https://medicalxpress.com/fitness-news/ en-us Latest health news and information about Fitness & Physical Activity A new clinical trial led by researchers at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience has found that exercise has a significant effect on mood and lab-based measures of new brain cell formation in healthy middle-aged participants. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-clinical-physical-trial-mood-neuron.html Thu, 17 Sep 2026 14:40:03 EDT news708870541 Losing muscle as we age could be an important warning sign for dementia, according to new Curtin University research. Researchers analyzed more than 80 studies examining the links between body weight, body fat, muscle health and dementia, finding people with sarcopenia—the loss of muscle mass and strength—had a 42% higher risk of dementia. Sarcopenia is a condition in which people lose muscle mass, strength and physical function, often as they get older. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-dementia-muscles.html Wed, 16 Sep 2026 08:00:01 EDT news708762962 YouTube has become a go-to platform for sports content, offering far more than traditional game broadcasts and sports news. Alongside highlights and commentary, viewers can find content tailored to their interests, including home-training tips, diet and nutrition advice, and information about sports equipment. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-sports-youtube-doesnt-youll-couch.html Tue, 15 Sep 2026 14:00:13 EDT news708693661 Researchers from the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders (COMD) have partnered with faculty from across the Arnold School and USC to complete a study investigating the connections among physical function, blood pressure, hearing and cognition among older adults. Published in Scientific Reports, the team found that participants who maintained higher levels of physical function (i.e., engaging in everyday physical activities) were less likely to experience hearing loss. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-physical-older-adults-loss.html Thu, 10 Sep 2026 17:40:04 EDT news708277082 In mogul skiing, a fraction of a second can make all the difference. A momentary lapse in attention, a misjudged turn or a delayed decision can turn a smooth sequence into a mistake or even a disaster. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-thin-air-mind-skiers-mental.html Wed, 09 Sep 2026 10:20:18 EDT news708164701 Fewer daily steps at a faster pace or more steps at a slower pace may both substantially lower the risk of an early death, with a brisker pace for at least 30 minutes a day the potential sweet spot for those with sedentary lifestyles out of choice or necessity, suggests research published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-daily-pace-combos-early-death.html Tue, 08 Sep 2026 18:30:01 EDT news707993227 Modern lifestyles, longer light exposure and constant digital distractions have pushed the world into a global sleep crisis—one that poses a major threat to public health. Sleep loss doesn't just leave us tired and irritable; it can also affect our memory. The processes that happen in our brain when we sleep play a crucial role in helping us learn, store and recall new information. Even a single short night can disrupt this kind of memory. Exercise is known to improve sleep, but could it also help protect memory from sleep loss? https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-workout-memory-short-night.html Sat, 05 Sep 2026 13:40:01 EDT news707734852 For people with moderate to severe asthma, increasing the number of daily steps may be as effective as structured aerobic training sessions for managing the disease. This finding comes from a study led by researchers at the University of São Paulo (USP) and published in the journal Pulmonology. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-daily-effective-aerobic-asthma.html Thu, 03 Sep 2026 16:20:08 EDT news707664175 A marathon, 100 kilometers (62 miles) or even 230 kilometers (143 miles) in a single effort: Anyone running such distances puts enormous strain on their body. At the same time, levels of the body's own cannabis-like signaling molecules rise significantly. Dr. Michael Siebers from the Institute of Forensic Psychiatry and Sex Research at the University of Duisburg-Essen and his team have, for the first time, tracked in greater detail how these so-called endocannabinoids develop over the course of an entire marathon and during extreme ultramarathon distances. The study has been published in BMC Medicine. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-runner-high-cannabis-molecules-extreme.html Wed, 02 Sep 2026 13:00:03 EDT news707570283 If you're depending on your smartwatch to tell you the truth about how many calories you burned during a workout—well, don't. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-smartwatch-calories.html Tue, 01 Sep 2026 17:40:07 EDT news707501404 Regular aerobic exercise—the kind that gets your heart pumping—can improve important thinking skills called executive functions, and the benefits appear especially strong for women after menopause, according to Rutgers researchers. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-stay-sharp-menopause-aerobic-key.html Tue, 01 Sep 2026 07:00:01 EDT news707456041