Exercise and Fitness Archive

A 2022 study examined the brains of older adults after they died, and found that those who had stayed the most active late in life had higher amounts of synaptic proteins. These proteins improve the connections between the brain's nerve cells.

It's difficult to get motivated to be active outside during cold-weather months, but it's important to your health and can help you meet any fitness goals you're trying to reach. There are ways to get outside and moving in cold temperatures.

Exercising is crucial for good health, even if exercising doesn't help a person get down to a healthy weight. Exercising reduces the risk of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, high blood sugar levels, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, and premature death. If someone is overweight and unfit, the risk of premature death is double the risk of someone who is the same age and sex, and is overweight but fit.

U.S. adults who report being physically active say their most frequent forms of exercise are walking, gardening, and weight lifting, according to a study published online Oct. 8, 2021, by the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

A study published online Oct. 4, 2021, by the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise found that about 46,000 U.S. cancer cases per year can be attributed to getting less than 300 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week.

Strong core muscles—those in the abdomen, back, sides, pelvis, hips, and buttocks—support cardiovascular health by helping people stay active. Easy core exercises include chair stands, standing leg lifts, and walk-and-carry exercises. The latter are especially helpful because they strengthen many muscles at the same time and simulate real-life activities such as carrying groceries or a laundry basket.

Exercise may help to reverse some types of heart damage. Not only can workouts prevent heart problems, but it may help to improve conditions that may raise risk for cardiovascular events. A 2021 study, for example, showed that a yearlong exercise program helped improve heart health in people who were at increased risk for heart failure.

Accomplished senior athletes face the same obstacles as most other older adults—seeking motivation, overcoming injuries and setbacks, and finding the best exercise routines to meet their goals. Here, seasoned competitors from the National Senior Games—the world's largest multi-sport event for seniors—share their tips and strategies for how they stay active, healthy, and driven.

A study published online Aug. 20, 2021, by Nature Metabolism suggests that the hormone irisin, produced during exercise, might have something to do with the beneficial effects of exercise on the brain. Scientists suspect that irisin plays a role protecting the brain against changes characteristic of Alzheimer's disease, possibly by reducing brain inflammation. Irisin has also been shown to turn white fat cells (which store fat) into brown fat cells (which burn fat), and also to improve insulin resistance. Such changes reduce body weight and protect against both diabetes and heart disease.

Obesity is a complex disease, and many factors contribute to weight gain and hinder efforts to lose weight. There is no single solution to weight loss, but there is good research that yoga may help manage stress, improve mood, curb emotional eating, and create a community of support, all of which can help with weight loss and maintenance.