Good news for those who struggle to find time to work out. Scientists have collated a decade’s worth of research to confirm that even the shortest bursts of exercise can really benefit your health.

This research review highlights how, in considerably less time, low volume HIIT can create health benefits that are on par with those stimulated by the current WHO physical activity guidelines (which recommend 150-300 minutes of moderate activity a week or 75-100 minutes of vigorous activity a week). While low volume HIIT typically involves less than 20 minutes total exercise time, the benefits can be enjoyed in as little as four minutes!

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is characterised by short bouts of high-intensity submaximal exercise interspersed with rest periods. Low-volume HIIT, typically involving less than 15 min of high-intensity exercise per session, is being increasingly investigated in healthy and clinical populations due to its time-efficient nature and purported health benefits.

One of the studies included in the review showed that four minutes of HIIT three times per week for 12 weeks significantly improved blood sugar levels and cardiorespiratory fitness in adults with type 2 diabetes, while reducing the amount of fat in the liver. These improvements were comparable to 45-minute sessions of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise three times per week.

The findings from recent trials suggest that low-volume HIIT can induce similar, and at times greater, improvements in cardiorespiratory fitness, glucose control, blood pressure, and cardiac function when compared to more traditional forms of aerobic exercise training including high-volume HIIT and moderate intensity continuous training, despite requiring less time commitment and lower energy expenditure.

References:

https://physoc.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1113/JP281210

https://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/43/10/2371

Mindfulness meditation can improve both mental and physical health.

Mindfulness has become a popular way to help people manage their stress and improve their overall well-being — and a wealth of research shows it’s effective. Psychologists have found that mindfulness meditation changes our brain and biology in positive ways, improving mental and physical health.

What is mindfulness meditation?

Meditation can be defined in many ways. But a simple way to think of it is training your attention to achieve a mental state of calm concentration and positive emotions.

Mindfulness is one of the most popular meditation techniques. It has two main parts: attention and acceptance.

The attention piece is about tuning into your experiences to focus on what's happening in the present moment. It typically involves directing your awareness to your breath, your thoughts, the physical sensations in your body and the feelings you are experiencing. The acceptance piece involves observing those feelings and sensations without judgment. Instead of responding or reacting to those thoughts or feelings, you aim to note them and let them go.

Mindfulness classes and therapies might include breathing exercises, yoga and guided lessons to help you become aware of your body sensations, thoughts and feelings.

Researchers reviewed more than 200 studies of mindfulness among healthy people and found mindfulness-based therapy was especially effective for reducing stress, angry outbursts, anxiety, depression, pain, smoking, addiction, fatigue, stress in chronic pain, as well as improving physical health. Other studies have that mindfulness might boost the immune system and help people recover more quickly from cold or flu.

How mindfulness works

How could simply tuning into your thoughts and feelings lead to so many positive outcomes throughout the body? Chronic stress can impair the body's immune system and make many other health problems worse. By lowering the stress response, mindfulness may have downstream effects throughout the body.

Psychological scientists have found that mindfulness influences two different stress pathways associated with attention and emotion regulation. Psychology researchers found strong evidence that people who practiced Mindfulness were less likely to react with negative thoughts or unhelpful emotional reactions in times of stress, better able to focus on the present and less likely to worry and to think about a negative thought or experience over and over.

Reference

Article abbreviated from the American Psychological Association, Online article 30/10/19 https://www.apa.org/topics/mindfulness/meditation?utm_source=linkedin&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=apa-stress&utm_content=mindfulness-meditation

The Meeting of Meditative Disciplines and Western Psychology: A Mutually Enriching Dialogue Walsh, et. al., American Psychologist 2006

How to get started

Ready to give it a try? Mindfulness classes are available in yoga centers, athletic clubs, hospitals, clinics, smartphone apps and online. It can take a little while for mindfulness meditation to feel natural and to become a part of your regular routine but with practice, you may discover a powerful tool for relieving stress and improving well-being:

• YouTube has many free videos on Mindfulness for adults and children. Search for “Guided Mindfulness Meditation” and chose one. Most people start with a brief one and build up in time. Try a few to find the ones you prefer.

• Download meditations to play on your computer, tv or phone http://www.freemindfulness.org/download

• Smartphone Apps - search your phone apps for “Guided Mindfulness Meditation”

• See a psychologist to help learn Mindfulness and how to apply it to your situation.

Rejection sensitive dysphoria (RSD) is extreme emotional sensitivity and pain triggered by the perception that a person has been rejected or criticized by important people in their life. It may also be triggered by a sense of falling short—failing to meet their own high standards or others' expectations.

RSD is common in people who have Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), which makes it harder to focus, pay attention, and sit still. Most people who have ADHD are also very sensitive to what other people think or say about them. Up to 99% of teens and adults with ADHD are more sensitive than usual to rejection. And nearly 1 in 3 say it's the hardest part of living with ADHD.

It is common in ADHD and ADD but it can also occur in people who do not have either of these. Rejection sensitive dysphoria is not a medical diagnosis, but more a way of describing certain symptoms. "Dysphoria" comes from a Greek word that means “hard to bear." People who have RSD don’t handle rejection well. They get very upset if they think someone has shunned or criticized them, even if that’s not the case.

How Can RSD Affect Your Life?

People who have the condition sometimes work hard to make everyone like and admire them. Or they might stop trying and stay out of any situation where they might get hurt. This social withdrawal can look like social phobia, which is a serious fear of being embarrassed in public.

RSD can affect relationships with family, friends, or a romantic partner. The belief that you're being rejected can turn into a self-fulfilling prophecy. When you act differently toward the person you think has rejected you, they may begin to do so for real.

What Are the Signs?

People with RSD may:

• Be easily embarrassed

• Get very angry or have an emotional outburst when they feel like someone has hurt or rejected them

• Set high standards for themselves they often can't meet

• Have low self-esteem

• Feel anxious, especially in social settings

• Have problems with relationships

• Stay away from social situations and withdraw from other people

• Feel like a failure because they haven't lived up to other people's expectations

• Sometimes think about hurting themselves

Some of these symptoms are also common in other mental health conditions. RSD can be confused with:

• Bipolar disorder

• Borderline personality disorder

• Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

• Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)

• Depression

• Social phobia

One difference is that RSD episodes are intense but don't last very long.

Because RSD can look like other mental health disorders, it's important to get the right diagnosis. If you have ADHD and you've had any of these symptoms, see a psychologist, counselor, or other mental health provider for help.

What Causes RSD?

Doctors believe gene changes that are passed down through families cause RSD. Serious trauma, like abuse or neglect, can make the symptoms worse.

When you have ADHD, your nervous system overreacts to things from the outside world. Any sense of rejection can set off your stress response and cause an emotional reaction that's much more extreme than usual. Sometimes the criticism or rejection is imagined, but not always. ADHD researchers estimate that by age 12, children with ADHD get 20,000 more negative messages about themselves than other kids their age. All that criticism can take a real toll on their self-esteem.

How Is RSD Treated?

Two types of medicine work well to ease symptoms:

• Guanfacine (Intuniv) and clonidine (Kapvay) are drugs that lower blood pressure, but they also help with RSD symptoms.

• Monoamine oxidase inhibitors like tranylcypromine (Parnate) treat the inattention, impulsive behaviors, and emotional symptoms of ADHD.

A therapist can help you learn how to get a handle on your emotions and deal with rejection in a more positive way.

Another way to deal with RSD is to manage the stress in your life. You're more likely to have an emotional breakdown when you're stressed out. Eat right, sleep well, and do things like yoga or meditation to keep your mind calm.

SOURCES:

ADDitude: "How ADHD Ignites Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria," "Parental Criticism May Worsen ADHD Symptoms."

Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD): "Redefining ADHD for the Rest of Us."

Depression Alliance: "Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria: What Is It and How to Deal With It."

National Institute of Mental Health: "Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder."

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