Fighting dementia with play

Combined physical and mental training disguised as play can support healthy aging. Using an “Exergame,” similar to Wii Fit or Dance Dance Revolution, adults living with dementia showed significant improvements in reaction time and cognitive skills, such as attention, concentration, memory, and orientation.

Benefits of extracurricular activity

Research from UBC finds teens, especially girls, report better mental health when they spend more time in extracurricular activities, like sports and art, and less time in front of screens. Less than two hours per day of recreational screen time (e.g. browsing the internet, playing video games, and using social media) was associated with higher…

How exercise boosts mental health

There is uncontested evidence that physical activity boosts mental health. But how? According to University of Toronto professor Catherine Sabiston, body temperature, a break from routine, and a sense of connectedness are just a few of the ways that exercise can lift your mood.

Space travellers

Do you ever wonder how astronauts stay fit in space? To counteract the effects of weightlessness on the heart muscle, which will atrophy over time in a gravity-free environment, short bursts of repeated high-intensity activity are recommended during longer space missions.

Leafy greens

Eating just one cup of leafy green vegetables each day could reduce the risk of falls and help maintain muscle strength and mobility into old age. In one study, older women who consumed a nitrate-rich diet from vegetables such as lettuce, spinach, kale, and beetroot had significantly better muscle function of their lower limbs.

Exercise boosts immunity

Regular physical activity, as little as 30 minutes of activity, five days a week, can boost the effectiveness of vaccines. A person who is active is 50% more likely to have a higher antibody count after receiving a vaccine than somebody who is not active.

Late-night snacks

Having too many late-night snacks may be affecting your behaviour at work. Employees who reported eating too many late-night snacks were less likely to go the extra mile for colleagues or complete work-related tasks the next day.

Mental health paradox

Improving mental health is a great motivator to being physically active, but stress and anxiety can stand in the way—a paradox that has been exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic. Researchers at McMaster University have created an evidence-based exercise toolkit for mental health that is freely available to all.

Parents’ Physical Activity

Parents’ physical activity is directly associated with the physical activity of their children. Research has shown that for every 20-minute increase in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) performed by a parent, their child’s MVPA increased by five to ten minutes.

New and expecting mothers

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the mental health and physical activity levels of new and expecting mothers. Finding ways to stay active during the pandemic (e.g., going for walks or participating in online fitness classes) can reduce mothers’ feelings of depression and anxiety, benefitting both mom and baby.