I walked the 650km Australian Alps walking track at 19, alone. Nothing was as I expected

Ya Reeves lost toenails, survived anaphylactic shock and at one point was ‘found’ by police, but there was also true joy in the journey – and in leaning into the unknown

The walking cure: why we should all be putting one foot in front of the other

Walking is the simplest and most natural thing to do, but its impact on our health and wellbeing is dramatic and far-reaching, says Anna Fielding

The secret to why exercise is so good for mental health? ‘Hope molecules’

What we long suspected is now scientific fact: there’s a magic chemical connection between mood, strength and longevity, says scientist and writer Devi Sridhar

The secret to getting more out of exercise? It’s not what you do – it’s when you do it

Current science suggests that chrono-activity or adjusting our regimes to suit our body clocks, plus short, sharp workouts, are the key to a beneficial exercise routine

Chasing the runner’s high: the elusive buzz scientists are still figuring out

The promise of a runner’s high hovers tantalisingly on the horizon, but pinning down exactly what it is – and where else you can get it – is tricky

My personal bests are behind me – but I’ve found the secret to sustained exercise

For fitness fanatics it can be galling to see our physical powers wane. The solution is to choose exercises to suit our age – and to find new interests, writes Joel Snape

The healthspan revolution: how to live a long, strong and happy life

Dr Peter Attia is an expert on longevity and preventative medicine. He explains how sleep, weight training and other incremental changes can make us much more resilient

‘Excellent evidence that this works’: how mind experts protect their brains

While sleep and exercise are top priorities, strict diets and supplements aren’t essential in most academics’ routines

Chew slowly, keep moving and eat 30 plants a week: 12 rules for gut health

What to eat, when, how to do it properly – and what to avoid. Experts lay out the food habits that will make a real difference to your health

I started running during lockdown and still hate it – what counts is I do it anyway

It feels good to be fit but the gift of fitness isn’t to make exercise pleasurable, it’s to make impossible things achievable

What are the real signs of a healthy gut? A user’s guide

It’s a huge organ that gives us the energy to live, grow and repair. But how does it work – and how do you keep it healthy? Our science editor unravels its astonishing job

‘A huge loss’: readers on how UK leisure centre closures have affected them

From Nottingham to the Isle of Wight, people lament losing sense of community as well as facilities

Don’t forget to floss: the science behind dementia and the four things you should do to prevent it

A picture is emerging of a healthy lifestyle which is key to the condition’s prevention – exercise, being sociable, and looking after your ears

I’ve found my dream job. And it’s all thanks to that nasty fall into the wild garlic

Nothing could be more fulfilling than making the countryside safe for walkers. No one should have to risk their neck on a rickety stile, writes Guardian columnist Adrian Chiles

Exercise could be as beneficial as drugs in treating premature ejaculation, study finds

Running and pelvic floor exercises show promise in studies of the most common sexual dysfunction for men