Remember the 10,000 steps rule? Here’s a new way to count progress
How do you measure the value of a step? A common goal for many people over the last 60 years has become 10,000 steps a day for better health. The problem is … it’s a myth decades in the making.
A team of researchers decided to figure out just how many steps a person should really take for better health, landing squarely around 7,000 for the general population. And according to a local doctor, it might actually be best to drop the step count all together.
Published in The Lancet earlier this month, a new systematic study review challenged the health value of aiming for 10,000 steps per day. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution spoke with the study’s Philip Clare, Ph.D., a researcher at the University of Sydney, to discuss setting a more realistic goal.
“It’s not wrong to have a target that isn’t necessarily giving you the maximum benefit,” Clare explained. “We have a lot of this in public health where, ideally, we would like to set targets that are going to have a really good benefit.
Plant-based treats, rooftop vibes and more ways to reset this month
September in Atlanta means the last of summer’s heat collides with the first hints of fall. It’s a natural time to reset your routines, find joy in community and lean into wellness rituals that make you feel good.
Grady launches first ‘air ambulance’
Atlanta’s hospitals provide lifesaving care for Georgians all throughout the state and beyond — in metro Atlanta and across the South. People and their loved ones who have found themselves in emergency situations throughout the region have relied on our hospitals’ critical care.
Grady Health System is no exception and officially launched Grady Air, the hospital’s brand-new medical aircraft.
“The ability to provide the care that these folks need expeditiously as possible and decreasing the transport time to Grady is what is going to save lives,” said Dr. Ryan Fransman, medical director of Grady Air at Grady Health System, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Developed in partnership with Air Methods, the “mobile intensive care unit” will be staffed entirely with Grady personnel, which includes nurses, paramedics, and critical care specialists.
“This is going to increase time for critical care.”
Healing in style: Atlanta company is changing what cancer recovery looks like
Cancer is a word that has affected us all in some way. A mom, a cousin, a friend, the cashier you see every week at the grocery store. And the statistics don’t lie: diagnoses are on the rise.
Yet when it comes to recovery, comfort, dignity and functionality are rarely part of the equation. Patients are often given flimsy hospital gowns or left to improvise with safety pins to manage surgical drains.
KickIt, a female-founded company based in Atlanta, is rewriting that story. The brand creates practical clothing designed for every stage of a woman’s cancer journey — from hospital stays to graduations, weddings and the return to work.
The idea for KickIt began with co-founder Cindy Trice while she was undergoing chemotherapy treatments. At 35, she was diagnosed with advanced cervical cancer. Read more about her story here.
‘Tummy time’ isn’t just for babies anymore
When you hear “tummy time,” you probably think of babies on colorful mats learning to lift their heads. But the same practice is now making waves with adults — and for good reason.
Physical therapists and posture experts say spending a few minutes on your stomach can help undo the aches and stiffness that come from hours hunched over laptops and phones. And with nearly 65% of people working from home reporting neck or back pain, it’s no wonder the baby-inspired exercise is trending.
Adult tummy time is exactly what it sounds like: lying on your stomach for short stretches of time. You can do it flat on the floor, on a yoga mat or even propped up slightly on your forearms in a “cobra” or “sphinx” position.
The goal is to reverse the hunched-forward, “C,” posture that comes from hours at a desk, on your phone or behind the wheel.
