, Author at Global Wellness Institute

Industry Research: Understanding the Different Types of Physical Activity

At its essence, physical activity is about movement. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines physical activity as “any bodily movement produced by skeletal muscles that requires energy expenditure – including activities undertaken while working, playing, carrying out household chores, travelling, and engaging in recreational pursuit.” The benefits of physical activity are varied, widely proven, and well-known, including: preventing chronic disease, reducing stress, managing weight, strengthening…

Must-Reads from the Wellness World (Week of March 9, 2021)

CDC study finds about 78% of people hospitalized for COVID were overweight or obese—CNBC, March 8, 2021 An overwhelming majority (78%) of people who have been hospitalized, needed a ventilator, or died from COVID-19 in the US have been overweight or obese, the CDC just reported. Just over 42% of the US population are considered obese, according to the agency’s most recent statistics. It doesn’t…

Industry Research: Defining “Mental Wellness” vs. “Mental Health”

Defining Mental Wellness Mental wellness is a term that is increasingly used in the popular lexicon, but it is vague and not well-understood. People associate mental wellness with many different types of activities: meditating, listening to music, talking to a friend, taking a walk in nature, taking a vacation, getting a massage, taking a bubble bath, squeezing a stress ball, or just carving out some…

Wellness Evidence Study: With Meditation, the Instructor and Group Outweigh Amount or Type Practiced

An interesting new study from Brown University dispels any myth that positive outcomes from mindfulness-based meditation come exclusively from the practice because the more active ingredient seems to be the social factor of the instructor and the group. It’s one of the first studies to look at the role of relationships in meditation programs, and the person-to-person factors led to a more positive impact on…

Must-Reads from the Wellness World (Week of February 21, 2021)

Wellness Will Be #1 Driver of Consumer Spending Growth Worldwide—Coresight Research Coresight Research’s 2021 Retail and Technology Outlook looks at the key global retail and consumer trends for 2021—from how “doing good is good business” to how physical retail will change. Key prediction: Wellness will be the number-one driver of discretionary spending growth worldwide. The rise of the wellness app—They’re everywhere, but they can’t address…

Wellness Evidence Study: Exercise Linked to Creativity and Imagination

A new study from the University of Graz (Austria) found a direct link between everyday physical activity (simple walking or moderate exercise) and greater creativity and inventiveness. The researchers found that active people came up with significantly more—and more innovative—ideas during tests (whether conceiving of new usages for an umbrella or finishing partial drawings) than sedentary people. ACCESS STUDY