Researchers from Basel in Switzerlandcarried carried out a cross-sectional analysis of 502 first and fifth graders and measured cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and PA and noted the neighbourhood (rural vs urban) environment. Outcome measures included BMI, sum of four skinfold thicknesses, homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and a standardised clustered metabolic risk score. CONCLUSION: Reduced CRF, low PA and an urban environment are independently associated with an increase in metabolic risk markers in children.
Archive for category Physical Activity
Daily physical exercise keeps the brain young, a new mouse study suggest. But don’t wait too long to start. The brain-boosting effects of exercise diminish rapidly after early middle age, say researchers from Taiwan’s National Cheng Kung University.
2064 children carried an actigraph accelerometer for 7 days and filled in a food questionnaire. Results indicate that almost 70% of children meet national PA guidelines, indicating that a prevention of decline, rather than increasing physical activity levels, might be an appropriate intervention target. Promotion of daily fruit and vegetable intake in this age group is also warranted, possibly focussing on children from lower socioeconomic backgrounds.
The factors that motivate people to start exercising are not necessarily the same ones that will drive them to stay active over time, a new study suggests. In the new study, published in the Annals of Behavioral Medicine, researchers found that among 205 initially sedentary adults, certain factors separated those who began working out within the next six months and those who remained couch-bound. For example, people who bought home exercise equipment were 73 percent more likely to start exercising than those who eschewed such gear. The bad news was that home equipment did not seem to keep people active over the long haul.
The Canadian Institutes of Health Research will over the next five years work with its partners to fund peer-reviewed research and training projects in the area of physical activity and health including: 1) Examining the personal and environmental factors that influence the uptake and maintenance of a healthy lifestyle. 2) Evaluating mechanisms for translating evidence into sustainable public policy.
New research from the US suggests that vigorous exercise cuts the risk of breast cancer in post-menopausal women and is particularly effective for women who are not overweight.
A UK university lecturer has been given £5,000 to study the health benefits of the Nintendo Wii. Michael Duncan will work with schoolchildren for six weeks to see if the popular games console can improve fitness and tackle obesity.
Exercise is good for more than just your waistline. Research suggests that regular physical activity can lower a woman’s overall risk of cancer – but only if she gets a good night’s sleep. Otherwise, lack of sleep can undermine exercise’s cancer prevention benefits.
The objective of this study was to associate questions about specific eating behaviors with weight. Questions about consumption of beverages with sugar added, fruits and vegetables, and full portions served at restaurants as well as questions about physical activity were associated with body mass index and being overweight and/or obese.
144 children at 7 elementry schools in California were followed. There was significantly more discouragement of physical activity during organized adult-led sessions (29%) as compared to the free play sessions (6%). The quality of after-school programs can be improved by providing fruits and vegetables as snacks; offering more free play activities; training the after-school staff in simple, structured games for use in a variety of indoor and outdoor settings; and training after-school moderate and vigorous physical activity and healthful eating in and out of the after-school setting.