Showing posts tagged with: exercise

Just a 15 minute stroll four times a week can reduce the risk of an early death by 40%

Older people who take a short walk just four  times a week reduce the risk of an early death by a staggering 40 per  cent.

Each walk only needs to be a 15-minute stroll in the open air to give them a better chance of extending their longevity by a few years, say Italian researchers.

Allowing for a host of other factors from smoking to diet, the walking pensioners had a 40 per cent better survival rate than those who did not, they found.

To read the full article click here.

Feeeling TATTered? (that's Tired All The Time): As one in five say they always feel drained, our experts share their fatigue tips.

Are you tired all the time? It’s a symptom so  common it even has a handy acronym – TATT – used by doctors on medical notes.

One in five Britons say they are, according  to NHS figures, with one in ten suffering long-term problems. Yet just a third  of these will have anything physically wrong with them, making it a tricky  problem to tackle.

Although causes such as hormonal problems or  vitamin deficiencies must be ruled out by blood tests, once this is done, what  is left to try?

We know that burning the candle at both ends  can leave you feeling drained, but there are scientifically proven ways to beat  the slump.

Here, experts reveal their favourite methods,  from cutting out a nightly tipple to limiting time spent on your  laptop.

To read the full article click here.

Exercising four times a week from childhood 'helps stave off dementia and increases brain power by a third!'

It is not only our heart and waistline that  benefit from lifelong exercise – our brains do too.

Undertaking physical activity four or more  times a week from childhood helps improve brainpower in later life by up to a  third, and could help stave off the onset of dementia.

While all adults suffer mental decline with  greater age, scientists found regular exercise, such as playing sport, jogging,  attending the gym or even a brisk walk with the dog, can have a protecting  effect on the brain.

More than 9,000 individuals took part in a  40-year study from age of 11. Researchers quizzed them on levels of exercise at  regular age intervals, and participants also undertook tests of memory,  attention and learning.

The study found participants who exercised  weekly throughout their life performed better on tests of memory, learning,  attention and reasoning at the age of 50, compared to those who exercised two to  three times per month or less.

Men who undertook physical activity more than  four times a week were found to have lost a third less of their brainpower by  the age of 50, compared to their peers who did no exercise, while women benefit  from a 25 per cent reduction.

To read the full article click here.

Flu risk 'cut by vigorous exercise'

Doing at least two and a half hours of vigorous exercise each week cuts the chance of developing flu, new data suggests.

Around 4,800 people took part in this year's online Flu Survey, run by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

Moderate exercise did not appear to have a protective effect, the researchers said.

Overall, flu rates have been relatively low this winter.

The Flu Survey, now in its fifth year, tries to track as much detail as possible about who does and does not get flu.

One of the questions people must answer when they register, as well as their age, if they are around children and if they have been vaccinated, is how many hours of "vigorous exercise" they do each week, such as running, fast cycling or competitive sports, ranging from none to more than five hours.

To read the full article click here.

Five exercises for the 30% who never exercise

About 30% of Britons never exercise, according to research by Mintel. But what can people do to get slightly fitter without incurring costs, inconvenience or embarrassment, asks Lucy Townsend.

Find out the five exercises here.