Exercise & Health

[Gregory Matthews]

Exercise: Adventist Health has been given an $11,000,000 grant to study the effects of exercise on the health of the brain. See:

https://adventistreview.org/news/adventhealth-will-lead-national-study-on-exercise-and-brain-health/

 

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Take the stairs

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

One of the cheapest ways to work out is also one of the most effective: Climb stairs. Stunning stat: Research shows you burn about 20 times more calories going up stairs than walking on flat ground. Even going down stairs you burn roughly five times more, as your muscles work to slow your descent, AP reports. Plus there are other perks. Studies show that climbing stairs improves balance. It’s not as tough on the joints as running. And it can even relieve chronic knee pain by strengthening the key muscles around the joint, Healthline notes. ? Zoom in: Stair-climbing, or tower-running, is a competitive sport. One of the most famous races is the Empire State Building Run-Up — the 46th edition will be held Oct. 9. Participants race one another up the Empire State Building’s 86 flights — 1,576 stairs. Another contest has racers climb 1,665 steps to the top of the Eiffel Tower. ? Zoom out: The best part about this workout is how accessible it is. Most of us are around stairs every day. We can choose stairs over elevators at the mall, the dentist’s office or the train station. These small, daily decisions can keep us healthier longer. Go deeper: 2-min. exercise "snacks" (brief spurts spread throughout the day), may be better than your regular workout, by WashPost's Gretchen Reynolds (gift link).

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Severe obesity is on the rise in the United States The obesity rate is high and holding steady in the U.S., but the proportion of those with severe obesity — especially women — has climbed since a decade ago, according to new government research. Read more.

Why this matters: The U.S. obesity rate is about 40%, according to a 2021-2023 survey of about 6,000 people. Nearly 1 in 10 of those surveyed reported severe obesity, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found. Women were nearly twice as likely as men to report severe obesity.   All U.S. states and territories posted obesity rates higher than 20%.In 23 states, more than 1 in 3 adults had obesity, the data showed. Before 2013, no state had a rate that high, said Dr. Alyson Goodman, who leads a CDC team focused on population health.   The new study also found that obesity rates varied by education.Almost 32% of people with a bachelor’s degree or higher reported having obesity, compared with about 45% of those with some college or a high school diploma or less.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Weight-loss drug Saxenda effective for kids as young as 6, study shows   Ultraprocessed foods are everywhere. How bad are they?   Jill Biden reveals $500 million plan that focuses on women’s health at Clinton Global Initiative

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Knee pain

Aching joints are surprisingly common — about 25% of adults experience knee problems, according to a recent study. These easy exercises can help.   There's a fitness gender gap   Illustration: Natalie Peeples/Axios   Stunning stat: 33% of American women get the amount of weekly exercise outlined by federal guidelines, compared with 43% of men, according to a recent study of more than 400,000 people. Why it matters: The gender gap in exercise starts in childhood, persists through adulthood, and has adverse effects on women's health as they age. Women live an average of six years longer than men, but they spend more of their lives grappling with conditions like diabetes, heart disease and depression, The New York Times reports. By the numbers: One key factor keeping women from working out as much as men is the free time disparity. On average, women have 13% less free time than men, according to the Gender Equity Policy Institute. The disparity is especially stark among 35- to 44-year-olds. Within this age group, women have 23% less free time than men. The gap is largely due to women taking on more household and child care work than men. For example, in an average week, women spend 12.6 hours cooking, while men spend 5.7, the report finds. "They make the time for themselves when there is no one else to be taken care of," Stephanie Roth-Goldberg, a therapist in New York, told The Times. Silver lining: The same study that found that women get less exercise than men also found that women tend to get more out of workouts than men. Women who exercised had a 36% lower risk of a fatal heart attack or stroke than those who didn't. Men who exercised had a 14% lower risk than men who didn't. Go deeper: The cheapest workout

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Knee Exercises

Is It Safe for Me to Exercise?

Are you worried that working out could cause more knee damage or pain? As long as your doctor says it’s OK, the best thing you can do is to strengthen the muscles that support your knee and keep them flexible. Start slowly, and build up over time. Talk to your doctor about which specific exercises are good for you.

https://www.webmd.com/pain-management/knee-pain/ss/cm/slideshow-knee-exercises?

10 Signs Your Headache May Be a Migraine

Why You Should Know the Difference Between Headaches and Migraines

Knowing the difference between a headache and a migraine can help you:

• Find out what's wrong
• Obtain early treatment
• Get the correct treatment for your condition
• Prevent complications

Here are 10 ways to tell the difference.

https://www.webmd.com/migraines-headaches/ss/cm/10-signs-headache-is-migraine?

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Why Step Count Remains the Most Impactful Fitness Stat

Feb. 28, 2025 — If you’re like many Americans, you probably have a fitness tracker or a smartwatch on your wrist or finger. As of 2023, a little more than a third of the population uses wearable trackers. They flood us with data, hours and quality of sleep, resting heart rate, exercise heart rate, calorie expenditure, time spent standing, step count, step length, step asymmetry, how fast you do stairs, and more. 

https://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/news/20250228/why-step-count-remains-most-impactful-fitness-stat?

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Simple Fitness How-Tos

Want to try out yoga but don’t know the first thing about tree pose? Ready to start lifting weights, or turn that walk around the park into a jog? Use these easy how-to's.

https://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/fitness-how-tos?

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Fitness Mistakes That Can Sabotage Your Workout

https://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/ss/slideshow-fitness-mistakes?

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How Exercise Affects Your Brain

https://www.webmd.com/brain/ss/slideshow-exercise-brain-effects?

[Asia Joe]

Dr Rhoda Patrick on YouTube says "The very best medicine, is exercise"

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When exercise drops off

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

New research says 49 is the age when physical activity markedly declines, Carly Mallenbaum writes. Why it matters: Putting a number on when exercise drops off could encourage people to solidify active habits early — before brain changes can make it harder to get moving. "We've always said this phrase, 'Physical activity declines with age.' It's really nice to be able to put a number to it," says Timothy Morris, an assistant professor of physical therapy, human movement and rehabilitation sciences at Northeastern. Morris co-authored the study, which builds on a body of longevity research showing it's hard to maintain a physically active lifestyle as we age. Some evidence points to ages 44 and 60 as times of accelerated aging. ? Zoom in: Researchers analyzed MRI scans and self-reported activity levels from men and women, ages 18 to 81. They found that physical activity drops off suddenly around age 49. The study used data from nearly 600 people in and around Cambridge, U.K., so the findings may not apply broadly. Between the lines: It could be your brain's fault — at least partially, Morris says. When you age, the part of the brain that helps control impulses changes. So at a certain point, your brain won't naturally "inhibit that desire to sit on the sofa," Morris says. ? 2 tips on prepping for 49: Start young. During childhood is best. Kids who play sports growing up are more likely to be physically active as adults, studies find. Make it fun. Opting to be active simply because it feels good might help you bypass the innate human desire to minimize effort, Morris says. And if you've crossed 49, there's plenty of time to make movement a bigger part of your life. Walking — especially with friends or in a park — is beautifully simple and effective for the body and the brain. Plus, here are some of Finish Line readers' favorite workouts to inspire you!

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Good and Bad Exercises for Low Back Pain

Medically Reviewed by Poonam Sachdev on April 17, 2025

https://www.webmd.com/back-pain/ss/cm/slideshow-exercises?

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Why Sitting Too Much Is Bad for Your Health

Medically Reviewed by Zilpah Sheikh, MD on March 25, 2024

https://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/ss/slideshow-sitting-health?

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Strong for Life

How resistance training boosts health, mobility, and longevity.

https://adventistreview.org/lifestyles/well-being/strong-for-life/

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Prescribing nature

Illustration: Gabriella Turrisi/Axios

You've read about all the health perks of spending time outside. Now doctors are actually prescribing nature time. Why it matters: Getting outdoors has a range of science-backed benefits, from reducing stress to improving sleep. But Americans have been spending less and less time outside. ? Zoom in: Dr. Robert Zarr, who doubles as a nature guide, launched an organization called Park Rx America around 2016, offering doctors protocols for prescribing nature outings, AP reports. The guidelines call for talking with patients about what they like to do outside — walking, sitting under a tree, maybe just watching leaves fall — how often to do it and where to go. That all then gets included in a prescription, and Park Rx America sends patients reminders. Stat du jour: Nearly 2,000 providers have registered with the organization across the U.S. and other countries. They've issued more than 7,000 nature prescriptions since 2019. ? Between the lines: It might sound silly — waiting on doctor's orders to get outside. But sometimes a formal prescription can make people take that simple advice more seriously. The money quote: "When I bring it up, it is almost like granting permission to do something they may see as frivolous when things seem so otherwise serious and stressful," Dr. Suzanne Hackenmiller, a Waterloo, Iowa, gynecologist who has written nature prescriptions, told the AP.

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Lengthen life at any age

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

A growing body of research is shedding light on how we can change our diets, exercise routines and sleep habits to live longer, healthier lives. But we rarely hear about when to start making these changes. Why it matters: The steps we can take to promote healthy aging depend on how old we are, Outside Magazine's Emma Loewe reports. What you should be doing at 20 is different from what you should be doing at 50. Loewe asked dietitians, physiologists and physicians for decade-by-decade tips on maximizing longevity. Here are the highlights: ? In your 20s: The best thing you can do is build good habits early. So find an exercise that's fun enough that you'll stick to it, and learn how to cook a delicious, healthy meal that you actually enjoy eating. ?️ In your 30s: Start strength training because this is when your body starts to lose skeletal muscle, Loewe notes. Plus, pay attention to how well you're sleeping, and come up with strategies — like meditation — to curb stress if that's what's keeping you up. ? In your 40s: Add some explosive movements, such as speed skaters, step-ups and pogo hops, to your strength training to keep your bones strong. Make sure you're getting enough protein because at this age, "we end up needing more protein to make the same amount of muscle that we did when we were younger," Loewe writes. ? In your 50s+: Continuing with the exercise you've been doing will have benefits for your body and your mind. Movement is one of our key tools for staving off cognitive decline as we age. It's also common for your appetite to decrease as you get older, and dietitians recommend eating smaller, but more frequent meals, and incorporating protein and greens each time.