Here’s a fact that never fails to make me feel more connected to my fellow man: at any given time, about one in seven UK adults is struggling with constipation.

It’s believed to affect twice as many women as men (ladies have a longer colon and more variable hormones), and tends to get worse and is more likely to be chronic as we age.

Experts think that change might be partly down to factors like decreased mobility, drinking less water, slower gut transit time, weaker muscles, certain medications, and a higher likelihood of medical conditions that make getting backed up more probable.

Regardless of its cause, though, there’s lots of research to suggest a relatively simple solution: maybe we should all be trying a poop walk.

We’ve written before about “fart walks,” which involve going for a short stroll after a meal. These have been linked to better blood sugar management and even a lower cancer risk.

And research has shown that walking gets our bowels moving a minute or so after we start, helping to relieve constipation, too.

Speaking to HuffPost UK, Julie Thompson, an Information Manager at digestive system charity Guts UK, said: “One of the roles of the large bowel is to absorb water from the gut contents, so the longer poo stays in the large bowel, the drier it becomes.

“Walking stimulates bowel movements because it increases intestinal motility (increases gut muscle contractions) in people with constipation, decreasing the time it takes for the gut contents to move through.”

She added, “Walking regularly can also improve the variety of the gut microbes, compared with those who are less active, which produces health-related benefits for the large bowel and for wider health.”

Thompson told us that it can be hard to work out exactly how far or long we should walk to, er, unclog the pipes.

“Research studies use a wide variety of activity in their publications, so it is difficult to be precise about the combined recommendations, plus there is likely to be some individual variation,” she said.

Still, a little may go a long way. A 2025 paper, which included 21 healthy adults, saw great results after a 20-minute treadmill walk, noting that bowel activity increased pretty much as soon as participants got moving.

And other research from this year, which focused on older adults with Parkinson’s disease, found that increasing participants’ steps by 3,000 daily from their usual baseline “significantly improved constipation” after three months.

Thompson told us that you don’t need to be constipated to take advantage of a poop walk – “the best option is to follow the NHS general guidance on activity, which recommends adults should try to be active every day and aim to do at least 150 minutes of physical activity over a week, through a variety of activities including walking.

“If someone is able to walk, but is not active, it is best to increase the distance gradually,” she added.

The NHS says on its site that “A daily walk or run can help you poo more regularly”.

Professor Yohei Otaka, author of a study that found a 20-minute walk improved healthy adults’ gut motility, said, “Walking can serve as an effective, immediate tool for stimulating bowel function.

“The findings also point to potential underlying mechanisms, such as changes in autonomic nervous system activity or reflexes triggered by the body’s natural oscillations during movement.”

Aside from its bowel-based benefits, a stroll can “improve cardiovascular health by strengthening the heart, thereby helping circulation, lower[ing] blood pressure, [and] helping in the prevention of heart disease and stroke,” Matthew Nolan, a chief instructor at Barry’s in New York City, previously told HuffPost.

Protein is a key nutrient made up of tiny building blocks called amino acids. It provides us with energy, helps the body grow and repair, and is typically found in meat, fish, dairy, eggs, nuts, beans and lentils.

For healthy adults, the recommended daily amount of protein is about 0.75g per kg of body weight, notes the British Heart Foundation, adding that’s about 45g a day for a 60kg woman, and 55g a day for a 75kg man.

The reality is we’re easily consuming that. Helena Gibson-Moore, nutrition scientist for the British Nutrition Foundation (BNF), said people in the UK are, on average, “eating more than enough protein”.

Society has become pretty obsessed with protein, evident in the protein-fortified foods popping up everywhere and popularity of protein-rich ‘carnivore’ and ‘boy kibble’ diets touted by influencers on social media.

While protein is good for you, experts have long cautioned that not all protein is created equal. And now, a new study suggests that less – not more – protein could be key to healthy ageing in people who aren’t as active.

“It’s absolutely crystal clear that there are benefits of protein to muscle growth and exercise response of active individuals,” said study author Dudley Lamming, from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

“But because most people are relatively sedentary, many people are likely consuming more protein than they actually need, which probably has negative health consequences.”

The review of 350 existing papers on protein restriction and ageing, published in the journal Cell Press Blue, looked into how protein-restricted diets could improve health and promote longevity.

After analysing these studies, researchers suggested cutting protein intake may slow ageing by improving metabolism, changing how cells respond to nutrients, reducing cellular damage, and preserving healthy cell function.

One of the key players believed to be behind this is a hormone called fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21), which can increase the body’s energy expenditure, improve blood sugar control, and reduce inflammation.

Researchers said levels of this hormone rise when protein intake is low. They also pointed to studies in mice, which have shown that animals with higher FGF21 levels lived longer than normal mice.

They also noted that consuming too many of a certain type of amino acid could trigger biological processes that promote growth, increasing the risk of obesity, inflammation, and other age-related diseases.

“These studies show that the amount of protein sedentary people are eating today may have negative health consequences, at least at the population level,” Lamming said.

While some people, like pregnant women and some older adults, have higher protein needs, for most sedentary adults, protein-fortified food may not provide the health benefits people expect, researchers added.

Discussing how athletes manage to consume large amounts of protein without developing metabolic diseases, the experts hypothesised that regular exercise may be protective.

Lamming ended: “We probably need to personalise protein recommendations based not just on age, but also on how physically active people are.”

Responding to the findings, Dr Will Hsu, a longevity expert and chief medical officer of L Nutra Health, who wasn’t involved in the review, told HuffPost UK that much of the conversation around protein is focused on physical performance, maintaining muscle, and preventing frailty.

“These are important goals. Protein is essential for supporting recovery, preserving physical function, and maintaining lean mass, particularly in older adults,” he said. “But the protein discussion should consider two objectives at the same time: performance and longevity.”

He stressed that protein and its amino acids “are not simply building materials, they are also biological signals that activate pathways involved in growth, metabolism, and cellular ageing”.

When we’re young, physically active, recovering from illness, or trying to maintain muscle, these pathways are essential.

However, keeping growth pathways continuously activated through a high protein diet “may not be ideal for long term metabolic health, particularly in someone who is relatively sedentary”, he added.

Protein’s effects vary depending on many elements – from the amount consumed, to the food source, to your physical activity levels and age.

“The average person should not read this research and immediately start cutting protein,” said Dr Hsu. “A better question is: How much protein do I need, from which foods, at this point in my life?”

He suggested a sedentary adult who already eats plenty of meat, protein bars, shakes, and protein-fortified foods “probably does not need to keep adding more”.

But replacing some animal protein with beans, lentils, nuts, seeds, and other plant foods “may create a more favourable amino acid balance, while also providing fibre and other protective nutrients”.

This advice would then change for an older adult at risk of muscle loss, an athlete, someone recovering from illness or surgery, or a person losing weight rapidly, he noted.

“For these individuals, adequate protein and resistance exercise are critical for protecting muscle, bone, strength, and independence. Pregnant women and people who are already underweight or frail should also not restrict protein without professional guidance,” he explained.

“This is why one protein recommendation cannot work for everyone. Two people of the same age may need very different amounts based on their muscle mass, activity level, health, and risk of frailty.”

He ended: “Ultimately, the goal is not maximum protein or minimum protein. It is enough high-quality protein to preserve strength and function, without assuming that more is automatically better.

“For many people, that means shifting toward a more plant-forward pattern and personalising protein intake based on age, activity, metabolic health, and muscle needs.”

The chancellor has confirmed the date of the first Budget under prime minister Andy Burnham.

John Healey announced in a video message online that he will unveil the government’s plans for tax and spending in the biggest fiscal event of the year on Wednesday, October 28.

In a video shared on social media, he said: “This will be a Budget that moves money and power out of Westminster, and into every postcode around Britain.

“It will be built on fiscal discipline. It will meet our fiscal rules. It’ll give businesses and families some of the stability they need to plan for the future.”

Burnham has repeatedly promised to stand by the 2024 Labour manifesto which laid out several key fiscal rules on spending and borrowing, including promises not to increase income tax, VAT or national insurance contributions.

Healey added: “This government is working fast to restore hope and back Britain’s communities.

“In the past two weeks, we have begun to kickstart growth in every postcode.

“We have backed British jobs, British skills and British businesses.

“And we have provided just a bit of breathing-space for those families and businesses that feel so squeezed, that feel without hope.”

Healey used to work as Keir Starmer’s defence secretary but quit over concerns the government would not meet its defence spending targets.

By moving Healey into the Treasury, Burnham signalled that he is conscious of the funding gaps within the defence budget.

However, the new prime minister and his cabinet are yet to confirm they will be able to stick to the plan to hike defence spending to 3% of GDP (gross domestic product) by 2030.

The pressure is also on Healey to plug the £4.7 billion black hole Starmer left in the Defence Investment Plan (DIP), and to fund Burnham’s policy-blitz from the last two months.

The Times estimates that the new PM has so far made £1.8 billion of spending commitments in his cost of living drive.

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Since 2020, I have lost every prominent male figure in my family. My stepdad, uncle, granddad, my partner’s dad and finally, my lovely boy cat. I was very close to all of them and losing them completely undid me, to say the least.

Then, last year, I lost my pregnancy at nine weeks. It was rock bottom for me. I couldn’t convince myself to try and find hope anywhere despite it formerly being my default because it seemed I was just doomed to be heartbroken forever.

My grief is strange and like nothing I could have predicted. While I have had waves of dramatic, dark emotions, I mostly just gave up. It felt like every time I was close to something that felt like recovery, I was hit with another wave of bad news.

The current state of the world doesn’t help with this melancholy. Why would it? It feels like everything is terrible and getting worse at every turn. It’s an enduring global grief and weighs heavily on us.

Truly, how do you even begin to build resilience and hope in these circumstances?

While I have felt like my world was falling apart, we have had magic in the corners of our life. My partner and I are now auntie and uncle to four children and this summer, we went to visit them for a week in their hometown.

While we have spent time with them before, these extended long days experiencing the world through their eyes made me appreciate them and their perspective so much more. Their world is so much smaller than mine, their problems are nothing like mine is and the things that bring them joy are things I have taken for granted for as long as I can remember.

As we wandered around Hertfordshire Zoo, I watched them take in the dinosaur park in awe. They squealed when the animatronics moved, clapped when the ‘dinosaurs’ roared and were enchanted by the small train inside the park that took us on a tour of dinosaurs.

Our youngest niece is six months old and her favourite thing to do is gurgle with glee as we make funny sounds, dance toys in front of her bright eyes and stare lovingly at her relatives. She is so small, so new to the world but she gets to enjoy small pleasures in a way that adults could never replicate.

Our two year old niece finds herself absolutely hilarious. There is nothing or nobody that can make her laugh as much as herself. If you find her funny, though, her whole face lights up. Seeing adults smiling and laughing alongside her brings her pleasure beyond measure. Something many of us do every day without thinking can completely make her day.

The older niece and nephew find joy and comfort in watching their siblings grow. They are protective and thoughtful, ensuring that hands are held, fruit is consumed and hugs are limitless. They are only nine and six but their big, loving hearts are creating the safety and security that young children need to express themselves.

This is their whole world and really, it’s ours too. Looking after one another and finding joy where we can is almost all that matters.

I thought I had lost the people that taught me these things but really, we never stop learning and re-learning that all we have is each other, and that in itself is gorgeous.

As the late Frightened Rabbit singer Scott Hutchison said: “When it’s all gone, something carries on.”

I am so thankful for that.