Credit-Canva
The idea of going to the gym and exercising can be daunting for many people. They not only feel discouraged, but it also gives them an excuse to delay starting their fitness journey with things like, “I haven’t found a gym yet” or “I’m not feeling good about the new place” while these are valid concerns, but people can often use these things like a crutch. The answer to this is very simple. While you can exercise at home, without the gym equipment the progress may be slow, but with the help of this easy and accessible tool, you can make home workouts as effective as gym training. Elastic resistant training is a simple, easy, effective, and convenient way to stay in shape! Elastic resistance training is perfect for busy people, frequent travelers, home workouts, and anyone wanting to boost their current exercise. It's also great for seniors, youth, and those recovering from injuries. Regular exercise is key to better health and a longer life. Adding resistance training can speed up your metabolism, build lean muscle, and burn calories.
Elastic resistance training is simple but scientifically sound. As the band stretches, the resistance increases, making your muscles work harder. This opposing force builds lean muscle, strength, power, and endurance. Unlike weights, which rely on gravity, bands offer more freedom of movement. Weights limit you to movements against gravity, but bands allow for many different exercises. The stretch of the band lets you control how intense your workout is. This means you can do functional, multi-directional movements that work many muscles at once
Elastic resistance works your body in ways that weights can't. Because the band provides the resistance, not gravity, you need to use your smaller stabilizing muscles and core for better control. This improves your coordination, balance, and overall how well your body functions. Unlike weight machines that focus on single muscles, bands allow for natural, flowing movements. This makes the exercises smoother and avoids the jerky movements that weights can sometimes cause. This makes elastic resistance safe, effective, and good for everyone, no matter their fitness level.
Elastic resistance is a flexible tool you can use anywhere, home, the office, or even when you travel. Whether you're a beginner or a pro athlete, you can adjust the exercises to fit your strength and ability. These bands are light, portable, and cheap, making them a great choice for anyone who wants to stay fit without big, heavy equipment.
Elastic resistance training is perfect for all kinds of fitness goals. Whether you want to get stronger, improve your endurance or flexibility, or recover from an injury, these bands can help. You can change how hard your workout is by adjusting the band's tension and length. You can do exercises that target specific muscles, functional movements that mimic real-life activities, and full-body workouts. You can do everything from squats and lunges to rows and shoulder presses.
Elastic resistance bands offer several key advantages over weights. They're easy to carry, making them perfect for travel or working out anywhere. Bands are also much more affordable than weights or gym memberships. They're safer too, eliminating the risk of dropping heavy weights. Because the resistance is adjustable, bands are suitable for everyone from beginners to athletes. Finally, bands support natural movements, making them ideal for improving athletic performance and everyday activities.
Elastic resistance training is a great way to get fit. It's versatile, effective, and has many benefits. Whether you want to build strength, improve flexibility, or just be healthier, resistance bands are a cheap and easy way to do it. Start using elastic resistance and enjoy working out anytime, anywhere.
Credit: iStock
Weight loss from GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic may also result in some muscle loss, not just fat. Researchers are, therefore, testing whether a second drug could help protect muscle while people lose weight.
According to new trial data, an experimental drug developed by Regeneron called trevogrumab reduced muscle loss when it was taken along with Novo Nordisk's semaglutide, the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy.
It could be a significant development in the GLP-1 weight loss drugs market as researchers are focusing on what kind of weight people are losing rather than how much.
Ozempic contains semaglutide, a GLP-1 drug that helps lower blood sugar and reduce appetite. As people eat less consistently and lose weight, the body can lose both fat mass and lean mass, which includes muscle.
Reuters reported researchers found that patients who took semaglutide lost 6.7% of their lean muscle mass over 26 weeks in one part of the trial.
This also does not mean that everyone on Ozempic will lose a large amount of muscle. Diet, physical activity, protein intake, age and starting muscle mass can all influence body composition during this weight loss.
But preserving muscle is crucial, especially for older adults and people who already have low muscle mass.
Also read: 2 Indians Charged In US Over Fake Ozempic Scheme: How To Spot Counterfeit GLP-1 Drugs
Trevogrumab, developed by Regeneron, belongs to a class of drugs that targets myostatin, a protein involved in regulating muscle growth and maintenance.
While semaglutide helps drive weight loss, trevogrumab may help prevent the body from breaking down as much muscle during that process.
In the trial, people who received semaglutide alone lost 6.7% of their lean muscle mass over 26 weeks. Those who received semaglutide along with 75 mg of trevogrumab lost 3.3%, while the group receiving 25 mg lost 4.7%.
That means the higher dose nearly halved the lean-mass loss seen with semaglutide alone.
The drug is experimental and has not been approved as a treatment for people taking GLP-1 drugs.
The trial involved nearly 1,000 people aged 18 to 65, and the researchers are continuing to study trevogrumab. Regeneron has selected the 75 mg once-weekly dose for further studies and plans another mid-stage trial involving people over 65.
The larger trial initially included another experimental drug, garetosmab. Two people receiving higher-dose trevogrumab in combination with garetosmab died during the first 26 weeks.
One death had an undetermined cause in a person with multiple cardiovascular risk factors, while the other was due to cardiac arrest in someone with a history of cardiovascular disease. Regeneron said it will not continue developing the triple-drug combination.
Muscle is important for strength, mobility, balance and everyday physical function. Losing too much muscle during rapid weight loss could be particularly concerning for older adults, who are already at risk of age-related muscle loss.
This is why the next generation of obesity treatments may focus on more than the number on the weighing scale.
Regeneron executive Boaz Hirshberg said, “What we want to do is concentrate on the quality of weight reduction. We want to find the best way to approach weight reduction, especially in vulnerable patients.”
Credit: AI
Most athletes and gym-goers cannot help but boast about the many benefits of creatine. When it comes to boosting performance and supporting muscle growth, this supplement is trusted often.
But a new study suggests that creatine may also have benefits when you are out of the gym. But the researchers caution that it does not mean that creatine can replace exercise, especially strength training.
Researchers at Texas A&M University found that adults who took creatine gained lean tissue and improved muscle strength even when they did not follow a structured exercise programme. The 12-week study was published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition.
The study is based on 64 healthy adults aged 45 to 65 who completed the 12-week intervention. Participants were divided into exercise and non-exercise groups and were randomly assigned to take either 10 grams of creatine monohydrate or a placebo every day.
The exercise group followed resistance and aerobic training three times a week, while the other participants did not follow a structured exercise programme.
Among those who did not exercise, those taking creatine gained about 2.4 pounds (1.1 kg) of lean tissue over 12 weeks. They also improved their leg and bench-press strength. Those who combined creatine with exercise saw even greater improvements in strength.
Creatine occurs naturally in the body and helps cells produce energy. Most of the body's creatine is stored in skeletal muscle, where it helps regenerate ATP, the main source of energy for the cells.
This is one reason creatine has traditionally been associated with better performance during short, intense exercise. The researchers believe its ability to support cellular energy may also help preserve or even increase lean tissue, especially in middle-aged adults.
The study also studied whether creatine could help people preserve muscle while losing weight.
Participants following the exercise and low-calorie diet who took creatine gained nearly 3 pounds of lean tissue while reducing fat mass.
The exercise and diet group taking placebo showed little change in lean tissue. Creatine was also associated with a greater reduction in body fat percentage. This could be relevant during weight loss, when some muscle loss may occur along with fat loss.
The small study is lasted only 12 weeks and also involved healthy adults aged 45 to 65, so the results cannot be applied to younger people, older adults with health conditions, or other people with muscle disorders.
The findings are also somewhat different from the much larger body of evidence showing that creatine's most established benefits occur when it is combined with resistance training.
Maintaining muscle becomes crucial with age. Loss of muscle mass and strength can affect mobility and physical function. The Texas A&M researchers say the findings add to growing interest in creatine as a tool for healthy ageing and maintaining muscle.
Credit: AI
Eli Lilly’s highly anticipated GLP-1 weight-loss drug retatrutide has delivered nearly 21% average weight loss in people with type 2 diabetes and obesity, according to results from a large Phase 3 trial published in The Lancet. In an ever-expanding weight loss medication market, retatrutide is already showing significant promise in obesity and diabetes management.
The drug, retatrutide, is being developed by Eli Lilly and is not approved by the FDA yet. In the TRIUMPH-2 trial, people receiving the highest 12 mg dose lost an average of 20.8% of their body weight over 80 weeks, equivalent to about 49.6 pounds or 22.5 kg.
The findings about retatrutide's trial were presented at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) annual meeting in Milan and published simultaneously in The Lancet.
Retatrutide is a triple agonist because it activates three hormone receptors:
GLP-1-based medicines are already widely used for diabetes and obesity. Retatrutide activates GIP and glucagon pathways as well, creating a three-way approach to manage appetite, blood sugar and metabolism. The drug is given once weekly by injection and remains experimental and investigational.
Also read: World Heart Day: You Feel Healthy. But Plaque May Already Be Building In Your Arteries In Your 20s
TRIUMPH-2 included adults with obesity or overweight and type 2 diabetes. Participants receiving retatrutide were assigned to 4 mg, 9 mg or 12 mg doses and followed for 80 weeks. The average weight loss was:
The response was even greater among participants who started the study with a BMI of at least 35. Those receiving 12 mg lost an average of 23.4% of their body weight, or about 60.8 pounds.
By week 80, 59.5% of people taking 12 mg no longer met the BMI criteria for obesity.
Retatrutide not only led to one of the biggest weight losses ever seen, it also improved HbA1c, a measure of average blood glucose over the previous two to three months. At 80 weeks, HbA1c fell by:
Up to 40% of participants receiving retatrutide achieved an HbA1c below 5.7%, which is within the normal range.
The results are certainly seem promising, particularly as people with type 2 diabetes can sometimes lose less weight with obesity medicines than people without diabetes.
Retatrutide's combination of substantial weight loss and improved blood sugar control makes it an important drug to watch in a competitive GLP-1 market.
Since it's not approved yet, more evidence will be needed on its long-term safety, cardiovascular effects and how its benefits compare with existing treatments. It is also worth remembering that the 20.8% figure represents an average, not the amount every participant lost.
Retatrutide's development is a sign that obesity and diabetes treatment is extending beyond just managing blood sugar. The next generation of drugs is all about targeting weight, glucose and metabolism together.
© $2026 Times Horizon Private Limited