Physical activity and exercise Archive

After too much time spent indoors (and probably less active than is healthy), getting outside and taking a hike is a great way to get some exercise while enjoying nature. But before you hit the trail, make sure you're well prepared.

For people with fibromyalgia, pain is a part of daily life, and exercising is probably not something they feel like doing. But experts say it's one of the most effective strategies to help manage the condition. So what's the best approach to getting started?

Over the past decade, research has revealed that the majority of patients treated for cancer experience difficulties with memory, attention, concentration, and thinking. There are several lifestyle actions that can help improve these symptoms, as well as certain medications.

Do employee health programs lead to healthier, more productive employees? A large study shows little or no impact, although results might vary based on workplace, offerings, and other factors.

What do the new government guidelines for exercise and physical activity mean for you? It depends on your age and ability, but overall: move more, sit less.

Most people experience some degree of decreased memory as they get older, but memory performance is also affected by mood and sleep quality, and these are factors that can be controlled and improved.

The number of people with dementia is expected to climb to 50 million in the coming decades, but understanding the connection between vascular health and cognitive health allows people the opportunity to adopt heart-healthy habits that can also reduce their risk of dementia.

Studies have linked long periods of sitting with an increase in heart disease and early death.

 Image: © monkeybusinessimages/Thinkstock

Odds are you are sitting while you read this. In fact, more than half of an average person's waking hours are spent sitting, according to a study in the Jan. 19, 2015, Annals of Internal Medicine.

All that sitting can cause great damage to your health. "The health risks tied to sitting may not be completely related to the act of sitting itself, but rather that sitting keeps you from doing healthier activity," says Dr. I-Min Lee of Harvard's T.H. Chan School of Public Health.