The Rundown

Walk Back. Scientists from Australia’s Macquarie University have shown that a simple walking plan is effective in dealing with lower back pain.

In a double-blind, randomized clinical trial, the researchers recruited 701 adults who were recovering from an episode of lower back pain and assigned them either a simple walking program that included six physiotherapy education sessions or no specific rehabilitation plan.

The patients’ age, body-mass index and current walking level were considered when they were assigned a program, as well as other limitations including co-morbidities, environmental barriers and time constraints. The participants tracked their movement with a pedometer and a walking diary for the first 12 weeks, with the option to continue the tracking for another 12 weeks.

Within their individual program, each participant walked five times a week, for at least 30 minutes each day, for six months. They also had six sessions with back pain specialists who helped them understand the science behind the program and deal with the fear of pain that often keeps people from physical activity.

The participants were followed for one to three years, depending on enrollment date and the days until another episode of lower back pain was recorded.

The researchers found that the walking group had a longer average period before they had a recurrence of back pain, with a median of 208 days compared to 112 days for the non-walking control group.

While the researchers don’t know exactly why walking is good for preventing back pain, they suggest that it is likely to include “the combination of the gentle oscillatory movements, loading and strengthening the spinal structures and muscles, relaxation and stress relief and release of feel-good endorphins.”

Myth vs. Fact: Intermittent Fasting. In a new article, researchers from the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) debunk four common myths about the safety of intermittent fasting. Their conclusions are based on clinical studies, some of which they have performed, and some conducted by others, and address both of the main types of intermittent fasting: alternate day eating and time-restricted eating.

They found that intermittent fasting does not 1) lead to a poor diet, 2) cause eating disorders, 3) cause excessive loss of lean muscle mass, 4) affect sex hormones.

Lead author, Krista Vary, professor of kinesiology and nutrition at UIC, says, “I’ve been studying intermittent fasting for 20 years, and I’m constantly asked if the diets are safe. There is a lot of misinformation out there. However, those ideas are not based on science.”

Brain HIIT. A large cohort of healthy 65-85 year-old volunteers who performed high intensity exercise, in this case, running four cycles on a treadmill at near maximum exertion, showed cognitive improvement that was retained for up to five years.

The study, out of the University of Queensland, Australia, divided the volunteers into three exercise groups for a six-month program. They assessed the impact of low intensity (balance and stretching), medium intensity (brisk walking on a treadmill) and high intensity (running to near maximum) on boosting cognition, not just delaying cognitive decline.

Using MRI scans, the researchers saw structural and connectivity changes in the hippocampus, which is the area responsible for learning and memory. They also found blood biomarkers that changed in correlation to improvements in cognition.

Co-author of the study, Professor Perry Bartlett, said that five years after the program the volunteers still had improved cognition “even if they hadn’t kept up with the exercises.”

Extra Point

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Simone Biles: Rising. In the lead-up to the Paris Olympics, this docuseries turns its lens on Simone Biles’ life and career. The most decorated Olympic gymnast of all-time, Biles will also be the oldest gymnast the U.S. has sent to the Summer Games since the 1950s.

For director Katie Walsh, the series is as much about showcasing Biles’ athleticism as it is about highlighting the person behind the medals."I know for her, she wants to be looked at and viewed as a full human and not just this amazing gymnast you've come to really expect to be perfect at all times," Walsh said. Simone Biles: Rising is streaming on Netflix.

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Time to Walk. The inspiration for this podcast from Apple Fitness+ is that a walk can help you clear your mind, improve your mood, “and maybe even see the world from a new perspective.” Go for a walk with journalists, athletes, actors and musicians as they share moments and events that have shaped their lives.

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I Have a Limited Amount of Time to Exercise. Should I Do Cardio or Lift Weights?Martin Fritz Huber explores the cardio vs. weights debate in this article for Outside magazine.