Low-impact exercise is the new buzz word for this year. Also known as ‘Japanese walking’, as it was developed by researchers in Japan, it’s linked to improved fitness and muscle strength as well as lower blood pressure.
The technique is simple: walk quickly for three minutes, then slowly for three minutes. Repeat this at least five times to start feeling the benefits.
Imagine not being able to sit down into a chair, walk up a set of stairs, or get something out of the bottom cupboard in your kitchen. That could be the case if you don’t practice squats regularly.
Squats aren’t just an exercise, they’re a movement you do daily. When you sit down onto the toilet, or onto a chair and back up again, or when you walk up a flight of stairs and come back down. Your ankles bend, your knees bend, and your hips bend – that’s the fundamental squat pattern.
The only thing that’s very different is the degree of range of motion you go through, or the degree that a part of your body moves around your joints.
Stepping up onto a step, like a staircase, involves quite a short range of motion. On the other hand, crouching down to look into the bottom cabinet of your kitchen requires a much deeper range of motion! But, importantly, the pattern of movement remains exactly the same.
By performing squats in a workout setting regularly, you’ll train your body to move through deeper range of motions at different joint angles. The next time you come to squat down to your cupboard, you should be able to go lower without feeling any discomfort. Likewise, you might be able to take two stairs at a time the next time you go upstairs!
How often should you be training squats to yield the benefits? You should include one exercise that includes the squat pattern in every strength training workout you do – ideally at least once per week.
The forward fold is simple and is great for reducing stress and can also assist with circulation and the regulation of the nervous system.
The most traditional way to do this would be sitting on the floor with your legs together in front of you – you can bend them slightly to reduce tension in the hips or hamstrings – and then allow your upper body to fold forwards over the legs.
Take a few deep breaths while focusing on relaxing your upper body, and then slowly roll up to a seated position. When upright, roll your shoulders a few times to bring your body back into alignment.
You can do this in a chair too. While seated, keep your feet flat on the floor and let your upper body gently fold forwards.
We all know regular exercise is good for our bodies — but did you know it’s great for your eyes too?
From boosting circulation to lowering the risk of serious eye conditions, staying active plays an important role in keeping your vision healthy.
Why Blood Flow Matters for Eye Health
Your eyes rely on a rich supply of oxygen and nutrients delivered through tiny blood vessels. Good circulation helps keep these vessels healthy, supporting the retina and optic nerve — two key players in how well you see.
Poor circulation, on the other hand, can contribute to eye problems like glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, and age-related macular degeneration.
How Exercise Helps
Regular physical activity supports overall cardiovascular health, which in turn benefits your eyes. Exercise can:
1. Improve blood flow to nourish delicate eyes
2. Lower blood pressure and reduce strain on eye vessels
3. Help regulate blood sugar – important for people with diabetes
4. Reduce inflammation that can impact eye health.
Even moderate activities like brisk walking, cycling, or swimming a few times a week can make a difference.
The Long-Term Benefits
Staying active isn’t just about avoiding disease — it’s also about maintaining your quality of life. Better circulation supports sharper vision for longer, helping you keep doing the things you love — from reading and driving to enjoying the great outdoors.
Extra-virgin olive oil contains oleocanthal, a compound that reduces inflammation in a way similar to ibuprofen, by blocking inflammatory enzymes.
A 2005 study showed that these anti-inflammatory effects could help ease inflammation-related pain. It found that consuming around 50g (about 4 tablespoons) of extra-virgin olive oil daily would provide a small, regular dose of oleocanthal.
Extra-virgin olive oil is expensive and if cost is a concern, you can alternate with other anti-inflammatory options such as rapeseed, flaxseed or avocado oils.
Digestive issues are on the rise – 86% of Brits have had gastrointestinal complaints, ranging from bloating to extreme pain, and Google searches for ‘gut health’ have risen by 400% in recent years.
The good news is that improving your gut health can have a massive impact on both your physical and mental health, and it needn’t be complicated or require expensive ingredients or supplements
Here are some of the main reasons you might need care, and simple changes you can make.
1. Limit ultra processed.
They are bursting with additives and emulsifiers, which can have a negative effect on our microbes. Aim to eat a diet higher in natural foods that don’t come with a long ingredient list, such as wholegrains, lean meats, vegetables and fruit.
2. Enjoy more fibre.
A lack of fibre can negatively affect your microbes. Get more plant diversity into your life to increase your fibre intake. 30 different plant variants a week is a good target. Try mixed bags of salad, different colours of peppers, mixed frozen veg, lentils, pulses, and use a sprinkle of nuts and seed mixes on soups and salads.
3. Reduce stress.
Stress is bad news for your beneficial microbes and one of the biggest hurdles in modern life. Take three deep breaths before eating, to switch to rest and digest mode. Planning your meals and taking your time to eat can help reduce overeating (and stress).
4. Don’t eat late at night.
Overindulging before bedtime can disrupt your sleep and your microbes. Research shows the better quality of sleep you have the more likely it is that you have a greater number of beneficial microbes. Try going to bed earlier too – aim for at least seven hours a night.
5. Post antibiotic remedies.
Antibiotic can be lifesavers, but they’re like a nuclear bomb on your microbes! These can regenerate in time, but not always in a good balance. Having a regular intake of fermented foods rich in probiotics (good bacteria) can help improve this. Good choices include live yoghurt, miso, kimchi, sauerkraut, kefir and kombucha.
6. Move more.
Exercise can positively change your microbes and how they function. Studies in women have shown that those who did at least 3 hours of exercise a week had increased levels of gut bacteria associated with a lean BMI. You don’t need to do high-intensity exercise (as this can stress out the body and can therefore negatively influence your microbes) simply do more exercises you enjoy, such as walking with friends.
7. Cut down on booze.
Excess alcohol can damage your gut lining and reduce beneficial microbes. Binge drinking can be particularly problematic, with studies suggesting negative gut results can last 1 to 2 weeks. If you’re going to have a drink or two, then red wine is a good option as it’s packed with healthy polyphenols (plant-based chemicals) which can help your microbes be more efficient.
There have been many years of science to show how good walking is for you, it’s great for your mental health and your sense of well-being.
A walk around the park is great, but do it mindfully. Think of it as a little holiday in your day, even if it’s just 15 minutes.
Resist having your phone on or listening to a podcast. Just people-watch or look around you at your environment. It costs nothing, but the value of it is immense.
The idea of exercise snacks is that you fit short periods of exercise into your day. We think we have to do 30 minutes in one go but we don’t.
Fitting short bursts of exertion into your day – things like a brisk 10 to 15 minute walk, running up and down the stairs a few times, doing 60 seconds of star jumps or dancing enthusiastically to a couple of songs – can also boost your energy too.
When you sit there lethargically, your blood sugars can go up and your blood pressure might rise. Moving your body pumps more oxygen into your brain and stirs you up.
It is recommended that some of your exercise snacks include resistance exercise exercises, such as press-ups and squats, to build muscle.
It is hugely important that we stand for regular periods throughout the day. The average person sits for 9 and a half hours a day and we just aren’t designed to be that way. Our ancestors would have been roaming around a lot more.
We know from many studies that sitting a lot is increasing our risk of heart attacks, strokes and other health issues so it’s recommended we get up and move around for a few minutes every 30 minutes.
Find ways to slot more standing into your life including using a standing desk, standing on public transport or getting up every time you receive a phone call.
So it seems there is truth in the saying ‘an apple a day keeps the doctor away’.
We know that the skin of apples is rich in fibre and flavonoids (a beneficial compound) and research has shown that apples feed the good bacteria in your gut and help stop sugary cravings.
Flavonoids from fruit can increase the production of a molecule in our body called nitric oxide that regulates blood pressure and maintains blood vessel health.
Most of an apple’s flavonoids can be found in or just under the skin so ideally you should eat your apples unpeeled to gain the maximum benefits.