Category Archives: exercise

Cycling or tai chi: Which is better for your balance?

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**Cycling or Tai Chi: Which Is Better for Your Balance?**
*By Anujj Trehaan | Oct 13, 2025 | 01:00 pm*

Cycling and tai chi are two popular activities that offer unique benefits for improving balance. While cycling is often associated with cardiovascular fitness and leg strength, tai chi is known for its slow, deliberate movements and focus on mindfulness. Both activities can enhance balance in different ways, making them appealing options for individuals looking to improve their stability and coordination. Here’s how each activity contributes to better balance.

### Cycling’s Dynamic Impact on Balance

Cycling requires constant adjustments in body position and weight distribution, which helps improve balance. As cyclists navigate turns or uneven surfaces, they engage core muscles that stabilize the body. The rhythmic pedaling motion also enhances coordination between upper and lower body parts.

Regular cycling can lead to improved proprioception—the body’s ability to sense its position in space—resulting in better overall balance.

### Tai Chi’s Mindful Movements

Tai chi involves a series of slow, controlled movements that emphasize posture and breathing. These exercises promote awareness of body alignment and weight shifting, both crucial for maintaining balance.

Practicing tai chi regularly can increase joint flexibility and strengthen muscles used for stabilization. The meditative nature of tai chi also reduces stress levels, which contributes positively to mental focus during activities requiring balance.

### Comparing Cardiovascular Benefits

Both cycling and tai chi offer cardiovascular benefits, but in different ways. Cycling provides an intense aerobic workout that boosts heart health by significantly increasing heart rate during rides.

Tai chi, on the other hand, offers moderate aerobic activity that improves circulation without overexerting the cardiovascular system. Both forms of exercise support heart health but cater to different fitness levels and preferences.

### Tip 1: Accessibility Considerations

Cycling requires access to a bike and safe routes or trails, which may not be available to everyone. It also demands a certain level of physical fitness to handle longer rides or challenging terrains.

Tai chi is more accessible since it can be practiced indoors or outdoors without special equipment. It is adaptable for people of all ages and fitness levels, making it a great option for improving balance.

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Whether you choose cycling or tai chi, both can effectively enhance your balance and overall well-being. Consider your personal preferences, fitness level, and accessibility when deciding which activity suits you best.
https://www.newsbytesapp.com/news/lifestyle/cycling-or-tai-chi-which-is-better-for-your-balance/story

30代後半女性の体力低下　スポーツ庁の24年度調査、他世代に比べ運動不足か

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30代後半女性の体力低下　スポーツ庁の2024年度調査で運動不足が浮き彫りに

スポーツ庁は2024年度の「体力・運動能力調査」の結果を12日に公表しました。1998年度から続く現行の調査形式での推移を見ると、多くの世代では体力が向上または横ばいの傾向にあります。

しかし一方で、35～39歳の女性に限っては体力の低下傾向が明確に表れており、他の世代に比べて運動不足の状態が懸念されています。

今回の調査結果は、働き盛りの30代後半女性の健康維持や生活習慣の見直しが重要であることを示唆しています。スポーツ庁のデータをもとに、今後はこの層への効果的な運動推進策が求められるでしょう。

※この記事は有料会員限定です。残りの詳細は7日間無料トライアル（1日37円～）にてご覧いただけます。

https://www.nishinippon.co.jp/item/1410615/

Upper body workout: 5 must-do exercises

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By Anujj Trehaan | Oct 07, 2025, 10:17 AM

**What’s the story?**

The trapezius muscle, commonly referred to as the trap, is an important muscle that spans the upper back and neck. It plays a vital role in shoulder movement and stability. Strengthening the traps can improve posture, enhance athletic performance, and reduce the risk of injury.

Here are five effective exercises to activate and strengthen the trapezius muscles.

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### Tip 1: Shrug Your Way to Stronger Traps

Shoulder shrugs are an easy yet effective exercise to target the upper traps. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand. Lift your shoulders towards your ears while keeping your arms straight, then lower them back down.

Repeat for 10 to 15 reps. This exercise can be done with or without weights, making it ideal for both beginners and advanced lifters.

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### Tip 2: Deadlifts for Full-Body Engagement

Deadlifts work multiple muscle groups, including the traps. Stand with feet hip-width apart, a barbell over your mid-foot. Bend at your hips and knees to grip the barbell, then lift by straightening your hips and knees simultaneously.

Focus on squeezing your shoulder blades together at the top of the movement. Perform three sets of eight to 12 reps.

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### Tip 3: Face Pulls for Upper Back Activation

Face pulls are great for targeting both the upper traps and rear deltoids. Use a cable machine set at eye level or higher. Stand facing it with feet hip-width apart, grasping two handles with an overhand grip.

Pull the handles towards your face while keeping your elbows high and wide, then return slowly to the starting position. Aim for three sets of 12 to 15 reps.

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### Tip 4: Bent-Over Rows to Build Strength

Bent-over rows target mid-trap fibers, while also working other back muscles such as lats and rhomboids. With feet shoulder-width apart, hold a barbell or dumbbells with an overhand grip.

Bend forward at your hips until your torso is almost parallel to the ground, then pull the weights towards your abdomen, squeezing your shoulder blades together at the top of each rep. Do three sets of eight to 12 reps.

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### Tip 5: Upright Rows for Trap Focus

Upright rows specifically target upper trap activation when performed correctly, using either dumbbells or a barbell. Stand upright, holding weights with your palms facing you, close together at chin level.

Lift your elbows outward and upward, maintaining a slight bend in your knees throughout the movement. Lower back down slowly, completing the cycle. Repeat for three sets of eight to 12 repetitions.

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Strengthening your trapezius muscles through these exercises can significantly improve your posture, enhance your workouts, and help prevent injuries. Incorporate them gradually into your fitness routine for best results!
https://www.newsbytesapp.com/news/lifestyle/trapezius-muscle-activation-5-exercises/story

3 exercises that can rewire the brain and improve cognitive function

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Research indicates that activities like dance, martial arts, and team sports significantly enhance cognitive function beyond traditional workouts. These complex movements stimulate the brain, improving memory, attention, and decision-making skills. Studies reveal measurable brain changes, including increased gray matter and improved executive functions, highlighting the potential for lifelong brain development through enriched physical activity.

What is increasingly becoming popular is the understanding that certain types of movement not only shape the body but also reshape the brain. Over the past few decades, researchers and practitioners have studied how activities such as dance, martial arts, and team sports influence cognitive performance, boost mood, and promote overall health.

### Beyond Traditional Workouts

While conventional workouts like jogging and lifting weights improve cardiovascular health and promote muscular fitness, they often lack the cognitive and social complexity that drives deeper brain engagement. Team sports, martial arts, and dance integrate learning with memory and enhanced decision-making. This combination of physical and mental challenge stimulates the brain in powerful ways, enhancing focus, mental flexibility, and even structural brain changes over time.

### Why Complexity Matters in Movement

Any activity that combines physical, cognitive, and emotional demands seems to activate the brain in ways that pure aerobic or resistance training does not. The exercises mentioned above—dance, martial arts, and team sports—often involve:

– Constant decision-making
– Timing and rhythm (pace)
– Interaction with other people
– Learning new techniques
– Unpredictable movements

This unique blend creates what some researchers call an “enriched environment” for the brain.

### What the Research Says

#### Dance: Movement with Cognitive Demand

Dance is fun, mood-lifting, and now recognized as brain-healthy—all in one. It is one of the most widely studied activities related to brain health. Both young and adult brains have shown improvements in memory, attention, and balance due to dance.

A systematic review published in *Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews* found that dance led to measurable brain changes in older adults. Participants showed increased gray matter in areas involved in motor coordination, memory, and spatial navigation. Remarkably, some changes occurred after just six months of training.

The study also found that a simple dance program can increase brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a molecule that supports cognitive flexibility and attention.

#### Martial Arts: Cognitive and Emotional Benefits

Martial arts like Judo, Karate, and Taekwondo blend physical exertion, discipline, and focus. Unlike repetitive workouts, martial arts require real-time adaptation, energy, and precision. They also cultivate emotional regulation through practices such as breath control and focused attention.

One recent study using functional near-infrared spectroscopy measured brain activation in children practicing martial arts. These children performed better on tasks involving working memory and inhibition compared to control groups.

#### Team Sports: The Power of Collective Intelligence

Recent studies show that participation in team sports during adolescence correlates with better performance on tasks involving attention, reaction time, and cognitive flexibility.

One research study assessed 880 children aged 5 to 11 years (53% female). Physical activity and sports participation were self or parent-reported, while executive function was assessed using the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function. It was found that team sports requiring tactical thinking, coordination with teammates, and adaptive decision-making produced the strongest improvements in executive function.

Exercise boosts brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a key growth hormone in brain function, which supports learning, memory, and flexible thinking.

### How Do These Activities Enhance Brain Function?

– Repeated motor-cognitive activity strengthens white matter integrity and functional connectivity between brain regions.
– These activities improve spatial awareness, balance, and attention.
– Studies on dance and martial arts show increased cortical thickness, better balance, and improved attention control.

### Limitations

– **Duration and dose:** It is still unclear how long these cognitive benefits last after training stops.
– **Individual differences:** Different martial arts, dance styles, or team sports may yield varying effects depending on how they are taught or practiced.
– **Biomarker diversity:** Most research has focused on BDNF, but other neurochemicals and inflammatory markers may also play significant roles.

### Practical Implications

To maximize the brain benefits of movement, consider adding complexity to your physical activity. Educators and healthcare providers should promote these forms of movement not only for physical health but also as vital tools for lifelong brain development.

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