Physical Activity News and Research

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Tracing the decline in American heart disease mortality

Following a five-year upward trend likely impacted by the COVID pandemic, the number of heart disease and stroke deaths has declined, yet, heart disease and stroke still kill more people in the U.S. each year than any other cause, according to data reported in the 2026 Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics: A Report of U.S. and Global Data From the American Heart Association.

21 Jan 2026

Diverse exercise routines associated with reduced risk of death

Regularly doing a mix of different types of physical activity may be best for prolonging the lifespan, but the associations aren't linear, pointing to a possible optimal threshold effect, suggests research published in the open access journal BMJ Medicine.

20 Jan 2026

Teen girls who play organized sports show lower breast cancer risk biomarkers

This cross-sectional study of 191 adolescent girls found that ≥2 hours of organized recreational physical activity in the past week was associated with lower breast percent water content and reduced oxidative stress. These biomarkers are linked to breast cancer risk, although causality and long-term outcomes cannot be inferred.

19 Jan 2026

Students who game the most show lower diet quality and higher BMI, study finds

A national study of Australian undergraduates suggests that spending more than 10 hours a week gaming is associated with poorer diet quality, higher body weight, and disrupted sleep, highlighting the need for healthier gaming habits rather than less gaming altogether.

18 Jan 2026

Blood metabolites reveal who will develop type 2 diabetes years before diagnosis

This large prospective study integrated blood metabolomics, genetics, and lifestyle data to identify hundreds of metabolites associated with long-term risk of type 2 diabetes in initially healthy adults. A validated 44-metabolite signature improved risk prediction beyond conventional factors, offering insights into biological pathways and opportunities for earlier, more precise prevention.

18 Jan 2026

New research compares different wellbeing-focused interventions delivered to adults

As another new year gets under way many of us will be looking for a way of boosting how we feel but is it better to hit the gym or mediate in nature? Now new research by Swansea experts has provided the largest ever comparison of wellbeing-focused interventions delivered to adults.

16 Jan 2026

Study finds growing long-term antipsychotic prescribing in elderly dementia patients

When agitated dementia patients wander or shout through the night, families and caregivers understandably feel the need to treat this frightening and potentially dangerous behavior. Antipsychotic medications are often resorted to with such patients, contributing to increases in antipsychotic treatment rates among older people.

16 Jan 2026

What makes a run feel great or terrible, according to runners themselves

A qualitative analysis of Strava data highlights the impact of environment and social interactions on runner sentiment and mental health during the pandemic.

16 Jan 2026

Study connects adolescent exercise with breast cancer risk biomarkers

Recreational physical activity may be associated with breast tissue composition and biomarkers of stress in adolescent girls, according to a new study from Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center (HICCC).

16 Jan 2026