When Barbara Hannah Grufferman was in her early 50s, a bone density scan showed that she was on a path to developing osteoporosis. If she didn’t change her lifestyle, her bones would become increasingly brittle, putting her at high risk for spine, hip and other life-altering fractures. Ms. Grufferman had always been active, chasing after…
Hypertension affects more than half of America’s adult population. It is a leading cause of stroke and heart attack, and often comes with no obvious early symptoms. One of the best ways to both prevent high blood pressure and lower it is by working out (as well as an improved diet). That’s in part because…
What is the best time of day to exercise? It’s a straightforward question with a frustrating number of answers, based on research results that can be downright contradictory. The latest piece of evidence came last month from a group of Australian researchers, who argued that evening was the healthiest time to break a sweat, at…
Growing up in the Netherlands, Henriette van Praag had always been active, playing sports and riding her bike to school every day. Then, in the late-1990s, while working as a staff scientist at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in San Diego, she discovered that exercise can spur the growth of new brain cells in…
The first time Samantha O’Brien took a boxing class at her building’s gym, she was overwhelmed with anxiety. The instructor was loud and intimidating and ran the class like a boot camp. If someone fell behind, everyone had to work harder. Ms. O’Brien, 36, left the class thinking she’d never return. A few days later,…
In recent years, one of the most provocative questions in cancer research has been whether a regular exercise habit can prevent certain cancers from taking hold. The answer, as with any question related to cancer, is complicated. But a recent study published in The British Journal of Sports Medicine offered a glimpse of how regular…
As a sprint relay track cyclist on the U.S. Olympic Team, Joshua Hartman spends much of his training time lifting weights to build power and speed. In 2023, while trying to deadlift a load near the limit of his ability, he noticed that his form was off, and the weight wasn’t moving as quickly as…
We’ve all been there. You set a goal to exercise regularly, but when the moment comes to get moving, your mind unleashes a torrent of excuses: I’m tired. It’s cold outside. I don’t want to spend money on a class. These mental blocks may explain why it’s so hard to keep a New Year’s resolution…
