Exercise, Migranes, and Sleep Patterns

Exercise is not just to get you in shape and protect your heart. Research from the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, has shown that exercise is just as effective as drugs for preventing migraines. In a Swedish study of 91 migraine patients, a third of the participants were asked to exercise for 40 minutes three times a week, another third did relaxation exercises, and the final third took topiramate, a migraine-prevention drug.



The study lasted three months, during which time the patients' migraine status, quality of life, aerobic capacity and level of physical activity were evaluated before, during and after treatment. Follow-ups were carried out after three and six months.

The results showed that the number of migraines fell in all three groups. All three treatments were found to be equally effective.

Easing arthritis

Researchers at Duke University Medical Center have found that physical activity improves arthritis symptoms even among obese mice that continue to chow down on a high-fat diet.

The results suggest that excess weight alone isn't what causes the aches and pains of osteoarthritis, despite the longheld notion that carrying extra pounds strains the joints and leads to inflammation. In fact, exercise without substantial weight loss can also be beneficial. Yes, it would be best to lose weight, but this study shows that exercise alone can improve the health of your joints.

Gender differences

Speaking of weight, for men, the risk of a significant weight gain increased most prominently after a divorce. For women, the risk was most likely after marriage. Professors of sociology at Ohio State University used data on 10,071 people surveyed from 1986 to 2008 to determine weight gain in the two years following a marriage or divorce. "Married women often have a larger role around the house than men do, and they may have less time to exercise and stay fit than similar unmarried women," say the researchers. "On the other hand, studies show that married men get a health benefit from marriage, and they lose that benefit once they get divorced, which may lead to their weight gain."

Child sleep patterns

For children, there is a correlation between obesity and sleep patterns. According to research reported in the journal Sleep, children who went to bed late and got up late were 1.5 times more likely to become obese than those who went to bed early and got up early. Furthermore, late-nighters were almost twice as likely to be physically inactive and 2.9 times more likely to sit in front of the TV and computer or play video games for more hours than guidelines recommend. The research was conducted by the University of South Australia.

Other findings: Early-bed/earlyrisers went to bed 70 to 90 minutes earlier, woke up 60 to 80 minutes earlier and accumulated 27 minutes more moderate to vigorous physical activity each day than late-risers.

Late-bed/late-risers watched TV, played video games or were online 48 minutes longer each day than early-bed/early-risers, primarily between 7 p.m. and midnight.

Only 12 percent of latebed/ late-risers had an average of two hours or less screen time per day, which is recommended for children and teens by the Australian Department of Health and Aging. In comparison, 28 percent of early-bed/early- risers met the recommendation for screen time.

Body-mass index (BMI) scores were higher in late-risers than early-risers, and late-risers were more likely to be overweight or obese.