https://medicalxpress.com/fitness-news/ en-us Latest health news and information about Fitness & Physical Activity Scotland's rivers, lochs and coastlines deliver health benefits worth up to £123m a year in the Forth region alone, according to new research from the University of Aberdeen that puts a monetary value on the impact of blue spaces. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-blue-spaces-major-health-assets.html Wed, 26 Aug 2026 12:20:08 EDT news706956115 A recent study from the University of Jyväskylä, Finland, shows that physical activity declines substantially with age, even among older adults who are in good physical condition. Over a four-year follow-up period, physical activity energy expenditure decreased by an average of about 17%. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-older-adults-faster-daily.html Tue, 25 Aug 2026 11:20:09 EDT news706869089 Physical activity in adulthood may depend on exercise during growth, according to a new study led by Penn State researchers. The study, conducted in birds, is the first to directly demonstrate that experiences during development influence how efficiently adults use energy during movement. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-bird-bulking-youth-decreases-energy.html Mon, 24 Aug 2026 16:00:02 EDT news706800842 Not all physical activity is equal when it comes to protecting the brain from dementia. Where and why we move may matter more than most people realize. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-physical-paradox-dementia.html Mon, 24 Aug 2026 13:20:04 EDT news706793521 A short workout or a nap can help protect memory after a sleepless night, a McGill University-led study has found. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-workout-nap-sleepless-brain.html Mon, 24 Aug 2026 12:00:05 EDT news706790281 For decades, people exercising have been told one simple rule: Never let your knees go over your toes. During lunges, squats and many other exercises, well-meaning coaches, trainers and physical therapists repeated this advice so often that it became fitness folklore. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-knees-toes-bullet-proof-experts.html Mon, 24 Aug 2026 09:00:05 EDT news706773362 Each person has a unique gut microbial population, with variation shaped by diet, lifestyle and disease. We are seeing a rapid rise in metabolic disorders, obesity and inflammatory diseases that cannot be explained by our relatively stable genetic code. One of the most encouraging findings in common modern diseases is that modifiable factors can outweigh genetic predispositions. Unlike genetics, the microbiome is a dynamic system that responds to the daily choices we make. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-gut-microbial-health-index-composite.html Sun, 23 Aug 2026 16:00:01 EDT news706535175 Hand grip strength. Balance tests. Standing up from a seated position on the floor. These physical challenges are often touted as measurements of healthy aging and even predictors of longevity. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-mobility-insights-crystal-ball.html Sat, 22 Aug 2026 11:20:01 EDT news706613940 Growing up, my brothers were fascinated by the first "Rocky" movie. They were trying to get stronger and excel in sports, so one scene stood out almost as much as Rocky sprinting up the museum steps: Before sunrise, Rocky cracked raw eggs into a glass and drank them. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-protein-breakfast-snacks-wont-muscle.html Fri, 21 Aug 2026 10:00:05 EDT news706522263 As Japan's population continues to age, age-related declines in kidney function and chronic kidney disease (CKD) are becoming increasingly prevalent, underscoring the need for effective preventive strategies. Despite growing interest in the health benefits of cardiorespiratory fitness, its relationship with future kidney function decline remains poorly understood, particularly among individuals with preserved kidney function. To address this gap, researchers investigated whether higher cardiorespiratory fitness, a measure of whole-body endurance capacity, is associated with a slower age-related decline in kidney function. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-higher-cardiorespiratory-slower-age-decline.html Thu, 20 Aug 2026 17:00:03 EDT news706460762 Dementia can be brewing in the background for years before the telltale signs of memory lapses and difficulties with wayfinding creep into people's daily lives or are detected through memory tests, but endless crossword puzzles or sudoku are unlikely to make a meaningful difference. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-tasks-surpass-crossword-puzzles-brain.html Thu, 20 Aug 2026 10:20:05 EDT news706438301 Infrequent exercise is associated with a higher prevalence of common mental disorders such as depression and anxiety among higher education students in Norway, according to a study published in PLOS ONE by Michael Grasdalsmoen of Western Norway University of Applied Sciences and colleagues. The findings highlight the potential value of consistent physical activity rather than intense, prolonged exercise sessions. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-students-mental-health-intense-workouts.html Wed, 19 Aug 2026 14:29:30 EDT news706368541 A novel AI system capable of recognizing yoga poses with high accuracy could pave the way for more effective digital coaching tools, rehabilitation platforms and movement-monitoring applications. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-ai-yoga-pose-families-real.html Wed, 19 Aug 2026 07:00:04 EDT news706338661 We all know taking the stairs is good for our physical health, but it turns out it can benefit our brains, too. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-stair-climbing-brain-health.html Wed, 19 Aug 2026 07:00:02 EDT news706340282 Various forms of physical exercise may help prevent diabetes during pregnancy (or gestational diabetes), but data are limited. In a randomized clinical trial published in Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica including 209 pregnant women, participants who followed a strength training program from gestational weeks 12–14 until week 36 or delivery had lower rates of gestational diabetes. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-strength-diabetes-pregnancy.html Wed, 19 Aug 2026 03:10:01 EDT news706193545 When it comes to daily aches and pains, it's not uncommon for knees to be a main source. And while there can be many different long-term causes of such issues, osteoarthritis is often a reason why. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-osteoarthritis.html Tue, 18 Aug 2026 23:00:02 EDT news706258113 For years, scientists have known that regular physical activity can help lower the risk of dementia. But new USC research suggests that it's not only the amount but also the activity's context—for work or for leisure—that makes a difference. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-affect-dementia.html Tue, 18 Aug 2026 18:30:08 EDT news706182961 Here is a finding that surprises most people, including plenty of regular gym-goers. When researchers tracked nearly 1,900 older adults (aged 70–79) over three years, those who held on to their muscle mass, and even those who gained some, still lost strength. Leg strength declined about three times faster than muscle mass. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-strength-stamina-reflexes-age.html Tue, 18 Aug 2026 12:20:04 EDT news706272422 A study of women who use performance- and image-enhancing drugs (PIEDs), such as steroids and peptides, suggests health care has not kept pace, with most research on the topic focused on men. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-gender-gap-health-female-users.html Tue, 18 Aug 2026 10:00:04 EDT news706260721 Scientists have discovered that a key molecule released during exercise strengthens muscles, improves exercise performance and could be a potential therapeutic treatment for muscle damage caused by type 2 diabetes. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-molecule-muscles-weakened-diabetes.html Tue, 18 Aug 2026 05:00:06 EDT news706176242 Obesity can weaken the immune system's tumor-killing responses in lung cancer, leading to disease progression, but a new study by experts at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center reveals that exercise may reverse this effect. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-obesity-weakens-anti-tumor-immune.html Mon, 17 Aug 2026 12:40:07 EDT news706185962 Climbers who love their sport may not have to hang up their ropes and harnesses just because they become pregnant, a University of Alberta study suggests. Although physical activity guidelines advise expectant women to stay grounded because of the risk of falling, the research presents the first direct evidence that continuing to climb into the third trimester doesn't increase the chances of self-reported pregnancy complications. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-pregnant-climbers-stay-grounded.html Mon, 17 Aug 2026 09:00:07 EDT news706172402 Recently, the Australian Football League (AFL) was rocked when it was revealed a Geelong player with a history of concussion had been asked to waive his legal rights to claim for any future brain trauma. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-sports-leagues-concussion-guidelines-broadened.html Mon, 17 Aug 2026 08:20:01 EDT news706166402 Thomas's phone alarm buzzes at 9:30 p.m.—it's time for the aspiring bodybuilder to start injecting several banned peptides into his stomach. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-trend-peptides-optimise-body.html Fri, 14 Aug 2026 17:40:03 EDT news705896288 Most individuals encounter their health primarily through an annual health screening, which provides a limited snapshot of their health status. A new study by the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore (NUS Medicine), challenges the way we think about health and longevity by seeking to understand what occurs between those assessments, focusing on function rather than static markers and tracking how physiology changes moment to moment. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-professor-subject-longevity-biological-age.html Thu, 13 Aug 2026 11:40:01 EDT news705839287 Three minutes of sprinting can do something that 90 minutes of moderate exercise apparently cannot: dramatically reshape the molecular contents of the bloodstream. Rockefeller researchers comparing different intensities of exercise found that six sets of 30-second, all-out sprints altered nearly a quarter of the proteins measured immediately afterward. Moderate, continuous cycling for 90 minutes altered fewer than one-quarter of 1%. And while moderate treadmill running changed more proteins than cycling, it still altered far fewer than a quick sprint. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-minutes-sprinting-bigger-impact-moderate.html Thu, 13 Aug 2026 11:00:01 EDT news705833761 Taking the stairs could help you live longer—according to new research from the University of East Anglia and the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital. The study, published today, suggests that climbing stairs significantly reduces the risk of dying from cardiovascular disease. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-stairs-early-death.html Wed, 12 Aug 2026 19:10:03 EDT news705671582 Anyone who has run while pushing a stroller knows stroller running can feel cumbersome and hard on the body. But does it increase the risk of injury? According to a new study from researchers at Penn State Berks, the answer appears to be no. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-parents-stroller-overuse-injury.html Wed, 12 Aug 2026 14:00:04 EDT news705588660 There's no shortage of weight-loss advice on social media, TikTok, television and AI chatbots. But the most credible source—a patient's own primary care doctor—is often the one they're not hearing from. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-patients-obesity-dont-weight.html Wed, 12 Aug 2026 09:00:03 EDT news705735857 As a sophomore wide receiver who had just joined the USF football team, Jaden Alexis didn't expect a routine play to turn into a career-defining moment. During preseason football camp, Alexis had just sprinted up the sideline after catching a pass when a split-second collision changed everything. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-acl-injuries-early-ai-wearable.html Tue, 11 Aug 2026 18:20:02 EDT news705685923