Yoga is one of the best ways to ensure your body’s well-being. Whether you are trying to build muscle, increase your flexibility or relieve pain, yoga helps. The stretches and poses in yoga can help you work all your muscles as well as joints. One of the most popular ones are back exercises.

There are many reasons why your back may be hurting. With people spending more hours sitting on desks, whether it is for their jobs, studying etc. When you exercise your back, not only will you strengthen your back muscles, but you will also strengthen your core. Weak core muscles can also contribute to back pain during everyday activities. Medical experts agree that any exercise that strengthens the core is beneficial for lower back pain. While studies suggest yoga isn't significantly superior to other forms of exercise and stretching, it may offer long-lasting pain relief.

Downward-Facing Dog

This classic pose stretches and strengthens almost all muscles, relieving pressure on the spine and easing back tension. Start on hands and knees, lift knees off the floor, and raise your tailbone towards the ceiling, pressing into your hands. For a deeper lower back stretch, bend your knees and lengthen your tailbone upwards.

Child's Pose

Despite appearing restful, Child's Pose effectively stretches the back and hip muscles. It's also a great way to de-stress, especially before bed. Begin on hands and knees, bring big toes together, widen knees, and press hips back towards heels. Walk arms forward, resting forehead on a block, folded arms, or the mat, allowing shoulders to soften.

Reclined Half Pigeon

This variation of Pigeon Pose stretches the hip rotators and flexors. Tight hips can contribute to lower back pain, making this stretch beneficial. Lie on your back with bent knees, cross your left ankle over your right thigh, and thread your left arm through the leg triangle. Hold your right shin or hamstring with both hands, flex both feet, and hug legs towards your body, breathing into hips and lower back.

Triangle Pose

Triangle Pose effectively stretches both the hips and the spine. Facing the long edge of your mat, extend arms to a T and step feet wide. Turn your right toes to the top of the mat and angle your left foot slightly inward. Engage your core as you reach your right arm and torso forward, placing your right hand on the ground or a block outside your right ankle. Extend your left arm straight up, gazing towards your left thumb or straight ahead.

Cat-Cow Pose

Moving between Cat and Cow stretches the back muscles, lengthening and increasing the spine's flexibility. Start on hands and knees, aligning hands under shoulders and knees under hips. Tuck toes for stability and engage your lower abdomen. Inhale, relax your belly down, draw shoulder blades together to open your chest, and lift your gaze into Cow Pose. Exhale, arch your back into Cat Pose, pressing the ground away and tucking your chin to your chest.

Standing Forward Bend

This pose stretches the hamstrings and back muscles. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and knees loose. Exhale as you hinge at your waist and bend forward, reaching towards the floor. Bending your knees helps lengthen the lower back and deepen the stretch in the legs. Hold for 10 to 20 breaths and repeat as needed.

Low Cobra

Low Cobra helps strengthen the back muscles, promoting healthy lower back alignment and body awareness. Lie on your stomach with forehead on the mat, slide palms back to align thumbs with lowest ribs, and press down through the tops of your feet. Inhale, engage your back body, and curl your chest up, pressing palms into the mat and drawing shoulder blades down and in. Hold for one to five breaths and repeat two to three times.

For years, the definition for a "good" cardio session was simple- the more intense, the better. From sprinting to spinning classes, and lately, the HIIT workout, the fitness culture has always emphasized intensity over endurance. But a quiet revolution is brewing—one that's rewriting old notions about endurance, recovery, and performance. It's referred to as Jeffing, and it's nothing new—but its science-supported advantages are catching on with a fresh generation of runners, recreational athletes, and even endurance experts who want to train smarter, not harder.

Created by retired Olympian Jeff Galloway, Jeffing is a formal run-walk system intended to increase endurance, lower the threat of injury, and improve overall running performance. And yet, ironically, despite its effectiveness, the system is seen to feature prominently in marathon training programs, trail running, and even ultra-endurance events. As we redefine good cardio in an age more attentive to burnout and overtraining, Jeffing provides something revolutionary: permission to slow down—to go further.

So why is this hybrid strategy catching on now? And might Jeffing be the sustainable cardio solution that HIIT was never designed to be?

What Is Jeffing?

Named after American Olympian Jeff Galloway, Jeffing is a run-walk approach intended to make running easier, more enjoyable, and surprisingly, more efficient. Galloway, who ran in the 1972 Olympics and has a personal best of 28 minutes in the 10k, came up with this technique to prevent runners from getting injured, keep their stamina, and actually enjoy the experience.

Rather than forcing through tiredness until your posture breaks or you're put out by injury, Jeffing provides for walking breaks at intervals to reboot your muscles and your breathing—offering a perfect approach for newcomers and experienced runners alike.

Let's dispel the myth first: Jeffing does not equate to "quitting" running or compromising on a less efficient workout. Actually, walk-run intervals are an established training mechanism in endurance sports. Trail runners, ultramarathoners, and even top athletes make regular use of walk breaks—particularly when they are running long distances or tackling hills.

No matter if you're training couch to 5K or just training for the next marathon personal record, Jeffing allows you to control heart rate, fine-tune respiratory patterns, and alleviate joint impact but still achieve cardiovascular and muscle training benefits. Intervals at your service , smarter and easier.

One study, reported in the Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, compared finishers of marathons who employed the run-walk technique with those who ran non-stop. The outcome was dramatic: Jeffers finished the 26.2-mile marathon in essentially the same amount of time as conventional runners (times were 4:14–4:34 for Jeffers vs. 4:07–4:34 for runners).

But here's the kicker—Jeffers reported significantly less muscle pain and fatigue afterward. For anyone concerned about injury prevention or longevity in their running journey, this benefit is hard to ignore.

How Jeffing Works?

Running for long durations is demoralizing—particularly for beginners. The thought of hammering the road continuously for 30, 60, or even 90 minutes is daunting to most. Jeffing eliminates that mental block by incorporating scheduled rest. If your mind is aware that a break is only minutes away, you are more likely to remain excited and plow through the exertion.

Physiologically, walk breaks permit muscles to recover without sacrificing forward motion, decrease total fatigue, and prevent the sort of overuse injuries that befall so many runners. The tactic also provides your cardiovascular system with a break to readjust, enabling more effective energy utilization over greater distances.

How to Start Jeffing?

Starting with Jeffing is remarkably easy—and highly customizable. You can base your run-walk intervals on either time or distance, depending on your goals and fitness level. Here are some popular beginner-friendly examples:

• Run 2 minutes, walk 30 seconds
• Run 1 km, walk 1 minute
• Run 4 minutes, walk 1 minute
• Run 400m, walk 100m

Whether you use a running watch with interval notices or just make timers on your phone, consistency is the rule. And one more thing: Don't delay walking until you're exhausted. Integrate walk breaks from the very start of your exercise to get the maximum benefit.

One of the standout features of Jeffing is its adaptability. Beginners can use it to gradually build endurance, reducing the risk of burnout or discouragement. For advanced runners, Jeffing is a strategic way to tackle longer distances, increase weekly mileage, or recover between high-intensity sessions.

For instance, a person preparing to run a marathon may begin with a 1-minute run/1-minute walk plan, gradually increasing longer run intervals in the process. Ultimately, you might work towards running most of the race while continuing to include strategic walks on hills or at aid stations.

Jeffing vs. HIIT

So how does Jeffing compare to high-octane routines such as HIIT? The reality is, they're not competing. HIIT is great at increasing anaerobic capacity and metabolic rate in short, intense bursts. Jeffing, conversely, prioritizes endurance, joint health, and mental sustainability.

Actually, most runners find that a hybrid system is beneficial—HIIT for brief, intense workouts during the week, and Jeffing for weekend long runs that build endurance and cardiovascular capacity. Whether you're preparing for your first 5K or your fifth ultra-marathon, Jeffing is a science-supported, accessible, and fun way to achieve success.

While we laud our core strength, leg muscles, as well as our back, for keeping us upright and stable, the role our ankles play is often overlooked. Not only do they keep us stable, but they also reduce the risk of injuries, strong ankles mean better athletic abilities, shock absorption and overall balance.

If you are already worried about weak ankles and feeling unstable in your foundation, picking up a sport or exercises like strength training may not be a good idea. These things can lead your ankles to feel worse. So, to better your ankle health, you need a low impact exercise that is easy on movements but can help you get stronger. Here is where yoga comes into play. Yoga offers low-impact exercises that focus more on flow and movement. There are no movements that require you to jerk your joints or put too much pressure on them.

How Yoga Benefits Your Ankles

Yoga focuses on feet health, helps build the muscles strength present in them. These poses are done in a way that stretches the tight muscles, preventing any imbalances. When you are doing deep stretches, they help improve the blood flow to your feet and ankle. This relieves pain, reduces swelling as well as promoting faster healing. Here are some poses you should try.

Mountain Pose (Tadasana)

Begin by standing tall with your feet positioned hip-width apart. Distribute your body weight evenly across both feet and actively engage the muscles in your legs. Feel a connection to the ground beneath you, focusing on grounding firmly through your feet. Hold this pose for several breaths, noticing the strength and stability in your feet and ankles.

Toe Stretch

Sit comfortably on your heels, then gently tuck your toes underneath you. Slowly shift your weight backward, feeling a mild stretch along the soles of your feet. Maintain this position for a few breaths before releasing. Repeat this stretch several times, gradually increasing the duration as your flexibility improves.

Ankle Circles

Sit with your legs extended straight out in front of you. Place your hands comfortably beside your hips for support. Lift one foot slightly off the ground. Next, rotate your ankle in a circular motion. Perform ten circles in one direction, and then switch to the opposite direction. Repeat these movements with the other foot. This exercise is excellent for enhancing ankle mobility and flexibility.

Warrior Pose (Virabhadrasana)

Stand with your feet positioned wide apart. Turn your right foot outward and bend your right knee, ensuring it stays aligned directly over your ankle. Extend your arms out to the sides, parallel to the floor, like a warrior's stance. Find your balance and stability in your front foot as you hold this pose. Remember to repeat the same steps on the opposite side.

Garland Pose (Malasana)

Squat down with your feet placed hip-width apart and your heels firmly on the ground. Bring your palms together in front of your chest at your heart's centre. Gently press your elbows against your inner thighs, which helps to open your hips. Feel the stretch in your ankles and feet as you hold this pose for several breaths.

Tree Pose (Vrksasana)

Begin by standing tall and then carefully shift your body weight onto your left foot. Bend your right knee and place the sole of your right foot against your inner left thigh or calf. Find your point of balance and bring your hands together at your heart's center. Hold this pose for several breaths, then repeat the same steps on the other side. Tree pose is excellent for strengthening the muscles in your feet and ankles while significantly improving your balance.

You're walking through your day, effortlessly monitoring your health, steps, and heart rate without the bulk of a fitness watch on your wrist. Rather, a sleek smart ring lies unnoticed on your finger, working its magic quietly in the background. Interested? You're not the only one. With all the hype over these little tech wonders, people are wondering if they're actually as accurate as their clunky cousins—the fitness watch.

Smart rings are a trendy, minimalist version of the old-style fitness watch and have been widely adopted by health tech buffs, athletes, and even medical practitioners. They come in sleek form, being undistinguishable as jewelry, loaded with strong sensors that can measure sleep, heart rate, and a multitude of wellness indicators. But at what price: reduced accuracy because they are so small? And most importantly, can they really compete with—or even outdo—smartwatches in health monitoring?

The answer is not so simple. Smart rings might be less capable in some respects, but recent studies and developments indicate that they have promising strengths, particularly in the accuracy of some health measurements. Here's an in-depth, exclusive comparison of how smart rings compare to fitness watches.

Smart Rings vs. Smartwatches

At the core of both smart rings and smartwatches lies the same foundational technology—photoplethysmography (PPG). This method uses light-based sensors to measure changes in blood volume, providing real-time data on your heart rate. However, where the device is worn makes a significant difference.

According to a 2022 review in Frontiers in Physiology, the finger is a more vascular-rich area compared to the wrist. That is, smart rings might provide more accurate readings, particularly for heart rate tracking, due to the proximity of the finger to rich blood vessels. Also, a study published in 2023 in Mayo Clinic Proceedings: Digital Health pointed out that smart rings might provide more accurate readings of heart rates in individuals with darker skin. The palm contains less melanin than the wrist, minimizing the light distortion that PPG sensors tend to have trouble with.

However, they have their prerequisites. Motion artefacts—motion-induced interference—can warp smart ring readings, particularly during exercise. According to a 2021 study in the Journal of Electrical Bioimpedance, even minimal movement of the finger during light exercise can invalidate ring-based sensor accuracy. And not like smartwatches, smart rings generally have no onboard GPS and sophisticated accelerometers, thus restricting their use in monitoring challenging workouts or runs.

Even with some immediate limitations, smart rings are rapidly advancing. New prototypes indicate that these wearables may soon far surpass heart rate and sleep tracking. One exciting advance is the result of a January 2024 paper published in IEEE Transactions on Mobile Computing, which introduced a smart ring to track hand hygiene in real time—a revolution in healthcare environments. The ring's electrochemical fluid sensor proved to be 97.8% accurate, more than a 10% improvement over available electronic hygiene monitors.

Another 2021 Computer Modeling in Engineering & Sciences study presented a ring that would be able to sense early hand tremors, an early sign of Parkinson's disease. As research advances, experts envision future rings will even track blood glucose, hydration, and blood pressure—marking the beginning of a new era of passive, ongoing health monitoring.

Sleep Tracking and Wellbeing

When it comes to sleep monitoring, smart rings really shine. Their light, non-intrusive nature makes them perfect for wearing overnight. Unlike smartwatches—which are often found to be cumbersome in bed—smart rings can easily track your sleep without disturbing you.

Brands take it a step further, providing detailed information on energy levels, sleep phases, recovery, and even the best time to consume caffeine. Although a 2024 meta-analysis in Applied Sciences noted that smart rings tend to underestimate REM sleep, they still provide a holistic picture of sleep patterns by integrating data points such as heart rate variability, respiratory rate, and skin temperature.

Nevertheless, experts warn that such rings should be employed to identify trends, not to diagnose sleep disorders. "Smart rings can help identify trends, but they can never replace a sleep study that monitors brain activity," said wearable tech researcher Semitha.

Comfort, Design, and User Preference

Comfort and style are huge pluses for smart rings. They are less obtrusive and better-looking than clunky wrist-mounted devices, making them easier to incorporate into daily wear. But all is not great in the design world. Even with their streamlined marketing, many rings look clunky on smaller hands, and matte finishes tend to wear off after a while with regular use.

Smartwatches, in contrast, have adjustable sizes and removable straps, which may be attractive to those looking for flexibility. Premium smartwatches are more likely to be stronger, since they are manufactured from superior materials and designed to endure intense use.

Which One Is Best for You?

Ultimately, deciding between a smart ring and a smartwatch comes down to your individual health objectives, way of life, and personal comfort level.

If you're a fitness buff requiring precise workout tracking, GPS, and exercise recognition, a smartwatch is still the better choice.

If you're more concerned with sleep quality, daily readiness, recovery, and overall wellness—and don't mind something less invasive—a smart ring could be a game-changer.

For those who value medical-grade accuracy, both devices still lag behind clinical equipment, but smart rings potentially have more future potential because they are closer to high-fidelity data points.

Significantly, neither device is 100% accurate, but both can give you useful insights that enable you to make healthier lifestyle choices.

Smart rings are more than a fad. They are a new convergence of design, health, and technology that will have significant potential to become powerful weapons in personalized healthcare. As technology continues to improve in sensors, the distinction between wearables and medical devices might get blurred, and users could become empowered to take proactive actions towards their healthcare.

In the meantime, these rings can be thought of as hot trend friends to your health journey—not as alternatives to professional health care, but as virtual cues toward improved behaviors.

As the health tech landscape continues to evolve, the finger may just become the most important real estate in wearable innovation. And with every ring that tracks your sleep or your heart rate, we're one step closer to a future where wellness is literally at your fingertips.