Browse the evidence

Preconception optimization of maternal weight, diet, and micronutrient status (specifically folate) is more effective for improving maternal and offspring health outcomes than interventions initiated during pregnancy.

If you are planning to have children, optimize your health now. Focus on achieving a healthy BMI and eating a balanced diet rich in folate (400 mcg/day) before you conceive. Waiting until you are pregnant to start these habits is less effective for preventing issues like excessive weight gain and hypertension.

Higher adherence to the Mediterranean Diet (MD) and higher levels of physical activity are associated with a gut microbiota profile richer in Bacteroidetes (e.g., Flavobacterium, Pedobacter) and lower in Firmicutes, which correlates with lower body fat and higher muscle mass.

Your lifestyle directly shapes your gut bacteria. A diet rich in fibers and polyphenols (Mediterranean style) and regular physical activity are associated with a microbiome that supports leanness and muscle health. Focus on incorporating more plant-based fibers and moving regularly to foster a gut environment that supports metabolic health.

Accumulating 30–40 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) per day attenuates the increased risk of all-cause mortality associated with high sedentary time in middle-aged and older adults.

If you sit for long periods, you can significantly lower your mortality risk by getting 30-40 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous activity (like brisk walking or jogging) each day. You do not need to exercise for an hour to see these benefits. This threshold is lower than previously thought based on self-reported data.

Engaging in moderate-to-high leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) or objectively measured brisk walking significantly reduces all-cause mortality and increases life expectancy in individuals with multimorbidity (two or more chronic conditions), with benefits comparable to or exceeding those seen in individuals without multimorbidity.

If you have two or more chronic conditions, you do not need to perform extreme exercise to gain significant health benefits. Aim for moderate activity, such as 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week, or as little as 10 minutes of brisk walking daily. This level of activity is associated with a substantial increase in life expectancy (over 3 years at age 45) and reduced mortality risk, comparable to those without chronic conditions.

Physical activity and cardiorespiratory fitness neutralize the adverse effects of adiposity and traditional risk factors, acting as independent therapeutic targets for ASCVD prevention.

Aim for 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week, plus two strength sessions. You don't need to lose weight first to see heart benefits; exercise itself protects your heart even if you are overweight.

Increasing daily step count by 1000 steps is associated with a 6-36% reduction in all-cause mortality and a 5-21% reduction in cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk in adults, with health benefits present below 10,000 steps per day.

Focus on adding 1,000 steps to your current daily average rather than aiming for a specific high number like 10,000. This incremental increase is consistently linked to significant reductions in mortality and cardiovascular risk for adults, regardless of your starting point.

Lifestyle interventions combining dietary modification and physical exercise are effective first-line preventive strategies for reducing the incidence of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM).

Start early in pregnancy. Aim for 30 minutes of moderate exercise (like cycling or walking) three times a week. Adjust your diet to include more vegetables, fruits, and whole grains (rice/wheat), while reducing processed meats and sweets. Monitor your weight gain and blood glucose as advised by your doctor.

Adopting a healthy lifestyle (non-smoking, regular physical activity, healthy diet, moderate alcohol) significantly increases life expectancy in individuals with multimorbidity, with benefits comparable to those without chronic conditions.

If you have multiple chronic conditions, adopting a healthy lifestyle (not smoking, eating 5+ portions of fruit/veg daily, exercising regularly, and drinking moderately) can still significantly extend your life expectancy, adding up to 6-7 years compared to an unhealthy lifestyle. It is never too late to benefit from these changes.

Aerobic exercise improves functional ability (activities of daily living) in individuals with early-stage Alzheimer's disease compared to non-aerobic stretching.

For a patient with early Alzheimer's, a supervised aerobic exercise program of 150 minutes per week (spread over 3-5 sessions) can help maintain their ability to perform daily activities. The program should start slowly (e.g., 60 minutes/week) and gradually increase intensity and duration to a target of 150 minutes/week, monitoring heart rate to ensure safety.

Providing reassurance, clear advice, and enjoyable exercise programs can encourage greater participation in exercise for people with osteoarthritis.

To stick with exercise, choose programs that are enjoyable and relevant to you. Seek out providers who offer clear advice and reassurance about the safety and value of exercise, rather than just reading pamphlets.

Physical exercise is the only therapeutic strategy currently shown to have a positive effect in managing and preventing sarcopenia and its adverse health outcomes.

If you are older and losing muscle, exercise is the only proven way to fight back. Focus on progressive resistance training. Hormones and supplements are not currently proven to work for this specific condition.

Consuming home-cooked meals more than five times per week is associated with significantly higher diet quality (DASH and Mediterranean scores) and increased fruit and vegetable intake compared to consuming them less than three times per week.

Aim to eat home-cooked main meals more than five times a week. This frequency is associated with consuming significantly more fruit and vegetables and adhering better to healthy diet patterns like DASH and Mediterranean diets compared to eating them less than three times a week.

Aggressive resistance training is the most effective intervention to offset anabolic resistance and improve muscle mass and function in older adults, especially when combined with adequate protein intake.

Engage in regular, aggressive resistance training and ensure you consume enough protein. This is the most effective way to maintain muscle and metabolic health as you age.

Using peak exercise indices (e.g., %VO2peak, %HRpeak) to prescribe exercise intensity in CVD patients is unreliable and should be replaced by threshold-based methods (VT1, VT2) determined via Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing (CPET).

Do not rely on 'percentage of max heart rate' to guide your exercise. This number is often inaccurate for heart patients. Instead, undergo a Cardiopulmonary Exercise Test (CPET) to find your Ventilatory Thresholds (VT1 and VT2). Train between these thresholds. This ensures you are working hard enough to benefit, but not so hard that you are unsafe. Re-test if your fitness improves significantly.

Remote patient monitoring interventions that include personalized coaching, health behavior models, or clinician feedback loops are more successful in improving clinical outcomes than RPM alone.

If you use RPM, ensure it includes a human element. Look for programs that offer personalized coaching, group-based behavioral therapy, or active clinician feedback. These components are what drive success, not the device itself.

Adhering to specific dietary modifications (smaller portions, low-fat, bland foods) and slow eating habits significantly reduces the frequency and severity of gastrointestinal adverse events (nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation) in patients initiating GLP-1 receptor agonist therapy.

Start with small, bland, low-fat meals and eat slowly. Stop eating when you feel full, not stuffed. This simple behavioral change is the first line of defense against nausea and vomiting when starting GLP-1 medications.

Regular physical activity, particularly aerobic exercises like Tai Chi and Pilates, improves sleep quality in college students, whereas sedentary behavior and high screen time reduce it.

Incorporate regular aerobic exercise, such as Tai Chi or Pilates, into your weekly routine. Avoid sedentary behavior and excessive screen time, as these are linked to poorer sleep quality.

Accumulating up to 10,000 steps per day is associated with a lower risk of all-cause, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and cancer mortality, as well as reduced incidence of CVD and cancer.

Aim for more steps, but don't obsess over hitting 10,000 if it feels like a chore. The research shows significant mortality and disease risk reductions occur well before that number. Focus on increasing your daily average from your current baseline; every 2,000 steps adds benefit, with the curve flattening around 10,000.

Improving cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) is a more effective strategy for reducing mortality risk and improving pancreatic beta-cell function in metabolic syndrome than weight-loss strategies focused solely on fat loss.

Stop obsessing over the scale. Focus on getting fitter. Activities that raise your heart rate and improve your cardiorespiratory fitness (like brisk walking, cycling, or swimming) are more critical for your long-term health and survival than just trying to lose pounds. You can be 'fit and fat' and have better health outcomes than being 'unfit and thin.'

Professional football players with limited game time (<60 minutes) require a compensatory training session (MD+1C) the day after competition to replicate competition-level external loads, as standard recovery sessions fail to maintain their high-intensity running and acceleration/deceleration capacities.

If you are a coach or athlete managing a team where not everyone plays the full 90 minutes, do not give non-starters a passive recovery session the day after the game. Instead, design a high-intensity small-sided game session that mimics the accelerations and decelerations of a match. This compensatory training is essential to maintain the fitness levels of players who get limited game time, preventing them from falling behind their starters in physical capacity.

Following the thirst mechanism and drinking ad libidum (400-800 mL/h) is the recommended hydration strategy for endurance athletes to avoid exercise-associated hyponatremia (EAH).

Don't force yourself to drink large amounts of water if you aren't thirsty. Instead, drink when you feel thirsty, aiming for about 400-800 mL per hour. If you sweat a lot or exercise for a long time, include some sodium in your drinks (300-600 mg/h) to help prevent low sodium levels.

Daily self-weighing is an effective, low-cost intervention for preventing or slowing weight gain during periods of lifestyle disruption, such as home confinement.

Use a bathroom scale every morning. This is an inexpensive, easy tool to help prevent or slow weight gain during confinement. If you have access to an electronic scale, it can be integrated into telemedicine for remote monitoring.

Immobility and bedrest during COVID-19 hospitalization significantly accelerate muscle loss, with ICU stays associated with an 18.5% decrease in rectus femoris muscle mass within 7 days.

If you are recovering in the hospital, ask for early mobilization. Even small movements can prevent the rapid muscle loss (up to 18.5% in a week) seen in ICU patients.

Resistance exercise combined with nutritional support (protein/micronutrients) is the primary evidence-based intervention for increasing muscle mass and strength in sarcopenia, outperforming exercise alone.

To build muscle and fight sarcopenia, do not rely on exercise alone. Combine resistance training with adequate nutritional support, specifically focusing on protein and micronutrients, as this combination is proven to be more effective than exercise by itself.