9 April 2020
THURSDAY, April 9, 2020 (American Heart Association News) -- With the explosion of smartphones, teens have learned to swiftly scroll and type away using only their thumbs. But the rest of their bodies are woefully inactive – and the effects are far-reaching.
Only about 1 in 4 high school students get the recommended hour a day of physical activity, according to statistics from the American Heart Association. Screen time is partially to blame, along with declining physical education programs in schools, experts say. Teens are missing out on the health benefits, which range from a stronger heart to better mental health.
"Physically active children tend to be less obese and are less likely to develop hypertension, diabetes and cardiac disease, and they have better mental well-being as...
6 April 2020
MONDAY, April 6, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Pilates exercises can do more than help strengthen your abs -- the moves may also lower high blood pressure and reduce artery stiffness, new research suggests.
Pilates is a workout program that focuses on core strength, flexibility, body posture and controlled breathing.
The new study included 28 obese women, aged 19 to 27, with high blood pressure ("hypertension"). The participants were non-smokers, had no chronic diseases, and did less than 90 minutes of regular exercise a week.
For the study, half of the women completed 12 weeks of mat Pilates sessions supervised by a certified instructor. The other 14 women made up a non-exercising control group.
The women in the Pilates group did three one-hour sessions a week, which included 10...
3 April 2020
FRIDAY, April 3, 2020 (American Heart Association News) -- Even as government officials warn us to "stay home, stay safe" during the coronavirus pandemic, people are flocking to parks, trails and sidewalks to walk and bike away their cabin fever.
That might seem like a total contradiction. But according to health experts, it can be a healthy choice – as long as you exercise caution while exercising outdoors.
"Since most people don't have a treadmill, outdoor exercise makes it a heck of a lot easier to meet the physical activity guidelines of 150 minutes a week of moderate activity, like walking, or 75 minutes a week of vigorous activity, like running," said Dr. Jeffrey Harris, professor and chair of the University of Washington's department of health services in the School of...
24 March 2020
TUESDAY, March 24, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- For years, health experts have urged us to get off the couch and get moving. Now a new U.S. government study shows how much we stand to gain.
The study, of more 4,800 Americans age 40 and up, found a clear pattern: The more steps people took each day, the less likely they were to die over the next 10 years.
Those who managed at least 8,000 steps a day -- roughly equivalent to walking 4 miles -- were one-half to two-thirds less likely to die, compared to less-active people.
The advantage was consistent among both men and women, in all racial groups studied, and across the age span, researchers report in the March 24 Journal of the American Medical Association.
The fact that active people lived longer is no surprise, researchers said.
But...