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CTV News
11-08-2025
- CTV News
Fast walking is a key to longevity, research shows
Practice good walking form and conscious breathing to get the most benefits from fast walking. TravelCouples//File via CNN Newsource Too busy to go to the gym? Don't worry — you can stay healthy by incorporating at least 15 minutes of fast walking into your everyday routine, new research suggests. In general, it's recommended that people commit to 150 minutes of moderate activity per week to see sufficient health benefits, said Dr. Wei Zheng, the study's corresponding author. But if 150 minutes is too difficult to manage, fast walking a minimum of 15 minutes every day can have the same health benefits. Zheng and a team of researchers recruited mostly low-income and Black study participants from 2002 to 2009, according to the study published in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine. The nearly 85,000 participants were given a comprehensive questionnaire about their exercise habits, average time spent working out, walking speed and health. Then the participants complete a questionnaire about 16 years later, and the analysis began in 2023. We know 'fast walking is good compared to slow walking,' but there isn't much research on how many minutes you should spend fast walking on average, said Zheng, director of the Vanderbilt Epidemiology Center and the Anne Potter Wilson Professor in Medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee. On average, study participants who fast walked for at least 15 minutes every day saw a nearly 20% reduction in premature death compared with a 4% reduction among participants who walked slowly for a total of more than three hours a day. 'We've actually known for quite a long time that walking speed correlates with outcomes, meaning the faster you walk, the better you do. And it certainly makes sense, because you can imagine, somebody who's in really bad shape is probably not going to be able to walk very quickly,' said Dr. Andrew Freeman, director of cardiovascular prevention and wellness at National Jewish Health in Denver. He was not involved in the study. How walking can impact your health Walking has health benefits, such as managing weight and sugar intake, reducing risk of cancer, easing joint pain, and boosting immune function. Health experts 'know that when people are exercising regularly, blood vessels can relax and dilate a bit better. And then we also know that exercise is quite good for cholesterol, so it seems to lower cholesterol, and then overall, it reduces the risk of cancer and things that would otherwise hurt people,' Freeman said. Walking daily can also lower risk of dementia or cognitive decline in people predisposed to developing Alzheimer's, according to recent research. Engaging in daily physical activity, such as walking, promotes better sleep and reduces inflammation, which improves brain structure, according to the Piedmont Medical Center in South Carolina. 'I want to emphasize that these exercises, no matter slow or fast, all confirm some benefit,' Zheng said. 'But what we find is that fast walking as little as 15 minutes a day confirms substantiated benefits.' Fast walking has been found to have specific benefits, such as decreasing risk of heart failure, arrythmias and type 2 diabetes. '(T)he thought is that exercise has a very big effect on blood pressure, as you may know, and blood pressure, it is one of the more exponential risk factors that we have, for roughly every 20 points blood pressure goes above 120 (what is considered normal or healthy), the risk of a cardiac event roughly doubles,' Freeman said. 'So, it's a super potent and exponential risk factor, and we know that regular exercise lowers that.' Get your heart pumping In general, you can tell you're fast walking when you're able to talk but not sing, according to the United Kingdom's National Health Service. Alternatively, you can increase your walking pace by a couple of steps and track it with a metronome, according to a July study. 'I usually recommend that they get up before work, and they go for a brisk walk or a bike or a swim, or they do some high-intensity interval training, whatever it is that they're into,' Freeman said. People can go to 'a rec center, or they walk outside, if it is safe, or whatever it may be, and just weave it into their day.' Following good walking form, such as standing tall with your shoulders back and swinging your arms, can help prevent backaches, make it easy to breath and keep you balanced. 'Walking is a full body movement. It is not just about your lower body. It's not just one step in front of the one foot in front of the other,' said Dana Santas, a certified strength and conditioning specialist and mind-body coach in professional sports, in a previous article. 'Your arm swing is a huge part involved in the mechanics of walking. So, you want to have an arm swing that's coordinated with your foot movement, so it's opposing,' she added. Want to take it up a notch? When doing any form of exercise, try to practice conscious or nasal breathing, which is when you inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth. This helps regulate blood pressure and can prevent hypertension, according to Santas. By Gina Park, CNN
Winnipeg Free Press
08-08-2025
- Winnipeg Free Press
HSC reports sex assault, bomb threat as nurses vote on safety concern-driven measure
As Health Sciences Centre nurses continued to vote on a measure encouraging colleagues to steer clear of the hospital because of safety concerns, the facility alerted staff about another sexual assault early Friday. Manitoba Nurses Union voting on whether to 'grey list' the province's largest hospital is set to close at 4 p.m. Friday. HSC officials sent a notice to staff at 11 a.m., reporting a sexual assault — the sixth in recent weeks — had occurred on the campus in the morning. MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS FILES Manitoba Nurses Union voting on whether to 'grey list' the province's largest hospital is set to close at 4 p.m. Friday. 'HSC Security and the Winnipeg Police Service swiftly responded, with the WPS apprehending the individual and ensuring ongoing care for the survivor. There is no ongoing threat to HSC staff, visitors or patients,' reads the notice, obtained by the Free Press. 'We thank our security team and the WPS for their quick response and HSC staff for their care provided to the survivor.' If the MNU measure passes, members at the hospital will formally urge their nursing colleagues not to accept jobs there until safety demands made to the employer are met. It would not impact the jobs of the 3,000 members currently working at HSC. Meanwhile, HSC officials also notified staff about a second security incident, involving a bomb threat, in a separate notice sent at 12:44 p.m. Thursday. 'An incident occurred involving a patient being transferred from Crisis Response Centre to the HSC Adult Emergency Department. The patient indicated they were in possession of an explosive device. Security and Winnipeg Police Service responded immediately. The patient was assessed and authorities confirmed there was no explosive device found on the person,' the notice read. 'There is no threat to the safety of staff, patients, or visitors.' WPS Const. Pat Saydak confirmed police responded to the bomb threat, and it was quickly resolved without incident. Nobody was placed under arrest, and there was no evidence of a bomb, he said. Saydak said he was still looking into the reported sexual assault and could not yet provide confirmation or details. A union spokesperson said the two incidents highlight the safety risks nurses are forced to deal with. 'The failure to adequately address these issues — whether it's the lack of proper screening or the absence of crucial safety protocols like a Code Black announcement — makes it clear that the situation is not improving,' the spokesperson said in an email to the Free Press. 'Nurses are putting their lives on the line to care for Manitobans, and it's time the employer took concrete action to prioritize their safety.' A Code Black refers to a bomb threat or similar security emergency. The Manitoba Nurses Union criticized the hospital's response to the bomb threat in a social media post Friday, saying the HSC did not alert staff to the threat until after police resolved the incident. 'To our knowledge, the individual gained entry with their possessions, apparently unsearched or unscreened,' the union said. 'This is yet another example of an ineffective and insufficient safety protocol.' The latest incidents come after several assault on women on or around the hospital grounds on July 2. Police said a teenage girl was confronted by a man and assaulted in the area of Elgin Avenue and Sherbrook Street at about 7 p.m. that day. Later, an HSC staff member was assaulted walking near the hospital on Emily Street near McDermot Avenue. Another staff member was assaulted while walking in the hospital tunnels, followed by a sexual assault report on the 600 block of Notre Dame Avenue, police said. Police arrested a 28-year-old man the following day and charged him with five counts of sexual assault, one count of sexual interference, three counts of assault and one count of carrying a concealed weapon. The union moved to grey list the hospital in the wake of the assaults. Wednesdays A weekly dispatch from the head of the Free Press newsroom. The union has resorted to using the measure only five times in its 45-year history. The most recent case was at Dauphin Regional Health Centre in 2007. A union spokesperson said members voted in favour of grey listing at HSC in 2020 amid a number of unresolved grievances. The employer agreed to work on the issues, and the measure was not imposed. The results of Friday's vote are expected to be available immediately after the voting window closes, a spokesperson said. If nurses vote in favour, HSC would be asked to require swipe cards to access hospital tunnels, create an early alert system to warn staff members and patients about security incidents and ensure controlled entrances are staffed and maintained. Tyler SearleReporter Tyler Searle is a multimedia producer who writes for the Free Press's city desk. A graduate of Red River College Polytechnic's creative communications program, he wrote for the Stonewall Teulon Tribune, Selkirk Record and Express Weekly News before joining the paper in 2022. Read more about Tyler. Every piece of reporting Tyler produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Cision Canada
06-08-2025
- Cision Canada
MyHealthTeam Now Hosts 11 Communities for People Living with Cancer
MyBladderCancerTeam and MyEndometrialCancer Team connect oncology patients with medically reviewed online content and support SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 6, 2025 /CNW/ -- MyHealthTeam, a Swoop company, the creator of one of the largest engaged-patient social networks in healthcare, announced today that it has launched MyBladderCancerTeam and MyEndometrialCancerTeam. These new patient communities are dedicated to people living with bladder and endometrial cancer, and bring the total number of MyHealthTeam cancer communities to 11. These communities provide medically reviewed articles, resources, and content to help patients understand symptoms, potential treatments, and guides for talking with doctors. They provide a safe forum for patients to ask questions and learn from others with the same condition. No one should face a cancer diagnosis alone "Our oncology patient communities provide extremely valuable information and support when patients need it most," said Eric Peacock, co-founder and president of MyHealthTeam. "We do not want anyone to face a cancer diagnosis alone, and that is why we bring people together for support, encouragement, practical advice, and medically approved information from experts in the field." The new sites within the MyHealthTeam portfolio, include: Medically approved information about the condition, including symptoms, causes, and treatment and testing options Insights and education on treatments and promising new diagnostics and therapies Community conversation and support from people with the same diagnosis Guidance on managing the disease Understanding endometrial cancer Endometrial cancer, a type of uterine cancer, is the most common cancer of the female reproductive system. It is estimated that about 67,000 people in the U.S. received an endometrial cancer diagnosis in 2024. Endometrial cancer most commonly develops after menopause between the ages of 50 and 60. Although the disease is slightly more common for white women, Black women have a greater risk of death from endometrial cancer. Symptoms of endometrial cancer may include abnormal vaginal bleeding, pelvic pain, unexplained weight loss, and pain during intercourse. Endometrial cancer is diagnosed in four stages. Stage 1 endometrial cancer is located only in the uterus. Stage 2 indicates the cancer is in the uterus and the cervix. In stage 3, the cancer has spread outside of the uterus but not beyond the pelvic region, and stage 4 indicates the cancer has spread to the inner surfaces of the bowel, bladder, abdomen, or other organs. Endometrial cancer is generally diagnosed at an early stage and has an 81 percent five-year relative survival rate. While the main risk factor for many cancers is advanced age, there are multiple additional risk factors for endometrial cancer. These include taking estrogen-only hormone replacement therapy after menopause or having a family history of endometrial cancer in a first-degree relative. They also include being diagnosed with obesity, type 2 diabetes, polycystic ovarian syndrome, or endometrial hyperplasia. The treatment for endometrial cancer can vary depending on stage and subtypes. Treatments include surgical and radiation options, as well as developments in immunotherapy and targeted treatment options, such as pembrolizumab (Keytruda). Bladder cancer common for men and women in the U.S. It's estimated that there were 83,190 new cases of bladder cancer in the U.S. in 2024 — 63,070 in men and 20,120 in women. It is the fourth most common cancer in men and the eighth most common cancer in women in the U.S. While there are multiple types of bladder cancer, the most common type is urothelial carcinoma, also known as transitional cell carcinoma or TCC. Additional types of bladder cancer, though much less common than TCC, include squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma, small cell carcinoma, and sarcoma. Bladder cancer more commonly occurs in men and in people over the age of 55. The average age for a bladder cancer diagnosis is 73. There are two forms of bladder cancer: non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) and muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC). NMIBC, sometimes also referred to as superficial bladder cancer, is bladder cancer that has not grown into the muscle wall of the bladder. MIBC is cancer that has grown into the muscle layer of the bladder wall and possibly even deeper. MIBC tends to be more likely to spread and is harder to treat. There are multiple avenues for treating bladder cancer. These include surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, targeted therapies, and clinical trials. Symptoms of bladder cancer include blood in the urine, pain or burning during urination, being unable to urinate, lower back pain on one side of the body, stomach pain, bone pain, unexplained weight loss, and fatigue. In addition to these symptoms, comorbidities can be present with bladder cancer. These include bladder birth defects, chronic urinary tract infections, kidney and bladder stones, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and more. A history of smoking tobacco is considered the highest risk factor for this disease, accounting for 50 percent to 60 percent of bladder cancer diagnoses. About MyHealthTeam, a Swoop Company MyHealthTeam, a Swoop company, believes that if you are diagnosed with a rare disease or chronic condition, it should be easy to find the people, support, and medically approved information you need to best manage your condition. Each year, 30 million people visit our fast-growing network of over 60 condition-specific communities, such as DiabetesTeam and MyLungCancerTeam, reaching across all therapeutic areas and rare conditions, including Spanish-language communities. Leveraging proprietary zero-party data and advanced patient-targeting capabilities, MyHealthTeam creates precise, relevant, and personalized content that ensures a highly engaged and high-quality audience. Our performance consistently delivers exceptional results for media partners, maximizing impact and ROI. To learn more, email [email protected].
