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Fitness lifestyles lower medical bills - study

Wednesday 16th May 2012

Taking up a healthy lifestyle in middle age can lead to dramatically-reduced medical bills later in life, according to the results of a new American study.

The research, a collaboration between the University of Texas-Southwestern Medical Center and the Cooper Institute, took data from almost 100,000 patients over a four-decade period. Of the 20,489 who were deemed ‘healthy’, 16,186 were men and 4,303 were women, with an average age of 51. The healthiest group in the study had an average medical claim of $2,755. The least-healthy group in the study displayed higher risk factors, such as smoking. Some 31% of the lower group were smokers, compared to just 9% of the healthiest group. The average annual medical claim of the least-fit men was $5,134, and $4,565 for the least-fit women.

“We wanted to determine if higher levels of physical fitness in middle age are associated with lower costs later in life,” said Dr. Justin Bachmann. “We found that fitness confers dividends even when other risk factors such as smoking, high blood pressure and obesity are controlled for."

Sleep is a key factor in any lifestyle, but it becomes particularly important in a routine where fitness is a regular feature. Sleep offers two clear benefits for a fitness-orientated lifestyle – first of all, a good night’s sleep provides the energy levels required to expend sufficiently during exercise and deliver a strong performance. Secondly, sleep also gives the body a chance to rest and recover after a workout, essential for anyone looking to continue their fitness exercises the next day. A premium memory foam mattress provides the perfect sleep surface for post-exercise, offering a pressure-relieving performance that supports every part of the body, meaning that you don’t experience any undue stresses or strains throughout the night and can suitably restore energy for the following day.

Tags: sleep fitness memory foam

Category: Sleep Research

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Sleeping pill spend hits £50m

Monday 14th May 2012

A surge in the demand for sleeping pills and associated drugs has led to the annual cost for the NHS hitting nearly £50m, it has been reported. The number of prescriptions written for sleep aids in 2010/11 was reported at 15.3m, almost a million...

Tags: sleep sleeping pills memory foam mattress

Category: Sleep Research

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People Suffering from Social Jetlag – Study

Friday 11th May 2012

Melatonin is an important chemical in regulating your sleep routine, and is partially controlled by the presence or absence of sunlight, hence why we sleep at night when it’s dark. However, a new study has suggested that many of us are suffering...

Tags: sleep study research survey social jetlag

Category: Sleep Research

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Kids who sleep in parents beds avoid obesity - Study

Thursday 10th May 2012

Children who regularly sleep in the parental bed are less likely to suffer from being overweight, according to a new study presented at a European conference on obesity. The research, by the Institute of Preventative Medicine at Copenhagen University...

Tags: sleep weight overweight obesity

Category: Sleep Research

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Friday Night is UK’s Favourite Night for Sleep – Study

Tuesday 8th May 2012

While many people associate Friday night with the chance to head to the pub with friends after a hard week of work, it is also becoming an increasingly popular night for catching up on sleep. A recent study by Dreams has found that the average Briton...

Tags: sleep study survey weekday weekend stress lie-in anxiety

Category: Sleep Research

Read full: Friday Night is UK’s Favourite Night for Sleep – Study