Function & mobility
Fusing an arthritic big toe cut walking pain from 5.7 to 1.3 in the first trial to test it
Hallux rigidus is common and its main operation had never been compared against simply waiting. A Finnish randomized trial of 90 adults found fusion beat watchful waiting by 5 points on a 10-point walking pain scale at 12 months.
Aug 28, 2026
Combining cardio and weights lowered deaths by 60% in coronary heart disease trials
Cardiac rehabilitation has long meant a treadmill. A Sports Medicine Open meta-analysis of randomized trials found adding resistance training beat aerobic exercise alone on fitness and quality of life, and cut mortality against usual care.
Aug 26, 2026
Exercise for muscle loss peaked near 690 MET-minutes a week, then the benefit fell away
A Geriatric Nursing network meta-analysis of 29 randomized trials modeled dose curves for sarcopenia. Grip strength and walking both improved from 140 MET-minutes, both turned over at the top, and each preferred a different exercise.
Aug 26, 2026
Perturbation training topped 19 exercises tested for balance in 423 trials of 33,901 older adults
A Bayesian network meta-analysis pooled 423 trials and 33,901 older adults to rank 19 kinds of exercise for balance. Deliberately being knocked off balance came top. Stretching was the only one that did nothing.
Aug 25, 2026
Light weights with a blood flow cuff matched heavy lifting for strength in 45 rehab trials
A British Journal of Sports Medicine review pooled 45 trials and 1,652 people in musculoskeletal rehab. Low-load exercise with a blood flow cuff beat low-load exercise alone for strength, and drew level with heavy lifting.
Aug 25, 2026
Stair climbing tracked 39% fewer heart disease deaths across 480,479 people
A UEA meta-analysis pooled nine studies and 480,479 people. Regular stair climbers were 39% less likely to die of heart disease. The evidence is observational, and the people who take the stairs differ in ways that matter.
Aug 24, 2026
High genetic risk plus few steps tripled heart disease risk
UK Biobank tracked 84,286 people with wrist monitors and genetic scores. Steps and genes acted independently, which means walking helped the genetically unlucky just as much.
Aug 2, 2026
Fast lifting built power in older adults, but not for everyone
A GeroScience trial put 36 middle-aged and older adults through 12 weeks of deliberately fast lifting. The gains came from force, and the speed gains went only to the slowest.
Aug 1, 2026
Atrial fibrillation sped up muscle loss over 12 years
A Swedish study of 2,048 older adults found people with the common heart rhythm disorder lost strength faster, and lost it fastest when inflammation markers were high.
Jul 31, 2026
Swimming beat advice alone for chronic back pain
A British Journal of Sports Medicine trial randomized 76 adults with chronic low back pain to swimming plus education or education alone, and found a real short-term gain that faded by a year.
Jul 28, 2026