Edward Knabusch and Edwin Shoemaker revolutionized the furniture industry in the 1920s with the introduction of their patented La-Z-Boy recliner. However, it wasn’t until the 1980s that mechanical lift chairs started to become available. Despite their many technical flaws, lift chairs proved to be very popular. According to the New York Times, Medicare spent $185 … Read more
The history of massage therapy dates all the way back to 2700 BC. In fact, one of the earliest medical texts that references massage techniques– called The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Medicine– is still widely read today. According to The National Geographic, most Chinese hospitals have a ward that’s dedicated to ancient disease cures. Many … Read more
To help its astronauts survive and thrive in space, NASA had to develop all kinds of innovative new technologies. Many of these innovations were spun-off into a wide range of different consumer products. According to the NASA Technology Transfer Program, Bowflex exercise equipment, scratch-resistant lenses and memory foam are just a few of the many … Read more
The human spine does far more than just hold you upright. According to the Nebraska Spine Hospital, it contains over 120 muscles, around 220 ligaments and over 100 individual joints. Even though your spine is strong enough to hold up hundreds of pounds of weight, about a quarter of its mass consists of flexible cartilage– … Read more
Any type of physical activity can ignite a life-changing spark. As soon as you get moving, hormones flood the brain and begin to change the way it works. Researchers in Stockholm recently discovered that the part of the brain associated with learning and memory actually grows in size when you run. This study and many … Read more
Everyone knows exercise is good for you. Scientists and fitness experts have been hammering home that point for years. What you may not know is that repetitive cardiac loading can actually reshape your heart and change the way it works. According to a study conducted by scientists at Melbourne, the size of some athletes’ hearts … Read more
We tend to think of sleep as a period of inactivity, but it’s not. Our brains are actually extremely active at night. One of sleep’s main functions is to consolidate and process the input that we’ve been exposed to throughout the course of a day. The REM stage of sleep is perhaps the strangest one. … Read more
Everyone knows that staying in shape helps control weight, reduces the risk of disease, improves mood and boosts energy. However, new research suggests that good physical fitness offers even more advantages than that. According to Harvard Health, exercise can actually change the brain on a deep level. However, maintaining a personal fitness routine isn’t always … Read more