Last week, in a landmark paper, researchers announced that they had coaxed the human brain into growing new nerve cells, a process that for decades had been thought impossible, simply by putting subjects on a three-month aerobic-workout regimen. Other scientists have found that vigorous exercise can cause older nerve cells to form dense, interconnected webs that make the brain run faster and more efficiently. And there are clues that physical activity can stave off the beginnings of Alzheimer's disease, ADHD and other cognitive disorders. No matter your age, it seems, a strong, active body is crucial for building a strong, active mind.
Read the complete article: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17662246/site/newsweek/
www.robinthompson.com
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Making Weekends Count
Sixty-four percent of working-age Americans responding to a leisure-time survey say that, on Sunday night, they usually ask themselves "Where did the weekend go?" rather than feeling relaxed, rested, and ready for another week, as 33% do. This may be part of a general personal-time crunch. While 60% of working-age adults are satisfied with their leisure time, this number reflects a drop of 15% from 1963.
These are among the major findings of the sixth edition of The Shell Poll, an opinion survey conducted for Shell Oil Company by Peter D. Hart Research Associates. More than 1,000 American adults were polled on a wide range of time-related issues including favorite leisure activities vacation dreams and habits, the weekend, and satisfaction with work and leisure time.
Viewing television is ninth on the list of people's favorite activities, yet is fourth on the list of what people spend a lot of their time doing.
The one area in which what people want to do and what they have to do matches up is spending time with family and friends. In fact, talking or visiting with loved ones is their number-one choice of favorite activities, and it comes in second (after household chores) in the list of things they actually spend a lot of time doing on weekends.
If we don't make the weekends count when we are still working by having fun and doing what we enjoy, what will happen when we retire? We need to develop fun activities in our leisure time now!
These are among the major findings of the sixth edition of The Shell Poll, an opinion survey conducted for Shell Oil Company by Peter D. Hart Research Associates. More than 1,000 American adults were polled on a wide range of time-related issues including favorite leisure activities vacation dreams and habits, the weekend, and satisfaction with work and leisure time.
Viewing television is ninth on the list of people's favorite activities, yet is fourth on the list of what people spend a lot of their time doing.
The one area in which what people want to do and what they have to do matches up is spending time with family and friends. In fact, talking or visiting with loved ones is their number-one choice of favorite activities, and it comes in second (after household chores) in the list of things they actually spend a lot of time doing on weekends.
If we don't make the weekends count when we are still working by having fun and doing what we enjoy, what will happen when we retire? We need to develop fun activities in our leisure time now!
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Study links sense of humor, survival
By Marilyn Elias, USA TODAY
BUDAPEST, Hungary — Laugh and the world laughs with you. Even better, you might live longer, a Norwegian researcher reports.
Adults who have a sense of humor outlive those who don't find life funny, and the survival edge is particularly large for people with cancer, says Sven Svebak of the medical school at Norwegian University of Science and Technology. He released his study of about 54,000 Norwegians, tracked for seven years, at the American Psychosomatic Society meeting here.
At the start, patients filled out questionnaires on how easily they found humor in real-life situations and how important a humorous perspective was. The greater a role humor played in their lives, the greater their chances of surviving the seven years, Svebak says. Adults who scored in the top one-quarter for humor appreciation were 35% more likely to be alive than those in the bottom quarter, he says.
In a subgroup of 2,015 who had a cancer diagnosis at the start, a great sense of humor cut someone's chances of death by about 70% compared with adults with a poor sense of humor, Svebak says.
Find this article at:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2007-03-11-health-laughter_N.htm?csp=34&POE=click-refer
www.robinthompson.com
BUDAPEST, Hungary — Laugh and the world laughs with you. Even better, you might live longer, a Norwegian researcher reports.
Adults who have a sense of humor outlive those who don't find life funny, and the survival edge is particularly large for people with cancer, says Sven Svebak of the medical school at Norwegian University of Science and Technology. He released his study of about 54,000 Norwegians, tracked for seven years, at the American Psychosomatic Society meeting here.
At the start, patients filled out questionnaires on how easily they found humor in real-life situations and how important a humorous perspective was. The greater a role humor played in their lives, the greater their chances of surviving the seven years, Svebak says. Adults who scored in the top one-quarter for humor appreciation were 35% more likely to be alive than those in the bottom quarter, he says.
In a subgroup of 2,015 who had a cancer diagnosis at the start, a great sense of humor cut someone's chances of death by about 70% compared with adults with a poor sense of humor, Svebak says.
Find this article at:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2007-03-11-health-laughter_N.htm?csp=34&POE=click-refer
www.robinthompson.com
Saturday, March 10, 2007
Could Baby Boomers Be Approaching Retirement in Worse Shape Than Their Predecessors?
Americans in their early to mid-50s today report poorer health, more pain and more trouble doing everyday physical tasks than their older peers reported at the same age in years past, a recent analysis has shown. The research, published in print and online this week by the nonprofit National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), was supported by the National Institute on Aging (NIA), a component of the National Institutes of Health.
This new analysis provides some initial data raising the question of whether today’s pre-retirees could reach retirement age in worse shape than their predecessors, with individuals potentially in poorer health than current retirees and possibly increasing health care costs for society.
What I notice from this report is it's time to be more proactive with our leisure activities . . . get up and get moving!
speaker@robinthompson.com
This new analysis provides some initial data raising the question of whether today’s pre-retirees could reach retirement age in worse shape than their predecessors, with individuals potentially in poorer health than current retirees and possibly increasing health care costs for society.
What I notice from this report is it's time to be more proactive with our leisure activities . . . get up and get moving!
speaker@robinthompson.com
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)