All posts tagged: exercise and fitness

Doomscrolling Affecting Many Americans’ Sleep, Poll Finds

Doomscrolling Affecting Many Americans’ Sleep, Poll Finds

Published by Sam Flores

By Dennis Thompson HealthDay ReporterWEDNESDAY, Feb. 25, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Doomscrolling is taking a toll on many Americans’ rest, a new survey says. More than a third of U.S. adults (38%) say using their phone or tablet to read the news before bed is making their sleep slightly or significantly worse, according to the new poll from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM). Only 14% of Americans say they never use their devices to read the news at bedtime, the survey found. “Americans are turning to screens to unwind and relax before bed, even though it may prevent them from getting the rest they need,” Dr. James Rowley, past president of the academy, said in a news release AASM recommends that adults get at least seven hours of sleep each night, and avoid blue light from handheld electronics for a half-hour to an hour before bedtime. “Blue light, especially when combined with emotionally charged content, can trick our body clocks into a state of daytime-level alertness, disrupting the circadian rhythm and making it …

Yoga Aids Opioid Withdrawal, Clinical Trial Shows

Yoga Aids Opioid Withdrawal, Clinical Trial Shows

Published by Sam Flores

By Dennis Thompson HealthDay ReporterFRIDAY, Jan. 9, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Child’s pose, downward-facing dog, tree pose and cobra might boost people’s ability to fight opioid addiction, a new trial suggests. A regular yoga practice performed alongside treatment for opioid use disorder accelerated people’s recovery compared to treatment alone, researchers reported Jan. 7 in JAMA Psychiatry. In fact, yogis achieved full withdrawal from opioids more than four times faster with the help of their yoga practice, researchers found. “Yoga significantly accelerated opioid withdrawal recovery and improved autonomic regulation, anxiety, sleep and pain,” concluded the research team led by Dr. Hemant Bhargav, an associate professor of integrative medicine at the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences in Bengaluru, India. In the clinical trial, 30 men in India with opioid use disorder were randomly chosen to receive 10 supervised 45-minute yoga sessions over two weeks, while also receiving buprenorphine. Another group of 29 men received buprenorphine alone. Buprenorphine works by activating a person’s opioid receptors, which reduces drug cravings without promoting the high caused by opioids. …

Space travel: Going to space is a real pain in the back

Space travel: Going to space is a real pain in the back

Published by skeptic

Story highlights Astronauts can temporarily gain 2 inches in height but suffer muscle loss and back pain More countermeasures involving exercise may help mitigate pain and muscle loss CNN  —  A six-month stay on the International Space Station can be a pain in the back for astronauts. While they may gain up to 2 inches in height temporarily, that effect is accompanied by a weakening of the muscles supporting the spine, according to a new study. Astronauts have been reporting back pain since the late 1980s, when space missions grew longer. Their flight medical data show that more than half of US astronauts have reported back pain, especially in their lower backs. Up to 28% indicated that it was moderate to severe pain, sometimes lasting the duration of their mission. Things don’t improve when they return to Earth’s gravity. In the first year after their mission, astronauts have a 4.3 times higher risk of a herniated disc. “It’s sort of an ongoing problem that has been a significant one with cause for concern,” said Dr. …