Mindfully Healing

Resistance and aerobic exercise were tested alongside tai chi and yoga. Aerobic and resistance exercise together is the best combination for boosting brain power, new research finds. The results come from a review of 39 studies of people over 50-years-old doing all different types of exercise and activities, including: aerobic and resistance training, tai chi, and yoga. The results showed that all types of exercise improved the brain power of those over 50. Aerobic exercise boosts cognitive abilities, while resistance training was particularly good at boosting memory and executive function.

A well managed natural environment is particularly important to people. Being in the natural environment is linked to higher satisfaction with life, new research finds. People were particularly satisfied if they felt their natural environment was being well managed. Dr Kelly Biedenweg, the study’s first author, said: “Whether people feel like things are fair and they have a voice in process of making decisions and whether governance is transparent — those are the foundations of why people even can interact with nature.” The results come from a survey of 4,000

Sleep pattern linked to better ideas, focus and planning. For a boost to your attention and creativity, keep your sleep regular, new research suggests. Regular sleep patterns are linked to higher focus, better ideas and stronger forward planning. People who skimp on sleep, then ‘catch-up’ with more sleep later suffer cognitive problems. The study was carried out on students studying interior design. Dr Michael Scullin, a study author, explained: “When completing term projects, students restrict sleep, then rebound on sleep, then repeat. Major projects which call for numerous tasks and

The posture that makes both sexes look more attractive. Both men and women look more attractive when they adopt an expansive posture, a new study finds. Expansive postures include having the arms outward rather than folded, generally leaning backwards or with the legs apart rather than crossed. Expansive gestures tend to signify openness and dominance, which is why they are seen as more attractive. Dr Tanya Vacharkulksemsuk, the study’s first author, said: “We have seen it within the animal world, that taking on extra space and maximizing presence inside a

An easy self-affirmation exercise helps reduce social insecurities for at least two months. Sometimes in life we get exactly what we expect. Nowhere is this more true than in social relations. When we meet someone new, if we expect to like them—for whatever reason—then they tend to like us. If we experience apprehension or nascent dislike then things can quickly go wrong. Psychologists have called it the ‘acceptance prophecy’ and there’s more about it in this previous article: The Acceptance Prophecy: How You Control Who Likes You. The problem is