“Exercising with others increases the likelihood of showing up to work out” RICH BOWEN PHOTOGRAPHY/Alamy Growing up, I avoided team sports at all costs. Eye-hand coordination just isn’t my strong suit. Plus, I have a pernicious competitive streak. Pair the two together and sport became a source of frustration rather than fun. But recent studies … Read more
Exercise has significant benefits for heart health Ian Canham/Alamy Men over 50 may have to exercise more than twice as much as women to get the same heart health benefits. An analysis of activity tracker data found that men in this age group need nearly 9 hours per week of moderate to vigorous activity – … Read more
“My secret is that I never get off the sofa,” said no centenarian, ever. But it is worth noting that the world’s oldest people rarely mention punishing fitness regimes, either. Instead, centenarians tend to report a lifetime of regular, moderate exercisesuch as walking, farming and gardening. This exact prescription doesn’t fit well into many modern … Read more
Exercise doesn’t have to last long to deliver big benefits SOL STOCK LTD If you don’t exercise for the sake of exercising, doing five or six vigorous activities, each lasting just 10 seconds or so every day, can make a big difference. A study in the US has found that people who did a total … Read more
Yoga came out on top, when it came to improving sleep Shutterstock/Drazen Zigic The last thing I want to do after a bad night of sleep is exercise, even though I know it will probably help me to sleep better. Strenuous activity just isn’t appealing when you are running on a few hours of shut-eye. … Read more
In 2013, the World Health Organization (WHO) set an ambitious goal: reduce the global physical inactivity rate by 10 per cent compared with 2010 levels by 2025. Well, the deadline has finally arrived – and, despite numerous public health campaigns and efforts to capitalise on the sporting excitement of multiple Olympic Games, people are moving … Read more
Monitoring daily step counts can be an easy way of gauging how active you have been Volkerpreusser/Alamy We are often told to aim for 10,000 steps a day to maintain good healthbut it turns out that taking just 7000 steps every 24 hours can significantly reduce the risk of conditions such as heart disease, dementia … Read more
“Isometric moves such as planks can reduce pain” Sutulastock/Shutterstock In my last columnI explained why isometric exercises – which involve squeezing and holding a muscle in a fixed position – are especially effective at lowering blood pressure. Since then, I have started incorporating them into my own workouts. This got me wondering: do these exercises … Read more
Should wall sits be part of your workout routine? LeoPatrizi/Getty Images I never thought much about my blood pressure, but recently my doctor suggested I start monitoring it more closely due to some of the medications I take. While it is still well within the normal range, it has slowly crept up, making me wonder … Read more
Is there an upside – or downside – to longer races? Don Emmert/AFP via Getty Images Ever since I announced in my previous column that I am training for a half marathon, friends keep asking me whether a full marathon is up next. My answer is always the same – no way. While running 21 … Read more
