Physical Exercise

The Tamil Nadu government has made it mandatory for all schools, including private institutions across the State to conduct physical education classes for the students studying from Class six to 12 from this academic year. The School Education department has issued detailed guidelines for conducting physical education classes. A senior official from the department on Sunday said there were reports and complaints that many private schools failed to conduct physical education classes and had instead used those periods for special classes last year. Following this, all the district physical education inspectors have been instructed to immediately report the details of schools with unsed play grounds. The guidelines further said in addition to the physical education classes, special sports training should be provided for students interested in sports after school hours. The officials were also instructed to identify schools that have achieved success in one or more disciplines at the

Many people do not consider housework a form of physical activity, but tasks like sweeping, mopping or vacuuming require sustained movement and engage multiple muscle groups

Well-designed physical activity initiatives that support walking, cycling and public transport can simultaneously contribute to climate mitigation and adaptation and promote health and equity, according to a study. Researchers, including those from the Auckland University of Technology in New Zealand, have developed a 'physical activity and climate change' model, a conceptual framework offering a practical basis for integrated, equitable and sustainable solutions. "Aligning physical activity and climate change agendas is more powerful than addressing them separately, offering greater combined benefits for population and environmental health," authors wrote in the paper describing the model published in the journal Nature Health. The paper is among a series of three indicating that current efforts directed at promoting engagement in physical activity are insufficient, and a coordinated action is required to ensure that physical activity contributes towards public health and society .

Pushing workouts too far without rest can lead to overtraining syndrome, a condition that hurts performance, mental health and long-term fitness, experts warn

There is evidence even five minutes or less of high-intensity interval training - where you work hard for 30 seconds and then rest for 30 seconds - can still improve cardio fitness

Research shows that light walking for 2 minutes after every 20 minutes of sitting may significantly lower post-meal blood sugar levels

High blood pressure impairs one's breathing capacity by hardening the airways in the respiratory system, thereby increasing resistance, a study has found. However, being physically active can help by improving the functioning of respiratory muscles, resulting in better coordination between ventilation and blood flow in the lungs, researchers from the Federal University of Sao Paulo, Brazil, found. Hypertension, in which one's blood pressure remains unusually high, is known to thicken the blood vessels and harden the arteries. The researchers said that something similar happens with the bronchi -- branches of the main windpipe (trachea) -- in the respiratory system as well. "This is very important as the more hardened the bronchi becomes, the more difficult it becomes for air to enter and leave the lungs. In the long run, this accelerated process of hardening of the bronchi makes breathing difficult for older people. Worse still, it's a cycle: lower oxygen saturation accelerates the

Health crisis: Around 49.4 per cent of adults in India are physically inactive, while in Pakistan, the rate is 45.7 per cent, the latest report by Lancet indicates

Scientists, physicians, and senior administrators suggested to ramp up surveillance and genome sequencing

Around 500 mn people will develop heart disease, obesity, diabetes or other non-communicable diseases (NCDs) due to physical inactivity, WHO's 'Global Status Report on Physical Activity 2022' says

The COVID-19 pandemic has created a cyclical public health problem by both exacerbating mental health challenges and making it more difficult for people to maintain physical activity

Why exercise underwhelms for weight reduction remains an open question

Over exercising can cause deleterious effects on cardiac physiology

The findings provide more evidence that to engage our minds, we should move our bodies

There are precautions fitness enthusiasts should take to ensure renal health