A new study from the University of Innsbruck suggests that walking outdoors/in nature has some key benefits over comparable exercise on the gym treadmill. People that hiked for three hours on a mountain trail (even though it was actually more strenuous) reported that it was less strenuous than the same time walking on a treadmill. And people’s mood scores were much higher after the outdoor hike.
Wellness Evidence Study: Yoga Works as Well as Physical Therapy for Back Pain
A new study from Boston University revealed that 12 weeks of yoga worked as well as 12 weeks of physical therapy in relieving back pain. For both groups, about half reduced their pain, disability and drug use – but people seemed to like yoga better: the yoga-doers were less likely to drop out of the study.
Wellness Evidence Study: Trendy Fasting Delivers No Unique Weight Loss Benefits
Alternate-day fasting has become a trending weight loss strategy, but a new trial on overweight/obese people showed that it offered the exact same benefits as traditional calorie restriction. Randomizing people into those that did every-other-day fasting or a diet restricted to 75 percent less daily calories, researchers found that at six months both the fasters and calorie restriction group lost 6.8 percent of weight (with no difference in blood pressure, cholesterol, etc.). But the fasters saw the biggest dropout rate.
New Study: With Sleep Deprivation, the Brain Begins to “Eat Itself”
A new study from Italy’s Marche Polytechnic University conducted on mice showed, for the first time, that sleep deprivation causes the brain to feed off its own neurons and synaptic connections – when cells like astrocytes go into overdrive. The result: Your brain devours itself. Researchers noted that this could explain why chronic lack of sleep could put people at risk of Alzheimer’s and other neurological disorders.
Wellness Evidence: New Study: Cost of Sedentary Children is Staggering
A new, first-ever study from Johns Hopkins University revealed the incredible healthcare costs that societies would save if all the children who are currently inactive (a skyrocketing number) exercised just an hour a day. Using complex computer simulations, the researchers found that the U.S. alone would save $120 billion annually. This is a mounting global problem, as research shows that in Europe and the U.S., physical activity tends to peak at age seven and plummets throughout adolescence.
New Study: Dancing Better for Brain than Walking, Stretching
A University of Illinois-Urbana study showed that there might be something uniquely beneficial to the brain from social dancing compared with other exercise. Scientists analyzed the impact of country dance (with intricate moves from partner to partner) on older people’s brain function, compared with brisk walking and stretching/balance training. After six months, only the dance group showed improvement in “white matter” brain health (i.e., memory and processing speed). Researchers concluded movement mixed with socializing might be a potent force in slowing brain changes that come with aging.
