Amanda Paluch
Assistant Professor of Kinesiology | University of Massachusetts Amherst
Amherst, MA, UNITED STATES
Amanda Paluch is a physical activity epidemiologist and kinesiologist with a focus on advancing the measurement of physical activity.
Expertise (6)
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.
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Education (2)
University of South Carolina: Ph.D., Public Health and Exercise Science
The Ohio State University: B.S., Kinesiology and Exercise Science
Links (5)
Select Recent Media Coverage (10)
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.
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.
What lifting weights does to your body – and your mind
National Geographic online
2024-03-14
Amanda Paluch comments in an article on the benefits of weightlifting. “As muscles adapt to resistance over time, they become stronger and more resilient,” she explains.
How fast should you walk to lower your diabetes risk? Researchers may finally have an answer
NBC News tv
2023-10-28
UMass Amherst's Amanda Paluch comments on research suggesting that walking at least 2.5 mph can significantly lower the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. While walking at that speed “might be a good goal for some people to reach for in terms of getting to that moderate intensity activity,” she says, it might be difficult for some to achieve depending on age, fitness level and health status. Paluch was not involved in the study.
Your Fitbit and Apple Watch may wind up hurting you
Business Insider online
2023-09-21
Amanda Paluch, a physical activity epidemiologist and kinesiologist at the University of Massachusetts Amherst who studies the health benefits of fitness-tracking technology, said that for "moderately active" individuals like me, apps and wearables can be "a great tool."
How Many Daily Steps to Lengthen Your Life? Fewer Than You Might Think
MedicineNet online
2023-08-10
Amanda Paluch is an assistant professor of kinesiology at the Institute for Applied Life Sciences at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. “This study is consistent and reiterates what we have previously seen,” said Paluch, who was not involved in the study.
Just 4,000 daily steps may lower your risk of death, study finds, with additional benefits the more you walk
NBC News online
2023-08-08
The notion that 10,000 steps is the crucial daily quota is a misconception, though it is a healthy target, according to Amanda Paluch, an epidemiologist and kinesiologist at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
As you age, your healthy daily step goals may change
The Washington Post online
2023-04-10
If you’re over age 60, for example, you might be able to cut a 10,000-step goal by almost half and stay healthy. “There is no single magic number,” says Amanda Paluch, a physical activity researcher and assistant professor of kinesiology at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
7,000 steps can save your life
Axios online
2022-04-04
The big picture: "Walking benefits nearly every cell in the body," says Amanda Paluch, a kinesiologist and public health expert at UMass Amherst and the lead author of the stud
This Is How Many Steps a Day You Really Need to Extend Your Life
Men's Health print
2022-03-04
“The major takeaway is there’s a lot of evidence suggesting that moving even a little more is beneficial, particularly for those who are doing very little activity,” Amanda Paluch says. “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.”
Select Publications (5)
Comparative Analysis of ActiGraph Step Counting Methods in Adults: A Systematic Literature Review and Meta-Analysis.
Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise2023 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.
Increasing Equity of Physical Activity Promotion for Optimal Cardiovascular Health in Adults: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association
Circulation2023 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.
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
Circulation2023 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.
A Quarter of a Mile More Steps Are Incrementally Associated With Lower Risk of Proximal CVD Events Among Older Adults: Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study
Circulation2023 Introduction: Steps are an easily interpretable metric that could be used in patient-clinician communication regarding the health benefits of physical activity for cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, most studies are conducted in younger populations with daily steps goals (e.g., 10,000 steps) that may be unsuitable for older adults. Hypothesis: We tested the hypothesis that more daily steps are associated with lower risk of proximal CVD events (within 3.5 years) among older adults (≥70 years).
Prospective association of daily steps with cardiovascular disease: a harmonized meta-analysis
Circulation2023 Background Taking fewer than the widely promoted “10 000 steps per day” has recently been associated with lower risk of all-cause mortality. The relationship of steps and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk remains poorly described. A meta-analysis examining the dose–response relationship between steps per day and CVD can help inform clinical and public health guidelines.
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