Physical Activity News and Research

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How context shapes the mental health benefits of exercise

Research often points to exercise as a good way to boost mental health, but a recent study from the University of Georgia suggests that it's not just physical movement that affects mental health.

9 Jul 2025

More fiber, fewer health risks: evidence for this easy diet fix

This study reveals that adequate dietary fiber intake is crucial for lowering obesity risk and mortality, supporting its role in effective weight management.

9 Jul 2025

Why vitamin B6 could raise the risk of hypoglycemia for people with diabetes

A large-scale Mendelian randomization study found no genetic evidence that vitamins A, C, or D reduce the risk of major diabetic complications. However, higher genetically predicted vitamin B6 levels were strongly associated with increased risk of diabetic hypoglycemia, warranting caution with supplementation.

8 Jul 2025

$New initiative at Mount Sinai enhances treatment for osteoporosis-related fractures$

New initiative at Mount Sinai enhances treatment for osteoporosis-related fractures

The Leni and Peter W. May Department of Orthopedic Surgery at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai has implemented the American Orthopaedic Association's Own the Bone® program, joining more than 300 health care institutions nationwide to help better identify, evaluate, and treat patients who experience an osteoporosis- or low bone density-related fractures.

8 Jul 2025

Physical fitness associated with better cognition in people with relapsing-remitting MS

Good physical performance is associated with better cognition in people with relapsing-remitting MS, according to a recent study by the University of Eastern Finland. Good functional capacity was also clearly related to cognition and physical performance.

8 Jul 2025

Personality traits influence enjoyment and adherence to exercise

The key to sticking to and reaping the rewards of exercise over the long term may be as simple as doing something you enjoy, say the authors of a new study from UCL.

8 Jul 2025

Brain stimulation and coaching help older adults increase physical activity

A study published in The Journals of Gerontology: Series A reports that a novel combination of brain stimulation and personalized coaching significantly increased physical activity in older adults and held steady for months.

8 Jul 2025

Eating habits directly influence vaginal microbiome, research finds

A cross-sectional study of young Italian women found that higher intake of animal protein and alcohol is associated with vaginal microbiota dysbiosis, while linolenic acid (a plant-based omega-3) and dietary fiber support beneficial Lactobacillus communities.

7 Jul 2025

Short walks after meals deliver big benefits for blood glucose

A randomized crossover trial in healthy young adults found that a 10-minute walk immediately after glucose intake significantly blunted post-meal blood glucose spikes. Both short and longer walks improved overall glycemic control, but only the immediate walk reduced peak glucose levels.

3 Jul 2025

Long-term study confirms lasting benefits of lifestyle changes in preventing diabetes

In the early 2000s the U.S. Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP), a large randomized clinical trial, showed that intensive lifestyle modification was better than a medication called metformin at preventing at-risk patients from developing Type 2 diabetes.

3 Jul 2025

Poor lifestyle habits nearly double your chance of developing AFib

A large Framingham Heart Study analysis found that adults with poor cardiovascular health scores on the Life’s Essential 8 were nearly twice as likely to develop atrial fibrillation as those with ideal scores. Maintaining healthy lifestyle habits, especially optimal BMI, blood pressure, and glucose, may help reduce AF risk.

2 Jul 2025

Looking for a natural way to lower blood pressure? Whole grains might be the answer

A new meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies found that higher whole grain intake is linked to a significantly lower risk of developing hypertension, with a 26% risk reduction observed between highest and lowest intake groups. In contrast, refined grain consumption showed no clear association with hypertension risk.

2 Jul 2025

Mediterranean diet wins on weight but misses on memory in diverse aging population

A 14-month randomized trial in older African American adults with obesity found that adopting a Mediterranean diet, with or without calorie-restricted weight loss, significantly improved diet quality and reduced body weight and visceral fat. However, no cognitive benefits were observed compared to usual diet.

2 Jul 2025

Healthy lifestyle lowers risk of diverticulitis despite genetic susceptibility

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle-specifically, a diet rich in fibre but light on red/processed meat, regular exercise, not smoking, and sticking to a normal weight-is linked to a significantly lower risk of diverticulitis, finds a large long term study, published online in the journal Gut.

2 Jul 2025

Why exercise is key for keeping slim after you quit smoking

Quitting smoking is linked to greater long-term waist circumference gain, but this effect may be due to shared genetics rather than quitting itself. Increased physical activity consistently helped limit waist expansion across all genetic backgrounds.

1 Jul 2025

Spaceflight exposes astronauts to hidden threats in their gut

This review highlights how the unique stressors of space travel, radiation, microgravity, and circadian disruption impact astronauts’ gut microbiomes, with potential consequences for their mood, cognition, and immunity. The authors call for targeted microbiome monitoring and dietary interventions to protect astronaut mental health on future missions.

1 Jul 2025

Staying active reduces waist gain after you quit smoking

Investigating smoking cessation and waist circumference, this study highlights the role of leisure-time physical activity in managing abdominal obesity.

1 Jul 2025

Inflammaging may be a lifestyle phenomenon rather than a universal aging trait

Inflammation, long considered a hallmark of aging, may not be a universal human experience, according to a new study from Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health.

1 Jul 2025

Just 150 minutes of exercise a week could reverse prediabetes

Engaging in more than 150 minutes of physical activity per week quadrupled the odds of reversing prediabetes to normal glucose levels in Colombian adults. Higher BMI and HbA1c remained strong barriers to reversal, highlighting the power of lifestyle interventions.

29 Jun 2025

New insights into exercise physiology through enduromics and resistomics

Exercise has been recognized as an extremely effective tool to improve human health— it can have a preventative and even therapeutic effect on non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.

27 Jun 2025