FRIDAY, June 19, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- It's often said that physical activity rates are too low, but a new report takes a different angle and reveals the good news that exercise prevents nearly 4 million premature deaths a year worldwide. For the study, the researchers analyzed data from 168 countries on the percentage of people who were getting recommended levels of exercise. The World Health Organization recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity, 75 minutes of vigorous activity, or an equivalent combination each week. By combining the exercise data with estimates of the risk of dying early among active and inactive people, the investigators estimated how many premature deaths were prevented by physical activity. The conclusion: Physical activity...

FRIDAY, June 19, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- If you're working from home because of the coronavirus pandemic and expect to keep doing so, you need to be sure your work station is set up properly, an orthopedic specialist says. You also need to take regular breaks to move around, according to Terrence McGee, a physical therapist at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore. In an office, many people have ergonomic support and opportunities for physical breaks. You might have walked to the water cooler or coffee machine, attended meetings or walked to co-workers' desks, he noted in a university news release. To help you adapt to working at home, McGee has some suggestions to improve the safety and comfort of your workspace. When sitting at your desk, rest your feet flat...

THURSDAY, June 18, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Wondering whether stay-at-home advisories mean you should skip your child's check-up? According to one pediatrician, parents should keep their kids' regular health appointments during the coronavirus pandemic. "I'm having these conversations every day with my patients," said Dr. Mona Patel, an attending physician in the division of general pediatrics at Children's Hospital Los Angeles. "I'm encouraging families to come in. It's so important that children continue to get the health care they need, including preventive care." It's important not to wait until the pandemic is over to get your child immunized. This is especially true for babies and children younger than 2 years. Vaccinations are timed with the risk that a child could get a...