Exercise & Fitness Archive

In the Journals

Here's a possible strategy to boost memory—exercise four hours after you learn something. In a study published in the July 11, 2016, Current Biology, researchers found that exercise after learning may improve your memory of the new information, but only if done in a specific time window.

Look for gadgets or services that get people moving.

 Image: DeathToStockPhotos

During the holidays, or at any time of year, a gift that benefits health can have a lasting impact. It may be especially helpful to someone who wouldn't normally purchase such an item or doesn't know about available options. A few guidelines to keep in mind: "The gift should be easy to use. Consider the receiver's interests, and accommodate previous injuries, surgeries, medical conditions, or functional limitations," says Dr. Clare Safran-Norton, a physical therapist at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women's Hospital.

1. Services

3. Workout equipment

5. Information

A scientific advisory published online in Circulation Aug. 15, 2016, suggests that sedentary behavior may be putting people at risk for chronic disease and early death. 

The belief that women should avoid exercise or athletics during their menstrual periods, because it can affect performance or increase the risk of injury, is not necessarily true. Good training may reduce the risks of injury and enhance performance much more than trying to time exercise around one’s periods.

Teens don’t exercise enough, and with a third of U.S. adults classified as obese, it’s important that exercise is encouraged in children and teens. Starting healthy habits when they’re young keeps kids healthy into adulthood. Studies show that obese adults rarely lose the weight, so it’s better to keep the weight off in the first place. A lot has to do with our biology but also our lifestyle, and we can change the latter. So let’s get our children and teens moving.

Hiking isn't just a good cardiovascular workout. It may also enhance your strength and balance while lowering your stress.

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Autumn can be a great time to spend time in the great outdoors after summer's heat, humidity, and bugs have dwindled away. Hitting the trail in a local forest or other natural area may also offer some heart-related benefits that go beyond your typical neighborhood walk.

"The nice thing about hiking is that it exists along an entire continuum, from a gentle walk on a flat wooded path to mountain climbing," says Dr. Aaron L. Baggish, associate director of the Cardiovascular Performance Program at Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital. Nearly everyone, regardless of age or athletic ability, can find a hike that offers the right level of personal challenge. And hiking may even offer some unique physical and mental benefits, Dr. Baggish says.

Sitting for more than eight hours a day and exercising very little has been linked to a higher risk of heart disease and early death. An hour of moderate-intensity exercise may lessen that risk. 

Studies of golfers have found that playing 18 holes is about equal to brisk walking in terms of intensity—even though golf walking is stop-and-go. However, in order to gain the maximum cardiovascular benefit from exercise, people may want to add a day or two of higher-intensity activities, such as running, tennis, or something similar that raises your heart rate.

This old-school exercise offers a real-time assessment of your strength and motivates you to improve your fitness.

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Push-ups have long been the symbol of optimal fitness. They are still used by the U.S. Army and the Presidential Physical Fitness Challenge to assess strength and endurance.

For older men, the simple push-up can be used as a snapshot of their current fitness. "Push-ups are the classic bread-and-butter exercise," says Dr. Edward Phillips of Harvard-affiliated Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital. "How many you can do at one time offers a measurement of your strength and is an easy tool to help you improve. You can do them anywhere and at any time, and only need a few minutes."

Researchers are developing pills that provide many of the effects of exercise. But none provides all the benefits of physical activity.

Image: Dmitry Fischer/ Thinkstock

Health experts are fond of saying, "If exercise were a pill, everyone would want to take it." And scientists seem to agree. Over the past several years there has been an accelerated push to develop drugs that mimic the effects of exercise. The promise is enormous—such medications could be a boon to people whose physical activity is limited by medical conditions or injuries. They could provide a head start for people who are beginning an exercise program. They could also confer the health benefits of exercise on healthy people who can't fit physical activity into their schedules or just don't want to get off the couch.

"While the idea of an exercise pill is a good one, it has many, many limitations," says Dr. Laurie Goodyear, head of the Section on Integrative Physiology and Metabolism at Harvard-affiliated Joslin Diabetes Center. Just as a vitamin capsule won't provide all the benefits of a healthy diet, a single pill is unlikely to provide all the benefits of exercise.