Latest news with #fitnessinfluencers
Fast Company
11 hours ago
- Health
- Fast Company
No, you don't need to get 10,000 steps per day
The gospel according to fitness influencers: drink three liters of water per day, get a minimum of eight hours of sleep, and walk at least 10,000 steps per day. From the hot girl walk, to wearing weighted vests and arm weights on said walk, to those taking it one—or 5,000—steps further and marching up to 15,000 or even 25,000 steps a day, these once-simple strolls have morphed into full-blown social media trends. When did something as basic as going for a walk become so intimidating? While mostly sage advice, if you've been struggling to hit the gold standard of 10,000 steps a day (which roughly equates to five miles) or found yourself doing laps around the block to get those final few hundred under your belt, just know that unofficial target isn't actually based in science. The 10,000 steps-a-day walking target originated as a 1960s marketing slogan by Japanese company Yamasa to sell pedometers. It has since become accepted wisdom, promoted heavily by the online fitness community. That is until new scientific analysis in The Lancet Public Health officially confirmed that this aspirational goal, while by no means harmful, isn't the magic number it's promoted to be, and even thousands fewer steps a day could still yield big health rewards. The researchers analyzed data from more than 160,000 adults to examine how step counts were linked with the risk of developing a number of health conditions. They discovered the overall mortality for people walking 7,000 steps was 47% lower than for those who walked only 2,000. Walking this amount daily also reduced the risk of health problems including death from cardiovascular disease and cancer, as well as incidence of type 2 diabetes and dementia. But after 7,000 steps, as the step count increased, the payoff rate slowed. The overall mortality for people notching 10,000 steps was 48%—just a 1% increase from 7,000—compared with 2,000. Now, that's not to say you should give up on your 10,000-step goal, or worse, cut back on the steps you are already doing. Hitting 10,000 steps was found to be better than 7,000 for some health conditions, such as reducing the risk of depression. Also, those clocking in 12,000 steps a day saw their overall mortality drop 55% compared with 2,000. But pushing for a minimum of 5,000 to 7,000—a more practical target for those who are currently inactive—will make the biggest difference for the least amount of effort. While 10,000 may still be the gold standard, just know that you are still reaping the health benefits if you only make it to 9,999.
Yahoo
21 hours ago
- Health
- Yahoo
I Walked 1 Hour a Day for a Month and Lost 5 Lbs -- But That Wasn't the Best Benefit
I have an on-again, off-again relationship with exercise. There was a time in my 20s when I worked out consistently. I took a mix of fitness classes, such as boxing, cardio dance, HIIT and even bootcamps, when I was feeling really ambitious. When the pandemic hit and everything shut down, I kept working out through virtual classes to try to cling to some sense of normalcy. Once the world opened back up, I fell off. My job remained remote, so I had no real reason to leave my apartment. I tried to return to the classes I'd loved, but so many studios had closed down, and the remaining ones were no longer convenient for me without an office nearby. These days, the most exercise I get is walking from my bed to my couch to my 'office' inside my 700-square-foot apartment. My lack of daily movement had started to take its toll. In addition to gaining weight, I had no energy, struggled to fall asleep, and had body aches. I'm only 37. I'm too young to feel this old. I knew I had to do something to get more movement into my daily routine. My social media algorithm must have sensed this, relentlessly serving me video after video of fitness influencers out on their hot girl walks, trying to get their steps in. Could walking an hour every day really do anything substantial for my health? Stephanie Mansour, Start TODAY trainer and TODAY fitness contributor, assured me it could. 'Regular walking can significantly contribute to weight loss by burning calories and boosting your metabolism,' she explained. According to Mansour, walking can also improve cardiovascular health by strengthening your heart, lowering your blood pressure, and reducing the risk of heart disease. My blood pressure was borderline high at my last physical, so this got my attention. I'd also been having chronic back and shoulder pain, which, you guessed it, can see improvement from simply walking more. 'Daily walks create muscle endurance, strengthen bones, and improve joint health, making it a fantastic low-impact exercise option,' Mansour says. Committing to a non-negotiable walk for an hour a day seemed like the lowest-effort way to motivate myself to move more, so I decided to give it a try. Here's what happened: Week 1 On day one, I weighed in at 149 pounds. This is the most weight I've ever carried on my 5'2' frame, and it was shocking to see. I took my measurements, laced up my sneakers and braced myself for an hour of walking. I was surprised at how tired I became almost immediately — the minutes dragged by. I attempted to pass the time by calling my mom to catch up. By the end of the call, I thought I'd knocked out at least half an hour of my walk. I was shocked to see only 13 minutes had gone by. The next day, the backs of my legs were sore, and I wasn't looking forward to this walk at all. I decided to break it up into half-hour increments, which were easier to complete separately, but made me dread that last half hour for the rest of the day. It was so tempting to skip it. Halfway through week one, I decided that breaking my walk in two was dragging things out and went back to a full hour. To keep myself motivated, I found destinations to walk to that I had wanted to visit. Some days, it was making it down to the park, about a half-hour walk from me each way. Most days, it was a cute coffee shop or lunch spot I'd wanted to try. By the end of week one, I had accepted that walking for an hour was now a permanent part of my daily routine, but never looked forward to it. I did notice I was sleeping a bit better than I normally do. Each day, I knocked my walk out first thing, which gave me a more consistent morning routine. Struggling to start your own walking routine? Ease into it with this 7-Day Audio Walking Challenge for a daily motivational podcast to help you get your steps in! Week 2 Walking wasn't quite as painful during week two, and most days I was able to knock it out with a podcast and forego getting myself a little treat (though it was hard to resist). I felt my stamina improve toward the end of this week, and I noticed I got slightly farther on my walks in the same amount of time as I had during the previous week. At first, I struggled to get my walks over the two-mile mark, but by the end of week two, I was hitting 2.5 miles without much trouble. Everything was going well until a heat wave hit my city. Up until this point, I'd been walking outdoors, but several days during week two hit almost 100 degrees, so I had to find an alternative. I dusted off my barely used gym membership to complete my hour-long walks on a treadmill for a few days while I waited for things to cool off. It took the pressure off of figuring out what route I'd take, but by the third day of this, I was pretty bored. For days when the weather doesn't cooperate, try a fun Indoor Walking Routine with Al Roker! Week 3 During week three, I went to visit family in Long Island. Thanks to the change in scenery, this was probably the only time I really enjoyed walking for an hour. 'Variety can keep things interesting and prevent burnout,' says Mansour, who encouraged me to change my routine to challenge different muscles and avoid boredom. So I committed to trying a new path every day to give my mind something new to focus on. Walking was finally part of my routine. I'd wake up around the same time each morning, get my walk out of the way, have breakfast and log on to start working for the day. During week three, I noticed a shift in my energy levels and overall mood. I felt more focused at work and more invigorated overall. Also, I slept like a baby. 'Beyond the physical changes, walking delivers impressive non-scale victories (NSV),' Mansour explains. 'Many people experience a noticeable boost in energy levels and better sleep quality,' Mansour said. Walking is also a great mood enhancer, releasing endorphins that combat stress and anxiety, making you happier and more balanced. By this point in my experiment, I'd built decent stamina walking. That is, until I tried to walk on the beach. The resistance of the sand and slope of the shore had my calves burning within the first few minutes of walking. At what I thought had to be the halfway point, I looked down at my phone to find that I'd been walking for a whopping seven minutes. I felt defeated, but persevered, breaking that walk into half-hour intervals. Week 4 By week four, I was over this walking experiment. The benefits you read about really are there. But I wanted my lazy mornings back in the worst way. Every morning, I had to convince myself not to quit or skip a day here and there. On the flip side, I was in a great mood every morning when I came back from my walk. I was happy that I'd gone. I was walking much more easily and my speed was noticeably faster. During week 4, I hit three miles for the first time. I reminded my pre-walk self about that post-walk feeling every day during this week. The day after I completed my one-month experiment, I spent the entire day sitting on my couch watching movies with my cat. The Result: 5 Pounds Down and Mood Way Up I waited until the end of the experiment to weigh myself again, out of fear that I hadn't lost any weight. When I weighed in, I was shocked to see the scale read 144.6. I'd also lost an inch off my chest and an inch off my thighs. The weight loss was nice, but it wasn't the best part of this experiment — it was feeling so much better overall. There's unfortunately no magic pill to get better sleep, mood, energy and focus — but walking an hour a day is a pretty low lift way to achieve these things. Something I've been trying to remember post-experiment when I don't feel like going on another walk. How to Start a Walking Routine If you're interested in starting a walking routine of your own, but struggle with committing like I did, Mansour offers the following tips: Walk at the same time each day. Making it a consistent part of your day, like first thing in the morning or after dinner, helps to establish a routine. Find your pace. Go at a pace that feels sustainable for you. You want to maintain a brisk pace that elevates your heart rate, but still allows you to maintain conversation. This helps prevent exhaustion, burns more calories and improves cardiovascular fitness. Start short and build up. Start with as little as five minutes daily and build up to longer periods. Warm up and cool down properly. Stretch dynamically with butt kicks or standing twists to loosen up your body before the walk, and then stretch with static holds (e.g., lunges on each side) after your walk. The Start TODAY app has guided warm up and cool down routines to bookend your walk. Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water before, during and after your walks. And pay attention to the weather and dress appropriately to avoid overheating or getting chilled. Use an app to hold you accountable. Visually seeing a walking streak like you do in the Start TODAY app is a great way to keep you motivated and build momentum with your workout routine. Creating a new habit can be tough, but I can say firsthand that it does get easier. After seeing the benefit that can come with an hour daily walk, I do plan to keep walking regularly — while still leaving room for a few days lounging on the couch with my cat, too. For motivational walking podcasts, indoor walking routines and warmup and cool down stretches, download the Start TODAY app! This article was originally published on
CTV News
14-07-2025
- Health
- CTV News
Fitness becoming more popular after obesity rise during COVID: Windsor trainer
A Windsor trainer said he believes the fitness industry is on the rise and is becoming more popular after data shows there was a 'steep rise' in obesity during COVID. Daryl Townsend, a trainer at True Fitness, said since then, the fitness industry is taking over social media. 'I think that the fitness industry itself after the pandemic has had a surge of popularity,' he said. 'There are more fitness trends out there, more fitness influencers out there, and people's mental health is a lot better these days compared to then.'
Yahoo
04-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Forget running or 'Jeffing' — neuroscientist says this is the secret to longevity and hitting 150 minutes of cardio per week
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Low-impact cardio is bang on trend, not only because it has been repeatedly picked up and repackaged by fitness influencers — think viral challenges like the 'Hot Girl Walk' or the 30/30/30 method — but because the science heavily backs this form of exercise, and so does neuroscientist Andrew Huberman. Huberman says in a YouTube video: 'The scientific data tells us that we should all be getting anywhere from 150 to 200 minutes per week minimum of Zone 2 cardio for the sake of cardiovascular health.' As we know, strong cardiovascular health is linked to longevity and health span. But there's something else — you don't need to run to achieve your cardio minutes and boost longevity. Here's what Huberman says you can do instead, what Zone 2 cardio means, benefits and how it can help you reach your weekly movement goals and boost longevity with (or without) one of the best fitness trackers to measure your progress. Zone 2 training, also known as heart rate zone training, means working out at roughly 60-70% of your max heart rate (MHR). This means an easy effort without overexerting yourself, and if you're still unsure, you can use heart rate zones on most fitness trackers, including your Garmin or Apple Watch, to help you stay on track. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends 150-300 minutes of moderate aerobic activity per week to help battle the effects of sedentary lifestyles, which increase the likelihood of injury and the development of chronic illness. Steady-state cardio is credited with increasing endurance, improving the efficiency of your energy systems, building aerobic capacity and cardiovascular health, plus tackling bone density loss and muscle atrophy. Andrew Huberman, a neuroscientist and professor of neurobiology and ophthalmology at Stanford University School of Medicine, says he schedules 60 to 90 minutes of easy-pace running into his weekly routine one day per week (usually on a Sunday) to contribute toward the minimum number of minutes recommended. But what if you hate running? Not everyone fancies a jog on any given day, and some people don't even enjoy 'Jeffing' — a combination of walking and running intervals that many, including my colleague, swear by for taking off the intensity. It's good news because you can still hit the minimum of 150 minutes of Zone 2 cardio without it. First of all, you can remain low effort — during Huberman's runs, he says he can 'maintain nasal breathing,' which means he is moving in a way that allows him to keep up a conversation with himself or friends or family. Sometimes, he says, he may take a hike between one and four hours instead. Although you can do this anywhere, Huberman enjoys taking his Zone 2 cardio outdoors, where he can enjoy fresh air, nature and sunshine. Studies show that exercising in nature has proven to boost mood, increase creativity and reduce feelings of stress and anxiety, all of which help improve longevity. Huberman refers to a conversation he had with Dr. Andy Galpin, explaining that he can't always hit his designated cardio minutes per week through a run or hike. Galpin, a scientist and tenured professor who is the Executive Director of the Human Performance Center at Parker University, responded with something simple: He doesn't think of Zone 2 cardio as 'exercise' at all. In fact, it should enhance (rather than impede) other types of movement you do during the week, like hypertrophy or strength training, or speed work. What does he mean by that? Well, he tells Huberman that you can simply increase the total amount of movement and walking you do during the week with a focus on pace and speed. Regular brisk walking can slash your biological age by up to 16 years, according to a new study, but even increasing your total physical activity throughout the week can be beneficial, too. This plays into something called Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT), which accounts for any activity you do during the week, like playing with your kids or taking a work call standing up. Huberman paraphrases Galpin's advice by stating: 'Zone 2 cardio can be meshed throughout the daily activities that I and everybody else generally have to do.' This is great news if you find life gets busy and you don't have the hours to dedicate to the gym. You can still hit the minimum 150 minutes of Zone 2 by spreading it out across the week, taking brisk walks and increasing pace where possible, or incorporating slow-paced, easy effort jogs if you don't mind running. This should come as a relief if you find it difficult to schedule exercise into the week or if your priority, like mine, is strength training. Instead, Huberman says it takes the pressure off and allows you to consider Zone 2 cardio as regular daily life while gaining the benefits of cardio at the same time. Forget running and swimming — study finds this sport adds 10 years to your life I thought power walking was weird — here's what happened when I tried it 30 minutes a day for one week I review running watches and these are my top 3 suggestions for most people
Yahoo
04-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Forget running or 'Jeffing' — neuroscientist says this is the secret to longevity and hitting 150 minutes of cardio per week
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Low-impact cardio is bang on trend, not only because it has been repeatedly picked up and repackaged by fitness influencers — think viral challenges like the 'Hot Girl Walk' or the 30/30/30 method — but because the science heavily backs this form of exercise, and so does neuroscientist Andrew Huberman. Huberman says in a YouTube video: 'The scientific data tells us that we should all be getting anywhere from 150 to 200 minutes per week minimum of Zone 2 cardio for the sake of cardiovascular health.' As we know, strong cardiovascular health is linked to longevity and health span. But there's something else — you don't need to run to achieve your cardio minutes and boost longevity. Here's what Huberman says you can do instead, what Zone 2 cardio means, benefits and how it can help you reach your weekly movement goals and boost longevity with (or without) one of the best fitness trackers to measure your progress. Zone 2 training, also known as heart rate zone training, means working out at roughly 60-70% of your max heart rate (MHR). This means an easy effort without overexerting yourself, and if you're still unsure, you can use heart rate zones on most fitness trackers, including your Garmin or Apple Watch, to help you stay on track. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends 150-300 minutes of moderate aerobic activity per week to help battle the effects of sedentary lifestyles, which increase the likelihood of injury and the development of chronic illness. Steady-state cardio is credited with increasing endurance, improving the efficiency of your energy systems, building aerobic capacity and cardiovascular health, plus tackling bone density loss and muscle atrophy. Andrew Huberman, a neuroscientist and professor of neurobiology and ophthalmology at Stanford University School of Medicine, says he schedules 60 to 90 minutes of easy-pace running into his weekly routine one day per week (usually on a Sunday) to contribute toward the minimum number of minutes recommended. But what if you hate running? Not everyone fancies a jog on any given day, and some people don't even enjoy 'Jeffing' — a combination of walking and running intervals that many, including my colleague, swear by for taking off the intensity. It's good news because you can still hit the minimum of 150 minutes of Zone 2 cardio without it. First of all, you can remain low effort — during Huberman's runs, he says he can 'maintain nasal breathing,' which means he is moving in a way that allows him to keep up a conversation with himself or friends or family. Sometimes, he says, he may take a hike between one and four hours instead. Although you can do this anywhere, Huberman enjoys taking his Zone 2 cardio outdoors, where he can enjoy fresh air, nature and sunshine. Studies show that exercising in nature has proven to boost mood, increase creativity and reduce feelings of stress and anxiety, all of which help improve longevity. Huberman refers to a conversation he had with Dr. Andy Galpin, explaining that he can't always hit his designated cardio minutes per week through a run or hike. Galpin, a scientist and tenured professor who is the Executive Director of the Human Performance Center at Parker University, responded with something simple: He doesn't think of Zone 2 cardio as 'exercise' at all. In fact, it should enhance (rather than impede) other types of movement you do during the week, like hypertrophy or strength training, or speed work. What does he mean by that? Well, he tells Huberman that you can simply increase the total amount of movement and walking you do during the week with a focus on pace and speed. Regular brisk walking can slash your biological age by up to 16 years, according to a new study, but even increasing your total physical activity throughout the week can be beneficial, too. This plays into something called Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT), which accounts for any activity you do during the week, like playing with your kids or taking a work call standing up. Huberman paraphrases Galpin's advice by stating: 'Zone 2 cardio can be meshed throughout the daily activities that I and everybody else generally have to do.' This is great news if you find life gets busy and you don't have the hours to dedicate to the gym. You can still hit the minimum 150 minutes of Zone 2 by spreading it out across the week, taking brisk walks and increasing pace where possible, or incorporating slow-paced, easy effort jogs if you don't mind running. This should come as a relief if you find it difficult to schedule exercise into the week or if your priority, like mine, is strength training. Instead, Huberman says it takes the pressure off and allows you to consider Zone 2 cardio as regular daily life while gaining the benefits of cardio at the same time. Forget running and swimming — study finds this sport adds 10 years to your life I thought power walking was weird — here's what happened when I tried it 30 minutes a day for one week I review running watches and these are my top 3 suggestions for most people
