exercise Discover y
Gregor Schuster/Getty Images (dumbbell); Dave and Lee Jacobs/Getty Images (basketball)
LIGHTEN UP
It may seem like a
no-brainer that big
muscles are born from
heavy lifting, but
researchers found that
light weights can build
muscles just as well as
the monster weights.
In the study, 18 men
without recent weight
training had their
muscle mass
measured and then
submitted to 10 weeks
of supervised leg
extensions three
times a week. Legs
that trained by lifting
light weights until
reaching a point of
fatigue gained just
as much muscle as
those trained with
heavy weights.
source: Journal of
Applied Physiology,
published online
April 19, 2012
Boning Up for Health
Safety
Note
⬤ Hitting the court may help you avoid osteoporosis. Scientists studied more than
800 young men and learned that participants who exercised for four hours or more
per week at the start of the study as well as those who increased the amount they
exercised over the following five years had greater bone density compared with their
sedentary peers. The type of exercise mattered, too: Men who participated in load-bearing
activities, such as basketball and volleyball, increased their total bone mineral content
and bone density at the hip and lower spine. The finding is important because low
bone density can lead to breaks and is a risk factor for osteoporosis.
source: Journal of Bone and Mineral Research, May 2012
Check with your
health care provider
before making big
changes in your
exercise plan,
which could require
adjustments in
your meds, foods,
or other treatment.
Sound Sleep
Regular exercise cuts the risk of
developing sleep disorders, a study found.
Researchers mailed surveys to random
Wisconsinites and asked about exercise habits.
Then researchers tested responders in a sleep
lab for nocturnal breathing disorders, such as
sleep apnea. Two years later, the process was
repeated. People who exercised the most
were at the lowest risk for sleep-disordered
breathing. Plus, those whose physical activity
dropped over the two-year study were more
likely to develop sleep disorders. This suggests
that it’s a lack of exercise that triggers sleep
problems and not the other way around.
source: The American Journal of Medicine,
May 2012
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