Mind-Body-Spirit News: Young adults who harbor hostility or anger are more likely to suffer from lung disease, according to a paper published in Health Psychology (2007; 26 [3], 333–40). Researchers studied 4,629 adults—black and white, ages 18–30, from four cities—to determine whether a relationship exists between hostility levels and lung health. Scientists controlled for variables… [Continue Reading]

Mind-Body-Spirit News: As a risk factor for low bone mineral density (BMD) in premenopausal women, depression is comparable in magnitude to established risks like smoking and low calcium intake, say the authors of a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine (2007; 167 [21], 2329–36). Early findings from the POWER Study Group, based at… [Continue Reading]

Tai chi has been receiving some good press lately. Now a new study links chi kung healing—the “parent” of tai chi—with decreases in hypertension. According to research published in the International Journal of Neuroscience (2004; 114 [7], 777–86), men and women with hypertension who participated in the regular practice of chi kung exercises reduced their… [Continue Reading]

Mind-Body-Spirit News: Studies have established that heart attack victims have a lower survival rate if they are isolated than they do if they have social support. In fact, social isolation predicts 1-year survival rates as much as physiological risk factors like high cholesterol and high blood pressure. Scientists, however, have been unable to identify the… [Continue Reading]

Till now, studies of CAM use by people with cancer have not focused specifically on women with lung cancer. However, a new study by researchers from several nursing schools throughout the United States and from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston surveyed 189 women with non–small cell lung cancer to determine their use of six… [Continue Reading]

Mind-Body-Spirit News: Do you give your clients positive feedback as they work with you? Do you inform them of your particular job qualifications? If you answered yes, you are providing clients with information that boosts their self-confidence to succeed in training. [Click here for full article]

Mind-Body-Spirit News: Fitness professionals should consider sending motivational e-mail messages to clients to help them stay on track with their exercise goals. In a study published in the July issue of Health Psychology (2007; 26 [4], 401–9), researchers found that feedback delivered via e-mail to participants in an exercise program increased short-term adherence as effectively… [Continue Reading]

Are you already communicating with clients via cell phone or e-mail? If not, you might want to start. Numerous studies have shown that social support and individualized feedback are powerful tools for helping people make and keep healthy habits. Recent research presented at the American College of Sports Medicine’s 55th Annual Meeting–held in Indianapolis in… [Continue Reading]

Mind-Body-Spirit News: Weekly phone calls from a lifestyle coach helped inactive, obese middle-aged men and women achieve weight loss goals over a 12-week period, according to a pilot study published in Patient Education and Counseling (2009; Nov. 10). Researchers from the Veterans Affairs [VA] Ann Arbor Healthcare System in Michigan wanted to determine whether a… [Continue Reading]

Mind-Body-Spirit News: Are you looking for effective ways to help clients maintain weight loss? Telephone counseling is as effective as face-to-face counseling and more effective than education alone, according to a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine (2008; 168 [21], 2347–54). [Click here for full article]