Yoga is the oldest form of exercise and traces its roots back to ancient India. The word "yoga" comes from the Sanskrit word "yuj," which means "to yoke" or "to bind." This form of exercise not only incorporates physical postures (asanas) and breathing techniques (pranayama) but also involves meditation, resulting in holistic benefits. While yoga is known to aid weight loss and strengthen lungs, recent research has discovered its amazing benefits for sexual health.

How Does Yoga Benefit Sexual Health?

Improving Mindfulness And Mental Health

Yoga helps individuals become more mindful, present, and aware of their bodies. A 2018 article suggests that mindfulness—focusing on the present moment without judgment—can lead to positive sexual outcomes, such as enhanced sexual satisfaction for both individuals and their partners. According to a 2020 clinical trial, yoga and mindfulness may help reduce stress and anxiety, which are known to lower libido and sexual satisfaction.

Managing Premature Ejaculation

Yoga is an effective and safe method for managing premature ejaculation. Benefits may include improved pelvic and perineal muscle strength, better blood circulation, stronger penile muscle contractions, increased sexual stamina, and better arousal control. Yoga may also help alleviate stress, anxiety, and depression, which can contribute to premature ejaculation. However, more research is needed to fully understand yoga's role in managing male sexual dysfunction.

A study published in Cureus in 2024, found that yoga interventions are more effective in managing premature ejaculations and erectile dysfunction, with a greater emphasis on the former. Yoga is an effective, safe, and affordable approach recommended for managing erectile functions and premature ejaculations. As per researchers, men can improve their quality of life and regain confidence in sexual functioning by incorporating yoga into their routines.

Improving Sexual Function

The same 2024 review highlights that yoga may assist with erectile dysfunction, although further studies are required. Another 2024 review involving 730 adults found a slight improvement in sexual function linked to yoga, though the evidence is considered low quality and potentially biased. More research is needed to understand the full scope of yoga's impact on sexual function.

Addressing Other Health Conditions

Yoga has benefits for pain-related conditions, including neck pain, lower back pain, headaches, and knee osteoarthritis. A 2023 study suggests that chronic pain can lead to sexual dysfunction, such as low satisfaction and decreased interest in sex. Addressing these pain-related issues through yoga may, therefore, improve sexual function as well.

Boosting Self-Esteem

A 2023 study involving 18 adults found that yoga improved participants' body image, physical self-esteem, and sense of pride. Similarly, a 2024 study of 592 married women in Iran found a significant link between self-esteem and sexual function. Those with higher self-esteem experienced less anxiety and fear during sex, potentially improving sexual satisfaction. However, no research specifically links yoga with self-esteem and sexual function.

Tantric Sex

Tantric sex focuses on connecting with one's energy, including sexual energy, to achieve both physical and spiritual awareness. This practice is thought to improve self-understanding, increase sexual satisfaction, and deepen the bond between partners.

Obesity is not just about how waist size or BMI, but it’s now reshaping the kinds of injuries patients are coming to orthopedic clinics. According to Dr. Rakesh Mattoo, Director of Orthopedics & Joint Replacement at Max Smart Super Speciality Hospital, Saket, the link between weight gain and joint degeneration is now impossible to ignore. “In India, cases of obesity-related osteoarthritis have increased by 30–35 percent over the last ten years, especially in urban areas,” he explains.

Orthopedic surgeons are seeing the consequences every day. “Approximately 55–60% of our knee replacement patients are now overweight or obese, up from about 35–40% a decade ago,” Dr. Mattoo shares. A similar pattern exists with hip replacements: obesity now accounts for nearly 28–30% of those cases, compared with 15% in 2010. The physics behind this trend are sobering, studies show that “every 5 kg of extra weight increases the load on the knees by approximately 15–20 kg,” accelerating cartilage wear and hastening surgical intervention.

What Is Happening In India?

These clinical numbers reflect a far larger population trend. India’s burden of obesity has been rising steadily for decades. In 2022, around 70 million adults in India were classified as obese, including 44 million women and 26 million men, according to data published in The Lancet. This marks a sharp rise from the early 1990s, when obesity rates were much lower. Overall, obesity prevalence climbed from 1.2% to 9.8% in women and 0.5% to 5.4% in men between 1990 and 2022. Additionally, overweight and obesity together affect nearly one in four Indian adults, nearly 24% of women and 23% of men aged 15–49, and even children are showing increases in overweight prevalence.

It’s not just body weight that matters, but where fat is stored. Central abdominal fat, that stubborn belly, is one of the greatest predictors of early joint degeneration, says Dr. Mattoo. And certain groups are at especially high risk: women (particularly post-menopausal), people with prior knee injuries, those with family histories of osteoarthritis, and individuals leading sedentary lives. Conditions like diabetes, hypothyroidism, and metabolic syndrome also create a kind of chronic internal inflammation that accelerates cartilage breakdown.

How Can You Stay Safe?

So what can someone do to protect their joints before they reach the operating table? Dr. Mattoo emphasizes realistic, sustainable steps:

Keep weight in check: Even losing 5–10% of body weight can significantly ease stress on knees and slow osteoarthritis progression.

Build strength: Strengthening the muscles around the thigh, hip, and knee, along with the core, helps distribute load and protect joints. Moderate, low-impact activities like walking, cycling, or swimming are far kinder to joints than high-impact exercise.

Eat smart: “Choose joint-friendly nutrition,” he urges, including foods rich in omega-3s, calcium, vitamin D, and protein, all essential for healthy muscle and cartilage.

Don’t rush into high-impact activity: Running, jumping, or poorly executed gym movements may feel energizing but can do more harm than good if your body isn’t prepared.

Get routine screening: Annual check-ups — including BMI, vitamin D levels, blood glucose, and lipid profiles — catch early risk factors so that preventive measures can be taken.

Looking at younger adults, building strong musculature between ages 20–35 isn’t vanity — it’s protection. Dr. Mattoo points out that muscle mass helps slow degenerative joint changes over decades. Simple habits like walking 6,000–10,000 steps a day, practicing correct posture, and avoiding harmful sitting patterns or lifting techniques go a long way.

With air pollution keeping many indoors, lifestyle changes have to adapt. Structured home workouts like resistance bands, yoga, or bodyweight exercises can mimic outdoor benefits. Even small changes — standing desks, walk-and-talk phone calls, frequent stretch breaks — increase daily calorie burn and reduce sedentary strain.

The rising tide of obesity isn’t just a statistic; it’s now manifesting in the everyday pain and movement limitations of millions of Indians. But as Dr. Mattoo reminds us, “It’s never too early or too late to make changes that protect your joints and your future mobility.”

Aging brings a shift in how the body functions. Metabolism slows down, hormones fluctuate, and the risk of conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, joint problems, and bone loss begins to rise. Health experts often describe the 40s as a turning point, a decade where prevention matters more than ever. According to US-based longevity doctor Dr Vassily Eliopoulos, many habits that feel harmless in one’s 20s and 30s begin to show their impact sharply after the age of 40.

In a recent Instagram post, Dr Eliopoulos highlighted five things people should stop doing immediately if they want to protect their long-term health. He wrote that this is the decade to take muscle health seriously, make sleep a priority, and let go of small daily habits that quietly speed up aging. He added that the choices made in the 40s decide how well the body functions in the 50s, 60s, and 70s because preventing damage is always easier than trying to repair it later.

Stop cutting back on sleep

Sleep becomes crucial in the 40s because the body needs more time to repair itself. Dr Eliopoulos explains that adults between 40 and 60 require seven to nine hours of sleep every night to maintain hormone balance, protect cognitive function, and support metabolism. Even losing a single hour can make a difference. Research shows the risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and faster brain aging rises for every hour of sleep below the seven-hour mark. Chronic lack of sleep also encourages fat storage around the abdomen, weakens the immune system, and slows recovery after daily activities.

Simple habits such as keeping the room dark and cool, avoiding late-night screen time, and sticking to a regular sleep schedule can make sleep more restorative. Dr Eliopoulos describes good sleep as a free nightly hormone reset.

Stop neglecting strength training

Muscle loss is one of the most predictable changes after 40. According to Dr Eliopoulos, adults lose three to eight percent of their muscle mass each decade unless they actively work against it. Resistance training two to four times a week can slow this decline dramatically.

Strength work helps maintain bone density, improves insulin sensitivity, and builds lean muscle. Exercises such as squats, push-ups, weightlifting, or using resistance bands increase stability, balance, and overall metabolic rate. Studies also show that middle-aged adults build strength more efficiently with resistance training than relying on cardio alone.

Stop relying on highly processed foods

Packaged snacks, sugary drinks, instant meals, and ultra-processed foods can have a much bigger impact in midlife. More than half of adults over 40 struggle with obesity linked to these foods. They cause sudden spikes in blood sugar and promote inflammation, raising the risk of heart failure. These foods also lack fibre, which affects gut health and increases the risk of colon cancer. Brain health is not spared either, with several studies linking diets high in processed food to faster cognitive decline.

Switching to whole foods such as fruit, nuts, vegetables, and yoghurt can help stabilise energy levels and reduce the risk of diabetes. Reading labels to avoid additives and hidden sugars is an important habit at this stage.

Stop delaying routine health tests

Once a person enters their 40s, regular health screenings become essential. Many conditions, including high cholesterol, prediabetes, thyroid disorders, and vitamin deficiencies, develop silently. Monitoring levels such as A1C, lipid profiles, thyroid markers, and vitamin D helps detect issues early, allowing interventions before symptoms show up. Avoiding tests often means missing warning signs until fatigue, pain, or more serious complications appear.

Stop letting stress build up

Stress hits harder in the 40s because the body becomes more sensitive to cortisol. Continuous stress can raise blood pressure, increase inflammation, affect memory, and contribute to anxiety. Long-term stress even accelerates cellular aging and can push biological age forward by several years. When paired with poor sleep or unhealthy eating, stress significantly increases the risk of stroke.

Dr Eliopoulos recommends daily breathing exercises, regular walks, and simple meditation practices to help reduce stress and protect long-term health.

Disclaimer: Please note that this is a user-generated content. Health and Me does not encourage any changes to be made in your daily schedule without consulting your doctor.

A New York City teacher Pedro Soto, 56, who teachers at the Manhattan school had a simple sore throat and he believed it was from a viral infection, but it soon turned out to be type 2 diabetes.

This was in April 2024, when he went to his doctor with the complaint of a sore throat and took a blood test. This is when he was "officially diagnosed with type 2 diabetes".

In an interview with PEOPLE, he tells while the doctor recommended medications for him, he was determined to make a lifestyle change first. "After receiving the news, I chose not to start medication right away. Instead, I committed to exercising, running twice a week and improving my diet."

Turns out, running, changed his life.

Running With Diabetes: Soto's Determination To Change His Life(style)

Pedro Soto first considered running the TCS NYC Marathon after a colleague mentioned that her husband had completed it. Motivated, he applied through a special program for teachers, sharing an essay about his type 2 diabetes diagnosis. His story earned him a spot on the team. As he trained, he closely monitored his health, undergoing regular blood tests every three months. The improvement surprised him. His blood sugar levels, once concerning, gradually returned to the normal range. While type 2 diabetes cannot be fully cured, it can be reversed, and Soto was seeing that transformation firsthand.

Training Through The Tough Times

The marathon was scheduled for November 2, 2025. Soto’s training, however, didn’t begin smoothly. In June, he learned he had Lyme disease. Around the same time, he lost his father. Because of these back-to-back challenges, he wasn't able to train consistently until August. Running soon became more than exercise. It became a way to navigate grief and rebuild strength.

He describes those months as emotionally heavy. Running offered him space to reflect, heal, and feel close to his father. It became a ritual that allowed him to confront his feelings rather than avoid them.

Experiencing the Race

To prepare mentally, Soto dove into YouTube videos and articles about the marathon. Still, nothing compared to the real thing. To him, race day felt like a citywide block party. The cheering crowds, music, and energy made the pain more bearable. He said that although the long hours of pounding take a toll on joints and muscles, the city's encouragement kept pushing him forward.

Finding Strength in His Students

The toughest stretch came in the final six miles, when self-doubt crept in. What kept him going was thinking about his students. Soto works with teenagers in a transfer program, many of whom have struggled in traditional school systems. Their perseverance inspired him. If his students could show up every day despite their challenges, he believed he could finish the race.

He says he is taking care of his health and this itself is an act of commitment to his students. Whenever he feels healthier, he shows up as a strong educator and for him the marathon teaches him the importance one needs in life of balance, self-care, and knowing when to put themselves first.