Attention, sports fans: You might live longer
Does this count as exercise?
Did you watch the Super Bowl with friends on Sunday night? If so, you might be feeling a little healthier today.
Doctors, psychologists and other experts say there are several good reasons to be a sports fan. For starters, watching the action can be a powerful motivator for your own workouts, and cheering on your favorite team can burn more than 100 calories per hour. (Presumably that doesn’t include half time, unless you were trying to match Madonna’s onstage moves.)
Beyond the caloric benefits, there are also good psychological reasons to don a jersey and follow the action. Sports fans who regularly get together on game day can provide the sort of social network that may help us ward off disease and better cope with stress, says Julianne Holt-Lunstad of Brigham Young University. Plus, couples who watch sports together tend to have a happier relationship — and happy relationships are proven to be good for your heart. (FitSugar / Prevention)
We all know that we don’t feel our best when we’re carrying extra weight around, but now scientists say that obese people may actually feel more pain than they would at a healthy weight. Researchers sorted subjects into 5 categories ranging “normal” weight to extremely obese, then asked the question, “Did you experience pain yesterday?”
People who were minimally overweight were 20% more likely to report experiencing pain, while the heaviest subjects in the study were 254% more likely to say they were in pain. Researchers said depression might be one reason for the increased pain risk, along with inflammation caused by excess fat. (Live Science)
So now we have yet another reason to keep the pounds off, but how exactly do we make that happen? According to dietician Kati Mora, losing 1 pound per week means cutting our daily intake by 500 calories — something that may not be as hard as it sounds. “Removing 500 calories from your day can often result from a few minor changes,” Mora says, and she offers 5 specific tips for getting to that magic number. (Diet Blog)
If you’re a people-pleaser and you’re trying to cut back on calories, you might want to be careful who you eat with. Researchers who study eating behaviors have found that women tend to mimic the eating pace of their dining companions, especially when they are trying to make a good impression. Experts have long known that we tend to eat less when dining alone, but this latest study “demonstrates the power of social influence over food intake,” says researcher Roel Hermans. (Health.com)
And finally, here’s something that you need to know if you or your daughter is on the Pill: According to doctors, more than 3 million women in the U.S. take oral contraceptives for non-contraceptive reasons, including cysts and irregular cycles. While such symptoms may result from normal hormonal changes, they can also indicate a more serious condition known as polycystic ovary syndrome, or PCOS. Left untreated, PCOS may contribute to infertility, diabetes and heart disease, so experts say women on the Pill should talk to their doctor about further testing. (YouBeauty / Self)
Photo credit: Jason_V via iStockphoto
