Osteoporosis is often described as a silent disease.

It’s a chronic and often age-related condition where bone mineral density and mass gradually decline, making these structures weak and brittle, but it typically causes no pain or obvious symptoms.

Globally, a third of women and one in five men over 50 will break a bone due to osteoporosis, according to the International Osteoporosis Foundation.

Yet the vast majority of the population have never checked their risk level.

Hoping to address this information gap, the Royal Osteoporosis Society (ROS) has launched a free online assessment that can determine your risk and suggest whether you could benefit from getting in-person advice from a medical professional.

At 39, regularly engaging in weight-bearing physical activity and routinely supplementing with vitamin D, I assumed I’d have a pretty low risk.

But it turns out I’ve been overlooking a few critical risk factors.

Here’s what I learned when completing the ROS’s bone checker tool, which I hope will prompt everyone to investigate their own risk of osteoporosis before anything breaks.

The factors that increased my risk of osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is often associated with the natural ageing process, meaning risk levels will generally increase as you get older.

This, the ROS’s tool explains, is due to the bones losing strength as you age, along with an increased likelihood of taking a fall, which could lead to a fracture.

The assessment also revealed that women can lose bone strength faster than men around the menopause, due to falling levels of the hormone estrogen.

Estrogen helps preserve bone density by balancing the natural cycle of bone tissue being broken down and rebuilt.

White and Asian people also have a higher risk of developing osteoporosis than people of other ethnicities due to various genetic and metabolic factors.

A low body mass index (BMI) under 18.5 is another risk factor.

However, the primary reason my risk level increased more than I would have expected was due to having broken a bone easily following a minor bump.

It happened around five years ago.

An innocuous collision with the fence on a five-a-side soccer field left me in A&E with a spiral fracture of the fifth metacarpal bone in my hand and my arm in a cast for several weeks.

“You will be two or three times more likely to break another bone than someone who has never broken a bone,” states the bone check tool.

Suffering a spinal fracture can elevate risk by as much as five times.

Exploring this risk factor further, the ROS’s Julia Thomson reassures me that “not all broken bones immediately indicate you may have a problem with your bone health”.

But the risk checker will flag a previous broken bone as something that may benefit from further discussion with your doctor about what happened and how.

“It will help you understand whether you may benefit from a full fracture risk assessment or any other action to maintain your bone health,” adds Thomson.

“Or whether, on balance, this seems like an unfortunate injury caused by something else.”

Other factors that can elevate your risk of osteoporosis

The ROS’s tool revealed several other factors that can increase risk, including:

• if a parent has ever broken a hip;
• if you smoke, or drink over 14 units of alcohol a week;
• if you have any medical conditions such as an overactive thyroid or coeliac disease, which can affect how the body absorbs food.

It also highlighted that everyone should consider taking a daily supplement of vitamin D year-round, especially if you use sunscreen most of the time, are pregnant or are breastfeeding.

One other point that caught my attention is that we need as much as 700mg of calcium per day to maintain strong bones, rising to 1,000mg for those at increased risk of osteoporosis.

Most people will hit this target if following a healthy diet, insists Thomson, but if you don’t consume dairy or tend to follow a restricted diet you might want to double-check your intake.

“Calcium is important because it gives your bones the strength and hardness they need to cope with everyday activities,” she says, adding that it is in more food than we realise, including bread, nuts, vegetables, fruit, raisins and calcium-fortified cereals and milks.

“Though it’s always worth reviewing your diet to double-check you’re hitting the quota.”

If you lead a busy life, you might not notice you’re feeling stressed until it starts affecting your physical and mental health. You may even mistake it for something else.

“It is not unusual for people to confuse physical signs of stress with something completely unrelated, often putting it down to just a headache or a belly ache because [of] too much sugar,” Woods says. “But those things can also be a sign of your body holding onto tension.”

“Learning how to recognise when you’re doing so can be the first step to not just relaxing your body, but also helping your mind calm down.”

To do this, Woods recommends a technique known as the CALM reminder. CALM stands for chest, arms, legs and mouth.

“This practice was developed as a quick check-in that targets the four areas of the body that most commonly hold on to stress,” Woods says.

“Repeat this test a few times a day to spot patterns, such as tension that always builds up during a particular task or time of day.”

How to practice the CALM method

1. Notice

Sit or lie comfortably, take one slow breath, then scan each area in turn without trying to change anything. Think about the following areas of the body:

Chest: Is my chest tight? Am I breathing shallowly?

Arms: Are my arms raised, braced, or gripping?

Legs: Are my legs restless, locked, or shaking?

Mouth: Is my mouth or jaw clenched tight?

2. Tense and release

Area by area, lightly contract the muscles for three seconds before releasing. Use the following cues to help:

Chest: Gently draw your shoulders together, hold, then let go with a long exhale.

Arms: Make loose fists and tighten through the forearms, then let your hands open and your arms go heavy.

Legs: Press your feet into the floor, then release your thighs and calves, and let your legs feel heavy.

Mouth: Press your lips together gently, then let your teeth part slightly, and your jaw drop.

3. Check in

Take one more slow breath and notice what has changed, checking in with your chest, arms, legs and mouth once more.

How does the CALM method work?

This technique doesn’t just identify stress, but it can help reduce your stress levels too. “The contrast between tension and release builds a kind of muscle memory for relaxation, so you regain awareness of what that part of your body feels like when it isn’t tense,” Woods explains.

“This matters because a sustained stress response can become so normalised that you don't notice you're holding it,” she adds.

“When someone is under stress, even if they don’t realise it, the brain’s threat detection system triggers the release of adrenaline and cortisol,” Woods continues to explain. “Together, they prepare the body to respond to danger, which can cause muscles to contract and in some instances stay braced.”

When to use the CALM method

The CALM method works best if you use it frequently. “A good routine to try and follow is two to four quick check-ins a day, each lasting between 30 and 60 seconds,” Woods recommends. She suggests doing it at the following points in each day:

1. Morning: Carrying out a check-in as soon as you wake up stabilises a baseline for how your body feels, although cortisol naturally peaks shortly after waking so don’t worry if your body feels alert rather than relaxed.
2. Midday or mid-afternoon: This helps catch the tension that may build up from sitting, looking at screens, or heavy workloads in the morning.
3. End of the workday: To notice how you feel after completing a full day of work, as well as helping you to transition into a home state.
4. Before bed: Checking in before bed may help release tension before the end of the day and can contribute to improved sleep.

When life gets hectic and your chest starts tightening, Bronté Terrell says a five-minute mindfulness practice drawn from the field of neuroscience can help restore calm.

“It’s called glimmer hunting,” the Les Mills group fitness presenter tells Fit&Well.

“Looking for those small things in life that bring you gratitude, that help to calm your nervous system and fill your cup, is so important in a job where you’re constantly giving to others.”

Glimmers, according to Terrell, are those small things in life that bring you joy.

“Like going for a walk while the sun’s setting, observing the sky changing color. Or watching the way light bounces off a lake or kisses the sea,” she says.

“Those beautiful things that bring you joy that money can’t buy.”

Actively seeking out these cues, Terrell says, helps manage her symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)—but the benefits can be enjoyed by anyone.

“It’s like an anchor for my restless mind. Your brain can spiral 10 to the dozen with ADHD. You’re here, there and everywhere.

“Coming back to five things you can see around you that you’re grateful for or that bring you joy or you find beautiful, I’ve always found is a really good anchor.”

How Bronté Terrell makes glimmer hunting part of her morning routine

Terrell says she will always carve out a few minutes at the start of her day to search for these micro-moments of joy and tranquility.

“For me it’s always my cup of coffee in the morning. It brings me so much joy,” she says.

“Before our call today, I set time aside to sit in the garden. We’ve got parakeets in this area. They’re bright green. That always brings me joy.

“And the sun was out. The sunshine always brings me joy.”

If she’s ever feeling like work or life is overwhelming her, or she’s in a downward spiral of emotions, Terrell says this five-minute practice will serve as a “really good anchor”.

“If you just stop to pause and challenge yourself to glimmer, you’ll start to see the world in a different way. It’s a really good mental health hack,” she adds.

The origins of glimmer hunting

Glimmer hunting is a relatively modern wellness practice born from trauma-informed therapy and the work of psychotherapist Deb Dana.

In her 2018 book The Polyvagal Theory in Therapy: Engaging the Rhythm of Regulation, Dana introduced the concept of glimmers.

The opposite of triggers, which can lead to a spiral of negative thoughts and emotions, glimmers are tiny, everyday cues that spark brief feelings of calm, connection and comfort.

Dana’s application expanded on the research of neuroscientist Dr Stephen Porges.

In 1994, Porges challenged the assumption that our autonomic nervous system works like a two-part on/off switch, flipping between stress and relaxation.

Instead, he proposed a three-state model shaped by evolution, with two influenced by the vagus nerve, which connects the brain to the heart, lungs and digestive organs.

When we feel safe, we’re able to access something Porges described as the social engagement system.

Heart rate stabilizes, defensive arousal drops and we’re more able to feel calm, connected and mentally flexible.

Glimmer hunting is simply the deliberate practice of seeking out these cues to shift our nervous system from stress and anxiety toward calm and connection.

If participants in my exercise classes are anything to go by then cold season is already upon us. Many are nursing sore throats, coughs and congestion that barely clear before symptoms return. This led me to research whether anything could help a cold end sooner.

While there is currently no cure for the common cold, registered dietitian Johannah Katz RD says studies indicate that zinc could shorten a cold, potentially by two days.

“Zinc is interesting because the evidence suggests it may be more useful once a cold starts than as a general immune supplement,” says Katz. “A 2024 Cochrane review found it may shorten symptoms by around two days, although the evidence isn't conclusive.”

She says the strongest evidence supports starting zinc very early, “ideally within 24 hours of the first symptoms.”

What is zinc and how might it shorten a cold?

Zinc is a mineral that the immune system needs to work properly.

Think of your immune cells as a team defending your body—zinc helps them work properly, communicate and respond to germs. It also helps regulate inflammation (the body’s response to infection) so that it doesn’t become excessive.

“The certainty of that [Cochrane review] evidence was rated low because the studies varied substantially in dose, formulation and design.

“I’d describe the research as promising rather than definitive. The same review did not find convincing evidence that zinc meaningfully reduces overall symptom severity.”

A 2027 meta-analysis of seven trials found that zinc lozenges containing more than 75mg of zinc, shortened colds by an average of 33% compared with placebo. Zinc lozenges dissolve slowly, releasing zinc around your mouth and throat.

Researchers suggested that zinc might make it harder for cold viruses to spread and make copies of themselves. Releasing the zinc locally in the mouth and throat may also be a contributing factor, although scientists haven’t confirmed this.

Katz agrees there is “better evidence” for zinc lozenges than a swallowed tablet.

“Both zinc acetate and zinc gluconate lozenges have shown benefit, and a meta-analysis did not find a significant difference between the two.

“I’d look at the amount of elemental zinc [actual weight of zinc mineral] rather than the total weight of the zinc compound [with its carrier elements].

“Intranasal zinc sprays or gels should be avoided because they have been linked with potentially permanent loss of smell.”

What doses have researchers studied and are they safe?

“Trials showing benefits have commonly used roughly 75-90 mg of elemental zinc per day, often around 80-92 mg/day, for the duration of the cold and generally for less than two weeks,” says Katz.

“There’s no evidence that going above about 100 mg/day works better. However, these amounts exceed the usual adult tolerable upper intake level of 40 mg/day, so I wouldn’t recommend routinely self-supplementing at those doses without checking with a pharmacist or healthcare professional.”

This is the US adult upper limit, covering zinc from food and supplements. NHS guidance advises taking no more than 25mg of zinc supplements daily unless advised by a doctor.

Zinc also comes with some side effects, says Katz. “The most common problems are nausea, stomach upset and an unpleasant or metallic taste. Long-term high-dose zinc can interfere with copper absorption and can actually impair immune function.

“Zinc can also interact with tetracycline and quinolone antibiotics and with penicillamine, so anyone taking medications should check with their pharmacist.”

Katz points out that taking zinc as a preventative measure is probably not worth it. “The latest Cochrane review found that preventive zinc supplementation may have little or no effect on the likelihood of developing a cold,” she says. “Its potential usefulness appears stronger as a short-term intervention started once symptoms begin.”

While zinc isn’t guaranteed to stop a cold in its tracks, Katz’s advice is to weigh the possible benefit against the risks. “The evidence suggests that the right formulation, started early, may modestly shorten how long someone is sick and that potential benefit has to be weighed against the dose and side effects,” she says.

Doing some gentle movements, catching your breath and taking time to notice how you feel can help you recalibrate in the middle of a stressful day.

It’s something I encourage my yoga therapy clients to do, because it's nearly impossible to regulate your nervous system with mental reasoning alone.

Most people need to move their bodies and slow down their breath to activate their rest and recovery (parasympathetic) state.

This slow flow I’ve created can help you do just that. Take three to five breaths in each pose and try to stay aware of your body.

If you’re used to a dynamic yoga practice, moving more slowly through this flow might be harder than moving fast.

But that’s the practice: try to feel the contact points between you and the floor, notice your exhalations, and retrain your mind to observe every inch of movement.

The poses for the two-minute nervous system regulation yoga flow

1. Cat cow

Time: 3-5 breaths

• Begin on your hands and knees with your shoulders over your hands and your hips over your knees.
• Inhale deeply as you arch your back, gently lifting your chin and chest.
• Exhale as you round your spine, tucking your chin toward your chest and your pelvis under.

2. Downward-facing dog

Time: 3-5 breaths

• From your hands and knees, press your palms into the floor, straighten your legs and raise your hips. Keep your knees bent for comfort if needed.
• Pedal your feet, lowering one heel as you raise the other.
• Maintain a straight back and focus on your breath.

3. Eight-point salute (ashtanga namaskar)

Time: 3-5 breaths

• From downward-facing dog, come into a high plank position. Your hands and toes should be on the floor, with the rest of your body held in a straight line.
• Engage your core and hold the plank position briefly.
• Lower your knees, chest and chin to the floor, while keeping your elbows pointing up behind you and your hips elevated. If lowering all body parts at once is too challenging, lower your knees first.
• Hold and focus on your breath.

4. Cobra (bhujangasana)

Time: 3-5 breaths

• From the eight-point salute, lower the front of your body to the floor, so you’re lying face down.
• Press your palms into the floor and raise your chest and chin.
• Keep your pelvis grounded as you elongate your back.

5. Child’s pose (balasana)

Time: 3-5 breaths

• From cobra, come to a kneeling position, with knees out wide and toes touching.
• Slide your hips back to touch your heels.
• Lean forward and rest your forehead on the floor or on your hands.
• Reach your arms forward or have them by your sides.

Tai Chi is an ancient Chinese practice that focuses on building a mind-body connection through gentle, low-impact movement and deep breathing.

You can practice at any time of the day, but if you’re struggling to sleep at night Tai Chi teacher Brian Thompson recommends a five-minute practice that could help.

“The benefit of an evening Tai Chi practice is that it helps to unwind accumulated physical tension in the back, neck and shoulders from the day,” says Thompson, founder of BNEW4LIFE.

“It also signals to the parasympathetic nervous system to downshift, helping quiet late-night mental chatter and promote restorative sleep by calming the heart rate and settling breathing before bed,” he adds.

Thompson shares his favorite five minute Tai Chi practice to close out the day, focusing on gentle movement to relax and unwind.

The five-minute evening Tai Chi practice

1. The waterfall

Time: 1-2min

• Sit up straight on a sturdy chair with your butt in the middle of the seat and your feet flat on the floor, in front of your knees.
• Follow your natural breath, in and out through your nose, softening your stomach, shoulders and chest.
• Allow your breath to rise and fall like a waterfall.

2. Lift water

Reps: 2-3

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, shoulders relaxed, a slight bend in your knees and spine extended.
• With your hands relaxed and fingers loosely hanging down, raise your arms gently to shoulder height as you inhale.
• Extend your wrist joint so your palms face forward, and gently lower your arms to return to the starting position.

3. Single-hand silk reeling to double-hand silk reeling

Set up:

• Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, shoulders relaxed, chest upright and chin slightly tucked.
• Bend your knees slightly, with your weight centered.
• Raise your right hand in front of at chest or waist height, keeping your elbow lower than your wrist.
• Rest your left hand on your left hip or waist.
• Practice one-hand outward reeling on both left and right sides.

Four steps of silk reeling:

• Turn 1: Rotate your waist slightly toward your left, and rotate your right hand so your palm faces up.
• Weight shift 1: Shift your bodyweight toward your left leg, bending your left knee, and moving your right hand across your body and up to shoulder height.
• Turn 2: Turn your palm down, and move your right hand across your body to your right, then lowering your right hand to waist level as you rotate it so your palm faces up.
• Weight shift 2: Shift your bodyweight to your right leg, bending your knee slightly.
• Switch sides after practicing slowly on one side first.

Transition to double-hands silk reeling:

• Transition to using both hands together.
• Circle your arms into your middle, with your weight even on your feet and knees slightly bent.
• Circle your arms out to the sides, shifting your weight onto one leg.
• Return to center and repeat on your other leg.
• Float your arms out to the same side, shifting your weight onto your opposite leg. Repeat on the other side, following the silk reeling instructions above.
• Synchronize your movement with your breath.

4. Body massage and body cupping

• Stand or sit off the side of your bed.
• Relax your shoulders and begin massaging your neck, arms, midsection and legs, to help you activate the relaxation response.
• Cup your hands and pat up and down your shoulders, arms, chest, torso and legs, creating a suction motion.

It’s never been more difficult to get a good night’s sleep, according to physiologist and wellbeing expert Oli Patrick.

“Everything is now anti-sleep. The modern world—from light to temperature, to noise and stimulus—has made it the most difficult time in lived history to sleep well,” he says.

Patrick was speaking at an Eight Sleep event to mark the launch of Pod 6, a smart mattress cover that can track health metrics (like your heart rate) and adapt its temperature.

He's an advocate for the device, but he tells Fit&Well that you can improve your sleep without any kind of tech.

If you’ve been struggling to switch off at night, try running through Patrick’s five-point checklist to give your mind and body the best chance of a restorative night’s sleep.

1. Give yourself the opportunity to get seven hours of sleep

Getting seven hours of sleep is the sweet spot, according to Patrick.

This amount of rest allows your body to fulfill its biological duties, including consolidating memories and repairing tissues.

“You’re a pretty special creature if you can genuinely do all the amazing jobs sleep does in less than seven hours,” he says.

2. Stick to the same wake and sleep times every day

Consistency is another essential point to respect.

“Sleep forms a vital part of our 24-hour biological clock, often referred to as the circadian rhythm, and that clock does not like to be disrupted,” Patrick explains.

With consistency, the body gets used to producing the hormone cortisol two hours before you wake up in the morning, to help you surface gradually.

Shuffling your sleep and wake times every day can confuse your body.

“If you wake up two hours later than usual, cortisol will have been produced too early, and you’ll experience this social jet lag where the hormones that give you energy in the morning and help you go to sleep in the evening aren’t running in time with your normal day,” he says.

Patrick sets himself a hard deadline of going to bed by 22:30, aiming to be asleep by 23:15, with his alarm set at 06:45 each day.

“That gives me the opportunity for seven hours and while I’m not stressed if I don’t hit it, I know if I get that right I’ll tend to feel more rested.”

3. Seek daylight for 10-15 minutes within the first hour of waking

Once awake, Patrick recommends “letting bright light into the back of your eye” to give your circadian biology the cues it needs to get you ready for the day ahead.

The perfect scenario would be to get outside in sunlight, possibly combined with a light walk.

But artificial light produced by LED alarms or light therapy boxes that emit bright, UV-filtered white light to mimic natural sunlight can also do the trick.

If you don’t manage to get seven hours of sleep or keep your wake and sleep times consistent, bright light first thing in the morning can help reset your circadian rhythm.

4. Make your bedroom as dark as possible

Minimizing light exposure in the evening signals to your body that it’s time to sleep.

Patrick says you want your bedroom to be as “dark as you can tolerate.”

That means avoiding taking your phone to bed and limiting use of your laptop and TV.

5. Lower your core temperature by one degree

Another factor affecting your circadian biology is temperature.

“We want to cool our body temperature before bed,” says Patrick.

That might mean avoiding late meals, which can raise core temperature, as well as exercising or working too late into the evening

For others, it’s taking a quick shower before bed, which can bring more blood to the surface of the skin, helping your body lose heat in the early stages of the night.

Intelligent sleep systems, like Eight Sleep, can also lower the temperature of your bed to suit your individual needs.

What to do if your sleep is still poor

If you don't see improvements after ticking off all the above, Patrick says three other behavioral factors could be disrupting your sleep.

First, he says, you need to look at avoiding caffeine after lunch.

Next, avoid alcohol altogether, which he describes as “the greatest sleep disruptor” of all.

Then, if you’re still struggling, you might need to experiment with practices like journaling, breathwork or yoga to help clear and calm your mind.

“However, I’ve not met many people who have ticked off all of the above behaviors and still struggled,” he says.

“In most cases, when we've got those key biological cues right, we unlock the body's single best opportunity to recover and restore energy.”

Do you have problems focusing? Are you overstimulated by noise? Do you struggle to work in a distracting environment?

I did too, once, but my Loop Switch 2 made those issues a thing of the past, and they are now reduced by 20% in Amazon's Big Deal Days sale.

This amazing deal is exclusively for Amazon Prime members, but you can sign up for a free 30-day Amazon Prime trial and get instant access to membership perks.

You can then cancel any time, or it’s $14.99 a month (plus taxes) once the trial is over.

I love that I can wear my Loop Switch 2 while working to block out distractions, then head to the pub or a gig without changing to a different pair.

The handy makes it easy to toggle between modes and find a noise level I'm comfortable with.

For me, that varies throughout the day and depends on what I'm doing and how overstimulated I feel. Being able to respond and adjust as my environment changes is invaluable, especially as someone with sensory sensitivities.

Instead of rooting through my purse in a panic looking for a more powerful set of Loops, I simply reach up to my ear and flick the switch to suit my needs.

More Loop Earplug deals

Many people choose to practice yoga postures to improve their flexibility and balance. But one underrated benefit of getting on the mat is building better core strength.

The control required to hold certain postures and move through yoga flows naturally engages your core in ways that can develop functional strength more effectively than sit-ups and crunches, which only train one type of movement.

I asked Melissa Leach, a yoga instructor at Yoga-Go, to share her favorite poses for targeting the core, as well as modifications for making the moves easier. These postures will also work your balance, posture and mobility.

As with all yoga practices, take time to observe your breath, body and mind as you move.

The best yoga poses for building core strength

1. Bird dog (parsva balasana)

“Bird dog is a beginner-friendly pose that’s excellent for building stable core strength,” Leach says. “Your abdominals and lower-back muscles work together to keep your spine steady and level as you extend your opposite arm and leg, training your core to resist rotation and maintain balance.”

Reps: 8-10 each side

How to do it:

• Start on your hands and knees, with your wrists under your shoulders and knees under your hips.
• Engage your core by drawing your navel toward your spine, keeping your back flat and stable.
• Lift your right arm in front of you while extending and lifting your left leg straight behind you.
• Hold briefly, keeping your core engaged, your neck neutral and your hips and shoulders level, resisting any twisting or tilting.
• Slowly lower your arm and leg back to the starting position with control.
• Repeat on the other side.

Trainer tip: “Focus on quality over height. It’s better to extend your arm and leg just slightly while keeping your core and hips level than to reach further and let your body wobble or twist,” says Leach.

How to modify bird dog: “If you are finding it hard to balance, start by extending just one limb at a time,” Leach suggests, explaining that you should start by extending your arm and leg on their own before raising them both together.

“You can also keep your extended leg or arm closer to the ground rather than lifting it fully parallel to your torso.”

2. Chair pose (utkatasana)

“Chair pose is a foundational standing pose that builds strong, functional core engagement alongside lower-body strength,” says Leach. “Your abdominals work continuously to stabilize the spine and pelvis as your body fights the instinct to lean forward. At the same time, your core supports your lower back against the deep bend in your knees.”

Reps: 5-10

How to do it:

• Stand with your feet together.
• Inhale as you raise your arms overhead with your palms facing.
• Exhale as you bend your knees and push your hips back as if sitting into a chair.
• Keep your weight in your heels and your knees behind your toes.
• Draw your lower abs in and up to support your spine and prevent your lower back from arching.
• Keep your chest lifted and your gaze forward or slightly upward.

Trainer tip: “Squeeze your inner thighs together and imagine zipping up from your pelvic floor to your ribs. This engages deep core stabilizers, and helps protect your knees.”

How to modify chair pose: “If you feel your lower back overarching, start by extending your arms forward to shoulder height instead of overhead,” Leach advises.

“You can also reduce the depth of the bend,” she adds. “A shallow chair pose still builds core strength while you develop stamina. Practice near a wall for support and hold the bend for a shorter time. Gradually building up your endurance can help too.”

3. Boat pose (Navasana)

“Boat pose is one of the most efficient core exercises because it doesn’t just isolate the abs, it engages the hip flexors, glutes, pelvic muscles, and back all at once, helping build functional core strength rather than working one single muscle in isolation,” Leach explains.

“This is part of why it can outperform traditional exercises like sit-ups, which target a much narrower range of muscles,” she adds.

“Boat pose also helps build stability rather than just endurance,” Leach continues to explain. “Over time, this can translate into better posture, a stronger lower back, and a core that supports your everyday movement.”

Sets: 2-4 Hold: 20-30sec

How to do it:

• Sit on the floor with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor.
• Lean your torso back slightly while keeping your spine and chest upright.
• Engage your core and slowly raise your feet until your shins are parallel to the floor.
• Balance on your sit bones (avoid leaning back onto your tailbone).
• Once stable, extend your arms in front of you at shoulder height, with your palms facing.
• If your core is strong enough, slowly extend your legs to create a V-shape with your body.

How to modify boat pose: “For beginners, keeping your legs bent in a half boat pose instead of straight can help reduce the core strain and effort required at the start. Lightly gripping the backs of your thighs can also provide support to help you balance,” Leach says.

“If you struggle with balance and maintaining a straight spine, you can either sit on a folded blanket or cushion to help tilt the pelvis forward or sit with your back a few inches from the wall for reassurance,” she adds.

Doing balance exercises is a great way to future-proof your body as you age.

And yoga is one of the best forms of movement to help improve stability and support balance, according to yoga teacher Cheryl McColgan.

“One of my favorite things about yoga is that it trains proprioception—your body’s ability to sense its own movements and position—so it can definitely help with balance and stability,” says McColgan, founder of Heal, Nourish, Grow

“It works on both by improving muscular endurance and strength, especially when practicing poses that require balancing on one leg.”

To improve balance, McColgan recommends three yoga poses in particular: tree pose, eagle pose and warrior three pose.

“All three poses focus on single-leg work to strengthen the muscles around the ankle, knee and hip while developing proprioception,” she explains.

McColgan recommends beginners start with tree pose, and work their way to eagle and then warrior three.

For all balance poses, the teacher recommends fixing your eyes on a single point to help you stay stable. You can also hold onto a wall or chair for extra support.

“If you can’t do the full poses yet, try standing on one leg while you brush your teeth to start training your balance,” she also suggests.

Here’s how to do each pose.

1. Tree pose

Hold: 3-10 breaths

How to do it:

• Stand and shift your weight into your right foot.
• Place your left foot against your right ankle, calf or inner thigh, avoiding putting any pressure directly on the knee.
• If you can, bring your hands to prayer position or raise both arms overhead, or hold onto a wall or chair to aid balance.
• Hold for three to 10 breaths.
• Switch sides.

2. Eagle pose

Hold: 3-10 breaths
How to do it:

• Bend both knees slightly and shift your weight into the right foot.
• Cross your left thigh over your right leg and wrap your left foot behind your right calf. Your left toes can stay on the floor if wrapping your foot around the calf isn’t possible.
• Cross your arms in front of your body and try to bring your palms together.
• If comfortable, sit your hips back and bend your knees.
• Hold for three to 10 breaths.
• Switch sides.

3. Warrior three pose

Hold: 3-10 breaths
How to do it:

• Stand and shift your weight into your right leg.
• Hinge forward from your hips as you extend your left leg behind, while keeping your standing knee slightly bent.
• Bring your palms to prayer position or extend them behind, in line with your torso. For more of a challenge, extend your arms out in front.
• Hold for three to 10 breaths.
• Switch sides.

After a few long days at my desk, my shoulders, chest, and neck were crying out for attention.

I headed to YouTube in search of a fix and came across a video titled Yoga for Better Posture from Adriene Mishler, who’s better known as Yoga With Adriene.

Mishler promised this flow would relieve the muscles that suffer from sitting at a desk. So I rolled out my yoga mat and hit play.

Yoga with Adriene's routine for posture

My verdict

Mishler begins the practice by asking participants to bring awareness to the shoulders and upper back, tuning into the tension there.

This intense focus felt uncomfortable at first and I had the urge to get up and move around. I managed to resist, though, and felt more at ease as the focus shifted to the breath.

From there, the practice moved through a series of low-impact and gentle stretches, such as puppy pose, cobra, lunges and glute bridges.

Throughout the practice, Mishler encourages you to “move at the speed of sensation,” which means moving at your own pace and leaning into what feels good for you (one of her famous taglines).

I appreciated this direction, and felt compelled to hold certain poses for longer to really lean into the stretch.

As we drew toward the end of the flow, I realized the sessions hadn’t just provided physical relief to my shoulders, neck and chest.

My mind also felt quieter and I was no longer running through my to-do list.

This is definitely a routine I’ll be returning to again when my body and mind are feeling tense.

Tai Chi is a mindful movement practice that focuses on slow and intentional exercises to support physical and mental wellbeing.

“It works to gently release deep-seated joint stiffness, muscle tightness, and mental stress,” explains Tai Chi teacher Brian Thompson. “It can even help quiet an overactive mind and bring you back into a grounded, present state.”

While you can practice Tai Chi at any time of day, a morning practice can be particularly helpful for waking up stiff joints, boosting energy and improving focus.

“It can help establish a calm, focused mindset and steady breathing to navigate the day without feeling rushed,” adds Thompson, who is the founder of bnew4life.

Thompson has shared his go-to five-minute Tai Chi practice to start the day.

“Try not to rush the experience. This practice will help set you up for the morning with a clearer mind, creative outlook, and feeling happier and open,” he adds.

Try the five-minute morning Tai Chi practice

1. Self-massage and Qigong body cupping

• Sit on a chair or off the side of your bed.
• Relax your shoulders and begin massaging your neck, arms, midsection and legs, to wake up your body and stimulate circulation.
• Cup your hands and pat up and down your shoulders, arms, chest, torso and legs, creating a suction motion.

Posture tip: Maintain a relaxed upright posture. Keep your wrists relaxed so your cupped hand creates a gentle, hollow tapping sensation without harsh impact.

2. Lifting water

Reps: 3-5

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, shoulders relaxed, a slight bend in your knees, and spine extended.
• With your hands relaxed and fingers loosely hanging down, raise your arms gently to shoulder height as you inhale.
• Extend your wrist joint so your palms face forward, and gently lower your arms, keeping your elbows soft.
• Exhale through your nose as you lower for at least a count of four.

Posture tip: Keep your arms relaxed, and your knees and feet in alignment.

Breathing tip: Nasal breathing helps to regulate your breathing and calm your nervous system.

3. Silk reeling (chan si gong)

Set up:

• Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, shoulders relaxed, chest upright and chin slightly tucked.
• Bend your knees slightly, with your weight centered.
• Rest your left hand on your left hip or waist.
• Hover your right hand in front of you at waist height, palm down, keeping your elbow lower than your wrist.

Four steps of silk reeling:

• Turn 1: Rotate your waist slightly toward your left, and rotate your right hand so your palm faces up.
• Weight shift 1: Shift your bodyweight toward your left leg, bending your left knee, and moving your right hand across your body and up to shoulder height.
• Turn 2: Turn your palm down, and move your right hand across your body to your right, then lowering your right hand to waist level as you rotate it so your palm faces up.
• Weight shift 2: Shift your bodyweight to your right leg, bending your knee slightly.
• Switch sides after practicing slowly on one side first.

Posture tip: Practice slowly so the motion is smooth and continuous, like unwinding and winding silk from a cocoon without jerking or locking your joints. Keep your joints and limbs soft.

Breathing tip: Inhale through your nose as your hand draws inward toward your body. Exhale through your nose as your hand arcs outward away from your body.

4. Gather and release

Reps: 3-5

• Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, shoulders relaxed, chest upright and chin slightly tucked.
• Bend your knees slightly, with your weight centered.
• Turn your palms up and raise your arms to the sides and overhead, leading with your fingers and looking up.
• Turn your palms to face down and slowly lower your hands back to waist level, gently flexing and extending your wrists in a wave-like motion as they descend.

Posture tip: Imagine a calm, peaceful energy going over your head and body as you float your hands up and down.

Breathing tip: Inhale and exhale through the nose so you do not release too much carbon dioxide.

When you’re feeling low on energy—despite getting a full night's rest—it can be frustrating if someone says you just need to sleep more to feel replenished.

“The simplest advice misses what’s actually draining you—‘sleep more’ and ‘eat better’ are true but too vague to fix anything, and they ignore what’s really going on underneath,” says Dr Anna Cabeca, a triple board-certified OB-GYN and menopause expert.

Women’s energy levels can be affected by everything from diet to menstrual cycles and stress, so sometimes more shut-eye isn’t what you need.

Here are six other things that might help instead, according to women’s health specialists.

1. Track your energy levels

Cabeca says that keeping a simple log for at least two to three menstrual cycles can help you spot patterns in your energy levels—and eliminate anything that might be causing dips.

“Record your energy level on a scale of one to 10, along with sleep duration and quality, mood changes, stress level, bloating or other physical symptoms, menstrual flow if you menstruate, exercise, and what you ate that day.

“Then look for what consistently comes before your energy dips. Was it a high-stress day, poor sleep, heavier bleeding, certain foods, an intense workout, or a specific part of your cycle?”

Once you have this information, you can tweak your schedule and lifestyle accordingly.

“If intense workouts consistently leave you depleted during certain parts of your cycle, consider adjusting the intensity rather than pushing through,” says Cabeca.

2. See daylight at both ends of the day

A simple way to boost energy levels is to get outside shortly after you wake up and also around the time the sun goes down.

“Your body has an internal clock [known as the circadian rhythm] that helps regulate melatonin, cortisol, sleep, metabolism, and many other processes. When that rhythm is disrupted, simply spending more hours in bed may not resolve your fatigue,” says Cabeca.

“Here's what I'd do instead: start with light exposure. See the sunrise and sunset every day if you can.”

This will mean your body is exposed to bright light in the morning and softer light in the evening, which might help reset that internal clock.

3. Build your plate around steady energy

Fatigue can be a symptom of magnesium deficiency, says Cabeca, which might mean you need to adjust your diet.

“Leafy greens provide magnesium, which plays an important role in hundreds of biochemical reactions in the body, including those involved in energy production.”

The recommended daily intake of magnesium for women is 310 mg/day between the ages of 19 and 30 and 320 mg/day from age 31 onward. During pregnancy, the target rises to 350-360 mg/day.

Cabeca suggests adding spinach, Swiss chard, broccoli, edamame, okra and green peas to your plate to help increase your intake.

4. Close the gaps between meals

“Skipping meals or having long gaps between meals can make you feel more tired and more likely to reach for snacks or make unhealthy food choices throughout the day,” says registered dietitian Carlyne Remedios of JM Nutrition.

She explains that not eating at breakfast time can disrupt your appetite regulation, which might lead to overeating later in the day—in turn causing an energy dip.

It’s best to eat regular meals to avoid this, but make sure your dinner isn’t too late in the day.

“Eating too close to bedtime can affect how melatonin works and, therefore, affect sleep quality. It is also likely to leave you feeling sluggish the next day.”

5. Take the thirst test

Are you tired—or just thirsty? That’s the question to ask yourself, Remedios says.

“Sometimes dehydration can make you feel sluggish and tired. Before automatically reaching for another coffee, make sure you are adequately hydrated.”

6. Tweak your caffeine consumption

Remedios says some people find that drinking caffeine in the latter half of the day impacts their sleep quality.

“If you are someone who struggles to sleep, it’s better to stop caffeine earlier in the day.”

If coffee first thing also leaves you jittery, try having it later in the morning.

“Since caffeine is a stimulant, moving your morning cup of tea or coffee to a few hours after you wake up—instead of having it immediately after waking—when your cortisol levels naturally start to dip, may be a better option to avoid feeling overstimulated in the morning and experiencing crashes in the middle of the day.”

When to seek medical advice

While feeling exhausted and sluggish can be signs of fatigue, persistent low energy for two weeks or more should be discussed with your healthcare professional, says Dr Rupa Parmar, a women's health specialist and medical director of Midland Health.

“If anything else feels off, or you just want to make sense of your symptoms, it’s worth booking an appointment with your healthcare provider to discuss potential underlying conditions that may be causing your energy dips.”

Don’t ignore symptoms such as heart palpitations, shortness of breath, dizziness, unusually heavy menstrual bleeding, or significant cognitive or mood changes, adds Cabeca.

“Thyroid disorders, iron deficiency or anemia, sleep disorders, depression, and other medical conditions can sometimes look like ‘just hormones,’ so persistent fatigue deserves a proper evaluation.”

Long walks, hills and hikes are all fantastic ways to stay healthy, mobile and connected to the outdoors. But to keep hitting the trails well into old age, it’s worth spending some time on active recovery after a demanding walk.

Stiff muscles can impact joint mobility, which may hinder how well you hike (and enjoy your hikes) in the future. And it’s not only to stretch overworked muscles and release tightness, but to support your nervous system by helping relieve the impact of physical stress, too.

That’s why I turn to yoga for my post-hike recovery.

I’ve been a yoga student for almost 20 years and now work as a yoga therapist, so I know many postures that offer both a physical and mental recovery boost.

After a 10-hour hike across the Albanian Alps this summer, I got back to my guesthouse and flopped onto the bed. Not for a nap, but to do one of the best yoga poses for tired legs: legs up the wall pose (viparita karani in Sanskrit).

Why legs up the wall pose is good for you

Physically, it relieves tired muscles by encouraging blood flow and circulation. Elevating your legs also helps to counteract any swelling, puffiness or fatigue from hours on your feet.

It provides a gentle stretch through your hamstrings, glutes and lower back. You can easily adjust with the angle of your raised legs, making it accessible too.

But legs up the wall pose offers more than just a leg stretch.

On a deeper level, the pose will help you shift into a rest and recovery state—activating your parasympathetic nervous system. Resting supine and allowing your breath and body to settle into a natural rhythm, your heart rate slows, and you can tune into the present moment.

This helps to lower cortisol (the stress hormone) and reduce the lingering effects of your body’s stress response, encouraging rest and even better sleep.

How to do legs up the wall (​Viparita karani)​

• Sit side-on to a wall or bed headboard.
• Swing your legs up as you gently lower your back and head to the floor or bed.
• Place a pillow under your head for spinal alignment and comfort.
• Adjust your distance from the wall to allow for a bend in your knees if needed.
• Rest your hands on your abdomen or by your sides, breathing slowly and mindfully.
• Release the pose by bending your knees, rolling onto one side and sitting up.

Adjustments: You can do this pose with your lower legs resting on a couch or chair instead. You can also try this legs in the air version without any support, if you feel comfortable and able.

I’ve recently been waking up with morning anxiety—as soon as my alarm goes off my brain starts reminding me of all the things I need to do.

I play over worries from the day before and start feeling stressed about what I have to get done.

And I know it’s not just me. According to the American Psychiatric Association, nearly half of American adults say they are more anxious than they were a year ago.

“Morning is a particularly interesting time because our physiology naturally shifts into an active, alert state around waking, including changes in cortisol [a stress response hormone] and other systems involved in preparing us for the day,” says Olivia Wynne, somatic breathwork and personal development coach at HumanOS.

“That doesn’t mean morning anxiety is ‘just cortisol’. Thoughts, expectations, sleep quality and the anticipation of the day can all contribute.”

One tool that may help is slow breathing, particularly techniques that emphasise a gentle, extended exhale.

I decided to try this myself and spoke to Wynne to find out what actually happens in the body.

What happens in your body when you feel anxious?

“Anxiety overestimates the threat and underestimates our ability to cope,” says Wynne.

“When we feel anxious, the brain interprets something as a potential threat and the sympathetic nervous system increases our state of arousal.

“Heart rate and breathing can increase, muscles may tense, digestion can change and attention becomes more focused on detecting danger.

“From a somatic perspective, anxiety isn’t just a thought—it is a whole-body state, which is why working with the body can sometimes help shift the experience. We can’t always ‘think’ our way out of anxiety.”

How can breathwork help calm you down?

When you’re anxious, your body can activate its threat response but slow breathing exercises—including techniques that use a gentle, extended exhale—may help reduce feelings of anxiety.

“Breathing obviously happens automatically, but we can also consciously change it. When we deliberately slow and deepen the breath, we can influence cardiovascular and autonomic processes involved in regulation,” says Wynne. “This includes heart rate variability,” referring to the tiny variations in time between heartbeats.

Using breathing techniques can be a powerful way to reduce the intensity of anxious feelings.

“Slow breathing can increase heart rate variability, while also reducing subjective stress and anxiety,” she says. “A longer, gentle exhale can encourage a slower overall breathing rate and is associated with the cardiovascular patterns we see during parasympathetic [resting state] regulation.

“I often tell my clients to imagine their breath like a wave, when they breathe in the sea is coming up to the shore, and when they breathe out the wave is moving back out to the ocean again.”

A quick breathwork technique to try—and how it can help

In an attempt to regulate my nervous system first thing in the morning, I tried a long exhalation breath practice.

Mindfulness coach Travis Eliot recommends starting with a four-count inhalation, two-count hold, then a four-count exhalation and a two-count hold again. You then increase the length of your exhalation by one count each round.

He doesn’t mention whether you should exhale through your nose or mouth, so I did what felt comfortable for me.

While it’s not a magic cure for morning anxiety, I found that having a self-care ritual to do on waking helped shift me from panic mode to a calm(er) state.

Wynne says breathing exercises could help you feel less anxious within a matter of minutes.

“Someone could genuinely notice a shift within a few minutes, maybe even a few breaths. Although the size of the effect varies considerably between people.

“Slow breathing produces measurable changes during a single session, including changes in heart rate variability, so it doesn’t necessarily require weeks of practice before experiencing anything.

“This is different to meditation [which requires single-pointed focus], as my clients find that breathwork works quicker than meditation.”

Crucially, Wynne says breathwork should be a tool to help regulate the nervous system, not a replacement for treating the underlying cause of anxiety.

“If anxiety is persistent, significantly affecting someone’s sleep, relationships, work or ability to function, or they’re experiencing recurrent panic attacks, intrusive fears or avoidance, that’s the point where professional psychological or medical support is important,” she says.

“Breathwork can sit alongside that support rather than being presented as a cure.”

Every morning when I wake up, my spine tells me it needs to stretch.

And now that I’m in my late-40s, I’ve learned to not just ignore it. Plus, with my yoga therapist and personal trainer hats on, I know how important daily movement is.

Neglecting tight muscles can limit how well joints move—and range of motion tends to shrink with age anyway.

So before I even roll out of bed, I’ve started using two simple yoga poses to ease away overnight tension—no need for a mat, and I don’t even change out of my pajamas.

First, I come onto my front for a sphinx pose. With my palms by my head, I press into my forearms for a gentle spinal extension.

As this is the first movement of the day, I make sure not to overstretch—sometimes lifting my chest and head just a few inches is enough.

If I feel the need to go deeper, I extend this into cobra pose. Both variations gently decompress the spine, softly stretch the shoulders and chest, and revive blood flow to the upper body, all within a minute or two.

Next, I widen my knees and push my hips up and back toward my heels, into a child’s pose—keeping my head down and my forehead resting. I take a moment here to shift my hips around, noticing how they feel, and acknowledge any tight spots in my lower back or hips.

These short, simple movements are a way of releasing tension before the day begins.

Both poses are suitable for all levels, but if you have a specific back injury or significant stiffness, take extra care and listen to how your body feels that day.

Sphinx pose (salamba bhujangasana)

• Lie on your front with your hands by your head, palms down, forearms in line with your shoulders and forehead resting on the bed.
• Inhale to engage your upper body and raise your chest and head, pressing into your forearms.
• Exhale, lower your chest and head back to the starting position.
• Perform these movements three to five times, moving slowly, with control and in sync with your breath.
• Optional: On your last rep, hold for a few rounds of breath.

Child’s pose (balasana)

• From lying on your front, widen your knees.
• Press through your hands to push your hips up and back toward your heels.
• Rest your forehead on the bed, pillow or your stacked hands.
• Shift your hips back further or move them from side to side.
• Hold this position for three to five breaths, or longer if you wish.

How well do you deal with uncertainty?

To me, uncertainty can feel perilous.

I was diagnosed with an anxiety disorder nearly 15 years ago and have experienced multiple periods of upheaval over those years.

The world is chaotic, so being able to roll with the punches and remain resilient is a skill I needed to cultivate.

I recently discovered the Headspace meditation “Find Beauty in Uncertainty”, which reminded me just how important it is to let go of control.

Now, when I’m feeling overwhelmed, I revisit this meditation and learn something different every time.

The meditation for dealing with uncertainty

Meghan Mitchell, a course instructor for Headspace Training Institute, explains how this meditation can help overthinkers.

“It works by altering your relationship with your thoughts,” she says.

“When faced with uncertainty, the mind’s default habit is to jump ahead straight into overthinking, planning or worrying to establish a sense of control.

“This practice trains you to recognize when the mind gets caught searching for answers, using gentle breathing to anchor your awareness in the present moment and the physical, rather than an imagined future,” she explains.

The more you follow this practice, the easier it becomes to embrace uncertainty in your everyday life.

Mitchell tells Fit&Well this is because it rewires the habit loop we get stuck in, so uncertainty stops triggering the need to control things.

“Instead, it becomes a signal to rest back into the present moment.”

What I learned from doing this meditation

1. I released my need for control

My biggest takeaway from doing this meditation is realising how much calmer I can feel when I try to control a situation less.

Instead of immediately scrambling for solutions when a problem arises, this meditation has helped me remember to take a breather first.

Even with seemingly urgent issues, pausing to ask myself if this matters and is there anything I can do about this now has been really helpful.

“When you let go of the need to dictate every outcome, you release the unsustainable burden of trying to manage the unmanageable,” says Mitchell.

“The hyper-fixation on control is a survival instinct keeping your nervous system in a constant state of fight-or-flight.”

I can certainly relate to this. At one point in my early 20s, I was so paralyzed by my fear of uncertainty that I couldn’t leave my house.

I became agoraphobic for about six months, having panic attacks every time I stepped outside.

This was exhausting and became worse every time I tried to open the front door.

I would jump straight into a familiar spiral of anxious thinking instead of first understanding what I was scared about and then addressing that.

The fear became bigger than the problem itself.

“Going with the flow is an active shift from this state of resistance to adaptation,” says Mitchell.

“This conserves cognitive energy and fosters emotional resilience. It allows you to respond to life’s shifts with agility rather than reacting.”

While this meditation wasn’t around when I was dealing with agoraphobia, it reminded me that it is possible to step in to interrupt negative thoughts, and when to do it to prevent them from spiraling out of control.

2. I seek out new experiences

I’ve gone from feeling utterly terrified from not knowing what will happen in any particular moment, to feeling genuinely excited by the possibility of new experiences.

“Building comfort with the unknown is like training a muscle,” says Mitchell.

“Small daily practices help reset your mind’s reaction over time. You can start by setting aside a few minutes each day for a micro-pause to sit quietly, let go of problem-solving and anchor in your breath.”

She recommends leaning into small, safe unpredictabilities.

“Try changing a daily route, whether a walk or driving to the shops,” she says.

I now deliberately get lost on dog walks to develop that comfort in uncertainty.

Instead of panicking because I don’t know where I am, I remind myself that I am safe, walking in neighborhoods near my home with plenty of shops and people who can help if I get into trouble.

At least once a week, I pack a bottle of water and a snack and take a route I don’t know, expanding my experience of the local area and discovering hidden places in the process.

I love my exploration walks, and they are a great way to flex my comfort-in-uncertainty muscle.

3. I reframed my relationship with uncertainty

The more I work on accepting feeling uncomfortable when faced with small uncertainties, the easier it gets to apply the principle to larger problems.

“Though uncertainty is often equated with fear, it is actually a gateway to possibility,” says Mitchell.

“Stepping into uncertainty can be stepping into growth, fresh ideas or unexpected joys.”

Instead of focusing on the worst possible outcome, I consider how things could go well. I remind myself of all the negative situations I’ve overcome in the past.

“Ultimately, embracing uncertainty builds true self-trust; confidence doesn’t come from knowing what will happen next, but from knowing you have the capacity to adapt to whatever arises.”

If you’re not sure how to do this, Mitchell suggests you check your language. Does it embrace uncertainty or avoid it?

Instead of thinking “I need to know for sure,” she suggests telling yourself that “I don’t have all the answers right now, and that is okay.”

“Releasing the demand for certainty shifts your mindset from fear or threat to curiosity. It transforms unknown variables into opportunities,” she says.

4. It helped my relationships with other people

My fear of uncertainty didn’t just affect me but those around me too.

I could be awkward, inflexible and difficult to plan around, which I’m sure those who love me found hard at times.

While some of it was, in my view, necessary—it’s good to know when the next bathroom stop will be on a road trip—going through a mindset change made things easier for others around me too.

Instead of demanding to know where we could stop for a restroom break so I could plan my water intake around it, now I can trust that we will find somewhere eventually.

Most racket sport enthusiasts follow the same routine.

They lace up their trainers, smash a few balls from the baseline, jump into a full-blooded hour or more of tennis, padel or pickleball, then retire to the clubhouse for liquid refreshment.

What's missing? An effective warm-up or restorative cool down that will ensure they can keep doing what they love, week after week.

As we get older, it becomes harder for our bodies to simply pick up where we left off. The same is true for the soccer pitch, the driving range or the batting cage.

And it's something I've felt first-hand after an action-packed vacation with Neilson Active Holidays.

Rotating from the tennis court to padel to pickleball at the five-star Neilson x Mangia's Torre del Barone resort in Sicily left my shoulders and lower back feeling especially tender.

"It's really important to maintain your core and your posture for all racket sports," says Carla Gibert, a certified yoga instructor working with Neilson.

"The shoulders are also really important for tennis," she adds. "I see a lot of people aggravate their shoulders because they simply haven't maintained strength and mobility."

One solution, she says, would be to simply perform a plank exercise daily, adding some scapular retractions to maintain mobility.

Another option is to perform a four-move spine and shoulder mobility routine before and after time on the court.

Having used this drill after two days of back-to-back serves and volleys, not to mention countless smashes out of the court or into the net, I can vouch for it.

How to do this mobility routine

Gibert says you can use this routine to warm-up up for a match, as well as recover afterwards. You just need to adjust the timings.

Before, she suggests cycling through the four exercises two to three times, spending 30 seconds on each, while keeping movements dynamic to prepare for the in-game action.

After, she recommends slowing the tempo right down, performing each move once but spending around three minutes on each stretch.

"That will really help open up your fascia—the layer of tissue that surrounds your muscles—that can get a bit dehydrated after exercise," she explains.

"You see so much more progress if you hold the stretch for longer. It can also be quite meditative and relaxing, triggering the same kind of recovery benefits as having a good night's sleep."

Here is the sequence of four moves that Gilbert recommends.

1. Child's pose (Balasana)

How to do it:

• Start on your hands and knees with your knees slightly wider than hip-width apart and your big toes touching.
• Sit your hips back toward your heels.
• Walk your hands forward on the floor, arms extended.
• Gently lower your chest toward the mat, lowering your forehead toward the floor.
• Relax your shoulders away from your ears and let your torso soften between your thighs.
• Breathe slowly into your sides and back, feeling your ribs expand with each inhale and soften with each exhale.
• Once the time is up, slowly walk your hands back and lift your torso with control.

2. Downward-facing dog (Adho mukha svanasana)

How to do it:

• Get on your hands and knees, with your wrists under your shoulders, knees under your hips, and your spine neutral.
• Tuck your toes under so you can press your upper foot into the floor and lift your knees and hips up to form an inverted V-shape with your body.
• If your hamstrings feel tight, keep a slight bend in your knees, focusing on lifting your hips and creating length through your back rather than forcing your heels down.
• Press through your hands, keeping your arms straight, to create separation between your ears and shoulders, and length in your spine.
• Breathe slowly and steadily, then gently lower your knees back down to the mat to come out of the position with control.

3. Cobra (Bhujangasana)

How to do it:

• Lie face down on the floor with your legs straight and the tops of your feet pressing into the floor.
• Place your hands beside your lower ribs with your elbows bent and tucked close to your sides.
• Press through your hands to straighten your arms, lifting your chest and torso.
• At the same time, roll your shoulders down and back to open the front of your chest.
• Lengthen your spine and keep your neck long with your gaze straight ahead.
• If you feel a sharp pinch in your lower back, bend your arms to bring your chest closer to the floor.
• Breathe slowly and steadily for the allotted time, then gently release by lowering your torso and bending your elbows to come back down to the mat.

4. Thread the needle (Urdhva mukha pasasana)

How to do it:

• Get on your hands and knees, with your wrists under your shoulders, knees under your hips, and your spine neutral.
• Reach your left hand out to your left side and rotate your upper body to the left raise your left arm as high as you can manage.
• Reverse the movements, and thread your left hand to your right side, moving it between right wrist and right knee.
• As you bring your arm under your body, slide your hand along the floor and lower your left shoulder and the left side of your head to the mat.
• Keep your hips stacked over your knees while your torso gently rotates, feeling a comfortable twist through your upper back and the back of the shoulder.
• Keep the supporting hand on the floor for balance—you can press lightly into it or walk it a little further forward to deepen the stretch.
• Breathe slowly and evenly, then press into your supporting hand to unwind back into tabletop, and repeat on the other side.

When we’re kids, we fall all the time and can bounce back almost instantly. Once we hit our teenage years, falls become rare, but if we do trip over, we can still brush it off most of the time. But in later life, a fall can have more serious consequences that can take longer to recover from.

So it’s imperative that older adults stay on their feet, but physical changes we all go through can make that a challenge.

“As we age, balance and body awareness decrease through natural age-related declines in muscle mass and joint stiffness,” says yoga teacher Lauren Anderson.

She adds that slower reaction times become a factor too, which can make it harder for older people to catch themselves if they do lose their balance.

But we don’t have to just accept these changes. “Loss of balance isn’t an inevitable part of aging—it’s often the result of moving less, becoming weaker and challenging ourselves less over time,” she says.

Anderson tells Fit&Well that consistent yoga practice can help improve your balance and mobility at any age.

“With regular practice, adults can improve their balance, strength and confidence well into their 60s, 70s and beyond.”

To get you started, Anderson suggests three accessible poses: tree pose, chair pose and supported crescent lunge.

“Tree pose is one of the best exercises for improving single-leg balance, ankle stability, core strength and proprioception—the body’s awareness of where it is in space,” says Anderson.

“These skills play an important role in reducing fall risk and improving confidence during everyday activities like climbing stairs or walking on uneven ground.

“Chair pose can help with lower-body strength in the glutes, quadriceps and core while reinforcing functional movement patterns needed for standing, climbing stairs and sitting down and standing up repeatedly.”

Supported crescent lunge “can help you build lower-body strength while improving hip mobility, balance and core stability,” says Anderson.

“Many adults lose hip mobility with age, which can shorten stride length and make walking less efficient. A supported version allows people to build confidence safely before progressing.”

Here’s how to do each pose.

1. Tree pose (Vrksasana)

Sets: 2-3 Time: 20-30sec each side Rest: 20-30sec

How to do it:

• Stand next to a wall or chair (for support if you need it) with a straight back and your feet hip-width apart.
• Take a moment to notice the pressure points in your feet and distribute your weight evenly between them.
• Slowly shift your weight onto your right foot, lifting your left heel. Focus your gaze on one fixed point to help maintain your balance.
• Leaving the toes of your left foot on the floor, rotate your left knee out to the left so that your left heel rests against your right ankle. If comfortable, you can slide your foot higher up your right shank.
• Place your hands wherever feels most comfortable, eventually aiming to have your palms together in front of your chest or raised overhead.
• Hold this position, breathing steadily.
• Repeat on the other side, then rest before starting the next set.

Make it easier: Keep your fingertips on a wall or sturdy chair for support.

Make it harder: Try closing one or both eyes.

2. Chair pose (Utkatasana)

Sets: 3-5 Time: 15-30sec Rest: 30sec

How to do it:

• Stand upright with your feet hip-width apart.
• Bend your knees and hinge at your hips, pushing your butt back, as if beginning to lower onto a chair. Keep your chest up and your weight in your heels.
• Raise your arms if comfortable, or keep your hands at your sides or your palms together at chest level.
• Hold this position, breathing steadily.
• Press through your heels to stand, and rest before beginning the next set.

Make it easier: Sit back against a wall or use the wall as support for one or both hands.

Make it harder: Lift one or both heels, or raise one foot a few inches off the floor for several breaths.

3. Crescent lunge (Ashta chandrasana)

Sets: 2-3 Time: 20-30sec each side Rest: 20-30sec

How to do it:

• Stand side-on to a wall with one hip resting against it.
• Step your left foot behind you, making sure both feet are pointing forward.
• Bend your right knee while keeping your left leg as straight as possible.
• You can use the hand closest to the wall for support, if needed.
• Hold this position, breathing steadily.
• Press through your front heel to return to standing.
• Repeat on the other side, then rest before starting the next set.

Make it easier: This pose can be made easier by starting with a kneeling position or by placing a chair under your front thigh.

Sometimes the tools to make positive changes are already right under your nose. I discovered this recently when thinking about how I train my dog.

My dog is rewarded with high-value treats when she displays desirable behaviors, like waiting at a crosswalk.

I also use these treats to help redirect her from less desirable behaviors (digging up my flowerbeds) and to encourage better ones (digging in her sandbox).

After speaking to two motivation experts, I decided to apply the same principle to myself in an attempt to break my habit of compulsively scrolling on social media—and I was amazed at how effective it was.

I spoke to Philip Gable, a professor of psychology and brain sciences at the University of Delaware, and Kathleen Martin Ginis, a professor in the Department of Medicine and the School of Health and Exercise Sciences at the University of British Columbia.

They explained why scrolling on social media is so hard to stop once you’ve started, and what I could do to break the habit.

Why is scrolling on social media so addictive?

Few things can command your attention as effectively as the never-ending feed of social media, and I often look up to find I’ve lost hours to the infinite scroll.

It’s frustrating to realize I’ve indulged in such a pointless activity for so long.

“We often do it at night or in the afternoon when we’re tired, and it provides a little shot of dopamine, so we keep going,” says Gable.

He compares scrolling on social media to the addictive nature of slot machines.

“People will sit there until their back hurts, their butt is numb, and they’re broke, hoping to get that payout from pressing a button or pulling a lever,” he says.

He explains that social media works similarly, right down to the action of pulling the screen down to look for the next pleasurable thing.

Even if everything you see makes you feel anxious or dissatisfied, the hope that you will find something that makes you feel good keeps you scrolling.

This was a trap I found myself in more often than not, especially after a day of work.

When I want to do something low-effort that doesn’t require as much focus as watching a show or reading a book, I scroll.

Gable explains that the best way to break this pattern is to replace it with something that gives you a superior sense of reward—something that gets your pleasure centers more excited than the prospect of the next humorous post.

So for every hour I stayed off my phone, I rewarded myself with a lemon bonbon.

I was amazed at how quickly the desire for my hourly bonbon overrode my desire to check my phone.

How to choose an effective reward

1. The reward needs to be high value

Martin Ginis explains that choosing the right reward is important. “I think number one is it needs to be something that you value. You have to really love that lemon bonbon for it to work,” she says.

“I’ve seen other people give themselves a check mark or a star in a calendar. Then after 10 stars they get a bigger treat.”

She also stresses that this method is highly personal and doing exactly what someone else does to quit their bad habits may not work for you.

“Different people will have different things that are a treat for them.”

2. The reward needs to be immediate

“We know that when rewards are delivered immediately after the behavior, rather than a week or a month later, they’re more likely to change the behavior,” says Martin Ginis.

“Ideally, it should follow the behavior that you’re trying to stop or start relatively soon afterwards.”

3. If it isn’t working, it’s not the right reward

“If something isn’t working, try something else,” suggests Martin Ginis.

“I think it’s unusual to find something that we love right off the bat, but there are so many different options to choose from.

“Ask friends who have been in a similar situation to get ideas and go from there.”

Does the reward become less effective over time?

I noticed that the rewards I give my dog lose their effectiveness after a while. I have to rotate through a series of high-value treats to keep her motivated.

So what happens when my lemon bonbon loses the value it has now?

“I think you've chosen a pretty good reward because typically sugar is much more rewarding and more powerful than doomscrolling,” says Gable.

However, if that reward starts to lose its appeal, there are a few things you can do to increase its value again.

1. Change the parameters

I suggested that instead of getting a bonbon for every hour, I could make my reward more challenging to obtain by holding out even longer.

Two hours without looking at my phone will earn me a single bonbon, rather than just one hour.

“It works the same as how you would train a dog using intervals,” says Gable

“If you want your dog to let you know when they want to go outside, first you reward them for just looking at the door. Then you don't reward for that and you only reward them when they’re near the door,” he says.

“Then you only reward them when they scratch at the door or sniff at the door. It works on humans just as well.”

2. Make it rare

“The less sugar you’ve had, the less food that you’ve eaten, the more rewarding that food is,” explains Gable. “It’s why the first bite of a meal always tastes better than the 10th.”

He suggests making every 10th bonbon even more exciting, perhaps raspberry flavor to keep the reward fresh.

How to break up with compulsive scrolling for good

While I was pleased with my progress, my dentist would have a thing or two to say about a budding lemon bonbon addiction.

I asked Martin Ginis how to make the change more permanent (and less reliant on sugar).

She explains that over time, extrinsic motivation—motivation from outside sources—shifts and becomes intrinsic.

So, if you are starting an activity for an extrinsic reward, like a bonbon, eventually you should do it because you enjoy the activity, or the result.

“Over time, hopefully you realize you feel much better when you aren’t doomscrolling,” explains Martin Ginis. “We see it in the people who manage to change their behavior long term.”

With consistency, you should become someone who simply enjoys an activity and does it habitually, or in my case, enjoys avoiding an activity.

My shoulders and neck are prone to aches and pains if I don't move around enough, which makes long car journeys a nightmare.

Sitting in an upright position for hours leaves me incredibly stiff and it often takes days for my body to get back to normal.

I was struggling with this recently after a five-hour trip. I really wanted a massage to soothe my aches, but I decided that it would be cheaper and easier to try some stretching.

Searching for a cure, I came across a 30-minute practice created by Charlie Faulkner, a yoga instructor based in London.

It’s a gentle session designed to help you connect to your heart and emotions, but it also physically targets the chest area and upper body. Thankfully, this was just what I needed.

How to do the 30-minute yoga practice

You don’t need any equipment to do this routine—just a yoga mat—but I also used a yoga block for a couple of the movements to provide more support.

There’s one sequence that’s repeated throughout the routine, which involves holding the arms out to the side, with your elbows bent and hands pointing up, then gently arching your back to open your chest. You then round your back and extend your arms in front.

The variations on this sequence become more challenging throughout the practice, but you can always go back to the simplest version of the flow if you find any of the advanced poses too taxing.

How it helped

The sequence repeated throughout this routine both arches and rounds the upper body in the same way a cat-cow does.

The arching movement reverses the hunched posture I had during most of the car trip, providing some relief to my tight upper-body muscles, while the rounding lengthened my muscles and helped to decompress my spine.

This combination felt super satisfying for my upper body and the repetition of it throughout the practice meant that I could move deeper into the stretches each time.

By the end of the 30 minutes, my shoulders and neck felt significantly better than when I sat down on my mat.

I’m saving this routine so I can use it whenever I need some relief—after a long car journey or a day spent hunched over my laptop.

I often turn to yoga when my muscles feel stiff or I’m looking for a simple way to move my body.

But the biggest change I notice after rolling out my mat is usually that I feel less stressed and mentally clearer.

My go-to instructor for online routines is Adriene Mishler—better known as Yoga With Adriene. I’ve been using her gentle routines to reset my day and stretch my body for 10 years.

When I saw she'd posted a new 20-minute routine for anxiety and overthinking, I was both excited to try it and a little apprehensive.

I often struggle to settle into meditative yoga practices like these; I find myself overthinking instead of relaxing and quieting my mind.

But given my positive experiences with Mishler’s routines, I decided to give it a go.

How to do the routine

This is a follow-along video. All you need is a mat and a blanket to cushion your knees.

My verdict

I tried this on my lunch break to see if it could help clear my mind.

The first five minutes of the practice were challenging, requiring me to sit still and be meditative, but Mishler acknowledges that this can be difficult and encourages viewers to do an “internal weather report.”

This is an idea Mishler has borrowed from yoga instructor Donna Farhi, which involves taking a minute to reflect on how you feel and then reporting that information back to yourself. Doing this helped me focus and relax without making me feel like I was being forced to mentally suppress anything.

Next, we did some simple breathwork, inhaling for four counts and exhaling for six. Again, this was hard initially but became easier.

After the breathwork, my mind finally started to quiet. The session then moved on to some very gentle stretching—cat-cow, downward dog and child’s pose—which relieved my stiff muscles.

The routine also features waterfall pose towards the end, which involves lying on your back with both legs raised straight in the air.

I often do this before bed to wind down and it made me feel similarly relaxed here—I almost dozed off!

However, when I did get off my mat, I felt completely refreshed and ready to get back to my desk with a much clearer head—pretty impressive for just 20 minutes of yoga.

You don’t need to practice yoga for an hour a day to feel the benefits. You can work through all parts of your body and relax your mind in just five minutes, according to yoga teacher and founder of Wellness With La Rue, Jack Bryant.

“If you’re short on time, a five-minute yoga practice can help improve mobility and also leave you feeling better mentally,” says Bryant.

That’s why Bryant has created this five-minute flow. It moves through a dozen poses relatively quickly, so it suits someone who’s familiar with yoga and is confident joining them together dynamically.

“These yoga poses can shift your energy and ease tight spots or physical tension. It’s perfect if you spend a lot of time sitting during the day,” says Bryant.

“If you want to start a long-term practice, it has to be a sustainable and stackable habit within your life already, so this is a great place to start and see the benefits,” he says.

So whether you develop your asana (postures) practice, need a quick reset from your desk or want to start the day feeling energized, give Bryant’s five-minute yoga flow for mobility a try.

How to do the five-minute yoga flow for mobility

The flow begins by warming up your spine with cat-cow and downward-facing dog poses, before focusing on your right side with low lunge, a forward fold and twisted low lunge.

You transition back to downward-facing dog by way of eight-limbed pose, cobra and child’s pose, then repeat the lunges on your left side. The sequence finishes with a relaxation pose to settle your body back to balance.

Remember to breathe mindfully and gently as you move through the sequence, syncing your breath with each movement.

Ready to try it? Here’s a follow-along video with Bryant, followed by the full sequence and explanations of each pose, in case you would like to flow at your own speed.

Video: Yoga flow for mobility

Warm-up:

• Cat-cow
• Downward-facing dog

Right side:

• Low lunge
• Forward fold
• Twisted low lunge

Transition:

• Eight-limbed pose
• Cobra
• Child’s pose
• Downward-facing dog

Left side:

• Low lunge
• Forward fold
• Twisted low lunge

Transition:

• Cat-cow
• Child’s pose

Cool-down:

• Corpse pose

How to do the poses

Cat-cow (Marjaryasana-Bitilasana)

• Start on your hands and knees with your shoulders over your hands and your hips over your knees.
• Inhale as you lower your belly, arch your back and lift your chest and chin.
• Exhale as you round your spine, tuck your chin and press your palms into the floor.

Benefit: Mobilizes your spine, improves posture, and gently stretches your back, chest and neck while warming up your core.

Downward-facing dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana)

• From your hands and knees, with your feet hip-distance apart, press your palms into the floor and straighten your legs as you raise your hips.
• Pedal your feet, lowering one heel as you raise the other.
• Keep your spine extended and neck loose. Bend your knees as much as you need.

Benefit: Strengthens your shoulders and arms, while stretching your hamstrings, calves, spine and the back of your body.

Low lunge (Anjaneyasana)

• Bring your right foot forward and place it flat on the floor between your palms.
• Lower your left knee to rest on the floor—your toes can be tucked or you can rest the top of your foot on the floor.
• Raise your arms overhead, bring your palms together in front of your chest, or rest them on your front thigh.
• Hold for a few rounds of breath.
• Bring your back foot forward flat on the floor close to your front foot.
• Let your head hang with your back folding forward over your legs, keeping a soft bend in your knees.
• Place your palms on your shins, lengthen your spine, gaze forward and open your chest.

Benefit: Opens your hips and hip flexors, strengthens your legs, and improves balance and stability.

Forward fold (Uttanasana)

• Bring your left foot forward next to your right foot.
• Hold your elbows and gently rock from side to side.
• Inhale as you stand up and raise your arms above your head.
• Exhale as you fold forward, placing your palms on the floor.
• Inhale as you place your palms on your shins and lift your torso so it is parallel to the floor.
• Exhale as you place your palms back on the floor.

Twisted low lunge (Parivrtta Utthita Ashwa Sanchalanasana)

• Step your left foot back and bend both knees to lower.
• Place your left hand on the floor.
• Reach your right hand overhead, rotating your torso to face right.
• Hold for a few rounds of breath.

Benefit: Improves your spinal mobility, stretches the hips, and opens your chest and shoulders while engaging the core.

Eight-limbed pose to cobra (Ashtanga Namaskara to Bhujangasana)

• Place your right hand on the floor, so both arms are extended and your hands are under your shoulders.
• Step your right foot back so your body is in a straight line from your head to your heels.
• Bend your knees and lower them to rest on the floor, keeping your tailbone raised.
• Bend your elbows to lower your chin and chest, keeping your elbows close to your body.
• Press your palms into the floor and move your shoulders forward and up, lifting your chest to face forward, and rolling your shoulders down your back and squeezing your glutes.
• Hold for a few rounds of breath.

Benefit: Strengthens your arms, shoulders and back while opening the chest, stretching the front body and improving spinal mobility.

Child’s pose (Balasana)

• Widen your knees and slide your hips back toward your heels.
• Rest your forehead on the floor and reach your arms forward.
• Hold for a few rounds of breath.

Corpse pose (Shavasana)

• Lie on your back in a comfortable position, with your legs extended or knees bent.
• Place a bolster or cushion beneath your thighs for more support.
• Rest here for 30 seconds (or longer if you have time).

Benefit: Allows the body to fully relax, absorb the benefits of the practice, and calm the nervous system.

We often think that a good stretch will be the solution to lower-back pain, but it’s not that simple, according to yoga teacher Veronica Najera, who is also master trainer and director of education at YogaSix.

“Lower-back pain doesn’t work in isolation,” Najera tells Fit&Well. “The hips, glutes, core and even the way we breathe can influence how our back feels.”

Stretching can help ease tension but isn’t always going to address the problem.

“Instead, try a yoga practice that offers a well-rounded approach combining mobility, strength, breath and body awareness,” Najera says.

For the past few weeks, my lower back has been crying out for some TLC thanks to a combination of sitting for long periods at my desk and a lack of glute strength. So, I asked Najera for her top three yoga poses to release lower-back tension, build strength and improve mobility.

Her first pick is cat-cow, which encourages spinal mobility and can help reduce the stiffness that comes from staying in one position for too long.

Next is the supine figure-four. This pose is held and the stretch creates mobility through the outer hips and glutes, which can become tight and influence how the rest of the body moves.

Finally, bridge pose strengthens and improves the mobility of the glutes and the surrounding muscles that help support the pelvis and spine.

I moved through this sequence at the end of the day and it provided sweet relief, helping me to release tension and unwind from the stress of the day.

To build strength and mobility, I’d need to practice the routine consistently, but I can say that my lower back already feels much better.

If you have a back injury or existing condition, check with your physician before trying this yoga sequence.

Three yoga poses for lower-back pain

1. Cat-cow (Marjaryasana-bitilasana)

Reps: 5-8 guided by the breath

How to do it:

• Start on your hands and knees with your wrists under your shoulders and your knees under your hips.
• Inhale as you lower your belly and lift your chest.
• Exhale as you round your back and look towards your belly button.
• Move between these two positions, letting your breath set the rhythm.

2. Supine figure four (Supta kapotasana)

Time: 30-60sec each side

How to do it:

• Lie on your back with both knees bent.
• Inhale as you cross your right ankle over your left thigh and flex your right foot.
• Exhale as you press your right hand into your right knee, or hold the back of your left thigh and gently pull it toward you for a deeper stretch.
• Keep your head, neck, and shoulders relaxed.
• Hold for time, then switch sides.

3. Bridge pose (Setu bandha sarvangasana)

Sets: 5-8 Time: 15-30sec

How to do it:

• Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet hip-width apart.
• Inhale as you press your feet into the floor and lift your hips.
• Exhale as you tighten your glute muscles and focus on length through the front of your body rather than lifting as high as possible.
• Hold for 15-30 seconds, then lower with control.

If, like me, you struggle to switch off at night, a short yoga flow could be the answer.

“Yoga for sleep helps by relaxing your body and mind, not by tiring you out,” explains yoga teacher Cheryl McColgan.

Unlike other types of yoga like vinyasa or power yoga that raise your energy, bedtime yoga is all about moving gently with your breath to come into a more relaxed, resting state.

“Slow movement paired with intentional breathing shifts your body out of the fight or flight sympathetic state and into the rest and digest parasympathetic state that you need to be in to fall asleep,” explains McColgan, founder of Heal, Nourish, Grow.

I wanted to swap late-night scrolling for something that might actually help me sleep, so I asked McColgan to share her favorite five-minute yoga flow to do before bed.

Try the five-minute bedtime yoga routine

McColgan’s bedtime yoga flow is designed to be done every night. You can do it on your bed or on the floor, and in your pajamas so you’re ready to sleep.

“It’s short enough that consistency is realistic and consistency is what matters for your nervous system learning the pattern,” she explains.

“Over time, the wind-down habit becomes another cue that signals to the body that it’s time for sleep,” Mc Colgan adds.

McColgan uses a free app called Insight Timer with its gong timer to track her poses over the five minutes.

“Every pose should feel relaxing, there should never be an intense stretch where you have to brace or where it feels too strong,” she adds.

The yoga poses are:

1. Child’s pose
2. Supported seated forward fold
3. Reclined spinal twist
4. Legs up the wall
5. Shavasana

1. Child’s pose

Time: 1min

Benefit: The forward fold calms the nervous system and gently releases the lower back and hips, which is where most people hold tension after a day of sitting.

• From a kneeling position, bring your big toes together and widen your knees apart as far as it’s comfortable.
• Sit your hips back toward your heels. If they do not reach, put a pillow or folded blanket between your calves and thighs to rest on.
• Walk your hands forward and let your forehead rest on the floor, pillow or your stacked fists.
• Let your shoulders and abdomen hang toward the floor.
• Pay attention to your breath and body's sensations.

2. Supported seated forward fold

Time: 1min

Benefit: Lengthens the hamstrings and back of the body to release tension and encourage relaxation.

• Sit on the floor with your legs extended in front of you.
• Place a pillow or two on top of your thighs.
• Hinge forward from your hips and rest your chest and forehead on the pillows.
• Keep a soft bend in your knees—there’s no need to touch your toes.
• Let your whole upper body relax into the pillows.

Tip: Add a folded blanket or pillow under your buttocks if your lower back rounds during the pose and another under your knees if it’s difficult to fully extend your legs.

3. Reclined spinal twist

Time: 30sec each side

Benefit: Releases tension through the mid back and between the shoulder blades, while stretching the side of your hips.

• Lie on your back and hug both knees toward your chest.
• Drop both knees slowly to your right—place a pillow underneath your knees if they do not reach the other side.
• Extend your left arm out to the side at shoulder height and turn your head to the left if it’s comfortable.
• Keep both shoulders in contact with the floor.
• Hold for three or four slow breaths then repeat on the other side.

4. Legs up the wall

Time: 1min

Benefit: Relieves tired legs and encourages fluid to move out of the ankles and feet to reduce swelling.

• Sit sideways next to a wall or your headboard with your hip touching it.
• Lie back and swing your legs up the wall, bringing your hips close to the base of the wall.
• Have a thin pillow under your hips if your lower back needs support.
• Let your arms rest wide by your sides, palms up or place your hands on your abdomen or chest.
• Practice slow breathing with an extended exhalation.
• If your feet tingle or go numb, bend your knees or come out of the pose.

5. Savasana with extended exhale

Time: 1min

Benefit: The final resting pose where the nervous system fully settles, lowering your heart and breathing rate to support full relaxation.

• Lie on your back in bed.
• Part your legs slightly and lie your arms by your sides with your palms up. Alternatively, place one hand on your chest and the other on your abdomen.
• Inhale through your nose for four counts, feeling your ribs and abdomen expand.
• Exhale slowly through your nose or mouth for six to eight counts, letting your ribs and abdomen fall.

I love yoga but I struggle to make time for it alongside my strength training and cardio workouts.

That’s why I like Yoga With Adriene, the YouTube channel from Adriene Mishler.

Mishler has been sharing yoga routines online for over a decade and I always turn to them as a way to soothe my body and my mind.

With over 13 million followers, I’m certainly not the only person who enjoys her routines.

Her practices are always beginner-friendly, with modifications and step-by-step guidance.

I decided to try one of her recent fortnightly releases to fit some stretching into my day.

What I thought of the 10-minute hamstrings and lower-back routine

Mishler’s routine came at the perfect time after waking up with sore muscles following a lower-body dumbbell workout.

As always, Mishler starts the practice with a couple of minutes of grounding that helps you connect to your body, breath and mind—the whole premise of yoga.

Sometimes I want to jump right into the more dynamic yoga poses but this guided section always helps me relax.

Although the routine’s focus is on hamstrings and lower back, several postures also felt great on my shoulders and upper back.

Lizard pose provided a deep stretch through my hips and the runner’s lunge released tension through my hamstrings.

I also found that Mishler's tip to keep my knees bent during a forward fold helped me get a deeper stretch in my upper back and neck.

After 10 minutes with Mishler, my legs felt a lot lighter and less sore.

It'll certainly be a routine I come back to in the future to improve my post-workout recovery.

When Americans want to relax, we almost universally default to sitting on a couch.

But we're missing out on a much healthier alternative: the deep squat

“A deep squat is a human rest position,” says Dr Zaki Afzal, a physical therapist and owner of Optimize Physical Therapy and Performance.

He explains that regularly resting in this position will maintain mobility in your hips, knees and ankles, while also ensuring you have the strength to get up and down from the floor.

That's a useful skill to have, as research from the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology tells us that the ability to get from a floor-sitting position to a standing position without aid is a predictor of longevity.

“It isn't that squatting magically adds years; it's that the ability to squat and rise is a readout of the mobility and strength that keep you independent,” says Afzal.

But if you don't have the mobility to do a deep squat, you're not alone.

“Most people have lost it,” says Afzal.

The upside is that most people can get it back, too. Here's how.

Exercises to help you access a deep squat

Afzal suggests the following three exercises to build your squatting mobility.

1. Supported deep squat

Hold: 30-60sec

How to do it:

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
• Hold onto a sturdy post or rack and bend your knees to sink into your deepest comfortable squat, keeping your heels on the floor, if you can.
• Breathe deeply while holding the position for 30-60 seconds.
• Stand back up using the support of the post.
• Repeat several times a day.

2. Heel-elevated goblet squat

Reps: 10-15

“Holding a light kettlebell at your chest acts as a counterbalance that lets you sit straight down and stay upright instead of tipping backward,” says Afzal.

How to do it:

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a light kettlebell to your chest.
• Place a small weight plate under your heels to elevate them.
• Bend your knees, lowering to your best depth.
• Push through your feet to stand up and repeat.
• As it gets easy, lower your heel elevation over a few weeks until your feet are flat on the floor.

3. Ankle and foot mobility drill

Reps: 8-10 each side

Afzal says this move will help with ankle mobility, making a deep squat feel more comfortable.

How to do it:

• Start in a half-kneeling position facing a wall, with your front foot a few inches from the base. Use the wall for support if needed.
• Maintaining pressure in your heel, bring your knee to the wall so your shin forms a diagonal line from knee to ankle.
• Still maintaining heel pressure, return to the starting position so your shin is parallel to the wall again.
• Rock back and forth through your full range of motion, then switch sides.

Deep squat form tips

If you can already perform a deep squat but can't hold it for very long, Afzal suggests tweaking your foot position.

“Widen your stance and turn your toes out a bit,” he says.

This makes it easier to maintain an upright chest.

“Most people miss the deep squat by going chest-up and butt-back, which sends the hips backward when you want them going straight down,” says Afzal.

“Sit down between your feet, not behind them,” he explains.

I also asked Afzal what to do if your heels lift when squatting.

“If your heels pop up, that's almost always an ankle and mid-foot mobility limitation, not a sign you're broken,” he says.

Afzal says that placing a lift under your heel while you build up your range of motion is fine and something he does all the time in his practice.

He caveats that he would still prioritize getting to the point where your heels stay on the floor through the whole movement.

“Flat heels mean your ankles and feet can do the range, and that carries over to stairs, hiking and getting off the floor,” he says.

“Just don't force it. You earn it.”

Maintaining your balance as you age is important.

Strength training and single-leg exercises can help, but building stability starts with trusting your body.

“If someone believes they can’t balance or aren’t flexible, their body may brace, grip or hesitate,” says yoga teacher Veronique Ory.

The instructor explains that you can boost your bodily awareness and balance confidence with practices like yoga.

“Many of my clients are over 55 and in our sessions we practice dynamic mobility, functional range of motion, balancing and creative variations of classic poses,” she adds.

This means that rather than holding static poses, she teaches her clients to move around, playfully exploring their balance in a safe way.

Here are three poses you can try at home.

1. Balancing tabletop

“This pose builds core stability, cross-body coordination, spinal mobility and balance,” says Ory.

“Moving slowly invites the stabilizing muscles to engage, which is essential for everyday movement and fall prevention.”

How to do it:

Hold: 3-5 breaths

• Start on your hands and knees with your shoulders over your wrists and your hips over your knees.
• Extend your right leg straight behind you and your left arm forward.
• For extra stability, keep your right toes and left fingertips touching the floor.
• Gently rock forward and back, moving slowly and mindfully with your breath.
• Hold for three to five slow breaths, then swap sides.

Make it harder:

• When you feel steady, raise your right toes and left fingertips.
• Extend your spine by lifting your arm and leg higher as you inhale.
• Exhale and draw your elbow and knee toward each other under your torso as you round your spine upward.
• Repeat this three to five times.

2. Thread the needle

“This variation combines thoracic mobility, spinal rotation, breath and balance,” says Ory.

The pose challenges you to counteract uneven weight distribution, which forces your stabilizing muscles to switch on.

How to do it:

Hold: 1-2 breaths

• Start on your hands and knees with your shoulders over your wrists and your hips over your knees.
• Inhale, raise your right arm overhead, rotating your torso to look at your hand.
• Exhale, lower your right arm under your chest and left arm, resting your right shoulder and the side of your head on the floor.
• Hold for a few rounds of breath, then repeat.
• Perform a few rounds of cat-cow, then repeat on the other side.

Make it harder:

• Extend your left leg straight back behind you, keeping your toes on the floor at first.
• Once steady, gently raise your left foot and hold for three to five breaths.
• Raise your unthreaded arm up, balancing on your shoulder, if you’re stable enough.

3. Tree pose

“Tree pose helps translate floor-based stability into upright balance. It strengthens the feet, ankles, hips, and core while improving focus and confidence,” says Ory.

How to do it:

Hold: 3-5 breaths

• Stand beside a wall or chair for support if you need, with your feet hip-width apart.
• Shift your weight side to side, front and back through the soles of your feet to find your balance.
• Focus on a point on the floor in front of you.
• Shift your weight onto your left foot, placing your right toes on the floor and your right heel against your left ankle.
• If you feel steady, place the sole of your right foot on your inner left calf or thigh.
• Keep one hand on the wall or chair, or bring your hands palms together at your chest.
• Hold for three to five breaths.
• Return to the starting position and repeat on the other side.

Make it harder:

• Try slowly turning your head from side to side.
• Try lifting your arms overhead like you’re growing your branches.
• Try closing your eyes briefly while staying near support for an extra balance challenge.

The point of longevity isn’t just to live longer, but to live well.

Only you can decide what that looks like for you.

“When I look toward my future, I want to be able to run around with my nieces and nephews and my children,” says Jack Bryant, a qualified 500-hour yoga teacher and founder of Wellness With La Rue.

“I don’t need to be balancing on my head; I just need to move with ease,” he adds.

Having a good foundation of balance, coordination, mobility and strength is necessary if you want to age well—whether you want to run marathons in your 80s or just walk around your neighborhood unaided

Bryant has selected the following three poses to help you build these attributes.

Three poses for healthy aging

• Deep squat
• Tree pose
• Locust pose

“You can hold each pose for as long as you like, but three to five breaths is great,” says Bryant.

You can flow between the poses or take breaks between them if you need.

1. Deep squat

Hold: 3-5 breaths

How to do it:

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your toes turned out slightly.
• Slowly bend your knees and drop your hips, keeping your heels flat on the floor.
• When your glutes are as low as they can be, press your elbows against the insides of your knees and put your palms together.
• Hold here and breathe slowly, keeping your chest lifted and back upright.

Form tips:

• If your heels won’t stay flat on the floor, place a blanket, cushion or block under them.

Regression: If you can't do a deep squat, Bryant recommends butterfly pose as an alternative with similar benefits.

Why it’s good for aging: “The deep squat is often called one of the most functional movements for healthy aging because it mimics the way we naturally sit, stand and move in daily life,” says Bryant.

“Practicing this pose helps maintain mobility in the hips, knees, ankles and lower back, making everyday activities easier and safer.”

2. Tree pose

Hold: 3-5 breaths

How to do it:

• Stand upright with your feet hip-width apart and your toes facing forward.
• Shift your weight onto your right foot and place the sole of your left foot on the inside of your right thigh, shin or calf (depending on flexibility).
• Bring your hands to your chest in a prayer position (palms together).
• Focus your eyes on a steady, unmoving point in front of you and hold.
• Switch sides and repeat.

Form tip: Do not press your foot directly on your knee joint.

Why it’s good for aging: “Balance naturally declines with age, increasing the risk of falls and injuries,” he says.

“Tree pose is an excellent balance exercise because it strengthens the muscles that stabilize the ankles, knees, hips and core while training the body's proprioception—our ability to sense where it is in space.

“Regular practice improves coordination, concentration and stability, all of which are important for preventing falls and maintaining confidence in movement,” he explains.

He adds that tree pose also promotes mental focus and mindfulness.

“Balancing postures also strengthen acceptance,” he adds. “Some days life is easy and others, we’re wobbly and all over the place!”

3. Locust pose

Reps: 3-5 Hold: 3-5 breaths

How to do it:

• Lie on your front with your arms by your sides and your legs extended.
• Interlace your fingers behind your back or keep your arms by your sides, palms facing up.
• Inhale, raise your chest and legs as high as possible.
• Exhale, return to the starting position.

Why it’s good for aging: “My yoga teacher always told us: “healthy spine, healthy life,” and that’s the mantra I live by!

“This pose strengthens the entire back of your body. A strong back prevents the hunched posture, which can compress your lungs and organs over time.”

He adds that the pose strengthens all the muscles along the back of your body, not just your back.

These muscles are essential for maintaining an upright posture and counteracting the rounded shoulders and forward head position that often develop from prolonged sitting.

“Strengthening the posterior chain also improves functional movements such as walking, climbing stairs, lifting objects and getting up from the floor.”

If you’ve ever found yourself needing the bathroom more when you’re nervous or experiencing dry mouth when you’ve had a shock, you’re not imagining things—emotions can have a big impact on your body.

Stress can cause some particularly nasty symptoms such as muscle tension.

“When you're stressed, your body switches into fight or flight mode, increasing muscle tension to protect your body from what it perceives as a threat,” explains yoga teacher Nicky Cossins.

This muscle tension can make your joints feel stiffer.

According to Cossins, there’s no definitive way to link hip tension to stress, but there are clues—like fluctuating flexibility.

“One week you may find it easy to sink deeper into a pose, but a few weeks later your hips may feel noticeably tighter. This doesn't necessarily mean you've lost flexibility, but it may suggest heightened stress since your last practice,” says Cossins.

You might also notice tension in other parts of your body, like your neck and shoulders, but if it's stress-related, this should improve when you relax.

Cossins is a slow-flow yoga practitioner and is an advocate for using yoga as a calming tool.

“Flowing with the breath into position, followed by slow, diaphragmatic breathing when we get there, can help release stress-related muscle tension,” says Cossins.

Relaxing will make your practice more effective, according to the instructor, as you will get a better stretch from muscles that have loosened up.

“Always listen to your body and start with the recommended hold times or even less if you feel like you’re forcing it and gradually add longer holds with time.”

Three yoga poses to open tight hips

1. Reclined butterfly pose

Hold: 30-60sec

How to do it:

• Lie on your back with your legs extended, arms by your sides and palms facing up.
• Inhale, bend your knees and bring the soles of your feet together.
• Exhale and allow your knees to fall to your sides gently. If this feels uncomfortable, place yoga blocks under your knees for support.
• Bring your heels toward your buttocks until you feel a comfortable stretch, then settle into slow, diaphragmatic breathing. Allow your belly and lower ribs to gently expand as you inhale and then soften as you exhale.
• Hold for 30-60 seconds to start, gradually increasing to a minute or two as your flexibility improves

“Reclined butterfly pose helps to improve hip mobility by moving the hips into external rotation—something we don’t tend to do often enough,” says Cossins.

“[Lying on] the floor supports your spine, allowing your hips to relax deeper into the pose without placing extra strain on the back. It also keeps your focus on your hips, rather than trying to maintain good posture.”

2. Bridge pose

Hold: 20-30sec Reps: 8-12

How to do it:

• Lie on your back with your knees bent, feet hip-width apart and flat on the floor. Rest your arms by your sides with your palms facing down.
• Inhale, press into your feet and engage your core and glutes.
• Slowly lift your hips until your body forms a straight line from your shoulders to your knees.
• Take deep, diaphragmatic breaths, relaxing your body with each exhale while keeping your glutes and core engaged.
• Hold the pose for a few slow breaths or 20–30 seconds, then exhale as you slowly lower to the floor.

“Bridge pose strengthens the glutes, hamstrings and muscles that support the hips while stretching the hip flexors at the front,” says Cossins.

“This combination of strength and mobility can improve hip function and make everyday movements, such as walking, climbing stairs and standing up from a chair, feel much easier.”

3. Low lunge

Hold: 20-30sec each side

How to do it:

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart.
• Inhale and take a big step back with your left foot.
• Exhale and slowly lower your left knee to the floor, placing the top of your left foot on the floor and keeping your right knee directly above your right ankle.
• Inhale and reach your arms overhead, palms facing each other.
• Exhale and gently move your hips forward until you feel a comfortable stretch through the front of your left hip.
• Breathe steadily, allowing each exhale to help you settle into the stretch.
• Hold for 20–30 seconds.
• Inhale and return to standing.
• Repeat on the other side.

“This is one of my favorite poses for better hip mobility and strength,” says Cossins.

“As your back leg gently stretches your hip flexors by moving your hip into extension, your front leg works to strengthen the glutes, quadriceps and other muscles that support the hips and pelvis.”

A common issue among the moms I train is worrying about missing workouts when they’re ill. Many have young children and are regularly catching the bugs their kids bring home with them.

These busy parents often already struggle to fit exercise into their week, so they tend to feel guilty and fear that missing a session is going to set them back.

But here’s the thing: taking a short break when you’re sick isn’t going to wreck your fitness. In fact, it’s better for your body to take time to rest as this is the fastest way to return to feeling strong enough to exercise again.

What happens if you exercise while sick?

When you’re not well, your body’s immune system is working hard to fight whatever bug you have. What you need during this time is three simple but powerful things: rest, hydration and sleep.

Tempting as it might be to push on through, training when you’re not well could potentially keep you sicker for longer, prolong recovery time and even put you at risk of injury if your coordination is affected.

How to know when to rest or modify exercise

A common (but not scientific) guideline for athletes, and one I use with my clients, is the neck rule.

If you have symptoms above your neck, such as a mild cold, sore throat or a runny nose, light exercise should be fine, provided you don’t feel dizzy or queasy. Gentle movement could include walking, yoga, mobility work and stretching.

If you have symptoms below the neck, for example, vomiting, diarrhea or extreme fatigue, experts say it’s not advisable to exercise. Symptoms involving chest pain, palpitations and shortness of breath are also signs to avoid exercise. Listen to your body and take time to rest and recover.

If you’re unsure or worried about how to make that judgement call, then consult a health professional before you hit the gym or a class.

How to return to exercise

You’re feeling better and you’re ready to move again, so it’s time to book your usual class again, right? Wrong. It’s actually better to start exercising below your normal intensity so that you can ease back into movement gently.

Keep an eye on your energy levels—are you feeling fatigued quicker than usual? That’s a sign to take longer rest times between exercises.

Build up the intensity of your workouts over a few sessions rather than going hard in your first workout back to make up for lost time. This gives your body a chance to get back to full strength.

Remember, taking time off when you’re sick is not a weakness, and it’s definitely nothing to feel guilty about. It’s a smart choice that will help you stay stronger in the long term.

I’m naturally an early bird, but I do find that getting out of bed before my 7am alarm can sometimes feel impossible because I’m just too tired.

However, when I do get up earlier and exercise in the morning it sets me up for a good day.

With that in mind, I decided to set myself a new fitness challenge; to get up at 6am every day for 30 days to work out.

Now, I just needed a workout plan to keep me engaged.

Coincidentally, one of my favorite workout apps RWL had just released a new six-week plan called Sculpt—a combination of core work, strength training and boxing with workouts no longer than 25 minutes.

As someone who gets bored of doing the same exercises, this fun and effective mix was the perfect way to start my 30-day challenge. Here’s what I discovered.

I was more patient with my children

Weekday mornings usually involve waking up at 7am and immediately getting into action. I coax my two daughters out of bed while making packed lunches and trying to stuff some food in my mouth, all before we head out on the school run.

Getting up at 6am to work out while the family was still asleep transformed my mood and stress levels.

Having that time for myself—with no one asking me to do anything—was bliss, and the medicine I didn’t know I needed.

By the end of the first week, I noticed I was more patient with my children. By the second, I was practically skipping up the stairs to wake them up—a task that would usually fill me with dread because they are so hard to get out of bed.

By the end of the 30 days, mornings felt manageable again because I felt like I had woken up on my terms.

My anxiety dropped

Mornings are typically the time when I feel most anxious. My to-do list feels overwhelming; I tend to have a non-stop schedule from school drop-off to pick-up and I often panic about how I’m going to get it all done in time.

Early morning workouts really helped me with these intrusive thoughts. This could partly be down to the fact that exercise has been linked to improved regulation of mood-related neurotransmitters like serotonin and GABA, which can help reduce anxiety.

Over time, exercise can also improve how the body regulates the stress hormone cortisol, so it’s a great way to start the day if, like me, you often wake up feeling anxious.

I felt these benefits almost immediately, and this carried on for the whole month.

I remember telling a friend, who I call every Monday for a pep talk, that I’d noticed I wasn’t feeling as worried as usual.

The shift was so significant that I am determined to keep up with my early-morning workouts. I just might get up a bit later than 6am on the weekends!

It fixed my sleep routine

When my daughters finally fall asleep—often way later than I want to go to bed—it feels like it’s my only chance to spend some time on things I like to do.

This phenomenon is known as revenge bedtime procrastination. It’s the act of deliberately sacrificing sleep to do things for yourself, because of an all-consuming schedule.

The trouble is, when you stay up too late, you are more tired and the demands of your schedule become even harder to handle.

I discovered this the hard way a few times when I stayed up too late watching Netflix or talking to my boyfriend on the phone. The next morning I could not get out of bed and snoozed until my old 7am alarm went off.

Setting a 6am alarm to work out really helped to knock that bad habit on the head because it forced me to create my own curfew of lights out by 10pm at the latest.

It sounds simple but it’s so effective. Giving myself eight decent hours of sleep not only meant I was more able to wake up, I also felt more rested than usual.

I felt energised throughout the day

Isn’t it amazing what sleeping for eight hours a day will do for your energy levels? Combined with my early morning workouts, I felt like I had been super-charged.

What I noticed most about exercising in the morning was that as well as feeling energized at the end of each session, that feeling fed into the day, helping me to stay focused and alert with tasks that would usually slow me down.

Again, this was a benefit of getting up early to exercise that I felt almost instantly. I’ve always known that exercise is an energy booster but this daily reminder was a reason to keep up with my new routine.

If you work at a desk, then it’s important to fit as much movement into your day as possible to avoid a build-up of muscle tension, create space in your spine, and maintain your mobility.

Desk yoga is a great solution for when you need a reset between meetings, when you only have a few minutes and can’t get away from your desk.

“It’s one of the simplest and most accessible ways for people to build movement into their working day,” Pauline Alonso, wellbeing expert at Hussle tells Fit&Well.

After research from Hussle revealed the benefits of exercise for employee stress levels and productivity, the fitness platform teamed up with Yogaia to create a five-minute yoga flow you can do from your office chair.

Combining gentle stretches with mindful breathing, this five-move routine from yoga instructor Shanine Collinson is designed to release tension in areas that commonly become tight during the working day. The movements encourage circulation and better posture through your neck, shoulders, back and hips.

“You don't need to change into workout clothes or leave your desk,” says Collinson. “Just a few simple movements can help your body and mind recharge.”

How to do the five-minute desk yoga routine

You should aim to move every 60-90 minutes, so as well as getting up regularly, you can repeat this chair yoga routine whenever you need throughout the working day.

“It can help reduce stiffness, improve posture, and maintain your energy levels,” says Collinson

1. Wrist circles

Reps: 10 each way

Benefit: Improves mobility, increases range of motion and warms up your muscles and joints before returning to your keyboard.

How to do it:

• Sit or stand and extend your arms in front of you at shoulder height.
• Gently close both hands into fists, but don’t clench.
• Slowly circle your wrists in one direction for 10 reps.
• Repeat in the opposite direction.
• Keep the movement slow and controlled.

2. Seated sun salutation

Reps: 5 sweeps and 2 sun salutations

Benefit: Helps reverse the computer hunch by opening your chest and shoulders, lengthening your spine and gently stretching the back of your body through a forward fold.

How to do it:

• Sit with both feet firmly on the floor.
• Sweep your arms overhead as you inhale.
• Exhale and lower your arms in front of your chest, palms together.
• Repeat this five times.
• On your next exhale, fold forward from your hips, relaxing your upper body.
• Inhale to a halfway lift by placing your hands on your ankles, shins or knees and lengthen through your spine.
• Exhale to fold forward.
• Inhale, sweep your arms overhead.
• Exhale and bring your palms together in front of your heart.
• Repeat the last sequence.

3. Seated twist

Reps: 3 each side

Benefit: Improves spinal mobility, releases tension through the back and shoulders and gently stimulates digestion after long periods of sitting.

How to do it:

• Sit and cross your right leg over your left knee if comfortable, or keep both feet on the floor.
• Bring your palms together in front of your chest.
• Inhale to lengthen your spine.
• Exhale as you gently rotate from your waist to the right.
• For a deeper stretch, place your left elbow against the outside of your right knee and look over your right shoulder.
• Inhale back to center.
• Complete your reps on one side then repeat on the other.

4. Seated side lunge

Reps: 3 each side

Benefit: Stretches your inner thighs while encouraging movement through your hips and torso—areas that often become tight after sitting.

How to do it:

• Sit toward the front of your chair with your feet on the floor, hip-width apart.
• Step your right foot out to the side and extend your leg, as you raise both arms to shoulder height out to your sides.
• Return to the center.
• Repeat on the left leg.
• Continue alternating sides using smooth, controlled movements.

5. Deep side bend

Reps: 1 each side

Benefit: Lengthens the sides of your body, improves spinal mobility, and helps restore an upright posture by releasing tension created from prolonged sitting.

How to do it:

• Sit with your feet hip-width apart and your palms together in front of your chest.
• Turn your torso slightly to your left.
• Place the back of your right arm along the inside of your right leg.
• Place your left hand on your left hip.
• If it’s comfortable, reach your right hand toward your shin or ankle for a deeper stretch.
• Extend your left arm overhead then reach over your ear, palm facing down.
• Breathe deeply for a few breaths, feeling the stretch through your side of your body.
• Inhale to release the position and repeat on the other side.

There’s nothing quite as satisfying as hitting a forehand winner down the line in tennis—especially when you’ve hit the previous dozen into the net.

But that satisfaction is all the sweeter knowing that the simple act of playing tennis can add years to your life.

That’s the belief of former pro tennis player Mark Petchey, who has also coached Andy Murray and Emma Raducanu.

According to a landmark Danish study from 2018, tracking 8,577 participants across 25 years, people who play tennis regularly live an average 9.7 years longer than their sedentary counterparts.

That’s more than badminton (6.2 years), soccer (4.7), cycling (3.7), swimming (3.4), jogging (3.2), calisthenics (3.1), and even gym activities (1.5).

To understand why tennis can add years to your life—and life to your years—I recently joined the former British number one for an active vacation at the five-star Neilson x Mangia's Torre del Barone Resort in Sicily, Italy.

Why can playing tennis help you live longer?

My first, and most obvious, takeaway was that tennis—and all racket sports for that matter—are a full-body workout.

From advancing quickly from baseline to net and invariably back again when the ball floats past, you need to be quick and agile on your feet.

It also demands balance, coordination and strength to strike the ball cleanly and powerfully on both your stronger and weaker side.

"Tennis is the healthiest sport on the planet," argues Petchey, now 55.

For starters, he tells Fit&Well, it demands long-term commitment and discipline.

"Playing tennis is one lifelong learning curve. I don't think you ever stop learning. It's a real investment."

It's also very sociable, he adds, "which is a big hook for pickleball and padel too."

Incidentally, pickleball and padel were likely not on the Danish research team's radar between 1991 and 2017 when the study was conducted, but the authors did note that sports involving a high degree of social interaction scored highest.

"Leisure-time sports that inherently involve more social interaction were associated with the best longevity," they concluded.

Petchey has another theory on why tennis, more so than other common sports, proved to be so effective at increasing life expectancy.

Shorter, sharper sprints, he explains, rather than long, slow cardio, helps keep us young and our bodies active.

"More importantly, tennis also keeps your brain active because you're constantly problem solving on the court, constantly communicating to your partner or opponent."

And hopefully sharing a friendly coffee and a chat with them after, too.

"The dedication required to master it will help in everything you set your mind to," he adds. "For me, it's the ultimate chess match."

Why you should pick up a racket

The mind-and-body benefits of racket sports aren't restricted to just tennis.

Petchey firmly believes playing any racket sport, be it padel, pickleball, squash or tennis, will add more strings to your bow.

Firstly, he says, there's every chance you'll discover the simple joy of falling in love with a new sport.

Secondly, you'll improve your hand-eye coordination, an invaluable skill that's transferable to any activity requiring dexterity.

Third, and especially if you've never tried that sport before, it could improve your overall brain health thanks to something called neuroplasticity.

This is the brain's capacity to develop and maintain brain and cognitive function, especially in later life, which research suggests can be prompted by learning a new skill.

Last, but by no means least, Petchey says regularly playing racket sports is one of the best ways to tick off the recommended 150 weekly minutes of moderate-intensity (or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity) aerobic activity we should all be striving for.

Petchey finishes by saying: "I promise you'll have one of the best workouts of all time."

Morning exercise is a fantastic way to start your day. For one, it ensures you fit in a workout before you look at your to-do list and convince yourself that you don’t have time.

While some people like to jump straight into challenging workouts, many of us prefer to ease into the day with something gentler, and yoga can be perfect for that.

It can also help to lubricate the muscles and joints after sleep, helping to ease any stiffness.

Adriene Mishler—better known to her more than 13 million subscribers on YouTube as Yoga With Adriene—recently shared a 12-minute practice designed to be done first thing in the morning.

But along with the physical benefits of morning yoga, Mishler adds a mental benefit by encouraging you to set an intention for the 10 minutes of movement that you can carry into the rest of your day.

How to do Yoga With Adriene’s 12-minute morning routine

You can follow along with Mishler’s YouTube video as she guides you through the routine in real time. Some of the exercises are done from a kneeling position, so if you have a yoga mat, it’s a good idea to roll it out to support your joints and make the routine more comfortable. If not, simply use a blanket or a towel.

How setting an intention in morning yoga has helped me

Mishler encourages viewers to set an intention at the start of this practice. She says that this should be an intention for the day, either a word or a sentence that you want to channel throughout the day. “You can always elaborate on it later,” she adds.

Setting an intention is a common yoga practice, but when I first started yoga, I wasn’t sure what this meant and found instructors could be purposefully vague, because setting the intention should be personal.

I wouldn’t want to set your intention for you, but in case an example helps spark inspiration, I’ve set an intention that’s as simple as “slow down” or “practice self-love”; or that’s specific to the day ahead, such as “take a moment for yourself” or “remember that work isn’t everything”.

I’ve found setting intentions during yoga really helpful. It provides me with some time to think over how I want to feel day-to-day and I have the whole practice to think about it and try and channel that in my movement.

For example, if my intention is to take more time to relax, I may skip some of the more difficult poses and spend more time in child’s pose.

As Mishler's morning practice is short and sweet, it’s a great way to try out setting an intention for your day if you’re new to the idea.

Of course, you can also simply focus on the stretches in the routine if you don’t feel like setting an intention and it should still help you feel less stressed, thanks to the relaxing benefits of movement.

With regular practice, yoga is a great way to improve your flexibility, balance and coordination. That said, some yoga poses can help relieve stiffness right away while still being gentle and accessible.

Melissa Leach, certified yoga instructor at fitness app Yoga-Go has shared four moves that will provide immediate relief for achy joints, and help you develop strength and mobility in the longer term.

“These yoga poses can be useful if you deal with joint stiffness or discomfort because they encourage gentle movement while supporting strength, mobility and alignment,” she says.

“By regularly working the muscles that support your joints, they can help make everyday movement feel more comfortable and controlled,” Leach adds.

Four yoga poses for stiff joints

Each move in this routine offers its own unique benefits.

“Poses like supported warrior one or bridge help strengthen key muscles like the thighs, glutes, or hamstrings, providing greater support for the knees, hips, and lower back, reducing unnecessary strain in those areas,” Leach explains.

“The flowing movements in cat-cow encourage the circulation of synovial fluid, which lubricates and cushions the joints,” she continues.

1. Cat-cow

Time: 30sec

• Begin on your hands and knees with your shoulders over your hands and your hips over your knees.
• Inhale deeply as you arch your back, gently lifting your chin.
• Exhale as you round your spine upward, tucking your chin toward your chest and your pelvis under.

2. Bridge

Reps: 5-10

• Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart.
• Rest your arms by your sides, palms facing down.
• Press through your feet to raise your hips.
• Keep your knees parallel and your chin tucked.
• Slowly lower to the floor, one vertebrae at a time.

3. Mountain pose

Time: 30-60sec

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart, your arms loosely by your sides. Use a wall or chair for balance if needed.
• Roll your shoulders back and down and tuck your chin slightly.
• Keep your knees soft, your thighs lightly engaged and tuck your pelvis in.
• Look straight ahead or close your eyes.
• Inhale to lengthen through your spine without leaning back or forward.
• Exhale, experience your whole body and breath.

4. Warrior one

Hold: 3-5 breaths each side

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Use a wall or chair for balance if needed.
• Step back with your left foot, angling your foot outward slightly and keeping your legs straight and hips facing forward.
• Bend your right knee over your ankle.
• Raise your arms overhead, palms facing inward.
• Hold, pressing your feet into the floor and reaching upwards through your fingertips.
• Reverse the movements back to the start, then repeat on the other side.

When you’re a busy working mom like me, the idea of going on a fitness retreat sounds like a break—even though it involves doing hours of exercise. So when I got offered the chance to go to my favourite trainer Cecilia Harris’s RWL Retreat in Portugal, it was a no-brainer.

My best friend had coincidentally won a place after entering an RWL Instagram competition (yes, those prizes are real) so we packed our suitcases and jetted off to the Algarve for four days of boxing, strength training, Pilates, breathwork, manifestation, cold pool plunges and mobility work, fuelled by delicious Mediterranean home-cooked food. Plus, we were actively encouraged not to tidy up after ourselves, which felt like the ultimate luxury.

RWL co-founder and personal trainer Harris told me that the retreats aren’t just about working out. The women-only retreats let attendees reconnect with themselves and recharge their batteries. “So many women arrive completely depleted,” says Harris. “They’ve spent years looking after everyone else: children, partners, careers, parents, households, and somewhere along the way they’ve lost themselves a little.

“The retreat is designed to give them permission to pause and reconnect with who they are outside of their responsibilities. And it’s not about restriction or punishment. It’s about nourishment, movement, fresh air, community, rest, laughter and feeling cared for again.”

Doing the retreat was exactly what I needed after a particularly stressful few months, which had left me inconsistent with my fitness routine and uninterested in cooking (and even eating properly)—usually my favorite things to do. I arrived hoping I could reignite my passion for both.

To be out of my normal routine of solo parenting and working, and having time to exercise and nourish my body with delicious meals that I didn’t have to make was wonderful.

But it was the daily cheerleading from Harris, the other coaches and my fellow guests that really reminded me that it’s OK to be vulnerable and to let others help lift you up. I left feeling inspired to take better care of myself, and committed to carrying some of the healthy habits from the retreat back home.

Here are three that worked for me.

1. Cold-water therapy

At the retreat: I used to swim twice a week in my local lake where I live in Oxford, England, until my schedule got too busy. In the fall and winter, the water would be so cold it would sometimes take your breath away, so when I got to the retreat I wasn’t worried when I learned that we’d be doing a cold plunge in the unheated pool (average temperature 51℉/11℃) every morning.

But I had forgotten how amazing it makes me feel afterward: alive and energized, but with a calmness and clarity. It was also a fundamentally better way to wake up than doom scrolling.

Back home: I was still too busy to get back to lake swimming when I returned home, so I decided that ending my morning shower with cold water was the best way to replicate this self-care act.

The first day, I was a bit of a wimp and only managed about 30 seconds with the cold tap running before I had to jump out. Staying still in the cold was really unpleasant. Nothing like jumping into a pool in the sunshine in Portugal!

But I reminded myself how good I felt after those plunges on the retreat, how awake, energized and calm, and persisted. Day two was still uncomfortable, but I had got myself into a better headspace and I lasted longer than the day before.

The weekend after I got home from the retreat, I was away with my daughters at a festival and as a very reluctant camper, the only way for me to cope was to have a daily shower. Advertised as hot thanks to the wood burner, my first shower was, in fact, stone-cold.

But thanks to my experience the previous week, I managed to stay in long enough to wash and condition my hair.

I was now on a roll and I can honestly say that by the end of week two it was the best way to wake up. Similar to the way I felt after a cold swim in the pool or lake, it cleared my head, gave me energy and made me feel more capable of facing any stress the day might throw at me.

The expert view: Psychotherapist Rebecca Wilson, a licensed clinical social worker and founder at Rebecca Wilson LCSW, told me that cold water therapy is a natural method to improve mental health. Her favorite way to use it is an ice face or hand plunge.

“Using cold water to boost your mental health is a technique I often recommend to clients to help ground and calm themselves. This method works well for coping in times when you are struggling with anxiety or low mood. I recommend plunging your face or hands into a bowl of ice water and holding for 15-30 seconds.

“What’s happening inside is interesting. There is a release of feel-good endorphins, a metabolic boost, and an increase in oxygen intake and blood flow to the brain. The process upregulates your entire system, which lifts your mood and increases your alertness. If you’d like to make cold water therapy a proactive routine, it’s best to take the plunge in the morning as this is akin to a caffeine-free energy boost.

“You might notice an increase in productivity, a decrease in brain fog, and more motivation to tackle stressors throughout your day.”

2. Boxing before breakfast

At the retreat: Another of my favorite parts of the schedule was the boxing before breakfast with RWL’s Combat coach Rochelle Blenman. I used to do a lot of boxercise classes in my 20s but had forgotten how fun—and hard—they are. They are a real brain workout too and the level of concentration and coordination needed is no joke!

Plus, Blenman had a high-energy drum and bass playlist that kept my body moving, and the music and coordination-based cardio (even if I was punching with the wrong arm at times) improved my focus and alertness while keeping my energy levels and mood up.

Back home: Sadly, I couldn’t fit Blenman in my carry-on, so I started her Combat plan on the RWL app. I tried my best to get up before the kids on the first day back, but my eldest had been up a lot in the night with a toothache, so I hit the snooze button a few too many times. But after an early night, I managed to get up on day two at 6am for my fast-and-furious 20-minute online Combat session.

The on-demand online workout was similar to the retreat, with a follow-along choreographed boxing cardio circuit. I was moving non-stop, so while it’s only a relatively short workout, I was sweating by the end. I managed three more morning boxing sessions that week and found that by my last workout on the Sunday my coordination had improved.

By the end of the second week, having fit in three more early boxing sessions, I felt like my mornings were running smoother. While it was still a hustle to sometimes get my kids out of the house on time for the school run, I felt I was calmer and had more energy from having that time to myself during my early morning cardio.

What I really enjoyed about this new healthy habit was that boxing challenges your brain as much as your body. Getting some high-energy exercise before the chaos of the school run also felt like I had some precious time for myself before the start of a busy day.

The expert view: “Boxing combines movement, rhythm, intensity and focus all at one,” says Blenman. “In the morning especially, it helps wake up both the body and mind quickly. I also love how it makes people focus on learning combinations and movement patterns so they’re concentrating on the whole workout, instead of thinking about everything else going on in their lives. It becomes a real mental escape as well as a physical workout.

“Plus, morning workouts really do set the tone for the whole day. They boost energy levels and create a sense of achievement early on, which often leads to healthier choices throughout the day. Although it can sometimes be tough getting up early, there’s such a great feeling knowing you’ve already completed your workout and done something positive for yourself before the day has even properly begun.”

Bedtime breathwork, mobility and meditation

At the retreat: On the first night of the retreat, instead of doom scrolling in bed, we did a pajamas mobility and meditation session. We all lay down with a pillow and fluffy blanket as Blenman guided us through a series of stretches starting from our toes and ending at our neck, all while focusing on our breath.

We then had a short guided meditation designed to let go of stress and any anxiety from a busy day of travelling. Throughout, Blenman encouraged us to focus on breathing slowly to help us relax.

It was a revelation and I made a decision that night that I would adopt this pre-sleep ritual when I got home.

On the second day at the RWL Retreat we did another hour of guided breathwork, this time in the afternoon, which was intense as some uncomfortable emotions I’d been trying to ignore were stirred up—something we were encouraged to try and sit with in order to process them. By the end of the hour I felt like something had shifted in me. It’s hard to explain, but I felt lighter somehow.

Back home: With this in mind, when I got home from the retreat I rediscovered a breathwork expert I used to like called Stuart Sandeman, who runs Breathpod. I signed up for a free trial of the app and followed him on Instagram. Every night I’d get myself ready for bed, turn the lights down low and listen to one of the 10-minute programs, or a shorter Instagram Reel if I was feeling sleepy, at the same time as doing my gentle mobility stretches.

Out of all the healthy habits I learned at the retreat, this was the easiest one to stick to. I really looked forward to this gentle wind-down, and it felt like I dropped off to sleep quicker, I slept deeper and I didn’t wake up feeling groggy like I often would.

I even started doing it with my daughters when they couldn’t sleep.

It effectively signalled to my body that it is time to rest, and I found it helped me switch off from stress and negative thoughts.

The expert view: Certified breathwork facilitator Kamini Wood, CEO at Live Joy Your Way, explained to me why breathwork can be so powerful. “Many people think calming the mind means shutting off thoughts,” she told me, “but that rarely is how things work. The key is to regulate the nervous system first and we can do this through the breath.

“When we slow down, focus on the breath, the body, or the present moment, we interrupt the cycle of overthinking, future-tripping and emotional avoidance. The mind often calms because the body starts to feel safer. The biggest benefit is usually awareness.

“People begin noticing what they are actually feeling instead of immediately reacting, distracting, fixing, or numbing. Over time, this can improve emotional regulation, decrease stress and anxiety, increase clarity and help people feel more connected to themselves.

“It also helps build tolerance for discomfort, which is something many of us struggle with. Most of us were never taught how to actually be with emotion. We were taught to avoid it, explain it away, intellectualize it, or push through it. Practices like this help create space between the emotion and the automatic reaction to escape it. Ironically, emotions often move through more effectively when we stop fighting their existence.”

She adds: “It’s important to mention that this is not about becoming perfectly calm or emotionally ‘good’ all the time. It is about building a healthier relationship with yourself.”

RWL Retreats run in Lagos, Portugal, as well as the U.K. If you can’t make it to a retreat this year, get a taste of what’s on offer at the RWL app.

Tight hips are one of the most common complaints yoga teachers hear from their students, and unsurprisingly, sitting for long periods is often the culprit.

“Over time, prolonged sitting can cause your hip flexors to shorten as an adaptation—and that is usually what people mean when they say they have tight hips,” personal trainer and yoga teacher Cheryl McColgan tells Fit&Well.

This tightness can reduce mobility, impact movements like squatting and lunging, and make everyday activities like climbing the stairs harder.

McColgan’s three-move yoga routine for tight hips is designed to release tension, ease discomfort and combat the effects of prolonged sitting. And, it doesn’t take long to do—just five minutes.

It’s well documented that exercise snacking—breaking movement up into short bursts throughout the day—can boost fitness and support overall health, but McColgan reminded me that consistency is what makes the biggest difference.

“Research shows both stretching and resistance training can improve range of motion, but you have to be consistent with your workouts,” she adds.

McColgan, who is the founder of Heal Nourish Grow, recommends doing this short routine three to five times a week to reduce hip tightness and increase range of motion.

How to do the five-minute yoga routine

“For all these poses, aim for a gentle stretch sensation, not pain,” McColgan says. “Stop for any sharp pain, pinching in the hip joint, catching or numbness, and pay attention to any sensations that linger afterward as that can be a sign the stretch may not be right for your body.”

The moves:

1. Low lunge to half split
2. Kneeling side stretch
3. Reclined bound angle pose

1. Low lunge to half split

Time: 1min each side

Benefits: Targets your hip flexors at the front of your thighs. This move is especially helpful after long periods of sitting to ease tension and lengthen your hamstrings.

How to do it:

• Start on your hands and knees, then step your right foot forward between your hands. (Place a cushion under your left knee for comfort if needed.)
• Gently tuck your pelvis under to avoid arching your lower back.
• Lean forward over your front knee, stretching the front of your left thigh.
• Shift your hips back toward your left heel, stretching through the back of your right leg. Keep a soft bend in your right knee if needed.
• Flex your right foot and hinge forward from the hips over your right leg.
• Keep your spine long and straight to avoid rounding forward.
• Move between these two positions for one minute, then repeat on the other side.

2. Kneeling side stretch

Time: 1min each side

Benefits: Encourages movement through your hips and pelvis, releasing tension when your synchronize the movement with your breath.

How to do it:

• Kneel with your knees hip-width apart.
• Step your right foot out to the side, extending your right leg, so your toes facing forward and the inside of your foot on the floor.
• Reach both arms overhead, palms facing.
• Inhale and lengthen through your spine.
• Exhale to gently bend your torso to your right, reaching your right hand toward your right leg.
• Inhale to return to upright, arms overhead.
• Continue for time, then repeat on the other side.

Trainer tip: Move with the rhythm of your breath rather than trying to hold the deepest stretch.

3. Reclined bound angle pose

Time: 1min

Benefits: Provides a low-intensity stretch for your adductors (the inside of your thighs) and groin, while encouraging relaxation.

How to do it:

• Lie on your back and bring the soles of your feet together, letting your knees drop out to the sides.
• Place pillows, blocks or folded blankets under your thighs and knees for support if there is any strain.
• Rest one hand on your chest and the other on your abdomen to connect to your breath. Alternatively rest your arms on the floor by your sides, palms facing up.

If you want to work on your flexibility, posture and alignment, yoga has countless postures to offer. But what do you do if you’re short on time and can’t get to a class or do a full session?

Yoga teacher Puravi Joshi says that practicing one pose, even for just a few minutes a day, can help you experience some physical and mental benefits.

So which pose should you go for? "I would start with malasana – the yogi squat," says Joshi.

Also known as garland pose in English, it's different to a conventional squat, she says, because it involves sinking your hips much deeper than parallel and holding that position with your back upright. While this might be challenging if you have tight hips and ankles, it does lend some unique benefits.

"It works through the hips, strengthens your core and lengthens through your back," Joshi explains. "It can also help you to become aware of your shoulders and give you an awareness of your ankle flexion."

As well as helping to improve your mobility, Joshi says this pose can also aid with digestion. "For people who struggle with bloating or women who feel bloated around their luteal phase or menstruation period, this is a great pose to stimulate that area without it being too aggressive."

How to do the yogi squat (malasana)

Time: 3-5min

• Stand with your feet slightly wider than hip-width apart and your toes turned out at a comfortable angle.
• Slowly lower your hips into a deep squat, keeping your heels grounded and chest lifted.
• Bring your hands together at your chest and use your elbows to gently press your knees outward.
• Hold the position, breathing steadily, keeping your spine long rather than rounding forward.

Tips for doing the yogi squat

Understanding how to perform the yoga squat with correct form is essential for both preventing injury and getting the most out of the posture. Joshi shares the following form tips.

Knees: "Have your knees pointing out at roughly 45° to give yourself a little bit of room," she recommends. This, along with widening the distance between your feet, creates more space for your hips to drop lower.

Upper body: To help you achieve an upright position in your upper body, Joshi suggests becoming aware of your shoulder position. "Extend your arms out in front of you and have an awareness of where your shoulders are. With your arms out in front of you, you should notice if your shoulders are creeping up towards your ears or if they're relaxed, which is where they should be."

Props: "If it feels uncomfortable, you can prop yourself up with a block or a bolster," Joshi says. "Sitting on a block or a bolster can make this pose easier for someone who can't get their hips down that low, and it will still work the hip space."

Anyone who has experienced jaw tension will know just how painful it can be. It can impact your sleep, lead to headaches, and the pain—which can range from mild to severe—may impact your quality of life.

If you've tried a night guard or have quit chewing gum and you're still clenching your jaw or feeling tension and pain, then stress could be the culprit. Yoga is one way of addressing the root cause of stress.

Not only can yoga help lower stress levels and give you the tools to manage the demands of everyday life, but it can also actively relax and soothe your jaw muscles too. Regular practice can reduce the frequency and intensity of jaw clenching and the pain associated with it.

Serena Arora, a yoga therapist with over 20 years of experience, says there's a link between the jaw and the sacrum—the bone at the base of your spine.

"The sacrum and the jaw are intricately connected and mirror each other. When one is tight or rigid, chances are the other is too," Arora says.

While research on this phenomenon is still limited, one small study found that people who have chronic temporomandibular disorders (TMD), which causes jaw pain, had significantly different sacral positions compared with healthy individuals.

"This functional yoga therapy sequence will target and release both the sacrum and jaw," says Arora. "The focus is really to stabilize and strengthen gently.

Yoga to help soothe your jaw and sacrum

To do this routine, you'll need a tennis ball and a mat or a blanket to lie on.

1. Side and hip lengthening

Reps: 4-5 each side

• Lie on your back with your legs extended.
• Breathe slowly and feel your body in contact with the floor.
• Experience your breath, and try to soften your body with every exhalation.
• After a few rounds of breath, inhale and reach your right arm overhead while lengthening your right foot and leg away.
• Lengthen the entire right side of your body, especially around the hip and pelvis.
• Exhale and release.
• Inhale and repeat on the left side.

2. Spinal undulation

Reps: 4-5 each side

• Lie on your back and bend your knees, placing your feet on the floor hip-width apart.
• Place your arms on either side of your head on the floor with your elbows bent at 90°.
• Inhale and arch your spine, open your chest and bring your chin to your chest.
• Exhale and round your spine, pressing your sacrum into the floor and roll your chin and head back.
• Open your mouth to exhale “ha” loudly.

3. Windshield wiper sacral release

Reps: 4-5 each side

• Lie on your back with your arms by the sides of your head, knees bent and feet on the floor wider than hip-distance apart.
• Inhale and drop both knees to your right side, as you turn your chin to the left and reach your left arm overhead.
• Exhale and return to center.
• Inhale and repeat on the other side.

4. Half frog with jaw release

Reps: 4-5 each side

• Lie on your front, holding a tennis ball in your left hand.
• Slide your right knee out to your side, bending it at 90° angle.
• Using your hand, gently push your right buttock cheek down toward your heel, relaxing your right hip.
• Turn your head to the left, with your right facial cheek on the floor.
• Place the tennis ball at your temporal mandibular joint (TMJ), located where your jaw meets your skull next to your ear.
• Keep your jaw slightly open and relax your head into the ball.
• Roll the ball slowly from your TMJ to your right earlobe and back again. Breathe.
• Explore other parts of your jaw by rolling the ball around slowly.
• Repeat on the other side.

Optional progressions:

• Lift your torso enough to slide your left arm under your right armpit.
• Move your right arm behind your back, twisting through your torso to release through your sacrum.
• Breathe and repeat four or five times.

5. Neck release

Reps: 4-5

• Lie on your back and bend your knees, placing your feet on the floor hip-width apart.
• Place a tennis ball behind your neck, just below the base of your skull where your head meets your neck.
• Drop your chin toward your chest and return to the starting position slowly and gently.
• Repeat and breathe, focusing on unclenching your jaw.
• Lower your chin and hold while you slowly turn your your head side to side.
• Return to center and repeat the sequence.

6. Savasana

Hold: 4-5 breaths

• Lie on your back with your legs extended straight on the floor and your arms by your sides, palms facing up.
• Soften every part of your body from the crown of your head to your toes, focusing on your jaw, hips, sacrum, legs and arms.
• Hold for at least four to five breaths but stay for as long as you have time.

When your body feels stiff and achy, a good stretch can be the most satisfying thing to do. But stretching isn't just good for immediate relief—doing it regularly can also improve your mobility and reduce overall stiffness.

Yoga instructor Eloise Skinner says mat-based movements are a great way to experience these benefits, with the floor offering a supportive foundation.

“My favorite places to work for more of a mobility challenge are tabletop or lying on your back,” Skinner says. “I always come back to [them] for mobility and stiffness.”

Postures from both a tabletop position—on your hands and knees—and on your back can relieve stiffness in your hips, spine and shoulders, where tension can easily build up if you spend a lot of time sitting or working at a desk.

“They allow you to ground into the mat, which is good for nervous system regulation and feeling connected to your body,” Skinner explains.

Below, she’s shared three mat-based exercises to help reduce upper-body stiffness and support improved mobility. These postures move your spine through extension, flexion and rotation, and gently stretch and create space through your hips.

1. Cat-cow

Reps: 8

Skinner says: "This is a classic for any kind of stiffness in your shoulders and back. It involves two main movements of the back—flexion and extension. Flexion is the rounding of the back and extension is the backbend. And you can involve your neck too. People think it's a middle-body stretch but it's actually a full spinal stretch and you can really move your hips into it and include you neck."

How to do it:

• Start on your hands and knees, with your hands under your shoulders and knees under your hips, and your spine in a neutral position.
• Inhale, drop your belly toward the floor, lift your chest and gently raise your chin to look up.
• Exhale, round your spine upward, tuck your chin toward your chest and draw your belly in, pushing your palms into the floor.

2. Spinal twist

Time: 1min each side

Skinner says: "Start by circling your hips before twisting your leg across your body." This posture can be satisfying if you're experiencing back stiffness and it's a great way to mobilize your hips.

How to do it:

• Lie on your back with your legs extended.
• Bring your right knee to your chest, then slowly lower it onto the floor to your left, keeping both shoulders on the floor.
• Rest your left hand on your right knee and turn your head to your right if it feels comfortable.

3. Happy baby

Time: 1min

Skinner says: "This pose is really good for hip stiffness. Think about facing the soles of your feet to the ceiling. As well as holding the pose, try rocking side to side and straightening one leg then the other."

How to do it:

• Lie on your back and bring your knees toward your chest.
• Take hold of your big toes or the outsides of your feet. If that’s not comfortable, hold your ankles or shins.
• Move your knees and feet out to the sides and lift your feet so the soles face up.
• Gently draw your knees toward the outside of your ribs while keeping your lower back on the floor.
• Hold and breathe steadily.

Yoga offers a multitude of benefits and serves people who practice it in a variety of ways. For some, it’s just a good stretch, while for others, it’s a way of connecting mind, body and spirit.

Adriene Mishler, better known online as Yoga With Adriene, shared a 10-minute routine this week that promises to reset your nervous system, which got us wondering what that actually means?

Simon Smail, a GP (medical doctor) in the U.K. and medical director of Evergreen Medical & Wellness Clinic in Edinburgh, says that the nervous system referred to in this context is the autonomic nervous system, which manages the body’s fight-or-flight response.

“Nervous system regulation is popular shorthand rather than a formal medical diagnosis, but it broadly refers to how the body moves from a heightened state of stress to a calmer baseline,” he explains.

“Everyone has a nervous system that naturally moves between activation and recovery throughout the day, so in that sense we can all benefit from habits that support good regulation.

“People who feel chronically stressed, overwhelmed, anxious, burnt out and wired may benefit more than other people.”

This doesn’t mean you'll never get stressed again.

“The goal is not to be calm all the time, but to have a flexible stress response—you’re able to rise to challenges and then settle afterwards,” Smail concludes.

So, can yoga help to reset the nervous system?

Anything that helps you feel less stressed can support the nervous system, and yoga is a great stress relief tool for a lot of people.

“I think yoga can be really helpful because it combines several of the things we know can help support stress regulation: gentle movement, stretching, controlled breathing, and body awareness,” Smail explains.

How to do Yoga With Adriene's 10-minute nervous system reset practice

You don’t need any equipment to do this routine, but it is a practice that’s done entirely from a seated or lying position, so you might want to roll out your yoga mat.

You can also do this routine from a chair, according to Mishler, because the main focus of the routine is controlled breathing.

If you’re anything like me, by the time the clock hits 2pm, you’re reaching for an afternoon coffee for an energy boost.

No matter how much sleep I’ve had—or how productive my morning has been—when I’m working from home, the post-lunch crash always hits.

Keen to cut down on my caffeine intake and find a better way to beat the afternoon slump, I asked breathwork practitioner Ramon Ghosh for a technique that would restore energy and focus.

“Breathwork responses are always individual, but I find that an activating breathwork technique with a short sequence of intentional nasal breaths, coupled with gentle breath holds, gets my energy up and focus improved without leaving me overstimulated,” Ghosh tells Fit&Well.

Ghosh’s practice involves three to four rounds of 30 intentional breaths in and out through the nose followed by a breath hold.

The intentional breaths are controlled, purposefully overriding your body's automatic breathing.

It sounds simple, but there’s a science to it. The nasal breathing pattern can aid what’s known as the Bohr effect.

“When we breathe this way it can create a brief rise in CO2, lowering our blood pH and helping oxygen to be released into our tissues, which is what can make us feel more focused,” Ghosh explains.

The result? “A mind that’s clearer, a body that’s more awake, and a nervous system that’s more responsive,” Ghosh says.

How breathwork can help you feel energised

I regularly practice relaxing breathwork techniques when I'm feeling stressed, overwhelmed or struggling to sleep. Usually they leave me feeling calm and relaxed—but that’s not quite what I’m looking for in the afternoon when my energy is low and I’m already feeling sleepy.

There's a key distinction between Ghosh's activating breathwork practice and my usual relaxation techniques.

“Relaxation breathwork is designed to downregulate the nervous system into a parasympathetic/rest-and-digest state,” explains Ghosh. These practices involve reducing the number of breaths per minute, and regulating our breathing by making our exhales longer.

“With energising breathwork we’re activating our nervous system into a sympathetic state, so that we feel switched on,” Ghosh explains.

“This will often involve stronger breathing practices including breath holds to create a state of being alert, without pushing the body or mind into feeling wired.”

How to do Ghosh’s activating breathwork practice

Time: 5-7min

• Sit or lie comfortably with your body relaxed.
• Breathe intentionally through the nose for 30 rounds, keep the breath flowing, intentional and controlled. This should not feel at maximal effort.
• After 30 inhales and exhales, take a normal inhale through the nose, exhale normally through the nose, then hold the breath after the exhale until you feel a moderate urge to breathe—this should not feel like a maximum breath hold.
• Breathe in through the nose and recover.
• Take calm nasal breaths for around 10-15 seconds to recover.
• Repeat for three to four rounds

“Afterwards, sit still for a few breaths and notice how you feel,” advises Ghosh.

“The aim is not to push or strain, it is to create a controlled challenge, then return to calm breathing.”

If you’re trying breathwork for the first time, practice safely and ideally guided by a coach. Never practice this technique while driving, in water, or standing.

What happened when I tried Ghosh’s activating breathwork practice

I tried Ghosh’s practice throughout the working week. Every time I did it, I noticed my focus improved. Rather than feeling relaxed or drowsy like I would with downregulating practices, I felt grounded, calm, and ready to get on with the rest of my work.

In the middle of a deadline when I didn’t think I had time for breathwork, I almost skipped it and reached for a coffee instead. But, it took no longer than making a coffee would—and the benefits felt far greater.

Unlike my afternoon coffee habit, which could spike my cortisol levels and disrupt my sleep if I drank it too late in the day, Ghosh’s breathwork practice focused on nervous system activation in a controlled way and I could do it anywhere, anytime, and see instant benefits.

I did miss the coffee ritual though. There’s something about stepping away from my screen for a mid-afternoon pause and a hot drink that’s comforting. Instead of cutting it out completely, I’ve decided to swap coffee for tea alongside my breathwork, so I get the best of both worlds.

It’s widely accepted that for most people, living a long, healthy life depends on getting enough sleep, eating well and staying physically active. However, there’s one muscle group that it may be worth paying extra attention to to maximize your longevity.

“Having stronger and larger quads are associated with better outcomes across multiple populations,” says Corey Podbielski, a board-certified doctor of physical therapy at Gaylord Specialty Healthcare.

Podbielski says quad strength is important because it is closely related to many functional movements. “Getting up from the floor, getting out of a chair, climbing up/down stairs, and squatting to lift objects all require strong quads,” he says.

“When we build strength in these big muscles in the front of the thighs, it keeps us more independent with our mobility, leading to decreased falls, improved quality of life, and higher capacity for exercise and activity.

“If someone were to end up on the floor, having sufficient strength and flexibility might better allow for that person to be able to stand back up on their own,” says Podbielski. “This would be particularly useful if they fell in a situation where they were alone.”

To counteract this decline, he says building and maintaining strength and flexibility is key. This can be crucial after a fall, helping people to regain their footing and maintain independence.

How to build quad strength

The key strategy he recommends is progressive resistance training, which helps maintain a healthy muscular system that communicates with the brain and nervous system, and supports bone density.

“It also ensures that our muscles are able to accept the challenges we put on them with our daily activities, such as walking, lifting, climbing stairs, getting on and off the floor.”

To build quad strength, he says functional movements such as squats and deadlifts are good. Ideally, resistance training should be done two to three times a week. Follow our beginner strength training plan at home and you’ll perform both of those exercises in the three-workout-a-week routine.

This can be combined with exercise guidelines of at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic activity per week—such as brisk walking, cycling or dancing—or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity aerobic exercise like running, swimming or fast cycling.

He also recommends improving flexibility through activities like yoga, practiced two to three times per week.

Regular yoga classes generally involve floor-based postures, but if getting down on to and up from the floor is uncomfortable, it doesn’t mean you can’t practice yoga.

Michelle A. Thielen, a yoga therapist and founder of faith-based teacher training school YogaFaith, has shared a yoga routine specifically designed to be done seated.

This routine takes a few popular yoga postures and modifies them for the chair.

“Practice with a sturdy, armless and wheelless chair,” Thielen advises. “Be sure all parts of the chair are on a non-slip floor. Placing the chair on a sticky yoga mat is best unless you are practicing on carpet. Feel free to keep non-slip tennis shoes on as you practice.”

Make sure you feel comfortable and supported while seated so place a block under your feet if your feet don’t touch the floor. You can also sit on a cushion or the edge of a folded blanket to elevate your hips.

While we’ve included suggestions for how long to hold or repeat poses, Thielen encourages you to take your time, and to breathe, connect and notice.

Five chair yoga poses for beginners

1. Easy pose (sukhasana)

• Sit toward the front of your chair with your feet flat on the floor or on a block or bolster.
• Place a cushion or folded blanket under your sitting bones for elevated hips.
• Focus on maintaining a natural spinal curve.
• Rest your hands on your thighs or in prayer position at your chest.
• Take five deep breaths, focusing on abdominal breathing.
• Inhale through your nose, filling up your belly, exhale through your mouth, exhaling loudly if you like.

Tip: Feel your ribs expand each time you inhale, and lengthen and exaggerate your exhalations each time.

2. Seated forward fold (paschimottanasana)

• Begin in easy pose. Inhale.
• As you exhale, fold your torso forward.
• As you inhale, return to easy pose.
• Continue for five breath cycles, or as long as you wish. Fold down over your thighs, reaching your hands toward your feet and the floor.

Tip: You can also reach your arms overhead during easy pose, then reach them forward as you fold forward.

3. Staff pose (dandasana)

• From an upright seated position, place your hands on the chair beside your hips.
• Press your hands into the chair to support extending your legs out in front—one at a time or both together.
• If you feel confident, raise your arms overhead.
• Hold for five breaths.

4. Seated spinal twist (vakrasana)

Reps: 5 each side

• From an upright seated position, inhale to lengthen your torso.
• Exhale, rotate your torso to the right bringing your left hand to your right knee.
• Inhale to return to center and repeat on the other side.
• Continue for five rotations on each side, or as long as you wish.

5. Seated savasana

• From a comfortable seated position, rest your arms on your lap, palms up or down.
• Support your back with a cushion if needed.
• Become aware of your whole body and breath.
• Stay for at least five breaths, or longer if you have time.

Tip: “Remember that savasana, while appearing simple, is often considered the most challenging posture as it requires complete surrender and stillness (when practicing as a final posture),” says Thielen. “This is also considered the most important posture as it allows the integration of your practice.”

Can you stand steady on one leg for 10 seconds?

That was the test put to 1,702 individuals in one longitudinal study on over-50-year-olds, with findings showing that those who can have a lower risk of all-cause mortality.

In the study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine in 2022, participants across an 11-year period were assessed on their ability to stand on one leg for 10 seconds without losing balance.

This data was then cross-referenced against anthropometric measurements, including waist circumference and body mass index (commonly known as BMI), to interpret the role of these variables on survival rates and risk of mortality.

“That research has shown balance can actually be a meaningful marker of overall health and longevity,” says Jacque Crockford of the American Council on Exercise (ACE).

“Balance and core strength are foundational components of healthy movement and long-term independence,” she tells Fit&Well. “For older adults in particular, balance training is one of the most effective strategies for preserving independence and reducing fall risk.”

How to perform the 10-second one-legged stance test

In the study, the balance test was performed barefoot, with arms relaxed by their sides and eyes open.

They were asked to lift one foot off the floor and rest it against the back of the opposite lower leg, rather than holding it raised in free space.

Both left and right legs were tested and timing only started once in position with one foot resting on the other leg.

A pass was determined if the participant could hold this one-legged stance unbroken for a full 10 seconds.

What did the results show?

Of the 1,702 individuals assessed in the prospective cohort study, 20.4% failed the balance test, with pass rates declining with age.

For example, 4.5% of participants aged between 51-55 failed the test, compared with 53.6% for those aged 71-75.

How to interpret your score

While Crockford acknowledges that tests like this can provide useful information in structured assessment settings, they’re really “just snapshots” in time.

“[The 2022 study] doesn’t mean standing on one leg causes longevity,” she says.

“But it does suggest balance reflects multiple systems working well together, including muscular strength, neurological function and mobility.”

Most people, she adds, don’t necessarily need a formal balance assessment to know whether balance and core stability are areas they should work on.

“The real question is: how confidently and comfortably can you move through daily life?”

How to improve balance at any age

For most people, Crockford says you should focus less on passing a test, and more on “maintaining the ability to move confidently, react quickly and stay independent as you age”.

For example, can you walk up stairs without grabbing the railing? Can you step over a curb smoothly? Can you get up off the floor easily? Or stand on one leg while putting on a shoe?

“Those are all real-world expressions of balance, stability and core control,” she says.

So, while there is value in practicing the single-leg stance test to improve your score, a better use of your time would be to include real-world activities that challenge your balance in a safe setting.

“Strategies include simple things like single-leg exercises, walking on uneven surfaces, strength training, yoga, tai chi and even standing on one foot while brushing your teeth,” says Crockford.

“These can all help improve balance and stability over time.”

If you find images of yogis standing on their heads or doing acrobatic poses an intimidating reflection of yoga, rest assured this isn’t the only way to practice it. Yoga is a wonderfully accessible form of exercise.

Melissa Leach, a yoga instructor and strength and conditioning coach at Yoga-Go, says it’s a great way to move your body as you get older.

“By the age of 60, the average person may have lost a significant amount of their total muscle mass, a natural age-related condition known as sarcopenia,” Leach says. “This decrease in strength can lead to reduced mobility, loss of balance, and an increased risk of falls and fractures.”

Yoga can help with this. “Yoga supports strength, flexibility, balance and mindfulness; and its low-impact nature makes it a great option for anyone over 60,” adds Leach.

“Regular practice helps maintain mobility, reduces stiffness in the joints, and strengthens muscles that support posture and stability, helping people move better and maintain their independence for longer,” she says.

The best yoga poses for the over 60s

Below, Leach has shared her favorite yoga poses for people in their 60s. You don’t need any equipment for the routine, although you may want to roll out a non-slip yoga mat for comfort and stability.

Despite being a relatively short routine, there are many benefits.

“Each of these poses helps to improve posture, balance, and body awareness by strengthening areas such as the legs or chest,” Leach says.

“This not only supports better mobility but also helps reduce the risks of falls that become more frequent with age.

“Other benefits include improved digestion and relief from stiffness, particularly in your back. Alongside these benefits, the focus on mindful breathing during a yoga practice is a powerful way to ease overall tension and reduce stress.”

The yoga routine is beginner-friendly and the timings Leach has suggested for each move are tailored to beginners.

If you’re more experienced or want to challenge yourself, you can gradually increase the time for each pose and the number of sets you complete.

1. Mountain

Sets: 2-3 Time: 20-30sec

• Stand with your feet close and your arms relaxed by your sides, feeling that your weight is evenly distributed on both feet.
• Engage your thighs slightly, lift your chest and lengthen your spine as you inhale and exhale.
• Roll your shoulders back and down, and reach your arms up overhead if comfortable.
• Hold the position, breathing deeply and steadily, grounding yourself through your feet and experiencing your whole body.

Make it harder: Increase your time in the pose to 40 to 60 seconds and eventually work up to one to two minutes.

2. Tree

Sets: 2-3 Time: 10-15sec each side

• From mountain pose, shift your weight onto your left foot.
• Focus your gaze on a fixed point in front of you.
• Moving with control, place the sole of your right foot on your inner left thigh, calf or ankle—wherever it’s most comfortable to balance, avoiding the knee.
• Bring your hands to a prayer position at your chest.
• Hold the pose, then switch sides.

Make it harder: Raise your arms and bring your palms together overhead to challenge your balance further. Once comfortable, increase your time in the pose to 20 or 30 seconds on each side, working up to 40 to 60 seconds.

3. Seated spinal twist

Sets: 2-3 Time: 10-15sec each side

• Sit on the floor with your legs extended.
• Place your right foot flat on the floor on the outside of your left knee.
• Place your left elbow on the outside of your right knee and twist your torso to face right.
• Hold the position for time, breathing deeply, then repeat on the other side.

Make it harder: Hold for 20 or 30 seconds on each side and build up to 40 to 60 seconds for three sets.

4. Cat-cow

Sets: 2-3 Reps: 5-6

• Get on your hands and knees with your hands under your shoulders and knees under your hips.
• Inhale as you arch your back and lift your tailbone and head.
• Exhale as you round your spine, tucking your chin and tailbone.
• Flow gently between the two moves, coordinating with your breath.

Make it harder: Work up to two sets of eight to 10 rounds, then two to three sets of 12 to 15 rounds.

Shop yoga mats

At 85 years young, Jim Owen believes he’s only getting better with age.

Technically, he’s only really in the early stages of his fitness journey, having gone from a “35lb overweight couch potato” at 70 to a 10-time San Diego Senior Games gold medal winner.

Those past 15 years have proven to him that it’s never too late to take control of your health and fitness, and he’s spreading the message with a short film, The Virtuous Circle: A Geezer’s Guide to Successful Aging, which premieres on PBS on May 17.

Now, the former Wall Street executive has a set of daily rituals or habits he adheres to, which he believes help him “live young” and “fight off old age”.

1. He starts the day with shadow boxing

Owen starts every day the same way: he looks in the mirror, puts his hands up and starts throwing jabs.

“It’s the first thing I do every morning,” he tells Fit&Well.

“Call me crazy. I do shadow boxing. I’ve got boxing gloves. People say, ‘Jim, what the hell are you doing?’ Well, to me, old age is about seven feet tall and he weighs 300 pounds.

“I say, ‘Someday sucker, you’re going to win, but it ain’t going to be today.’ That's how I start my day off, just laughing, just having fun with it.”

This simple act, he says, is a reminder to never take yourself too seriously.

2. He does an hour of exercise six days a week

Owen says it took roughly five years to build a foundation of strength and fitness that made exercise shift from tough to fun.

“When I started out at 70 it was tough, I’m not going to say it was easy,” he says.

“But you don’t have to lift heavy weights. You don’t have to have a gym or a trainer. But you have to move.”

Owen says there is “nothing fancy” about his typical routine, which cycles through strength, cardio and mobility workouts for roughly an hour a day, six days a week.

“I do whole-body workouts. I work on balance, cardio. I do strength training. I do agility. I work on my weaknesses. To this day I have tight hips and weak glutes.

“But the key is you just got to keep moving.”

This mantra, he says, helped him lose 35lb. “But more importantly, I’ve kept it off.”

3. He takes regular strolls with his wife

Two out of three weekly cardio sessions involve walking uphill to go easy on his joints while still challenging his respiratory system.

But every day he’ll find time to take a stroll with his wife, Stanya.

“We work out together,” he says.

“We love walking on the beach together. I live in California, in San Diego. We have a great time, it’s a fun aspect of exercising.”

Sharing this time together, Owen says, means exercise never feels like a chore.

“I’m her biggest cheerleader. I clap when she does something, like getting a personal best. The fun from getting a personal best is a real pick-up in your life,” he says.

“For me, the whole day just goes better, it goes smoother from then on.”

4. He practices gratitude

Lastly, Owen tries to remind himself that being able to “just move” is a privilege not to be taken for granted.

“It’s never like, ‘Oh my god, I have to work out.’ You choose to work out,” he says.

“If you do that, I promise, anyone is going to feel better, and maybe even look better. But the payoff, I believe, is a positive attitude.”

Owen believes committing to walk, even for just 10 minutes a day, or doing an hour workout six days a week, or entering the San Diego Senior Games is “at least 80% attitude,” he says.

That mindset sustains him on days when he doesn’t have much energy.

“On those days, I cut back. Fewer reps, less weight.

“And guess what? I feel so much better.”

I’ve been practising yoga for more than 10 years and have worked with hundreds of teachers at studios all over the world. But I always come back to the routines Adriene Mishler posts on her Yoga With Adriene YouTube channel.

The routines are simple to follow and always make me feel better, physically and mentally.

Her latest video is a 12-minute routine for stiff hips. Since I regularly experience hips and lower back pain from working at a desk, I was excited to give it a try.

It’s a gentle routine, which is ideal for breaking up the working day, providing my body a break from sitting and my mind a break from thinking.

How to do Yoga With Adriene’s gentle yoga for tight hips

You don’t need any equipment for this routine, just a yoga mat or something comfortable and non-slip to lie on.

My experience trying Yoga With Adriene’s gentle yoga for tight hips

Despite being just 12 minutes long, this practice includes five of my favourite hip stretches.

The routine moves through cat-cow, child’s pose, low lunge, figure-four and butterfly. These are all beginner-friendly poses that activate different parts of the hips.

Mishler generally advises to hold the poses passively, which meant my muscles had time to relax and I could move even deeper into the stretch

By the end of the routine, my hips felt a lot less stiff and sitting at my desk was more comfortable. I’ll definitely go back to this routine as a simple but effective way to stretch my hips in future and I’d recommend it to anyone who wants to improve their hip flexibility.

I love having a spa day but it’s not something I get to do as often as I’d like. The new Gymproluxe sauna pod has changed all that.

It’s a portable steam room that can reach up to 131℉ (55℃), and it packs down into a bag that’s less than 2 feet in diameter, so it’s easily stored in a wardrobe or under a bed.

There are multiple benefits of heat therapy from a sauna: it can reduce inflammation, muscle and joint pain and stress, as well as speeding up post-workout recovery while improving circulation and sleep.

I tried the Gymproluxe sauna pod for a month to see how many of these benefits I could tick off the list. Here’s what happened, plus everything you need to know about the sauna pod.

Using the Gymproluxe sauna pod

The sauna pod is like a pop-up tent or spray tan booth in structure, so it’s really quick and easy to throw up as you don’t need to use poles or tools.

It has 15 temperature settings ranging from 59℉ to 131℉ (15-55℃). I kept the temperature on the highest setting and was pleased with how hot it got, as I had wrongly thought it wouldn’t be hot enough to feel worthwhile.

I tended to spend 10-15 minutes in it, anything longer was too much for me—the brand recommends between 20 to 30 minutes.

I set it up in my living room and feared this would mean the room would be full of condensation at first, but I was pleasantly surprised. It didn’t steam up anything apart from the pod itself.

The sauna pod takes about 10 minutes to heat up. It comes with a steamer unit that you put water into and then close the lid before plugging it into a power source. A tube from the steamer unit connects to the pod to fill the space with heat.

Running costs are pretty cheap, with a 30-minute session costing around the same as boiling a kettle—about $0.25.

The Gymproluxe sauna pod also comes with a waterproof LED disco light that can be stowed in an overhead pocket, which is a nice touch.

The portable sauna has a height limit of 6 feet 4 inches, which is worth paying attention to. While it comes with a foldable chair—like the type you’d take camping—you don’t experience as much heat when you sit down. I found it better to stand.

Another reason why I liked it more than I thought I would is that the pod is quick to clean and take down.

After turning the sauna off, let it cool for around 30 minutes with the zip still closed to keep the steam in. Then, open it up and clean any leftover moisture with a sponge.

The benefits of the Gymproluxe sauna pod

It took the edge off my post-workout muscle soreness

I find that delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) can be really painful, especially on day two after a workout. While upping my protein and drinking more water can help with my achy muscles, it’s basically a waiting game. Or, so I thought.

I started having a 10-minute sauna post-exercise and it honestly took the edge off my usual post-workout achy muscles. The soreness was less intense and didn’t last as long.

This is because the heat from the sauna makes the blood vessels in your skin and muscles expand (a process known as vasodilation), which boosts circulation and helps your sore muscles recover after exercise.

It helped me relax

As a busy single mom working as a fitness writer and personal trainer, it can be hard to make time to switch off and slow down. But having a home sauna was great because I didn’t need to spend loads of time in it to feel the benefit.

It also helped me get into a self-care routine on weekends when my daughters were away. I’d start my Sunday with a cold water swim in the lake near my house, then warm up in the sauna afterwards.

Over the month, this became a relaxing ritual that helped me to feel calmer and more present. Forcing myself to concentrate on my breathing while in the sauna also became a meditative practice.

This calm feeling is backed by science. Heat therapy stimulates thermoreceptors in the skin that tell the brain to relax, triggering feel-good hormones like endorphins, which boost mood.

Switching between cold and heat therapy can also be beneficial for improving circulation, although starting with hot therapy followed by a cold plunge is what’s generally recommended.

It made my skin glow

The pod generates a moist heat rather than the dryness of a traditional sauna, but it was still more than hot enough to get me sweaty.

The heat opens the pores, and I noticed my skin felt more refreshed and dewy after a month of using it. You can even put essential oils in the steamer unit, or go in with a face or hair mask on, to give yourself a real home spa experience.

One caveat: after having a couple of sauna sessions in the same day, a few days later, I woke up with pimples (fortunately, a rare occurrence for me) so I’d recommend limiting it to once daily if you have sensitive skin.

The steam also quickly sent my hair into a crazy ’80s style bouffant, so it’s probably not advisable to use the pod before a night out.

It helped me sleep better

Saunas can boost relaxation and reduce stress, and this can improve sleep quality. As I’m perimenopausal, struggling to sleep and waking several times a night has become a regular occurrence for me.

The sauna sessions made a noticeable difference. I found I was falling asleep faster, waking less in the night, and if I did wake up I could fall back to sleep quicker.

When I looked into it, I discovered that being in a sauna raises your core body temperature and then when you get out, you cool down fairly fast. This cooling phase mimics a drop in temperature that happens just before you fall asleep, which can make you feel deeply relaxed and able to drop off more quickly.