Amanda Paluch

Assistant Professor of Kinesiology University of Massachusetts Amherst

  • Amherst MA

Amanda Paluch is a physical activity epidemiologist and kinesiologist with a focus on advancing the measurement of physical activity.

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University of Massachusetts Amherst

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Expertise

Step Tracking
Physical Activity
Wearables
Physical Behavior Measurement
Chronic Disease Prevention
Fitness Epidemiology

Biography

Amanda Paluch is physical activity epidemiologist and kinesiologist with a focus on advancing the measurement of physical activity.

Her research on the value of daily step goals has been cited worldwide and has changed commonly held views about how many daily steps are needed to improve health.

She applies physical activity and fitness measurement in the setting of observational epidemiologic studies or as a tool for interventions.

Social Media

Video

Education

University of South Carolina

Ph.D.

Public Health and Exercise Science

The Ohio State University

B.S.

Kinesiology and Exercise Science

Select Recent Media Coverage

How Many Steps Do You Take Daily? The Answer Could Reveal Clues About How Long You'll Live

Best Life  online

2024-11-17

Amanda Paluch says findings from her 2022 meta-analysis looking at how many daily steps are needed to provide optimal benefit for health and longevity show that more steps per day are better for your health. And the benefit in terms of mortality risk levels off around 6,000 to 8,000 for older adults and 8,000 to 10,000 for younger adults.

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How Many Steps Do You Really Need? That’s the Wrong Question.

The New York Times  print

2024-03-14

UMass Amherst kinesiologist Amanda Paluch comments about the importance of focusing on the intensity of walking rather than solely on step count for fitness. She suggests the singing test when walking uphill: Walk intensely enough that you can speak short sentences but can’t sing a song.

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Your Workout Routine Isn’t Complete Without Strength Training

The New York Times  print

2024-01-10

Research led by Amanda Paluch is cited in an article on the importance of resistance exercise training. While even people who enjoy exercise often find strength training intimidating or unpleasant, Paluch says just two sessions a week are effective to gain strength and improve health.

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Select Publications

Comparative Analysis of ActiGraph Step Counting Methods in Adults: A Systematic Literature Review and Meta-Analysis.

Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise

2023

The primary aim of this study was to compare steps/day across ActiGraph models, wear locations, and filtering methods. A secondary aim was to compare ActiGraph steps/day to those estimated by the ankle-worn StepWatch. We conducted a systematic literature review to identify studies of adults published before May 12, 2022, that compared free-living steps/day of ActiGraph step-counting methods and studies that compared ActiGraph to StepWatch. Random effects meta-analysis compared ActiGraph models, wear locations, filter mechanisms, and ActiGraph to StepWatch steps/day.

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Increasing Equity of Physical Activity Promotion for Optimal Cardiovascular Health in Adults: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association

Circulation

2023

Fewer than 1 in 4 adults achieves the recommended amount of physical activity, with lower activity levels reported among some groups. Addressing low levels of physical activity among underresourced groups provides a modifiable target with the potential to improve equity in cardiovascular health. This article (1) examines physical activity levels across strata of cardiovascular disease risk factors, individual level characteristics, and environmental factors; (2) reviews strategies for increasing physical activity in groups who are underresourced or at risk for poor cardiovascular health; and (3) provides practical suggestions for physical activity promotion to increase equity of risk reduction and to improve cardiovascular health.

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Abstract P234: Associations Between Sedentary Time With Physical Activity and Sarcopenia in the Oldest-Old Adults: The Health, Aging and Body Composition (Health ABC) Study

Circulation

2023

The oldest-old adults (aged 80+ years) are most impacted by sarcopenia, a progressive loss of muscle mass, muscle strength, and physical performance. Physical activity (PA) can slow progression of sarcopenia. However, this population is highly sedentary due to physical limitations and comorbidities. Replacing sedentary time (ST) with light-intensity physical activity (LPA) or small amounts of moderate to vigorous activity (MVPA) may be beneficial and feasible. We hypothesized that replacing ST with LPA or MVPA would be associated with a lower likelihood of developing sarcopenia.

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