Latest news with #physicalactivity
The Sun
13 hours ago
- Health
- The Sun
From shorts to patches – three products that can help motivate you to exercise
EXPERTS recommend doing 150 minutes of physical activity a week – and roughly 28million adults meet this target. The most popular exercise is running, with 40 per cent of people going for a jog at least once a week. But a quarter of adults do less than 30 minutes of activity over seven days. Struggling to get motivated? Today, I look at products that can help . . . SHORTS 3 WEARING the right gear can make the difference. In the heat, the last thing you need are long leggings or shorts that aren't up to the job. These 6in shorts from Bimble & Bolt are my new go-to. Many on the market don't stay up when you've loaded your pockets with phones and keys. These have a drawstring at the waist to help with that. They are said to be high-compression, but I found them just the right snugness and they are very stretchy and soft. As well as two side pockets for phones, they also have a zip at the back. PATCHES YOU'VE got to wonder how these things get dreamed up – but Kind Patches are all the rage. They are little round discs that you bung on your arm or leg, with ingredients that seep into your skin. Get fit at 50: Workouts for beginners and those short on time The brand's energy patches contain vitamins that help convert food into usable energy and a microdose of 3.12mg of caffeine for a boost without overstimulation. They work fast by delivering straight into the bloodstream. They also gradually release the ingredients over about eight hours for a steady boost through the day. A very clever idea. I was sceptical, but they do actually work and I felt energised. But take them off at least a couple of hours before bed or they could keep you awake. From £10.20 for a month's supply, DRINK THESE pre-workout supplements from Swish-Pro come in portable 18.5g sachets and are crammed full of natural compounds that can boost your performance. There is 2.5g of creatine, which is probably the supplement of the moment as people are obsessed with how it can aid strength and explosive power. Other ingredients include 2.5g amino acid beta alanine to help you exercise for longer, 2.6g citrulline malate for blood flow and 1.9g of taurine to support hydration and overall cardiovascular health. You take 30-60 minutes before exercise. The guarana extract and green tea also give a decent natural caffeine dose, but beware, they can play havoc with your stomach, too.
Health Line
2 days ago
- Health
- Health Line
Activities Our Team Does on Weekdays
Engaging in activities on weekdays may benefit your mental and physical health. Some activities you may consider include gardening, walking, and signing up for clubs or classes. By the end of the weekday, you may not feel like there is enough time left to engage in any activities. It can be tempting to spend the evening on the couch watching TV. However, you can still participate in certain activities on weekdays. This can help you avoid the 'living for the weekend' mindset. Depending on the activity you choose, it may even benefit your physical or mental health. Gardening Gardening can be a good way to fit extra physical activity into your day. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) classifies light gardening and yard work, such as raking and mowing the lawn, as moderate physical activity. According to a 2024 research review, gardening is also associated with improved psychological and physiological well-being. Editor Louisa Wah heads to her community garden plot every day after work to tend to her vegetables and flowers. While she gardens, she also encounters chickens, birds, butterflies, bees, and all sorts of insects. 'It's a great way for me to clear my mind, unwind, and connect with nature—not to mention the physical exercise I get as a bonus!' she says. Editor Heather Hobbs says that gardening helps her feel more at peace and connected with nature, all while getting a bit of a workout. 'I read in a gardening book that it's best practice to spend at least 10 minutes gardening each day so that you can stay on top of it, and so it feels like less of a chore you save for the weekend,' she says. Some maintenance activities she does include: pulling weeds harvesting vegetables checking plants for infection and harmful insects Clubs and classes Socializing with others and maintaining friendships in adulthood may be beneficial for one's overall well-being. One way to meet new people is to join clubs and classes. Editor Samantha Costa signed up for a seven-week Monday night painting class at her local art center. 'It gives me something stimulating to look forward to after the weekend,' she says. Editor Christina Snyder plans to join a once-weekly bowling league this Fall with some of her friends, which she says will be a fun way to enjoy the week. She currently attends weeknight trivia with her friends to help break up the week and do something fun and interesting. Some other clubs and classes you may consider joining include group fitness classes, book clubs, and tabletop gaming groups. You don't necessarily need to sign up for a formal class to reap the benefits of socializing. Editor Sarah Matysiak will do something around town with her friends, or simply watch a show and make a craft together.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
New Study Finds That Moving More Could Cut Your Risk Of Dying By 40 Percent—And It's Not Too Late To Start
A new study found a strong link between physical activity and lower mortality risk. Specifically, physically active people saw a 30 to 40 percent lower risk of dying from any cause compared to their less active counterparts. Here's what you need to know about the study, according to experts. Next time you're struggling to haul yourself off the couch for a workout, consider this: Getting up and moving could quite literally help save your life. A new scientific analysis published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found a clear and significant link between being physically active and a lower risk of dying from any cause. Even better, the researchers discovered that there were life-extending perks to taking up exercise at any point in your life. Doctors say there are a few reasons why this link exists. Here's everything you need to know about the new study. Meet the experts: Gregore Iven Mielke, PhD, study co-author and senior lecturer at The University of Queensland School of Public Health; Bert Mandelbaum, MD, sports medicine specialist and co-director of the Regenerative Orthobiologic Center at Cedars-Sinai Orthopaedics in Los Angeles; Dawn Warner Kershner, DO, a cardiologist with The Heart Center at Mercy in Baltimore, Maryland; Jennifer Wong, MD, cardiologist and medical director of Non-Invasive Cardiology at MemorialCare Heart and Vascular Institute at Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, California What did the study find? For the study, researchers analyzed data from 85 studies that looked at the impact of physical activity on health and risk of dying. They discovered that higher levels of physical activity was linked with lower risks of dying from any cause during the study periods. Overall, active people had around a 30 to 40 percent lower risk of dying from any cause during the study period compared to their less active counterparts. People who increased their amount of physical activity from below the recommended amount had a 20 to 25 percent lower risk of death from any cause compared to those who stayed inactive. The researchers found the strongest links between physical activity and cardiovascular disease, but there were also benefits for cancer risk. People who were consistently active were around 40 percent less likely to die from cardiovascular disease and 25 percent less likely to die from cancer. 'These reductions in risk, particularly the 30 to 40 percent decrease in all-cause mortality, are even greater than what previous studies have suggested,' says Gregore Iven Mielke, PhD, study co-author and senior lecturer at The University of Queensland School of Public Health. 'This highlights that physical activity may play an even more critical role in long-term health than previously thought.' How does being physically active lower your risk of death by any cause? 'Physical activity or regular exercise has multiple benefits to prevent death from any cause,' says Dawn Warner Kershner, DO, a cardiologist with The Heart Center at Mercy in Baltimore, Maryland. Among other things, she points out that it helps prevent obesity and type 2 diabetes, which are significant risk factors for heart disease. Physical activity can also lower blood pressure, decrease inflammation in the body, and improve the amount of lipids (fat) in the blood, says Jennifer Wong, MD, cardiologist and medical director of Non-Invasive Cardiology at MemorialCare Heart and Vascular Institute at Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, California. 'All of those improve overall cardiovascular health,' she says. Regular exercise also boosts mental health and lowers the risk of cognitive decline, Dr. Kershner says. 'I prescribe regular physical activity as an important part of the successful aging process,' she adds. Dr. Kershner isn't the only doctor who does this. 'Exercise is probably the most robust drug that we have,' says Bert Mandelbaum, MD, sports medicine specialist and co-director of the Regenerative Orthobiologic Center at Cedars-Sinai Orthopaedics in Los Angeles. 'It leads to longevity.' What constitutes being 'physically active'? The researchers focused on recommendations from the World Health Organization (WHO) which suggests getting 150 to 300 minutes a week of moderate-intensity physical activity a week, or 75 to 150 minutes per week of vigorous-intensity activity. How often should I work out to reap the health and longevity benefits? Mielke says the benefits tend to appear when people dial into consistency. 'The total accumulation of physical activity, regardless of frequency or even intensity, can be beneficial,' he says. 'For example, some of our previous studies, particularly those focused on women, have shown that the overall amount of physical activity accumulated over time appears to be more important than the specific pattern of accumulation when it comes to preventing conditions like hypertension and obesity.' Overall, he recommends being active in a way that works with your lifestyle. That can mean doing structured workouts daily or exercising a few days a week. 'That can contribute to long-term health,' he says. Do I get the same longevity benefits if I start working out later in life? Yup! The researchers found that individuals who became physically active later in life had "about a 25 percent lower risk of all-cause mortality compared to those who remained inactive,' Mielke says. So, if you're not currently as active as you'd like to be, fear not! You can still reap the benefits that come from ramping up your activity level now. 'There are longevity benefits to exercise and physical activity at every stage of life,' Dr. Kershner says. 'It is never too late to start.' You Might Also Like Jennifer Garner Swears By This Retinol Eye Cream These New Kicks Will Help You Smash Your Cross-Training Goals
The Independent
5 days ago
- Health
- The Independent
Being a couch potato has long been blamed for obesity - a new study has found the real cause
A new study has turned common conceptions of what causes obesity on its head, revealing that reduced physical activity may not have as large a role in our size as our diets. The study, published this week in PNAS, challenged common wisdom that people in developed nations such as the U.S. are relatively sedentary and burn fewer calories than people in less industrialized countries. Instead, it found that people living in developed nations burned the same amount of calories as people living in less-developed regions, such as farmers, herders and hunters and gatherers, who have much more active lifestyles. The report, which looked at energy expenditure and metabolic rates of more than 4,000 men and women from a variety of nations, suggests that inactivity is not the main cause of obesity both in the U.S. and elsewhere. The groundbreaking research found that what people eat 'plays a far greater role than reduced expenditure in the elevated prevalence of obesity associated with economic development.' Herman Pontzer, a professor and senior author of the study, told the Washington Post that the report's findings are important because they help health officials better know what causes obesity, leading to more successful treatments for patients. Pontzer and his 80-plus co-authors gathered data from labs around the world that use doubly labeled water in metabolism studies, which allows researchers to exactly determine how someone expends energy. The researchers calculated total energy expenditures for 4,213 men and women from 34 countries or cultural groups, and found they were similar, regardless of whether someone was an American office worker or a hunter-gatherer. Regardless of where they lived or how they spent their time, all the people spent similar amounts of energy and burned nearly the same amount of calories each day, the study found. Instead of finding that increased exercise will decrease obesity, the study suggests that 'increased energy intake has been roughly 10 times more important than declining total energy expenditure in driving the modern obesity crisis,' the authors wrote. Meaning, populations with greater rates of obesity are simply eating too much – and likely eating the wrong kinds of foods, Pontzer explained. 'This study confirms what I've been saying, which is that diet is the key culprit in our current [obesity] epidemic,' Barry Popkin, a professor at the Gillings School of Global Public Health at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and an obesity expert, told the Post. 'This is a well-done study,' he added, to which other experts agreed. 'It's clear from this important new research and other studies that changes to our food, not our activity, are the dominant drivers of obesity,' Dariush Mozaffarian, the director of the Food is Medicine Institute at Tufts University in Boston, said. Pontzer, a co-author of the study, emphasized that the study's findings do not mean exercise is unimportant to our overall health. 'We know that exercise is essential for health. This study doesn't change that,' Pontzer said. The study, however, does suggest that to combat obesity, 'public health efforts need to focus on diet,' specifically ultra-processed foods, Pontzer said.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Crackdown on childhood obesity set to be launched by Southend Council
SOUTHEND Council is set to launch a crackdown on childhood obesity in the city. Latest figures show in 2023/24, 22.7 per cent of four to five-year-olds were overweight or obese as they start school. That rises to 33.8 per cent for ten to 11-year-olds in Year 6, with a higher prevalence in low income families. A motion was tabled to the council to tackle the problem in March and on Monday the cabinet is expected to launch an investigation into the impact of obesity and inactivity among those living in poverty. The council will agree a strategy aimed at encouraging greater physical activity, particularly among the disabled and poorer communities. It will work with community organisations and sports providers, including its new leisure contractor, Freedom Leisure. The latest annual public health report by Krishna Ramkhelawon, Southend's director of public health , which will also be considered by cabinet on Monday, said: 'Post-pandemic, the struggle with addressing childhood obesity has shown no sign of easing. Improving diet and nutrition, increasing physical activity, and taking further steps to reshape some of the unhealthier food environment are all necessities. 'The evidence suggests that behaviour change alone will have very little impact on this growing public health challenge. There is a need for a call to action from policy-makers, both nationally and locally, partners and our school communities to join forces to help deliver more impactful change to improve outcomes.' It adds: 'Childhood obesity is one of the biggest public health issues facing the UK. Obesity increases the risk of developing a range of health conditions in childhood and later life, including heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes and some cancers. 'Children who are overweight are much more likely to be obese adults, which may lead to significant health risks. Childhood obesity is a significant health inequality, with higher rates among children of overweight parents, those in living in more disadvantaged communities and some ethnic groups.'
