Welcome to Fitmodo, your regular weekly round up of the news you need to know to keep your earthly form in top shape — from fitness advice to breakthroughs in medical research.
This week: the impact of orthotics on running, how to avoid rips at the beach, Australian plants that you definitely shouldn’t eat (because they kill you) and cyborg sperm that are revolutionising fertility treatments.
Arch Support Could Be Ruining Your Run
Research from The University of Western Australia’s School of Sport Science, Exercise and Health has revealed that our arches evolved, in part, to allow for efficient endurance running. What does this mean for those who wear arch support or orthotics in their running shoes? They could be — literally — taking the spring out of your step.
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This Silicon Chip Will Monitor Your Brain And Dissolve In Your Body
Well folks, we’ve finally arrived at the long-anticipated future of brain-implantable chips. How many hundreds of science fiction novels have led us to this moment? No matter: the chips are here, and we’re getting a good look at ’em today thanks to a study just out in Nature.
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Don’t Get Sucked In By The Rip This Summer
On average 21 people drown each year in rip currents on Australian surf beaches.
This value exceeds the long-term annual average of fatalities caused by bush fires, floods, cyclones and sharks combined. So how can beachgoers keep safe this summer?
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Little Shop Of Horrors: The Australian Plants That Can Kill You
Australia is so famous for its dangerous creatures that visitors often arrive fearful that everything that moves is out to get them. In a land where snakes, spiders, shells and even one of the iconic mammals — the platypus — can bite or sting, should we all be worried about plants as well?
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It May Not Seem Like It, But Cancer Deaths Are At Their Lowest In 25 Years
Last week seems to have brought cancer to the forefront of everyone’s minds. We lost two pop culture greats, David Bowie and Alan Rickman, in such an astoundingly short period of time, sending the world into mourning. Singer Celine Dion lost both her husband and her brother to cancer within two days of each other. At times like this the world needs a little reminder — thanks to the wonders of modern medicine, cancer deaths are at their lowest rate in 25 years.
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Cyborg Sperm Could Revolutionise Fertility Treatments
Some men produce sperm that are poor swimmers, a major cause of infertility. To help, researchers from Germany have developed motorised cyborg “spermbots” that can be guided directly to an egg.
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Also catching our eye:
- Lifehacker’s guide on how to shop and cook for one — healthily
- The creator of INSANITY workout loves butter in his coffee. Really. Thanks, Business insider.
- Popsugar Australia have some great tips on how to stop diet sabotage and stick to your goals.