Physical Activity News and Research

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New poll shows young adults lack practical healthcare management skills

Many young adults may be entering adulthood without the practical skills needed to manage their own healthcare, suggests a new national poll.

27 Jul 2026

Planetary Health Diet lowers cardiovascular risk in older women

A 20-year study of more than 65,000 postmenopausal women found that higher adherence to the Planetary Health Diet was associated with a lower risk of overall cardiovascular disease, coronary heart disease, stroke and heart failure.

25 Jul 2026

Endotrophin may reveal metabolic risks linked to changing body fat

Researchers have identified a biological marker that rises and falls as body fat changes, offering new insight into how weight gain and weight loss may influence metabolic health.

23 Jul 2026

Longer activity bouts link to lower future dementia and mental health risks

A UK Biobank analysis of 66,483 adults found that longer daily moderate-to-vigorous activity bouts and less fragmented activity were associated with lower subsequent risks of inpatient diagnoses of dementia, depression, and anxiety, independent of total activity time. In neuroimaging data from 13,108 participants, these activity patterns were also associated with more favorable brain measures, although the observational analyses cannot establish cause and effect.

23 Jul 2026

Higher neuroticism may curb strenuous exercise, genetic analysis suggests

Researchers used a UK survey and genetic data to examine whether higher neuroticism is associated with lower exercise engagement. Under the study’s Mendelian randomization assumptions, higher neuroticism was estimated to reduce participation in moderate and vigorous physical activity, while conscientiousness may lessen this effect.

23 Jul 2026

Study finds greater social jetlag linked to a later eating pattern

In a 14-day study of 101 healthy UK adults, greater social jetlag was associated with a later distribution of energy intake, particularly greater late-evening intake among women. The effects were modest, varied by sex and day type, and did not establish whether total daily energy intake differed between groups.

23 Jul 2026

Motor abnormalities may predict multiple mental health disorders

Motor issues-such as coordination problems, motor slowing, or sudden, uncontrolled movements-have been recognized as signs of psychological disorders since the 1800s. How they map to mental health conditions, however, remains unknown.

22 Jul 2026

Handheld breathalyzer enables precise monitoring of fat metabolism

Researchers from ETH Zurich have developed a portable measuring device that detects the metabolic marker acetone in breath almost as accurately as a mass spectrometer.

22 Jul 2026

Frequent TV watching links to higher white matter lesion volume

ARIC researchers linked self-reported TV watching and occupational sitting in midlife with brain MRI measures obtained roughly 24 years later in 1,712 adults without dementia. Frequent TV watching was associated with greater white matter hyperintensity volume and lower volumes in several brain regions, while sitting at work was associated with lower white matter hyperintensity volume and larger selected cortical volumes.

22 Jul 2026

Childhood ultra-processed food intake associates with altered insulin responses

Researchers analyzed dietary and metabolic data from 508 nondiabetic Mexican American children in the SAFARI family cohort, finding that higher ultra-processed food scores were associated with lower insulin sensitivity and altered early insulin secretion measures. The exploratory cross-sectional study did not establish causality, and its multiple comparisons, historical dietary data, and questionnaire-based UPF estimates warrant confirmation in longitudinal studies and trials.

21 Jul 2026

Less sitting in pregnancy is linked to fewer adverse outcomes

A JAMA cohort study of 470 pregnant women found that lower sedentary time, higher light-intensity activity, and more daily steps across pregnancy were associated with fewer adverse pregnancy outcomes. The findings support testing practical “sit less, move more” interventions, but cannot establish cause and effect.

21 Jul 2026

Repeatedly losing and gaining weight may accelerate muscle loss

Repeatedly losing and gaining weight may do more than frustrate dieters - it also accelerates muscle loss in middle-aged people, according to new UC San Francisco research that comes as weight-loss medications transform obesity treatment.

21 Jul 2026

Experts urge focus on prevention to tackle global heart failure

Heart failure already affects more than 60 million people worldwide and is one of the leading causes of hospitalization among people over the age of 65.

21 Jul 2026

Study tests chronotype’s liver link and finds no significant association

Researchers found no significant association between chronotype and FibroScan-derived liver fat or stiffness in 119 medication-naïve adults with overweight or obesity. The exploratory findings cannot exclude smaller effects, particularly for fibrosis, and require confirmation in larger longitudinal studies.

21 Jul 2026

Exercise oncology could unlock new therapeutic pathways against cancer

Regular exercise is associated with improved outcomes for many patients with cancer, yet those with advanced disease may be unable to participate in exercise-based interventions.

20 Jul 2026

Filtered coffee links to slower biological aging while instant coffee shows the opposite

Filtered coffee consumption was associated with slower biological aging, while instant coffee was linked to faster aging in UK Biobank participants. The cross-sectional findings do not prove causation, but they suggest that brewing method may influence coffee’s relationship with aging biomarkers.

20 Jul 2026