National Geographic | Mind, Body, Wonder

This week brought bad news on marijuana, clarity on adrenaline-driven super-strength, and authoritative answers on how many daily steps we need. With the start of Christianity’s Holy Week, we plumb the connection between belief and health.

A close up of a bearded man smoking a joint

PHOTOGRAPH BY JEENAH MOON, BLOOMBERG/GETTY IMAGES

NEW CONCERNS RISE OVER MARIJUANA

For decades, weed was demonized. And now, more and more, decriminalized, even legalized, as strains grow more potent. Science has been slow in determining long-term effects. Recent studies have connected marijuana to psychological and physical illnesses, even heart disease. (Pictured above, a man smoking.)

SEE THE LATEST

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Is pain relief from cannabis all in your head?

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Science seeks to see if marijuana can fight disease

Walkers on the Dingle Way in County Kerry, Ireland.

PHOTOGRAPH BY SHUTTERSTOCK/ NAT GEO IMAGE COLLECTION

WHAT’S THE BEST NUMBER OF STEPS?

A massive new study has come up with an optimum number to strengthen your heart and health. But for people with more sedentary lifestyles, the study notes improvements for people at every 1,000-step increment beyond 4,000.

GET WALKING!

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Walking is the sixth vital sign. Here’s how to do it right.

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No time? Just give exercise five minutes a day.

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Want to live longer? Influence your genes.

A U.S. Marine Corps recruit trains at Camp Lejeune as her unit readies for deployment

PHOTOGRAPH BY LYNSEY ADDARIO, NAT GEO IMAGE COLLECTION

NORMAL PEOPLE, ABNORMAL STRENGTH

In extraordinary, stressful, fight-or-flight circumstances, what gives ordinary humans the power to flip a VW to save a neighbor, fight a polar bear threatening kids, or heave an overturned tractor to free a trapped farmer? (Pictured above, a recruit carries a fellow U.S. Marine during a drill.) Now we know.

SUPERHUMAN STRENGTH

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The underrated mental benefits of weightlifting

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Do you have chronic stress? Look for these signs.

A healer treating the body and mind of a patient to relieve her pain and stress

PHOTOGRAPH BY ERIKA LARSEN

DOES BELIEF HAVE THE POWER TO HEAL?

Even science says it might. Attending religious services (pictured above, a healer treating a patient) may improve your immune system and add years to your life. But it’s not just religious belief that can inexplicably make you feel better.

WHAT IS IT?

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Faith and where the world’s healthiest people live

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First person: Why I’m a scientist—and person of faith

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A woman doing yoga with her legs crossed

PHOTOGRAPH BY OLEH SLOBODE

YOGA, REWILDING: ROADS TO WELLNESS

Traveling for peace and restoration: Having escaped the confines of the spa, wellness now influences the travel experience far and wide, offering new ways to discover the world. How to beat “permanxiety”.

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Discover the planet’s last few quiet places

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The benefits of a walk in the woods

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Why do we clean in the spring?

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