A shocking and tragic accident took the life of 17-year-old Yashtika Acharya, a gold-medal powerlifter, as she was train at a gym in Bikaner, Rajasthan. While trying a 270kg squat, the barbell slipped and fell on her neck, leaving her unconscious. Though CPR was administered immediately by her trainer and other gym members, she was declared dead upon arrival at the hospital.

Her premature death has also raised some serious questions regarding safety protocols in weightlifting, particularly among young athletes. What went wrong with her lift? Might this have been avoided? And how can weightlifters train safely without going over the edge?

Powerlifting is an intense strength-based sport requiring athletes to lift maximum weight in three primary movements—squat, bench press, and deadlift. Unlike bodybuilding, which focuses on aesthetics and muscle hypertrophy, powerlifting emphasizes strength, often involving rigorous training cycles with increasing loads.

Even though it is a highly regulated sport, powerlifting has inherent risks. The risk of injury increases when competitors try to lift weights that are beyond their ability or employ improper lifting techniques. Research indicates that spinal cord injuries, muscle ruptures, and joint dislocations are prevalent in heavy lifting.

Yashtika's accident emphasizes these risks, pointing to the need for proper training procedures, safety protocols, and consciousness in competitive weightlifting.

What Went Wrong? Factors That Could Have Led to the Tragedy

1. Overload and Lack of Stability

Lifting 270kg at age 17 is a great achievement, yet stresses of this magnitude need to be accompanied by superior control, balance, and muscle coordination. Losing balance during the lift can become life-threatening. Descriptions suggest Yashtika lost control of the barbell and it slipped and landed flat on her neck—a very susceptible area with minimal muscle cushioning to protect against such an impact.

2. Spotting and Safety Equipment

Squat racks in professional powerlifting competitions have safety pins or adjustable bars which are intended to catch the barbell on failure. But the question remains as to whether similar safety measures existed during Yashtika's training session. Trained spotters—personnel standing in a position around the lifter to aid on failure—are equally important, and their position and reaction can make all the difference between failure and a potentially lethal injury.

3. Overtraining and Fatigue

One of the big issues in strength sports is overtraining. If the body is pushed too far without rest, muscles and joints are more likely to suffer fatigue-related injuries. If Yashtika was going through a tough training phase without enough recovery time, her muscles may not have been able to handle the heavy load effectively and hence become unstable.

4. Biomechanics and Technique

Even a slight misstep in technique on a squat will produce uneven weight distribution, leading to higher failure rates. Foot placement, spine alignment, and core activation are all important when it comes to proper form. With the high weight being used, even the slightest misalignment would have caused Yashtika to lose control of the bar.

Dangers of Improper Weightlifting Practices

Though Yashtika's story is especially tragic, weightlifting injuries are far from rare. Neurosurgeons and gym experts have been cautioning about the risks of improper training for years. Dr. Z, a neurosurgeon, posted on Tiktok, some of the worst weightlifting injuries that can be life-changing. One of such dangerous exercises is the preacher curl, in which overextension of the arms when lifting heavy dumbbells can result in severe bicep tendon ruptures, requiring surgery.

Another perilous movement is the clean and jerk, a very technical Olympic lift that, if done improperly, can lead to serious spinal or joint injury from the huge weight being lifted. Likewise, the leg press, when done with locked knees, can lead to hyperextension injuries that ruin the tendons and ligaments of the knee severely.

These exercises, when performed improperly without supervision or precautions, result in permanent harm ranging from muscle rupture to total paralysis, highlighting the importance of safety precautions and professional supervision in strength training.

How Can Weightlifting Accidents be Prevented?

1. Prioritize Proper Form and Training Supervision

Weightlifting, particularly at competition levels, must be under expert guidance. Trainers should be closely consulted by athletes to maintain proper technique and detect possible dangers before they are dangerous.

2. Utilize Safety Equipment

Power racks, safety bars, and weightlifting belts are vital sources of support and protection. Lifters should never lift maximum weights without taking necessary safety precautions.

3. Adopt Spotting Techniques

Spotters are also vital in avoiding accidents in heavy lifts. A properly trained spotter is able to respond quickly in case a lifter loses control, reducing the risk of injury.

4. Adhere to Progressive Overload and Rest Periods

Gradually adding weight, as opposed to huge leaps, enables the body to acclimatize safely. Furthermore, including rest days is critical in avoiding fatigue-induced injuries.

5. Know Your Limits

Whereas exercising boundaries is fundamental in professional games, the bodies of the players should be heeded. Overexertion in this case can lead to deadly outcomes, as is evident in Yashtika's incident.

Importance of Gym Safety Regulations

This sad incident also calls for concern over regulations in gyms and safety measures. Health clubs ought to make sure that:

• Trainers are certified to handle dangerous lifts.
• Safety gear is readily accessible and adequately maintained.
• Emergency procedures, including CPR training, exist for staff and trainers.
• States with implemented fitness safety laws enforce strict policies regarding gym operation, and the same laws must be implemented around the world to stop such tragedies.

Yashtika Acharya's sudden demise nipped her promising future in the bud by way of an accident that could have been avoided with stricter safety protocols. In their mourning, the fitness fraternity should take heart from her tale as a warning to athletes, coaches, and gym owners across the globe. Weightlifting is a wonderful sport that develops strength, resilience, and character. But no lift is worth a life.

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.

Spending a dedicated time exercising, whether it is an hour or half, could be difficult for some people. If you live alone, or are a homemaker, most of the time goes by taking care of household chores, commuting to and from work, grocery runs and general day to day errands. This leads many people to worry that that they may not be able to lead a healthy lifestyle, but a new study shows that even small movements can prove to be a great addition to your daily life. The study was published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology, and revealed small movements being a great aid to bigger health issues.

Researchers found that people who weren't in the habit of working out saw improvements in their fitness after doing a specific type of exercise for about a month. These improvements included stronger muscles, more stamina to keep going, and better flexibility. This means you don't need to spend hours at the gym to start feeling healthier; even short bursts of activity can make a real difference.

Can Small Movements Make A Big Difference?

The type of exercise the study focused on is called ‘eccentric exercise’- movement emphasizes the part of an exercise where your muscles are lengthening. Think about slowly lowering any weighted object after you lift it and gently going down into a squat. Research has shown that this type of exercise is easier on your body compared to other types of workouts, and it's very effective at helping your muscles grow stronger and bigger. It's a smart way to build muscle without putting too much strain on your body, making it a good option for people who are just starting to exercise.

Even a small amount of this type of movement done regularly can provide noticeable benefits for your fitness. This is encouraging news for people who might feel like they don't have much time or energy to dedicate to exercise. It shows that even short, simple routines can have a real impact on your strength, endurance, and flexibility, making it easier to do everyday activities.

The participants, mostly women, went through a short period to get used to the study before starting a four-week routine of eccentric exercises. Every day, they performed ten repetitions of four easy exercises- chair squats (standing up and sitting down using a chair), chair reclines (leaning back slightly while seated), wall push-ups, and heel drops (raising up onto their toes and slowly lowering their heels).

After the four weeks of daily eccentric exercises, the researchers found some interesting results. While there weren't big changes in things like body composition, resting heart rate, or blood pressure, the participants did show significant improvements in their ability to do sit-ups and push-ups. They also performed better on the three-minute step test, which measures cardiovascular endurance. Additionally, their flexibility improved, and they reported feeling better mentally. This suggests that even a small amount of daily exercise can lead to noticeable and lasting fitness benefits for people who are not regularly active.

Exercises You Can Perform At Home

Chair squats: standing up and sitting down using a chair

Chair reclines: leaning back slightly while seated

Wall push-ups: placing your palms on the wall and pushing against it

Heel drops: raising up onto their toes and slowly lowering their heels

Tips To Help You Get Started With Eccentric Training

If you're interested in trying eccentric training, remember that you don't have to stick to the exact exercises used in the study. Almost any exercise can include an eccentric component. If you're not very active right now, you'll likely still see progress even if you start with low intensity and very short exercise sessions. Experts suggest starting with just five minutes a day and aiming for around ten repetitions of each exercise. This can be a good starting point to see what's possible, and from there, you can gradually increase the intensity or how long you exercise to keep improving your fitness.