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10-second 'micro-walks' can burn a surprising amount of calories, study finds

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1 year ago

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10-second 'micro-walks' can burn a surprising amount of calories, study finds

The popularity of walking has risen exponentially in recent years, and it’s about to get even bigger as researchers say ‘micro-walks’ lasting as little as 10 seconds could be beneficial to health.

A study conducted by researchers at the University of Milan suggests that breaking up a walk into smaller bursts of 10 to 30 seconds uses more energy and burns more calories than continuously walking the same distance.

These ‘micro-walks’ are sandwiched between breaks lasting several minutes. Volunteers either walked or climbed for varying lengths of time, including short bursts of either 10 or 30 seconds, and longer durations of up to four minutes.

Researchers found that shorter bouts of walking used up to 60% more energy than longer spells, despite both walks covering the same distance. The more energy you use, the more calories you burn.

Writing in the Proceedings B journal, published by the Royal Society, Dr Francesco Luciano and his colleagues said: “Breaking up sedentary time with brief strolls… can greatly increase energy expended daily and improve health.”

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Making sure you stand up from your desk every so often is important to break up your day with exercise. (Getty Images)

According to The Times, Luciano explained the science behind why more energy is expended during shorter periods of exercise by comparing the body to a car.

“We found that walking in shorter bouts requires more energy – and more oxygen – to cover the same distance, compared to covering it continuously. It’s like a car using more fuel during the first few kilometres,” he said.

Luciano also emphasised that, while walking in short bursts might not be practical, the study highlights the importance of getting up and moving so you’re not sitting for long periods of time, even if it’s just from your desk to the kitchen.

The study reinforces previous findings that people can get healthier by incorporating short bursts of activity in their everyday lives. This can be reassuring for many who find themselves too busy with work or other commitments to spend longer periods of time exercising.

A study published earlier this year in the journal Diabetes Care found that exercising in three-minute bursts can be beneficial, especially when undertaken in the evenings.

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Angelo Sabag, researcher and accredited exercise physiologist in the Charles Perkins Centre at the University of Sydney, said: “Physical activity, whether undertaken as structured leisure-time exercise, or incidental physical activity such as walking up the stairs, elicits profound health benefits.

“This finding seems to support the notion that doing multiple bouts of physical activity throughout the day may be more beneficial than accumulating all your physical activity in one block.”

The NHS recommends that adults aged 19 to 64 do some type of physical activity every day. Adults should aim to do at least 150 minutes of moderate intense activity a week or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity activity a week.

Periods of exercise should be spread evenly over four to five days a week, or every day, the health service says. Adults should also reduce the amount of time spent sitting or lying down, and break up long periods of not moving with some activity.

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Fitness

‘You feel incredible afterwards’: Alison Hammond, 51, on the exercise that helps her her stiff joints

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2 hours ago

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February 18, 2026

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‘You feel incredible afterwards’: Alison Hammond, 51, on the exercise that helps her her stiff joints

Achey knees? Sore hips? Niggling back? As we get older general stiffness can set in – and if you’ve ever hobbled out of bed, you’ll know that this can hit hardest first thing in the morning.

The good news is that exercise can help. ‘It may be tempting to rest if you’re aching, but exercise is crucial for maintaining flexibility, strength and healthy muscles,’ says Good Housekeeping’s Dr Sarah Jarvis. ‘Weight-bearing exercise (any aerobic exercise except swimming and cycling) is great for bone as well as muscle strength.’

Alison Hammond is one celebrity who knows just how powerful finding the right exercise can be. The presenter, who recently lost an incredibly 11 stone, told Closer magazine that she often feels ‘stiff as a board’. But she’s found that reformer Pilates not only helps aches and pains – but means she feels ‘incredible’ after a session.

‘I’ve just started doing reformer Pilates and oh my God, it’s so good,’ she said. ‘You feel absolutely incredible after it. I really need a good stretch – I’m stiff as a board – so reformer Pilates has been brilliant for me.’

Alison joins a list of celebrities who swear by reformer Pilates and rave about it’s benefits – including Harry Styles, Adele and Jennifer Aniston. Pilates workouts are performed on a specialist machine – the reformer – which uses springs for resistance to create a low-impact full-body workout. Not only does reformer Pilates build strength in your core, it also targets key areas like your glutes, arms and legs. In fact, one study found that equipment-based Pilates can help with chronic lower back pain.

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Stiffness? Here’s what to do

If you’re perimenopausal or menopausal, there are other steps you can take to ease muscular aches and pains, says Dr Sarah Jarvis. She recommends talking to your GP about starting HRT; using anti-inflammatory medicines such as ibuprofen; and treating acute inflammation in a muscle or joint with ice and heat packs can help.

This year, GH is getting fit (enough). Join us!

The Fit (Enough) Club is an accessible, realistic and fun fitness community for women who hate fads and like treats. Sign up to the Good Life newsletter and, along with wellness tips and health advice, you’ll get a weekly dose of fitness advice, videos and expert insights.

Get your Fit (Enough) Club fix to keep you moving and motivated throughout 2026. You’ll also receive your special welcome pack.

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Fitness

Janet Street-Porter, 79, swapped intense exercise for these low-impact workouts to ‘live to 100’

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14 hours ago

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February 17, 2026

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Janet Street-Porter, 79, swapped intense exercise for these low-impact workouts to ‘live to 100’

Janet Street-Porter has no interest in slowing down. At 79, the broadcaster and journalist is focused on one goal: staying active, independent and sharp well into her 80s, 90s and beyond.

She’s determined to become a centenarian. ‘My full intention is to live to be 100 and to live a very full life so anything that comes along that might impede that, I go absolutely crazy,’ she revealed to The Express. ‘I want my body to be operating at peak capacity, peak efficiency and if anything goes wrong I can’t handle it. I’ve got all painkillers going.’

Intentional – but not obsessive – movement is a key part of that strategy.

Janet’s step count goal

‘Keeping fit is essential, but I don’t like to be militant about it,’ she told The Telegraph. One daily habit is walking around 5,000 steps. ‘You don’t have to power walk,’ she said. ‘Just put one foot in front of the other. As a writer, I spend a lot of time on the computer, but I make sure that I do an hour and a half of walking every day.’

A shorter session works just as well. ‘Even if you do half an hour; just do something,’ Janet added. ‘I also think it’s important to walk in the morning and in the afternoon.’ It’s even better if the walk becomes a chance to switch off. ‘Whatever you do, do not take your phone with you!’

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Her low-impact workouts

Low-impact exercise is also high on her list. ‘I swim now in rivers and lakes. It’s less stress on my muscles,’ Janet told Yours. Tennis and swimming in the sea are regular features too, although she was quick to point out: ‘That’s not to say that I swim like an Olympic athlete. I prefer to do a ladylike breaststroke!’

Managing arthritis and avoiding overtraining

Over the years, Janet has become increasingly mindful of how exercise affects her arthritis. ‘Mentally you’re all right but your joints are stiff,’ she told Yours. And she cautions against overtraining. ‘I had a gym in my house for 20 years and I had a personal trainer once or twice a week for 10 years,’ she said. ‘However, that’s what wrecked my legs.’

Excessive intensity has occasionally caused problems. ‘I’ve had a lot of injuries through exercise, and an arthritic condition that was aggravated by weights,’ she added to The Telegraph. Managing her condition while continuing to move is therefore critical: ‘Thankfully, I have found a mixture of various exercises that work for me.’

Her diet

Janet isn’t overly rigid about her diet either. ‘[On the weekend], I have a full English. My partner Peter cooks it,’ she told the Manchester Evening News. She balances indulgence with nutrient-dense choices: ‘He’ll do bacon and eggs from the local farm shop, tomatoes or mushrooms, occasionally black pudding. I’ll precede that with dark fruit: blueberries, black grapes, pomegranate seeds.’

Ageing with positivity

Ultimately, ageing well is shaped as much by attitude as lifestyle. ‘It’s all about your mindset. Living in the past is the most ageing thing. [Instead], live in the present,’ she told The Telegraph, before concluding, ‘Just get up every morning and, even if it’s the dreariest of days, say to yourself “Today will be fantastic.”’

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Doing hip longevity lunges daily could help you feel 25 at 65 – here’s why they really work

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1 day ago

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February 17, 2026

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Doing hip longevity lunges daily could help you feel 25 at 65 – here’s why they really work

It is possible to counteract age-related mobility decline. Fact. While research shows that hip mobility reduces by 6-7% per decade after the age of 55, other studies show that long-term stretching and mobility after the age of 60 can produce meaningful improvements – and mobility and stretching coach @stretchy.bendy says there’s one exercise everyone needs: lateral lunges with hip rotations.

‘Want to move like you’re 25 when you’re 65? You need this move,’ she says. ‘When you think about your everyday movement, we’re basically moving forwards and backwards. But our hips are made to rotate in and out. When we stop rotating our hips, we get an achy lower back, cranky knees and of course, stiff hips. This move will bring rotation back.’

Here’s exactly how to do it.

Instructions

  1. Stand wide, feet pointing forward, then send your hips back and bend into your right knee.
  2. Check your knee alignment – make sure it’s above your ankle, pointing in the same direction as your toes. You don’t want it to fall in.
  3. While your hips are sinking back, hips squared, take the straight leg and simply go up onto your heel and rotate, so your toes are pointing up, then rotate to tap your toes down.
  4. Continue for 4-6 reps, then repeat on the opposite side.

‘Add this to your daily routine and I promise you’ll feel amazing, age well and move well forever,’ @stretchy.bendy says. And don’t just take her word for it – her followers concur it works. One wrote: ‘I was 83 but after I tried this, I’m 63 again.’

As for how long it’ll take for you to feel a significant difference in your hip mobility, one study on home-based exercise programmes that included daily hip rotation work showed noticeable improvements in hip range of motion (how far your hip joint can move, in all directions: flexion, extension, abduction, adduction, and rotation) after six weeks. Squatting down to pick something up or getting into a chair should feel easier, as should crossing your legs and getting in and out of a car. Any lower back pain should also reduce.

If you do feel any pain, @stretchy.bendy recommends ‘keeping your stance narrower, reducing the depth of the lunge, and skipping the rotation (toe lift)’. ‘Always listen to your body and stay in the ranges that feel strong and supported,’ she adds. ‘And if your physio or medical professional has given you specific guidelines, follow those.’

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 As Women’s Health UK’s fitness director and a qualified Pilates and yoga instructor, Bridie Wilkins has been passionately reporting on exercise, health and nutrition since the start of her decade-long career in journalism. She secured her first role at Look Magazine, where her obsession with fitness began and she launched the magazine’s health and fitness column, Look Fit, before going on to become Health and Fitness writer at HELLO!. Since, she has written for Stylist, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, Elle, The Metro, Runner’s World and Red.Now, she oversees all fitness content across womenshealthmag.com.uk and the print magazine, spearheading leading cross-platform franchises, such as ‘Fit At Any Age’, where we showcase the women proving that age is no barrier to exercise. She has also represented the brand on BBC Radio London, plus various podcasts and Substacks – all with the aim to encourage more women to exercise and show them how.Outside of work, find her trying the latest Pilates studio, testing her VO2 max for fun (TY, Oura), or posting workouts on Instagram.  

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