New study reveals that exercise is socially contagious

When it comes to exercise, you may want to keep your friends close. A new study published in Nature Communications revealed that exercise is socially contagious, observing that exercise data shared on social networks influenced the exercise habits of people who saw them.

For the study, researchers Sinan Aral and Christos Nicolaides of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology analyzed data from an unnamed global social media network. The data came from 1.1 million users who shared their running information on the network over four years, via a variety of fitness tracking devices and apps. These devices tracked their running time, speed, duration, and other stats, and posted the information automatically when connected to the social media platform.

The researchers observed that people ran further and faster when their friends did so. More specifically, they found that an extra kilometer run by a person resulted in an additional 0.3 kilometer for his or her friends. In the same way, an additional 10 minutes run by a person resulted in three minutes added running time among that person’s social circle. They also found that an extra 10 calories burned by a friend leads to 3.5 extra calories off for friends. This contagion, however, lessened over time.

The level of influence a person has changed depending on their gender and how active they are, the researchers said. Less active runners were found to be more influential than their more active counterparts. At the same time, men are influenced by both men and women, while women are only influenced by other women.

“This may be due to gender differences in the motivations for exercise and competition. For example, men report receiving and being more influenced by social support in their decision to adopt exercise behaviors, while women report being more motivated by self-regulation and individual planning. Moreover, men may be more competitive and specifically more competitive with each other,” Aral and Nicolaides said.

The benefits of going social

Whether it’s through seeing their exercise habits on social media, or working out with them in real life, friends can be the most powerful motivators when it comes to exercise. An article in Shape.com cited a study that compared people who joined a weight loss program with friends, and those who did it alone. The study found that 95 percent of those who did the program with friends completed it, a much higher rate compared to the 76 percent for those who went through the program alone. Furthermore, those who did the program with friends were 42 percent more likely to maintain their weight, the study said.

Another study by researchers from Oxford’s Institute of Cognitive and Evolutionary Anthropology observed members of the Oxford rowing team, comparing those who trained with a group with those who trained alone. The athletes who trained in a group were found to have a higher pain threshold post-workout than those who exercised solo. A higher pain threshold indicates a higher level of endorphins, the hormones that are released during physical activity and are responsible for what is called “runner’s high”. The researchers found that “synchronized physical activity elevates mood and enhances a sense of social bonding”, taking note of other social activities such as laughter, music, and shared religious rituals that produce the same euphoric effect.

Evidently, no man is an island — especially when it comes to working out. Social workouts such as CrossFit, Acroyoga, dance classes, competitive sports, and group running or biking are open to anyone who needs to give their workout a friendly boost. But even those who prefer working out alone can socially supercharge their exercise – all they have to do is go online.

Get more fitness and weight loss tips and news on Slender.news.

Sources include:

Nature.com
Shape.com
RSBL.RoyalSocietyPublishing.org

Runners found to have an increased lifespan of 3 years, says new study

Going for a run isn’t something that most Americans like to do, but if more people did it they’d live longer. Up to three years longer, on average, in fact, according to a new study.

The New York Times is reporting that people who run an hour a day can add an additional seven hours to your life, per day.

In fact, going for a daily run is believed to be the most effective way to boost overall life expectancy, a new review and analysis of existing research regarding premature exercise and death has concluded.

“The new study found that, compared to nonrunners, runners tend to live about three additional years, even if they run slowly or sporadically and smoke, drink or are overweight,” the Times reported, citing the findings. “No other form of exercise that researchers looked at showed comparable impacts on life span.” (Related: Read If You Hate Running Sprints, This Study Is For You.)

That would include gym rats who love to lift weights, do aerobics, yoga and crossfit, presumably, based on findings.

Three years ago a group of distinguished research scientists published a study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology after analyzing a large body of data collected from the Cooper Institute in Dallas, which had conducted medical and fitness tests on subjects. The analysis of that body of data found that people who only ran five minutes a day had longer lifespans, on average.

Following the release of that study, the scientists were deluged with questions from colleagues and the public, says Duck-chul Lee, a kinesiology professor at Iowa State University, one of the just-released study’s co-authors. Among the queries, scientists and members of the public asked if other physical activities, including walking, were equally beneficial as running was to prolonging life.

Some others wanted to know if running actually did prolong lifespans, the Times noted, in a significant way. “Could it be, they asked rather peevishly, that if, in order to reduce your risk of dying by a year, you had to spend the equivalent of a year’s worth of time on the trails or track, producing no discernible gain?” the paper reported.

That spurred the research team to launch a new study, published in Progress in Cardiovascular Disease, aimed at answering these and other questions. In taking a fresh new look at the Cooper Institute data, as well as additional large studies conducted and published in recent years, to determine any correlation between exercise and longer life, Lee and his team found that their earlier conclusions were reinforced.

Taken together, all of the available data indicated clearly that running – no matter the pace or distance ran – diminished a person’s risk of premature death by nearly 40 percent, versus other forms of exercise. And that finding held even for runners who smoked, drank alcohol or had health challenges like high blood pressure or obesity.

The Times noted further:

Using those numbers, the scientists then determined that if every non-runner who had been part of the reviewed studies took up the sport, there would have been 16 percent fewer deaths over all, and 25 percent fewer fatal heart attacks. (One caveat: the participants in those studies were mostly white and middle class.)

The demographics of the study are important to note because the results may not be consistent across ethnicities or for people in different socioeconomic classes. But the results are encouraging, nonetheless. (Related: Read Runners And Foot Injuries: What May Be Causing It.)

One of the more interesting aspects of the most recent study is scientists estimated that running statistically adds more time to a person’s lifespan, hour for hour, than it takes away. In calculating 2 hours of running per week – the average reported by those who participated in the Cooper Institute study – the research team figured that a classic runner spends less than six months actually running over 40 years’ time, but could nevertheless expect to boost life expectancy by 3.2 years, leaving a net gain of 2.8 years.

Thus, they concluded, the time running was well spent.

Researchers found that other forms of exercise, including walking, biking and aerobics – provided they involved the same degree of exertion – also cut the risk of premature death by some 12 percent.

Learn more at MensFitnessFocus.com and WomensFitnessFocus.com.

J.D. Heyes is a senior writer for NaturalNews.com and NewsTarget.com, as well as editor of The National Sentinel.

Sources include:

NYTimes.com

MensFitnessFocus.com

15 Ways to Flatten Your Belly

Belly fat is the bane of most dieters, but unfortunately – as you probably already know – is one of the more difficult places to firm and tone up. There are, however, things you can do to help lose weight from this area. Fifteen tips for firming up your tummy are listed below.

Girls’ Time on the Track

Suggest a weekly walk-and-talk session with your girlfriends so you can both catch up as you’re getting fit. If you have a walking buddy, you are more likely to stick with your program as we

Keep up with Cardio

If you are really after burning the belly fat, aerobics are still the way to go. They burn 67% more calories than strength training and will tackle even problem areas like the tummy.

Ramp Up the Fiber

For every 10gms of fiber you eat daily, your body belly will carry nearly 4% less fat. Great sources of fiber include fresh fruits and vegetables, beans, and cereals like bran flakes.

Order First

Don’t be afraid to be pushy and order first when at a restaurant. This will generally mean a shorter wait time before your food arrives so you will not feel like you are starving and overeat.

Wipe the Windshield!

Lie face up with arms extended, palms down, and legs bent at a 90 degree angle so your feet are off the floor. Keeping abs tight, lower your right legs to the floor, keeping shoulders firmly planted, then raise leg up again. Repeat with left leg and do 20 reps.

Vacuum

Vacuuming actually provides a great workout for your tummy, especially if you tighten your abs while you are doing it. You will get a cleaner house and a slimmer waistline!

Beware of the Salt

Too much salt in your diet will cause you to retain more fluid and contribute to water weight. So watch your salt intake.

Indulge in Avocadoes

Avocadoes are rich in monounsaturated fatty acids which stop the blood sugar spikes that can lead to more belly fat. They also are easy to work into anybody’s diet.

Skip the Soda

The calories you get from these fizzy drinks usually wind up on your belly. Try sparkling water or unsweetened iced tea instead.

Avoid Alcohol

Too much alcohol in the diet can raise your levels of cortisol, which can send fat straight to your belly. Opt for virgin drinks and you will save a ton of calories.

Kayak

Kayaking is loads of fun but also provides a great workout for your abdominal muscles – and your upper body, too!

Eat Sunflower Seeds

Sunflowers are also a great source of monounsaturated fats and adding them to your diet is as simple as sprinkling them on your lunchtime salad.

Tummy Tuck

Tucking your tummy in while you walk or do housework is a simple way to help tone muscles while you go about your day.

Get Fishy

Salmon and other fish are good source of Omega-3 fatty acids, which also help you in the war on fat. Try to get several fish servings a week.

Hydrate

Good hydration keeps your whole body functioning better – including your metabolism. You also need more water if you are working out.

Following these tips is not difficult, and it can really pay off in the form of a firmer, tighter belly!

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The hows and whys of the perfect push-up

If you’re trying to build a better body yet can’t be bothered with a gym membership, workouts at home are the way to go. Some exercise moves are easy to pull off. Others, not so much. The push-up is one of those that can fall in the latter if you’re not used to doing it. You might be tempted to forgo it all together, but this simple calisthenics exercise is an excellent way to increase your upper body strength and build up your core. The best part is that a push-up can be done anywhere at any time, with many variations.

Mastering the perfect push-up is easy, and here’s how to do it.

The perfect push-up

Place your hands on the ground, right under your shoulders, with your fingertips pointing straight ahead. Take care not to splay your hands too wide or you risk putting undue pressure on your shoulders. Plant your toes firmly on the floor. You want your entire body to be as straight as possible and in a neutral position, so flatten your back and brace your core.

Lower your body until your chest touches the floor. Maintain a flat back and neck—you can do this by focusing your eyes three feet in front of you. Again, try to keep your body as straight as possible. Don’t let your butt or your elbows stick out. The push-up is a whole-body movement, so engage your glutes and keep your hips from hitting the ground.

Push back into the starting position, exhaling as you do so. Repeat as many sets as you can manage. Don’t forget to breathe while exercising: inhale as you go down and exhale on the way back up.

Other tips

Focus on the quality of each push-up instead of quantity. Doing a push-up sloppily decreases its efficacy because you’ll be targeting fewer muscles that way. Remember that the push-up is supposed to work out your entire body, but only if you let it.

Mind your form. Tuck your elbows at a 20- to 40-degree angle close to your torso. Keep your shoulders down and prevent them shrugging towards your ears. Ensure that your hips and torso are straight. Like what was previously mentioned, the push-up is a whole-body workout. Forgetting the proper form on any body part is a sure-fire way to have it miss out on what makes the push-up so great an exercise.

Don’t sweat it if you don’t do a lot of push-ups on your first try. If you’ve never done a push-up before, then five sets or even one can be a challenge. Don’t beat yourself up if all you can manage at the moment is one push-up. If you did it right, that’s what really counts. Just keep on doing push-ups and you’ll get better at doing them in time. Perseverance is key.

Once you’ve gotten the hang of push-ups, you can vary them up to stimulate your muscles. Raising the difficult and intensity can be done simply by changing your hand or body position. Try doing push-ups with only one arm. Do the Superman push-up by lifting your left leg off the floor and your right arm in front of your body when you get back up.

Give yourself a pat on the back. Push-ups aren’t just a great way to increase strength in your body, they’ll also boost your metabolism and make you less likely to sustain injuries. A single push-up now might not seem like much, but in time that can become 10 or even 30 push-ups daily. You’ve taken the first step and just need to keep moving forward.

Sources:

NaturalNewsBlogs.com

Greatist.com

DailyBurn.com

BreakingMuscle.com

In Just 5 Minutes This Hand Exercise Will Boost Energy And Balance Your Emotions

Jin Shin Jyutsu is the ancient oriental art of releasing tensions which are the causes for various symptoms in our body. It involves gentle application of hands on the body according to established procedures, and helps harmonize and balance the vital energy of the whole person — mind, body and spirit — thereby rallying the body’s own healing mechanisms.

A Simple Technique That Can Be Done Anywhere

By using your hands and placing them on certain areas, you can open them up and release the congestion so that the energy can flow uninterrupted down the front and up the back. When all the energies are flowing in harmony, there is a sense of well-being and happiness.

Our fingers are connected to different organs and emotions/attitudes, as shown in the picture below.

Hold the finger correlating to the emotion you want to calm, or the organ you want to heal, for 3-5 minutes while breathing deeply.

For a total body harmonization, go through all of the fingers of each hand.

According to a study at the Markay Cancer Center, patients who underwent this therapy were able to note positive benefits, including reduced stress and nausea, after each of their sessions.

Patients who were having trouble getting rest, reported they had a much easier time falling asleep while holding their thumb. Could this be the reason why babies tend to find comfort in sucking their thumb, or reason behind flashing people the middle finger to show anger?

source:www.lifecoachcode.comcomplete-health-and-happiness.comwww.whydontyoutrythis.com

How To Prevent Lower Back Pain In 10 Minutes Or Less

From a simple muscle strain to slipped or bulging spinal discs, there are a number of things that can cause lower back pain. Unfortunately, one of the more common causes is also most often overlooked: tight hip muscles and jointsight hip muscles and jointscould actually be what's putting stress on your lower back.

See, when a muscle is constricted or tight, it keeps tension on everything around it. If there’s too much tension, it'll actually pull forward everything that’s connected in order to help ease the tension. When your hips are too tight, your body shifts forward and you naturally start to put pressure and strain on your lower back.

So here are a few quick exercises that will not only help you open up your hips, but will also help relieve that pressure in your back. The best part? Each move takes a couple of minutes, so the whole sequence will only run you about 10 minutes a day.

Stretch it out: There are plenty of stretches designed to help you start opening up your hips. Here are a few to get you started.

1. Spinal twist

This move helps relieve pressure by gently relaxing your back muscles as it opens up your hips.

Laying on your right side, pull your top (left) knee up to a 90-degree angle and use your bottom arm to gently hold that knee down so you’re only working the stretch one way.

Drop your head down, take a deep breath in and on the exhale, gently grab your ribs with your left hand and rotate back to the left as far as you can. You should be feeling a good stretch in the low and mid back. You can adjust the knee to feel the stretch at a different spot in your back. As you go down, turn your head so you’re looking over your left shoulder.

After five breathes, drop your left arm to the ground. Try to get your left should to relax and breathe, working your shoulder as close to the ground as you can. Stay here for a minute, then switch sides and repeat.

2. Thoracic bridge 

This move will help stretch and strengthen your muscles at the same time.

Start in a “crawling position” on your hands and feet, knees bent a few inches off the ground. In a controlled motion, lift your right hand and left foot simultaneously, bringing your chest up to face the ceiling. Once your chest is facing up, place your left foot back down so you’re in a modified tripod (right hand is still lifted).

Making sure your left shoulder is engaged, drive your hips up. This will activate the glute, maintain stability in your shoulder and give you a nice thoracic rotation. Come back through and repeat on the other side.

3. Pigeon pose

This is a great stretch that helps open up the hips and stretch the glutes.

Start on all fours, then slide your right knee forward. You'll probably feel a little tension, so angling your knee at around 2 o'clock helps relieve that. Slide your left leg as far back as you can and keep your hips square. Hold for 15-30 seconds (or more if you're really feeling it), and then repeat on the other side.

Or you can follow the instructions here.

4. IT band foam roll

Don’t get me wrong: foam rolling can be painful. But it's also one of the fastest ways to see results. This move works the muscles and fascia around your IT band.

Lie on your side and support your body weight with your arms and legs. Place the foam roller on the upper outside portion of your thigh. Roll and let the foam roller travel down along your leg to just above the knee. Return to your original position. Repeat a few times.

5. Glute foam roll

Sit on top of the foam roller and cross one leg over the other. Lean slightly toward the direction of the side/leg you're trying to stretch. Slowly roll your way down the muscle ... but don't fall off! You don't need to move very far to work this stretch really well.