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Aerobic exercise significantly improves stroke survivors’ endurance and walking ability, researchers report. They analyzed 19 studies that included nearly 500 stroke survivors, aged 54 to 71, who completed aerobic exercise programs similar in structure to cardiac rehabilitation. The patients did two or three aerobics workouts a week for about three months. Walking was the most common type of activity, followed by stationary cycling and mixed aerobic exercise. The patients’ endurance and walking speed was tested before and after they completed the programs. Overall, the patients had significant improvements. After completing the therapy, they walked an average of nearly half the length of a football field farther during a six-minute walking test. Those with mild movement impairments had the best results. “These benefits were realized regardless of how long it had been since their stroke,” said study lead author Elizabeth Regan, a Ph.D. candidate in exercise science at the University of South Carolina. Mixed aerobic exercise provided the greatest improvement, followed by walking, cycling and recumbent stepping — a machine that allows stepping while in a seated position. The study was published Aug. 14 in the Journal of the American Heart Association. “Our analysis included stroke survivors across a wide range, from less than six months to greater than a year since their stroke, and the benefits were seen whether they started an aerobic exercise program… read on >

Taking a vacation from social media and digital technology while you travel can cause withdrawal symptoms, but a small study suggests you’ll come to enjoy the offline experience. The British study included 24 people. During their travels to 17 countries and regions, most unplugged from technologies such as mobile phones, laptops, tablets, social media and navigation tools for more than 24 hours. Their reactions before, during and after their “digital detox” were gathered through diaries and interviews. Many had initial anxiety, frustration and withdrawal symptoms, but then increased levels of acceptance, enjoyment and even liberation, according to the study published Aug. 14 in the Journal of Travel Research. “Many people are increasingly getting tired of constant connections through technologies and there is a growing trend for digital-free tourism, so it is helpful to see the emotional journey that these travelers are experiencing,” said lead author Wenjie Cai, a lecturer at the University of Greenwich in London. Researchers said there is growing demand for digital detox holidays. “Our participants reported that they not only engaged more with other travelers and locals during their disconnected travels, but that they also spent more time with their travel companions,” Cai said in a journal news release. The findings could be important for travel companies seeking to develop off-the-grid vacation packages, according to study co-author Brad McKenna, a lecturer at… read on >

School kids who get to bed early rather than staring at their devices at night may be better equipped to control their behavior, a new study suggests. Researchers found that 8- to 11-year-olds who got adequate sleep and had limits on “screen time” were less likely than their peers to report problems with impulsive behavior. Impulsivity is generally described as a tendency to act without thinking, or an inability to wait for something you want. It’s a central problem in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Later in life, impulsivity may also make kids vulnerable to other problems, like substance abuse and other forms of addiction, said lead researcher Michelle Guerrero. Guerrero said her team wanted to see what factors might affect that tendency to “act before thinking.” In general, the researchers found, kids were less likely to report impulsive behavior if they met recommendations for sleep and screen time. That meant nine to 11 hours of sleep each night and no more than two hours a day devoted to “recreational” screen time. (School work didn’t count.) However, the findings only point to a correlation, said Guerrero, a fellow with the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, in Ottawa, Canada. They do not prove earlier bed times and screen limits will actually prevent impulsivity, she explained. “Is it that impulsive kids don’t meet the recommendations, or that… read on >

Bingeing on social media isn’t good for any teen, but new research has pinpointed three ways in which hours spent on Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat and Facebook may harm the mental health of young girls in particular. “Almost all of the influence of social media on mental health could be explained by the three mechanisms examined — namely experiencing cyberbullying, sleeping for less than eight hours a night and reduced physical activity — all of which have known effects on mental health,” said researcher Dasha Nicholls, a reader in child psychiatry at Imperial College London. “The influence of these mechanisms in boys was much less marked, however, and it is likely that other mechanisms are operating that we were unable to explore,” she added. Girls use social media much more than boys, Nicholls explained, and girls may use social media differently than boys. They also are exposed to and react differently to the content they see, she noted. “It’s important to keep a balance, so that social media does not displace other activities that are important for mental health,” Nicholls said. Another expert said social media is a mixed bag for teens. Social media use does not necessarily need to be harmful, said Ann DeSmet, a post-doctorate fellow in health science at Ghent University in Belgium. It can reduce loneliness, but can also increase exposure to… read on >

Are you hungry after you exercise? That might not be a problem if you’re at a healthy weight, but if you’re trying to shed extra pounds, the calories you take in could replace the ones you just worked so hard to burn off. For decades, researchers have tried to find out whether the intensity and/or duration of exercise could play a role in limiting hunger immediately and in the hours afterwards. Some, but not all, studies found that very high-intensity interval training (or HIIT) can cut your appetite. HIIT typically involves alternating 30 or 60 seconds of all-out effort with one to two minutes of rest, a pattern that you repeat for the 20 to 30 minutes of a workout. Other research found that longer workouts, up to 90 minutes, are effective at dampening hunger. Another plus: A study review found that if you want to burn fat, the longer your exercise session, the more you’ll burn. Problem is, many people aren’t able to work such long workouts into most days. Adding another wrinkle is that men and women seem to have different responses to exercise, making it impossible to suggest any one-routine-fits-all generalization. The answer? Try out different exercise timing and duration options to see which one has the best hunger-cutting effect on you. You might even find that exercise on an empty stomach… read on >

A well-organized backpack helps ensure that your child has everything needed for school. Problems start when it becomes overloaded. Lugging around a heavy pack can lead to bad posture, back pain and worse. The problem is so pervasive that the American Occupational Therapy Association created National School Backpack Awareness Day. It’s held every September to share ideas to keep kids safe. You can protect your kids by making sure that their packs are properly fitted and properly loaded. Here’s how. When shopping for a backpack, make sure that its width and length match each child’s torso. It shouldn’t hang more than 4 inches below the waist. The bottom of the pack should closely align with the curve of the child’s lower back — if it wobbles back and forth, spine problems can develop. Other features to look for include wide, padded and adjustable shoulder straps. A waist, hip and/or chest belt will more evenly distribute the load. A backpack with many compartments allows for its content to be well spaced throughout. For traffic safety, the pack should have reflective accents that will help cars and other vehicles see your child in low light conditions. Before loading the pack, have your child put it on and adjust the straps for a snug fit. Put the heaviest items at the back of the pack. Arrange the contents… read on >

You don’t have to have the talent of a Rembrandt or Yo-Yo Ma to express creativity and get some very special benefits from doing so. Everyday creativity boosts well-being and can give you a stronger sense of purpose and engagement, and everyone can tap into it. So why don’t we do more of it? The book, The Creativity Challenge, suggests modern life isn’t set up to promote creativity the way it used to be, and you might need to not only seek out creative outlets, but also carve out time in your hectic schedule to devote to them. The first step is to figure out what interests you. You might look for inspiration at an arts and crafts store or a museum, but be open to new ideas, which can be a challenge for adults. When researchers at North Dakota State University asked adults to think about what they would do with a day off, the answers were better when participants were told to imagine themselves as a 7-year-old, a time in life without inhibitions and more free thinking. So, try to channel your inner child, especially if you consider yourself an introvert by nature. Keep in mind that creativity doesn’t have to be complicated. You don’t need to schedule (or worry about paying for) lessons for activities like painting, creative writing and cooking. But… read on >

Guacamole is one party dip that’s actually good for you, and it’s easy to make at home. Hass avocados — with green skins that turn brown-black when ripe — are rich and creamy. They’re filled with healthy fats, vitamins and fiber. The rest of the fresh ingredients in guacamole are filled with nutrients and few calories. To test if an avocado is ripe, give it a gentle squeeze. It should give slightly under the pressure. If hard, avocados will need two to three days to ripen on a countertop, so plan ahead if you don’t have access to ripe ones. The other key ingredient for a flavorful guacamole is jalapeno, a spicy pepper that many people leave out. These bright green chilies have loads of healthy nutrients, including high levels of vitamin C and antioxidants, plus they add a flavor punch. To make a mild guacamole, remove the seeds and the membrane (the white part that attaches the seeds to the flesh) before you mince the jalapeno. For a spicy version, leave the seeds in. Perfect Guacamole 3 ripe Hass avocados 1/4 cup red onion, minced 1/4 cup cilantro, minced Juice of 1 lime 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 jalapeno, minced Run your knife around each of the avocados, and then twist slightly to separate them into halves. Remove the pits and scoop out the flesh… read on >

Binge-watching episodes of your favorite shows does no favors for your brain, an expert warns. “It’s important to recognize that the brain is not an isolated organ — it responds to its environment,” said Dr. Randall Wright, a neurologist at Houston Methodist in Texas. “When we binge-watch, we create an unhealthy environment for the brain because we’re sitting for long periods of time, isolating ourselves from social activities and eating large amounts of unhealthy food.” Wright likens the instant gratification of watching episode after episode of a show to wanting to continue gambling even after you win. If you indulge often, this cycle and the side effects of binge-watching can lead to harmful brain and body changes, he said in a hospital news release. In other words, it’s a problem when watching a third, fourth or fifth episode of your favorite show replaces healthy activities, he said. But here’s the good news: You don’t have to stop cold-turkey. There are a number of ways to ward off negative effects of binge-watching: First, be sure it doesn’t prevent you from getting enough sleep. “Before you start your show, determine what time you need to go to bed to get enough sleep. It might be helpful to set a bedtime alarm so that you don’t lose track of time and to help you stick to that decision,”… read on >

If you often find yourself dosing off during the day, new research suggests it might be an early warning sign that you have Alzheimer’s disease. Areas of the brain that keep you awake during the day are damaged in the early stages of the memory-robbing disease, which is why people with Alzheimer’s may nap excessively long before they start to struggle with forgetting things, the study authors said. Not only that, the scientists also found that damage to brain regions involved in daytime wakefulness was caused by a protein called tau. This provides more evidence that tau may play a larger role in Alzheimer’s than the more extensively studied amyloid protein, the researchers noted. “Our work shows definitive evidence that the brain areas promoting wakefulness degenerate due to accumulation of tau — not amyloid protein — from the very earliest stages of the disease,” said study senior author Dr. Lea Grinberg. She is an associate professor of neurology and pathology at the Memory and Aging Center and a member of the Global Brain Health Institute at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). Previous research has suggested that excessive napping is due to poor sleep caused by Alzheimer’s-related disruptions in brain regions that promote sleep, or that sleep problems themselves contribute to Alzheimer’s disease progression. In this study, the researchers analyzed the brains of 13… read on >

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All Sauce from Weekly Gravy:

Speed Stroke Recovery With Exercise

Unplugging From Social Media on Vacation? It’s Tough at First

Less ‘Screen Time,’ More Sleep = Better-Behaved Kids

Here’s How Too Much Social Media Can Harm Girls

The Effects of Exercise on Your Appetite

Building a Better Backpack

How to Kickstart Your Creativity

How to Make Perfect Guacamole

What TV Binge-Watching Does to Your Brain

Too Much Napping May Signal Alzheimer’s