Scott Lear, PhD

As little as 10 minutes of activity can do amazing things for your mind and body.

Give yourself time each day to spend on something you enjoy. It's great for your self-care.
#MondayMotivation

Two truths and a lie Tuesday. Which is the lie?
1. Vitamin D deficiency is more common in winter.
2. Running is bad for your knees.
3. Kiwi skin is packed with fibre.

New data from 85k UK Biobank wearable show women may cut coronary heart disease risk by ~30% with about HALF the weekly exercise time men need. Should exercise guidelines be sex-specific? We unpack it with @drscottlear.bsky.social: pdst.fm/e/traffic.me...

Five ways to keep your exercise program going:
1. Rely on discipline over motivation
2. Have a goal in mind
3. Set up a routine
4. Book it into your calendar
5. The best exercise is the one you enjoy

How Science can Help Your New Year’s Resolution - Become your healthiest you Every January, millions of people make a New Year’s resolution. Despite their popularity, up to 80% fail, mostly within a few weeks of January. In fact, the second Friday of January is called Quitter’...

Do you have a New Year's Resolution?

Unfortunately, up to 80% of resolutions fail in the first few weeks. But science can help. Check the link below.
drscottlear.com/2025/01/02/h...

Snow shovelling: Good exercise or deadly activity? - Become your healthiest you Snow shovelling may be a chore, but it's also a great activity for the muscles and heart. Here are some tips to keep you safe doing it.

Each year people end up in the ER from snow shovelling. But is snow shovelling really the problem?

In this blog I discuss the health dangers associated with snow shovelling, how it's a good activity and how to keep your risk down.
drscottlear.com/2020/12/02/s...

Two truths and a lie Tuesday. Which is the lie?
1. Resolutions can be made only on Jan 1.
2. Once a resolution has been met it fails to motivate.
3. Making long-lasting resolutions takes planning.
#newyearsresolutions

Starting something new always begins with a small step. There's literally no way around it.
#MondayMotivation

Mental health services and greenspace can reduce risk for heart disease.

In study of >1.7 million cardiac deaths, greater access to mental health services and greenspace reduced the association between air pollution and cardiac death.
academic.oup.com/eurjpc/artic...

“You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.”
~Jane Goodall

Thanks Dawn! I hope you are enjoying the holidays and Happy New Year!

Enjoy the holiday season, and also make time for your own self-care amidst all the busyness.
#mondaymotivation

Sleep insufficiency and life expectancy at the state-county level in the united states, 2019-2025 Statement of Significance Insufficient sleep is a common daily occurrence, yet the impact of insufficient sleep on life expectancy at the county level of t

Sleep your way to a longer life.

It's recommended to get 7-9 hrs of sleep. Without sufficient sleep, your physical and mental health becomes impaired. In this study, sleep had a stronger relationship with life expectancy than physical activity and diet.
academic.oup.com/sleepadvance...

I wonder what would have happened if the kid didn't get picked up.😂

Two truths and a lie Tuesday. Which is the lie?
1. Standing isn't the solution to sitting.
2. Smiling is contagious.
3. Snow shovelling doesn't count as activity.
#healthylifestyle

Five benefits of exercise you may not know:
1. Boosts your creativity
2. Helps out your microbiome
3. Improves your relationships
4. Leads to healthier nutrition
5. Prevents DNA damage
#mondaymotivation

Sage Journals: Discover world-class research Subscription and open access journals from Sage, the world's leading independent academic publisher.

Couples who gossip together many be happier.

Small study found that couples who engaged in gossip together were more likely to be happier.
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...

Want to get your steps (or other activity) in? Prioritize your sleep.

In study of 71K people, getting 7-9 hours of sleep led to more steps the following day than getting less (or more) sleep.
www.nature.com/articles/s43...

Social Media Detox and Youth Mental Health This cohort study evaluates the outcomes of a 1-week social media detox intervention on behavior and mental health symptoms.

One week of social media 'detox' reduced symptoms of depression (25%), anxiety (16%) and insomnia (15%) in young adults.

(yes, I do see the irony of posting it on social media)
jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...

Too many times we hear people (influencers) equate weight with health. But that's misguided.

In this episode we discuss why people equate weight with health, the role of excess fat in health and when changes in weight are good and when they're not.
open.spotify.com/episode/0er3...

You mean something like cognitive function? If so, exercise has both immediate and long-term benefits to memory, executive function and cognition.

If you mean something else, let me know.

Your Weight is not a Measure of Your Health - Become your healthiest you We’re a society obsessed with weight. It’s no wonder the weight loss industry was estimated to be worth $142.6 billion in 2022. And it’s expected to more than double by 2030. This isn’t surprising whe...

Weight is probably one of the most measured metrics in healthcare yet it doesn't tell much about your health.

In this blog I discuss how health and weight relate to each other, being healthy at different weights and why weight fails us in terms of health.
drscottlear.com/2025/11/05/y...

We spend hours sitting and it’s taking a toll on our health. Prolonged sitting raises risks for diabetes, heart disease, and more.

@drscottlear.bsky.social shares how “exercise snacks” can boost energy, metabolism, and focus. open.spotify.com/episode/1Wrc...

The Science Behind Smiling - Become your healthiest you The smile. A simple gesture that has so much power to make you feel better and lift the mood of those around you. And we should be doing more of it.

Today is World Smile Day! A day devoted to smiling and acts of kindness.

Smiling can make both you and everyone around you happy. Let's see how many smiles we can give!
drscottlear.com/2019/12/11/t...

I wish! I'm working to one right now, but I'm thinking it's making my health worse 🙃

What counts as exercise? - Become your healthiest you We all know exercise is good for us, but not all of us want to sweat it out in a gym. Thankfully, there's a whole bunch of activities that count as exercise.

Getting in your exercise doesn't have to be going to the gym, running, swimming, etc. It can be anything that gets your heart and breathing rate up

In this blog I discuss how much exercise is recommended, the value of different activities and what counts as exercise.
drscottlear.com/2025/10/01/w...

Exercise snacks are a great way to get in your daily activity.

Just 2-3 minutes of moderate-vigorous activity such as climbing stairs, squats, jumping jacks, etc. a 5-10 times per day, and you'll get in your daily activity.
#MondayMotivation

No matter how good someone is at something now, they started from a point of not being good at the beginning.

What does it mean to be healthy? - Become your healthiest you We can’t go anywhere without hearing or seeing messages telling us to be healthier. Social media is flooded with fitness and diet influencers. And magazines fill check-out counters with covers screami...

What does being healthy mean to you?

Is it how you feel, having no diseases, your weight?

drscottlear.com/2025/06/04/w...