Many people mistake deadlifts to be just for show and believe it does not have many benefits. However, a well done deadlift has many positives, including lower back strength and less pain. In a study published in the Journal of Sport Rehabilitation, researchers explain that exercise programs including deadlifts are a clinically effective option for treating low back pain, showing improvements in both pain scores and functional outcomes. It is one of the most difficult and dangerous form of strength training, it can cause injuries if not done right.

So, paying close attention to initial steps can help you not only do a good job, but also not get injured while doing them. Before you start focusing on the finer points of the deadlift, it’s really important to get the basics right. Like any other sports basics play a very important role, as without them you cannot learn the advance techniques. Mastering the initial steps help you build a stronger foundation for your future deadlift personal records (PR). You must understand how to set up, grip the bar, and position your body correctly. These fundamentals are what you’ll build on as you get stronger and more skilled. By making sure you learn all these basics you will not only ensure that you steadily build your strength, but you also ensure that you do not get hurt.

Key Components Of A Good Deadlift

To overcome these hurdles and enhance your deadlift, you must focus on your form and your initial strength. Do not start with a weight you cannot do, you must start with a low weight and slowly ease into heavier weights. There are many benefits to deadlifting if you do it properly as well. You may need to tweak a few things here and there but refining your deadlift technique not only enhances your lifting capacity and progress but also significantly reduces injury risk, improves daily functionality, and aids in rehabilitation, particularly for lower back pain. Here are some important components of deadlifting.

Core Stability

Keeping your core strong and stable is super important for a safe deadlift. This means learning how to breathe and brace properly. When you breathe into your belly, it helps to keep your spine in a safe position. Imagine your core as a soda can – you want it to be firm and strong, not easily crushed. Taking a deep breath into your stomach and tightening those muscles will give you the support you need. Also, don’t forget to take the slack out of the bar. This means pulling the bar up slightly before you lift, so it’s tight and ready to go. Doing these things will help you lift heavier weights without hurting your back.

Muscle Engagement

To lift the weight correctly, you need to use more than just your back. Engaging your lats, the muscles in your upper back, helps to keep the bar close to your body and makes the lift more efficient. Think about pulling your shoulder blades down and back, and try to keep your chest up. Also, make sure you’re using your legs and glutes. This means pushing through your feet and keeping your hips in the right position. Imagine you’re trying to spread the floor apart with your feet. Using your whole foot and pushing your hips back will help you lift more weight and keep your lower back safe. It’s all about using the right muscles at the right time.

Advanced Techniques

If you want to get even better at deadlifting, you can try different variations of the lift. This means changing things like the speed of the lift, pausing at certain points, or using different heights. You can also use things like bands and chains to make the lift harder. These variations help you work on specific weaknesses and make you stronger overall. Also, doing accessory exercises can help you build strength in the muscles that are important for deadlifting. This includes things like rows, hip thrusts, and farmer's carries. These exercises help you build a well-rounded strength base, which will lead to better deadlifts and less risk of injury.

What is an exercise that not only needs minimal equipment, but is also the most accessible for everyone, no matter how young or old they are? It is walking. Not just by fitness coaches, but also healthcare professionals, walking is regarded as one of the best ways to stay fit and healthy.

If you are looking to lose weight, but are worried about committing to a gym membership that you may not be able to finish, then you do not need to worry about elaborate home workouts, all you need is a pair of shoes and time to take a powerful stroll. But did you know, you could maximize this time and make your walking more efficient? Not only will this allow you to make the most of your time, but it will also help you lose weight easier?

According to fitness coach Dan Go, you can make your walks far more effective. He's developed a set of simple "cheat codes" that can help you burn more fat, significantly boost your energy levels, and even add years to your life. It's often seen as a simple, low-impact activity, that is easy to adjust to your levels of fitness. These small adjustments to your walking routine can lead to truly massive results.

7 Walking Tricks To Help You Lose Weight

Japanese Interval Walking

Forget boring, steady walks. This method involves a powerful rhythm: walk fast for three minutes, then slow for three minutes. Repeat this for 30 minutes. This style of walking is scientifically proven to burn more fat and significantly boost your fitness more effectively than a constant pace.

Walk on an Incline

Adding an incline to your walk, either on a treadmill or a hill, dramatically increases your calorie burn. A 5% incline can boost your burn by 50%, and a 10% incline can double it. It’s also gentler on your joints and works your glutes and hips more.

Walk After Meals

Just a short 2-5 minute walk after eating can make a huge difference. This simple habit helps lower blood sugar spikes by about 30%, which means you'll have fewer cravings, steadier energy, and your body will be less likely to store fat.

Try a Fasted Morning Walk

Walk before you have breakfast. When you walk on an empty stomach, your body is more likely to use stored fat for energy. Doing this outside also helps set your natural body clock and gives you a refreshing boost to start your day.

Walk While You Work

For those with a busy schedule, a treadmill desk is a fantastic solution. You can get in thousands of steps while you're at your standing desk. This lets you multitask and be active during meetings or while you're working on tasks.

Pyramid Walking Intervals

This method is a great way to improve endurance and burn fat. Start with an easy 5-minute warm-up, then gradually increase your speed and incline every 10 minutes. Finish with a four-minute push at your toughest pace before a cooldown.

Rucking

Turn your walk into a full-body workout by wearing a backpack with 5-10% of your body weight. This simple addition helps you burn more calories, while also strengthening your legs, core, and bones simultaneously for a more challenging and effective walk.

If staying sharp as you grow older is the goal, skipping leg day may not be the best idea. New findings suggest that your brain could benefit just as much as your body from squats and lunges.

A long-term study, first published in Gerontology by Karger Publishers, tracked older female twins for ten years to explore the link between leg strength and cognitive health. The results were clear: participants with stronger legs at the beginning of the study experienced far slower cognitive decline than those with weaker leg muscles.

To understand this connection better, we spoke with Dr. Indramani Upadhyay, MPT (Ortho), HOD – The Center for Knee & Hip Care, Vaishali, Ghaziabad, who shared his insights on the subject.

The Leg–Brain Connection

When we think about keeping the mind sharp, the usual suggestions include solving puzzles, reading, or practicing meditation. Yet growing research shows that one of the strongest ways to support brain health actually starts with the legs. As per Dr Upadhyay, strong leg muscles do more than keep us steady, they play a vital role in protecting memory, learning, and overall cognitive function.

Because the leg muscles are the largest in the body, every time they are put to work they send powerful signals that influence brain chemistry, circulation, and even the growth of new cells. Studies highlight several key benefits:

• Better blood flow: Leg-focused exercises improve circulation, delivering oxygen and nutrients the brain relies on.
• Myokine release: Contracting muscles release proteins known as myokines, which travel through the bloodstream and support nerve health and brain adaptability.
• Neurogenesis boost: Weight-bearing moves like squats and lunges may encourage the growth of new neurons in the hippocampus, the region responsible for memory and learning.
• Stress balance: Physical activity in the legs helps regulate hormones, easing inflammation and reducing stress—two major factors linked to cognitive decline.

Which Leg Exercises Boost Brain Health?

Dr Indramani explains that keeping your legs active does far more than build strength or tone muscles, it also supports brain health. Here are some of the most effective exercises:

1. Strength Training (Squats, Lunges, Step-Ups)

Movements that use your body weight or added resistance work the largest muscle groups in the legs. These exercises not only build muscle and protect bone health, but they also trigger the release of growth factors that sharpen memory and learning.

2. Walking and Jogging

Brisk walking or light jogging are simple yet powerful ways to improve cardiovascular fitness. Better circulation means more oxygen-rich blood reaches the brain. Walking outdoors adds even more value by lowering stress and boosting focus.

3. Cycling

Whether on a road bike or a stationary one, pedaling engages the legs continuously, keeping endurance and blood flow steady. Research links cycling to better reaction times, sharper executive function, and a lower risk of age-related cognitive decline.

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4. Yoga Poses (Tree, Chair, Warrior Stances)

Balance-focused yoga postures recruit the legs while also improving flexibility and coordination. This mindful movement helps ease anxiety, sharpen concentration, and strengthen the mind-body connection.

Putting It All Together

The most effective routine is a balanced one: strength training two to three times a week, daily walking or cycling, and yoga for flexibility and balance. Together, they create a foundation that protects both body and brain.

Your legs are more than just a means of movement. They are engines that power your mental resilience. Keeping them strong is an investment not only in mobility but also in memory, focus, and long-term brain health.

Cancer affects millions of people worldwide. No matter how careful you are or how healthily you live, cancer may catch you with you sooner or later. Breast cancer is the one of the leading causes of death in women and it was estimated to have caused 670,000 deaths globally and it also the most unpredictable. While there has been research done on it, according to the World Health Organization, half of the breast cancer occurs in women with no specific risk factor other than sex and age.

However, rehabilitation is also very possible, and many people have beaten the odds by surviving breast cancer. When someone goes into cancer remission, they are given some specific treatments so that the cancer does not come back. However, many times it is not as effective.

To find out better ways to keep cancer away, researchers looked into exercising, and focused one fitness program that could prove useful.

The August 2025 study, published in Breast Cancer Research and Treatment journal, suggests that exercising may directly help suppress the growth of breast cancer cells. The research involved 32 women who'd survived breast cancer and found that a single session of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) or weightlifting changed their body's chemistry.

Afterward, their blood contained higher levels of certain molecules that helped put the brakes on laboratory-grown breast cancer cells. This research adds to growing evidence that exercise is a powerful tool for cancer survivors.

How Exercise Works Against Cancer

For years, doctors have known that cancer survivors who exercise are less likely to have their cancer return. This new study helps explain why. When we use our muscles, they release special hormones and biochemicals called myokines into our bloodstream. These myokines are believed to be the body’s natural cancer fighters. In the study, blood taken from the women after they exercised was added to live cancer cells in a lab. The results were clear: the blood from both groups reduced cancer cell growth by 19% to 29%.

What Kind of Exercise is Best For Breast Cancer?

The study compared two types of workouts: HIIT and weightlifting. Both helped, but the blood from the women who did HIIT had a greater effect on the cancer cells, reducing their growth more significantly. This suggests that more strenuous, high-intensity workouts may be more effective at releasing the beneficial myokines, especially a key protein called IL-6. The study found that IL-6 levels were significantly higher in the HIIT group immediately after their workout.

This research has major implications for how we view exercise. It’s no longer just a "nice thing to do" to feel better; it's increasingly being recognized as a powerful tool in cancer treatment. The study's authors believe exercise could be a "first-line treatment" in its own right, alongside traditional therapies like chemotherapy and radiation. If you are a cancer survivor, you should talk to your oncologist before starting a new workout routine, but this study offers a hopeful message that working out can be a simple, accessible, and effective way to improve your health and cut the risk of cancer returning.