tag:theconversation.com,2011:/id/topics/flexibility-41479/articlesflexibility – The Conversation2023-07-25T20:04:48Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2062042023-07-25T20:04:48Z2023-07-25T20:04:48ZCan’t afford a gym membership or fitness class? 3 things to include in a DIY exercise program<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/538415/original/file-20230720-21-9hekky.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=175%2C434%2C4490%2C2676&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/lrQPTQs7nQQ">Jonathan Borba/Unsplash</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>With the rising cost of living, gyms memberships and fitness classes are becoming increasingly unaffordable. But the good news is you can make <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28655559/">just as much progress at home</a>.</p>
<p>Cardiovascular endurance, muscle strength and flexibility are the <a href="https://www.acsm.org/docs/default-source/publications-files/acsms-exercise-testing-prescription.pdf?sfvrsn=111e9306_4">most important</a> components of fitness. And each can be trained with little or no equipment. Let’s look at why – and how – to fit them into your DIY exercise program. </p>
<h2>1. Cardiovascular endurance</h2>
<p>Cardiovascular endurance exercise (or “cardio”) forces the heart and lungs to increase the supply of oxygen to the working muscles. Heart disease is a <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/the-top-10-causes-of-death">leading cause of death</a> and cardiovascular endurance exercise helps keep the heart healthy. </p>
<p>The best thing about cardio is you don’t need any fancy equipment to do it. Walking, jogging and running are great options, as are cycling, skipping rope and swimming.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Older man skips rope" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/539133/original/file-20230725-17-g2ab6q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/539133/original/file-20230725-17-g2ab6q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/539133/original/file-20230725-17-g2ab6q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/539133/original/file-20230725-17-g2ab6q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/539133/original/file-20230725-17-g2ab6q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/539133/original/file-20230725-17-g2ab6q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/539133/original/file-20230725-17-g2ab6q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Skipping rope can be a cardio workout.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/senior-man-running-city-jumping-rope-1411700741">Shutterstock</a></span>
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<p>There are two approaches to maximise cardiovascular endurance:</p>
<ul>
<li><p><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8897392/">high-intensity interval training</a> (HIIT) – short bouts of hard exercise (around 80% to 95% of your maximum heart rate) interspersed with lower intensity recovery periods (around 40% to 50% of your maximum heart rate)</p></li>
<li><p><a href="http://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26664271/">low-intensity steady-state</a> (LISS) exercise – aerobic activity performed continuously at a low-to-moderate intensity (around 50% to 65% of your maximum heart rate) for an extended duration.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>Both are great options. While high-intensity interval training can be more time efficient, low-intensity steady-state training might be more enjoyable and easier to sustain long-term. </p>
<p>No matter what you choose, <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/physical-activity">aim for</a> a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity cardiovascular exercise each week. For example, you could try 30 minutes, five days per week of low intensity cardio, or 25 minutes, three days per week of high-intensity activity, or a combination of the two. </p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/dont-have-time-to-exercise-heres-a-regimen-everyone-can-squeeze-in-111600">Don't have time to exercise? Here's a regimen everyone can squeeze in</a>
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</em>
</p>
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<p>How do you know if you’re exercising at the right intensity? </p>
<p>Smart watches that measure heart rate can help to monitor intensity. Or you can rely on the good old-fashioned <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25536539/">talk test</a>. During low-intensity activity, you should be able to speak in full sentences. Conversely, short phrases (initially) or single words (towards the end) should be all that’s manageable during high-intensity exercise. </p>
<h2>2. Muscle strength</h2>
<p>Next is muscle strength, which we train through resistance exercise. This is important for bone health, balance and metabolic health, especially as we age and our <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30276173/">muscle mass and strength declines</a>.</p>
<p>Aim for two days per week of whole-body resistance exercise performed at a moderate or <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/physical-activity">greater intensity</a>. Try to build two weekly sessions that target the major muscle groups. This could include:</p>
<ul>
<li>squats – lower to the ground from standing by bending the hips, knees, and ankles while keeping the chest up tall before returning to standing by straightening the hips, knees and ankles</li>
</ul>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Man does a squat in his living room" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/538417/original/file-20230720-27-ktr6ea.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/538417/original/file-20230720-27-ktr6ea.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/538417/original/file-20230720-27-ktr6ea.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/538417/original/file-20230720-27-ktr6ea.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/538417/original/file-20230720-27-ktr6ea.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/538417/original/file-20230720-27-ktr6ea.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/538417/original/file-20230720-27-ktr6ea.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">You don’t need any equipment for squats.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/muscular-athletic-fit-man-tshirt-shorts-1497529373">Shutterstock</a></span>
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<ul>
<li><p><a href="https://www.physio-pedia.com/Hip_Hinge">hinges</a> – fold forward at the hips by pushing your bottom back to the wall behind you, keeping your back straight. A slight bend in the knees is fine but aim to keep your shins vertical </p></li>
<li><p><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7196742/">push-ups</a> – if a full push-up is too difficult, you can place your hands on a raised surface such as a step or a chair</p></li>
<li><p>horizontal and vertical pull ups – using something like a portable chin up bar, which you can buy from sports supply stores</p></li>
<li><p>vertical pushes – pushing an object (or weight) vertically from the top of your chest to an overhead position.</p></li>
</ul>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Woman in wheelchair lifts weights" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/539143/original/file-20230725-15-4euho7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/539143/original/file-20230725-15-4euho7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/539143/original/file-20230725-15-4euho7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/539143/original/file-20230725-15-4euho7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/539143/original/file-20230725-15-4euho7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/539143/original/file-20230725-15-4euho7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/539143/original/file-20230725-15-4euho7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Vertical pushes involve lifting a weight from chest to over your head.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/disabled-old-woman-wheelchair-raising-arm-1992294383">Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Once you have selected your exercises, <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35873210/">perform</a> 2–3 sets of 8–12 repetitions at a moderate to greater intensity, with about 90 seconds rest between each set.</p>
<p>As you progress, continue to challenge your muscles by adding an extra set to each exercise, or including dumbbells, changing body position or wearing a backpack with weights. The goal should be to progress slightly each session.</p>
<p>However, if you have any underlying health conditions, disabilities, or are unsure how best to do this, see an exercise physiologist or physiotherapist.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-weightlifting-is-beneficial-before-and-after-the-menopause-204846">Why weightlifting is beneficial before and after the menopause</a>
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</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>3. Flexibility</h2>
<p>Improved flexibility can <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3273886/">increase your range of motion</a> and improve your ability to manage daily life. </p>
<p>While we don’t know the <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3273886/">best means of increasing flexibility</a>, the most basic and readily accessible is static <a href="https://www.topendsports.com/testing/flex.htm">stretching</a>. Here, we lengthen the muscle – for example, the hamstrings, until we feel a “stretching” sensation. Hold that position for 15–30 seconds. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="People stretch their arms" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/539137/original/file-20230725-15-it5mvb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/539137/original/file-20230725-15-it5mvb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/539137/original/file-20230725-15-it5mvb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/539137/original/file-20230725-15-it5mvb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/539137/original/file-20230725-15-it5mvb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/539137/original/file-20230725-15-it5mvb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/539137/original/file-20230725-15-it5mvb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Stretching can increase your range of motion.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/close-hands-elderly-people-stretching-before-769325845">Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>While the precise intensity of this stretching sensation <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26347668/">remains elusive</a>, <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29506306/">around 5–10 minutes</a> per week per <a href="https://exrx.net/Lists/Directory">muscle group</a>, spread across five days, seems to provide the best results. </p>
<h2>How to stick with it?</h2>
<p>The best exercise is the one that gets done. So, whatever you choose, make sure you enjoy it. After all, it’s about creating an ongoing commitment to exercise that will deliver long-term health benefits. </p>
<p>It’s also important to ensure you’re ready to exercise, especially if you have any underlying health issues, have been previously inactive, or are unsure how to start. A <a href="https://www.ausactive.org.au/apss">pre-exercise screening</a> can help you to determine whether you should see a doctor or allied health professional before starting an exercise program and for guidance on the next steps. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/new-study-much-of-what-were-told-about-gym-exercises-and-resistance-training-is-from-studies-of-males-by-men-205753">New study: much of what we're told about gym exercises and resistance training is from studies of males, by men</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/206204/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>With the rising cost of living, gyms and fitness classes are becoming unaffordable. But you can make just as much progress at home if you include these three components.Lewis Ingram, Lecturer in Physiotherapy, University of South AustraliaHunter Bennett, Lecturer in Exercise Science, University of South AustraliaSaravana Kumar, Professor in Allied Health and Health Services Research, University of South AustraliaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1976622023-01-24T13:23:27Z2023-01-24T13:23:27ZYoga: Modern research shows a variety of benefits to both body and mind from the ancient practice<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/505654/original/file-20230120-8209-dd2jmr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=252%2C347%2C6774%2C4340&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Yoga mixes physical exercise with meditation and breathing techniques.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/yoga-class-on-mats-in-studio-in-gentle-twist-royalty-free-image/1305098935?phrase=yoga%20group&adppopup=true">10,000 Hours/Digital Vision via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>The popularity of yoga has grown tremendously in the past decade. More than 10% of U.S. adults <a href="https://doi.org/10.1089/acm.2020.0506">have practiced yoga</a> at some point in their lives. Yoga practitioners spend on average US$90 a month, and the yoga industry is worth more than <a href="https://comparecamp.com/yoga-statistics/">$80 billion worldwide</a>. </p>
<p>Yoga is now a mainstream activity in the U.S. and is commonly portrayed as a healthy lifestyle choice. <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=Ar2ww04AAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao">I am a behavioral scientist</a> who researches how physical activity – and specifically yoga – can prevent and help manage chronic diseases.</p>
<p>Many people attribute improvements in their physical and mental health to their yoga practice. But until recently, research had been sparse on the health benefits of yoga. As the body of rigorous research on yoga grows, more and more work is showing the many health benefits of a yoga practice. </p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/505655/original/file-20230120-24-xurvux.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A statue of a man sitting with legs crossed." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/505655/original/file-20230120-24-xurvux.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/505655/original/file-20230120-24-xurvux.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=405&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/505655/original/file-20230120-24-xurvux.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=405&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/505655/original/file-20230120-24-xurvux.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=405&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/505655/original/file-20230120-24-xurvux.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=509&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/505655/original/file-20230120-24-xurvux.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=509&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/505655/original/file-20230120-24-xurvux.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=509&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The sage Patanjali wrote the first texts on yoga nearly 2,000 years ago.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Patanjali_Statue.jpg#/media/File:Patanjali_Statue.jpg">Alokprasad/Wikimedia Commons</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>What is yoga?</h2>
<p>The name “yoga” is derived from the Sanskrit word “Yuj” meaning to unite, join or connect the mind, body and soul. The first text on yoga was <a href="https://yoga.ayush.gov.in/Yoga-History/#:%7E:text=The%20practice%20of%20Yoga%20is,first%20Guru%20or%20Adi%20Guru">written by the sage Patanjali</a> over 2,000 years ago in India. Patanjali described yoga as “citta-vrtti-nirodhah,” or “stilling the mind.” This was achieved through a mix of breath work, meditation, physical movement and body purification practices, as well as ethical and moral codes for living a healthy and purposeful life.</p>
<p>Over the years, various yoga teachers have modified the original Patanjali yoga, resulting in different styles that vary in their intensity and focus. For example, some yoga styles such as <a href="https://www.arhantayoga.org/blog/what-is-vinyasa-yoga/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=16798733686&utm_content=&utm_term=&gclid=Cj0KCQiA_bieBhDSARIsADU4zLeu55jBq4b-83qV9FGkLb6voLdHYDVD8-9dzNPX44WhozJvslby0RYaApn3EALw_wcB">Vinyasa</a> focus more on intense movements similar to an aerobic workout. <a href="https://chopra.com/articles/restorative-yoga-the-basics-5-poses">Restorative yoga</a> includes more relaxation poses. <a href="https://iynaus.org/what-is-iyengar-yoga/">Iyengar yoga</a> uses props and emphasizes precision and proper alignment of body. These different styles provide options for individuals with different physical abilities.</p>
<p>Generally speaking, yoga instructors in the U.S. today teach styles that incorporate postures, breathing exercises and sometimes meditation.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zbG9LQst6EA?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Modern Western yoga often uses poses like downward dog that focus on flexibility and strength.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>What does the research show?</h2>
<p>As yoga has grown in popularity in recent years, researchers have begun to study its effects and are finding that it has great benefit for mental and physical health.</p>
<p>Yoga involves physical movement, so it is no surprise that most types of yoga can help to improve a person’s strength and flexibility. In one study with healthy untrained volunteers, researchers found that eight weeks of yoga improved <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1520-037x.2001.00542.x">muscular strength at the elbow and knee by 10%-30%</a>. Flexibility at the ankle, shoulder and hip joints also increased by 13%-188%.</p>
<p>There are a number of less obvious but meaningful benefits from yoga as well. Research has shown that yoga practice can <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijcard.2014.02.017">reduce risk factors for heart disease</a> such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and abdominal obesity. Studies on older adults have shown significant improvements in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/ageing/afv175">balance, mobility</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.archger.2020.104319">cognitive function</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1186/s12966-019-0789-2">overall quality of life</a>. </p>
<p>Yoga seems to be effective at managing pain, too. Research has found that yoga can improve symptoms of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-019-05413-9">headaches</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s11926-019-0846-5">osteoarthritis</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1097%2FMD.0000000000014649">neck pain</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD010671">low-back pain</a>. In fact, the American College of Physicians recommends yoga as one of the options for initial nonpharmaceutical <a href="https://doi.org/10.7326/M16-2367">treatment for chronic low-back pain</a>.</p>
<p>Yoga also provides many benefits for mental health. Researchers have found that a regular practice over eight to 12 weeks can lead to moderate <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/da.22762">reductions in anxiety</a> and <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2019-101242">depressive symptoms</a> as well as help with <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32088671/">stress management</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/505657/original/file-20230120-16-kadb2e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A group of people sitting on yoga mats with their hands pressed together in front of their chests." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/505657/original/file-20230120-16-kadb2e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/505657/original/file-20230120-16-kadb2e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/505657/original/file-20230120-16-kadb2e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/505657/original/file-20230120-16-kadb2e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/505657/original/file-20230120-16-kadb2e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/505657/original/file-20230120-16-kadb2e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/505657/original/file-20230120-16-kadb2e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Mindfulness is an important part of yoga practice and has been linked to many health benefits.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/mature-woman-doing-yoga-in-class-royalty-free-image/1349259739?phrase=yoga%20sitting%20group&adppopup=true">SeventyFour/iStock via Getty Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>More than physical exercise</h2>
<p>Yoga is a type of exercise in that it is a form of physical exertion that helps build fitness. A lot of the benefits researchers have found are due to the physical activity component and are similar to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1089/acm.2009.0044">benefits from other forms of exercise</a> like running, weightlifting or calisthenics. </p>
<p>But unlike these other activities, yoga practice incorporates mindfulness as a key aspect. With its focus on controlling breath, holding postures and meditation, yoga increases how much a person pays attention to the sensations of their body and the present moment. This <a href="https://theconversation.com/meditation-and-mindfulness-offer-an-abundance-of-health-benefits-and-may-be-as-effective-as-medication-for-treating-certain-conditions-195276">mindfulness leads to many benefits</a> not found from other forms of exercise.</p>
<p>Studies have shown that mindfulness training on its own can increase a person’s self-awareness, along with the ability to recognize and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.84.4.822">skillfully respond to emotional stress</a>. It can even give a person greater control over long-term behavior. One study found that increased mindfulness from yoga can help people better recognize and respond to feelings of being full when eating, decrease binge eating and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/10640266.2020.1798172">alleviate concerns over how their body looks</a>.</p>
<p>My colleagues and I observed a similar effect in a pilot study on the benefits of yoga for individuals with Type 2 diabetes. After doing yoga twice a week for three months, several participants reported paying more attention to their diet, snacking less and eating healthier, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.ctcp.2018.11.011">even without any nutrition intervention</a>. Our patients also reported less stress and an increased willingness to engage in other types of physical activities.</p>
<p>Yoga is clearly different from Western exercise in how it approaches mental health. With more research, it may be possible to understand the biological mechanisms as well.</p>
<h2>Things to know if you want to start doing yoga</h2>
<p>Yoga may not be helpful for all medical conditions or right for every person, but people of all age groups, body types and physical abilities can practice yoga. It can be a form of mental and physical exercise for people who do not enjoy sweating during strenuous forms of exercise or for individuals with medical or physical conditions who find working out in the gym challenging.</p>
<p>It is important to consider that although yoga is generally safe, just as with any other form of exercise, there is some <a href="https://doi.org/10.1186/s12906-019-2612-7">risk of getting injured</a>. Individuals with medical conditions who are new to yoga should practice it initially under the supervision of a trained instructor. </p>
<p>If you do decide to give yoga a try, talk to the yoga instructor first to assess whether the style they offer meets your preference and fitness levels. Remember, you may need to practice a couple of weeks to feel the benefits, physically and mentally.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/197662/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Herpreet Thind receives funding from the National Institute of Health. </span></em></p>Yoga’s surge in popularity in the past decade has spurred more research into its effects. The combination of physical movement and mindfulness provides a wide range of health benefits.Herpreet Thind, Associate Professor of Public Health, UMass LowellLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1848952022-06-23T14:50:35Z2022-06-23T14:50:35ZWhy Uber drivers aren’t unionizing in Québec<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/468243/original/file-20220610-28309-qtm2nc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The Uber model hinders any possibility of drivers acting collectively and generates significant cognitive dissonance among them.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>As of mid-June, the Uber platform will extend its services to the entire province of Québec. On a global scale, Uber is in nearly <a href="https://s23.q4cdn.com/407969754/files/doc_downloads/2021/07/Uber-2021-ESG-Report.pdf">10,000 cities and 71 countries and has more than 3.5 million workers</a>.</p>
<p>This model, based on on-demand work and the algorithmic distribution of tasks, fundamentally transforms ways of thinking about, organizing and carrying out work, both on an individual and collective basis.</p>
<p>The expansion of Uber’s service across Québec provides an opportunity to examine the reality of the work being carried out by thousands of drivers and delivery personnel in the province. What is their work day like? How do they make social connections?</p>
<p>To try to answer these questions, I observed Facebook groups of drivers and interviewed about 50 Uber workers in Québec.</p>
<p>As a doctoral student in communications at Université du Québec à Montréal and a research student at the Université du Québec’s Institut national de la recherche scientifique, my research examines the profile and motivations of Uber drivers, their ideas about collective action and, more generally, the psychosocial issues involved in work that is mediated by algorithms.</p>
<h2>Many encounters, but solitary work</h2>
<p>Although Uber workers encounter many people on a daily basis (customers, restaurant owners, passengers), their activity is essentially solitary. Their work takes place without ever meeting another human from Uber. Their registration on the platform is done online and their daily tasks are distributed to them by an algorithm through the Uber app.</p>
<p>If a problem prompts a driver to contact the company’s technical service, the people they interact with are located in <a href="https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1525/9780520970632/html">out-of-country call centres</a>. What’s more, the answers they get are most often formatted by scripts, reinforcing the robotic nature of their relationship to work.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/467558/original/file-20220607-18-79q23t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="man wearing a mask driving a car with an Uber badge" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/467558/original/file-20220607-18-79q23t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/467558/original/file-20220607-18-79q23t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/467558/original/file-20220607-18-79q23t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/467558/original/file-20220607-18-79q23t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/467558/original/file-20220607-18-79q23t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/467558/original/file-20220607-18-79q23t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/467558/original/file-20220607-18-79q23t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The organization of their work limits Uber drivers’ possibilities to socialize and hinders the possibility of forming a union.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>As for the few moments when workers might meet — in restaurants waiting for orders or in drop-off areas at airports — drivers’ interactions are limited to brief exchanges about the number of orders they got that day, as expressed by Katia, an Uber Eats delivery driver in Montréal:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>When I pass another delivery driver, I say “Hey Uber! Lots of business tonight,” or “Not much business tonight,” and that’s about it. After that, I probably won’t ever see them again, but if I do, I just say hello. I don’t even know their name.</p>
</blockquote>
<h2>A competitive atmosphere</h2>
<p>Uber drivers’ Facebook groups do provide a place to share information and vent about frustrating situations. However, these spaces play a very limited role in building a collective since they don’t make it possible for drivers to have extended conversations about work.</p>
<p>The architecture of the groups favours short-term interactions, with posts quickly fading into the thread. Constructive exchanges would require conversations over a long period of time in an atmosphere of listening and trust. However, the competition felt by drivers, combined with the brief and anonymous interaction mode of social networks, contributes to a hostile climate. As Diane, an Uber Eats delivery driver in Laval, says:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>I think that the negative comments are made to discourage others because it’s not a group where we encourage each other. It’s a group where we try to discourage others, because it’s competition. If I want to earn a living, I have to run more races than you.</p>
</blockquote>
<h2>Collective action is a threat</h2>
<p>Surprisingly, this absence of a collective identity is not perceived as a problem by most of the workers I interviewed. Despite difficult working conditions over which they have no control, workers do not tend toward gathering and mobilizing in an effort to establish a power relationship with Uber.</p>
<p>While Uber drivers in other jurisdictions <a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/8816204/uber-union-reach-settlement-ontario-unionization-case/">have tried to unionize</a>, the idea of collective action is perceived as a threat by most of the Québec workers. The competitive climate pushes drivers to develop a repertoire of tactics and tinkering to stand out, as Bertrand, an Uber driver in Québec City, said:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>We all go to the Facebook group for the same thing, to find others like us and see if they can give us tips and tricks to better understand how it works, to get information. But we quickly understand that, no, we are all in the same boat, we are all there for our own pocketbook.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Among the tactics used to optimize their income, some drivers will, for example, call customers to find out their destination before picking them up. If drivers feel the trip is unprofitable, given the distance to the customer, they will cancel the trip. Others use two phones to maintain access to the map and show the location of the surcharge zones.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/467536/original/file-20220607-13238-andol3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Uber app on a Samsung phone showing several available cars" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/467536/original/file-20220607-13238-andol3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/467536/original/file-20220607-13238-andol3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/467536/original/file-20220607-13238-andol3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/467536/original/file-20220607-13238-andol3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/467536/original/file-20220607-13238-andol3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/467536/original/file-20220607-13238-andol3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/467536/original/file-20220607-13238-andol3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">In Québec, many Uber users appreciate the app’s ease of use and the convenience of the service.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>No sense of belonging</h2>
<p>To many workers, a work collective that strives to harmonize practices and replace individual tactics with collective strategies, looks like a loss of competitive advantage.</p>
<p>Now that Uber drivers’ struggles against cab drivers is over — thanks to <a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/5096891/taxi-drivers-protest-montreal-quebec-city/">the adoption of Bill 17 in 2020</a> which deregulated Québec’s taxi industry — they no longer share a common enemy.</p>
<h2>Fraught consequences</h2>
<p>Each driver has to learn how the business works and cope with its challenges on their own, cobbling together their own tactics, conscious that not all drivers benefit from the same resources. Moreover, drivers are deprived of the opportunity to develop a collective reaction about their working conditions. </p>
<p>The absence of meaningful exchanges, opportunities to listen and the presence of other drivers hinders the development of any meaningful relationships and solidarity between drivers. Their activity is reduced to their relationship with technology.</p>
<p>In fact, without the power to act collectively in the face of rigid working conditions, the dysfunctions and health problems of workers are always treated <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/278777956_Collective_work_and_rules_re-writing_process_a_way_of_workers%27_health">as isolated realities rather than as a consequence of the way their work is organized</a>. As Kader, an Uber driver in Montréal, puts it:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>I’ve never opened my heart on the Facebook group. All I have to do is make one comment and I feel attacked by the others. Often, drivers who speak honestly are verbally attacked. Drivers are suffering. We could discuss it. But the climate we need to do this does not exist in the group.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The profiles of Uber drivers in Québec vary greatly. For example, the fact that it’s impossible to negotiate higher incomes does not have the same consequences for a Tesla engineer, who drives three hours a week to take their mind off things, as it does for an immigrant who works 60 hours a week to support their family.</p>
<h2>Low revenues and lack of transparency</h2>
<p>For some individuals being an Uber driver brings in extra income, but the model also takes advantage of the precariousness of a part of the population. Those who carry out the activity as their only source of income, often do so because they lack a better option. </p>
<p>Although the majority of the drivers I interviewed do not aspire to become employees and are reluctant to join a union, many deplore the low income and the platform’s lack of transparency over how the algorithm and the remuneration system work.</p>
<p>Faced with this situation, they see the government as the only stakeholder that could establish a power relationship with Uber and force the platform to offer better working conditions to its drivers.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/184895/count.gif" alt="La Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Lucie Enel has received funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, the Fonds de recherche du Québec - Société et culture, Centre interuniversitaire de recherche sur la science et la technologie, and the J.A. DeSève Foundation.</span></em></p>When it comes to dealing with Uber’s difficult working conditions, Uber drivers are on their own.Lucie Enel, Doctorante en communication, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM)Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1502532020-11-18T19:42:47Z2020-11-18T19:42:47ZCurved origami offers a creative route to making robots and other mechanical devices<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/370127/original/file-20201118-21-aiooq2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C8%2C5760%2C3811&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">These beautiful curves hold the key to a simple way to vary the stiffness of robotic grippers.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/folded-sheet-of-paper-against-gray-background-royalty-free-image/917468268?adppopup=true">njekaterina/DigitalVision via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>The <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/topics/research-brief-83231">Research Brief</a> is a short take about interesting academic work.</em></p>
<h2>The big idea</h2>
<p>Building robotic grippers that can firmly grasp heavy objects and also gently grasp delicate ones usually requires complicated sets of gears, hinges and motors. But it turns out that it’s also possible to make grippers out of simple sheets of flexible material with the right creases in them.</p>
<p>Our <a href="http://jiang.lab.asu.edu/">lab at Arizona State University</a> has designed curved fold patterns that can change stiffness and flexibility. Flexible materials shaped with these patterns can be used to make simple, inexpensive robotic grippers, swimming robots and other mechanical devices. </p>
<p>People naturally vary the amount of stiffness needed to handle fragile and sturdy objects appropriately. Robots interact with the environment in the same way. Curved folding is a simple way to give robots the ability to vary the amount of stiffness they use to interact with different objects and environments.</p>
<p><a href="https://advances.sciencemag.org/content/6/47/eabe2000">Our team’s idea</a> was inspired by origami, the art of paper folding. Origami can be stiff or flexible depending on its folding pattern, but it is hard to give origami a range of stiffnesses.</p>
<p>To overcome this problem, we replaced straight origami folding lines, or creases, with curved creases. By using multiple curved lines between two points rather than just one straight line, a curved origami structure can take on multiple shapes. We found that each shape has its own unique stiffness. Building a robotic gripper, for example, based on this design allows it to apply different amounts of force to objects depending on which curved crease the robot uses.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Four small plastic sheets with curved folds forming different structures" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/370096/original/file-20201118-19-1oz37u7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/370096/original/file-20201118-19-1oz37u7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=240&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/370096/original/file-20201118-19-1oz37u7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=240&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/370096/original/file-20201118-19-1oz37u7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=240&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/370096/original/file-20201118-19-1oz37u7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=302&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/370096/original/file-20201118-19-1oz37u7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=302&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/370096/original/file-20201118-19-1oz37u7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=302&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Examples of curved origami with robotics applications.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Zirui Zhai, Arizona State University</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/">CC BY-NC-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Compared with other methods for variable stiffness, this method is simple and compact, which means it can be used to make small and light devices.</p>
<h2>Why it matters</h2>
<p>Changing stiffness is important and ubiquitous in nature, and it’s a key variable in engineering. A heavy-duty robot gripper needs high stiffness, or low flexibility, to lift heavy objects. Other robot grippers need low stiffness, or high flexibility, to protect fragile objects.</p>
<p>Changing between a stiff state and a flexible state is critical in robots, but today’s adjustable stiffness systems are commonly bulky and cannot be used in micro-robots or soft robots. Micro-robots include insect-size robots being developed to monitor infrastructure and the environment. Soft robots under development are made of inflatable or flexible materials, which makes them safer to use alongside people. Our curved origami designs have a simple mechanical structure, making them easy to fabricate and control. </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5fiRjtGrQjQ?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">The authors demonstrate curved folds, variable stiffness and how curved folds can be used to make robots.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>What other research is being done</h2>
<p>Traditional mechanical structures can also be used to vary stiffness: for example, grippers powered by variable pneumatics or electric motors. Our work is the first to achieve a full range of stiffness control with a simple structure. </p>
<p>The curved origami technique builds on our previous origami-inspired work, including <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/origami-batteries-and-accordion-sensors-could-power-smart-clothes/">origami-based stretchable lithium ion batteries</a> and origami-inspired structures that can be <a href="https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1720171115">collapsed and expanded on demand</a>. </p>
<h2>What’s next</h2>
<p>We are adding more remote control functions to the curved origami structures to trigger the folding. We are considering several different methods such as pneumatic, magnetic and electronic control. With on-board control, curved origami can be applied to fields beyond robotics. One possibility is haptic devices that change their stiffness to give people realistic force feedback in virtual reality. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A series of six photos of a blue plastic square with pleated folds floating in water" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/369737/original/file-20201117-19-rxbh2s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/369737/original/file-20201117-19-rxbh2s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=166&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/369737/original/file-20201117-19-rxbh2s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=166&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/369737/original/file-20201117-19-rxbh2s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=166&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/369737/original/file-20201117-19-rxbh2s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=208&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/369737/original/file-20201117-19-rxbh2s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=208&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/369737/original/file-20201117-19-rxbh2s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=208&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A pneumatic, swimming robot made from plastic sheets with curved folds.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Zirui Zhai, Arizona State University</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/">CC BY-NC-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/150253/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Hanqing Jiang receives funding from the National Science Foundation. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Zirui Zhai does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Curved origami isn’t just elegant art. It’s also a versatile way to vary the amount of force applied by robots and other machines.Hanqing Jiang, Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Arizona State UniversityZirui Zhai, Ph.D. student in Mechanical Engineering, Arizona State UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1379622020-05-21T10:28:23Z2020-05-21T10:28:23ZStretching: expert explains how best to do it before and after a workout<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/336686/original/file-20200521-102682-ibwrjp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=8%2C0%2C5329%2C3561&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Static stretching should be avoided before a workout.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/outdoor-portrait-young-woman-stretching-preparing-231069664">Josep Suria/ Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Many people see stretching as an essential part of any exercise or workout regime. It helps us increase our flexibility and our range of movement. Many of us also stretch to loosen up before exercising, and to help recover after we’re finished. </p>
<p>Though stretching has long been a mainstay of nearly every workout routine, does it have as much of an effect on performance and recovery as we believe?</p>
<p>The reason we feel more flexible after stretching is because of an increase in the level of discomfort we are able to bear at the extremes of our range of movement. This is known as <a href="https://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/10.1139/apnm-2015-0235#.Xr42x0BFzIU">stretch tolerance</a>.</p>
<p>It was long considered that static stretching – <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00421-011-1879-2">holding a limb</a> at the edge of its range of movement, usually for up to a minute – was a <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/229071265_Should_Static_Stretching_Be_Used_During_a_Warm-Up_for_Strength_and_Power_Activities">requirement for any decent warm-up</a>. It was thought that pushing this range of movement would temporarily <a href="https://academic.oup.com/ptj/article/77/10/1090/2633110">increase flexibility</a>, in theory helping to prevent injuries and improve performance during exercise. </p>
<p>Around the end of the last century, however, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9864760">evidence emerged</a> that static stretching could actually have <a href="https://journals.lww.com/nsca-jscr/Fulltext/2016/10000/The_Acute_Effects_of_Static_Stretching_on_Speed.11.aspx">negative effects</a> on strength, power and speed. It’s widely been agreed since that static stretching should be avoided during a warm-up.</p>
<p>Dynamic stretching has instead become more popular during warm-ups. Dynamic stretching involves deliberately <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00421-010-1386-x">moving a limb repeatedly</a> through its entire range of movement.</p>
<p>Dynamic stretching doesn’t impede performance the way static stretching does. In fact, it may even <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs40279-017-0797-9">increase muscle strength</a> while still providing the short-term increases in flexibility offered by static stretching. Before doing any type of exercise, a bit of dynamic stretching is recommended.</p>
<p>It’s worth noting that static stretching does still <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31464179/?from_sort=date&from_linkname=pubmed_pubmed&from_from_uid=15292748&from_pos=4">increase range of movement</a>. And any negative side effects may even be avoided if done properly. But static stretching a single muscle group for <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs00421-011-1879-2">more than 90 seconds</a> substantially increases the likelihood of worsened performance. Any static stretches done before a workout should be brief.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/336693/original/file-20200521-102671-12dx6oe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/336693/original/file-20200521-102671-12dx6oe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=420&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/336693/original/file-20200521-102671-12dx6oe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=420&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/336693/original/file-20200521-102671-12dx6oe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=420&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/336693/original/file-20200521-102671-12dx6oe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=528&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/336693/original/file-20200521-102671-12dx6oe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=528&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/336693/original/file-20200521-102671-12dx6oe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=528&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Dynamic stretching is preferred before a workout.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/runner-man-getting-ready-run-doing-769170097">Maridav/ Shutterstock</a></span>
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</figure>
<p>The <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs00421-011-1879-2">opposite seems to be true</a> for dynamic stretching. It appears that performing dynamic stretching for less than 90 seconds is far less likely to improve flexibility and performance than longer bouts. When dynamic stretching, give each muscle group attention and take your time.</p>
<h2>After exercise</h2>
<p>Many people also like to stretch after exercising, usually with the aim of <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.2165%2F00007256-199724050-00001">reducing muscle soreness and injury risk</a>. </p>
<p><a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.2165%2F00007256-200838060-00004">Delayed-onset muscle soreness</a> is common, and usually follows exercise you’re not used to, or that’s particularly hard. The sensation of soreness is usually intensified when the muscle in question is lengthened. This tells us that the muscles’ inbuilt “stretch detectors” – <a href="https://research.monash.edu/en/publications/large-fiber-mechanoreceptors-contribute-to-muscle-soreness-after-">called muscle spindles</a> – are involved in producing that characteristic painful sensation. The nerve pathways linked to muscle spindles are closely related to neural pain pathways. This response might have evolved to allow muscles the time to recover.</p>
<p>Stretching to prevent muscle soreness has long been advocated. But evidence suggests that stretching just before and/or just after exercise actually has <a href="https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD004577.pub3/full">no effect on muscle soreness</a> during the subsequent days. So stretching to try and avoid the inevitable painful follow-up to a heavy workout is almost certainly not going to get you anywhere. There is also currently <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27912252/">no compelling evidence</a> that stretching can help reduce injuries in activities with high injury rates.</p>
<p>Beyond static and dynamic stretching, <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/sms.12725">other techniques</a> have grown in popularity in recent years. </p>
<p>Ballistic stretching is similar to dynamic stretching, but incorporates bouncing movements to push the range of movement to the very extremes of its limits. Another type of stretching, called <a href="https://www.thieme-connect.com/products/ejournals/abstract/10.1055/s-0044-101146">proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation</a>, or PNF, involves repeated contraction and relaxation of the target muscles in order to allow them to stretch. Many believe PNF enables a greater range of movement, but this effect only <a href="https://journals.lww.com/acsm-essr/Fulltext/2006/10000/Neural_Aspects_of_Muscle_Stretching.3.aspx">lasts for around five seconds</a> after the end of the stretch. </p>
<p>All of these stretching methods will increase flexibility, but based on current evidence, <a href="https://www.thieme-connect.com/products/ejournals/abstract/10.1055/s-0044-101146">static stretching is still more effective</a> than either PNF or ballistic stretching at improving range of movement, and may even be <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3737866/">slightly better</a> than dynamic stretching.</p>
<p>But there’s really no need to over-complicate your stretching routine. Work the large muscle groups within their ranges of movement, and time things wisely so your stretches don’t detract from the rest of your exercise. While stretching on its own is unlikely to have much impact on your workout or recovery, a bit of stretching during your warm-up may help to gradually prepare your body for exercise.</p>
<p>That being said, stretching for the sake of improving flexibility still provides <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00971170.1980.10622349">numerous health benefits</a>, including <a href="https://physoc.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1113/JP275459">improved circulation</a> and <a href="https://journals.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/ajpheart.00732.2015">reduced blood pressure</a>. Public <a href="https://www.acsm.org/read-research/books/acsms-guidelines-for-exercise-testing-and-prescription">guidelines recommend</a> doing flexibility exercises two or three times a week, incorporating both static and dynamic stretches.</p>
<p>If hammering out those stretches immediately after a workout is the most practical time to incorporate your flexibility training, it certainly isn’t going to do you any harm. And if you are worried about injuries, your best bet is to focus on a thorough warm-up, which may well include a healthy dose of dynamic stretching, too.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/137962/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Lewis Macgregor does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The truth about the pros and cons of stretching.Lewis Macgregor, Lecturer in Sport, Health & exercise Science, University of StirlingLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/927512018-04-15T08:44:40Z2018-04-15T08:44:40ZA more flexible curriculum approach can support student success<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/208653/original/file-20180302-65516-ll6cxo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=2%2C4%2C995%2C672&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Young people don't always know exactly what they want to study, or what their interests are. Flexibility helps.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Rawpixel.com/Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Financial access is extremely important for poor and working class students wanting to get a foot in the door at universities. But on its own this isn’t a guarantee of success.</p>
<p>South Africa has very poor student throughput (that is, from enrolment to graduation) and low retention rates in <a href="http://www.che.ac.za/">undergraduate education</a>. Only 30% of students complete a three-year bachelor’s degree in three years. And less than two-thirds complete within an <a href="http://che.ac.za/sites/default/files/publications/CHE_South%20African%20higher%20education%20reviewed%20-%20electronic_1.pdf">additional two years</a>. </p>
<p>A <a href="http://www.africanminds.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/9781928331698_web.pdf">recent study</a> of students’ experiences in BA and BSc degree programmes found that curriculum structure and flexibility can play a crucial role in students’ progression and success.</p>
<p>The study traced the influence of higher education on the lives of 73 young people who had registered for a BA or BSc at one of three South African universities. In-depth interviews were carried out with them six years after their first year at university.</p>
<p>We found that most students didn’t enter university with fully formed ideas of their interests and strengths. The experience of knowing exactly what they wanted to do, coming to university and seamlessly doing it, was rare.</p>
<p>Our study found that flexibility in the structure of BA and BSc degrees was important. It helped students to find their strengths and passions, and to allow them to change direction during the degree if they needed to. This in turn helped them complete their studies.</p>
<p>In narrowly specified programmes with limited choice or flexibility, students could be left feeling trapped in programmes that no longer matched their interests or strengths. </p>
<h2>Different experiences</h2>
<p>Curriculum structure in the formative science and arts degrees varies substantially across the country’s universities. Some universities offer flexibility of subject choice within the BA and BSc degree structures (taking into account prerequisites for senior courses), or even the choice of a few electives in other faculties. </p>
<p>In at least one university in South Africa, students can select a mixture of BA and BSc subjects, in a very flexible, <a href="https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED415738">liberal arts type approach</a>. Including Philosophy in a Science degree, taking Zoology with Psychology, or Law with Geography, allows students to engage with a broad spectrum of concepts and ways of thinking. </p>
<p>Other institutions have more highly specified offerings - for example, a BA in Tourism, or a BSc in Biological Sciences. These sort of programmes were introduced in some South African universities in the early 2000s, in response to <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1023/B:HIGH.0000035544.96309.f1">a policy move</a> away from the traditional bachelor degree. </p>
<p>This was intended to make undergraduate degrees more “relevant” and to lead more directly to particular employment options. In these rigid degree programmes, subjects are tightly specified with little room for choice of elective modules or for curriculum flexibility. </p>
<p>Our study found that flexibility really helped students. This is not surprising, considering that most of the young people we interviewed came from schools that offered limited career guidance. Also, many are first in their families to enter university; they have <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-class-and-social-capital-affect-university-students-92602">limited family experiences</a> of higher education to draw on.</p>
<p>Change in direction of study was easier for those in BA programmes, since the BA rules of subject combination allowed for more wrong choices and changes in direction without leading to an extra year of studying.</p>
<p>This is to be expected as the sciences have hierarchical knowledge structures: senior BSc courses have junior courses as prerequisites. Failure in key first year science courses meant that students could be barred from progressing to the second year of study. If there was no chance to retake these courses during the year, a whole extra year of study was required. </p>
<p>So what can universities learn from these students’ experiences?</p>
<h2>Rethinking structure</h2>
<p>There has already been one significant proposal around curriculum restructuring in South African universities; it suggested lengthening the three-year bachelor’s <a href="http://che.ac.za/sites/default/files/publications/Full_Report.pdf">degree to four years</a>. This is unlikely to be adopted given the current financial pressures on the country’s higher education sector. </p>
<p>But we do think there is still scope to address some curriculum issues our study has highlighted within the current BA and BSc structures.</p>
<p>Universities should know that students don’t enter higher education with a full sense of their strengths and interests. A curriculum needs to make some trial and error possible. Professional degrees such as medicine or engineering may need a more specified curriculum, but the relative flexibility in the formative BA and BSc degrees is important. This allows students to try out different disciplines and find their passions.</p>
<p>In a degree with limited choices and, at some universities, very fixed prerequisites, many students fall by the wayside and can’t easily get back on track. For these students, mounting debt tends to compound the challenge of academic progression.</p>
<p>The academic year could also be better structured to enable flexibility. Vacation periods could be used for students who need time to resit assessments, repeat prerequisite modules or attend credit-bearing summer schools. This would support students’ progression through the curriculum.</p>
<h2>Flexibility matters</h2>
<p>A more flexible programme, coupled with strong <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-universities-need-to-invest-in-strong-advice-systems-for-students-92750">academic advising structures</a>, allows young people to find their strengths and interests – and to change direction, if need be. </p>
<p>It can also allow them to develop the sort of <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/higher-education-network/blog/2013/aug/12/students-interdisciplinary-teaching-research-university">interdisciplinary perspectives</a> needed to address the key issues facing society in the 21st century.</p>
<p>Universities will need to rethink curriculum structures to enable rather than constrain students’ success and progression through higher education. </p>
<p><em>This is an edited abstract from “Going to University: The influence of Higher Education on the lives of young South Africans” (2018) Case, J., Marshall, D., McKenna, S. & Mogashana, D. African Minds. Available for <a href="http://www.africanminds.co.za/dd-product/going-to-university-the-influence-of-higher-education-on-the-lives-of-young-south-africans/">download here</a>.</em></p>
<p><em>The other authors of the book from which this piece is extracted are Professor Jenni Case (Head of Department of Engineering Education at Virginia Tech), Professor Sioux McKenna (Head of Postgraduate Studies at Rhodes University) and Dr Disaapele Mogashana (student success coach and consultant at <a href="http://www.mytsi.co.za/">True Success Institute</a>).</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/92751/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors of the book 'Going to University: The influence of higher education on the lives of young South Africans' are grateful for the financial support of the NRF.</span></em></p>Curriculum structure and flexibility can play a crucial role in students’ progression and success.Delia Marshall, Professor, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of the Western CapeLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/786042017-08-08T02:09:09Z2017-08-08T02:09:09ZHealth Check: in terms of exercise, is walking enough?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/180645/original/file-20170802-11366-hgocl4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Walking is free, easy and can get you from A to B - but does it "count" in terms of how much exercise we need?</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">from www.shutterstock.com.au</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>We all know we need to exercise to stay fit and strong, stave off disease and maintain a healthy weight. Walking is the <a href="http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/Lookup/4177.0Main+Features12013-14?OpenDocument">most popular</a> physical activity undertaken by Australian adults. It’s free, easy, and can be done almost anywhere. </p>
<p>Walking leads to a remarkable reduction in the risk of <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10961960">heart disease</a>, <a href="http://atvb.ahajournals.org/content/33/5/1085.short">type 2 diabetes</a>, some <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17722094">cancers</a>, arthritis, <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1755296612000099">depression</a>, <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.3109/13697137.2015.1065246?needAccess=true">anxiety and insomnia</a>, and <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=Systematic+review+and+meta-analysis+of+reduction+in+all-cause+mortality+from+walking+and+cycling+and+shape+of+dose+response+relationship">premature death from all causes</a>.</p>
<p>The health benefits of walking stem from the changes that occur in our body systems as a result of exercising. For some of these health conditions, fitness has been shown to be a particularly important factor for prevention. </p>
<p>The term fitness is quite often used to describe aerobic fitness, but having a high level of fitness actually refers to all components of health-related physical fitness which includes muscular strength and endurance, flexibility, body composition, and of course aerobic (or heart) fitness. So is walking enough in terms of the exercise we need?</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/new-study-shows-more-time-walking-means-less-time-in-hospital-71554">New study shows more time walking means less time in hospital</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
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<h2>Aerobic fitness</h2>
<p>An analysis of studies on walking showed it improves <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S009174351500002X">aerobic fitness</a> - which is technically the ability of the heart to get oxygen to our muscles and how effectively our muscles use that oxygen. But to be effective, walking needs to be of at least moderate intensity, which means an intensity where you’re able to notice your breathing but can carry on a conversation without noticeable pauses between words. For many, this is a brisk walk. </p>
<p>Greater improvements in aerobic fitness can be achieved when walking at a <a href="http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/89/4/1043.full.pdf+html">vigorous intensity</a>, where you can converse with a friend, but it will be interrupted with noticeable pauses between words to take a breath. </p>
<p>The good news is that you don’t need to walk at a vigorous intensity for health or aerobic fitness benefits. Walking at a moderate intensity will increase your aerobic fitness and, more importantly, your endurance (the ability to carry out activities for longer with less fatigue). This is because it allows your body to burn fat more efficiently, improves delivery and use of oxygen in the muscles, and improves mitochondria density and efficiency (these are producers of energy in our body), all leading to greater capacity to undertake tasks with less fatigue. </p>
<p>Walking briskly for <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0091743504002749?via%3Dihub">30 minutes five days per week</a> can improve aerobic fitness. Each walking bout doesn’t need to be long though; walking for ten minutes three times per day is as beneficial as walking for 30 minutes in one go. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/181316/original/file-20170808-8446-1m31cvd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/181316/original/file-20170808-8446-1m31cvd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/181316/original/file-20170808-8446-1m31cvd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/181316/original/file-20170808-8446-1m31cvd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/181316/original/file-20170808-8446-1m31cvd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/181316/original/file-20170808-8446-1m31cvd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/181316/original/file-20170808-8446-1m31cvd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/181316/original/file-20170808-8446-1m31cvd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Taking this guy for a spin around the block a few times a day is as good as one longer session.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">from www.shutterstock.com</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Strength</h2>
<p>Walking is not a strength-based exercise, but if you haven’t exercised in a while, you’ll notice gains in leg strength as a result of regular walking. Although benefits in strength are modest, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4269146/">research</a> shows walking 30 minutes five days per week at a moderate intensity helps to prevent sarcopenia (age-related loss in muscle size and strength). </p>
<p>You can increase the demand on your lower body muscles, bones and tendons to keep them strong by introducing hills, choosing to take the stairs, walking on undulating terrain, or even carrying a comfortable backpack. But maximum strength gains will come from introducing some form of body-weight or gym-based resistance training exercise.</p>
<h2>Flexibility</h2>
<p>Walking does not lead to significant gains in joint flexibility, but walking regularly does have positive effects on your joints. Weight-bearing exercise, including walking, increases lubrication and delivery of nutrition to your joints.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15769914">Research</a> shows that walking regularly reduces pain and disability for adults suffering from knee arthritis; and moderate intensity exercise can protect against the development of joint degeneration.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/health-check-does-sex-count-as-exercise-56345">Health Check: does sex count as exercise?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Body weight</h2>
<p>Moderate intensity walking can <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S009174351500002X">prevent weight gain</a> and assist in maintaining a healthy weight in as little as 150 minutes per week. The <a href="http://www.acsm.org/about-acsm/media-room/acsm-in-the-news/2011/08/01/acsm-position-stand-on-physical-activity-and-weight-loss-now-available">American College of Sports Medicine</a> recommends 250 minutes or more exercise to lose a modest amount of weight, but the more you do, the more you’ll lose. </p>
<p>Unfortunately, it’s a myth that calories in equals calories out. Don’t expect a 500 calorie walk to offset the negative metabolic effect of a 500 calorie treat. Fortunately, regular exercise and being physically fit will reduce your risk of heart disease and early death <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0735109714003349">irrespective</a> of your weight loss success. </p>
<p>There are plenty of reasons to walk, we’ve been doing it since the dawn of time, well before the first gym opened. Walking is an organic, natural, gluten free, fat free, toxin free, meditative experience that delivers far more health benefits than most other decisions you’ll make today.</p>
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<p><em>Update: the authors removed a sentence about the human body operating on physiology rather than physics. This sentence was in reference to 500kcal exercise not directly relating to the number of grams in 500kcal of fat as determined by typical bomb calorimetry. This is due to the various ways individual physiology treats energy intake and energy expenditure. The authors decided to remove the sentence since it lacked the additional context behind the statement.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/78604/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Fitness, strength and mobility are important for us to live happy and healthy lives, how much does walking improve these measures?Megan Teychenne, Senior Lecturer, Physical Activity and Health, Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition (IPAN), School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Deakin UniversityClint Miller, Lecturer, Clinical Exercise Physiology, School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Deakin UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.