TRY IT, DITCH IT, SWITCH IT

We digest the health news of the week and deliver a quick prescription

TRY IT:

Walking barefoot. It can help prevent foot and ankle injuries, say researchers at Ithaca College in the U.S. Tiny muscles in the foot take in information about the environment, which is fed back to the brain to help adapt movement. They found that wearing shoes can dampen these signals.

DITCH IT:

Decorating babies’ cots with cuddly blankets and bumpers. A study in the Journal of Pediatrics looked at reports of accidents from these items and showed there had been a rise in deaths in the past seven years. Clutter in cribs may cover babies’ faces while they are asleep.

SWITCH IT:

Instead of trying to remember things by rote, go for a run. Mice that ran on wheels not only developed twice the number of new brain cells, but also showed increased ability to distinguish between new and familiar objects, reveals the journal Brain Plasticity. Exercise improves brain function.