What makes a marathoner great? New research pinpoints the physical attributes of top marathon runners, and could help others improve their marathon performance. Elite male distance runners were asked to run on treadmills at a range of speeds and also on an outdoor track at a speed of 13.1 miles per hour, comparable to completing…  read on >  read on >

Mindfulness is all the rage when it comes to boosting mental health, but new research suggests that it may not help everyone equally. Practicing mindfulness meditation — which involves paying close attention to what you are feeling in the moment — may be better than doing nothing at all to improve anxiety, depression or lower…  read on >  read on >

Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity in middle age and beyond might help keep your brain healthy, a new study suggests. “Our study suggests that getting at least an hour and 15 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous-intensity physical activity a week or more during midlife may be important throughout your lifetime for promoting brain health and preserving the actual structure…  read on >  read on >

If you want to burn fat this winter, take your exercise outdoors, researchers say. A Canadian study suggests that vigorous exercise in cold weather may burn more fat than working out indoors. Regular physical activity speeds metabolism and helps regulate fat in the blood (“lipids”), and high-intensity training is better for burning fat than moderate-intensity…  read on >  read on >

Active older adults — cancer survivors included — are in better physical and mental health than their sedentary peers, a new study finds. More regular moderate to vigorous physical activity and less sedentary time improve the mental and physical health of older cancer survivors and older people without a cancer diagnosis, say researchers from the…  read on >

Preventing falls in older age could be as fun as dancing them away, new research shows. Researchers found a 31% reduction in falls and a 37% reduction in fall risk for those aged 65 and older when reviewing clinical trials on “dance-based mind-motor activities” from around the world. “We were positively surprised by the consistency…  read on >

Dealing with acne can be especially difficult for people of color, a skin expert says. Acne affects up to 50 million people in the United States each year. For people of color, acne is often accompanied by dark spots or patches called hyperpigmentation. “Acne is the most common skin condition in the U.S., and it…  read on >

Want to fend off high blood pressure? New research adds to the pile of evidence showing that living healthy can help you avoid hypertension. The study included nearly 3,000 Black and white U.S. adults, aged 45 and older, who didn’t have high blood pressure at the start of the study. The participants’ heart health was…  read on >