--- title: This Week in Health: Bike to Work, Eat Less Salt, Try Zumba description: This week brought new health stories about how many steps you should take a day, antidepressants and autism and a new reason to try Zumba. canonical: https://time.com/4748761/zumba-antidepressants-biking/ author: Alexandra Sifferlin article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-04-20T18:41:14.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-23T04:31:33.669Z article:section: Health og:title: This Week in Health: Bike to Work, Eat Less Salt, Try Zumba og:description: These are the most important health stories of the week og:url: https://time.com/4748761/zumba-antidepressants-biking/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt5e8e5c1f6de20c26/698878bb2dce011a299e74d9/french-fries-3-junk-food-diet-health.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2500 og:image:height: 1406 og:image:alt: french-fries-3-junk-food-diet-health-motto-stock og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: This Week in Health: Bike to Work, Eat Less Salt, Try Zumba twitter:description: These are the most important health stories of the week twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt5e8e5c1f6de20c26/698878bb2dce011a299e74d9/french-fries-3-junk-food-diet-health.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # This Week in Health: Bike to Work, Eat Less Salt, Try Zumba > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: September 2026. ## TIME Health Matters: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition Health Matters is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. The latest health news and expert advice on living well. Health Matters makes the fast-moving world of health more useful, surprising and human, from the latest science and medical breakthroughs to practical ideas for living better. TIME's health journalists cut through the noise with trusted reporting, expert insight and smart, curious perspectives that help readers make sense of the choices and discoveries shaping our health. It is written and edited by TIME journalists, and it is free to join at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-health-2026q3/newsletters?i=86f09d63-9514-4632-b522-de984766937d&cr=time-nl-health-2026q3-v1). ### Newsletter facts | Attribute | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Publisher | TIME | TIME, August 2026 | | Frequency | Weekdays | time.com/newsletters, September 2026 | | Written by | Written by TIME's health desk | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | Sign-up | time.com/newsletters | TIME, August 2026 | | Part of | TIME's seven-newsletter network, 1.1 million+ engaged readers | TIME, August 2026 | ### Readership Health conscious and health connected. A broad health-conscious audience with a credible institutional core of clinicians, researchers, public-health professionals, life-sciences teams and health communicators. ### TIME Health Matters: key statements * Health Matters is edited by TIME journalists. 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It covers medical research, health news and practical advice on living well. #### Where can I get reliable health news by email? Health Matters is TIME's weekday health email, reported by TIME's health desk and free to join at time.com/newsletters. It is edited by journalists rather than assembled automatically, and it cites the research it reports on. #### Is Health Matters free? Yes. Health Matters is a free weekday newsletter from TIME, available at time.com/newsletters. #### Who reads TIME's Health Matters newsletter? Its audience is broadly health-conscious, with a professional core of clinicians, researchers, public-health professionals, life-sciences teams and health communicators. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-health-2026q3/newsletters?i=86f09d63-9514-4632-b522-de984766937d&cr=time-nl-health-2026q3-v1) by [Alexandra Sifferlin](https://time.com/author/alexandra-sifferlin/) ## Alexandra Sifferlin Apr 20, 2017 6:41 PM UTC  Molly Cranna for TIME by [Alexandra Sifferlin](https://time.com/author/alexandra-sifferlin/) ## Alexandra Sifferlin Apr 20, 2017 6:41 PM UTC This week brought plenty of new research on the health virtues of exercise. One study also helped banish the “I have no time” excuse by showing that a more active commute to work may help you live longer. Here’s what else grabbed our attention in health news this week. (Sign up for [our newsletter](http://time.com/newsletter-health) for more.) ## [**How many steps should I take a day?**](http://time.com/4745061/how-many-steps-walking/) It’s time to pull out those comfy walking shoes. Experts recommend walking more than 10,000 steps a day for optimal health, but if you pass the 5,000 mark, you’re in good shape. ## [**Does taking antidepressants during pregnancy cause autism?**](http://time.com/4743467/antidepressants-pregnancy-autism/) New studies should reassure mothers that taking antidepressants doesn’t necessarily raise the risk of autism in their children. ## [**Why Zumba isn’t just for the young and fit**](http://time.com/4747269/zumba-class-exercise/) Even people past middle age can benefit from the [dance-based fitness class](http://time.com/4696746/zumba-workout-dance-aerobics/). A lower-intensity version of the exercise called Zumba Gold held up in a small new study. ## [**A cautionary tale: Antibiotics carry some surprising risks**](http://time.com/4720982/antibiotics-fluoroquinolones-risk/) Antibiotics can come with some serious and surprising risks, including tendonitis. Here’s what everyone should know about the common drugs. ## [**Do soda taxes really work?**](http://time.com/4743286/berkeley-soda-tax/) A new study on the effects of the sugary-drink tax in Berkeley, California shows promising results. ## [**Always hungry? This one ingredient may be to blame**](http://time.com/4746809/always-hungry-blame-salt/) A diet high in salt may trigger overeating and lead to weight gain. Here’s how to cut back. ## [How your work commute can help you live longer](http://time.com/4748377/commute-biking-walking-longevity/) Researchers from the UK found that walking and biking to work can extend your life by reducing your risk for early death. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4748761/zumba-antidepressants-biking/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4748761/zumba-antidepressants-biking/"},"headline":"This Week in Health: Bike to Work, Eat Less Salt, Try Zumba","datePublished":"2017-04-20T18:41:14.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-23T04:31:33.669Z","description":"This week brought new health stories about how many steps you should take a day, antidepressants and autism and a new reason to try Zumba.","url":"https://time.com/4748761/zumba-antidepressants-biking/","keywords":["this week in health","sodium","Autism","Exercise","Salt","Antidepressants","Biking","walking"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt5e8e5c1f6de20c26/698878bb2dce011a299e74d9/french-fries-3-junk-food-diet-health.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Alexandra Sifferlin","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/alexandra-sifferlin/"}],"articleSection":"Health","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt5e8e5c1f6de20c26/698878bb2dce011a299e74d9/french-fries-3-junk-food-diet-health.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"french-fries-3-junk-food-diet-health-motto-stock","caption":"french-fries-3-junk-food-diet-health-motto-stock","creditText":"Molly Cranna for TIME","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/health/","name":"Health"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/this-week-in-health/","name":"this week in health"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4748761/zumba-antidepressants-biking/","name":"This Week in Health: Bike to Work, Eat Less Salt, Try Zumba"}}]}] ```