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Forbes
31-07-2025
- Health
- Forbes
Working Remote? These Small Design Hacks Beat Willpower Every Time
While not every organization offers hybrid work, most still have remote work days. Whether due to travel, illness or caregiving, working from home (WFH) and flexible workdays are a reality across industries. This flexibility can come with a higher likelihood of prolonged sitting and subsequently, a ripple effect on focus, energy and workday productivity That means in 2025, even office-first organizations need to support employee well-being in every setting. Motivation campaigns and corporate perks have a place, but research points to a bigger opportunity: design choices that reduce friction wherever people work. A 2025 Lancet Public Health umbrella review found that small environmental shifts and behavioral prompts reliably reduce sedentary time, with modest individual reductions that add up across a workforce. In today's workplace reality, physical activity does not just happen. It must be enabled across environments. With growing evidence that well-being improves performance, treat movement and well-being as a business imperative by harnessing practical environmental cues to prompt it. Whether you are shaping corporate wellness strategy or are home with a sick child yourself, use small defaults that make movement the easy choice. Why Remote Work Makes Movement Hard Working from home offers flexibility but removes many natural reasons to move. Without a commute, hallway conversations or walking to meetings, movement often falls off the radar. The result is longer stretches of sitting and fewer built-in somatic resets during the day. Perhaps surprisingly, post-COVID studies confirm higher sedentary time and lower activity with WFH, which is why environment and design matter at home as well as in the office. Bridging the gap between in-office and remote work doesn't require a radical shift. Even brief physical activity breaks can support clearer thinking. The takeaway from the research is clear: design beats willpower. How to Design Movement Into a Remote Work Day With that in mind, the next step is to build behavior change that brings movement into the workday. If you work remotely, consider the following practical suggestions to add physical activity without adding time. If you lead employee experience, use these low-cost levers to add movement that supports WFH productivity. 1) Engineer Small Wins Into Daily Habits Tie small cues to tiny movements so the behavior runs on autopilot. In this context the aim is not fitness; it's harnessing opportunities to interrupt prolonged sitting and boost mental clarity. 2) Use Perks and Stipends as Prompts for Movement Corporate perks should prompt action rather than sit unused. Thoughtful choices can create cues for movement during the workday. 3) Design the Meeting Environment. One Walking or Off-Screen Call This is a design choice, not a wellness reminder. Adjust the meeting environment so at least one routine call each week becomes movement-friendly. A small format change supports attention, energy and idea flow without adding time. Accessibility Note: When conventional movement is not feasible, suggest diaphragmatic breathing, upper body stretching or taking regular screen breaks. Why These Remote Work Strategies Move the Needle This isn't an overhaul of well-being or productivity strategy. It's optimization with intentional design. Build movement into the remote work day with one small cue at a time. Start with a refill, a meeting or a nudge. Behavior shifts through smarter defaults, not stronger willpower. It works across remote, hybrid and in-office settings. And when done well, it supports better individual productivity and mobilizes the workforce.
Free Malaysia Today
29-07-2025
- Health
- Free Malaysia Today
7,000 steps ‘enough to significantly boost health'
Walking 7,000 steps a day is linked to 38% reduction in risk of dementia, depression (22%) and diabetes (14%), as well as lower rates of cancer and falls. (Envato Elements pic) PARIS : People who walk 7,000 steps a day have a dramatically lower risk of a broad range of serious health problems, according to the largest review of evidence yet. The most widely promoted target for people tracking their number of steps is 10,000 – but that figure reportedly originally came from a 1960s marketing campaign for a Japanese paedometer. To find a more scientific target, an international team of researchers sifted through 57 previous studies that covered 160,000 people. The results, published in Lancet Public Health, found that walking 7,000 steps a day nearly halved people's risk of early death from all causes, compared to 2,000 steps. The study also looked into health problems not previously covered by research into step counts. Walking 7,000 steps a day was linked to dementia risk falling by 38%, depression by 22%, and diabetes by 14%. It was also associated with lower rates of cancer and falls, though the researchers warned this was based on less evidence. 'You don't need to hit 10,000 steps a day to get major health benefits,' Paddy Dempsey, a study co-author and medical researcher at Cambridge University, told AFP. 'The biggest gains happen before 7,000 steps, and then benefits tend to level off.' While people's speeds vary widely, 7,000 steps adds up to roughly an hour of walking throughout the day. Dempsey emphasised that people already managing 10,000 or more steps should keep it up. But he had a message for people who might find 7,000 steps daunting: 'Don't be discouraged.' 'If you're only getting 2,000-3,000 steps a day, aim to add an extra 1,000 steps. That's just 10-15 minutes of light walking spread across the day,' he advised. Andrew Scott, a researcher at the University of Portsmouth not involved in the study, said 'it demonstrates that overall, more is always better'. 'People should not focus too much on the numbers, particularly on days where activity is limited,' he added. The World Health Organization recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate to intense physical activity a week. Nearly a third of people worldwide do not reach this target, according to WHO.
Japan Today
28-07-2025
- Health
- Japan Today
Walking 7,000 steps a day a huge boost to health: research
Step up: Walking even just a little more every day could have big health benefits People who walk 7,000 steps a day have a dramatically lower risk of a broad range of serious health problems, the largest review of the evidence yet said. The most widely promoted target for people tracking their number of steps is 10,000 -- but that figure reportedly originally came from a 1960s marketing campaign for a Japanese pedometer. To find a more scientific target, an international team of researchers sifted through 57 previous studies that covered 160,000 people. The results published in the Lancet Public Health journal found that walking 7,000 steps a day nearly halved people's risk of early death from all causes, compared to 2,000 steps. The study also looked into health problems not previously covered by research into step counts. Walking 7,000 steps a day was linked to people's risk of dementia falling by 38 percent, depression dropping 22 percent and diabetes decreasing 14 percent. It was also associated with lower rates of cancer and falls, though the researchers warned this was based on less evidence. "You don't need to hit 10,000 steps a day to get major health benefits," Paddy Dempsey, a study co-author and medical researcher at Cambridge University, told AFP. "The biggest gains happen before 7,000 steps, and then benefits tend to level off," he said. While people's speeds vary widely, 7,000 steps adds up to roughly an hour of walking throughout the day. Dempsey emphasised that people already managing 10,000 or more steps should keep it up. But he had a message for people who might find 7,000 steps daunting: "don't be discouraged". "If you're only getting 2,000–3,000 steps a day, aim to add an extra 1,000 steps. That's just 10–15 minutes of light walking spread across the day," he said. Andrew Scott, a researcher at the University of Portsmouth not involved in the study, said that "it demonstrates that overall more is always better". "People should not focus too much on the numbers, particularly on days where activity is limited," he added. The World Health Organization recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate to intense physical activity a week. Nearly a third of people worldwide do not reach this target, according to the WHO. © 2025 AFP
GMA Network
25-07-2025
- Health
- GMA Network
Walking 7,000 steps a day a huge boost to health
People walk around the University of the Philippines campus in Diliman, Quezon City despite monsoon rains on July 25, 2025. Photo: Virgil Lopez/GMA Integrated News PARIS, France - People who walk 7,000 steps a day have a dramatically lower risk of a broad range of serious health problems, the largest review of the evidence yet said. The most widely promoted target for people tracking their number of steps is 10,000 -- but that figure reportedly originally came from a 1960s marketing campaign for a Japanese pedometer. To find a more scientific target, an international team of researchers sifted through 57 previous studies that covered 160,000 people. The results published in the Lancet Public Health journal found that walking 7,000 steps a day nearly halved people's risk of early death from all causes, compared to 2,000 steps. The study also looked into health problems not previously covered by research into step counts. Walking 7,000 steps a day was linked to people's risk of dementia falling by 38 percent, depression dropping 22 percent and diabetes decreasing 14 percent. It was also associated with lower rates of cancer and falls, though the researchers warned this was based on less evidence. "You don't need to hit 10,000 steps a day to get major health benefits," Paddy Dempsey, a study co-author and medical researcher at Cambridge University, told AFP. "The biggest gains happen before 7,000 steps, and then benefits tend to level off," he said. While people's speeds vary widely, 7,000 steps add up to roughly an hour of walking throughout the day. Dempsey emphasized that people already managing 10,000 or more steps should keep it up. But he had a message for people who might find 7,000 steps daunting: "don't be discouraged.'' "If you're only getting 2,000–3,000 steps a day, aim to add an extra 1,000 steps. That's just 10–15 minutes of light walking spread across the day," he said. Andrew Scott, a researcher at the University of Portsmouth not involved in the study, said that "it demonstrates that overall more is always better.'' "People should not focus too much on the numbers, particularly on days where activity is limited," he added. The World Health Organization recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate to intense physical activity a week. Nearly a third of people worldwide do not reach this target, according to the WHO. —Agence France-Presse
Irish Times
24-07-2025
- Health
- Irish Times
How many steps a day do you really need for improve your health? It's not 10,000
Walking more could reduce your risk of dementia , depression and dying from cancer , as well as being good for your heart , according to research. And you may not need to walk as far as previously thought to reap those benefits. The UK's NHS recommends a brisk 10-minute walk every day. Many people aim to walk 10,000 steps, but struggle to achieve it. Now researchers have calculated that even 7,000 steps could be enough to protect health. Scientists examined data from more than 160,000 adults and found that walking 7,000 steps a day was associated with a reduced risk of a number of serious health conditions and death. Whereas previous studies have mainly examined the links between step count and heart health or overall death rates, this systematic review and meta analysis, published in the Lancet Public Health, sought to comprehensively examine how taking more steps per day could reduce the risk of a range of other health conditions as well. READ MORE Compared with those who walked 2,000 steps a day, the researchers found that achieving the 7,000 daily step target was linked to a 37 per cent reduction in risk of dying from cancer, while the risk was 14 per cent lower for type 2 diabetes, 38 per cent for dementia, 22 per cent depression and 28 per cent for falls respectively. It was also associated with a 25 per cent lower risk of cardiovascular disease and a 47 per cent reduction in overall risk of dying. Although step count does not measure the quality or intensity of exercise, the findings underscore the importance of being active. There is a 'return on investment' with every additional 1,000 steps taken and even 4,000 steps per day reduced the risk of disease, compared with very low activity levels, the researchers observed. Although the risk continues to decrease above 7,000 steps, the rate at which it reduces that risk starts to slow. Melody Ding, professor of public health at the University of Sydney and lead author of the research, said that those who already walked 10,000 steps should not go back to 7,000, but that 7,000 was a more practical target for those who were currently inactive. 'Those who are currently active and achieving the 10,000 steps a day, keep up the good work – there is no need to modify your step counts. However, for those of us who are far from achieving the 10,000 targets, getting to 7,000 steps/day offers almost comparable health benefits for the outcomes we examined,' Prof Ding said. [ I walk to work in Dublin every day... daydreaming can't be done on a bus Opens in new window ] Responding to the findings, Dr Daniel Bailey, reader in sedentary behaviour and health at Brunel University of London, said the research helped debunk the myth that 10,000 steps per day should be the target for optimal health. 'The real-world implications are that people can get health benefits just from small increases in physical activity, such as doing an extra 1,000 steps per day,' Dr Bailey said 'To achieve the best reductions in risk, aiming for 5,000-7,000 per day can be recommended, which will be more achievable for many people than the unofficial target of 10,000 steps that has been around for many years.' Dr Andrew Scott, senior lecturer in clinical exercise physiology at the University of Portsmouth, pointed out that not all activity was captured by step counts. 'The steps per day is useful when people's exercise is weight-bearing, however cycling, swimming and rowing are not well-represented by the steps-per-day model.' June Davison, senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation, said: 'We know that regular walking is one of the easiest ways to help maintain a healthy lifestyle and reduce your risk of heart disease. 'Adults should aim to build up to a total of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity every week, but getting active isn't always easy. Incorporating activity snacks, such as walking while taking phone calls, or taking a brisk 10-minute walk during your lunch break, can all count to reduce your chances of developing heart disease.' – Guardian
