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Scott Lear, PhD

@drscottlear.bsky.social
156 followers 68 following 302 posts

Professor at Simon Fraser University in the use of healthy behaviours to prevent and treat disease. Lived experience with depression and heart disease. Active in #scicomm through my blog (www.drscottlear.com) and podcast How to Health.

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Scott Lear, PhD @drscottlear.bsky.social · 12/01/2026
As little as 10 minutes of activity can do amazing things for your mind and body.
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Scott Lear, PhD @drscottlear.bsky.social · 12/01/2026
Give yourself time each day to spend on something you enjoy. It's great for your self-care. #MondayMotivation
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Scott Lear, PhD @drscottlear.bsky.social · 06/01/2026
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.
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Reposted by Scott Lear, PhD
Ben Dooley @bentdooley.bsky.social · 05/01/2026
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...
pdst.fm
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Scott Lear, PhD @drscottlear.bsky.social · 05/01/2026
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
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Scott Lear, PhD @drscottlear.bsky.social · 31/12/2025
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...
drscottlear.com
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’...
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Scott Lear, PhD @drscottlear.bsky.social · 30/12/2025
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...
drscottlear.com
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.
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Scott Lear, PhD @drscottlear.bsky.social · 30/12/2025
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
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Scott Lear, PhD @drscottlear.bsky.social · 29/12/2025
Starting something new always begins with a small step. There's literally no way around it. #MondayMotivation
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Scott Lear, PhD @drscottlear.bsky.social · 26/12/2025
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...
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Scott Lear, PhD @drscottlear.bsky.social · 26/12/2025
“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
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Scott Lear, PhD @drscottlear.bsky.social · 22/12/2025
Enjoy the holiday season, and also make time for your own self-care amidst all the busyness. #mondaymotivation
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Scott Lear, PhD @drscottlear.bsky.social · 18/12/2025
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...
academic.oup.com
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
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Scott Lear, PhD @drscottlear.bsky.social · 16/12/2025
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
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Scott Lear, PhD @drscottlear.bsky.social · 15/12/2025
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
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Scott Lear, PhD @drscottlear.bsky.social · 12/12/2025
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/...
journals.sagepub.com
Sage Journals: Discover world-class research
Subscription and open access journals from Sage, the world's leading independent academic publisher.
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Scott Lear, PhD @drscottlear.bsky.social · 11/12/2025
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...
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Scott Lear, PhD @drscottlear.bsky.social · 09/12/2025
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...
jamanetwork.com
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.
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Scott Lear, PhD @drscottlear.bsky.social · 28/11/2025
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...
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Scott Lear, PhD @drscottlear.bsky.social · 05/11/2025
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...
drscottlear.com
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...
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Reposted by Scott Lear, PhD
Ben Dooley @bentdooley.bsky.social · 03/11/2025
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...
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Scott Lear, PhD @drscottlear.bsky.social · 03/10/2025
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...
drscottlear.com
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.
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Scott Lear, PhD @drscottlear.bsky.social · 01/10/2025
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...
drscottlear.com
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.
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Scott Lear, PhD @drscottlear.bsky.social · 29/09/2025
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
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Scott Lear, PhD @drscottlear.bsky.social · 24/09/2025
No matter how good someone is at something now, they started from a point of not being good at the beginning.
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Scott Lear, PhD @drscottlear.bsky.social · 17/09/2025
What does being healthy mean to you? Is it how you feel, having no diseases, your weight? drscottlear.com/2025/06/04/w...
drscottlear.com
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...
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Scott Lear, PhD @drscottlear.bsky.social · 17/09/2025
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.
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Scott Lear, PhD @drscottlear.bsky.social · 15/09/2025
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
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Scott Lear, PhD @drscottlear.bsky.social · 15/09/2025
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
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Scott Lear, PhD @drscottlear.bsky.social · 09/09/2025
It's International Sudoku Day! Puzzles and games are associated with preventing cognitive decline and being less likely to get dementia.
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Scott Lear, PhD @drscottlear.bsky.social · 08/09/2025
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...
theglobeandmail.com
Doctors call for restrictions on sports betting ads, say they set youth up for problem gambling
Canadian Medical Association Journal editorial says the legalization of online gambling has made every smartphone a potential betting platform
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Scott Lear, PhD @drscottlear.bsky.social · 08/09/2025
Five immediate benefits of #exercise (science-backed): ⭐️make you happy ⭐️give you a burst of energy ⭐️improve creativity ⭐️increase productivity ⭐️help your metabolism #MondayMotivation
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Scott Lear, PhD @drscottlear.bsky.social · 05/09/2025
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??🥴
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Scott Lear, PhD @drscottlear.bsky.social · 03/09/2025
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...
drscottlear.com
Is it better to exercise all at once? - Become your healthiest you
Crunched for time and not able to get your full exercise session done? Can you make do with doing less? What about splitting it up into smaller sessions a few times throughout the day? Or do you put it off for another day and do extra to make up for it? You’re not alone. This […]
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Scott Lear, PhD @drscottlear.bsky.social · 02/09/2025
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...
open.spotify.com
How Scott Stays Healthy
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Scott Lear, PhD @drscottlear.bsky.social · 25/08/2025
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...
drscottlear.com
Old Wives' Tales: Fact or Fiction - Become your healthiest you
Old Wives’ Tales have been around for centuries. These are claims or sayings are meant to promote a specific behaviour, such as eating carrots to improve eyesight. And they often have a long history o...
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Scott Lear, PhD @drscottlear.bsky.social · 20/08/2025
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...
theconversation.com
Our kids’ recess at school is essential to well-being and learning — and shouldn’t be scaled back
Time to play, move, connect with peers and breathe is a vital part of learning and essential to academic motivation.
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Reposted by Scott Lear, PhD
Vision Zero Vancouver @visionzerovancouver.ca · 20/08/2025
It was awesome collaborating with @tomflood.bsky.social on this project. So cool to see this up!
Billboard reads: Smoking tables next to non-smoking tables used to be normal too. Join us in fighting for safe streets. The vision Zero logo and Rovelo Creative are listed below. On the right, a photo of a young child riding a bike on the shoulder of a road next to a very large truck.
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Scott Lear, PhD @drscottlear.bsky.social · 19/08/2025
1/2 Daily physical activity can (instantly!) improve the way you think. Small study found that activity was associated with improved cognitive ability equivalent to reversing 4 years of aging: academic.oup.com/abm/article-... #exercise #health #fitness
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Scott Lear, PhD @drscottlear.bsky.social · 15/08/2025
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...
drscottlear.com
Why Strength Training is a Must as We Get Older - Become your healthiest you
While strength training may seem like an exercise for the young, it is essential to maintain strength as one ages to prevent disease and continue independent living.
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Scott Lear, PhD @drscottlear.bsky.social · 12/08/2025
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
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Scott Lear, PhD @drscottlear.bsky.social · 08/08/2025
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...
time.com
Does sleeping on a problem really work?
Your brain does more than dream at night. It also analyzes, organizes, and solves problems.
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Scott Lear, PhD @drscottlear.bsky.social · 06/08/2025
What are some old wives' tales you grew up (whether valid or not)?
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Scott Lear, PhD @drscottlear.bsky.social · 06/08/2025
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
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Scott Lear, PhD @drscottlear.bsky.social · 06/08/2025
Prévention des maladies cardiovasculaires : au-delà de l’aspect médical ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelle/218...
ici.radio-canada.ca
Prévention en santé cardiaque : au-delà du médical
Pour mieux prévenir les maladies cardiovasculaires, il faudrait y intégrer un volet socioéconomique, selon une étude publiée dans l’European Heart Journal
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Scott Lear, PhD @drscottlear.bsky.social · 01/08/2025
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.
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Scott Lear, PhD @drscottlear.bsky.social · 31/07/2025
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...
drscottlear.com
Exerciser is More than the Calories You Burn - Become your healthiest you
Is exercise all about calories? Definitely not. There are numerous benefits from exercise with burning calories far down the list.
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Scott Lear, PhD @drscottlear.bsky.social · 31/07/2025
What's one thing you'll do today for your mental health? #mentalhealthmatters
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Scott Lear, PhD @drscottlear.bsky.social · 30/07/2025
It's World Friendship Day today! Friendships are key to your health & well-being. Today is a day to celebrate those connections. #WorldFriendshipDay
media.tenor.com
patrick star and spongebob squarepants are dancing on a happy friendship day poster
ALT: patrick star and spongebob squarepants are dancing on a happy friendship day poster
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Scott Lear, PhD @drscottlear.bsky.social · 29/07/2025
Work less, be more productive? Study in 6 countries found 4-day work week led to: ⬆️wellbeing ⬇️burnout ⬆️job satisfaction Likely due to better sleep, improved work ability & less fatigue. This was compared to companies that stayed with 5-day work week. #publichealth www.nature.com/articles/s41...
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