Latest from Al Watan
Yahoo
28 minutes ago
- Health
- Yahoo
I Tried the Japanese Walking Routine Everyone's Talking About—Is It Worth the Hype?
There's no shortage of fitness fads, and the latest one to take over my social media feeds is the Japanese walking trend. The workout is easy, quick, and promises to lower blood pressure—as long as you're consistent—so I tried it for a week to see if it's as good as the fitfluencers say. Essentially, this is a 30-minute high-intensity walking workout. Here's how it works: Do three minutes of fast walking (about 70% of your peak aerobic capacity) Switch to three minutes of slow walking (about 40% of your peak aerobic capacity) Repeat the intervals for a total of 30 minutes Unlike some fitness trends, this workout is backed by science! Researchers created the routine nearly 20 years ago and tested it on adults who were, on average, 63 years old. The study found that adults who completed the walk four days a week had lower blood pressure compared to those who didn't do the workout. The Japanese walking routine has taken off on TikTok, and popular fitness coach Eugene Teo even said it is a great way to get your steps in. I trained for the REAL SIMPLE Women's Half Marathon in 2024 and loved running so much that I kept up with it until a few months ago. Now that I'm out of practice, I can run for a mile (very slowly), so this was a nice way to ease back into things. The faster-paced intervals were long enough that I felt challenged, but not too long that I needed to stop before the time was up. Having the recovery time was nice as I didn't feel as tired as I typically do after a run. However, it took a while for my heart rate to recover enough to reach 40% of my peak aerobic capacity. For example, it sometimes took half of the interval before my heart rate was low enough, but since I felt recovered, I stuck with the three minutes. You do have to keep track of time, meaning you can't zone out! To make it easy, I programmed the routine in my Apple Watch. This way, I got alerts when it was time for a new interval. Compared to other walking workouts, such as the popular 12-30-3 workout, I enjoyed this one much more. (If you don't know, 12-30-3 was a popular treadmill walk where you set the incline at 13, the pace at 3 miles per hour, and move for 30 minutes.) I've found that walking at the same pace for 30 minutes can get boring. But I gave that one another go to see how it compares to the Japanese walking routine in terms of average heart rate and distance. I found that both walking methods produced similar results, according to my watch. Over the week, I noticed the walk became easier, and I had to walk faster to ensure I reached 40% of my peak aerobic capacity. If you're looking to get into running (or get back into running, as in my case), this is a great way to do it! I'll continue to use this as my main form of cardio as I build back up. Plus, it's only 30 minutes, and can be done nearly anywhere. Read the original article on Real Simple
Malaysiakini
28 minutes ago
- Malaysiakini
'Phantom travels': Another syndicate plaguing KLIA
A new syndicate involving civil servants travelling abroad without immigration records has been uncovered at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA). This is in addition to the alleged 'counter setting' scams, 'fly' syndicates, and wildlife smuggling plaguing the airport. A Malaysiakini investigation at KLIA over the past few weeks found that...
Free Malaysia Today
28 minutes ago
- Health
- Free Malaysia Today
Toxic school culture makes teachers suffer in silence, says union
The teachers' union said many teachers with mental problems suffer in silence because they fear being judged or even dismissed. PETALING JAYA : Many teachers face mental health conditions as they are emotionally burdened due to toxic school leadership, increasing digital demands, and harassment from parents, says the National Union of the Teaching Profession. Commenting on recent news reports of teachers suffering from depression and schizophrenia, NUTP secretary-general Fouzi Singon said an increasing number of teachers are feeling isolated and unsupported. He described the situation as critical. Fouzi Singon. Teachers who struggle with mental problems often avoid seeking help due to these fears, leading to worsening conditions, he said. 'Many suffer in silence because they fear being judged or even dismissed,' while some school heads fail to handle such cases with sensitivity or professionalism. An education activist said teacher burnout must be addressed as a systemic issue and not treated as a personal failing. Parent Action Group for Education chairman Noor Azimah Rahim said the ability of teachers to nurture students is severely compromised when they are overworked, emotionally exhausted, or subject to toxic leadership and harassment. Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim. Azimah said school leaders must be chosen not only based on their qualifications, but also on emotional intelligence and a proven ability to lead inclusive, empathetic school environments. 'We need to create a space where teachers can speak up safely. Only then can we rebuild trust in the system,' she said. Trust continues to be undermined by poorly thought-out policies, particularly a push for digitalisation which has increased many teachers' workloads. 'Many are expected to adopt new systems without the necessary tools or training, which adds to their stress,' she said. Azimah said any national education plan must put teachers at the centre, with a focus on readiness, proper access and meaningful consultation. Both NUTP and PAGE called on the education ministry to urgently review school management standards and provide proper mental health support to prevent teachers from burning out. On Tuesday, Johor education and information committee chairman Aznan Tamin said a teacher who had not reported for duty since last September, and whose decomposed body was found in her home on June 12, was believed to have suffered from depression. On Thursday, Perak police chief Noor Hisam Nordin said a teacher who allegedly posted offensive remarks about the recent bus crash in Gerik that killed 15 university students is believed to be suffering from a psychiatric condition. The teacher was reported to have made a public apology last week and claimed to suffer from schizophrenia. Noor Hisam said police have recorded the teacher's statement and are awaiting a medical report.
Time of India
29 minutes ago
- Sport
- Time of India
River Plate, Monterrey play out goalless stalemate in Club World Cup
River Plate were left frustrated after a 0-0 draw with Mexico's Monterrey on Saturday, missing a chance to secure a spot in the Club World Cup knockout stage. Despite dominating large stretches of the match, the Argentine side couldn't break through, with former Boca Juniors goalkeeper Esteban Andrada producing a string of crucial saves for Monterrey. The result leaves Group E finely poised heading into the final round of matches on Wednesday, with River and Inter Milan both on four points and Monterrey close behind on two. Monterrey will face already-eliminated Urawa Red Diamonds in their final group game. — FIFACWC (@FIFACWC) In front of over 57,000 fans at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Monterrey started brightly, forcing River goalkeeper Franco Armani into an early save from Sergio Canales. But the match soon became disjointed, with 23 fouls disrupting the flow in the first half. Live Events River missed two golden chances just before the break - Giuliano Galoppo fired wide from a central position, and Lucas Martínez Quarta misfired from close range after a corner fell kindly to him. The Argentinians pushed forward in the second half, with 16-year-old Franco Mastantuono and striker Miguel Borja both denied by Andrada, whose performance proved decisive. River's night ended on a sour note as Kevin Castano received a second yellow card in stoppage time, capping off a disappointing evening for the Buenos Aires club. Economic Times WhatsApp channel )
News18
29 minutes ago
- Entertainment
- News18
Sitaare Zameen Par Box Office Day 2: Aamir Khan's Film Scores Big, Rakes In Rs 30 Crore
Last Updated: Sitaare Zameen Par, starring Aamir Khan and Genelia Deshmukh, collected ₹30.42 crore in India on its second day. The film is a spiritual sequel to the 2007 hit Taare Zameen Par. Aamir Khan is back to lighting up the box office as his recent film, Sitaare Zameen Par, is shining brighter by the day. After a warm opening, the emotional drama saw a solid jump on Day 2, raking in a whopping Rs 30.42 crore. Directed by R.S. Prasanna and co-starring Genelia Deshmukh, the film hit theatres on June 20, 2025, and is already stirring major nostalgia as a spiritual sequel to the 2007 gem Taare Zameen Par. According to trade reports, Sitaare Zameen Par picked up pace on Saturday, outperforming its Friday numbers. The film earned an estimated Rs 19.72 crore on Day 2, taking its total India collection to Rs 30.42 crore so far. It had kicked off with Rs 10.7 crore on its opening day, and the upward trend looks promising. All eyes are now on Sunday to see just how big the film's first weekend tally turns out to be. For some perspective, Aamir Khan's Laal Singh Chaddha had managed Rs 18.96 crore net in India over its first two days, quite a bit lower than Sitaare Zameen Par. In comparison, Akshay Kumar's Sky Force did better with Rs 34.25 crore in the same time frame, while Kesari Chapter 2 brought in Rs 17.5 crore. Sitaare Zameen Par is a sports comedy drama film directed by R. S. Prasanna, and produced by Aamir Khan and Aparna Purohit. Aroush Datta, Gopi Krishna Varma, Samvit Desai, Vedant Sharma, Ayush Bhansali, Ashish Pendse, Rishi Shahani, Rishabh Jain, Naman Mishra and Simran Mangeshkar will make their Hindi cinema debut with the film. The film also boasts a strong supporting cast with seasoned performers like Dolly Ahluwalia, Gurpal Singh, Brijendra Kala, and Ankita Sehgal. The film follows the emotional journey of Gulshan, a once-celebrated basketball coach played by Aamir Khan, who's sent to teach the game to a group of neurodivergent kids as part of his community service after a DUI charge. What begins as a reluctant punishment soon turns into a powerful transformation for both the coach and his students. Genelia Deshmukh plays his wife, Sunita. N ews18 gave 3.5 rating to Sitaare Zameen Par. A part of our review read, 'Unlike Taare Zameen Par's Nikumbh, Gulshan isn't perfect. This is a flawed, man-child character, dealing with his own traumas, learning to navigate life with the help of those who suffer developmental delays. So far, on paper, Sitaare Zameen Par seems rather fantastic, novel, and heartfelt. And don't get us wrong — it definitely is all of that. But it also has its share of flaws that become a bump in its path to becoming a great film. To start with, at 2 hours 39 minutes, the film appears to be an extremely long and slow-moving affair." First Published:
