Being active improves quality of life. The Presidential Active Lifestyle Award, also known as PALA+, is a program that challenges kids and adults to be more active. PALA+ challenges us to be physically active, five days a week, for six weeks.

Rates of unintentional injury deaths by children and teens have been dropping – but rates for some causes have been going up.

Research indicates college students can have as good a time at a party when they don’t drink. At the Miriam Hospital in Providence, Rhode Island, Lori Scott-Sheldon looked at data on 19 studies involving more than 1,400 college students. Her study found students were less likely to drink alcohol when their beliefs about the positive effects of drinking were challenged.

Learning something new might open other possibilities for older people. Researchers who gave older people training in thinking skills and puzzles to solve report the older people then felt more open to other experiences.

A study indicates that even if people can’t work off the weight, being physically active may reduce factors such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol, which can affect their risk of cardiovascular disease. At the University of South Carolina, researcher D.C. Lee saw this in six years of weight and exercise data on more than 3,100 healthy adults. Lee saw a benefit even if people gained weight.