Like many people, I often struggle to complete my daily steps. After spending hours at my desk, the thought of changing, driving to the gym, and working out feels exhausting. Instead, I often find myself back on the couch, binge-watching the latest shows. And I know I’m not alone.

Research indicates that 10,000 steps is an arbitrary number. In fact, taking as few as 2,000 steps daily has been associated with lower mortality rates. However, movement is crucial for overall health. A growing concern among Americans is a lack of physical activity—one in four adults sits for more than eight hours daily, and nearly half of this group does not engage in any exercise. Fortunately, a new fitness trend is helping people stay active without requiring a major time commitment: the mini stepper.

How Does a Mini Stepper Work?

A mini stepper is a compact fitness device that mimics the motion of climbing stairs using two-foot pedals. It is a hybrid between a stair stepper and an elliptical because it has an elliptical-type gliding motion but in miniature form. Its compact size makes this gadget an affordable option without taking up too much space in the house."

This gym apparatus primarily targets the lower body along with core muscles by requiring users to maintain an upright position while in motion. Swinging the arms creates a natural walking or running gait that works out the upper body as well. Many mini steppers also include resistance bands that allow users to engage their upper body muscles through bicep curls, arm presses, and lateral raises.

Health Benefits Of Mini Stepper

Along with encouraging movement, the mini stepper supports cardiovascular health by increasing heart rate, which strengthens the heart muscle and improves circulation. It also promotes bone strength, as stepping is a weight-bearing exercise that engages joints and muscles against gravity.

For those aiming for weight loss, the mini stepper can help burn calories and serve as a starting point for sedentary individuals. However, she emphasized that shedding pounds depends on consistency and maintaining a calorie deficit—burning more calories than consumed.

Beyond physical health, a mini stepper can offer mental health benefits. A short session can instantly boost mood, increase energy, and improve sleep quality. It can also boost self-image.

Downsides Of Mini Stepper

Like any exercise equipment, the mini stepper has some limitations. First, it requires users to maintain an upright standing position while stepping up and down, which may be challenging for individuals with balance issues. For older adults or those with coordination difficulties, a mini stepper may not be the best tool. I would recommend an exercise machine with handlebars for stability to prevent falls.

Additionally, mini steppers have a short stroke cycle, meaning they offer a smaller range of motion compared to full-size stair climbers. While they increase daily step count, these activity trackers may not always register these steps accurately.

Finally, while the mini stepper strengthens leg muscles, it does not significantly target the glutes. Experts have explained that full glute activation requires the hip joint to flex at a 90-degree angle, similar to sitting down in a chair. Mini steppers, however, only allow for a 15- to 30-degree hip bend. Unless you are lifting your leg high so your thigh is parallel to the floor and pushing all the way down, you’re not fully activating the glutes.

Miami Dolphin's Tyreek Hill's season came to a sudden end on Monday night, when his knee became badly twisted shortly after he made a catch near the sideline. The coach Mike McDaniel confirmed that Hill was diagnosed with a dislocated knee and had to be in hospital overnight.

An air cast was also placed over his leg, which was taken off the field on cart. He was then taken to a nearby hospital, and kept for "imaging, evaluation, and observation".

McDaniel said, "He immediately had wide eyes and was talking, 'I'm good, just make sure the guys get this win.' He was focused on the team."

As of now, Hill will be undergoing an MRI exam and a CT scan. His agent Drew Rosenhaus told WSVN that he is being checked for any torn ligaments, cartilage, broken bones or nerve damage.

Associated Press has reported that Hill ha been taken off field for left knee dislocation.

What Happens In A Knee Dislocation?

As per the National Institute of Health, US, a knee dislocation is a potentially devastating injury and is often a surgical emergency. Knee dislocations comprise ligamentous, bony, and neurovascular injuries that, when unrecognized, significantly increase the risk of amputation of the affected limb. Even dislocations that spontaneously reduce before evaluation by a healthcare professional carry the risk of significant neurovascular injury.

Delayed diagnosis and management of knee dislocations increases the risk of long-term arthrofibrosis and joint instability. While most dislocated knees never fully return to their pre-injury state, timely and accurate diagnosis paired with prompt intervention can significantly improve outcomes for patients with this potentially complex orthopedic injury.

Common Leg Injuries In Football

As per the Southern Pain and Neurological Clinic, football is one of the most dangerous contact sports in the United States, this is also a reason why players wear layers of protective clothing and equipment.

According to the National Library of Medicine, the most common injury types in football include strains at 40%, contusions at 25%, dislocations at 15%, fractures at 10%, and concussions at 5%.

Read: 21-year-old Billy Vigar Of Chichester City Dies Of Sustaining Brain Injury

Common Injuries Include:

Muscle Strains

This happens when a muscle or tendon is overstretched, mainly due to acceleration or deceleration. This injury is also known as pulled muscles and typically affects the lower back, hamstrings, or ankles.

Knee Ligament Injury

Ligaments connect bones in the body, and ligaments that connect the lower leg to the thigh bone are most susceptible to injuries in football.

There are four knee ligaments injuries that can happen:

• ACL or the Anterior cruciate ligament at the center of the knee
• PCL or the Posterior cruciate ligament at the center of the knee
• MCL or the Medial collateral ligament on the inside of the knee
• LCL or the Lateral collateral ligament on the outside of the knee

Among these, the most common knee ligament injury in football is the rapture of the ACL. This is because it is the ligament that controls the rotation of the shinbone and forward movement.

Achilles Tendonitis

This happens when the tendon linking the calf muscles to the heel becomes irritated or injured. This often results from intense or repetitive strain. The condition can cause sharp pain and, in severe cases, make it difficult or even impossible to walk, jump, or move the toes.

Hamstring Strains

This happens when a player over stretches while running, jumping, or in action. This happens with a sharp pain at the back of the thigh and in severe cases, a player may have a torn hamstring.

Your pelvic floor muscles do much more for your sexual health than most people realise. These deep muscles support the bladder, uterus, and bowel, but they also play a big part in pleasure, performance, and confidence during intimacy.

Whether you’re healing after childbirth, managing incontinence, or simply aiming to feel more connected with your body, training your pelvic floor is a natural way to improve sexual wellness.

What Is Pelvic Floor Exercise?

ALSO READ: Is It Safe To Have Sex With Heart Disease? Expert Tells 5 Things You Should Keep In Mind

Benefits of Pelvic Floor Exercise For Better Sexual Health

ALSO READ: Can A UTI Cause You Your Limbs? Explains Doctor

5 Pelvic Floor Exercises to Boost Sexual Health

1. Kegel Exercises

• Squeeze the muscles you use to stop urinating.
• Hold for 5 seconds, then relax for 5 seconds.
• Repeat 10–15 times, two to three times daily.

2. Bridge Pose

• Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat.
• Lift your hips upward while tightening your glutes and pelvic muscles.
• Hold briefly, then lower down.

3. Deep SquatsHow to do it:

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart.
• Lower into a deep squat, keeping your chest lifted.
• Engage your pelvic muscles as you come back up.

4. Bird-Dog

• Begin on your hands and knees.
• Extend your right arm and left leg at the same time.
• Hold, then switch sides.

5. Pelvic Tilts

• Lie on your back with your knees bent.
• Flatten your lower back into the floor by tilting your pelvis upward.
• Hold for a few seconds, then relax.

Football, the world’s most popular sport, may come with an invisible cost: brain health. While players are celebrated for their stamina, skill, and longevity on the pitch, research shows that elite footballers are more likely to develop dementia and related neurodegenerative diseases later in life compared with the general population.

The main factor? Heading the ball.

The Swedish Study: What It Found

A major cohort study, published in The Lancet Public Health in 2023, followed 6,007 male footballers who had played in Sweden’s top division between 1924 and 2019. Their health outcomes were compared with 56,168 men from the general population.

• 8.9% of footballers were diagnosed with a neurodegenerative disease versus 6.2% of controls.
• Footballers had a 1.46 times higher risk of developing these conditions.
• Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias were significantly higher among players, with a 62% increased risk.
• No increased risk was found for motor neuron disease.

Surprisingly, footballers had a lower risk of Parkinson’s disease.

But the most striking finding was the difference between player positions. Outfield players, who head the ball regularly, showed a 50% higher risk compared with the general population, while goalkeepers, who rarely head the ball, showed no significant increase in risk.

This position-based difference strongly suggests that repetitive head impacts, even those not causing concussions, play a central role in long-term brain health risks.

Confirming Earlier Evidence

These Swedish results echo a 2019 Scottish study published in The New England Journal of Medicine, which found that former professional footballers were 3.5 times more likely to die of neurodegenerative disease compared with controls. That study also highlighted that defenders, who head the ball most often, were at the greatest risk.

Together, these studies strengthen the link between heading the ball and higher dementia risk, adding to growing international concern about football’s long-term safety.

Also Read: 21-year-old Billy Vigar Of Chichester City Dies Of Sustaining Brain Injury

Why Football Differs From Other Sports

Sports like boxing, rugby, American football, and ice hockey are already well-known for head injury risks. However, football is unique because concussions are relatively rare (<0.1 events per 1,000 player-hours), yet players repeatedly use their heads to control and redirect the ball.

This creates frequent “sub-concussive impacts”, blows to the brain too mild to cause immediate symptoms but capable of triggering long-term neurodegenerative changes. Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a condition linked to repeated head trauma, has already been identified in athletes from other collision sports. Football’s heading tradition may be creating similar risks.

Changing the Game: Calls for Action

• Recognizing these risks, football associations have started to act.
• In the UK, heading is restricted in children’s training sessions.
• UEFA has issued guidelines limiting headers in youth football.
• In England, rules now cap the number of high-force headers in training for adult professionals.

Experts, however, stress that these measures may not be enough. Tara Spires-Jones, professor of neurodegeneration at the University of Edinburgh, noted that the stark difference between outfield players and goalkeepers reinforces the link between head impacts and dementia. She emphasized that while sports and physical activity overall reduce dementia risk, avoiding repetitive head injury is crucial for brain protection.

Has Modern Football Changed the Risk?

One question remains: do today’s footballers face the same level of risk as those who played in the mid-20th century?

The Swedish study noted that most players diagnosed with neurodegenerative disease had careers before the 1970s. Since then, major changes have reshaped the sport:

• Leather balls, which absorbed water and became heavier, have been replaced by lighter synthetic ones.
• Training methods, tactics, and playstyles have evolved, potentially reducing—or even increasing—head trauma exposure.
• The modern game involves far more matches and intense training, meaning players may head the ball more frequently over a lifetime.
• Researchers caution that the long-term risks for today’s players remain uncertain, and ongoing monitoring is essential.