Never mind a runner's high — the buzz some people say they get after a run. Neuroscientist Benedict Kolber was more interested in how to generate pain relief via a brisk walk. It can really work.
Research show that when you add a social component to an exercise plan, you're more likely to stick to it. That's especially true of the steps, turns, beats and fun of soul line dancing.
Scientists are getting closer to developing a wearable patch that can measure hydration and other health markers — in sweat. The hope is it could give athletes more data to boost their performance.
For most of us, sticking to a good habit is a battle of wills. But the researchers who study habit formation turn to science to help curtail their own tendency to slack off.
Researchers are testing exercise in people at high risk for Alzheimer's. The goal of a federally funded study is to learn whether aerobic physical activity can protect the brain.
Creating an exercise habit doesn't mean you have to spend hours sweating on a treadmill. Start small, build up slowly and remember that all movement counts — even vacuuming, if you do it vigorously.
To stay healthy, we need at least 150 minutes of exercise weekly. This routine, created with a celebrated trainer, hits this goal in 22 minutes a day — cardio, weight training and stretching included.
A new report documents how Coke penetrated the government and influenced efforts to bring down the growing obesity rate — but not by cutting back on calories.
As a freezing winter drives many of us indoors, some extreme athletes embrace the cold as a great way to burn calories and retrain the immune system while working out. Not so fast, physiologists say.
Why develop an exercise habit now? Because 75-year-olds who've been doing it for decades may have the cardiovascular systems of people in their 40s and the muscles of 20-somethings, researchers found.
After 10 years, the government has updated its physical activity advice. The new message? Every little bit of movement helps you stay healthy and is better than sitting on your couch.
Most people who struggle with depression and anxiety have heard that exercise is a mood-booster. But exercising with friends, especially playing a team sport may help even more.
Dehydration has long been known to slow physical performance. Now there's evidence that too little water can hurt cognitive performance, too, making complex thinking tasks harder.
There's a growing consensus among pain specialists that lifestyle changes can be more effective than drugs in managing chronic pain. But the alternative approach requires patient commitment.
As early as your mid-40s, especially if you're sedentary, your heart muscle can show signs of aging, losing its youthful elasticity and power. But moderately strenuous exercise can change that.
People with prediabetes like a Washington state chef reversed the diagnosis using a digital program that harnesses the power of wearable devices, data, education, e-coaching and peer support.
A survey of fitness professionals who keep track of how we exercise suggests 2018 is likely to find more of us trading fitness gadgets for high-intensity interval training and group classes.
If you sit too much during middle age — at work and at home — your ability to exercise or even walk in late decades is at risk, research hints. And, of course, your risk of heart disease climbs, too.
The Centers for Disease Control has revised recommendations for treating ME/CFS and now says that vigorous exercise can make symptoms worse. Patient advocates say it's a huge victory.
NPR listeners had lots of questions after our story about diastasis recti, a medical condition of abdominal muscles that's common among new moms. Many wanted to know more about how to fix the problem.
The technical term is diastasis recti and it affects many new moms. The growing fetus pushes apart the abdominal muscles and the separation often stays open. But science suggests this fix can work.
It depends what's causing the inflammation and how long it lasts. But the habits that keep you healthy overall also help prevent the bad inflammation that increases the risk of chronic disease.
