Exercise May Protect You Against Cancer. Exercise may decrease cancer incidence and slow the rate of tumor growth. A new animal-based study found that mice trained to use an exercise wheel had a lower risk of developing cancer, and those that did develop cancer had tumors that grew at a reduced rate compared with the…

Exercise Improves Blood Vessel Health Among Stressed. Past studies have shown that constant stress is associated with signs of poor blood vessel health and an increased risk for cardiovascular disease. A new animal-based study has found that exercise protected blood vessel function in rats regularly subjected to stress. The researchers conclude that exercise training may…

Too Few Children Get 60 Minutes of Exercise Daily. In this study, investigators observed 453 schoolchildren during a one-week period and found that only 15% achieved the recommended 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) each day. Furthermore, compared with normal or underweight children, the researchers report that the overweight and obese children in the…

Brain Chemicals Affected By Exercise. Researchers have found that people who exercise not only have better physical fitness than inactive persons, but they also have better mental fitness. Using MRI scans, researchers found that intense exercise increased the levels of two common neurotransmitters called glutamate and gamma-aminobutyric acid in study participants. The finding offers insights…

Being Physically Fit Reduces Depression Risk After Heart Attack. People who are physically fit may be less likely to become depressed after a heart attack. Researchers looked at 189 middle-aged and older Norwegians and found that those who exercised regularly in the years preceding their heart attack were less than half as likely to become…

Exercise Helps Some Smokers Quit. According to a new study, between 20% and 33% of smokers are considered to have high-anxiety sensitivity and smoke to cope with stress, making it more difficult for them to quit. In this study, investigators found that 26% of high-anxiety sensitivity smokers who were involved in a 15-week exercise program…

Lifelong Physical Activity Increases Bone Density Among Men. A University of Missouri researcher has found that men who continuously participated in high-impact activities during adolescence and young adulthood had greater hip and lumbar spine bone density than those who did not perform high impact activities in their younger years. Dr. Pamela Hinton writes, “The most…

Exercise During Pregnancy Improves Health for Mom & Baby. A large, randomized trial revealed that without exercise during pregnancy, women are three times more likely to develop hypertension, 1.5 times more likely to gain excessive weight, and 2.5 times more likely to give birth to a baby that is large for its gestational age. Study…

Does Arial Yoga Offer Any Health Benefits? The latest trend in yoga involves the use of circus hammocks to lift people off the floor to achieve yoga poses and align the body in the air. Researchers recruited 16 female volunteers to participate in a six-week intervention with three 50-minute aerial yoga sessions per week. Their…

Do Compression Stocking Work? A new study investigated the effects of wearing compression stockings on physical performance in men with type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome. Using multiple measurements and techniques, investigators found no evidence of any beneficial effects caused by wearing compression stockings either at rest or while performing moderately intense exercise. International Journal…