https://medicalxpress.com/fitness-news/ en-us Latest health news and information about Fitness & Physical Activity Not every disease announces itself with obvious symptoms. Some develop quietly, going unnoticed until they begin to take a serious toll on health. Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is one of them. Rather than a single disease, it is a combination of at least three conditions—including high blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess belly fat, high triglycerides and low HDL (good) cholesterol—that together raise the risk of heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-equal-metabolic-syndrome.html Fri, 31 Jul 2026 12:40:06 EDT news704696757 Yoga is best known for improving flexibility, building strength and reducing stress. Research suggests it may also help ease symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), a common digestive disorder that affects millions of people. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-yoga-relieve-bowel-syndrome-symptoms.html Thu, 30 Jul 2026 08:00:06 EDT news704613961 Researchers from the Universities of Hildesheim, Bonn and Freiburg have uncovered how human skeletal muscle responds to resistance exercise at the molecular level. Their findings provide new insights that could help optimize training programs for athletes, improve rehabilitation strategies and counteract age-related muscle loss. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-resistance-muscle-machinery.html Tue, 28 Jul 2026 16:00:06 EDT news704463602 An international team of researchers led by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal) and the University of Bonn—with participation from the Barça Innovation Hub (BIHUB), FC Barcelona's medical department and the company Made of Genes—has developed a computer-based approach that improves injury prediction in elite women's soccer. The study, published in npj Digital Medicine, combines artificial intelligence, survival analysis, statistical calibration and decision theory to transform risk prediction into a useful tool for clinical and sports practice. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-cumulative-fatigue-emerges-predictor-women.html Tue, 28 Jul 2026 15:00:02 EDT news704463201 Maintaining balance is essential for preserving functional independence during aging. A study led by researchers from Miguel Hernández University of Elche (UMH) and ISABIAL suggests that trunk stability may play a particularly relevant role in this process. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-trunk-stability-emerges-stronger-marker.html Tue, 28 Jul 2026 04:00:01 EDT news703934341 Exercise finds improvements in pain and function may fall short of what patients would notice in daily life, but more studies are needed to make firm conclusions, a new publication in Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews finds. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-hip-arthritis-pain-function-gains.html Wed, 22 Jul 2026 20:00:04 EDT news703915093 Researchers have developed a breath detector with a chemical sensor that sniffs out when your body is burning fat through a single exhale. Reporting in Device, the handheld, smartphone-assisted device measures acetone—a molecule that is released into the breath when the body burns fat—in about 90 seconds with laboratory-level accuracy. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-breathalyzer-body-fat.html Wed, 22 Jul 2026 11:00:05 EDT news703841521 With fitness culture booming and "no days off" mindsets trending, new research is challenging common assumptions about "exercise addiction"—finding that the issue is real but often misunderstood and overstated. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-addiction-real-overstated.html Wed, 22 Jul 2026 07:00:11 EDT news703917841 Collagen is a protein found in skin, hair, nails, tendons, cartilage and bones. Our bodies naturally produce collagen using the foods we eat. But in recent years, collagen peptides have gained popularity as a supplement to support joint, hair, skin and gut health. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-collagen-peptides-bone-health-female.html Mon, 20 Jul 2026 11:20:01 EDT news703755662 Women should ignore most of the exercise advice they see on social media, University of Otago – Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka researchers say. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-debunks-women-advice.html Wed, 15 Jul 2026 14:20:01 EDT news703338642 There's growing evidence linking brain health with exercise. A new study from Victoria University (VU) strengthens the case for exercise as a critical part of protecting the brain from age-related decline like dementia and Alzheimer's disease. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-brains-healthy-age.html Wed, 15 Jul 2026 09:30:02 EDT news703326005 Heated yoga, or hot yoga, is practiced in a room heated to 32–40°C (90–105°F) and has gained popularity in recent years. The warmth helps loosen your muscles, making it easier to stretch and increasing workout intensity. Conventional yoga has been shown to ease depressive symptoms in some people, and heat therapy has also shown potential mental health benefits. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-yoga-ease-depressive-symptoms.html Wed, 15 Jul 2026 08:00:03 EDT news703319039 A major new international study led by Curtin University has found diabetes risk is about more than body weight or obesity, revealing that muscle health also likely plays a major role in whether people develop the condition. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-muscles-diabetes.html Tue, 14 Jul 2026 08:20:15 EDT news703231381