Latest news with #TimothyMorris
The Independent
22-05-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Exercise drops off sharply at age 49. The brain is to blame
Scientists have pinpointed the age when our physical activity declines. It's 49, researchers at Boston's Northeastern University said. But, why? Well, the shift occurs due to changes in key regions of the brain that help us with impulse control. 'We found that the brain can kind of predict some variance in people's physical activity behaviors,' Timothy Morris, an assistant professor of physical therapy, human movement and rehabilitation sciences, said in a statement. Morris is a co-author of the study, which was published recently in the Journal of Gerontology. To reach these conclusions, they analyzed data previously collected by the Cambridge Center for Aging and Neuroscience. They zeroed in on a study that involved adult participants between the ages of 18 and 81. The study included self-reported exercise data and MRIs of participants' brains, using a statistical technique to reach the drop off age. Next, they hoped to understand why this was the case. It's already well-known that we tend to be less active as we age and lose muscle mass and mobility. But understanding how a person's ability to focus on, plan and carry out goals — including processes such as working memory and self-control — changes is a key focus for researchers. 'We're now starting to see a convergence across different research groups that looks at precisely what in the brain is predicting physical activity engagement,' said Morris. Their theory is that aging leads to changes in the salience network — which is made up of structures in that brain that help us orientate ourselves to certain environments — that result in changes in physical activity. 'What we found in this study is that this network is not only associated with physical activity across the lifespan, but it mediates this negative association,' Morris said. 'So as age and physical activity becomes negative — it's the salience network that's mediating that relationship,.' However, more research needs to be done to determine the cause. 'We should be ensuring that people are maintaining physical activity through midlife long before they start to see declines in physical activity that are due, in part, to mechanisms in the brain, with the goal of shoring up those cognitive resources that are helping them engage in physical activity,' he said.
Axios
21-05-2025
- Health
- Axios
Exercise drops off sharply at age 49, study says
New research says 49 is the age when physical activity markedly declines. Why it matters: Putting a number on when exercise drops off could encourage people to establish active habits early — before brain changes can make it harder to get moving. "We've always said this phrase, 'Physical activity declines with age.' It's really nice to be able to put a number to it," said Timothy Morris, an assistant professor of physical therapy, human movement and rehabilitation sciences at Northeastern University. Morris co-authored the study, which builds on a body of longevity research showing it's hard to maintain a physically active lifestyle as we age. Some evidence points to ages 44 and 60 as times of accelerated aging. What they did: Researchers analyzed MRI scans and self-reported activity levels from adults ages 18 to 81. 52% were female and 48% male. What they found: Physical activity drops off suddenly around age 49. The study used data from nearly 600 people in and around Cambridge, U.K., so the findings may not apply broadly. The big picture: The brain could be partly to blame for a drop in exercise, Morris said. When you age, the part of the brain that helps control impulses — the " salience network" — changes. So at a certain point, your brain won't naturally "inhibit that desire to sit on the sofa," Morris says. How can we get motivated to move, despite a desire to stay put? Start young. During childhood is best. Kids who play sports growing up are more likely to be physically active as adults, studies find. Make it fun. Opting to be active simply because it feels good might help you bypass the innate human desire to minimize effort, Morris said. Morris is finding preliminary evidence that offering adults "points" for exercising (equivalent to a few cents) gets people out the door. And it seems to be much more effective at getting people moving than reminding them of the health benefits of exercising.
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Yahoo
Hospice Nurse Caring for 97-Year-Old Woman Noticed Something Unusual. A Ring Camera Allegedly Showed the Unthinkable
A Florida man is under arrest after a woman allegedly caught him on a Ring camera raping her 97-year-old aunt. The victim, who has not been named, is nonverbal and bedridden, her niece said, according to an arrest report cited by Local 10. Timothy Morris, a 66-year-old from Homestead, Fla., was arrested on a charge of sexual battery of a physically incapacitated person, according to Miami-Dade County online court records reviewed by PEOPLE. Investigators say the victim is in hospice care, where Morris would often assist with her care, reportedly in the absence of hospice staff, per the arrest report from the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office. The niece, who is also not named in the Local 10 report, grew concerned after a hospice nurse notified her that they had found an unspecified discharge around the victim's private area, per the arrest report. The victim's niece installed a Ring camera in the victim's bedroom. On the afternoon of Wednesday, April 30, the niece was alerted to someone's presence in her aunt's room. When she reviewed the footage from the camera, she allegedly saw Morris raping her aunt, the arrest report said, per Local has pleaded not guilty to his charge, online court records show. He is being held without bond in a Miami-Dade correctional facility. If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to . Read the original article on People
