The “3-3-3” Sleep Rule a Doctor Recommends If You Toss and Turn at Night

Posted on 08/06/2026 by Boris Clair

Having the occasional bad night’s sleep isn’t anything to worry about in and of itself, the NHS says.

But if the issue lasts a long time or starts to affect your day-to-day life, it could be worth speaking to a doctor, as this might be down to conditions like insomnia.

Still, those terms can be a little tough to navigate. How long is “a long time”? It feels like everyone complains about feeling tired – how can we tell “normal” fatigue from sleep-disorder-level exhaustion?

Here, doctor and Fellow at the Royal College of Anaesthetists, Dr Sunny Nayee, shared the “3-3-3 rule” he uses to tell bad sleep from a more lasting issue.

What is the “3-3-3 rule”?

“If you experience disrupted sleep at least three nights a week for at least three months, medical practitioners no longer regard it as lifestyle related but in the realm of insomnia,” Dr Nayee said.

He encourages those concerned to ask themselves three questions:

Do you experience poor sleep for a minimum of three nights?
Have you experienced poor sleep hygiene for at least three months?
Does poor sleep impact at least three aspects of your day (fatigue, brain fog, changes in mood, lack of concentration).

After all, he stated, insomnia is usually measured by how you feel in the daytime, not what you struggle with at night.

“A common misconception is that people think insomnia is staring at the ceiling and not sleeping at all,” he wrote.

“However, it’s defined by the impact it has throughout the day. If you find that poor sleep hygiene is having an instrumental impact on your mood, concentration and ability to function, then it may be considered a clinical condition.”

What if I think I have insomnia?

Per the NHS, insomnia is not a life sentence: it is often linked to stress, booze, a poor sleeping setup, or rooms that are too hot or cold, and “usually gets better by changing your sleeping habits”.

The health service recommends going to bed at the same time every day, exercising regularly, ensuring your room is dark and quiet, using comfortable bedding, and unwinding for at least an hour before bed, ie by reading a book.

If changing your sleep habits doesn’t work, if your sleep issues have been going on for months, and/or if your insomnia is “affecting your daily life in a way that makes it hard for you to cope,” speak to your GP.

This Is The Exact Amount Of Lifting Needed For A Longer Life

Posted on 06/06/2026 by Boris Clair

Strength training has so many benefits, it’s hard to keep count. It’s been linked to up to four years of extra life, can help to protect us from falls as we age, may reduce dementia risk, and could maintain your bone health… the list goes on.

A new paper published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine has added clarifying details for those hoping to see the most benefits from the activity.

After 30 years of follow-up from 147,374 participants, they found the optimum amount of lifting and resistance training per week for longevity.

How much strength training should I do per week?

This research found that the lowest risk of all-cause mortality was linked to one to two hours (60-119 minutes) of resistance training, especially if it was done alongside aerobic training.

The benefits of strength training seemed to “plateau” at two hours a week in this study, meanwhile.

Speaking to HuffPost UK previously, Dr Suzanne Wylie, GP and medical adviser for IQdoctor, said: “I would generally advise at least two sessions of strength training per week, focusing on all the major muscle groups”.

How much of a difference does one to two hours a week of strength training make?

In this study:

60-120 minutes of strength training a week was linked to 13% lower all-cause mortality risk,
The risk of death from cardiovascular disease, like heart attack or stroke, was 19% lower,
The risk of death from dementia was 27% lower,
The risk of all-cause mortality was 58% lower when 90-120 minutes of strength training was combined with a high level of aerobic activity (30-45 hours a week).

What counts as resistance or strength training?

You don’t always need weights to do strength training.

Dr Wylie formerly told us that strength training “might include bodyweight exercises like squats, push-ups, or step-ups, or using resistance bands or weights at home or in the gym”.

The point is that your muscles work against a form of resistance, be that a dumbbell or your own weight.

She added, “The emphasis should be on steady, safe progression rather than attempting heavy lifts immediately”.

The Smartest Time Of Day To Eat Fibre, According To Dietitians

Posted on 04/06/2026 by Boris Clair

About 90% of us fail to eat the recommended 30g of fibre a day, which means we could be missing out on the nutrients’ brain, heart, and bowel benefits.

That means most of us should focus on getting enough fibre to begin with. But dietitians say that eating it early on in the day can not only help us to achieve that goal, but might confer greater benefits too.

“If you start your day [of eating fibre] in the morning, you get a big advantage,” registered dietitian Lisa Young told TODAY.

And the Mayo Clinic said we should try to choose a breakfast with at least 5g of fibre.

Why should I eat fibre in the morning?

Part of it has to do with motivation. If you begin your day with more fibre, you don’t have to make up for any gaps later on in the day when you’re more tired.

One study found that people who ate higher-fibre breakfasts went on to eat healthier, more fibre-rich fare throughout the day.

Secondly, our gut is more active earlier in the day.

That might mean that your body has more of a chance to process and enjoy the satiating benefits of fibre if you consume it first thing.

“For some people, especially those with bloating, reflux, or slower digestion, a super fibre-heavy meal right before bed can feel like it just kind of sits there,” registered dietitian Alyssa Simpson told EatingWell.

How can I eat more fibre in the morning?

Another good reason to eat fibre at breakfast? A lot of breakfast foods, including cereals like bran flakes, porridge, wholemeal bread, and fruit, are naturally high in fibre, making it easier to sneak more of the nutrient into your diet.

″[Two] slices of wholemeal toast with peanut butter followed by a medium-size orange should give you around 8.3g of fibre” at breakfast, for instance, the NHS said. That equates to almost a third of your daily goal.

Add more fruits to your breakfast, choose bran or wholegrain versions of your food, or add wheat bran to lower-fibre versions, the Mayo Clinic added.

I found that eating chia chocolate overnight oats, stewed pear porridge, overnight Weetabix “carrot cake”, or mango chia pudding gets me to at least half of my goal before noon.

Should I only eat fibre in the morning?

No – eating it in the morning might have extra benefits, but the most important thing is to meet your fibre goal in the first place.

Eating too much fibre in one go can sometimes cause digestive issues, too, registered dietitian Brea Lofton from Lumen shared previously.

“I usually find that spreading it out across the day is better tolerated than having one giant fibre-heavy meal, especially for people with bloating or sensitive digestion”, Simpson said.

As a reminder, most adults should aim for 30g of fibre a day.

A Professor Ranked The 41 Best Fruits And Veg To Fight Disease

Posted on 30/05/2026 by Boris Clair

GP Dr Dawn Harper previously told HuffPost UK that she’s sceptical of “superfoods” – “there is no one single silver bullet that will enhance your chances of living a long and healthy life,” she said.

You might think that Dr Jennifer Di Noia, an Associate Professor of Sociology at William Paterson University, whose 2014 paper sought to find the best fruits and veg to reduce our disease risk, was more fond of terms like these.

But she had her own concerns. “Efforts to define… powerhouse fruits and vegetables (PFV), foods most strongly associated with reduced chronic disease risk… are lacking,” she wrote at the time.

So, the researcher set out research-backed terms.

What counts as “powerhouse fruits and vegetables” or PFVs?

In her study, “powerhouse” fruits and vegetables had to offer at least 10% more of 17 nutrients per 100 calories than other foods.

These nutrients the study looked at were:

potassium,
fibre,
protein,
calcium,
iron,
thiamin,
riboflavin,
niacin,
folate,
zinc,
vitamin A,
vitamin B,
vitamin B,
vitamin C,
vitamin D,
vitamin E, and
vitamin K.

These nutrients had been deemed of public health importance by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations and Institute of Medicine, the paper read.

The more of these a plant packed per calorie, the higher the PFV’s nutrient density score was.

However, the paper stressed that these aren’t the only potentially health-boosting components of food; therefore, these metrics could miss some produce that’s great for us.

41 fruits and vegetables, ranked by disease-fighting potential

Of the 47 foods the study author looked at, 41 met her criteria for “PFV”. (The six that missed the mark were raspberries, tangerines, cranberries, garlic, onion, and blueberries).

In order, their nutrient density scores were:

Watercress – 100.00
Napa cabbage – 91.99
Chard – 89.27
Beetroot greens – 87.08
Spinach – 86.43
Chicory – 73.36
Leaf lettuce – 70.73
Parsley – 65.59
Romaine lettuce – 63.48
Collard greens – 62.49
Turnip greens – 62.12
Mustard leaves – 61.39
Endive – 60.44
Chive – 54.80
Kale – 49.07
Dandelion leaves – 46.34
Red pepper – 41.26
Rocket – 37.65
Broccoli – 34.89
Pumpkin – 33.82
Brussels sprouts – 32.23
Spring onion – 27.35
Kohlrabi – 25.92
Cauliflower – 25.13
Cabbage – 24.51
Carrot – 22.60
Tomato – 20.37
Lemon – 18.72
Iceberg lettuce – 18.28
Strawberry – 17.59
Radish – 16.91
Winter squash (all varieties) – 13.89
Orange – 12.91
Lime – 12.23
Grapefruit (pink and red) – 11.64
Swede – 11.58
Turnip – 11.43
Blackberries – 11.39
Leeks – 10.69
Sweet potato – 10.51
Grapefruit (white) – 10.47.

With that said, the best approach for a healthy diet is eating a balance of healthy foods. Diets rich in fruits and vegetables of all different kinds is liked to better heart health, the British Heart Foundation has said.

Common Speech Patterns Could Be Early Signs Of Cognitive Decline

Posted on 25/05/2026 by Boris Clair

If you’re like most people, you probably rely on filler words like “um” and “uh” when speaking, whether you’re presenting at work or talking to old friends over coffee.

Use of filler words can be very, very normal, but new research found that in some cases, you may want to pay closer attention to your speech patterns for the sake of your cognitive health and dementia risk.

The research, which was led by experts from the Baycrest Corporate Centre for Geriatric Care, the University of Toronto and York University, found that certain speech patterns can be indicative of cognitive decline and a higher risk for dementia.

Folks who participated in the study were tasked with verbally describing what they saw in different detailed images and were recorded while explaining what they were looking at.

Researchers then used AI to analyse the speech patterns in the recordings, such as the use of filler words like “um” and “uh,” pauses in conversation and trouble with word-finding.

Participants also completed cognitive tests; how someone performed on the speech analysis predicted how well, or not well, someone did on their cognitive tests.

“We know that language is one of the domains of cognition that can be really affected by dementia, and certain types of dementia more than others, but in all types of dementia, difficulty finding common words is a feature that we look for, and that we know occurs,” said Dr. Heather Whitson, a distinguished professor in neuroscience at Duke School of Medicine in North Carolina. Whitson is not affiliated with the study.

This does not mean that every forgotten word or instance of calling a restaurant by the wrong name is cause for concern, experts told HuffPost.

New research found that certain speech patterns could be signs of cognitive decline.

“All of us, probably starting around our 20s or 30s, start doing a little bit worse over time on many formal cognitive tests, and that does not mean that we’re on the way to dementia. It’s what we often refer to as healthy aging,” said Dr. Carolyn Fredericks, an assistant professor of neurology at Yale School of Medicine in Connecticut. Fredericks is not affiliated with the study.

“And some of the things that they were looking at in this study are things where everybody gets a little worse on these measures over time, but they’re picking up a signature where [in] some people, it’s just that much more so, and those are the ones who are vulnerable,” said Fredericks.

Again, difficulty finding words can be a normal part of aging, stressed Whitson.

“Usually it starts with proper nouns, so the person who’s saying, ‘I can remember everything about that actor, but I can’t think of their name right now,’” added Whitson.

There are also limitations to this study. “Speech patterns are very dependent on culture and even families,” said Whitson, and this study doesn’t address the aspect of speech differences.

For example, it’s common for folks in the south to speak slower and with more pauses than those in the north, and that is not a sign of cognitive decline.

More, this data was all “drawn from one time point,” Whitson said. So, there is nothing to compare someone’s speech patterns to. Meaning, someone’s use of the word “uh” may be normal and something they picked up in childhood, not a sign of cognitive decline.

Not all cognitive changes are worrisome, but there are some warning signs of dementia you should know

Again, not every “um” or pause in conversation is cause for concern, but there are some red flags that should warrant a visit to your doctor.

“The kinds of things I would worry about, number one … having a lot of difficulty expressing oneself, particularly with ordinary dictionary words, not just struggling to come up with the name of someone or the title of a book or movie,” Whitson said.

Short-term memory lapses are also concerning, Whitson noted. “That usually presents with either repeating one’s questions in a very short time span,” added Whitson.

“Other things is getting lost in familiar places, or repeatedly forgetting important appointments,” she said. Misplacing items and having no idea how the item got there in the first place is also a red flag, added Whitson.

Since cognitive decline is a part of healthy ageing, it can be hard to tell what is normal and what is not so normal. “Often it’s helpful to compare yourself to your peers,” said Fredericks.

For instance, if your peers are also occasionally forgetting the name of the new dentist in town, you’re likely in good company. But, if you find yourself misplacing items frequently, and don’t see that in others you age, it’s a good idea to talk to a doctor.

There are some lifestyle adjustments that can help lower your dementia risk

There are some modifiable lifestyle behaviours that can lower your risk of dementia. These are “the most actionable things that people can do in their 20s and beyond,” said Whitson.

Controlling high blood pressure is an important way to lower your dementia risk, Whitson said. “There’s even evidence that strict control of blood pressure down to a top number of 120 or less is associated with reduced dementia risk,” she added.

“Physical activity is one of the things that is most associated with lowering dementia risk, as well as almost every other kind of health risk,” Whitson said.
“So, I always tell people, if they’re going to change one thing about their lifestyle, increasing physical activity would be the thing to do.”

It’s also important to get good quality sleep and follow a nutritious diet. Fredericks recommends the Mediterranean diet or other heart-healthy diets.

“Making sure that people’s vision and hearing are optimised is associated with lowering our dementia risk, which kind of makes sense because our ears and our eyes are what feeds most information and activation to our brain,” added Whitson.

So, if you need glasses or hearing aids, it’s a good idea to see a doctor and get a prescription.

Protecting yourself from head injury by wearing a helmet when biking, for example, or during contact sports is another way to lower risk, Whitson said, in addition to not smoking.

Having regular social and intellectual stimulation is also recommended, noted Fredericks. This can impact your cognition and help your brain stay challenged and alert, Fredericks added.

This AI tool these researchers used to analyse the data is “very promising,” Whitson said. A tool that can pick up patterns in speech and reveal something about our brain function and cognition has great promise, Whitson noted.

But, don’t panic if you find yourself using “um” a lot or pausing in conversation. Instead, do what you can to lower your dementia risk and look out for other dementia red flags – and talk to a doctor if you are concerned.

Too Many Burps? Here’s What Excessive Belching Says About Your Health

Posted on 24/05/2026 by Boris Clair

A few months ago, I started burping. Not in a funny, show-off-for-the-kids way, but in a constant, uncomfortable, what-is-happening-to-my-body kind of way.

I started counting: 30, 40 times a day. And like any adult in 2026, I immediately turned to Google to ask whether that was a normal amount of belching.

From the obvious offenders (sparkling water and speed-eating) to more serious underlying conditions like ulcers, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) or, in rare cases, cancer, I spoke with gastroenterologists to break down when burping is harmless, and when it’s a signal that something else is going on.

What counts as ‘normal’ burping?

“Burping is normal,” Dr. Samantha Nazareth, a board-certified gastroenterologist and chief medical officer at metaME in New York, reassured me. “It’s air moving up from the food pipe (oesophagus) or the stomach.”

That said, “normal” isn’t exactly a fixed number. What feels like a lot to one person might barely register for someone else, and the range is wider than you’d think.

“It is difficult to give a ‘normal’ cutoff,” shared Dr. Rabia de Latour, a double board-certified gastroenterologist and therapeutic endoscopist in New York. “Some people burp infrequently, some burp 10-20 times a day, some only burp a few times after eating or drinking and some people can voluntarily produce a burp.”

Still, there are some benchmarks that can help put things in perspective. One 2020 study published in the Journal of Clinical Medicine found that patients who burped more than 13 times a day were more likely to have an underlying gastrointestinal issue than healthy individuals, who averaged closer to two daily episodes.

“In general, we consider abnormal burping when it disrupts your daily activities or quality of life or occurs with any other symptoms like trouble swallowing or nausea or bloating,” explained Dr. Elena Ivanina, a triple board-certified integrative gastroenterologist and functional medicine doctor.

The most common (and totally harmless) reasons you’re burping more

Just because you’re burping more than 13 times a day doesn’t automatically mean something is wrong. In many cases, it comes down to simple, everyday habits – especially how you eat.

One of the biggest culprits is swallowing excess air. That can happen when you eat too quickly, talk while eating, chew gum, smoke, suck on hard candies or drink through a straw.

“It can be purely behavioural,” de Latour said, noting that these habits can lead to more air entering the digestive tract, and eventually, more belching.

What you’re eating and drinking plays a role, too. If you’re a sparkling water person, for example, all that carbonation has to go somewhere. “Dietary factors often include increased carbonated beverages, chewing gum, sucking on candies, drinking through straws, high-fat or fried foods or food high in fermentable carbohydrates like lactose (dairy),” Ivanina explained.

A few lifestyle factors can quietly add to the mix. Stress and anxiety can increase how much air you swallow throughout the day, while slouching or lying down right after eating can make it harder for gas to move through your system. “Stress/anxiety can contribute to this,” Nazareth noted. “Slouching or lying down after eating can trap gas.”

Taken together, it means that a sudden uptick in burping isn’t always a red flag. Sometimes, it’s just your daily habits catching up with you.

It's critical to talk to your physician if burping feels excessive or like it's interfering with your daily life. — It’s critical to talk to your physician if burping feels excessive or like it’s interfering with your daily life.

When it might be something more than just air

But let’s say you’ve cut back on the LaCroix, slowed down your eating, and you’re still belching like a six-year-old at a birthday party… It might be time to pay attention.

De Latour flags these symptoms as ones to watch: bloating, abdominal pain, acid reflux, unintentional weight loss, heartburn, diarrhoea, blood in your stool or vomit, vomiting, loss of appetite, chest pain, new anaemia (especially iron deficiency), and early satiety – that’s feeling full faster than usual.

Beyond the physical symptoms, there’s a simpler gut-check (so to speak): if it’s disrupting your life, that’s the real red flag.

“It becomes problematic when it is bothering the patient; either because it is too frequent, uncontrollable or causing feelings of embarrassment due to any of the above or odour,” de Latour said.

As for when to pick up the phone, you don’t need to be checking every box. Even one or two symptoms from that list, especially if they’re new or persistent, is reason enough to loop in your doctor. Trust your gut. (Sorry, had to.)

What actually helps reduce excessive burping

The good news: most belching is fixable. A few things worth trying before you spiral into a gastroenterology rabbit hole:

Stop multitasking while eating

It sounds obvious, but Nazareth’s first recommendation to patients is simple – slow down, chew thoroughly, and stop talking with your mouth full.

Watch the usual suspects

Carbonated drinks, chewing gum, hard candy and straws all sneak in extra air.

Check your anxiety

Stress and nervous swallowing are surprisingly common triggers.

Look at your diet

Certain foods – onions, garlic, beans, cruciferous vegetables – are notorious for producing gas in the lower part of the digestive tract.

A Doctor Explains What It Can Mean If You Get Dizzy Standing Up

Posted on 23/05/2026 by Boris Clair

Though you might think something as ordinary as feeling winded after taking the stairs is normal, Dr Katherine Pohlgeers previously told HuffPost that if your breathing “stay[s] elevated past three minutes or a prolonged period of time, that’s when it becomes more concerning”.

But what about feeling dizzy when you stand up?

We asked Dr Donald Grant, a GP and senior clinical advisor at The Independent Pharmacy, what it could mean and when to see a doctor.

It could be normal, or it may be orthostatic hypotension

“Feeling dizzy when you stand up can be normal, and it usually occurs due to blood pressure changes, which means the brain gets less blood flow for a brief moment,” Dr Grant explained.

“This is particularly common after standing or sitting for extended periods, but outside of that, several potential causes shouldn’t be ignored.”

One of the most “common” of these, he added, is “postural hypotension” (also known as orthostatic hypotension), or a sudden lowering of blood pressure that happens when you go from sitting to standing.

“Other common signs of this include blurred vision, general weakness, confusion and nausea,” he explained.

The NHS said it’s important to see a doctor if you get repeated signs of low blood pressure, like dizziness and fainting.

Any other causes?

“Dizziness may also be caused by dehydration, so it’s important to drink enough fluids each day, especially as we approach the warmer months,” Dr Grant continued.

“While it can vary depending on age, health conditions and the weather, people should generally aim to drink six to eight cups of fluid each day.”

Additionally, some medications and pre-existing health conditions, like anaemia, diabetes, and heart problems, can make you feel dizzy when you stand up too.

When should I see a doctor about this?

“If dizziness occurs regularly or suddenly worsens, seek urgent medical attention. A qualified health professional can provide more tailored advice on potential causes and treatment,” shared Dr Grant.

In general, the NHS suggests you should see a doctor if your dizziness or vertigo keeps coming back or lasts a long time, or if hearing or speaking becomes difficult.

You should also visit your doctor if you experience tinnitus (ringing in the ears); double or blurred vision; numbness or weakness in the face, arms or legs; changes in pulse; fainting; headaches or nausea, according to the health service.

Six Personality Traits Psychologists Say Lead To A Longer Life

Posted on 18/05/2026 by Boris Clair

There isn’t an exact formula for a longer life yet, though researchers think they have some pretty good guesses.

Great genes, enough sleep, and a decent diet can go a long way if you want to reach 100, for instance.

But some factors are less strictly physical.

For instance, one paper found that people who had a positive view of ageing may be less likely to experience age-related decline.

And having a sense of purpose “appears to widely buffer against mortality risk across the adult years,” a 2015 paper found.

Yet another paper, this time looking at data from 22,000 participants, found that “Personality nuances were associated with mortality risk in four samples”.

Which personality traits might help you live longer?

1) Being active

This self-descriptor was most linked to a longer life in the 2025 paper (27% lower mortality risk).

Study author, psychologist Professor René Mõttus, told The Guardian: “The word ‘active’ was the most striking.

“Participants who described themselves this way were significantly less likely to die during the study period – with a 21% lower risk, even when age, gender and medical conditions were taken into account.”

2) Being lively

The trait, tied in this study to outgoingness, seemed te be another helpful self-description (12% lower risk) for those hoping to live long.

“The extraversion items active and lively were related to a lower mortality risk,” the paper reads.

Separate 2017 research linked higher levels of extraversion to a 14% reduction in mortality.

3) Being organised

The study also found that higher levels of conscientiousness, including describing yourself as organised, were linked to a longer life (14% lower mortality risk).

“Being ‘organised’ might help people stick to routines that improve health, but it may also reflect underlying psychological resilience or social habits that contribute to a longer life,” study author Professor Páraic O’Súilleabháin told The Guardian.

It’s not the only paper to link greater conscientiousness to a longer life, either.

4) Being responsible

Linked to a 12% lower risk of death in this paper, the term also falls in the “conscientiousness” bracket.

5) Being hardworking

Those who saw themselves as industrious had a 15% lower risk of mortality, as did those who self-described as “thorough”.

One 2016 paper found that those who worked even a year later than retirement age saw an up-to-11% lower risk of death in an 18-year follow-up period.

6) Being helpful

This personality trait, which fell into the broader category of “agreeableness”, has also been linked to a longer lifespan.

Another paper found that people who volunteered more often lived longer.

If You Want Stronger Legs But Have Sore Knees, A Surgeon Loves ‘Cyclist Squats’

Posted on 09/05/2026 by Boris Clair

We’ve written before about how helpful Spanish squats and reverse lunges can be if you sometimes struggle doing exercise due to knee pain.

And according to orthopaedic surgeon Dr Chris Raynor, you can add “cycling squats” to that list.

In a YouTube short, the expert said he loves to use these kinds of exercises “for rehabilitation after knee injury or knee surgery, because I think that they are a safe way of activating the quadricep muscle and developing quadricep strength”.

Men’s Health, meanwhile, called them the “ultimate quad burn” which can increase your ankle mobility, reduce the strain on your lower back, and, of course, strengthen your legs.

What are cyclist squats?

Also known as “heel elevation squats”, cyclist squats involve – surprise – keeping your heels elevated as you perform the exercise.

This is sometimes done with a sloped squat ramp or “riser”.

You should keep your feet together as you perform the movement, which can be done with or without a kettlebell or dumbbell held in front of you to your chest.

Cyclist or heel elevated squats with a kettlebell are called “goblet cyclist squats”.

How do you complete a cyclist squat?

The steps include:

Stand on a squat ramp or “riser” with your feet together, torso straight, and arms either straight in front of you or holding a weight to your chest.
Lower yourself down, hinging at the hips and knees, as if you’re trying to tuck your bottom on top of your heels.
Rise back up, “pushing” the floor away with your feet.

What are the benefits of cyclist squats?

This type of squat “encourages more work from the quads, and less on the hips, low back and adductors” than a regular squat, Mirafit explained.

They added that for people with weaker knees, cycling squats can help you progressively overload the joint over time, protecting it from future harm.

The heel elevation can help you achieve a deeper squat, too. And if you’re holding a kettlebell while doing the exercise, you’ll work your postural muscles, which help both your upper and lower back.

Dr Raynor added that goblet cyclist squats may help to activate the vastus medialus obliqus (VMO), a teardrop-shaped muscle in our upper legs, as “one of the best ways to make sure that it is engaged is to activate the quad when it is in its most lengthened position”.

That happens during deeper squats, like this one. The VMO is a key muscle in stabilising our knees.

A 2025 paper found that “elevated heel heights… can enhance squat stability by reducing centre of pressure (COP) deviation and trunk lean, both of which are key factors for minimising injury risks in squatting exercise”.

‘Heel Walks’ Can Make Your Shins Stronger And Improve Your Balance

Posted on 03/05/2026 by Boris Clair

We’ve written before at HuffPost UK about “Japanese walking,” “incline walking”, “6-6-6 walking”, and “retro walking”.

But if you want to strengthen your calves and shins, either for running or just for better mobility, some experts, like physical therapist Dr Jo, reccomend “heel walking”.

In the caption of a YouTube video, they shared: “Walking on heels is a great exercise for helping with lower leg injuries and muscle imbalances. It can also help with ankle pain and plantar fasciitis.”

What are heel walks?

Happily, it doesn’t involve walking in high heels.

They’re performed by lifting your toes and the balls of your feet up and walking on a flat surface on your heels. You can go forward or backwards with your feet hip-width apart, physical therapist group Therapeutic Associates Inc shared.

They should be short, small steps. “The aim is to point your toes as much as you can towards the ceiling so there is as much dorsiflexion in the ankle as possible,” said Runna.

You should keep your upper body tall with your eyes looking straight forward. Tuck your elbows in and let your arms follow your leg movements.

Keep your glutes and hips tucked in.

Theraputic Associates Inc added, “you may want to perform this exercise to fatigue as in, you can’t keep your toes up off the ground anymore and exhaust the shin muscles”.

What are the benefits of heel walks?

Runna explained that, “Heel walks are a very simple but effective warm-up exercise for the muscle that runs along the front of the shin bone (tibialis anterior).”

This is responsible for keeping your feet lifted and preventing a condition called “foot drop”. Calling it an “underappreciated muscle,” Mirafit added that a strong tibialis anterior contributes to healthy movements of the lower leg which are “all essential when it comes to everyday life and specifically when walking and hiking.”

It may help to prevent shin splints, increase your balance and mobility, and reduce your risk of overuse injuries because they make you better at absorbing shocks, they continued.

Heel walks also stretch your calf muscles and strengthen the flexors in your foot, Runna said.