In the current issue of the Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, researchers from Pennsylvania State University published a study linking physical activity to feelings of excitement and enthusiasm. Researchers asked 190 individuals to keep daily diaries and record variables such as physical activity (and its intensity), sleep quantity and quality, mental states, stress levels, etc. Based on the data, [...]

Even with Valentine’s Day just around the corner, massages are proving to be more than just romantic. Researchers from McMaster University have concluded that a short, 10-minute massage helps reduce inflammation in muscles. According to the researchers, massage may not just help athletes and exercisers improve muscle recovery – but also help treat chronic inflammation-related conditions like muscular dystrophy or [...]

It’s winter. The days are shorter, darker and colder. When it comes to exercising and working out, hibernation may seem like a tempting alternative. But not so fast: Research shows that adults who work out consistently have significantly lower levels of depression. Moreover, pounds gained from gym hiatuses are very difficult to shed – even after you start exercising again. [...]

In building a healthy lifestyle for you and your loved ones, would you consider throwing out the television? According to a new global study published in the European Heart Journal, simply owning a television and a car increases your risk of a heart attack by 27%. Of course, the television and car – in and of themselves – aren’t to [...]

Owning a dog can be an important part of a healthy lifestyle. The health benefits of dog ownership are tremendous – and they’ve been getting quite a bit of coverage in recent news stories. We’ve known that dog ownership is linked with lower body weight, longevity and lower blood pressure – but, just recently, NBC Nightly News did a piece [...]

According to a study by Richard Wiseman, a psychologist at the University of Hertfordshire, only 22% of us have managed to keep our New Year’s resolutions. In other studies, I’ve seen that number as low was 8%. Whether it’s hitting the gym, changing our diet or kicking bad habits, when it comes to New Year’s resolutions, our success rate is [...]

Earlier in the month, I wrote a post about the number of steps it would take to burn off some popular, high-calorie foods likes pizza (4,560 steps per slice), ice cream (1,980 steps) and french fries (6,000 steps). According to a new study, sobering reminders like these can lower the consumption of unhealthy foods. Researchers from Johns Hopkins University tested [...]

Emotional eaters reach for food not when they’re hungry, but rather in reaction to what they’re feeling. Emotional eating may be triggered by sadness, anger, anxiousness or any other feeling – and food is used as the pacifier or cooping mechanism. When we talk about reducing mindless snacking and controlling the amount of food we eat, it’s common to hear [...]

Do you find yourself tired during the day – or unable to fall asleep at night? Before popping a pill, you may want to try this: Regular exercise. We’ve always heard anecdotal evidence that regular exercise promotes higher levels of energy during the day and improved sleep at night. We’ve even seen the link between exercise sleep touted in a [...]

You’ve probably heard the expression “fat and happy” to describe people in long-term relationships. The idea is pretty simple: Because these individuals are no longer on the dating market, their outward appearance becomes less important. They’ve found a mate, and so they don’t think twice about eating the extra slice of pizza or cake. Eventually, those calories and pounds add [...]