There is an abundance of research demonstrating that a sedentary lifestyle has a negative impact on our overall health. Prolonged periods of sitting increase the risk of developing type II diabetes, cardiovascular disease, musculoskeletal disorders, and even some cancers. However, less is known about how a sedentary lifestyle affects our psychological well being, cognition in particular. The negative consequences of sitting at a desk all day should be carefully considered, especially now, as many employees continue to work from home. […]

Is exercising outdoors better for our sleep habits than exercising inside? If we do get outside and get moving, does the time of day affect how well we will sleep that night? We know that there is no substitute for natural sunlight. Research shows that our internal clocks simply do not respond to electric lights the same way we take cues from the sun. For this reason, a group of researchers sought out to determine how the combination of exercise and time spent outdoors could benefit and/or influence our sleep cycles. […]

A wealth of research supports the finding that regular exercise is linked to brain health, and some studies suggest that aerobic exercise can even improve memory. However, much of this research has been conducted on animals, not humans. Until recently, less was known about what precisely occurs in the human brain to trigger this process. […]

Research shows that exercising in green spaces (a.k.a. outside) improves our mood, attention span, and mental health significantly more than exercising indoors. Being surrounded by nature restores our cognitive ability to focus on a single task without getting distracted, which is one reason it feels so good. Attention is an essential mental resource as we navigate the constant overstimulation of our online lives. But what about our social lives, IRL? Research suggests that exercising outside improves social experiences too. […]

Overcome the spotlight effect to exercise outside with confidence. Anyone with social anxiety can tell you that exercising outside is not always a walk in the park, so to speak. Namely because there are other people outside and your every move is on display. It may seem as if all eyes are on you, waiting to watch you trip or gawking at how much you sweat. Concerns like these about how others perceive us can become so overwhelming that we may forgo the workout entirely. […]