From news you can use to finds you might love, click through our picks from the week online. 

File under heartwarming A bodybuilder from Ghana opened a gym in a downtown Manhattan housing development and changed the life of 90-year-old Shirley Friedman. The NY Times has a knack of creating simple, touching portraits – and this one’s no exception. It tells the story of Friedman’s relationship with Addo, who was raised by his grandmother and aunts. Addo has given Friedman her balance back – and also an unusual friendship.

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Walking 6,000 steps a day might prevent and improve knee arthritis according to a new study. According to someone involved in the research at Boston University, people usually average 100 steps per minute while they walk, so 6,000 steps is roughly an hour of walking a day – and every step counts, whether you’re taking a walk or walking across the room to turn off the TV. All you need is a fitness tracker or pedometer. Read more here.

One more reason to eat your broccoli A new research study adds to mounting evidence that longterm exposure to air pollution – especially the kind of fine particulate matter produced by vehicle exhaust – can be bad for the aging brain. Also new on the research front: Scientists at John Hopkins University say that broccoli might help protect our bodies against the effects of air pollution by promoting the excretion of toxins. Study participant added a drink to their daily diet that included broccoli sprouts.  Click here to read about the cognitive functioning study and here to read about the broccoli study.

Dame Vivienne The blog That’s Not My Age posted a striking image of the godmother of punk fashion Vivienne Westwood by photographer Andy Gotts, who says his pictures are “wart and all” – no retouching. Click here to read more.

A special relationship The rate of STDs among people 60-plus has been skyrocketing in the US – and not surprisingly, the same is true in the UK. A study conducted there that looks at the rise as a product of the Baby Boom generation aging up shows that many Boomers have never used a condom because the pill was available. Read more – and use a condom!

Why senior travel discounts aren’t always a great deal Travel (in fact, all) discounts for seniors have been on the wane, so when we see one, we’re likely to jump. So we’re thankful that finance site Kiplinger did some homework and compared several senior deals to non-senior discounts, most of them online deals, available for the same hotel, car rental or attraction. For example, Kiplinger says, “AARP members get a 10% to 25% discount on Avis and Budget car rentals when you use a code provided by AARP and book through the rental companies. But book through a deal aggregator such as Hotwire.com, and you can save even more.” Read the article on Kiplinger to score the best deals without having to show your AARP card.

How do senior living facilities deal with new marijuana laws? Pro-marijuana site We Love the Herb talked to administrators and discovered that responses to legalization of medical and non-medical marijuana vary widely – but that for the most part, assisted living facilities find themselves “between a bud and a hard place.” Click here to read – whether you smoke (or want to) or not, it’s an interesting look at a complex topic.

Top new car features to look for  Savvy Senior created a useful list of  features available on many new vehicles that can help with age-related physical problems. If you’re an older driver shopping for a new car, click here to read it.

Lovey-dovey If you care about emojis, you might like to know that hearts are by miles the most frequently used emoji on Twitter. Hearts are closely followed by “Joy” and (because we can’t all be happy all the time) “Unamused.” See thew whole list of 100 here and read more analysis of the world’s emoji-ing (including, no racial diversity) by clicking here.

Plus

• Getting six to nine hours’ sleep per night helps improve cognitive functioning.
• An 11-year-old has invented, Kickstarted and produced a cup for people suffering from Parkinson’s.
• Amazon plans to become a marketplace for services by end of year – oder your plumber along with your ebook!

Happy clicking!