A large new study shows that people that move around during the day, no matter how modestly, are less likely to die prematurely. It’s a meaningful study because it looked at what people were actually doing via fitness trackers (and not just what they self-reported), and it found that the biggest life expectancy gains came from people that shifted from being almost totally sedentary to…
A new study from the University of Pennsylvania found that music therapy was as effective as a common sedative (midazolam) in reducing anxiety in patients before surgery. The song that was played is called “Weightless” by the band Marconi Union—and you can listen to it here. ACCESS STUDY
A new study indicates that women who exercise while pregnant may bring lasting benefits to their babies. The babies of mothers who exercised while pregnant performed better on a range of motor skills and measurements of how they react and move. And the gains were most notable among baby girls. ACCESS STUDY
A large, new meta-analysis of 33 studies (21,000 people) from the very stringent Cochrane Reviews found that paying people to stop smoking is very effective. Not only were people receiving financial rewards for kicking the habit more likely to quit, they were also more likely to remain smoke-free. The amount was irrelevant: It was just as effective to pay $100 as more than $700. ACCESS…
A new meta-analysis (49 studies) published in the Mayo Clinic Proceedings indicates that yoga practice that emphasizes mental relaxation and breathing techniques can have as much of a positive impact on high blood pressure as aerobic exercise: It results in blood pressure reductions as large as 11/6 mmHg, equal to or exceeding those reported for aerobic exercise training. When yoga didn’t emphasize breathing techniques and…
An important new study from the National Institutes of Health is the first randomized trial to show that ultra-processed foods actually drive people to overeat and gain weight compared to whole/less processed foods. Those on an ultra-processed diet ate 508 more calories a week, gaining two pounds over the two-week study period, versus those on the unprocessed diet who lost two pounds a week. Key…
