Parkinson’s disease is a degenerative disorder that affects dopamine-generating cells in the central nervous system. The physical symptoms are the classic triad: shaking, rigidity and slowness of movement. Posture, walking and balance are also impaired. Dr Fuzhong Li and colleagues studied the effects of Tai Chi on patient’s with Parkinson’s. Amongst other benefits, they found…
Aging, infections and diseases such as cancer, neurodegenerative disorders, inflammatory diseases and insulin resistance can all be caused by a buildup of waste products and debris within cells. It’s by a process called autophagy, an intracellular recycling system, that cells maintain their ideal environment. A group of researchers have found that exercise helps boost autophagy….
A recent study has found that spinal manipulation therapy is more effective than medication in both the short and long-term. The most interesting part of the study was that home exercises and advice were as effective as manipulation. It just goes to show that the benefits of self-help should not be underestimated. It would have…
A team of researchers have identified a new hormone named irisin. It’s produced by exercise and increases the metabolism and the sensitivity to blood sugar levels. This in turn may make us less susceptible to obesity and diabetes. Yet more proof that exercise is beneficial…if we needed any more!
Researchers Art Kramer and Laura Chaddock, from the Beckman Institute at the University of Illinois, have found that children that are aerobically fitter perform better at memory tests than their less fit peers. The improvement in brain function is linked to an increased hippocampal volume. The hippocampus is a structure deep within the brain that…
Most of us spend the overwhelming majority of our waking hours seated. We sit down to have breakfast. Then we sit in our cars or on the train or bus on the way to work. When we arrive at work, we sit at our desks until lunch and then sit a little more to enjoy…