Major milestones and life stages affect the amount of exercise women get, according to a study of more than 22,000 women.

Researchers looked at three life phases—young womanhood, ages 22 to 27; middle age, ages 51 to 56; and older age, ages 73 to 78. They found physical activity fell among newly married young women with young children and in older women with health problems.

The amount of time spent on physical activity increased among retired women, women who were widowed in middle age, and women who experienced stressful events, such as divorce or harassment at work, according to the study in the Annals of Behavioral Medicine.

Being physically active is important throughout women’s lives. The study authors suggest that by recognizing life events that are likely to decrease the time and energy available for being active, women can make a concerted effort to incorporate this essential health habit into their daily lives.

For example, older women with arthritis or heart disease shouldn’t back off from a regular exercise routine because exercise is an effective way to help manage these conditions.

About one in eight Americans who have five or more drinks at one sitting get behind the wheel of a motor vehicle soon afterward, according to researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That puts them and others at risk for injury or death.

One study of more than 14,000 adults found those most likely to drink and drive were men ages 35 to 54 who drank in bars, restaurants, or clubs rather than at home. Drivers who drank in public establishments averaged 8.1 drinks. One in four drank more than 10 alcoholic beverages, according to an article published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

Men and women ages 45 and older with high blood pressure have an increased risk for memory problems and cognitive impairment, according to a study of nearly 20,000 men and women published in the journal Neurology.

Researchers found that for every 10-point increase in diastolic blood pressure (the bottom number of a blood pressure reading), the risk of a person having problems with thinking skills and memory rose by 7 percent, compared with people with normal diastolic levels.

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