Research offers tips for a happy 2019

1. Good for your body, good for your brain

Research has demonstrated that exercise not only enhances fitness and reduces risk of disease and disability, but it can also improve brain function. A 2018 study added more proof. Scientists found that after a gentle, 10-minute exercise session, students performed significantly better on memory tests than those who hadn’t exercised. Brain scans also showed that physically separated portions of the brain were better connected after the exercise.

2. Keep kids moving

A study in pediatrics revealed that by age 11, children spend almost two hours more each day in sedentary behavior than at 6. Then, early results from the A.B.C.D. (Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development) project linked heavy screen use with lower scores on aptitude tests and accelerated “cortical thinning.” From these and other findings, the message is clear: Parents need to help kids limit screen time and stay active.

3. Go easy on carbs

The jury is still out on whether there’s an optimal diet for weight loss. But a study this past fall found that overweight adults who cut carbohydrates from their diet and replaced them with fat burned roughly 250 calories more each day than people who ate a lowcarb, high-fat diet. Meanwhile, at the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Tim Griffin found evidence that diets high in starch and sugar could increase the risk for osteoarthritis.

4. Be intense

Hit the cardio! A series of studies came out in 2017 and 2018 pointing to the same conclusion: People who consistently exercise in a way that raises their pulses for sustained periods of time age better than those who don’t. They experience less disability, their cells look better (technically, they have longer telomeres), and they live longer.

5. But be balanced

Yes, aerobic workouts like jogging and biking have a host of benefits. But so does weight work. Along with gains in balance, coordination and general buff-ness, pumping iron protects your heart. An analysis of more than 12,000 people found that those who lifted weights occasionally had a 50 percent lower incidence of heart attack or stroke

even when they didn’t exercise aerobically. Lifting twice a week, for about an hour in total, yielded the greatest risk reduction.

Prescott, a physician and medical researcher, is president of the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation. Cohen is a marathoner and OMRF’s senior vice president and general counsel.