Shirley Eichenberger-Archer, JD, MA
Shirley Eichenberger-Archer, JD, MA
Article Archive
New research shows benefits of one or two days a week of concentrated physical activity. Weekend warriors rejoice. Formerly, experts viewed weekend only training as less valuable than consistent exercise throughout the week. Harvard Medical School researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital recently found that a “weekend warrior” training pattern is equally effective at reducing disease…
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Incontinence is one of the most common health issues for women as they age. Yoga and low impact exercise for at least 12 weeks significantly reduced incontinence episodes, according to a study in the Annals of Internal Medicine (2024) Researchers from leading universities including University of California, San Francisco, and Stanford University, investigated whether yoga exercises…
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Long-time exercisers have healthier belly fat than new exercisers, in new study. Exercise benefits people even when they gain extra weight. Researchers from the University of Michigan wanted to evaluate whether exercise impacts fat tissue’s structure and function. In a study of 32 subjects with obesity, they examined the differences in belly fat tissue among…
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Physical activity, particularly aerobic exercise, is known to reduce depressive symptoms, but how is not understood. Researchers from University College London reviewed multiple studies on depression, exercise, motivation, dopamine transmission, and inflammation. Study authors theorize that exercise’s anti-depressant effect comes from its tendency to reduce inflammation, improve dopamine transmission and boost exertion of effort—both physical…
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More good news promotes the value of exercise. A recent 3-year-long study by University of Eastern Finland researchers focused specifically on men with a high genetic risk of type 2 diabetes. Investigators tracked nearly 1,000 men between 50 to 75 years in either a health-promoting lifestyle group or a control group. The prevalence of type…
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Many exercisers enjoy treadmill running, but often suffer from shin splints. Outdoor gait training and home exercises significantly reduced pain for subjects in a 4-week study conducted by University of Virginia researchers. Gait training exercises reduced ground contact time, increased cadence, and decreased stride lengths. For home conditioning, participants did single-leg squats and lateral step…
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Vigorous exercise suppresses hunger more than moderate exercise for healthy adult men and women, according to a small study described in Journal of the Endocrine Society (2024). Among a group of healthy men and women in their mid-thirties, scientists measured ghrelin levels and perception of appetite after no exercise, moderate- and high-intensity exercise. Ghrelin is…
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New research provides even more reasons to motivate mothers to exercise during pregnancy. For the first time, scientists show a link between maternal exercise and nearly half the likelihood of a child developing asthma, when the pregnant mother exercises at least three times a week. This discovery was independent of other maternal and environmental factors.…
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Higher levels of motor and aerobic fitness in childhood are linked with better cognitive performance and mental health in adolescence, as reported in Sports Medicine (2024). Researchers from University of Eastern Finland conducted a longitudinal study with 241 boys and girls beginning from the ages of six to 9 years old over an 8-year follow-up…
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Training adolescent black girls as peer physical activity leaders in high school promoted health, fitness and community, according to a small, qualitative study published in Journal of Healthy Eating and Active Living (2024). Researchers from Towson University, Baltimore, Maryland, in collaboration with Baltimore City Public Schools trained 3 peer leaders to lead Tabata group fitness…
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What programming are you finding is in most demand among your clients? For example, do they seek cardio training programs, specialized sports programs, overall conditioning programs that combine resistance, cardio, balance, flexibility and agility? Or, are you providing menus of shorter classes to allow clients to create their own programs? If you focus on personal…
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Advise clients to push to failure during resistance training when muscle growth is the objective, according to results published in Sports Medicine (2024). Florida Atlantic University researchers reviewed 55 studies to analyze how different levels of reps in reserve (the number of reps remaining before failure) impacted strength and muscle growth. Data analysis showed that training…
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A study by Australian researchers that found that 60 percent of videos posted by fitness influencers contain content that is either harmful of misleading; … The new Guinness World Record holder for oldest person to hold an abdominal plank for at least 3 minutes, 80-year old Annie Judis of Beverly Hills, who also holds the…
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New research shows more fit teens have better attention span and concentration abilities. Teenagers between 15 and 18 years of age with higher overall fitness show better performance on concentration, error and speed tests that measure attention levels, when compared with those with lower fitness levels. University of Vienna researchers in Austria assessed the 5…
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Review study shows that pre-natal strength training is good for mother and child. Aerobic exercise during pregnancy is often recommended, while strength training benefits are overlooked. A new review study finds that appropriate resistance training during the pre-natal period may help an expectant mother with fatigue, back pain, mental health, and glucose control, while also…
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Study finds resistance training near retirement age provides long lasting benefits. Motivate retirement-age adults to do a heavy resistance training program to reap more strength and functional benefits in later life, according to results published in BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine . University of Copenhagen researchers in Denmark followed 369 male and female participants…
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Comparison of different sprint interval protocols shows most efficient ways to exercise. New research shows that repeating multiple short sprint intervals is not as beneficial as fewer longer sprint intervals, as reported in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. Waseda University researchers in Tokyo, Japan, compared physiological and metabolic responses to two training protocols…
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New research shows that physical activity eases symptoms of knee OA, yet few exercise. Fit pros can educate those that cope with knee osteoarthritis that while they may want to rest, physical activity will help them to manage their knee pain much better. A new study shows that 69% of people with knee pain had…
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Recent research shows time of day makes a difference for cardiometabolic benefits. For those coping with type 2 diabetes, training at the end of the day improves glucose metabolism, according to a study described in Obesity (2024; doi: 10.1002/oby.24063). Researchers from the University of Granada, Spain, recruited 186 overweight or obese men and women with…
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Systematic review shows need to include more female athletes in studies. Some sports require maximal strength and endurance, but simultaneous training for improved endurance and maximal strength (aka concurrent training) can create suboptimal results in both categories. Researchers from two institutions in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, found that gender-based differences from concurrent training can occur; lower-body…
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