Aerobic exercise (such as brisk walking and swimming) has long been recommended as part of a ‘healthy’ lifestyle, particularly with regard to heart and ‘cardiovascular’ health and weight control. However, in recent times there has been a little more focus on the role of ‘resistance’ exercise (such as weight-training) as a means to improve health, […]
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How much exercise is enough?
Last Friday I was having breakfast with colleagues in hotel in the southwest of England. We were half way through teaching a wellness and work-life balance course to some delegates from Central and Eastern Europe. A newspaper was in evidence, and its front page warned us that, according to new recommendations, we need to exercise […]
Yoga found to boost feel-good brain chemical
While the practice of yoga goes back donkey’s years, it has in more recent times enjoyed quite an upsurge in popularity. I have dabbled in yoga myself, and will often recommend it to individuals who are looking for a generally safe way of enhancing physical and mental wellbeing either as part of a class, or […]
Research highlights the potential health benefits of walking
When occasion arises, I use this site as an opportunity to advocate regular activity for its benefits on health and wellbeing. While exercise and activity comes in many forms, I have for some time been a big believer in walking. This form of exercise is available to almost all of us, is free, and is […]
‘Keeping fit’ can take much less time than we might imagine
While I don’t believe in ‘exercise fascism’, I nonetheless encourage regular activity to all those who have healthy living as a goal. Many individuals know deep down that being physically active would benefit their health, but remain sedentary nonetheless. There are many potential reasons for this, but perhaps the most common of all is time, […]
Combating depression might be as easy as ‘taking a walk in the park’
I’m a great believer in the health-boosting capacity of regular activity both for body and mind. I was therefore interested to read today the results of a study conducted by a team of researchers at the University of Essex in the UK which looked at the effects of walking on mood. The study involved comparing […]
Sun exposure looks like a free way for the elderly to maintain their physical function and mobility
Earlier this month one of my blogs focused on the benefits of sunlight exposure, and in particular the seeming ability of higher vitamin D levels to protect us from a wide range of cancer. Vitamin D is believed to have other roles within the body, including some ability to help ensure normal muscular function. In […]
Why epidemiological studies don’t ‘prove’ anything
January is typically a time when individuals seek to adopt healthier habits, and activity and exercise often feature here as part of the plan. While it is often said that exercise is healthy, actually there is not as much evidence for this as you might think. The best test for any lifestyle factor is to […]
Why exercise is not a cure for obesity and what works better for those seeking to shed weight in the long term
The on-line version of the British Medical Journal recently published a study in which the effects of exercise on body weight was assessed in some 545 children with an average age of 4 [1] The children exercised for 30 minutes, three times a week. Basically, this additional exercise made no difference to their weight. The […]
Corporate Wellness
