The winter season compels us to sit at one place, under the blanket, at the ease of warmth. But aren't we all aware of the dangers of a sedentary lifestyle? And when it is winter, it makes it more so stagnant. Not just that, but now a new study from the University of Iowa says that being a couch potato could lead to 19 chronic conditions. Among the 19 chronic conditions, obesity, diabetes, depression and heart diseases also made it to the list.

Research shows that among many diseases, increased blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess body fat around the waist, unhealthy cholesterol levels that leads to metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease and cancer are also there. This is why any extended sitting whether at desk, behind the wheel or the screen can be harmful.

How was the study conducted?

The team of researchers from various departments at the University of Iowa conducted a detailed study where they analyzed records from over 40,000 patients at a major Midwestern hospital system. In the records, they looked at the extensive physical inactivity of these patients and how it impacted their overall health.

The study and the detailed analysis is published in the journal Preventing Chronic Disease and studies.

As part of conducting the study, a 30-second exercise survey was conducted. Then, patients were also asked two questions: how many days per week they engaged in moderate to vigorous exercise and for how many minutes per session? On the basis of response, the patients were categorized into three groups:

• Inactive - 0 minutes per week
• Insufficiently active - 1-149 minutes per week
• Active - 150 minutes per week

As per Lucas Carr, associate professor in the Department of Health and Human Physiology and study's corresponding author, "This two-question survey typically takes fewer than 30 seconds for a patient to complete so it does not interfere with their visit. But it can tell us a whole lot about that patient's overall health."

What did the study find?

The study got 7,261 responses, and it found that around 60% of them met the recommended guidelines for exercising. These people met the 150 minutes or more minutes of moderate exercise per week. However, almost 36% exercised less than 150 minutes per week and 4% reported no physical activity.

The study also found that people experienced lower rates of depression. 15% of people who exercise for 150 minutes or more, or at least for some amount of time could experience depression, as compared to 26% of those who are inactive. Similarly, for obesity, the numbers are 12% versus 21% for obesity, 20% versus 35% for hypertension and the similar trend was seen in other diseases, and markers of good health, including lower resting pulse rates, and cholesterol profiles.

Patients with no physical activity carried a median of 2.16 chronic conditions, this number was 1.49 conditions in insufficiently active patients and dropped to 1.17 in active patients.

The 19 chronic conditions are:

• Obesity
• Live disease
• Psychoses
• Chronic Lung disease
• Neurological seizures
• Coagulopathy (blood clotting disorder)
• Depression
• Weight loss issues
• Uncontrolled hypertension (high blood pressure)
• Controlled hypertension
• Uncontrolled diabetes
• Anemia deficiency
• Neurological disorder affecting movement
• Peripheral vascular disease
• Auto Immune Disease
• Drug Abuse
• Hypothyroidism
• Congestive heart failure
• Vulvar disease (heart valve problem)

Many people falsely believe yoga poses are just meant to make you comfortable and flexible, they think it is something one only needs to do if they wish to calm down. However, it is so much more than that. If done properly, it can change the way you live life. Whether it is making yourself more balanced, more flexible, losing weight, or being stronger.

Yoga is way more than just stretching. It's a powerful way to bring your mind and body closer, offering real benefits that can change your everyday life. If you want to get healthier, calm your thoughts, or just feel more connected to yourself, yoga gives you a full-picture way to feel good. It can make you stronger, more flexible, and more balanced, all while helping you handle stress and boost your overall mood.

Why Balancing Yoga Poses?

Balancing yoga poses do much more than just challenge your stability; they actively improve your overall health and well-being. These powerful poses work wonders by making your body stronger and more stable, especially in your core, legs, and ankles.

Balancing yoga poses also sharpen your mind. You'll notice better focus and less stress as you learn to center yourself in each pose. By always adjusting to stay steady, you become much more aware of your body's position. This leads to smoother movements and fewer stumbles in your daily life. Basically, balancing yoga helps you become stronger, more coordinated, and more aware of yourself.

Eagle Pose

This pose challenges your balance by wrapping one leg around the other and crossing your arms. It deeply stretches your shoulders and upper back while strengthening your core for better stability.

Extended Hand-to-Big-Toe Pose

Standing on one leg, you extend the other forward, holding your big toe. This pose significantly improves your hamstring flexibility and core strength, while challenging your standing leg's stability and enhancing mental concentration for better balance.

Half Moon Pose

From a standing position, you extend one arm and the opposite leg out to the sides, forming a "T" shape. This pose beautifully opens the hips and chest, strengthens the core, and dramatically improves your sense of balance and spatial awareness.

Handstand

Practiced against a wall or free-standing, this inversion builds immense upper body and core strength. It demands intense focus and body awareness, fundamentally improving your balance by challenging your perception of alignment and stability upside down.

Lord of the Dance Pose

Standing on one leg, you reach back to grasp the foot of your lifted leg, extending it upwards like an archer's bow. This deep backbend and hip opener demands significant balance and concentration, while also increasing spinal flexibility and leg strength.

Side-Plank Pose

Supported on one hand and the side of one foot, your body forms a straight line. This powerful pose deeply strengthens your core, obliques, and arms. It's a fantastic way to build stability through your entire side body, crucial for coordination.

Side-Reclining Leg Life

Lying on your side, you lift your top leg straight up towards the ceiling. While seemingly simple, this pose strengthens your outer hip and thigh muscles, crucial for walking stability and balance. It gently improves flexibility without high impact.

Warrior 3 Pose

Standing on one leg, you extend your torso forward and the other leg straight back, forming a "T" shape parallel to the floor. This dynamic pose strengthens your entire leg and core, while intensely challenging your balance and building focused determination.

You've heard of "clogged arteries," but do you truly understand what is going on in your body? It's not merely a matter of consuming too many cheeseburgers. Something known as atherosclerosis—a gradual, insidious accumulation of plaque composed of cholesterol, fats, calcium, and other materials—lies beneath the surface, often the true cause of heart attacks and strokes.

Cardiovascular disease is still among the biggest killers globally, and a lot of the risk comes from its invisibility. Atherosclerosis, which is sometimes referred to as the silent killer, slowly plugs up arteries and lays the groundwork for heart attacks and strokes well before they manifest. The best news? With the proper information and preventive actions, you can shield your arteries and heart.

This is the thing: this toxic buildup doesn't present symptoms until it has already done substantial harm. Cardiovascular disease, says the American Heart Association, is the number one cause of death worldwide, and atherosclerosis is at the center of the epidemic.

But the good news is: atherosclerosis can be prevented, even reversed in some instances—if you know how it comes about, how to detect its signs early on, and what changes in lifestyle can actually safeguard your heart.

What is Atherosclerosis?

Atherosclerosis is a disease where plaque accumulates on the arteries' walls. This plaque is composed of cholesterol, fat, calcium, and other substances moving through the blood. Eventually, these deposits harden and constrict the arteries, decreasing blood supply to organs.

"Atherosclerosis is a devious, even lethal illness wherein artery walls get clogged with plaque," describes Dr. Paneendra S, Orthopedic Surgeon. "Atherosclerosis develops over the course of many years and usually is without symptoms until it leads to a life-threatening event such as a heart attack or stroke."

The illness usually starts when the lining of the arteries inside, the endothelium, is damaged. A number of reasons are responsible for this damage, such as:

• Smoking
• High cholesterol
• Diabetes
• High blood pressure
• Chronic inflammation

"Once the endothelium has been hurt, LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol can filter through the arterial wall," says Dr. Paneendra. "White blood cells rush in to break down the cholesterol, but this reaction creates fatty nodules called atheromas."

These atheromas may develop and then rupture, producing clots that either occlude the artery in which they were formed or embolize to a different location within the body, obstructing an organ elsewhere.

Warning Signs and Where They Appear

Although dangerous, atherosclerosis typically develops silently. Its warning signs first become apparent only when blockage is complete. Depending on the arteries involved, the signs are variable:

Heart (Coronary Arteries): Chest pain or discomfort, also referred to as angina.

Legs (Peripheral Arteries): Pain that occurs during walking (claudication), numbness, or non-healing sores.

Brain (Carotid Arteries): Slurred speech, numbness, or weakness—often stroke warning signs.

Feet and Toes: Burning, color changes, or chronic ulcers caused by inadequate circulation.

These symptoms indicate that one of the primary arteries has already experienced extensive narrowing or blockage. Early treatment and control are important to avert permanent damage.

Role of Inflammation and Lifestyle For Heart Damage

Chronic inflammation is a key contributor to the formation of atherosclerosis. Obesity, lack of exercise, and dietary factors cause chronic inflammation, which further accelerates arterial damage.

The diet rich in saturated and trans fats raises the level of LDL cholesterol, while fruits, vegetables, and fiber intake ensures your body has natural ant-inflammatory power.

How You Can Prevent This Life-Threatening Heart Condition?

Because atherosclerosis progresses silently, prevention is more important. Here's how you can regain control of your heart health:

1. Eat a Heart-Healthy Diet

Emphasize whole grains, leafy greens, berries, nuts, and healthy fats such as olive oil. Reduce your intake of processed foods, red meat, and sweetened drinks.

2. Exercise Regularly

Strive for at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise a week, including brisk walking, cycling, or swimming.

3. Quit Smoking

Smoking is one of the most significant risk factors. Quitting dramatically reduces the risk of arterial plaque buildup.

4. Manage Stress

Chronic stress can raise blood pressure and trigger inflammation. Practice mindfulness, yoga, or deep breathing techniques.

5. Monitor Blood Pressure and Cholesterol

Routine health checkups can help detect high cholesterol or hypertension early, allowing for timely intervention.

6. Control Blood Sugar

For individuals with diabetes or prediabetes, blood sugar control is essential to minimize inflammation and artery damage.

When to Seek Medical Help?

Even if you don't have symptoms, if you have several risk factors—like a history of heart disease in your family, smoking, or high cholesterol levels—it's crucial to see a healthcare professional. Tests for screening purposes such as cholesterol panels, blood pressure checks, and even coronary calcium scans can evaluate your risk.

"Overall, atherosclerosis is frequently unsuspect, progressive disease that can be severely damaging to cardiovascular health," cautions Dr. Paneendra. "Because symptoms only typically appear after widespread damage, early detection and prevention are critical."

Dr. Paneendra S is an Orthopedic Surgeon at Apollo Spectra Hospital, Bangalore in India

If it feels like the news cycle has become an emotional treadmill you can’t get off, you’re not alone. The sheer volume of distressing headlines—from war zones to natural disasters, political unrest to climate collapse—can make staying informed feel like an endurance test. And yet, turning away often feels impossible. For many, following the news is more than a habit; it’s a moral choice. So how do you stay connected to what matters without spiraling into anxiety or hopelessness?

Human brains are hardwired to prioritize threats. This survival mechanism means we’re naturally drawn to negative news—but it also makes us vulnerable to the mental and physical consequences of repeated exposure. Doomscrolling, the habit of endlessly consuming grim headlines, can lead to anxiety, fatigue, irritability, trouble sleeping, and even symptoms similar to post-traumatic stress.

Graphic images and videos shared on social media often carry more emotional weight than traditional reporting. While TV and print journalism tend to follow editorial standards, your social feed delivers raw, sometimes disturbing content with little filter. And research shows the psychological impact can be significant.

Even knowing the risks, many people feel compelled to stay plugged in. If your loved ones are in a conflict zone, if your identity is linked to ongoing social issues, or if you simply feel that tuning out would be irresponsible—these are all valid reasons to follow the news. But here's the thing: the line between responsible consumption and emotional overload can be thin.

What Mindful News Consumption Actually Looks Like?

Instead of attempting to detox entirely from the news (which isn’t always realistic), experts recommend learning to engage with it mindfully. That means paying close attention to your motivations, your emotional responses, and your mental bandwidth before, during, and after consuming news. Here’s how to start:

Pause first. Take a few deep breaths and check in with yourself. Are you already anxious or overstimulated? Are you opening the news app to learn something specific or just out of habit?

Notice your reactions. While reading or watching, ask: How is this making me feel physically and emotionally? Are my shoulders tense? Is my heart racing? Are my thoughts spiraling?

Process, don’t just scroll. After a news session, take time to reflect. Did you learn something useful? Did it change your perspective? Do you feel informed, or just drained?

Even small moments of self-awareness can help you regain a sense of control over what and how you consume.

Red Flags That It’s Time to Step Back

Sometimes, the signs that news consumption is affecting your mental health can sneak up on you. Watch out for:

• Obsessively checking news updates
• Difficulty sleeping
• Fatigue or mental fog
• Feeling hopeless or overly irritable
• Digestive issues or physical tension
• Emotional swings, panic shopping, or impulsive behavior

What To Do When the News Is Too Much?

If you’re feeling saturated by the weight of current events, take a break. That might mean muting notifications for an hour, deleting social media apps for a weekend, or creating clear boundaries (no news after 7 p.m., for example).

Then reconnect with your body and environment. Activities that require your hands or physical movement can be grounding: gardening, baking, walking outside, even tidying up a messy drawer.

Connecting with others can help too. Whether it's through conversation, humor, or shared silence, human connection can buffer the effects of emotional overwhelm.

And if your distress is interfering with your work, relationships, or daily functioning, it’s time to talk to a mental health professional.

Stay Informed Without Losing Yourself

You don’t have to choose between ignorance and overwhelm. It’s possible—and necessary—to find a middle path.

Set intentional limits: Check the news once or twice a day, from a trusted source. Avoid doomscrolling before bed. Be selective with your exposure, especially to graphic content.

And remember, staying informed is important, but staying regulated is essential. You are more capable of helping others and engaging in meaningful change when you’re not running on emotional fumes. News doesn’t have to wreck your day. With a bit of awareness, you can learn to read the world without losing yourself in the headlines.