Avoid Overuse Injuries. Performing the same exercises day after day can lead to an overuse injury. The Mayo Clinic recommends the following to avoid such injuries: engage in a variety of exercises, don’t do too many exercises in one day, warm up before and cool down after a workout, wear appropriate shoes, and use good…

Certain Physical Activities Associated with Better Sleep. Participating in activities such as walking, aerobics, calisthenics, running, weight training, yoga, and Pilates may improve your sleeping habits. Researcher leader Dr. Michael Grandner adds, “Although previous research has shown that lack of exercise is associated with poor sleep, the results of this study were surprising. Not only…

Music Strategy Encourages Patients to Exercise More. Cardiac rehabilitation patients who listened to a music device equipped with tempo-pace synchronization exercised over 100 minutes more per week than fellow patients who did not have the benefit of such technology. Tempo-pace synchronization helps cue individuals to take their next step and thus helps regulate, maintain, and…

Swim! Swimming is a great exercise that burns calories, is easy on the joints, helps manage weight, and builds both muscular strength and endurance. It also improves cardiovascular fitness, cools you off, refreshes you on hot summer days, and is an activity you can perform safely into old age. MedicineNet, May 2015

Ways to Lower Organized Sport Injury Risks. While playing organized sports is a great way for kids to get exercise and learn sportsmanship, taking precautions to reduce or avoid injury is important. The Children’s National Medical Center advises parents to have children receive a physical exam before starting organized sport, have water on hand during…

New Treadmills May Be Better at Duplicating Outdoor Running. Researchers have developed a new treadmill that automatically changes speed to match the pace of the runner. The machine uses sonar to tell where the runner is on the treadmill and then speeds up if the runner is moving towards the front of the running belt…

Cardio May Help Slow Down Aging in the Brain. The findings of a new study suggest that cardiorespiratory exercise could be prescribed to lessen age-related declines in brain structure. Researchers found that cardiorespiratory fitness was positively linked to the structural integrity of white matter in the brains of the older adults. They write, “We hope…

Reduces Vertigo Risk in Women. After examining the lifestyles of nearly 500 older women, researchers conclude that performing regular physical activity can reduce a woman’s risk for benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) by over 160%! International Archives of Otorhinolaryngology, October 2014

Exercise Helps Fibromyalgia Patients. An 18-week functional training program for women with fibromyalgia (FM) resulted in reductions in both pain and tender points along with a positive impact on their overall quality of life. If further studies verify these findings, such training (which consisted of two sessions of in-water exercise and one session of on-land…

Exercise Is Good for Lung Cancer Patients. Physical activity should be considered as a treatment option for lung cancer patients as it reduces symptoms, increases exercise tolerance, improves quality of life, and potentially reduces the length of hospital stays and complications following lung cancer surgery. Lead researcher Dr. Gerard A. Silvestri advises that “clinicians should…