Last update: 13 hours ago

Can exercise reduce period pain? And what kind is best?

Fitness & Physical activity news

Can exercise reduce period pain? And what kind is best?

Having your period can be a painful experience. Period pain, also known as dysmenorrhea, is a very common condition with around nine in ten young women aged 13 to 25 in Australia having regular period pain. For many women, ...

13 hours ago

Outrigger canoeing boosts health, preserves culture

A University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa study confirms that outrigger canoe paddling is far more than a state team sport. It's a way of life that supports physical, emotional, cultural, and spiritual health for paddlers in Hawaiʻi.

Mar 14, 2026

How the menstrual cycle can make or break an athlete's performance

As soccer's Women's Asian Cup continues in Australia, much analysis will inevitably focus on the physical: the speed of Mary Fowler, the power of Sarina Bolden, the endurance of Yui Hasegawa and Ellie Carpenter.

Mar 13, 2026

Sleep apnea aggravates muscle loss in people with COPD, research shows

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is known for causing breathing difficulties and limiting everyday activities. Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS), on the other hand, is usually associated with loud snoring ...

Mar 12, 2026

From Japanese walking to 75 Hard: What the science really says about viral fitness trends

If TikTok fitness advice is to be believed, you should be interval walking like the Japanese, hanging from a pull-up bar every day and committing to a 75-day challenge with no rest days. Some of these trends are grounded ...

Mar 12, 2026

Structured exercise programs may help combat 'chemo brain' according to new study

New research suggests that exercise may help people with cancer stay mentally sharp and better able to handle daily tasks, work, and social activities through chemotherapy treatment delivered on an every two-week cycle. This ...

Mar 12, 2026

Combining exercise and sleep coaching can help improve sleep and health markers in young women

Instances of insomnia are on the rise globally, which is a matter of great concern, as lack of sleep can take a heavy toll on one's physical and mental health. A recent study by The Education University of Hong Kong investigated ...

Mar 11, 2026 report

Q&A: How small steps can help GLP-1 users build healthier habits

A Stanford study shows simple digital prompts can motivate people taking GLP-1 medications to make lifestyle changes. It's a simple premise: What if something as small as a digital nudge could put someone on the path to healthier ...

Mar 11, 2026

In former college athletes, more concussions associated with worse brain health

In former college athletes, having had three or more concussions was associated with slightly worse physical, mental, behavioral and cognitive health five years after graduation, according to an article published March 11, ...

Mar 11, 2026

Promoting physical activity can be surprisingly inexpensive, yet impacts are rarely measured

A joint study by the University of Oulu and the Department of Sports and Exercise Medicine, Oulu Deaconess Institute Foundation highlights the need for better evaluation of both the effectiveness and the costs of interventions ...

Mar 11, 2026

How voluntary exercise reshapes tryptophan metabolism through the gut microbiota

Something happens when a rat starts running. Not just the obvious things, the faster heart, the warming muscles, the rhythmic percussion of paws against the wheel. Something quieter. Something that begins in the coiled darkness ...

Mar 10, 2026

Specific gut bacteria species linked to muscle strength

A species of gut bacteria called Roseburia inulinivorans is specifically associated with human muscle strength and improved muscular performance in mice, finds research published online in the journal Gut.

Mar 10, 2026

Gut motility increases within minutes of physical activity, research shows

Gut health plays a vital role in overall well-being, with constipation remaining one of the most widespread and frustrating digestive issues that people face today. It affects individuals of all ages and backgrounds, leading ...

Mar 10, 2026

Maternal physical activity linked to child neurodevelopment

Higher maternal physical activity is associated with early child neurodevelopment, according to a study published online March 3 in JAMA Network Open.

Mar 10, 2026

Drop in daytime activity patterns precedes disability worsening in multiple sclerosis

For people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS), within-person reductions in daytime activity patterns precede clinical disability worsening, according to a study published online March 4 in Neurology.

Mar 10, 2026

Increased fitness may amplify brain boost following exercise

Increasing our level of physical fitness leads to a bigger release of brain-boosting proteins following one session of exercise, finds a new study led by a UCL researcher. The study, published in Brain Research, took a group ...

Mar 9, 2026

Single 20-minute bike workout boosts memory-linked hippocampal 'ripples' in humans

A single session of physical exercise can spawn a boost of neural activity in brain networks that underlie learning and memory, according to a new study led by the University of Iowa.

Mar 9, 2026

Global physical activity remains low despite two decades of guideline updates

The prevalence of physical activity among the global population has remained low for the last two decades despite a majority of countries making notable progress in developing policies that include physical activity, UTHealth ...

Mar 9, 2026

High-intensity interval training boosts muscle mitochondria, study shows

Researchers from the University of Southern Denmark investigated how eight weeks of high-intensity interval training affect the structure of mitochondria—the parts of muscle cells that produce energy. The study shows that ...

Mar 9, 2026

The tryptophan switch? Why exercise boosts your mood

One in five Canadians is living with mental health challenges such as anxiety and depression at any one time.

Mar 9, 2026

Strength training may be the key to healthy aging

Healthy aging is about staying independent, maintaining mobility and continuing to enjoy everyday activities as you get older. For many people, what matters most is being able to get out of a chair without help, carry shopping ...

Mar 8, 2026

Hyrox is booming worldwide. Here's how to train for this race safely and effectively

Once a niche challenge for hardcore athletes, Hyrox has become one of the fastest-growing fitness trends worldwide. It blends elements of endurance running with functional strength work in a way that appeals to both strength ...

Mar 8, 2026

Multiple types of post-amputation pain revealed, each needing different treatment

Researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz have identified a critical gap in how post-amputation pain is evaluated and treated. The study shows that pain after lower limb amputation is not a single uniform condition ...

Mar 6, 2026

Paralympics and athletes tell the media: 'It should just be about sport'

With the upcoming Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Paralympic Games, national and international media attention is once again turning to Paralympic sport. But how is it presented to the public?

Mar 6, 2026

Review finds exercise could cut cardiometabolic risks in severe mental illness

People with mental illnesses such as schizophrenia, depression or bipolar disorder die on average 10 to 20 years earlier than the general population. The main causes of this are cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, which ...

Mar 5, 2026