Results tagged “exercise” from 60 Second Science
Alan Bajandas on December 17, 2007 5:30 AM
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In the February 2007 issue of Psychological Science [sic], Ellen Langer determined that, all things being equal, 'mindfulness' of exercise significantly increases its health benefits.
Langer drew this conclusion from tests conducted with a group of hotel maids. She took various measurements of physical health from each maid. Then, to induce mindfulness in the treatment group, she posted a notice in the maids' lounges. This notice informed them that cleaning is exercise and listed specific cleaning-activity to calories-burned conversions. At the end of a month Langer reassessed the mindful maids. The informed group had lesser mean weight, body mass index, percentage body fat, waist-to-hip ratio, and systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Langer's explanation? 'Mindfulness.'
(In a past study Langer proved that if you say, "I am Spartacus" with enough mindfulness, you "are totally Spartacus!")
Continue reading 'In Exercise Study, Occam's Razor Shelved in Favor of Buddha's Magic Wand' >
Ted Alvarez on December 6, 2007 7:10 AM
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Coco Ballantyne on December 3, 2007 3:44 PM
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Yale scientists have discovered that physical exercise enhances the activity of a gene called VGF, which has an antidepressant effect in mice.
Depression afflicts 16 percent of the U.S. population and carries an annual price tag of $83 billion. Pharmaceutical products currently used to treat depression help about 65 percent of patients but require anywhere from weeks to months to kick in.
Unlike common antidepressant drugs, VGF is already present in the brain, making it an attractive target for therapy, says senior author Ronald Duman, professor of psychiatry and pharmacology at Yale School of Medicine.
Continue reading 'Feeling sad? Get moving!' >
Ted Alvarez on November 22, 2007 1:52 AM
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Maia Szalavitz on November 9, 2007 2:42 PM
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Ok, I’m going to stop soon. Really, I promise. But I just had to do one last curious- positive-finding-about-drugs-post this week.
Turns out, according to research published in Heart and Circulatory Physiology, exercise benefits the heart via endogenous opioids. At least in rats, if you give the opioid-blocker naltrexone while they exercise, the cardioprotective effects of exercise don't show up when their hearts are later challenged.
That’s right, it seems like the fun part of running is also the healthy part. Which, of course, raises the inevitable question: would taking exogenous opioids-- ie, heroin, Oxycontin, morphine-- provide the same benefit? Wouldn’t it be ironic if William Burroughs’ claim that “dope preserves” turned out to have some truth to it?
Continue reading 'Runner’s “high” protects the heart.. umm, what about heroin?' >
