As a behavioural psychologist, James Sallis started out trying to understand how to motivate people to become more physically active. But, like many of his colleagues, he soon found that whatever worked only worked a little, on a few people, for a short time. Soon, Dr. Sallis came to see the modern urban environment as…
Video games can sometimes be associated with a sedentary lifestyle and unhealthy weight gain. A new study led by researchers at the George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services (SPHHS) suggests that certain games could provide an attractive energy-burning P.E. alternative option for kids. Lead author Todd Miller, PhD, an associate professor…
I find myself, probably like many of you, spending way too much time in front of my computer. When I do face-to-face meetings, my colleagues and I typically met around some conference table, sometimes at an airport lounge (nothing like getting the most out of a long layover), and quite often at coffee shops (hello…
On January 1, the LA River officially started playing in the big leagues as a new state bill took it from ‘flood control channel’ to ‘navigable waterway’. But as the Wall Street Journal helpfully points out, ‘the 51-mile river’s mostly concrete route is lined with industrial yards, freeways and train tracks.’ But now the Army…
Roll up a sleeve for the blood pressure cuff. Stick out a wrist for the pulse-taking. Lift your tongue for the thermometer. Report how many minutes you are active or getting exercise. Wait, what? If the last item isn’t part of the usual drill at your doctor’s office, a movement is afoot to change that….
If you want to burn fat and lose weight, aerobic exercise may be your best workout option, according to a study in the Journal of Applied Physiology. It was more effective than a weight-lifting routine, and about as beneficial as workouts combining cardio and strength training, researchers found. “If a person is going to give…
Nobody in their right mind visits Midtown Manhattan during the holidays. The reason is simple: everyone, it seems, is in Midtown Manhattan during the holidays. Drawn to the scene like lacewings to streetlights, tourists jam the sidewalks, the crowds slow-moving, veering, shopping-bag-laden, and only vaguely walking forward. New Yorkers normally roll their eyes, but they…
Urban planner Jeff Speck’s “Walkable City: How Downtown Can Save America, One Step at a Time” is both a forceful analysis of what’s wrong with most cities and a 10-step program for fixing them. Given that 80 percent of Americans now live in urban areas, everyone interested in improving the quality of city life should…
A new University of South Carolina study has found that getting people to start walking to improve their health is as simple as getting them to know their neighbors. The trial study, called PATH, for Positive Action for Today’s Health, is published in the latest issue of the American Journal of Public Health. The study,…
You’ve heard of Octoberfest. But what about Walktoberfest? The nonprofit advocacy group Walk Boston recently led a walk from Boston to Cambridge. While participants enjoyed a few adult beverages during their trek, the main mission of the event was to show residents how easy and safe it is to move around the city. “It’s really…