University of Alberta-led team develops synthetic molecule that stops production of toxic muscle-killing protein
Researchers have designed a potential new treatment for one of the most common forms of muscular dystrophy, according to a new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Toshifumi Yokota, professor of medical genetics at the University of Alberta, led a team from Canada and the U.S. to create and test…
ParticipACTION report shows children aren’t moving enough; families need help supporting healthy behaviour
Canadian children and youth were given a failing grade for overall 24-hour movement and the slimmest of passes for overall physical activity by the most comprehensive assessment of child and youth physical activity. The 2020 ParticipACTION Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth was informed by research and expertise from movement researchers across Canada,…
Researchers find that staying active has physical and mental health benefits for mothers and children
New moms and moms-to-be have an increased likelihood of maternal depression and anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to preliminary research from one of two University of Alberta studies. The studies looked at the toll isolation measures are having on physical activity levels at the earliest stages of life. Margie Davenport, a pregnancy and exercise…
U of A medical researchers recommend rheumatic drugs, exercise to boost immune-regulating ‘natural killer’ cells
Rheumatologists at the University of Alberta are flagging similarities between the deaths of some COVID-19 patients and those with rheumatic illnesses. They are testing proven rheumatic treatments to see whether they help against the pandemic virus. A substantial proportion of COVID-19 patients admitted to intensive care die of pneumonia due to a cytokine storm, where…
We’re living proof that people are naturally active and creative, when given the time. COVID-19 has given many of us that time
The COVID-19 crisis has been a challenge for many of us. We’re used to interacting freely and going where we want to go. Now many of us are forced to work from home and others are not able to work at all. Our movement is limited, we have to practise social distancing and we’re constantly…
Walking has helped me become more fit, productive and happy, and I’ve met some great people along the way
For a dedicated athlete, or even an active 20-something, taking a minimum of 10,000 steps a day for more than two and a half years might seem like a a walk in the park. For someone like me, three decades older, with ancient injuries and a lot more wear and tear on the body, walking…
Does your basement or garage storage area contain (even overflow) with unused exercise equipment? Put it to use
Have you given up exercise habits formed when you were raising your kids, replacing them with gym visits and more walking? Do you even think of how you exercised in your working, middle age? Does your basement or garage storage area contain (even overflow) with unused exercise equipment? Do your cross-country skis vie for space…
Usain Bolt became the fastest human being ever by eating – wait for it – Chicken McNuggets, not following the latest health care fad
Kicking off her wonderful book from earlier this year, Christie Aschwanden asks a seven-word question that might help us recover some sanity for our hyper-affluent, marketing-mad society. “Do any of these products actually work?” Aschwanden asks in the introduction of Good to Go: What the Athlete in All of Us Can Learn From the Strange…
Skip the cleanses, alkaline diets and IV vitamin therapy; there's no evidence they work and plenty of evidence they can be harmful
If you follow health tips in some media, you’d think the nutritional sciences are a mess: Is butter good for you or bad? Should I eat breakfast or skip it? Should I eat like a caveman? Or should I eat more like a bird? Alternative facts are not a new concept in the field of nutritional…
Working out is difficult for most. It isn’t always the most comfortable thing to do to jump and squat and then do it again but faster. With the wrong clothing, it is even harder to do. They can constrict your movement so your form is way off. They can rub you raw in places that…
Researchers have designed a potential new treatment for one of the most common forms of muscular dystrophy, according to a new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Toshifumi Yokota, professor of medical genetics at the University of Alberta, led a team from Canada and the U.S. to create and test…
