A new study has looked at which is more effective for people with chronic lower back pain – specific strengthening exercises or walking. A lot of people make a lot of noise about core strengthening programs and I absolutely believe they play a role in supporting the lower back, but they need to be part of a general program which includes overall strength and fitness. And this study supported that; they found that “A six-week walk training programme was as effective as six weeks of specific strengthening exercises programme for …

New research has suggested that if you have a torn meniscus you might not need surgery after all. The study compared the progress of half a million people who either had an operation or had rehab. They found the surgery led to a quicker improvement, but that over time the results with rehab were great – 70% of people who did their exercises did not end up needing surgery.
A couple of quotes from the article:
1. The researchers found that physical therapy cost far less and carried far fewer risks from …

With the weather staying this beautiful I know what I’ll be doing this weekend – getting out in the sun for a run down by the beach. Apparently this will provide yet another benefit – exercise improves cognitive functions like memory. A new article on the New York Times website has all the info you need:
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/04/10/how-exercise-may-boost-the-brain/?ref=health

I get asked about those shoes that look like gloves all the time. People bring me copies of those books about the mountain men of Chile running barefoot and get all philosophical about how our ancestors ancestors ran barefoot and it’s more natural and better for us and for the environment. I look outside at all the concrete and wonder if they’ve considered how hard the environment has become lately.

I’ve never personally been a fan of the “barefoot” running idea. I see a lot of people with a lot …

Hey guys, just read an interesting article about a study which compared the health benefits of running and brisk walking. Now, if you’re training for a fun run or a triathlon this probably won’t apply to you, but for the average person just trying to improve their health this is worth a read. Some of the key stats:

Running reduced the risk of heart disease by 4.5% while walking reduced it by 9.3%.
Calorie for calorie, walking also had a stronger impact on heart disease risk factors. The risk of first-time high …

The results are in. Our survey, which was answered by the parents of students from all the big schools here in Singapore found the following:

85.7% of parents want to learn more about the links between nutrition/exercise and academic performance
84.9% of kids aren’t hitting the suggested daily “2 and 5” of fruit and vegetables
90.2% of you acknowledge that a heavy backpack has a medium-large impact on a child’s spine
80.9% of parents rightly believe that substituting study time for exercise would improve your child’s academic performance
Over 80% of kids are doing a …

Hello,
We are conducting a survey regarding the health habits of students in Singapore, so if you are the parent of a child attending school here we would greatly appreciate you helping us with our research. The more answers we can get the better, so by all means forward this to any other interested parents you may know.
Your answers will help us put the finishing touches on a talk and booklet we are preparing which looks at the links between diet, posture and exercise on the health, happiness and academic performance …

New Scientist recently ran an article on how to recharge your immune system. The article was broken down into several sections, which I have taken the key points from and outlined below for your perusal. Hope you find it useful!
1. Go for a walk every day: “When 500 adults were tracked for 12 weeks, those who were the most physically active – five sessions or more of aerobic exercise a week – spent nearly half the number of days sick with an upper respiratory tract infection such as a cold …

I just read an interesting article published in the New York Times on September 4 2011 about whether there is enough “good” evidence to support common procedures currently being used by sports medicine doctors. These include steroid injections, platelet rich plasma (PRP) injections, taping, and surgery. It’s an interesting article and it mirrors what I hear people tell me after undergoing these procedures – sure, it works for some, but for others it doesn’t help at all, and for some it has made their injuries worse. One woman I treated …

You’ve all probably heard a million times about how you need to strengthen your “core” to support your lower back. And it’s true. The “core” abdominal muscles, such as transverse abdominus and multifidus, play an active role in the strength and stability of your lower back, and there have been countless studies to support the idea that improving their strength helps your lower back.
Which makes me slightly loathe to write this, because this article might give one or two of you an excuse to slacken off. Don’t get me wrong, …