Taking a GLP-1 Medication? Here Are Tips To Avoid Regaining Weight This Holiday Season

Updated Nov 24, 2024 | 08:00 AM IST

SummaryWhether you are someone who has lost weight recently or is just someone who is worried about gaining weight during the holiday season, health experts have one tip—opt for a healthier diet.
Holiday Season

Holiday Season (Credit: Canva)

If you are someone who has recently managed to shed your extra weight with the help of a new blockbuster GLP-1 drug then you must be worried about how to handle gatherings where decadent food will be served in abundance. As the holiday season approaches, everyone is worried about the pounds they might gain. Now, whether you are someone who has lost weight recently or is just someone who is worried about gaining weight during the holiday season, health experts have one tip—opt for a healthier diet.

But first, let's understand how GLP-1 medication help lose weight

Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1 Receptor Agonist) drugs, that include Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro and Zepbound, are primarily drugs that help patients with Type-2 Diabetes. GLP-1 (a hormone secreted by your intestine) travels to your pancreas, prompting it to produce insulin. It also travels to the hypothalamus in your brain, which gives you the feeling of being full or satiated. These drugs imitate this hormone, thereby, silencing the food chatter in the brain. Interestingly, for some people, this food chatter is really quiet ( people with low appetite); for others, it is an outburst (people who binge eat.) So with drugs like Ozempic, silencing this self-talk in the brain, people tend to lose their appetite and eventually weight.

Expert Recommended Tips To Avoid Regaining Weight

Firstly, consume whole foods and a nutrient-dense diet made up of minimally processed food. You should eat vegetables, lean proteins, fibre and whole grains. Focus on consuming a balanced diet.

People are also advised to eat smaller portions. Also, make sure that more than half your plate consists of lean meat and vegetables.

Avoid food fried in saturated oils and rich in sugar, such as sodas, candy, and ice cream. These types of foods can contribute to weight gain, increase the risk of heart disease, and negatively affect your overall health.

While it is a common practice to consume alcohol during celebrations, you should limit your consumption of the substance. Alcohol has excess calories and can cause low blood sugar if you have diabetes and are on insulin.

Keep yourself hydrated. People not only eat less on GLP-1s but they tend to drink fewer fluids, which can often lead to dehydration. Dehydration can cause headaches, fatigue, and digestive issues. Aim to drink at least 8 cups of water daily, and adjust for physical activity or hot weather to maintain proper hydration.

You Should Not Wait To Start Taking GLP-1 Medication: Experts

Those who take GLP-1s should not stop taking them during the holidays, to avoid regaining the weight already lost. Moreover, those who are planning to start this medication, should not wait. The whole purpose of treatment is diabetes control and weight loss in patients who are obese or overweight. There is no reason to delay it until the holidays are over because that is the time when diabetes control worsens and you gain weight. Combining these GLP-1 receptor agonist therapies with exercise is really important to get the benefits of the treatment.

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5 Pelvic Floor Exercises That Can Transform Your Sexual Wellness

Updated Sep 28, 2025 | 10:12 AM IST

SummaryPelvic floor exercises, or Kegels, are simple movements that strengthen the muscles supporting your bladder, bowel, and uterus. Beyond improving control and core strength, these exercises can also enhance sexual health. Regular practice helps both men and women feel more confident and satisfied in their intimate lives while also supporting recovery after childbirth or prostate surgery, making them a natural way to improve sexual wellness.
Pelvic Floor Exercises That Can Transform Your Sexual Wellness

Credits: Canva

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?

Pelvic floor exercises, often called Kegels, focus on strengthening the group of muscles that create a supportive sling for the bladder, bowel, and, in women, the uterus. They are done by contracting these muscles, as if stopping the passage of urine or gas, holding the squeeze, and then releasing. Regular practice can improve bladder and bowel control, enhance sexual health, and aid recovery following childbirth in women or prostate surgery in men.

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

Pelvic floor exercises can make a real difference in your sexual life. As per Mayo Clinic, by strengthening the muscles that support the bladder, uterus, and bowel, these exercises improve blood flow and muscle control in the pelvic area. This not only enhances arousal and sensitivity but can also lead to stronger orgasms and better stamina during intimacy. For many people, a stronger pelvic floor helps reduce discomfort, boost confidence, and create a greater sense of connection with their body and partner.

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

5 Pelvic Floor Exercises to Boost Sexual Health

1. Kegel Exercises

How to do it:

  • 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.
Kegels strengthen the muscles that control arousal and orgasm. With regular practice, they can improve stamina and heighten sexual sensation.

2. Bridge Pose

How to do it:

  • 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.
This yoga-inspired movement works your core, glutes, and pelvic floor, which helps support stability and sexual function.

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.
Squats increase blood flow to the pelvic area and strengthen the lower body, which can enhance sensitivity and arousal.

4. Bird-Dog

How to do it:

  • Begin on your hands and knees.
  • Extend your right arm and left leg at the same time.
  • Hold, then switch sides.
This move improves balance while gently activating the pelvic floor, making it a safe, low-impact option.

5. Pelvic Tilts

How to do it:

  • 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.
Pelvic tilts improve circulation and flexibility in the pelvic area, easing tension and increasing comfort during intimacy.

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Love Playing Football? Studies Show That Footballers Face A Higher Dementia Risk

Updated Sep 28, 2025 | 12:00 AM IST

SummaryRecent large, scale studies reveal that elite male footballers are more likely to develop dementia and other neurodegenerative diseases compared to the general population. The increased risk, largely absent in goalkeepers, points to repeated heading of the ball as the primary culprit. The findings spark urgent questions for football’s future.
Love Playing Football? Studies Show That Footballers Face A Higher Dementia Risk

Credits: Canva

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.

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Should People Suffering From Migraines Exercise? Neurologist Answers

Updated Sep 25, 2025 | 08:25 PM IST

SummaryMigraines are not simple headaches that you can ignore hoping it gets better in sometime. They can cause immense pain, making people dizzy, confused as well as make it difficult to hold conversations. So, keeping these things in mind, is it safe for them to exercise? Here’s what you need to know.
Should People Suffering From Migraines Exercise? Neurologist Answers

(Credit-Canva)

For people who suffer from migraines, even normal activities like concentrating on work, holding a conversation can be difficult. These are things we do not think twice about, however, simply going through these can be a major task for people who suffer with migraines.

So, what about exercising? It is an activity that requires a lot of movements, some of which require you to do movements that jerk your body like jumping jacks. Is it safe for people with migraines to work out? According to Dr Sudhir Kumar, a Hyderabad-based neurologist, the answer is yes.

Getting regular physical activity is hugely helpful for people who get migraines because it can often make your headaches happen less often and feel less painful when they do occur. While a super-hard, intense workout might seem like it would only make your head hurt more, exercising smart and making it a habit can be a very effective way to prevent future migraine attacks. However, there are some things you need to keep in mind before doing so.

How to Exercise Smartly to Prevent Migraines

To get the most benefit from working out and avoid accidentally causing a migraine, people need to be mindful of five simple rules:

Be Consistent, Not Extreme

It's the steady routine that pays off. Doing regular exercise at a medium effort level (moderate intensity) helps keep migraines away. On the flip side, sudden, super-tough, or "all-or-nothing" workouts—like running a marathon with no training—can shock your system and easily trigger an attack. The goal is to build a steady habit, like a morning walk or a bike ride a few times a week, rather than pushing yourself to exhaustion once a month.

Figure Out Your Personal Triggers

Everyone is different, and certain activities might be a trigger just for you. For instance, some people find that lifting very heavy weights causes a headache, while others get one from running outdoors on a very sunny day or simply forgetting to properly warm up their muscles. The best way to understand these unique headache causes is to keep a diary of your headaches and write down what you did right before the migraine started.

Watch the Clock (Timing Matters)

Doing a very intense workout right before bed, late in the evening, can make it hard for you to fall asleep or get good rest. Poor sleep is a well-known migraine trigger, so late-night intensity can create a double problem. To protect your sleep, it's generally best for migraine sufferers to plan their workouts for the morning or during the day.

Pick the Right Environment

Your surroundings can put stress on your senses. To avoid this sensory strain, choose a workout spot that is comfortable. Cool, well-aired rooms with soft lighting are much better than places that are hot, stuffy, or have bright, intense lights that can make your head ache worse.

Try Adding Mind-Body Activities

You can actually increase the headache-fighting power of your physical activity by adding calming practices. Things like yoga, deep breathing exercises, and mindfulness meditation are great because they help you manage stress and relax tight muscles in your neck and shoulders, both of which are common contributors to migraine pain.

Do Aerobic Exercises Help Migraines?

Dr. Sudhir explains that scientific research has repeatedly shown that regular aerobic exercise—that's any activity that gets your heart pumping, like brisk walking, cycling, or swimming—is highly effective. The recommendation is to aim for a moderate effort level, for about 30 to 40 minutes, three times a week. In fact, some studies suggest that doing this type of exercise consistently can reduce the frequency and severity of migraines just as well as certain preventive medications. The very best approach combines this steady cardio with gentle strengthening and stretching exercises for your neck and shoulders.

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