While many of us may remember skipping as something we did as children, the pastime has regained popularity during the pandemic as a way of keeping fit. Not only is jumping rope a fun, affordable and portable form of exercise, it also has many benefits for our health and fitness. Here are just a few […]
Organized play and sporting opportunities for children have finally started to resume after having just passed the two-year mark of the pandemic. As parents know too well, the pandemic led to extended closures of settings that previously supported children’s play and sport, like parks, community centres and sport facilities. Our team of researchers in the Child Health and Physical Activity […]
Exercising regularly is good for your immune system – with some research suggesting that it may even lower the risk of getting upper respiratory infections, such as the common cold. Even as little as 30 minutes of moderate exercise five times a week is enough to bring about benefits. Since exercising is good for our immune system, some people might […]
Primary school teachers often provide students with short physical activity breaks to energise kids and minimise classroom disruptions. Our study, published in the journal Educational Psychology Review, found we should be doing this for senior students too. We found a short activity break can improve students’ focus on the task at hand and make them feel more […]
For generations, people have been fascinated by the links between mind and body. For example, do people really die of a broken heart? Does a healthy mind indicate a healthy body? Scientists have been studying the associations between mental and physical health for some time. One such association is between depression and heart disease. Research […]
Despite all the attention on COVID-19, heart disease remains one of the biggest health threats. Indeed, many people have not taken care of their heart health during the pandemic, and are experiencing reduced quality of life because of it. If you’re reading this from the sofa with a bag of potato chips, this may include you. Cardiac […]
Singing with others feels amazing. Group singing promotes social bonding and has been shown to raise oxytocin (the “bonding hormone”) and decrease cortisol (the “stress hormone”). But it’s not just about singing in groups. There are many unexpected ways singing is good for you, even if you’re on your own. Singing is a free and accessible activity which can […]
We’ve all heard those people who say “running gives you a high” or “exercise is addictive,” but for many of us, it’s hard to love exercise. Some might even say they hate it, dread it, or the thought of going to the gym gives them anxiety. Why do some of us hate exercise? And how […]
There’s a thin line between working hard enough and working too hard. Pushing your body to reach new levels of fitness requires commitment, effort and a willingness to put yourself through intense, challenging workouts on a regular basis. But more isn’t always better. Without the right balance of rest and recovery you could end up […]
Would knowing the date of your death influence your actions? It did for Tiberius Caesar. Convinced by the court astrologer Thrasyllus that he had many years of life ahead of him, the paranoid old emperor chose to postpone the murder of his heir Caligula. But by believing Thrasyllus’s prediction and letting his guard down, Tiberius […]
People’s beliefs about aging have a profound impact on their health, influencing everything from their memory and sensory perceptions to how well they walk, how fully they recover from disabling illness, and how long they live. When aging is seen as a negative experience (characterized by terms such as decrepit, incompetent, dependent, and senile), individuals […]
Periods of lockdown represent a massive disruption to people’s daily routines, but they also offer an opportunity to establish new habits. Our research focus is on what motivates people to change their behaviour, particularly when it comes to physical activity routines. We compared the levels of physical activity of New Zealanders before and during the country’s major lockdown […]
