A new study of aging brains and aerobic workouts which involved older African-Americans, finds that unconnected portions of the brain’s memory center start interacting in complex and healthier new ways after regular exercise, sharpening memory function.

The findings expand our understanding of how moving molds thinking and also underscore the importance of staying active, whatever our age.

The idea that physical activity improves brain health is well established by now. Experiments involving animals and people show exercise increases neurons in the hippocampus, which is essential for memory creation and storage, while also improving thinking skills. In older people, regular physical activity helps slow the usual loss of brain volume, which may help to prevent age-related memory loss and possibly lower the risk of dementia.

Read more here:: https://lowcarbmag.com/enhances-aging-brains-with-exercise/

Researchers analyzed data from nearly 8,000 people and found that those with a genetic predisposition were more likely to be diagnosed with depression over the next two years.

But that was less likely for people who were more active at the study’s start, even if they had an inherited risk. Higher levels of physical activity helped protect even those with the highest genetic risk for depression, the investigators found.

Both high-intensity exercise (such as aerobics, dance and exercise machines) and lower-intensity activities (such as yoga and stretching) were associated with a reduced risk of depression, the findings showed.

Adding four hours of exercise a week could lower the risk of a new episode of depression by 17%, according to the study published Nov. 5 in the journal Depression and Anxiety.

Read more here:: https://lowcarbmag.com/prevent-depression-even-high-risk-with-exercise/

The study, undertaken by researchers at the University of Birmingham in England, pitted lifelong athletes in their 70s and 80s against men of the same age who had never participated in a structured fitness program.

The goal was to find out whether untrained individuals have the capacity to build muscle to the extent that lifelong exercisers can. As noted in Neuroscience News, “The researchers … expected that the master athletes would have an increased ability to build muscle due to their superior levels of fitness over a prolonged period of time.”

The answer is encouraging, to say the least, as muscle biopsies taken before and after exercise revealed both groups had the identical capacity to build muscle in response to exercise.

Read more here:: https://lowcarbmag.com/its-never-too-late-to-start-exercising-study/

Depending on where you live, you may be allowed to exercise again outdoors or even indoors inside gyms. However, if you’re around a lot of people who are sweating and breathing heavily, you’re also putting yourself at significant risk of catching the coronavirus. A face mask can help mitigate this risk, but some precautions are required.

Obviously, wearing a mask while performing strenuous exercise is uncomfortable and according to the The World Health Organisation, people should not wear masks while exercising as masks may reduce the ability to breath comfortably. Exercising makes you sweat, which can make the mask become wet more quickly. This can make breathing difficult and create room for growth of microorganisms.

Read more here:: https://lowcarbmag.com/expert-opinion-on-wearing-masks-while-exercising-during-covid-19/

For some, walking may seem too simple to be an effective form of exercise. But if you play your cards right, this familiar movement can be a lean, mean, weight-loss-generating machine. While a casual 10-minute stroll won’t do it, you don’t need to spend hours on your feet, either.

“You should aim for about three to five sessions of cardio a week that are around a half hour,” Courtney Meadows, an NASM-certified personal trainer and fitness coach, said. “For beginners, even walking 10 minutes a day is a great place to start. Increasing your walking time by just five minutes will get you there.”

Read more here:: https://lowcarbmag.com/how-many-minutes-do-you-need-to-walk-each-day-to-lose-weight/

For some, walking may seem too simple to be an effective form of exercise. But if you play your cards right, this familiar movement can be a lean, mean, weight-loss-generating machine. While a casual 10-minute stroll won’t do it, you don’t need to spend hours on your feet, either.

“You should aim for about three to five sessions of cardio a week that are around a half hour,” Courtney Meadows, an NASM-certified personal trainer and fitness coach, said. “For beginners, even walking 10 minutes a day is a great place to start. Increasing your walking time by just five minutes will get you there.” Continue reading…

f you can find even five to 10 minutes a day for running, a new study suggests your risk of premature death would be significantly lower than that of people who don’t run or engage in any type of strenuous exercise. These findings come from a review that examined data from 55,137 people between the ages of 18 and 100 who had check-ups at the Cooper Clinic and Cooper Institute in Dallas, during which they had fitness tests and responded to questionnaires about their exercise habits. The researchers found that the daily runners had a 30 percent lower risk of dying from any cause than non-runners and a 45 percent lower risk of dying from heart disease, even if they were overweight or smoked. All told, the runners lived three years longer than the non-runners. The report didn’t delve into the mechanisms behind the benefits of running and didn’t try to determine whether it was the only type of strenuous exercise that lowered the risk of premature death.

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If you work out at home, the thought of germ-infested elliptical machines and icy winter roads to the gym make your living room workout bliss that much better. Here are reasons why your home gym is where it’s at this season.

1. You Never Have to Face the Cold
All warm and cozy in your house? Good thing your gym is 10 feet in front of you.

2. Gym Schedules Don’t Dictate Your Routine
Gym closed because of a snowstorm? Shaun T is still waiting for you in your living room, shouting, “Let’s GOOOO!” You won’t have to miss a chance to “dig deeper”.

3. You Don’t Have to Care How You Look
Rocking polka dot leggings with a striped sports bra? Haven’t brushed your hair? Does it matter? Nope. (Unless you’re going to take an Instagram selfie later…then you might wanna do a booger check.)

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Today sucked. You felt tense, stressed, and sulky.

Want tomorrow to be different? Want to be in a better mood the whole day? It’s easy: Work out early, for about 20 minutes, before you start your day.

You probably already know that exercise is energizing.

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If you’re looking to lose weight or improve your health, you may be trying to do everything in your power to ensure your success: you eat right, sleep well, exercise daily. You may have even wondered whether exercising at a certain time of day could thwart or ensure your success.

Well, according to some researchers, there is a best time of day to exercise to keep your physique — especially if you’ve been hitting up the comfort foods. It may seem counterintuitive, but the best time to exercise is early in the morning, before breakfast.    

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