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.

How Does Elastic Resistance Training Work?

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

What Are Its Benefits?

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.

It Helps You Achieve Any Goal!

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.

For years, the weighing scale has been one of the simplest ways to assess health. A person with a “normal” Body Mass Index (BMI) is often considered healthy, while being overweight or obese is viewed as the primary warning sign. But what if someone looks slim on the outside and still carries a significant metabolic risk on the inside?

This is where the concept of TOFI—“Thin Outside, Fat Inside” becomes important. TOFI describes individuals who may have a normal BMI or appear lean but carry a higher proportion of visceral fat—fat stored deep inside the abdomen around vital organs. Unlike the visible fat under the skin, visceral fat is metabolically active and can contribute to inflammation, insulin resistance and other metabolic abnormalities.

Research has shown that Asian Indians tend to develop abdominal and visceral fat at lower BMI levels compared with several other ethnic groups. They may also have relatively lower muscle mass. As a result, a person can appear slim, have a seemingly reassuring weight, and yet have an increased risk of metabolic disease.

Why does this matter?

Also read: From Insulin Resistance to Fertility: Understanding the Metabolic Side of PCOS

The important message is that BMI alone does not tell the complete story. BMI measures weight in relation to height, but it does not distinguish between muscle and fat or indicate where fat is stored. That is why measurements such as waist circumference can provide valuable additional information. A larger waist can indicate increased abdominal fat and may signal higher cardiometabolic risk even when BMI falls within the normal range.

Being normal weight does not automatically mean being TOFI. However, people with a sedentary lifestyle, low muscle mass, increasing waist circumference, family history of diabetes, unhealthy dietary patterns, poor sleep or metabolic abnormalities may warrant closer assessment.

Simple health checks such as blood pressure, fasting glucose or HbA1c and lipid profile can provide important clues. Depending on the individual and clinical situation, doctors may also recommend assessment of liver health or body composition.

What can we do?

The solution is not simply to focus on losing kilograms. For a normal-weight person carrying excess visceral fat, the goal should be to improve body composition and metabolic health. Regular physical activity—particularly strength training combined with aerobic exercise—can help build or preserve muscle and improve insulin sensitivity.

A balanced diet rich in vegetables, whole grains, pulses, adequate protein and fibre, while limiting excess refined carbohydrates, sugary foods and ultra-processed foods, is equally important. Adequate sleep, stress management and avoiding prolonged sedentary periods are also essential components of metabolic health.

By Dr Farah Ingale, Director - Internal Medicine & Consultant – Diabetologist, Fortis Hiranandani Hospital, Navi Mumbai

We have always been told that truly sustainable weight loss is a long-term process made up of daily physical activity, healthy eating, and regular sleep. However, a four-minute workout from Japan, which has taken social media by storm, has confidently challenged this idea.

Making an ambitious promise, the makers of the workout claim that one can lose around 5 kg in just one week with the 4-minute workout.

The video, which was reshared on social media, has crossed 3 million views on X, with nearly 60,000 likes, has sparked a debate whether the short routine could really replace a longer gym session.

The virality of the video makes sense. Most of us argue with ourselves everyday, trying to talk ourselves out of going to the gym and spending hours toiling away. But do we realistically need just a few minutes to get in shape?

You don't need dumbbells, gym membership, or any special equipment to do this workout routine. You can apparently do it almost anywhere.

Can You Actually Lose 5 Kg In 7 Days?

Also read: Novak Djokovic’s Health Struggles At US Open: Are The Demands Of Elite Tennis Becoming Too Much?

There is no evidence that four minutes of exercise a day can make someone lose 5 kg of body weight in seven days. The viral claim comes from the makers of the video, rather than a clinical study showing that people following the routine lost 5 kg in a week.

Experts also say that such a drastic amount of weight loss in seven days is not realistically achievable for most people.

Additionally, what appears on the weighing scale can also move up or down because of water retention, food in the digestive system, and other short-term changes. A sudden drop in weight therefore does not necessarily mean that 5 kg of body fat has disappeared.

Losing considerable body fat needs more than just a 'very short workout'. Along with at least 30 minutes of physical activity, one needs a sustained calorie deficit.

The Four Minutes Of Exercise Is Not Completely Useless

Also read: What Is Zone 2 Cardio? The Workout Everyone Is Talking About

Now as the facts are clear, we would be remiss to not appreciate the routine's biggest potential, which is getting inactive people to move, not weight loss.

Four minutes of activity is certainly better than spending those four minutes sitting still. If a short routine like this Japanese workout feels manageable enough to turn it into a daily habit, it can give you a starting point for physical activity, which you can gradually increase.

But one needs to be careful. A short workout routine usually makes your heart work harder. If you experience pain, dizziness, chest discomfort, or an irregular heartbeat, you must stop immediately.

People who are new to exercise or have existing health concerns should speak with a doctor before starting a new routine.

How To Lose Weight Safely?

Rather than trying to take a shortcut and achieve a drastic weight loss in less days, opt for a more sustainable approach is to gradually increase daily movement and combine it with a balanced diet.

Novak Djokovic, the 24-time Grand Slam champion, suffered his earliest Grand Slam exit in 20 years after crashing out in the first round of the US Open with a five-set defeat to Argentina’s Mariano Navone.

Djokovic was left in tears after bouts of vomiting, cramping and pain. He also relied on multiple medical timeouts, an inhaler and pills to stay on the court.

“I despised every moment I was on the court,” Djokovic told the media after the match, adding that he had been dealing with similar issues throughout the season.

“I think it was obvious that it was an awful feeling on the court for me. It’s something that I’ve been carrying, unfortunately, pretty much every match this year,” he said.

Djokovic described how his body broke down during the match.

“Vomiting, throwing up, a serious issue there. Then my whole body starts to collapse, basically cramping and pain. The back just gave up in the end and my shoulder, and I couldn’t close it out,” he added.

The defeat ended Djokovic’s hopes of winning a 25th Grand Slam title at this year’s US Open.

Also read: 47-Year-Old Assam Doctor Dies After Collapsing In The Gym: When Can Exercise Trigger A Cardiac Emergency?

Similar Struggles In Cincinnati

Earlier this month at the Cincinnati Open, Djokovic, who holds the all-time men’s record of 428 weeks as world No. 1 in singles, also struggled physically throughout his second-round match.

The 39-year-old was seen crouching on all fours between points, required a medical timeout and appeared to vomit into towels as extreme heat and humidity took a toll.

He then suffered a surprising second-round defeat, losing to Argentina’s Thiago Agustín Tirante 2-6, 6-4, 6-4.

Following the defeat, Djokovic revealed that he had been dealing with a longstanding health condition that becomes particularly difficult to manage in hot and humid conditions.

“It’s because of a health issue I have,” Djokovic told reporters after the match. “I’ve been dealing with it for many years now. It causes me a lot of problems, especially when there’s a lot of humidity and heat.”

Is Elite Tennis Becoming Too Demanding?

Read More: What Keeps Messi and Ronaldo Biologically Younger Than Their Age? Experts Explain

Djokovic is not alone in facing physical challenges. His exit comes after world No. 1 Jannik Sinner withdrew from the tournament due to injury, while defending champion Carlos Alcaraz entered the event after a long break.

Other names include Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti and France’s Arthur Fils who missed earlier Grand Slams in 2026 with injuries, and No. 2 seed Elena Rybakina managing a heel injury ahead of her opener.

Together, these developments raise a broader question: Are the demands of elite tennis becoming too much for even the world’s best players?

While Djokovic has not revealed the nature of his illness, he told reporters that he is “trying” to address the ailment.

Age, Recovery And The Demands Of Tennis

In 2023, Djokovic acknowledged that his body was beginning to feel the effects of a long career, although he still felt he had fuel left in the tank.

“The desire is still there, but things can change quickly – I am 36, I’ve been a pro for 20 years.”

He said he did not view age as a decisive factor, instead focusing on his overall physical condition and whether he continued to enjoy playing.

Age can affect tennis performance through changes such as reduced muscle mass, slower recovery and lower aerobic capacity, which can also increase injury risk.

Year-round Tours, Extreme Heat

In addition to performance pressures, the grueling schedules of the ATP and WTA Tours that span nearly 11 months of the year, give athletes limited time to rest and recover from injuries.

At the same time, rising global temperatures and intense matches lasting up to five hours have added further physical challenges.

“We’re losing the battle overall despite the advances in sports medicine,” Neeru Jayanthi, who leads the tennis medicine programme at Emory Healthcare in Atlanta, told The Straits Times.