Fitness

When it comes to exercise, most people just don't want to put in the effort. A new study from New York University shows there may be a new way to motivate people to exercise harder and longer, however. According to their findings, now published in Motivation and Emotion, people who focused on a specific target while exercising, such as a tree or landmark off in the distance, ended up exercising faster than those who didn't focus on anything. In turn,…
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Having trouble staying motivated during your workout? Here's one way to fight it: Listen to music. A new study from McMaster University in Canada reveals that people who listened to music during high intensity exercise worked out harder and longer than those who did not. As an added bonus, listening to music seemed to make the exercise seem easier, even if the workout was very strenuous, say researchers. "Many people find the experience aversive," says Matthew Stork, a graduate student…
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Want to lose weight? Here's one way to do it: Walk on a treadmill instead of sitting down during work. Yes, that's right--the best way to lose weight may simply be switching out your chair for a treadmill. But how many calories does it burn? Turns out it's quite a lot, according to Dr. James Levine, author of Move a Little, Lose a Lot, who estimates you'll burn up to 130 calories per hour. Space this out over a usual…
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Got bad memory? Instead of popping a few pills, try this: Lift weights. A new study from the Georgia Institute of Technology says that those who lifted weights for just 20 minutes a day enhanced their long-term memory recall by 10 percent, regardless of their actual physical condition. The findings are now published in the journal Acta Psychologica. "Our study indicates that people don't have to dedicate large amounts of time to give their brain a boost," says Lisa Weinberg,…
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Stressed out? Some people exercise. And for those who do, science now says that its effects on stress aren't just anecdotal--it could get rid of toxins that accumulate during stress. A study from the Karolinska Institute in Sweden confirmed these benefits earlier this week. "Our initial research hypothesis was that trained muscle would produce a substance with beneficial effects on the brain," says Jorge Ruas, a researcher from the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology at the Karolinska Institute. "We actually…
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Everyone knows your body needs certain nutrients in order to thrive--but does it need certain exercises as well? That's what one researcher is alleging in a new book, set to be released later this month. "Walking is a superfood," says Katy Bowman, who recently authored the book Move Your DNA: Restore Your Health Through Natural Movement. "It’s the defining movement of a human. It's a lot easier to get movement that it is to go exercise." Already world renown for…
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For most people, it's an easy assumption: The more you exercise, the better. But could more exercise be a bad thing? A new study published in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports reveals that vigorous exercise could actually undermine your health in a surprising way--by increasing tooth decay. Researchers from the dental school at University Hospital Heidelberg in Germany led the research. "We had thought sports drinks and nutrition might have the most detrimental influence on dental…
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It's true: Exercise is good for your heart. Now new research from the Journal of the American College of Cardiology says there's another reason to make it a habit--it could delay high blood pressure for up to a decade. The research, which was co-authored by researcher Xuemei Sui, is one of the first to show exercise can delay the development of high blood pressure--not just lower blood pressure in general. "A higher level of fitness can significantly delay this natural…
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More and more Americans are losing their battle with obesity. And worse yet, children and teenagers face the highest risk of becoming obese. To fight it, researchers say eating a healthy diet and getting plenty of exercise is everyone's best defense. But which exercises are ideal for obese children and teenagers? A new study funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research say they've found the perfect workout routine for losing weight--and luckily, it's something everyone can do. "Obesity is…
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Want a sharper mind as you age? Forget brain games--engaging in cardiovascular exercise could protect your brain later on in life, say researchers. A new study published in the health journal Neurobiology says that engaging in exercise regularly helps improve blood flow to the brain, reducing the risk of cognitive decline as people age. The research was led by Claudine Gauthier, a researcher from the University of Montreal. "Our body's arteries stiffen with age, and the vessel hardening is believed…
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