High-Intensity Interval Training: For Fitness, for Health or Both?
That which was old is new again. High-intensity interval training (HIIT) has been a common component of exercise regimens designed to improve fitness and performance for many generations. In recent years, research interest has surged. A simple search of PubMed for the term “high-intensity interval training” reveals a more than 20-fold increase in the number […]
Air Quality and Outdoor Exercise
There is incontrovertible evidence linking poor air quality to adverse health outcomes. This is especially true for people with pre-existing conditions such as heart disease, stroke, asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. However, healthy people are at risk too. Exposure to air pollution has been linked to a higher risk of developing asthma, and recent […]
What’s New in the ACSM Pronouncement on Exercise and Hypertension?
Hypertension is a Pervasive Public Health Problem The American College of Cardiology (ACC)/ American Heart Association (AHA) Task Force on Clinical Practice Guidelines recently redefined hypertension to a lower blood pressure (BP) threshold of 130 mmHg for systolic BP (SBP) or 80 mmHg for diastolic BP (DBP) (1) versus the Joint National Commission 7 (JNC […]
Five Frequently Asked Questions About the Physical Activity Guidelines
The US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) released the second edition of the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans on November 12, 2018. The guidelines are meant to to help Americans understand the types and amounts of physical activity that offer important health benefits. #1 How many Americans meet the Physical Activity Guidelines? In 2017, only […]
Exercise for the Prevention and Treatment of Hypertension – Implications and Application
3 Key Points: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in the United States (U.S.) and accounts for 1 out of every 3 deaths in U.S. adults. High blood pressure (BP) or hypertension is the most common, costly, but modifiable major risk factor for the development of CVD and premature mortality, affecting nearly […]
Heart Health & Brain Health Go Hand-in-Hand
In February, we often see many people wearing the color Red. Wearing Red may be a tribute to St. Valentine, but the color Red should also serve as a reminder to take care of our hearts, as February is Heart Disease Month! According to the Center of Disease Control and Prevention, heart disease accounts for […]
How to Meet the Physical Activity Guidelines in Everyday Activities
The other day I heard a story about a woman who hated to exercise. She wanted nothing of it: going to the gym, sweating, walking on the treadmill. Boring. No way! She’d heard about the latest 2018 U.S. Physical Activity Guidelines, but had dismissed them as irrelevant to her life. Recently, she stumbled onto an article […]
Body Weight and Waist Circumference Trending Upward in Americans
Recently, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services published a National Health Statistics Report updating the trends in body weight, height, waist circumference and body mass index (BMI) in the U.S. population. This update uses data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) and primarily focuses on trends from 1999-2000 through 2015-2016. If you […]
Predatory Publishing: How to Avoid Exploitative Journals
Publishing original research is critical to academic and professional achievement. When selecting the journal to which you will submit your work, it is important to consider the options very carefully. While there are many academic journals, 30,000 or more in fact based on some reports, it is estimated that around 10,000 journals employ “predatory publishing” […]
Parks: More Than Just a Playground
Summertime is in full swing, and, for many of us, it’s the time of year we consider engaging with the great outdoors. However, as much as we might like, we can’t make every day a journey into nature … or can we? Local parks are a significant way to bring a piece of nature into […]
