dynamic; active; restless; passionate

Earth: physical; tangible; sensual; grounded

Air: cerebral; communicative; associated with leadership

Water: emotional; intuitive; sensitive

May 21 – June 20

Symbol: Twins

Element: Air

Mode: Mutable

Ruling Planet: Mercury

Charismatic; uses humor as a crutch; could talk to a brick wall; arguments as flirting; knows a little about everything

Best Career: Politician; Kramer; devil's advocate; bubble gum wrapper joke writer; Twitter personality

Compatability: Aries, Leo, Sagittarius

July 22 – August 22

Symbol: Lion

Element: Fire

Mode: Fixed

Ruling Planet: Sun

Warm and creative; a little bit vain; big personality; wants to stand out; likes luxury

Best Career: B-list actor; motivational speaker; autobiographical writer; style icon; chanteuse

Compatability: Gemini, Libra, Aquarius

**Modes

April 20 – May 20

Symbol: Bull

Element: Earth

Mode: Fixed

Ruling Planet: Venus Just wants to cuddle; homebody; all or nothing, no in-between; wears same outfit every day; hates change

Best Career: Hermit; sleep study participant; sweatpants model; wall to bump against

Compatability: Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces

Cardinal: Visionaries; tolerate change; creative Fixed: Follow through; doers; hardworking Mutable: Logical; positive; flexible

June 21 – July 21

Symbol: Crab

Element: Water

Mode: Cardinal

Ruling Planet: Moon

Sensitive; seeks comfort; forgives but never forgets; has one boundary, but it’s firm; takes on other people’s problems

Best Career: Emotional pack mule; that one influential elementary school teacher; “Free Hugs” booth operator; metaphorical heart surgeon

Compatability: Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn

August 23 – September 22

Symbol: Virgin

Element: Earth

Mode: Mutable

Ruling Planet: Mercury

Needs to feel useful; has a quick fix for everything; judgmental, but with good intentions; great spatial awareness; million ideas per second

Best Career: Hot librarian; tupperware for other people's messes; walking encyclopedia; human GPS; one-person welcome committee

Compatability: Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces

September 23 – October 22

Symbol: Scales

Element: Air

Mode: Cardinal

Ruling Planet: Venus

Hates being alone; good aesthetics; conflict avoidant; sees every side; prone to fantasy; can’t make decisions

Best Career: Hivemind; socialite; Instagram model; muse; mediator

Compatability: Aries, Leo, Sagittarius

November 22 – December 20

Symbol: Archer

Element: Fire

Mode: Mutable

Ruling Planet: Jupiter

No indoor voice; forms opinions off pure emotion; obsessed with self-improvement; wields truth like a blunt weapon; friendliest at a party

Best Career: Foreign correspondent; health fad guru; Karaoke emcee; club kid; unauthorized anthropologist

Compatability: Gemini, Libra, Aquarius

January 20 – February 17

Symbol: Water Bearer

Element: Air

Mode: Fixed

Ruling Planet: Uranus

Esoteric; no feelings, just concepts; believes in conspiracy theories; more in love with humanity as a whole than individuals; feels like an outcast; fetishizes personal freedom

Best Career: Bohemian; rioter and looter; armchair philosopher; artificial intelligence; dilettante

Compatability: Aries, Leo, Sagittarius

October 23 – November 21

Symbol: Scorpion

Element: Water

Mode: Fixed

Ruling Planet: Pluto

Primary emotion is betrayal; looks cool in a leather jacket; OK with uncomfortable silence; can’t be sure if they’re serious or joking; eyes that look into your soul

Best Career: Con artist; puppet master; brooding protagonist; poltergeist; cult leader

Compatability: Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn

December 21 – January 19

Symbol: Sea Goat

Element: Earth

Mode: Cardinal

Ruling Planet: Saturn

Full grown adult at age 6; responsible friend; motivated by duty; takes time to warm up to people; represses emotions that get in way of success

Best Career: Accountant; lawyer; landlord; hall monitor; Sisyphus

Compatability: Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces

February 18 – March 19

Symbol: Fishes

Element: Water

Mode: Mutable

Ruling Planet: Neptune

Somehow 5 and 50 years old at once; thinks everything is a sign; excessively romantic; prone to fantasy; no boundaries; did I dream it or was it real?

Best Career: Sad clown; vapor; orb of light; amateur poet; curbside fortune teller; volunteer therapist

Compatability: Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn

We know.

You don’t even have to say it. We’ll say it for you. “Another exercise article.” We get it, and yet here we are still typing. We’re starting to think this endless need to talk health is a mental affliction—ah, there’s a topic for another day. But for this issue, yes, here we are once again.

Why do we exercise? Isn’t the world coming to an end soon anyway? Do we really want to live through the apocalypse and come out the other side where the main thrusts of life are shooting zombies and defending our last can of peas against marauding gangs wielding nail-spiked baseball bats?

If we put aside the doomsday prepper vision of the future, exercising and living healthy actually does feel good and it can allow us to live a more fulfilling life. We can enjoy our family and friends longer. We can pursue our favorite activities longer. It can help us look back and say, “I lived a good life.”

A concept that has been around for a while but seems to be cropping up more often in health circles is making the distinction between your biological age and your chronological age. Chronological age refers to the actual amount of time you’ve been alive while the biological age refers to how well your body functions and can fight disease as you grow older. Your biological age can be measured through medical testing for telomere length, which is a compound at the end of chromosomes that shorten as you age, and DNA methylation, which basically maps how your DNA has changed over your lifetime.

The key to distinguishing the two ages is that biological age can be reversed. So, if you happened to hit a new decade of life in the past few years, it doesn’t mean your body has to as well. But how do we reverse or slow down our biological age? Well, that’s where we revert back to what we all should know by now: proper diet, strength training, cardio, flexibility, consistent sleep, etc.

Here’s some stats to throw at you: Research suggests routinely sitting for 10 hours a day increases your biological age by eight years; exercising 40 minutes, five days a week decreases your biological age by nine years; adding Omega 3s to your diet can reduce your mortality rate by 15 percent; sleeping less than five hours a night biologically ages you by five years. Yes, we could go on.

So, let’s look into a few things you can do to start reversing your biological clock, some small steps every day in order to find your comfort zone. This goes for all you post-Gen Xers out there, too. The National Academy of Sciences found young people of the same chronological age vary in their biological age well before midlife. Simply put, it’s never too early to start training your mind and body toward a healthier life track.

First, without going to a medical professional for testing, there are a number of online biological age calculators you can try. These won’t be 100 percent accurate, but it will give you a baseline to work from and give you an idea of some lifestyle changes that you may need to address. Now, here are some tips:

Increase weights-to-cardio ratio. Professionals recommend two weight sessions for every cardio session. Only running or biking is not helping all aspects of your body. Resistance training, according to OrthoCarolina, “prevents muscle wastage, triggers biological reactions that help remove free radicals and oxidative stress, and increases blood flow.” Weight training also boosts growth hormones, helps retain bone-building calcium and fat-burning muscle as you age.

Dynamic Flexibility. These exercises help give you the ability to move your muscles and joints through their full range of motion during active movement. Arm circles, shoulder rolls, torso twists and butt kicks are some examples. Dynamic flexibility goes beyond simple stretching, engaging the entire motion of the joint or muscle so they continue to work properly.

Easy big guy/gal. Ignore all the silly quotes that guilt you into destroying yourself to be ultra-healthy. Too much exertion is bad for maintaining an exercise regime and, experts say, it can create cortisol and stress responses that can negatively affect your central nervous system. Your exercise schedule should be regular and sustainable. You want to work up a sweat, but don’t overdo it.

The Greeks get it. Scientists continue to laud the Mediterranean diet as one of the healthiest. Fish, vegetables, whole grains, unrefined carbs, beans, nuts, olive oil, and a nice glass of wine translates to a 25 percent reduction in all-cause mortality. And wouldn’t you know it, many of those foods are bursting with Omega 3s, which break down into anti-inflammatory chemicals that are good for your body.

Do something new. According to psychologist Bradley Busch on innerdrive.co.uk , “Research suggests the best way to keep the brain healthy is by learning new things because it makes new connections in the brain. Hobbies, like languages and music, are great.”

Oh, and a Harvard study showed musicians’ brains contain a larger volume of gray matter than nonmusicians. So, there’s that to brag about at your next party.

Keep it in perspective. A study at Yale found a person’s mindset on aging influenced health. Those who saw themselves as younger and those who didn’t see their age as a negative were overall more healthy.

Easier said than done. You’ve heard it before. Get a good night’s sleep. Scientists have found that the brain flushes out toxins during sleep and poor sleep quality is linked to our cells aging at an increased rate. But hey, steady exercise and a balanced diet can help regulate your body to get more consistent and highquality sleep.

Ah, do you see? It’s all connected. Mind, body, spirit. As author Paulo Coelho said, “I understand that everything is connected, that all roads meet, and that all rivers flow into the same sea.” Striving for the right balance will show you the best results.

Staying healthy isn’t easy, but it is doable. There’s no need to go all out, all at once. Start by substituting one meal a week with a Mediterranean-inspired dinner. Join a gym and get a consultation from a certified trainer. Having someone else map out an exercise routine removes the stress of figuring it out on your own. And start to believe you can be a healthier being.

College basketball coaches will tell you they break up every game into 10, 4-minute mini games. They don’t let their players think about the whole game. If you win the majority of those mini games, you’re more likely the winner at the final buzzer.

Small steps every day will get you closer to an ultimately longer and happier life. Your favorite machine at the gym might be the television, but at least you’re at the gym.