By Simon Cooper, Nottingham Trent University Whether it’s during the post-lunch slump or just one of those days, we all struggle to concentrate on what we’re doing sometimes, whether that’s at work, school, or home. Being able to concentrate on what we’re doing would inevitably…
By Julie Broderick, Trinity College Dublin Though people with office jobs often sit for up to 80% of the working day, many still manage to get an average of 3,616 steps daily, largely thanks to many small opportunities for activity throughout the day. But with…
By Viv Lee, University of Birmingham Even if you exercise everyday – whether that’s at home, at the gym, or taking your dog for walks – you might not be getting as much physical activity as you think you are. The World Health Organization (WHO)…
By Bradley Elliott, University of Westminster Exercising more is one of the most common new year resolutions people make. But more than a quarter of people fail to keep their resolutions, and only half maintain some of them. But if that still sounds daunting, here…
By Amy Elizabeth Harwood, Coventry University; Chris Seenan, Glasgow Caledonian University, and Garry Tew, Northumbria University, Newcastle Exercise has been used in the treatment of many medical conditions, including heart and lung diseases. But it can also play an important role in treating peripheral artery…
By Francesca Solmi, UCL and Praveetha Patalay, UCL The proportion of teenagers who are overweight or obese has risen over the past 30 years. In parallel, there has been an increase in societal focus on weight loss and dieting – namely in the form of…
By Áine Kelly, Trinity College Dublin Regular exercise changes the structure of our bodies’ tissues in obvious ways, such as reducing the size of fat stores and increasing muscle mass. Less visible, but perhaps even more important, is the profound influence exercise has on the…
By Justin Roberts, Anglia Ruskin University There’s plenty of evidence showing how important nutrition is for exercise, from aiding performance to enhancing recovery. But it’s often confusing to know whether it’s best to eat before or after you exercise. To answer this, you should first…
By GreenMedInfo Research Group Do you worry about loss of bone and muscle as you age? Science shows that basic lifestyle interventions can reverse this trend and may even help stop it before it starts. As the human body ages, it’s normal to experience some…
By Ruth Lowry, University of Essex and Jo Barton, University of Essex As winter descends on the northern hemisphere and the temperature drops and daylight hours shorten, many people may want to spend more time indoors. And those of us under lockdown for the second…
By: GreenMedInfo Research Group Think you need to pound the pavement in order to obtain the brain-boosting benefits of exercise? Studies show yoga may be just as good as aerobics when it comes to maintaining a healthy brain. A research article published in the journal…
New research from Edith Cowan University (ECU) has revealed that training one arm can improve strength and decrease muscle loss in the other arm – without even moving it. The findings could help to address the muscle wastage and loss of strength often experienced in…
Two new studies from UC San Diego find that simply standing up or walking around can provide positive health benefits; and Americans sit too much More than 5 million people around the world die from causes associated with a lack of physical activity. Two research…
By Andy Galbraith, University of East London The 40th anniversary of the London Marathon takes place on Sunday, October 4 2020. Athletes will run on a closed-loop circuit around St James’s Park before finishing on The Mall. This year’s lineup includes current champions Eliud Kipchoge…
By David R Clark, Liverpool John Moores University; Carl Langan-Evans, Liverpool John Moores University, and Robert M. Erskine, Liverpool John Moores University Weight lifting, also known as resistance training, has been practised for centuries as a way of building muscular strength. Research shows that resistance…
Study links higher level of exercise to 25% to 32% lower risk of all-cause mortality in people with type 2 diabetes New research presented at this year’s Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD), held online this year, shows that…
By Alessio Bricca, University of Southern Denmark and Søren T. Skou, University of Southern Denmark Hundreds of millions of people of all ages worldwide live with two or more chronic conditions – commonly defined as multimorbidity. Those living with it are found to have poorer…
New research shows improving the lifestyle of women with obesity during pregnancy could mean long-term cardiovascular benefits for their children. The study, led by King’s College London and supported by the British Heart Foundation and Tommy’s charity, examined how an antenatal diet and physical activity…
By Lee Bell, Sheffield Hallam University There’s a thin line between working hard enough and working too hard. Pushing your body to reach new levels of fitness requires commitment, effort and a willingness to put yourself through intense, challenging workouts on a regular basis. But…
Exercise has been shown to reduce anxiety and stress, but it may not be enough for the levels caused by COVID-19. In a study of twins led by Washington State University researchers, people who reported increasing their physical activity after the start of COVID-19 stay-at-home…
