Recent Blog Articles
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Shining light on night blindness
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Swimming lessons save lives: What parents should know
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Packing your hurricane go bag? Make provisions for your health
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5 great tips for sustainable summer living
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How health care leaders can prioritize health equity for the LGBTQIA2+ community
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One surprising effect of wildfires: Itchy, irritated skin
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Orienteering: Great exercise and better thinking skills?
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Health care should improve your health, right?
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Ultra-processed foods? Just say no
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The cicadas are here: How's your appetite?
Exercise & Fitness Archive
Articles
Obesity is complicated — and so is treating it
Along with the growing realization that obesity is a complex disease comes greater understanding that treatments need to be highly individualized and address the physical and emotional factors that contribute to it.
Are weight-loss drugs worth trying?
Image: Bigstock
Newer medications, which may be safer than earlier drugs, have expanded the options for treating obesity.
Obesity is now considered more than a risk factor for other conditions; it's a disease itself. It has been the subject of intense scientific and medical research to develop effective treatments. But the quest has been elusive.
How should core work fit into your overall exercise plan?
Your core muscles are the sturdy link between your lower body and upper body. Every move you make starts in your core or transfers through it. So, a weak or tight core can translate into less power from your arms and legs.
It's well worth including core work in your exercise plan. The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommend the following well-rounded plan:
A breathing technique to help you relax
The practice of yoga incorporates many separate breathing techniques (above and beyond the coordinated breathing you do during yoga routines) that can help relax you and release tension. And many of these techniques can be done anytime, anywhere — not just during yoga class.
If you'd like to reap the benefits of these breathing techniques, start with the abdominal breathing technique described below. Once you've mastered abdominal breathing, you can then try others based on the unique benefits that each technique offers.
Balancing act
Falls continue to be the leading cause of injuries among older adults. Practicing balance exercises can help keep you steady.
 Image: © laflor/Getty Images
Every year, about one-quarter of adults older than age 65 experience at least one accidental fall. The impact of a fall can be devastating. About 20% of falls result in a serious injury like broken bones in the wrist, arm, and ankle; hip fractures; and head injuries. Surgery or rehabilitation may be needed, which may impair your mobility. A fall also could cause psychological trauma and make you fearful of being active.
"You want to do whatever you can to avoid a fall," says Dr. Adam Tenforde, a sports medicine physician at Harvard-affiliated Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital.
Overcoming your barriers to exercise
Find ways to be more active — even if you have sore joints or other limitations.
 Image: © Cecilie_Arcurs/Getty Images
You're probably well aware that exercise is the best way to keep your heart strong and healthy. Any activity that moves your muscles will raise your heart rate, making it better able to pump blood through your body. Over time, exercise enables your heart to beat slower and keeps your blood pressure under control.
But many people don't exercise regularly. Just over half of adults in the United States meet the recommended physical activity guidelines (see "Weekly physical activity goals"). Two of the main reasons people say they don't exercise are (1) not having enough time and (2) having joint pain, fatigue, or a chronic health condition.
Treatments for breast cancer may harm the heart
But surveillance and other strategies — especially exercise — can limit the risk.
 Image: © Khuong Hoang/Getty Images
Better treatments for breast cancer have contributed to the growing number of breast cancer survivors, now about three million in the United States. However, these women may face a heightened risk of heart disease from the cardiotoxic effects of chemotherapy and radiation, according to a statement from the American Heart Association in the Feb. 20, 2018, issue of Circulation.
Doctors have long known that certain cancer drugs can decrease the heart's pumping ability, especially doxorubicin (Adriamycin) and trastuzumab (Herceptin), two common treatments for breast cancer. Many women receive radiation therapy as well, which can cause heart tissue to scar or stiffen, possibly leading to valve disorders, coronary artery disease, or other heart problems. But specialists who focus on keeping the heart healthy during and after cancer treatment — known as cardio-oncologists — can offer strategies to both prevent and treat heart damage from cancer therapy.
Standing vs. sitting: Fewer pounds, less heart disease?
Research we're watching
Compared to sitting, standing burns slightly more calories — about 0.15 calories per minute. But that tiny difference adds up: a person who weighs 143 pounds could burn an extra 54 calories per day by standing instead of sitting for six hours, as researchers report in the Jan. 1, 2018, European Journal of Preventive Cardiology.
Assuming that person kept eating the same number of calories per day, that translates to 5.5 pounds of weight loss after one year. The estimate comes from data pooled from 46 different studies.
Weight loss and exercise may ease atrial fibrillation
Research we're watching
For people with atrial fibrillation, losing a little weight and getting exercise may improve their symptoms, according to a review published online Feb. 7, 2018, by The American Journal of Cardiology.
Atrial fibrillation (or afib) is a common heart rhythm disorder marked by a quivering or fluttering heartbeat, which can cause dizziness and breathlessness. Other symptoms include fatigue, weakness, and fainting.
Aerobic exercise or tai chi for fibromyalgia — which is better?
Physical activity is beneficial for people with fibromyalgia, but the pain caused by the condition makes exercise difficult for many. A new study compares the benefits of aerobic exercise and tai chi as treatments for fibromyalgia.
Recent Blog Articles
![blog image 1](https://domf5oio6qrcr.cloudfront.net/medialibrary/14810/conversions/778f3d8c-0b73-420c-8d03-e8542d49660d-micro.jpg)
Shining light on night blindness
![blog image 1](https://domf5oio6qrcr.cloudfront.net/medialibrary/12680/conversions/075fe1d5-d03e-41a7-805d-b27b55aa5556-micro.jpg)
Swimming lessons save lives: What parents should know
![blog image 1](https://domf5oio6qrcr.cloudfront.net/medialibrary/15383/conversions/8aa16373-e07d-4c16-af1a-f1e091a302f1-micro.jpg)
Packing your hurricane go bag? Make provisions for your health
![blog image 1](https://domf5oio6qrcr.cloudfront.net/medialibrary/15375/conversions/71da1de7-3c71-4341-9f3a-810d2deb31c6-micro.jpg)
5 great tips for sustainable summer living
![blog image 1](https://domf5oio6qrcr.cloudfront.net/medialibrary/15367/conversions/0f11bddf-8146-4805-ab1c-53b6561c24fd-micro.jpg)
How health care leaders can prioritize health equity for the LGBTQIA2+ community
![blog image 1](https://domf5oio6qrcr.cloudfront.net/medialibrary/15357/conversions/f951361f-c837-4704-a143-0f9b207ed1d9-micro.jpg)
One surprising effect of wildfires: Itchy, irritated skin
![blog image 1](https://domf5oio6qrcr.cloudfront.net/medialibrary/14057/conversions/120519c1-033d-4843-b85b-af90955c3f9a-micro.jpg)
Orienteering: Great exercise and better thinking skills?
![blog image 1](https://domf5oio6qrcr.cloudfront.net/medialibrary/15309/conversions/a32d083c-d4b8-4a24-8a4f-f05d4d394dd1-micro.jpg)
Health care should improve your health, right?
![blog image 1](https://domf5oio6qrcr.cloudfront.net/medialibrary/15310/conversions/50802077-6dd5-461e-a720-a04899353d48-micro.jpg)
Ultra-processed foods? Just say no
![blog image 1](https://domf5oio6qrcr.cloudfront.net/medialibrary/15303/conversions/4304af30-c59b-4dc8-ac93-f4ac1c590752-micro.jpg)
The cicadas are here: How's your appetite?
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