10,000 Steps, 30 Days, 4 Changes

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Ariel wasn’t the most active person, and took on a “30 day challenge” to do the commonly-prescribed 10,000 steps per day—without adjusting her diet or doing any other exercise. How much of a difference does it make, really?

Stepping onwards

The 4 main things that she found changed for her weren’t all what she expected:

  • Weight loss yes, but only marginally: she lost 3 lbs in a month, which did nevertheless make a visible difference. We might hypothesize that part of the reason for the small weight loss and yet visible difference is that she gained a little muscle, and the weight loss was specifically shifting away from a cortisol-based fat distribution, to a more healthy fat distribution.
  • Different eating habits: she felt less hungry and craved less sugar. This likely has less to do with calorie consumption, and more to do with better insulin signalling.
  • Increased energy and improved mood: these are going together in one item, because she said “4 things”, but really they are two related things. So, consider one of them a bonus item! In any case, she felt more energized and productive, and less reliant on caffeine.
  • Improved sleep: or rather, at first, disrupted sleep, and then slept better and stayed better. A good reminder that changes for the better don’t always feel better in the first instance!

To hear about it in her own words, and see the before and after pictures, enjoy:

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    • What Happens To Your Body When You Do 100 Glute Bridges Every Day

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      Not just for a sculpted butt:

      Benefits

      With consistent daily glute bridge practice, you may expect:

      • Rounder, toned butt: targets the gluteus maximus, toning and lifting the butt for a rounder appearance.
      • Improved posture: strengthens glutes to support the spine and pelvis, alleviating lower back and hip pain. Stretches tight hip flexors from prolonged sitting.
      • Stronger lower back: glutes support the lower back and spine, reducing pain and making it easier to lift heavy objects. Activating the glutes transfers force from legs to core, preventing injuries.
      • Stronger knees: stabilizes the knee joint and promotes alignment by engaging glutes, hamstrings, and quadriceps, reducing knee pain.
      • Sculpted hamstrings: contracts hamstrings during lifts for strength, while stretching them on the way down increases flexibility.
      • Increased hip flexibility: strengthens muscles around the hip joint, improving mobility and counteracting tight hips from sedentary habits.
      • Reduced back pain: strengthens glutes to correct pelvic tilt and reduce strain on the lower back.
      • Faster running speed: improves hip extension, strengthens hamstrings, and activates the gluteus medius for better running power and balance.
      • Enhanced strength training performance: strengthens glutes, back, and knees, improving performance in exercises like squats and deadlifts.

      As for how to get going, the video offers the following very sound advice: begin with 25–30 reps per session and gradually increase to sets of 100 daily. It should take about 5 minutes (that’s 3 seconds per repetition). Results can be seen in as little as 2 weeks, with significant changes after a month of consistent practice.

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    • Best morning routine?

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      You’ve Got Questions? We’ve Got Answers!

      Q: Best morning routine?

      A: The best morning routine is whatever makes you feel most ready to take on your day!

      This one’s going to vary a lot—one person’s morning run could be another person’s morning coffee and newspaper, for example.

      In a nutshell, though, ask yourself these questions:

      • How long does it take me to fully wake up in the morning, and what helps or hinders that?
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    • Ex-Cyclone Alfred has left flooding in its wake. Here’s how floods affect our health

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      Ex-Cyclone Alfred is bringing significant rainfall to southeast Queensland and the Northern Rivers of New South Wales. Flooding has hit Lismore, Ballina, Grafton, Brisbane and Hervey Bay, which received 150 mm of rainfall in two hours this morning.

      Tragically, a 61-year-old man died after being swept away in floodwaters near Dorrigo in northern New South Wales.

      More heavy rain and flash flooding is expected in the coming days as the weather system moves inland and weakens.

      Climate change is making these weather events more intense and frequent. Earlier this year, far north Queensland experienced major flooding. As residents of the Northern Rivers, this latest disaster is especially tough because only three years ago we faced the catastrophic 2022 floods.

      We’ve studied the impact of floods on human health and wellbeing, and found floods are linked to a range of physical and mental health effects in both the short- and long-term.

      So what might you experience if you live in an area affected by these floods?

      We reviewed the evidence

      We recently reviewed research on the physical and mental health impacts of floods across mainland Australia. We included 69 studies in our review, published over 70 years. The majority were from the past ten years, examining the effects of floods in Queensland and NSW.

      These studies suggest people can expect a range of health impacts. Immediate physical health effects of floods include drowning, falls and injuries.

      Chronic diseases such as diabetes or renal disease can also worsen due to factors such as reduced access to transport, health-care services, medications and hospitals.

      Exposure to contaminated floodwaters can lead to skin infections, while respiratory problems can occur due to mould and damp housing in the aftermath of floods.

      Floods also create ideal conditions for mosquito borne infections such as Ross River virus and Murray Valley encephalitis, while also spreading infectious diseases including leptospirosis, a bacterial infection from contaminated soil.

      There are mental health consequences too

      Our review showed floods also affect mental health. The more you’re exposed to floodwaters in your home or business, the worse the mental health impacts are likely to be.

      The After the Flood study examined mental health and wellbeing outcomes six months after the 2017 flood in the Northern Rivers. It found people who had floodwater in their home, yard or business, or who were displaced from their home for a more than six months, were much more likely to have probable post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety or depression, compared to those who didn’t experience flooding or weren’t displaced.

      Repeated natural disasters could compound these mental health consequences. Southeast Queensland and the Northern Rivers in NSW have experienced multiple disasters over recent years. The Northern Rivers faced major flooding in 2017, bushfires in 2020, further major floods in 2022, and now Cyclone Alfred in 2025. These repeated disasters have taken a toll on our community, creating a seemingly never-ending cycle of recovery, rebuilding and preparation for the next disaster.

      Our understanding of the unique challenges faced by communities which experience multiple disasters is still growing. However, a recent Australian study showed exposure to repeated disasters has a compounding effect on people’s mental health, leading to worse mental health outcomes compared to people who experience a single disaster.

      Mums and babies

      The health effects of floods extend far beyond the initial emergency and beyond the infections and mental health consequences you might expect.

      The Queensland Flood Study tracked pregnant women exposed to the 2011 Brisbane floods. Researchers assessed mothers’ stress related to the flood and tracked them and their children at six weeks old, six months, 16 months, 2.5 years, four and six years. It found some links between prenatal stress and developmental outcomes in children.

      Mother breastfeeds baby
      Some evidence suggests maternal stress from floods can affect children’s development. Nastyaofly/Shutterstock

      While the health effects after flooding are diverse, the research to date is not comprehensive. We need to learn more about how floods contribute to or exacerbate existing chronic illnesses, disability and long-term mental health issues.

      The impacts are inequitable

      Flooding exposes and worsens existing inequalities. Socially vulnerable groups are more likely to be exposed to flooding in their homes and have less access to resources to respond and recover from these events, putting some groups at higher risk of negative health impacts afterwards.

      Some research has looked at the disproportionate impacts on people with disabilities and their carers, First Nations communities and people from disadvantaged backgrounds.

      After the 2017 Northern Rivers floods, for example, people with disability and their carers were more likely than others to:

      • experience disrupted access to food, support networks and essentials such as health care and social services
      • continue to be distressed about the flood six months after it happened
      • be at relatively high risk of post-traumatic stress disorder six months after the flood.

      However, targeted flood research exploring the experiences of these vulnerable groups in Australia is limited.

      Moving forward, it’s vital we examine the varied impacts of flood events for more vulnerable groups, so we can better support them in the wake of devastating events such as Cyclone Alfred.

      If this article has raised issues for you, or if you’re concerned about someone you know, call Lifeline on 13 11 14.

      Jodie Bailie, Senior Research Fellow, The University Centre for Rural Health and The Centre for Disability Research and Policy, University of Sydney; Jo Longman, Senior Research Fellow, The University Centre for Rural Health, University of Sydney; Rebecca McNaught, Research Fellow, Rural and Remote Health, University of Sydney, and Ross Bailie, School of Public Health, Honorary Professor, University of Sydney

      This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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      • 5 Exercises That Fix 95% Of Your Problems

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        Well, your musculoskeletal problems, anyway! The exercises won’t, for example, do your taxes or deal with your loud neighbor for you. But, they will help your body be strong, supple, and pain-free:

        20 minutes total

        The exercises & what they do:

        • Dead hang: improves shoulder health, decompresses the spine, and strengthens grip. Hang from a bar for 20–30 seconds, progressing to 1–2 minutes.
        • Glute bridge: builds glute strength, improves core stability, and reduces lower back tension. Perform 2 sets of 10–15 reps, with variations like single-leg bridges or added weight.
        • Farmer’s walk: a full-body workout that strengthens the shoulders, core, and grip while improving posture. Walk with weights for 30–60 seconds, 3 rounds, increasing weight or duration over time.
        • Resting squat: enhances ankle, hip, and knee mobility, restoring natural functionality. Hold a deep squat for 20–30 seconds, progressing to 1–2 minutes. Use support for balance if necessary.
        • Thread the needle: improves flexibility, reduces tension, and enhances rotational mobility. Perform slow, controlled rotations from an all-fours position, 2 sets of 10 reps per side.

        Suggested 20-minute workout plan:

        1. Dead hang: 3 sets of 30 seconds
        2. Glute bridge: 2 sets of 10–15 reps
        3. Farmer’s walk: 30–60 seconds, 3 rounds
        4. Resting squat: hold for 20–30 seconds, 2–3 rounds
        5. Thread the needle: 2 sets of 10 reps per side

        It is recommended to perform this routine 3 times per week with 1-minute rests between sets.

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      • Capsaicin For Weight Loss And Against Inflammation

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        Capsaicin’s Hot Benefits

        Capsaicin, the compound in hot peppers that makes them spicy, is a chemical irritant and a neurotoxin. However, humans being humans, we decided to eat them for fun.

        In contrast to many other ways in which humans recreationally enjoy things that are objectively poisonous, consuming capsaicin (in moderation) is considered to have health benefits, such as aiding weight loss (by boosting metabolism) and reducing inflammation.

        Let’s see what the science says…

        First: is it safe?

        Capsaicin is classified as “Generally Recognized As Safe”. That said, the same mechanism that causes them to boost metabolism, does increase blood pressure:

        Mechanisms underlying the hypertensive response induced by capsaicin

        If you are in good cardiovascular health, this increase should be slight and not pose any threat, unless for example you enter a chili-eating contest when not acclimated to such:

        Capsaicin and arterial hypertensive crisis

        As ever, if unsure, do check with your doctor first, especially if you are taking any blood pressure medications, or otherwise have known blood pressure issues.

        Does it really boost metabolism?

        It certainly does; it works by increasing oxygen consumption and raising body temperature, both of which mean more calories will be burned for the same amount of work:

        Dietary capsaicin and its anti-obesity potency: from mechanism to clinical implications

        This means, of course, that chili peppers enjoy the status of being functionally a “negative calorie” food, and a top-tier one at that:

        Chili pepper as a body weight-loss food

        Here’s a good quality study that showed a statistically significant* fat loss improvement over placebo:

        Capsaicinoids supplementation decreases percent body fat and fat mass: adjustment using covariates in a post hoc analysis

        *To put it in numbers, the benefit was:

        • 5.91 percentage points lower body fat percentage than placebo
        • 6.68 percentage points greater change in body fat mass than placebo

        See also: Difference between percentages and percentage points

        For those who prefer big reviews than single studies, we’ve got you covered:

        The Effects of Capsaicin and Capsiate on Energy Balance: Critical Review and Meta-analyses of Studies in Humans

        Does it really reduce inflammation?

        Counterintuitive as it may seem, yes. By means of reducing oxidative stress. Given that things that reduce oxidative stress tend to reduce inflammation, and in turn tend to reduce assorted disease risks (from diabetes to cancer to Alzheimer’s), this probably has more knock-on benefits too, but we don’t have room to explore all of those today.

        Fresh peppers are best for this, but dried peppers (such as when purchased as a ground spice in the supermarket, or when purchased as a capsule-based supplement) still have a very respectable anti-inflammatory effect:

        How much should we take?

        It’s recommended to start at a low dose and gradually increase it, but 2–6mg of capsaicin per day is the standard range used in studies.

        If you’re getting this from peppers, then for example cayenne pepper (a good source of capsaicin) contains around 2.5mg of capsaicin per 1 gram of cayenne.

        In the case of capsules, if for example you don’t like eating hot pepper, this will usually mean taking 2–6 capsules per day, depending on dosage.

        Make sure to take it with plenty of water!

        Where can we get it?

        Fresh peppers or ground spice from your local grocery store is fine. Your local health food store probably sells the supplements, too.

        If you’d like to buy it online, here is an example product on Amazon.

        Note: options on Amazon were more limited than usual, so this product is not vegan, and probably not halal or kosher, as the capsule contains an unspecified gelatin.

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      • Younger Next Year – by Chris Crowley & Dr. Henry Lodge

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        Is it diet and exercise? Well, of course that’s a component. Specific kinds of exercise, too. But, as usual when we feature a book, there’s more:

        In this case, strong throughout is the notion of life being a marathon not a sprint—and training for it accordingly.

        Doing the things now that you’ll really wish you’d started doing sooner, and finding ways to build them into daily life.

        Not just that, though! The authors take a holistic approach to life and health, and thus also cover work life, social life, and so forth. Now, you may be thinking “I’m already in the 80 and beyond category; I don’t work” and well, the authors advise that you do indeed work. You don’t have to revamp your career, but science strongly suggests that people who work longer, live longer.

        Of course that doesn’t have to mean going full-throttle like a 20-year-old determined to make their mark on the world (you can if you want, though). It could be volunteering for a charity, or otherwise just finding a socially-engaging “work-like” activity that gives you purpose.

        About the blend of motivational pep talk and science—this book is heavily weighted towards the former. It has, however, enough science to keep it on the right track throughout. Hence the two authors! Crowley for motivational pep, and Dr. Lodge for the science (with extra input from brain surgeon Dr. Hamilton, too).

        Bottom line: if you want to feel the most prepared possible for the coming years and decades, this is a great book that covers a lot of bases.

        Click here to check out “Younger Next Year” and get de-aging!

        Don’t Forget…

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        Learn to Age Gracefully

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