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It’s often the little things that can make large differences in overall health. Things like taking the stairs at work, or doing an extra load of laundry and straightening up the house can have huge benefits for overall wellbeing.

While digits on a scale can help determine body weight, health status is influenced by a number of other determining factors. New research from the Univeristy of Alberta and Alberta Health Services is stressing that overall health is affected by a variety of factors, such as activity levels, television or screen time, and diet, rather than just body weight and BMI.

Avid runners set goals for themselves around their performance. Many aim for improved race times, longer distances covered, or increased endurance during every day runs. But for training, there are a lot of misconceptions about what runners should and shouldn’t do to achieve these goals, and knowing the facts can make all the difference when setting goals and realizing them.

Every person has good and badhabits, including several indulgences that may seem harmless overall. But health experts stress caution whenlabeling some habits as “harmless” as they can actually have long lastingconsequences on overall well-being.

One of the big draws for group fitness classes is the opportunity to work out to music. Many classes are choreographed revolving around certain songs or types of music, and people often find that musical selection can enhance the benefits of their exercise program.

CDC experts estimate that over 35 percent of adults and 17 percent of children in America are obese, and therefore at risk for the various diseases (heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and certain types of cancer) that go along with obesity. Though usually treated with a combination of diet, nutrition counseling, and exercise, scientists are researching deeper into the human body to understand how obesity develops on a cellular level.

As spring rolls in, many who have been stuck exercising indoors flock outside to enjoy the sun and fresh air of a new season. However, for a few this allure of outdoor activity is dampened by seasonal allergies. Fortunately, for those who suffer from allergies there are ways to help prevent and alleviate a few of the symptoms that will allow individuals to enjoy outdoor activity any time of the year.

During the midst of exercise, the body craves refreshment and nothing is more satisfying than a drink of cool water. But many report that after a workout, and after thirst has been quenched, drinking extra water is difficult or even unpleasant. Because of this, researchers have been looking into different experiences in the brain that could be the root of this to determine why water tastes so good when were thirsty, and how we can find ways to consume more.

There are those who struggle to maintain a toned physique, and those for whom it seems to come effortlessly to. Recent research has offered insight into how the muscles in the inherently thin work differently than in other bodies to give them an edge in the battle for a fit appearance. Studies have previously found that aerobic capacity is a good predictor of daily physical activity levels, and the higher aerobic capacity a person has, the more fit they generally are. Recent studies however have looked at how muscle physiology affects overall leanness in the body in those with high aerobic capacity or low aerobic capacities. Looking at female rats from each group, researchers noted that those with higher aerobic capacity levels were consistently more active than their lower capacity peers. While both groups had similar energy expenditure levels while at rest, there were large differences in calorie burn during mild engagement in activity. The rats with leaner genes (high aerobic capacity) demonstrated characteristics of “poor fuel economy.” This means that more calories were burned when performing the same exercises as those with fatter genes. This could be because leaner muscles have higher levels of proteins that support energy expenditure rather than those that encourage energy conservation, as those often appear in their heavier counterparts. Researchers are interested in the results as this could have implications for how we look at metabolism when treating or preventing obesity and other complications. By finding ways to maximize skeletal muscle energy, scientists may be able to take advantage of existing mechanisms that are already existent and utilized in naturally thin people. The full study is published in the March issue of the American Journal of Physiology – Endocrinology and Metabolism. Using the information, scientists hope to capture better ways to treat obesity by encouraging better energy output in muscles of inactive parties.

One of the goals of a diet and exercise program is to lose weight and body fat, but another common goal is actually to gain weight in order to build muscle. Just like with losing weight, there are many common mistakes we make when trying to build muscle. Here are a few common ones to avoid.