Many of us aim for 10,000 steps a day, but new research suggests you might not need to walk quite that much to help lower your risk of dementia. A study using wearable trackers found that even fewer steps can make a real difference. Experts have shared that taking 9,800 steps a day can reduce your dementia risk. What's even better is that you get half of that benefit by just taking about 3,800 steps, or around 4,000. This is great news, as it's a more achievable goal for many people looking to boost their brain health.

It's not just about how many steps you take; how you walk also matters. The study on walking and dementia risk showed that taking purposeful steps and walking with more intensity, like a brisk walking pace, were linked to a lower risk of dementia. So, a faster walk is more helpful than a slower walk. Experts also highlighted the benefits of walking in groups, especially for older adults. Walking with others can build social connections, improve your mood, and fight off feelings of loneliness, all of which are important for your overall well-being.

How Exercise Impact Dementia Risk?

Not being active enough is a big risk factor for dementia, studies have consistently shown that regular exercise for middle-aged and older adults can improve thinking and memory and lower the chances of getting dementia. The charity suggests getting about 20 to 30 minutes of aerobic exercise, which is any activity that gets your heart rate up. This can include everyday things like brisk walking, cleaning, or gardening, making it easy to fit into your daily life.

Can More Physical Activity Prevent Dementia?

The NHS also strongly supports the idea that being physically active helps prevent dementia. They explain that not exercising enough can increase your risk of heart disease, becoming overweight, and developing type 2 diabetes – all factors that can raise your dementia risk. Older adults who don't exercise are also more likely to have problems with their memory or thinking.

The NHS suggests at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity each week. This could be brisk walking, cycling, or dancing. They also recommend strengthening exercises twice a week, like gardening or yoga, and encourage you to move regularly throughout the day, even by taking the stairs or standing during phone calls.

Being one of the most common cancers among women, breast cancer accounts for 30% of cancer cases in females every year. The American Cancer Society explains that breast cancer occurs in middle aged women and older women, the median age of diagnosis being 62 years of age. The average risk of developing breast cancer in women happen to be about 13%. Which means there is a 1 in 8 chance that a woman can develop breast cancer.

The best cure is prevention, and a new study shows that screening for breast cancer is the best way to tackle the disease. While there are treatments after diagnosis, they not only drastically decrease the quality of life a person is used to, but they must also go through a grueling process, with less chances of survival. One of the best ways to increase your chances of survival in breast cancer is to catch it early. However, by the time symptoms start appearing, the cancer has usually spread, which makes treating it much more difficult.

The study, published recently in Radiology Imaging Cancer, found that almost three out of four women (73%) in their 40s only discover they have breast cancer after symptoms appear. This is a significant problem because these women are less likely to survive compared to those whose cancer is found early through screening methods like mammography.

For instance, the study showed that women diagnosed due to symptoms were six times more likely to have advanced cancer, which is much harder to treat. Researchers noted that the results show patients whose breast cancers were detected because of symptoms had a 63% higher likelihood of dying.

Symptoms vs. Screening

To conduct the study, researchers tracked 821 women aged 40 and older who were diagnosed with breast cancer at The Ottawa Hospital in 2016.

They found that half of these patients (50%) were diagnosed because of symptoms (like a noticeable lump, skin or nipple changes, nipple discharge, swollen lymph nodes, or breast pain), rather than through early detection by a mammogram.

The study revealed that breast cancers detected by symptoms, rather than screening, were much more common in:

• Women in their 40s, accounting for 73% of cases.
• Women older than 75, with about 70% discovering cancer after symptoms appeared.
• The researchers also reported that deaths were higher among patients whose breast cancer wasn't caught early through screening.

Shifting Guidelines for Mammograms

This research comes at a time when both the U.S. and Canada are re-evaluating the best age for women to begin regular mammograms.

Last year, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force updated its recommendations to suggest breast cancer screening every two years for women aged 40 to 75.

Similarly, the American Cancer Society now advises women aged 45 to 54 to get annual mammograms, with the option for women in their early 40s to start screening if they choose.

Experts noted that this difference in guidelines can impact how long Canadian women might live with undetected breast cancer. She observed a concerning trend in her own practice, seeing many women under 50 and over 75 being diagnosed only after developing symptoms.

These study results will likely bolster the push to lower the breast cancer screening age to 40 in both the U.S. and Canada. Experts mentioned that many provincial and territorial screening programs in Canada have already lowered the screening age, with a goal to establish a single national policy for screening.

Working in an office has its own set of problems. Work stress has become a common occurrence, to the point where it is considered something people must deal with if they wish to be employed. However, this amount of stress is not natural for the body and can cause adverse effects as stress has been shown to affect a person’s mental health, heart health as well as hormones.

So how does one tackle this issue, while also not sacrificing their financial well-being? Self-employment may be the answer. Many people these days are opting for it as this helps them have their own time and freedom, while also allowing them to earn a living.

Being your own boss might seem like it would add stress, but a new study suggests that self-employed women actually have healthier hearts than those who work for a company.

Why Self-Employed Women May Be Healthier

Researchers recently reported in the journal BMC Public Health that women who work for themselves showed lower rates of several factors that contribute to poor heart health. These include:

• Obesity: Carrying too much body fat.
• Physical Inactivity: Not getting enough exercise.
• Poor Diet: Not eating healthy foods.
• Sleeplessness: Not getting enough quality sleep.

These findings hint that the type of work environment someone is in could really influence their risk for heart attack and stroke.

Link Between Work and Heart Health

Researchers explained that there's a strong connection between being self-employed and having fewer heart disease risk factors, and this link seems even stronger for women than for men.

Experts emphasized that it's crucial to understand how our work environment impacts our health so we can create healthier workplaces for everyone. Previous studies have already shown ties between the kind of job someone has and their heart disease risk. For example, people in high-stress jobs with little control over their work have been linked to higher blood pressure and heart disease.

What the Study Found

For this study, researchers looked at data from nearly 20,000 working adults who participated in a large health survey between 1999 and 2018. This survey included physical exams and questions about their jobs and daily habits.

The results clearly showed that self-employment was beneficial for heart health risks in both white women and women of color:

White women who were self-employed had notably lower rates of obesity (7.4% lower), physical inactivity (7% lower), and poor sleep (9.4% lower).

Women of color saw similar benefits, with lower rates of poor diet (6.7% lower), physical inactivity (7.3% lower), and poor sleep (8.1% lower).

While it's not realistic for all women to become self-employed, the study's authors suggested that companies could learn from the positive aspects of self-employment, like increased freedom and flexibility. For example, offering flexible work schedules could give women more control over their time and potentially improve their health.

Interestingly, white men who were self-employed also saw some benefits, such as a drop in poor diet (6.5% lower) and high blood pressure (5.7% lower). However, these same benefits weren't found for self-employed men of color. This might be because men of color often face greater challenges when starting their own businesses, like higher costs to get started, less money available, and fewer mentors to guide them.

At 44, Kareena Kapoor Khan is embracing a wellness routine that’s as disciplined as it is effective. In a recent conversation with Nod magazine, the Bollywood star opened up about how her post-COVID lifestyle changes have helped her find balance—both physically and mentally.

A ‘Monastic’ Lifestyle

Kareena described her daily routine as “almost monastic.” She eats dinner by 6 pm and is usually in bed before 10 pm. “Dinner by 6 pm, lights out by 9.30 pm, morning workouts before the world wakes up,” she said. Her commitment to this early-to-bed, early-to-rise regimen is so strong that her friends have stopped expecting her at parties. “They know I’ll be watching Schitt’s Creek on low volume,” she quipped.

Her strict routine, she believes, is a major contributor to her mental wellness. “If I don’t work out, I’m in a bad mood. Post-COVID, I realized how important fitness is—not for vanity, but for well-being. It’s my mood stabilizer, my anchor,” Kareena explained.

Fitness for the Soul

Kareena’s fitness journey has always leaned towards wellness rather than weight loss. Her long-time yoga instructor, Anushka Parwani, revealed that Kareena was her first-ever student. “Kareena is the most aware of her body. She understands when to push and when to pause. That level of awareness is rare,” Anushka said in an interview with ETimes.

Her routine includes a blend of animal flow workouts, strength training, and cardiovascular exercises. But yoga remains her primary companion—helping her maintain core strength, flexibility, and mental calm. “With age comes experience and the wisdom to pause when needed. Kareena embodies that beautifully,” said Anushka.

A Family That Cooks Together

Another aspect of Kareena’s balanced life is time spent with family in the kitchen. She insists on one proper Indian meal a day and calls it “non-negotiable.” She shared that her husband, Saif Ali Khan, has developed a passion for Kerala cuisine. “He’s always trying out new recipes—idiyappams, coconut-based stews, everything,” she said. “Saif, the kids, and I—we all love cooking together.”

Work-Life Balance

Despite her strict health regimen, Kareena continues to be a busy actor. She was last seen in Singham Again and is currently filming Daayra, directed by Meghna Gulzar and co-starring Malayalam actor-director Prithviraj Sukumaran.

Kareena Kapoor Khan’s story is a reminder that fitness isn’t just about physical appearance. It’s about stability, self-awareness, and setting routines that nourish both the body and the mind. Whether it’s waking up before sunrise, skipping parties, or mixing yoga with strength training, Kareena proves that discipline and wellness go hand in hand.