Fitness – News, Research and Analysis – The Conversation

December 26, 2022

Structured school days can keep kids healthy. How can we maintain it over school holidays?

Amanda Watson, University of South Australia; Carol Maher, University of South Australia, and Tim Olds, University of South Australia

Kids have structure during the school year which facilitates regular physical activity and healthy eating habits. But this ends during school holidays. How can we maintain these healthy habits?

Self-compassion can not only enhance physical and psychological health, but may also influence physical activity in the postpartum period. (Shutterstock)

December 15, 2022

Heart rate variability and self-compassion: Two tools to help postpartum mothers make exercise decisions

Iris Lesser, University of The Fraser Valley; Corliss Bean, Brock University, and Gillian Hatfield, University of The Fraser Valley

Physical activity and new motherhood can be hard to navigate, but physiological feedback and self-compassion can help inform decisions about when and how to exercise.

Some research suggests the luteal phase may be optimal for weight lifting. SeventyFour/ Shutterstock

December 8, 2022

Tailoring workouts to your menstrual cycle may help your physical fitness – but only if done properly

Dan Gordon, Anglia Ruskin University; Chloe French, Anglia Ruskin University, and Jonathan Melville, Anglia Ruskin University

The concentration of certain hormones during different phases of your menstrual cycle may give you a boost in the gym.

December 6, 2022

Netflix psychiatrist Phil Stutz says 85% of early therapy gains are down to lifestyle changes. Is he right?

Adrienne O'Neil, Deakin University; Sam Manger, James Cook University, and Wolfgang Marx, Deakin University

Changing your eating, exercising, socialising and engagement with nature can help treat depression. Now mental health professionals have some guidelines to shape treatment around lifestyle therapies.

November 30, 2022

Walking backwards has a surprising number of health benefits

Jack McNamara, University of East London

Walking backwards burns more calories and has many other health benefits.

October 18, 2022

Lift heavy or smaller weights with high reps? It all depends on your goal

Mandy Hagstrom, UNSW Sydney

If you can’t lift heavy or it’s not your thing, please don’t think lifting lighter weights is a waste of time.

Here’s how to make the most of your weekend workouts. photobyphotoboy/ Shutterstock

September 22, 2022

Weekend warrior workouts: here’s how to make the most of them

Michael Graham, Teesside University and Jonathan Taylor, Teesside University

Be sure to include both cardio and resistance training in your workouts for the most health benefit.

The challenge’s rules are very strict. El Nariz/ Shutterstock

September 1, 2022

75 Hard: what you need to know before taking on this viral fitness challenge

Juliette Stebbings, University of Portsmouth and Robert Rowland, University of Portsmouth

The 75 Hard challenge has more than 1.2 billions views online.

The ‘interference effect’ has long since been debunked. 4 PM production/ Shutterstock

August 16, 2022

Training cardio and weights during the same workout probably won’t hurt your ‘gains’ – here’s why

Jack McNamara, University of East London

Research has shown training cardio and weights on the same did has little effect on strength and muscle gain.

Runners should have advance knowledge of what to expect in case of race disruption or rerouting prior to setting off on the course. (Shutterstock)

August 9, 2022

Lessons from a cancelled marathon: Athletic events, heat and the effects of climate change

Shaelyn Strachan, University of Manitoba and Christine Van Winkle, University of Manitoba

All event organizers should be prepared for emergencies and have a communication plan.

Only exercising on weekends can still be good for your health. Monkey Business Images/ Shutterstock

July 21, 2022

‘Weekend warrior’ exercise still lowers risk of premature death – new research

Jonathan Taylor, Teesside University and Michael Graham, Teesside University

So-called ‘weekend warriors’ had a 30% lower risk of death from any cause compared to those who never exercised.

Last year’s Tour de France winner was Tadej Pogacar, in the yellow jersey here – his second consecutive Tour title. SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

June 30, 2022

Winning the Tour de France requires subtle physics, young muscles and an obscene amount of calories – 3 essential reads

Daniel Merino, The Conversation

Three scientists explain the biology and physics of what goes into one of the world’s most grueling races, the Tour de France.

Positive representations of higher-weight women exercising can counter the idealization of thin bodies that is common on social media, while cultivating health-promoting exercise behaviour. (Shutterstock)

June 29, 2022

Why social media ‘fitspiration’ can fail: Weight-inclusive fitness posts are more likely to motivate young women to exercise

Eva Pila, Western University and Madeline Wood, University of Toronto

Social media content that positively represents body size, shape and weight diversity may help to address the negative psychological effects of ‘fitspiration’ that depicts narrow body standards.

May 30, 2022

Drawing data: I make art from the bodily experience of long-distance running

Cherine Fahd, University of Technology Sydney

I have been re-drawing my data to make visible what Strava cannot. The unheroic stuff: emotions, persistent thoughts, body sensations, lyrics from the songs, the weather.

Physical activity can be an important tool for recovery from the collective trauma experienced and exacerbated throughout the pandemic. (Shutterstock)

May 29, 2022

Levelling the playing field: How a trauma-informed approach can make physical activity more accessible

Francine Darroch, Carleton University and Lyndsay M.C. Hayhurst, York University, Canada

During spring and summer, as more people consider exercising outdoors, a trauma- and violence-informed approach to physical activity can help ensure equity, inclusion, safety and access.

Bodybuilder Charles Atlas sought to turn Americans from ‘Chump to Champ.’ Lee Lockwood/Getty Images

May 12, 2022

Tucker Carlson pulls from an old playbook as he stokes anxiety about a masculinity crisis

Conor Heffernan, The University of Texas at Austin

The Fox News host’s forthcoming documentary ‘The End of Men’ is part of a rich heritage of hustlers and politicians claiming that American men are becoming devitalized, lazy and effeminate.

Since the mid-1990s, people have been doing less and less walking or bicycling to work and school and spending a lot more time staring at screens. RainStar/E+ via Getty Images

May 4, 2022

A boom in fitness trackers isn’t leading to a boom in physical activity – men, women, kids and adults in developed countries are all moving less

Scott A. Conger, Boise State University; David Bassett, University of Tennessee, and Lindsay Toth, University of North Florida

Research is revealing that fitness trackers alone can be helpful facilitators toward changing a sedentary lifestyle but don’t motivate people to increase their physical activity.

Executive functioning is a component of attention that helps us prioritize what we want to engage with and filter out unwanted interference. (Pixabay)

May 2, 2022

How to boost your attention and ability to function with meditation, exercise and sleep

Colin McCormick, Dalhousie University

Research highlights the importance of daily meditation, exercise and sleep for improving executive functioning, a component of attention that helps people focus.

For people who exercise in a group, their sense of connection to the group may not translate into skills that help them exercise alone. (Shutterstock)

April 26, 2022

For people who exercise in groups, ‘we’ has benefits — but don’t lose sight of ‘me’

Shaelyn Strachan, University of Manitoba

There are benefits to group exercise, but relying too much on a group may leave people less resilient for solo exercise, especially if suddenly cut off from a group as many were during COVID-19.

Delayed onset muscle soreness – better known as DOMS – is a common experience for many who exercise. Branislav Nenin/ Shutterstock

April 1, 2022

Here’s why you don’t need to feel sore after a workout to know it’s worked

David R Clark, Liverpool John Moores University; Carl Langan-Evans, Liverpool John Moores University, and Rob Erskine, Liverpool John Moores University

Sore muscles after a workout isn’t really a sign you’ve worked hard.

Articles on Fitness

Displaying 41 - 60 of 235 articles