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 >
All Do It Herself:
Weight Training Benefits Older Women, Men Equally, Study Shows
When it comes to pumping iron, women have as much to gain as men. A new study compared the results of women and men aged 50 to 90 who started resistance training exercise programs, finding that though men were more likely to gain absolute muscle size, their gains were on par with women’s relative to… read on > read on >
Get Fit in Middle Age to Boost Your Aging Brain
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 >
Gym Closed? You Don’t Need Exercise Equipment to Stay Fit, Study Shows
If the pandemic has shut down your gym, you can still stay or get fit with a simple home exercise plan, researchers say. The Canadian study was modeled on a fitness plan known as “5BX,” or Five Basic Exercises, which was originally developed in the 1950s for the Royal Canadian Air Force. The plan doesn’t… read on > read on >
Cold Weather Exercise Could Burn More Fat
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 >
Exercise Boosts Physical, Mental Well-Being of Older Cancer Survivors
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 >
Shall You Dance? Study Finds Dancing Helps Seniors Avoid Falls
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 >
A Guide to Acne Care for People of Color
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 >
Keep High Blood Pressure at Bay With Healthy Lifestyle
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 >
Even Exercise May Not Ease Pandemic-Linked Stress
Exercise is often recommended to combat stress and anxiety. But it might not be the solution to your pandemic-related worries, new research indicates. For the study, researchers analyzed data gathered from more than 900 pairs of identical and same-sex fraternal twins in Washington state during the early stages of the pandemic. While 42% said their… read on >