This Study Of 1.2 Million People Reveals The 1 Exercise That Most Improves Overall Mental Health

But what you probably don't know--since the research was just published--is that team sports have the greatest impact on mental health. (No. 2? Cycling.) The study is one the first of its kind, and easily the largest--1.2 million people participated--to analyze the effect of different types of exercise on overall mental health. In general terms, physical activity performed in groups, like team sports or fitness classes, provides greater benefits than walking, running, or lifting weights. (I'm kinda bummed about the last one. Wait....) To determine the rankings you'll see below, researchers surveyed respondents to ask how many days in the previous month their mental health was "not good" due to depression, stress, or "problems with emotions." The following list shows how people reported feeling after a month of different activities, compared to people who were not physically active. (The result indicates the percentage of fewer poor mental health days; for example, those participating in team sports reported 22.3 percent fewer bad days than those who did not exercise.) Team sports: 22.3 percent Cycling: 21.6 percent Aerobic or gym exercise: 20.1 percent (does not include indoor bikes or treadmills) Running or jogging: 19 percent Recreational sports: 18.9 percent Winter or water sports: 18 percent Walking: 17.7 percent Household chores: 11.8 percent Obviously any form of exercise--even vacuuming--improves your mental health. Plenty of studies have proven that link. And the differences between the different forms of exercise are relatively small. Keep in mind the link between exercise and mental health is correlated, not causal. Poor mental health may cause people to exercise less; better mental health may cause people to exercise more. (When I feel down, I'm a lot less likely to exercise.) But then again, if I feel down and go for a ride...I always feel better. Exercise has a way of clearing my head, lifting my mood...I always feel better about myself, if only because of the inner pride that comes from doing something hard. So maybe the link between better mental health and exercise is at least somewhat causal. As Dr. Adam Chekroud, the senior author of the study, says: "This is very strong evidence that there is a relationship between exercise and mental health. It seems like there are some sweet spots, and the relationship is probably complex. But even things like walking or household chores seem to have benefits." Improve your health and fitness and improve your mental health at the same time? Sounds like the perfect double-dip. Other articles on exercise, fitness, and diet: And if you're a little more hard-core, check out my series in which I try different people's workouts for a week: And if you're really hard-core:

State Reports Third Human Case Of West Nile Virus

Connecticut health officials are reporting that a third human case of West Nile virus has been identified in the state.

An elderly Southington resident tested positive for the virus after becoming ill during the first week in August, the Connecticut Department of Public Health said Friday. The individual, who is between 70 and 79 years of age, was hospitalized and is now recovering, DPH said.

This is the third human case of West Nile virus diagnosed in Connecticut this summer. The previous cases involved residents of Fairfield and Newington.

West Nile virus has been detected in Connecticut every year since 1999. Three Connecticut residents were diagnosed with the West Nile infection last year.

A total of 134 human cases of West Nile virus were diagnosed in Connecticut residents before 2018. That includes three people who died as a result of the illness.

spread the West Nile virus to humans.

As of Thursday, the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station said West Nile virus-infected mosquitoes have been detected in: Bethany, Bridgeport, Chester, Danbury, Darien, East Haven, Easton, Fairfield, Franklin, Greenwich, Haddam, Hamden, Hartford, Madison, Manchester, Meriden, Middlefield, Milford, Monroe, New Britain, New Canaan, New Haven, Newington, North Branford, Norwalk, Orange, Shelton, South Windsor, Stamford, Stratford, Wallingford, Waterbury, Waterford, West Hartford, West Haven, Westbrook, Weston, Westport, Wethersfield and Woodbridge.

“We continue to see exceptionally high numbers of mosquitoes carrying West Nile virus, especially in coastal Fairfield and New Haven counties and in the greater Hartford area,” said Dr. Philip Armstrong, medical entomologist at the CAES. “This is the critical time of summer when virus activity reaches its peak in the mosquito population.”

CAES warned that people are at greatest risk of West Nile infection in August and September.

“With higher temperatures forecast for next week, we anticipate further buildup of the virus in mosquitoes with increasing risk for human exposure,” said Dr. Theodore Andreadis, director of the Center for Vector Biology & Zoonotic Diseases at the CAES. “We strongly encourage people in affected communities to take simple steps to prevent mosquito bites, such as using insect repellent and covering bare skin, especially during dusk and dawn when biting mosquitoes are most active.

The Best Workout Shoes For Women, According To Fitness Experts

Even as an experienced runner, the thought of having to pick out your next pair of running shoes can be daunting. Fortunately, cushioned running shoes come in many different forms. For example, the best cushioned running shoes for you might be ones with the maximum amount of cushioning, especially if you tend to overpronate. Neutral runners, or those with normal to high arches, may find that less cushioning is better.

Runners with high arches should seek shoes with a softer midsole, according to this Cleveland Clinic article. Properly cushioned shoes allow for optimal shock absorption when running. In contrast, those with low arches may do best with a firmer midsole. While it’s a good idea to keep this general advice in mind, your needs may be different from those of a runner with the same type of pronation.

A properly cushioned shoe isn’t necessarily the heaviest. In fact, some of the best cushioned running shoes for general use offer lightweight performance with ample cushioning. According to Carson Caprara, a senior product manager for Brooks Running, up to 80 percent of runners surveyed prefer a lightweight yet cushioned shoe. From the most cushioning for road runs to cushioning in the right places for trails, here’s a look at this year’s top cushioned running shoes.

What are the best cushioned running shoes?

Best for Narrow Feet: Saucony Freedom ISO 2 | Check it out on Amazon – $131.78

Best for High Arches: Brooks Ghost 11 | Check it out on Amazon – $120.00

Best for Trail Running: La Sportiva Bushido | Check it out on Amazon – $94.48

Best for Maximum Road Cushioning: Skechers GOrun MaxRoad 3 Ultra | Check it out on Amazon – $110.00

Best for Flat Feet: Asics GEL-DS Trainer 23 | Check it out on Amazon – $83.88 – $120.00

1. Saucony Freedom ISO 2 – $131.78

Lack Of Sleep May Cause Depression, Anxiety

Researchers in the U.K. have found that difficulty sleeping can cause or worsen depression, anxiety, paranoia and hallucinations. But there’s a silver lining: Treating those sleep problems can quickly and significantly improve mental health disorders. “You look back and think, How do we not give insomnia the attention it deserved?” reflected Paul Harrison, a co-author of the study and the associate head of research in Oxford University’s psychiatry department. Poor sleep, one of the most common symptoms of depression, “may precede its onset,” he said. It’s a new realization in the field of psychiatry. In the treatment of mental health disorders, sleep problems have generally been “given a low priority,” according to the study, published in the journal Lancet Psychiatry. A lack of sleep is seen as “a symptom, consequence, or nonspecific epiphenomenon of the disorders,” reads the study. But the researchers—42 of them, hailing from Oxford University, Liverpool University, Glasgow University and others—found that treating and improving sleep problems led to “improvements in depression, and improvements in anxiety, prodromal symptoms, nightmares, psychological well-being, and functioning, and all these improvements were maintained over time.” The study is based on college students—“an age group in the greatest risk of developing anxiety and depression,” Harrison said. At Georgetown University, a popular, student-produced video examining the school’s stress culture, called “Sleep When You’re Dead,” made headlines in 2014. “What happens to students when a campus culture glorifies stress and expects perfection?” reads the video’s description. And it certainly doesn’t stop with Georgetown or Oxford students: The University of Alabama’s “Sleep Research Project” in 2014 found that 60 percent of college students nationwide don’t get enough sleep, while the same was true for only 33 percent of adults. Jawbone, a technology company that created the UP app to track fitness and sleep habits, reported in January that students using its tracking technology slept less than seven hours per night 46.2 percent of the time. This study in Lancet was a single-blind, randomized controlled trial conducted at 26 universities in the U.K. among 3,755 students with insomnia who underwent digital cognitive behavioral therapy to improve their sleep problems and took online assessments throughout the therapy and weeks thereafter. The authors believe it’s “the largest randomized controlled trial of a psychological intervention for a mental health problem.”