Study Pinpoints Optimal Amount Of Exercise For Mental Health.

Medscape (10/26, Boughton) reports, “One of the largest studies to date on exercise and psychological distress shows that the optimal amount of physical activity for improved mental health may be from 2.5 to 7.5 hours of activity per week.” But, “the cross-sectional observational study also showed that individuals who exercised more than 7.5 hours per week had diminished mental health.” The study, which was based on data on some 7,674 adults, was published online Sept. 7 in the journal Preventive Medicine.

Healthy Lifestyle Habits In Midlife May Lead To Successful Aging. HealthDay (10/26, Preidt) reports, “Healthy lifestyle habits in midlife improve the chances that you’ll remain healthy as you get older,” according to a study published Oct. 22 in the Canadian Medical Association Journal. After following “5,100 healthy British men and women, aged 42 to 63, for 16 years,” researchers found that people in the successful aging group were those who maintained “good mobility, lung function, mental health, and thinking and memory skills, and [had] no chronic diseases such as diabetes, cancer, heart disease, stroke or disability at age 60 or older.”

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— “Study IDs 4 Key Habits of Successful Aging,”Robert Preidt, HealthDay, October 25, 2012.

Posted in In The News.