Adults are becoming less active, which can increase our risk of heart disease, stroke and other diseases. About 80 percent of adults do not meet the recommended amount of physical activity each week.

Middle-aged women who  are physically active a few times per week have lower risks of heart disease, stroke and blood clots than inactive women, according to research in the American Heart Association journal Circulation. Surprisingly, more frequent physical activity didn’t result in further reductions in risk, researchers said.

A research letter in a recent edition of the weekly JAMA Internal Medicine found older people who felt three or more years younger than their actual age had a lower death rate compared with those who felttheir age or those who felt more than one year older than their actual age.

Runners may live an average three years longer than people who don't run, according to new research. But, the best news from this study is that it appears that you can reap this benefit even if you run at slow speeds for mere minutes every day, the 15-year study suggests.

With obesity rates continuing to rise in the U.S. (they’ve doubled since 1980), health experts are urging Americans to be more physically active, and urging policy makers to help them do that. A new report from the CDC’s National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion rates the progress on both those fronts, state by state.

From the Harvard Medical School: Strength or resistance training challenges your muscles with a stronger-than-usual counterforce, such as pushing against a wall, lifting a dumbbell, or pulling on a resistance band. Using progressively heavier weights or increasing resistance makes muscles stronger. This kind of exercise increases muscle mass, tones muscles, and strengthens bones.

Many of us have long workdays – often sandwiched between long commutes – which makes it hard to set aside time devoted exclusively to exercising.

Americans are making considerable progress in their overall health, according to United Health Foundation’s 2013 America’s Health Rankings®: A Call to Action for Individuals & Their Communities.

Although cost is often cited as a reason for not joining gyms and buying more nutritious food – two measures that can improve health – the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) isn’t buying that excuse.