Exercise and Fitness Archive

Common activity guidelines recommend a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity and two muscle-strengthening workouts per week. However, these targets are meant for a broad population, and for many older adults, hitting just the 150 minutes per week poses a challenge. Experts suggest breaking down the 150 minutes into manageable segments, like doing 30 minutes of activity five days a week, and even dividing those 30 minutes into 10 minutes of exercise three times a day.

The PREVENT equation is a new online calculator to predict a person's odds of developing heart disease. Compared to previous calculators, the updated tool considers broader measures of health (including biomarkers for kidney and metabolic health) and a longer age span (starting at 30 instead of 40 years of age). The goal is to encourage earlier, more targeted strategies to help people avoid cardiovascular problems.

A 2023 study found that people who engaged in moderate or vigorous exercise an average of four days a week had more brain mass in regions associated with cognitive skills like memory and learning, compared with people who did not exercise.

A new study from the National Institutes of Health has performed more diverse and extensive biological measurements of people experiencing chronic fatigue syndrome than any previous research. Here's what they found and what it means.

Fatigue is a common symptom that can be caused by a whole host of factors, from medical conditions to stress and poor sleep. In order to ease ongoing fatigue, it's important to investigate and treat the underlying cause. Fatigue that doesn't respond to interventions or is severe or persistent should be brought to the attention of a doctor. It may be caused by a medical condition.

Resistance bands don't look impressive, but they work muscles in different ways than other pieces of strength-building equipment. The bands offer varying levels of resistance, can be used to strengthen a variety of muscle groups, and may be easier to use for some people.

Using your own body weight for exercise is simple and straightforward, but sometimes you need to further challenge your muscles. Resistance bands are versatile, portable, and easy to use to strengthen legs. These four leg exercises with resistance bands will enhance your lower-body workouts.

Chest exercises can help you achieve a strong, sculpted physique. But building the chest muscles offers a myriad of benefits beyond looking toned.

Beta blockers can slow one's heart rate, which can make gauging intensity during exercise difficult. Monitoring your breathing is a good way to ensure you work out at an intensity that is sufficient and not too high.