Exercise Offsets Genetic Signal for Obesity

Scientific evidence is increasingly proving that the human body was engineered for action. Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine have recently added more evidence, with their study of the effect an active lifestyle has on a specific gene that causes less active people to gain excess weight. Read more

Run to Slow Aging Process

The Stanford University School of Medicine has released the results of a long-term study that explores how a lifetime of running affects the aging process. The multitude of benefits derived from running have surprised even the research team. Read more

Critic Urges Caution Over Exercise Pill Study

It could be a matter of dilution of the message as the scientific data was reinterpreted and broadcast by journalists everywhere recently when the prestigious Salk Institute for Biological Studies published, in the journal, Cell, a paper describing a drug under laboratory investigation that mimics some of the body’s responses to regular exercise.  The study has frequently been described as the “exercise pill” study. Read more

Exercise in Pill Form May Answer Prayers of Many

Most of us would have a hard time trying to discern the links between world-class athletes, veterans suffering from physical disabilities,  couch potatoes, and the frail, the elderly, and the obese but researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies would tell us they’re all likely candidates for a new drug they’ve been investigating that mimics the healthful effects of exercise.  Tested only on laboratory mice, the mice getting the drug dramatically increased endurance during exercise, did not gain weight on a high-fat diet, and their body’s response to insulin improved as well. Read more

Women Need More Exercise to Keep the Weight Off

With 65% or more of the adults in the United States tipping the scales at the overweight (or beyond) point, losing excess weight and keeping it off is a mission most of us wish we could accomplish.  It’s common knowledge that healthy food choices and regular exercise are critical steps to take when following a weight-loss regimen but a newly released study from the University of Pittsburgh suggests we might need more exercise than once recommended. Read more

Exercise Keeps Heart Healthy into Senior Years

Reporting from the Washington University School of Medicine, in St. Louis, Missouri, Pablo F. Soto, MD, says older hearts can work like younger hearts when training at the endurance level of physical activity.

Soto’s research team enlisted six men and six women to test the cardiovascular effect of endurance training on the aging heart.  All study participants were between 60 and 75 years of age.  All reported a sedentary lifestyle although none of the study participants was obese.  A physical trainer guided each study participant through eleven months of endurance exercise, with his or her vital statistics measured throughout the study. Read more

Athletic Kids Need Month-Long Break from Sports

Headlines everywhere scream of the obesity epidemic jeopardizing our kids’ health and happiness during the time in life they should be the most care free.  Children with excess pounds usually don’t have to worry about the ill effects of too much exercise but some kids are non-stop, athletic dynamos.  They play one sport after another, all year round, with little, if any, down time for their growing bodies to get some therapeutic rest and restoration. Read more

Exercise May Slow Early Alzheimer’s Progression

The July 15 issue of the journal, Neurology, published by the American Academy of Neurology, carries the details of a report conducted by researchers at the University of Kansas School of Medicine that offers the hope that remaining physically fit past the age of 60 may help delay the cognitive impairment caused by Alzheimer’s disease, particularly in the early stages of the disease. Read more

Personal entry: Camping without gaining weight

Ed. Note: This is a personal entry on my recent trip to the mountains of Southern Oregon. If you enjoy Almost Fit, please leave a comment or consider having Almost Fit delivered to your inbox. Thanks.

As the title of this post indicates, despite my best efforts to the contrary, my camping trip at Umpqua’s Last Resort was a dietary success. Read more

Eat Less, Stay Younger Longer

People who eat less generally weigh less than people who consume more calories on a daily basis.  And maintaining a healthy weight means fewer health woes over the course of a lifetime.  Now, a study recently conducted by researchers at St. Louis University indicates eating less may actually slow the aging process as well. Read more

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