Sports « Weekly Gravy

Exercise apps and fitness trackers are all the rage, and now a new study shows they might actually work. A combination of an exercise app, an activity tracker and personal counseling increased women’s physical activity levels, researchers found. The study of 210 inactive women found that three months of this combined approach increased the number of steps they took each day and their amount of moderate to vigorous physical activity. Even if the women stopped using the mobile phone app after three months, they continued to get more exercise, the findings showed. After the women had gained the skills and knowledge during the initial part of the study, they only needed the fitness tracker, not the app, to continue being more active, the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) researchers explained. The study was published online May 24 in JAMA Network Open. “Studies show that engaging in at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity per week can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and certain types of cancer,” said lead author Yoshimi Fukuoka, a professor at the UCSF School of Nursing. “Digital technologies are moving faster than research in transforming the way we promote physical activity and in reducing risks of chronic illness. But, in addition to an activity tracker and mobile app, having activity goals, self-monitoring and accountability are important,”… read on >

Compound strength-training exercises get fast results, because they work many muscle groups at once. Many of these exercises use just your own bodyweight, such as pull-ups, which engage not only the shoulders and all the muscles of your arms, but also those in your back and core. Other exercises can be enhanced by holding a weight or weights. Hand-Held Weight Options Kettlebells Dumbbells or a barbell with or without weight plates Jugs of water Heavy food cans Here are three exercises to try: For the loaded carry, engage your core muscles and hold a weight in each hand. Now simply walk for 30 to 60 seconds, then stop and release the weights. Rest for 60 seconds and then repeat the sequence up to five times. For the classic squat, stand with feet shoulder-width apart, toes slightly turned out. Hold a barbell behind your head, press your shoulders back and engage your core. Keep your back straight as you press your hips behind you and lower your chest toward your thighs. Your thighs move parallel to the floor, but your knees don’t go beyond your feet as they bend. Feet stay flat on floor throughout. Press heels into the floor to push up and return to standing. Note: It will take time to master a full squat. Beginners can start by holding an unweighted barbell. If… read on >

Do you worry a lot? Besides the anxiety it’s causing you emotionally, it can threaten your health. Whether you worry over actual problems or the fear of future ones, it interferes with sleep and quality of life. And, according to research done at Case Western Reserve University, it can be so intrusive that it harms your important relationships, too. Here’s what you can do to ease your worries and protect your mental and physical health. Take action for true concerns. For instance, if you’re worried about money for retirement, learn more about investments. Work with a certified financial planner to help you meet goals. If you’re nervous about a health condition or an upcoming medical test, bone up on the procedure, experts at the University of California, Berkeley, suggest. Don’t be afraid to ask your medical providers questions so you understand what you’ve read and how it applies to you. On the other hand, if you find that you look for things to worry about and can’t seem to shake the bad habit, try to lose yourself in exercise. Physical activity boosts mood and improves health — that’s one less worry right there. You might also investigate mindfulness, a technique that teaches you to live in the moment and not worry about “what ifs.” There are self-help approaches to try on your own, or you… read on >

Water polo players appear to face similar head injury risks as athletes in better-known sports, a new study FINDS. “For years, water polo’s head trauma risks have been downplayed or overshadowed by football-related brain injuries,” said study co-author James Hicks. “Our data quantifies the extent of the problem and sets the stage for additional research and possible rule changes or protective gear to improve water polo safety,” Hicks added. He is chairman of the department of ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of California, Irvine. “People who’ve never seen a game may not realize how physical it is,” Hicks said in a university news release. “Head-butts and elbows. Balls flying up to 50 miles per hour.” And while no concussions were diagnosed among players in the study, the force of the head blows was “similar to those observed in collegiate soccer, another sport that is commonly studied for the risks associated with repeated head impact exposure,” he added. For the study, Hicks and his colleagues tracked several dozen players in Division 1 NCAA Men’s Water Polo over three seasons. The players wore caps embedded with electronic sensors. Overall, the researchers counted an average of 18 head hits per game. Offensive players were far more likely to get hit in the head than players in defensive and transition positions (60%, 23% and 17%, respectively), the… read on >

Looking for ways to burn extra calories? Don’t just stand there — these moves allow you to multitask for fitness. Whenever you’re stuck in a long line, do toe raises to work foot and calf muscles. Simply lift both your heels off the ground and roll up to your tiptoes. Hold for five seconds and then roll back down. The American Council on Exercise suggests alternating between slow and fast rolls to reach all muscle fibers. Isometrics are another option, and no one will be able to tell what you’re doing. Cycle through your various muscle groups by contracting one group at a time. Start with your calves and work up to your thighs and glutes. Then do your abs, pecs, biceps and triceps. To contract, tighten and hold each muscle group for a full 30 seconds before moving on to the next group. These contractions are easy to do if you’re standing on a bus or train or even as you ride the elevator to your office. Make brushing your teeth even more effective by doing squats. To add a fitness component to your TV viewing, trade in your cushy spot on the sofa for a stability ball. You’ll work your core muscles and improve posture just by sitting on it. Keep small hand weights nearby and grab them for sets of upper body… read on >

There’s a lot you can learn from your elders, starting with the results of a multi-year study of exercise and brain health in seniors. Researchers from Columbia University and the University of Miami compared results of two sets of brain scans and tests measuring memory and thinking skills in 876 seniors. The tests were done five years apart. The investigators found a greater mental decline for those who reported low-activity exercises, such as light walking and yoga, compared to those with high-activity levels and exercises like running and cardio workouts. The difference was equal to 10 years of brain aging, and that was after taking into account other factors that can influence brain health, such as excess weight, high blood pressure, smoking and drinking, according to the findings published in the journal Neurology. Researchers are also learning about the brain benefits of cardio exercise from lab studies — those done on animals. One study found that sustained aerobic activity — such as daily jogging for several miles at a moderate pace — can encourage the growth of new brain cells, even later in life. Research into which specific cardio activities are best for each of the sexes is ongoing, so there’s still more to learn. In the future, the goal is to learn more about how to individualize exercise for brain health. This isn’t to… read on >

(HealthDay News) — Most beach rescues performed by lifeguards are caused by rip currents — strong currents that can pull swimmers under, says the American Red Cross. Rip currents can form in any large open area and can be dangerous. To escape a rip current, the Red Cross offers advice: Stay calm and don’t fight it. Either float or swim parallel to the shore until you are out of the current. Turn and swim to shore. If you can’t make it to shore, draw attention to yourself by waving and calling for help. If someone else is caught in a rip current, get help from a lifeguard or call 911 immediately.

Athletes are supposed to be strong and self-assured, so many don’t seek help for mental health issues, a new study finds. It’s not just the stigma of mental illness that prompts many to tough it out alone, but also busy schedules, gender stereotyping and lack of understanding about mental health issues. That’s the consensus of researchers from Brazil, the Netherlands and the United States, who looked at 52 studies covering more than 13,000 elite athletes in 71 sports. The findings were published May 16 in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. “Athletes fear, possibly rightly so, that disclosing mental health symptoms or disorders would reduce their chances of maintaining or signing a professional team contract or an advertising campaign,” the researchers said in a journal news release. It’s up to coaches and sport-governing bodies to help remove the stigma of mental illness and encourage mental well-being, the study authors added. As many as one in three elite athletes suffers from mental illness. The demands of training to improve performance heighten the risk, the researchers noted. Stigma was the most common factor in not seeking help, the investigators found. Mental illness was seen as a sign of weakness rather than the “hallmark of a winner,” according to the report. “Coaches could be important agents for supporting positive mental health attitudes within the elite athlete environment, including… read on >

(HealthDay News) — Many American kids don’t don helmets when biking, skateboarding and riding scooters, a troubling new poll finds. Among more than 1,300 parents surveyed, 18% said their kids never wear helmets while biking, 58% said their kids don’t wear helmets while skateboarding, and 61% said their children don’t wear helmets when riding scooters, according to the C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health at the University of Michigan. “Helmets are vital to preventing head injuries in case a child falls or is struck by a car,” said University of Michigan pediatrician Dr. Gary Freed. “It is very concerning that so many children ride bikes and other non-motorized wheeled vehicles without ever using helmets.” In 2015 alone, more than 426,000 children went to an emergency room with injuries from these activities. The researchers found that 93% of parents said their children give cars the right of way and 82% said their children stop at stop signs. But most said their child doesn’t use hand signals or walk their bike across crosswalks. “Our report suggests that families should take more precautions to ensure children are safe, including wearing helmets and understanding safety in the streets,” Freed said in a university news release. Most parents said their child rode their bikes on sidewalks (73%) or in parks or on trails (59%). But 42% said… read on >