The problem of “food deserts” in many parts of the United States has gained attention in recent years. Now, researchers are highlighting a similar issue: play deserts. In a recent study, investigators at the University of Georgia found that in many areas of the country — particularly the South — families have few safe, free parks and playgrounds for their kids to enjoy. That’s a problem, experts said, because when kids lack those opportunities, they’re more likely to stay inside and stare at screens. It’s well known that there are communities nationwide where people have a hard time getting to a grocery store or any other source of fresh, nutritious food. Those places have been dubbed food deserts, and an estimated 10% of the United States falls into that dubious category. The new findings show that a similar percentage can be considered play deserts, according to researcher Lan Mu, a professor of geography at the University of Georgia, Athens (UGA). Many play-deficient counties are clustered in the Southeast, where a lack of options and the quality of existing play areas are often problems, the study found. The Southwest was another hotspot for play deserts, and a common issue was affordability: Some places require a membership or fee to enter. It’s not enough that parks or playgrounds merely exist in a community, said lead researcher Jue…  read on >  read on >

Need an activity to do with your kids on spring and summer days? Go to the park. Outdoor play is good for physical health, mental well-being and reduced stress in children, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). “Whether it’s sunny or snowing, playing outside is good for children, physically and mentally,” said pediatrician Dr. Monique Jonae Soileau-Burke, president of AAP’s Maryland chapter. “Scientific evidence tells us that playing outdoors can improve health, and children love it,” she said in an academy news release. “On Kids to Parks Day [May 20], we encourage families to make plans to get their children out into nature for summer fun and well-being. Consider visiting a national, state or local park.” People who spend time in nature have lower levels of stress and depression. It’s also fun to be outdoors. The earlier you share nature with your baby, the more likely they are to develop a lifelong love of the outdoors, AAP notes. With an infant, you can take a walk through the trees with a stroller. Throw down a blanket to explore weather, bird songs, forest smells and plant textures while giving them some outside tummy time. Take your kids on a bike ride through the neighborhood or on a bike trail at a local or national park. It’s a good activity for all ages if you…  read on >  read on >

People with the rare heart disorder hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) can safely engage in vigorous exercise, according to new research. This finding could lead to fewer activity restrictions for people with this condition, which involves the heart muscle becoming thickened and enlarged. HCM is an inherited disorder that affects about one in 500 people worldwide. It is associated with sudden cardiac death in young people. Yet the U.S. National Institutes of Health-funded study found that those who exercised vigorously are no more likely to die or experience severe cardiac events than those who exercised moderately or not at all. “Based on these data, we’re learning that we don’t need to universally restrict HCM patients from participating in vigorous exercise, something that’s so important to all of us,” said study co-author Dr. Rachel Lampert, a professor of medicine at Yale School of Medicine, in New Haven, Conn. “Individuals with this condition should talk to a health care provider with expertise in HCM about getting back on the field, back in the pool and back on the court, if that’s what they want to do,” Lampert said in an institute news release. “Getting an expert evaluation is key to determining degree of risk for all HCM patients, and critical before going back to play.” To study this, the researchers recruited 1,660 people with HCM or who carried the…  read on >  read on >

Regular exercise has a long list of health benefits, and a new study suggests another one could be added: a lower risk of Parkinson’s disease. The study, of nearly 99,000 French women, found that those who were most physically active day to day were 25% less likely to develop Parkinson’s over three decades, versus women who were more sedentary. That does not prove that exercise, per se, is responsible, the researchers said. At the same time, they say it’s unlikely that the link reflects “reverse-causation” — women in the earliest stages of Parkinson’s being less likely to exercise. That’s because the study assessed the women’s exercise habits for up to 20 years before their Parkinson’s diagnosis. And since regular exercise clearly has benefits anyway, the findings could be seen as another motivator to get moving, said senior researcher Dr. Alexis Elbaz. “Physical activity has beneficial effects on many body systems, including the bones, heart and lungs,” said Elbaz, a research professor at the French national research institute INSERM in Paris. “And our findings show that physical activity might also contribute to preventing or delaying Parkinson’s disease.” Parkinson’s disease affects nearly 1 million people in the United States, according to the Parkinson’s Foundation. It is a brain disease that gradually destroys or disables cells that produce dopamine, a chemical that helps regulate movement and emotional responses.…  read on >  read on >

Fighting is par for the course in professional ice hockey, but a new study raises the question of whether it is shortening some players’ lives. The study, of hundreds of National Hockey League (NHL) players, found that those who were “enforcers” on the ice — that is, did a lot of fighting — tend to die at a younger age and from different causes than their peers. Of 45 players who died during the study period, enforcers were about 10 years younger at their deaths compared to other players. And the causes were disproportionately from suicide, drug overdose, car accidents, or, in two cases, degenerative brain disease. Experts stressed that the findings do not prove that frequent fights on the ice played any role in those players’ deaths. Release of the study comes midway through the second-round of the NHL’s Stanley Cup championship playoffs. The study used fights and time in the penalty box as proxies for players’ exposure to repetitive head impacts. There was no way to tell whether those who died had any brain injury. And even if they did, the researchers said, it would not be possible to draw a straight line between the injury and the cause of death. “This study is just showing associations, not cause and effect,” said lead researcher Dr. Charles Popkin, an orthopedic sports medicine specialist at…  read on >  read on >

A study of triathletes reveals certain body types perform better in certain climates. Taller, leaner runners with long limbs tend to excel in Ironman endurance events held in warm climates, whereas marathoners with stockier builds and shorter limbs perform better in colder climates, a Dartmouth College researcher says. Endurance athletes may want to consider competing in climates their body types are best suited to, said study author Ryan Calsbeek, a professor of biological sciences. Calsbeek observed that Allan Hovda, three-time winner of Norway’s Norseman triathlon, is stockier and shorter than one might expect of a successful triathlete. “I wondered if there was something about body shape that allowed him to do better in the cold and thought about the role temperature might play for this one guy who doesn’t look like your standard endurance athlete,” Calsbeek said in a college news release. Triathletes in these competitions do about 150 miles combined of running, swimming and biking. Calsbeek’s analysis of nearly 200 Ironman contestants over two decades suggests that running performance, specifically, is linked to how an athlete’s physique is adapted to shedding or retaining heat in certain climates. The study is among only a few that connect human physiology to what are known as Bergmann’s and Allen’s rules, which predict how animal species are distributed across various climates, Calsbeek said. These ideas are named after…  read on >  read on >