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

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...

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

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

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...

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

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...

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...

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...

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...

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 being healthy mean to you? Is it how you feel, having no diseases, your weight? drscottlear.com/2025/06/04/w...

Two truths and a lie Tuesday. Spot the lie: 1. The average person only gets half the recommended amount of dietary potassium. 2. Exercise provides no benefit to your mood. 3. Social jetlag is when you change your sleep patterns on the weekend.

If weight loss was easy, there wouldn't be: ⭐️ Weight loss drugs ⭐️ A disease called obesity ⭐️ Half the population overweight ⭐️ Influencers peddling shady programs ⭐️ Magazines with the latest celebrity fad ⭐️ A >$200 billion weight loss industry

Motivation can get you started, but motivation can ebb and flow. It's discipline and consistency keep you going when motivation isn't there. #MondayMotivation

It's International Sudoku Day! Puzzles and games are associated with preventing cognitive decline and being less likely to get dementia.

I've stopped watching @NHL as all it is, is one big casino advertisement with a bit of hockey thrown in. This is a serious issue, as many of my son's friends in high school use online sports betting. Let's ban sports betting advertisements. #publichealth www.theglobeandmail.com/life/article...

Five immediate benefits of #exercise (science-backed): ⭐️make you happy ⭐️give you a burst of energy ⭐️improve creativity ⭐️increase productivity ⭐️help your metabolism #MondayMotivation

It's kind of a contradiction to say not to trust the experts when the dictionary defines an expert as a person who has a comprehensive and authoritative knowledge of or skill in a particular area. So then who should we trust? The people with no knowledge??🥴

A big reason people give for not exercising is no time. While it's great to get in a 30+ min workout all at once, do you need to? In this blog I discuss the evidence supporting smaller exercise session, multiple vs one per day and the weekend warrior. drscottlear.com/2023/06/01/i...

To start off our 4th season of our How to Health podcast, we're doing something different. In this episode we're talking about how our very own Scott Lear about his activity, nutrition & sleep routines and how important socializing is to mental health. #publichealth open.spotify.com/episode/7EjC...

Old Wives' Tales have been with us for centuries and may be the first type of misinformation. But is there a kernel of truth in some of them? In this blog, I fact-check four common Wives' Tales as they relate to health. What are some Wives' Tales you grew up with? drscottlear.com/2025/08/22/o...

Whether you're 8 or 58, recess (and activity) improves learning, creativity and productivity. Are you giving yourself 'recess' today? theconversation.com/our-kids-rec...

It was awesome collaborating with @tomflood.bsky.social on this project. So cool to see this up!

Muscle and strength facts: ⭐️peak muscle mass occurs around 30 years ⭐️with age the body is less efficient at absorbing protein ⭐️age-related decline in muscle mostly due to insufficient protein intake & reduced activity ⭐️strength training at any age is beneficial drscottlear.com/2021/10/27/w...

Spot the lie! Here are two truths and a lie about exercise: 1. you need >20 minutes of exercise to be worth it 2. you can start strength training at any age 3. regular exercise can improve your memory #health

Yes, you can (and should), sleep on that problem. Sleep resets your brain and improves memory, creativity and decision-making, giving you more clarity for solving problems. time.com/7308247/slee...

What are some old wives' tales you grew up (whether valid or not)?

The path to more activity? Go to bed earlier. Over the course of one year, when people slept earlier, their activity the next day was higher. @PNASNews: www.pnas.org/doi/abs/10.1... #exercise #sleep #publichealth

Prévention des maladies cardiovasculaires : au-delà de l’aspect médical ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelle/218...

I'm in the process of hiring two positions. After reviewing >30 cover letters, only one has mentioned anything that would suggest they know something about my work. Tip for others: Make it clear to a potential employer you know what they do and why it resonates with you.

How many #calories did you burn? It's a common question when it comes to #exercise but exercise does far more than burn calories. Of the many benefits of exercise, burning calories is far down this list as I discuss in this blog. drscottlear.com/2025/07/30/e...

What's one thing you'll do today for your mental health? #mentalhealthmatters

It's World Friendship Day today! Friendships are key to your health & well-being. Today is a day to celebrate those connections. #WorldFriendshipDay