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The zone zero secret: how ultra-low-stress exercise can change your life
Want to be healthier and happier without spending hours slogging away in the gym? The answer could be a state just above total inactivity |
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| Madeleine Aggeler |
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Fantastic news for us lazies: engaging in “ultra-low-intensity” movement can have a huge impact on your health, fitness and general quality of life. Great!
It’s easy to think that getting fit and staying healthy requires punishing, sweaty gym sessions. But as Joel Snape writes this week, spending more time in “zone zero” – a state of activity “just above total inactivity”, like, say, walking slowly, tidying or working at a standing desk, offers myriad health benefits. And best of all, it’s free, easy and you can do it just about anywhere.
“Zone zero is an accessible way to increase daily movement without the need for formal workouts or special equipment,” says fitness coach Brian Passenti.
You can increase the time you spend in zone zero by going on short walks throughout the day or engaging in light yoga while you watch TV. Strolling after a meal can be especially helpful for managing the body’s glucose levels, which in turn can reduce the risk of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. Other benefits of spending more time in zone zero are:
• Improved mood: walking seems to be related to “reduced stress, improved mood and general happiness”.
• Longevity: research has found that the more people walk, the lower their risk of all-cause mortality.
• Better training recovery: zone zero plays a huge role in supporting more rigorous exercise. “An easy walk around the block is the best way to support sore muscles,” says Passenti.
So the next time you need a boost, queue up your favorite audiobook and enjoy a slow, leisurely walk. It’s healthy!
Read the full story here.
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Health & well-being |
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In my experience, there are nappers and non-nappers. I personally love a nap, but many people, such as Jillian Pretzel, find mid-day snoozes leave them feeling groggy and nauseous. Sleep experts told Pretzel this grogginess could be the result of sleep inertia, which can happen when you wake up without completing a full sleep cycle. Napping after a midday meal can also lead to acid reflux, when stomach acid travels into the esophagus because one is lying down. But there are ways to improve naps:
• Keep them short: nap for 20 minutes or less. This prevents you from slipping into a deep sleep from which it will be harder to wake up.
• Don’t eat right before you snooze: and if you do, avoid spicy or fatty foods that may lead to acid reflux.
• Keep your head and chest elevated: propping yourself up on pillows can help reduce acid reflux.
Read the full story here.
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Betsy Reed
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Editor, Guardian US
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At this dangerous moment for dissent
I hope you appreciated this newsletter. Before you move on, I wanted to ask if you could support the Guardian at this crucial time for journalism in the US.
When the military is deployed to quell overwhelmingly peaceful protest, when elected officials of the opposing party are arrested or handcuffed, when student activists are jailed and deported, and when a wide range of civic institutions – non-profits, law firms, universities, news outlets, the arts, the civil service, scientists – are targeted and penalized by the federal government, it’s hard to avoid the conclusion that our core freedoms are disappearing before our eyes – and democracy itself is slipping away.
In any country on the cusp of authoritarianism, the role of the press as an engine of scrutiny, truth and accountability becomes increasingly critical. At the Guardian, we see it as our job not only to report on the suppression of dissenting voices, but to make sure those voices are heard.
Not every news organization sees its mission this way – indeed, some have been pressured by their corporate and billionaire owners to avoid antagonizing this government. I am thankful the Guardian is different.
Our only financial obligation is to fund independent journalism in perpetuity: we have no ultrarich owner, no shareholders, no corporate bosses with the power to overrule or influence our editorial decisions. Reader support is what guarantees our survival and safeguards our independence – and every cent we receive is reinvested in our work.
The Guardian’s global perspective helps contextualize and illuminate what we are experiencing in this country. That doesn’t mean we have a single viewpoint, but we do have a shared set of values. Humanity, curiosity and honesty guide us, and our work is rooted in solidarity with ordinary people and hope for our shared future.
It has never been more urgent, or more perilous, to pursue reporting in the US that holds power to account and counters the spread of misinformation. Can you spare just 37 seconds now to support our work and protect the free press?
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We value whatever you can spare, but a recurring contribution makes the most impact, enabling greater investment in our most crucial, fearless journalism. We’ve made it very quick to set up, so we hope you’ll consider it. Thank you.
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More from health & well-being … |
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Advice & perspectives |
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As Rose Stokes writes this week, the explosion of GLP-1s and other weight-loss drugs has left many people feeling “thrust back into a noughties-level skinny worship culture”. Stokes, a “perennially plus-size woman”, says seeing people suddenly shrink made her furiously jealous. She tried a weight-loss drug, and while it helped her drop pounds quickly, she also experienced a “resurgence of crippling anxiety”. Stokes stopped the drugs. Her feelings about her weight and body are still complicated, she says, but adds: “I’ll do all I can to embed in my children’s own programming the notion that their weight really is the least interesting thing about them.”
Read the full story here.
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More from advice & perspectives … |
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Relationships |
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After separating from a man she had wanted to marry, Kitty Drake started looking into “serial spouses” – those who rack up multiple marriages over the course of their lives. At first, Drake was surprised to find so many, but over time, it made sense: “Many of the women I spoke to for this piece were raised – like me – to view marriage as their crowning achievement.” Although serial spouses are often cast as “unstable and morally weak”, Drake says she found the people she interviewed to be unusually courageous and hopeful. “People who marry multiple times aren’t willing to stay in a bad relationship for the sake of propriety,” she writes. “They seem less afraid to change and admit defeat than the rest of us are.”
Read the full story here.
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More from relationships … |
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