Several new reports on exercise and fitness that should catch everyone’s attention.
1) Women with advanced breast cancer who are fit tend to live longer than women with a similar malignancy who aren’t fit (as an aside, it’s hard to think of a condition where the same advice doesn’t hold, that is, if you have that problem, do more exercise and you’re likely to do better than your buddy with the same condition who doesn’t work out)
2) Nice Swedish study showing that kids who take up physical exercise as part of a new school program tend to have improved school performance as a result of being more active
3) Report from the US Preventive Services Task Force (a group that periodically reviews what we actually know about preventing specific conditions – this is also the group, please note, that has come out with a much-debated recommendation against the use of PSA screening test for prostate cancer, something I happen to agree with although nearly every urologist I’ve spoken to is dead-set against it) that fall prevention for seniors should mean doing regular exercise (as well as making sure of a sufficiently-high blood level of vitamin D).
4) A cute little study showing that Duhh! kids tend to be more active when they hang out with kids who are also more active; best way to become more active is to find a partner to work out with, like, for example, Tonka, my Rottweiler, who needs 2 (at least) daily walks and who lets me know in his less-than-subtle way when I’ve lingered too long before taking him out
