Category Archives: Exercise

Can Diet and Exercise Cure Diabetes?

Can diet and exercise cure diabetes? According to one study, yes. A new study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicates that individuals may be able to reverse their Type 2 diabetes by practicing better habits related to diet and exercise. Although the news should give hope to the 26 million Americans suffering from diabetes, the CDC researchers noted that complete remission is quite rare. During the study, obese patients completed one year of counseling sessions encouraging them to exercise more and eat a healthier, more calorie-conscious diet. After this year had passed, 11.5% of the participants experienced at least a partial reversal in their condition, and their blood sugar levels returned to a prediabetic state without the assistance of medication. Only 2% of the obese adults achieved the same without counseling.

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Posted in Body Building, Diet, Exercise, Health, Health Facts, Medical, News, Nutrition, Studies, Weight Loss, Weight Training | 2,857 Comments

Cause of Obesity? Young Children in Day Care Face Weight Problems Later

According the United States Census Bureau, around 23.5 percent of all children under the age of five in the U.S. attended some sort of organized care facility in the spring of 2011. Unfortunately, children who attend day care are more likely to struggle with weight problems as they approach adolescence, according to a new study on the cause of obesity by the University of Montreal. During the study, children who were enrolled in day care between 1 and 4 years of age increased their risk of being obese or overweight by 65% by the time they reached the age of 4 to 10. Further, children cared for by non-parental family members were also more likely to struggle with weight later on, though not to the same extent as day care children. Children cared for exclusively by their parents prior to age 4 did not exhibit this increased risk.

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Posted in Diet, Exercise, Health, Health Facts, News, Nutrition, Parenting, Studies, Weight Loss | 2 Comments

Muscle Building Study Finds Many Teens Focused on Bodybuilding

A surprisingly large number of teenagers, including both boys and girls, care about building muscle and take various steps toward doing so, according to a new muscle building study by researchers at the University of Minnesota. While many of these muscle building habits are healthy, some of them could actually lead to long-term health problems, according to the researchers. It’s important for parents, doctors, educators and the teens themselves to understand which bodybuilding habits are healthy and which are not. The study, which surveyed approximately 2,800 students from 20 middle schools and high schools around St. Paul and Minneapolis, came to some interesting conclusions about the muscle building habits of teenagers. Approximately 80% of girls and 91% of boys said they exercised longer and/or harder to increase muscle. Making changes to eating habits to support muscle growth was found to be less common but still highly prevalent, with 62% of girls and 68% of boys admitting to doing so. Teens unfortunately reported using riskier methods as well, however.

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Posted in Body Building, Diet, Exercise, Food, Health, Health Facts, News, Nutrition, Parenting, Skin and Beauty, Studies, Weight Loss, Weight Training | 3,303 Comments

Dancing Can Alleviate Mild Mental Health Issues in Teen Girls

Dancing at a club or party can provide some unfocused cardiovascular exercise. Even better, other types of dancing can improve flexibility, increase core strength, and help burn calories. For younger people, however, the act of dancing may also have benefits beyond the physical. For example, teenage girls can help alleviate mild mental health issues such as problem internalization just through dancing, according to a new study conducted at the Karolinska Institutet’s Centre for Health Care Sciences in Sweden. In the dance and mental health study, girls reported greater improvements in health after taking dance classes twice a week in comparison to girls who did not engage in dance. The findings suggest that dance is an excellent way to improve not only physical health but mental health as well.

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Posted in Exercise, Health, Health Facts, Mental Health, News, Parenting, Studies, Weight Loss, Women | 3,242 Comments

Physical Exercise Benefits Include Added Years of Life

Engaging in frequent physical exercise, such as walking, jogging, swimming and sports, can add years to an individual’s lifespan, even if that individual is overweight, according to a new study by researchers at Harvard School of Public Health. Individuals who engaged in more intense activity tended to increase their lifespans even further, though moderate physical exercise benefits were recorded also. The study found that individuals could benefit regardless of their gender, age, weight and status of health. The Harvard researchers examined data from six existing studies involving health and exercise data for almost 640,000 people over the age of 40. Roughly 82,500 of the individuals died during a 10-year follow-up period. The study was the first to estimate changes in life expectancy based on body mass index, or BMI, and physical activity.

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Posted in Body Building, Exercise, Health, Health Facts, Medical, News, Studies, Weight Loss, Weight Training | 1,059 Comments