Allison Aubrey

And those who hit this target four times a week reduced the risk of premature death by about 40 percent.

It did not matter if the women took the steps all at once or sporadic steps throughout the day.

Study author Rick Hamaya of Mass General Brigham says people have heard so much about 10,000 steps per day, but among older women, 4,000 was enough.

This fits with prior research that shows more is better, but the benefits of physical activity begin with the first step.

Allison Aubrey, NPR News.

Short bouts of a few minutes of moderately intense movement a couple of times a day is linked to improved cardiorespiratory fitness, which is the ability of the heart, lungs, and blood vessels to deliver oxygen to the muscles and sustain aerobic activity.

Researchers studied adults who'd been sedentary and tracked progress over a few days up to 12 weeks, explains study author Miguel Rodriguez of University of Oviedo in Spain.

Short bursts of exercise included climbing stairs and other leg exercises, such as leg presses, which also helped participants to build strength.

Allison Aubrey, NPR News.

A lot of people have been seeking emergency care for tick bites. That's according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which reports the highest rates in more than five years. Allison Hinckley, an epidemiologist at CDC, says May and June are prime time for tick bites.

A lot of people have been seeking emergency care for tick bites. That's according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which reports the highest rates in more than five years. Allison Hinckley, an epidemiologist at CDC, says May and June are prime time for tick bites.

That's because it can wash off ticks that are crawling on you and let you search for ticks that have latched. The key thing, she says, is to get the tick off your body as soon as you can. Ticks can transmit pathogens that cause things like Lyme disease, Heartland virus, and Rocky Mountain spotted fever.

That's because it can wash off ticks that are crawling on you and let you search for ticks that have latched. The key thing, she says, is to get the tick off your body as soon as you can. Ticks can transmit pathogens that cause things like Lyme disease, Heartland virus, and Rocky Mountain spotted fever.

But it usually takes at least several hours of them feeding on your blood before the pathogen gets transmitted. Ping Huang, NPR News.

But it usually takes at least several hours of them feeding on your blood before the pathogen gets transmitted. Ping Huang, NPR News.

I was struck in your book that you identify three types of loneliness. There's psychological, societal, existential. Can you describe the differences?

I was struck in your book that you identify three types of loneliness. There's psychological, societal, existential. Can you describe the differences?

I was struck in your book that you identify three types of loneliness. There's psychological, societal, existential. Can you describe the differences?

It does seem like these are woven together, and to some extent, as you described them, it feels like all of us must have some societal loneliness, some existential loneliness. The one that really strikes me is the first one, psychological loneliness. And if the litmus test is, do I have a friend, that seems like a really important thing. I have three kids, and as you watch your kids grow,

It does seem like these are woven together, and to some extent, as you described them, it feels like all of us must have some societal loneliness, some existential loneliness. The one that really strikes me is the first one, psychological loneliness. And if the litmus test is, do I have a friend, that seems like a really important thing. I have three kids, and as you watch your kids grow,