Latest news with #Medicine&ScienceinSports&Exercise
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
‘Do you even lift?': Just 30 minutes can make you stronger
Spending just half an hour of weight lifting a day twice a week can make you stronger, researchers say. The findings may help people who are hoping to make gains at the gym, but don't have all week to do it. Most Americans don't get enough exercise and just around half are meeting federal physical activity recommendations. Even fewer people meet suggested benchmarks for aerobic and muscle-building activities. Lifting can safeguard against heart disease and premature death. 'The main reason people give is time,' Brad Schoenfeld, a professor of exercise science at New York City's Lehman College, told The Washington Post this week. Schoenfeld is the senior author of the research, which was published earlier this month in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. The study looked at the progress of 42 healthy adult men and women between the ages of 18 and 40 over two months. Participants, who had already done some resistance training before, were sorted into two groups that trained to failure on all exercises and another who lifted until they were tired but could still probably squeak out a few more reps. Before the study, they had been doing at least two or three sets of every exercise during their workouts. They performed a single set of nine upper and lower body exercises that targeted all major muscle groups, repeating each move eight to 10 times. The exercises included the popular leg and chest press, Smith machine squats, bicep curls, seated cable rows, front lat pull-downs, and shoulder presses. Even with the reduced number of reps, they saw success, adding mass and strength. The changes were seen among men and women in both groups. Schoenfeld said it's 'quite likely' but not certain that their results could apply equally to older people and other groups, with benefits that continue past two months. To see similar swole results, people can substitute other exercises. The key is consistency, but Schoenfeld advises leaving at least one day between sessions. 'The message, I think, is to find one hour somewhere in your week,' he said.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Can an hour of strength training a week really make you stronger?
Various studies found weight training to be beneficial for body and mind, including one that suggests it might help protect the brains of older adults from dementia. But just how often should you lift? According to a new study, the answer is about an hour a week. During the two-month study, 42 healthy men and women gained significant muscle mass and strength from two 30-minute sessions of uncomplicated resistance exercises each week, per the Washington Post. The research was published in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. In each session, participants did nine common upper- and lower-body gym exercises, repeating each move eight to 10 times, until their muscles felt fatigued but not necessarily exhausted. The routine was meant to be short because so many people blame busy schedules for not lifting, Brad Schoenfeld, a professor of exercise science at Lehman College in the Bronx and the study's senior author, told the Post. 'We were interested in finding the minimum effective dose' of resistance training for most people, he said. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that only about 20% of American adults strength train even a few times a week. The new study is the latest one to find strength training in short durations has long-term health benefits. A 2022 meta-analysis published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that people who do muscle-strengthening workouts are less likely to die prematurely than those who don't. According to the study, those who did 30 to 60 minutes a week of strength training had a 10% to 20% lower risk of dying during the research period from all causes, including cancer and heart disease specifically, compared to those who did no weight lifting. The benefits plateaued after one hour, and decreased after two hours. U.S. exercise guidelines recommend that adults do strength training for all major muscle groups twice a week, which can be accomplished with a variety of workouts, including weightlifting, exercises like push-ups and sit-ups, and some types of yoga. The current guidelines don't specify how long strength workouts should be, but more research is needed before revising the guidelines to include time-specific goals, said I-Min Lee, professor of epidemiology at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Lee, who was not involved in the study, said that two 30-minute strength workouts per week would fit the guidelines if all major muscle groups were targeted. Muscle-strengthening exercises are beneficial because they lead to better physical functioning, she said. 'Such exercises also improve glucose metabolism, enhance maintenance of healthy body weight, and help improve cardiovascular risk factors such as blood pressure,' said Lee, per a Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health article. 'All these factors lead to lower risks of cardiovascular disease, cancer and diabetes, which lowers mortality risk.' A 2025 study published in the journal GeroScience suggests that weight training might help protect the brains of older adults from dementia, including those already showing signs of mild cognitive impairment. Researchers recruited 44 adults ages 55 or older with a diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment for the study. Participants were divided into two groups. The weight training group did a resistance exercise program with moderate to high intensity sessions twice a week, with progressive loads, meaning weight or sets were increased as participants' muscles strengthened. The control group did not exercise during the study period, per Medical News Today. The study found that after six months, the weight training group showed improvement in verbal episodic memory and the strength of neurons and areas of the brain associated with Alzheimer's disease. The control group showed signs of worsening brain parameters. 'This is an interesting finding because it suggests that weight training may not only help to increase cognition, but also prevent the development of atrophy in regions related to Alzheimer's disease — potentially delaying progression or even preventing the onset of dementia,' Isadora Ribeiro, a São Paulo Research Foundation doctoral fellowship recipient at the School of Medical Sciences at the State University of Campinas in Brazil, told Medical News Today. Ribeiro is the study's first author. In the study cited by the Washington Post, researchers invited their volunteers to the gym twice a week, for supervised sessions, where everyone did the same nine exercises: Front lat pull-down Seated cable row Shoulder press Chest press Cable triceps pushdown Supinated dumbbell biceps curl Smith machine squats Leg press Leg extension The participants completed only one set of each exercise, which, for many, was a substantial reduction in volume. Most had been doing at least two or three sets of every exercise during their workouts, spending hours in the gym every week. Now they finished in 30 minutes, per the Post.
The Independent
30-04-2025
- Health
- The Independent
‘Do you even lift?': Just 30 minutes can make you stronger
Spending just half an hour of weight lifting a day twice a week can make you stronger, researchers say. The findings may help people who are hoping to make gains at the gym, but don't have all week to do it. Most Americans don't get enough exercise and just around half are meeting federal physical activity recommendations. Even fewer people meet suggested benchmarks for aerobic and muscle-building activities. Lifting can safeguard against heart disease and premature death. 'The main reason people give is time,' Brad Schoenfeld, a professor of exercise science at New York City's Lehman College, told The Washington Post this week. Schoenfeld is the senior author of the research, which was published earlier this month in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. The study looked at the progress of 42 healthy adult men and women between the ages of 18 and 40 over two months. Participants, who had already done some resistance training before, were sorted into two groups that trained to failure on all exercises and another who lifted until they were tired but could still probably squeak out a few more reps. Before the study, they had been doing at least two or three sets of every exercise during their workouts. They performed a single set of nine upper and lower body exercises that targeted all major muscle groups, repeating each move eight to 10 times. The exercises included the popular leg and chest press, Smith machine squats, bicep curls, seated cable rows, front lat pull-downs, and shoulder presses. Even with the reduced number of reps, they saw success, adding mass and strength. The changes were seen among men and women in both groups. Schoenfeld said it's 'quite likely' but not certain that their results could apply equally to older people and other groups, with benefits that continue past two months. To see similar swole results, people can substitute other exercises. The key is consistency, but Schoenfeld advises leaving at least one day between sessions. 'The message, I think, is to find one hour somewhere in your week,' he said.
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
How to Lose Weight During Menopause—A Doctor Reveals What Works
The bad news/good news of menopause weight gain: It's a real thing, but it can be reversed or avoided with the right strategies. One main culprit for menopause-related weight gain is estrogen, says Robin Noble, MD, FACOG, a Yale-educated ob-gyn and the Chief Medical Advisor of Let's Talk Menopause. 'Estrogen plays a critical role in counteracting fat mass accumulation caused by [the stress hormone] cortisol and insulin,' she explains. 'As estrogen levels decline during menopause, central fat mass tends to increase.' The result: Weight seems to come on more easily, shows up around the midsection and is harder to shed than before. But while menopause—officially diagnosed after 12 consecutive months without a menstrual cycle—plays a role in gaining weight, this natural part of the aging process is rarely the sole reason for it. 'It's important to note that ongoing weight gain of approximately 1.5 lbs per year typically occurs in the 10 years before and after the menopause transition. This pattern is more closely tied to chronological aging than menopause itself,' Dr. Noble says. We tend to lose muscle mass with age, which can cause metabolism to slow and trigger an increase in belly fat or excess weight around the hips and thighs. We also become less physically active over the years, which makes warding off weight gain tricky. There's nothing inherently wrong with carrying a few extra pounds, especially if your doctor hasn't flagged any concerns. But Dr. Noble says that in some people, menopause weight gain can increase the risk of chronic conditions such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension, heart disease or high blood pressure. If you're interested in how to lose weight during menopause, or want to prevent menopause weight gain before it even starts, there strategies can help. Increasing your physical activity level is a must for everybody, but if your goal is to lose weight or prevent weight gain during menopause, incorporating strength training and high-intensity interval training (HIIT) is key. Both have been shown to aid with muscle growth post-menopause, and more muscle mass can increase metabolism—but if you're short on time, prioritize HIIT, a type of cardio that involves alternating quick periods of all-out effort with rest intervals. Dr. Noble recommends two to three strength training sessions weekly and at least 150 minutes of aerobic exercise—about 22 minutes per day. A 2019 study in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise found that doing three, 30-minute HIIT workouts per week over an eight-week period helped menopausal women increase their muscle mass. While the study involved indoor cycling, HIIT can also be done on a treadmill, rower or with bodyweight exercises. Not sure where to get started? Check out a 20-minute HIIT workout for menopause belly fat here. Rather than stressing about counting calories—which can be at best ineffective and at worst creates anxiety around eating—focus on adding filling, nourishing nutrients to your diet. Dr. Noble recommends moving toward eating habits that follow a 'green Mediterranean diet,' which emphasizes whole grains, legumes, fruits, vegetables and healthy fats and prioritizes fish and plant-based protein sources over red meat. Lean protein- and fiber-rich foods like beans and tofu and healthy sources of plant fats such as nuts and avocado should replace foods high in saturated fats, animal fats and refined sugars, as well as ultra-processed foods. If probiotic-rich yogurt or kefir (a fermented yogurt drink) isn't already part of your diet, it may be worth adding it in. A 2023 study in the Journal of Nutrition found that people who ate the most yogurt tended to gain the least weight during menopause. Eating at least two servings of yogurt a week reduced the risk of obesity by 31 percent. The study authors theorize that both calcium and probiotics may play a role in helping mitigate menopause weight gain. Interested in giving kefir a try? Consider Lifeway Probiotic Smoothie + Collagen Kefir Drink, which contains collagen for an added metabolism boost. Hot flashes and the hormone changes that cause them can disrupt sleep during perimenopause and menopause. And poor quality sleep contributes to weight gain by reducing the body's ability to use fat for fuel throughout the day, according to research presented at ENDO 2021. Check out our tips for getting sound sleep here. Some medications can help reduce menopause weight gain or help you maintain a healthy weight. For instance, hormone-replacement therapy (HRT) may have benefits. 'However, it's not a cure-all and should be a personalized decision made with your healthcare provider,' Dr. Noble says. 'Avoid unregulated compounded hormone products sold via subscription programs—they are neither safer nor more effective.' Some people may also meet the criteria for GLP-1 medications such as Wegovy. 'Emerging data shows that hormone therapy may enhance weight loss when combined with GLP-1 medications,' Dr. Noble says. She suggests speaking with an obesity medicine specialist before trying these medications to make sure they're the right fit for you. Too often, weight can become a point of negativity for people. But fixating on the numbers on a scale can hamper your mental health in the long-run. 'Be patient and kind to yourself. Focus on making small, sustainable changes,' Dr. Noble says. 'Remember, this is a long-term journey, not just about the menopausal transition.' Adopt lifestyle habits that support your mind, body and spirit and good health is sure to follow. More ways to manage menopause: Frozen Shoulder During Menopause? Treat Pain and Stiffness With These Easy Remedies Expert-Approved Solutions for Bad Breath During Menopause: What You Can Do Today to Feel Fresh Does Menopause Make You Tired? Simple Tips for Better Sleep and More EnergyThis content is not a substitute for professional medical advice or diagnosis. Always consult your physician before pursuing any treatment plan.
South China Morning Post
05-02-2025
- Health
- South China Morning Post
Jennifer Aniston's fitness regimen good for menopausal women, study finds
Published: 5:15pm, 5 Feb 2025 Actress Jennifer Aniston's favoured fitness regime is 'effective at improving strength and balance in women during and post-menopause', according to a new study. Academics from the University of Exeter in Britain set out to examine whether Pvolve – an at-home, low-impact resistance exercise programme – could improve strength, balance, and body composition. They also wanted to assess whether any improvements were affected by menopause status. The 55-year-old actress started the Pvolve exercise programme at home in 2021, and joined the company in 2023. The new study, published in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, compared moderately active women aged 40 to 60.
