New research, published in BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation, looks at the benefits of pedometer use for patients participating in cardiac telerehabilitation. Section Editor John Dixon tells us more. Exercise and physical activity are known to have numerous health benefits. Physical activity can be helpful in preventing or managing conditions such as cardiovascular disease,…
New research is revealing that even small amounts of physical activity trigger dozens of beneficial changes in the body You probably have a vague sense that exercise is good for you—and you’ve probably heard that it’s “healthy for the heart.” But if you’re like most people, that’s not enough motivation to get you to break…
Do you want to be the very best, like no one ever was? Real-life positive health consequences of playing Pokémon Go — a new GPS-based augmented reality game — are happening across the nation. According to Matt Hoffman, DNP, clinical assistant professor at the Texas A&M College of Nursing, this quest to “catch ’em all”…
Embed from Getty Images People who visit parks for 30 minutes or more each week are much less likely to have high blood pressure or poor mental health than those who don’t, according to new research by Australian and UK environmental scientists. A study led by The University of Queensland (UQ) and the ARC Centre…
To strengthen your mind, you may first want to exert your leg muscles, according to a sophisticated new experiment involving people, mice and monkeys. The study’s results suggest that long-term endurance exercise such as running can alter muscles in ways that then jump-start changes in the brain, helping to fortify learning and memory. I often…
Life-threatening ailments like heart disease, cancer, stroke and Type 2 diabetes most often afflict adults. But they are often consequences of childhood obesity. Two new studies, conducted among more than half a million children in Denmark who were followed for many years, linked a high body mass index in children to an increased risk of…
In 1879, a physician in Elmira, New York, had a dream. He wanted to build a place where his patients could exercise. So, Dr. Edwin Eldridge purchased a tract of undeveloped wilderness land and turned it into a garden of great beauty — a world-class, Victorian-style park named Eldridge Park. He believed this park could…
Shinrin-yoku is the name given to the Japanese art of “forest bathing,” contemplative walks through the woods that reconnect the individual with nature and can lead to decreased stress, natural mood elevation and even a stronger immune system. This means of mobile meditation has been recognized by the Japanese government since 1982 and has been…
A trailblazing approach to mental health by Forestry Commission Scotland and local health boards is seeing service users go on activity-filled woodland walks The Scottish are keen woodland-goers, with 78% visiting woods for recreation compared with 56% across the UK, according to the Public Opinion of…
We’ve heard it before: “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” Such a cliche, right? But a single step will start you on the path toward better health, and you’ll need to accrue significantly less than a thousand miles. In fact, you just need 10,000 steps. That magic number may seem…