I'll be honest, there are days when the idea of a intense, hour-long workout session seems just downright impossible. I've skipped workouts just because they appeared too tiresome before I ever began. But what if I didn't have to push so hard, though, to actually experience real progress? That’s where the minimum effective dose of exercise comes in—the idea that you can get results by doing just enough, without overtraining or burning out. It almost sounds too good to be true, right? But science backs it up.

For many fitness enthusiasts, the belief that “more is better” dominates training routines. From treadmill time logged to innumerable weight room reps, the idea that harder effort is equal to improved results is rooted deeply. What if you were able to attain the same or superior results using less effort? That's where Minimum Effective Dose (MED) training enters the picture. Based in medical science and now popular in fitness, this approach contradicts the belief that more training will lead to greater results. Instead, it stresses efficiency, durability, and preventing injury.

What Is the Minimum Effective Dose of Exercise?

In medical parlance, the minimum effective dose is the smallest quantity of a drug that will cause the desired effect. This principle can be applied to fitness as well- how minimal exercise must be done to notice significant gains in strength, endurance, or overall fitness?

Minimum effective dose of exercise is the smallest quantity of physical work required to elicit improvement without undue effort, time, or risk of injury. That is, do enough to induce muscle adaptation, cardiovascular gains, or fat loss, but not so much that you incur decreasing returns, burnout, or overtraining.

What is MED Training?

The research confirms the concept that greater training does not always translate into improved outcomes. Studies indicate that:

Strength training: Novices will make the same amount of muscle gain using one or two sets per exercise as they would three or more.

Cardiovascular endurance: Briefer, high-intensity sessions (e.g., HIIT) may be just as effective—if not more so—than longer, moderate-intensity workouts.

Recovery is important: Overtraining results in excess fatigue, stalled gains, and higher risk of injury. MED training values quality over quantity by making every workout meaningful and productive.

Benefits of the Minimum Effective Dose Approach

1. Time Efficiency

The strongest argument in favor of MED training is the time that can be saved. With emphasis placed on only the most productive exercises and all redundant volume cut, individuals can obtain the same fitness without sacrificing a tremendous amount of time in the gym.

2. Decreased Risk of Overtraining and Injury

Overtraining causes chronic fatigue, joint soreness, and mental burnout. MED training eliminates these risks because it encourages maximal recovery and averts overtaxing of joints and muscles.

3. Sustainable and Consistent Progress

In any fitness program, consistency is the key. Training smarter, rather than harder, allows one to have a long-term fitness regimen without experiencing burnout or exhaustion.

4. Improved Adaptation and Recovery

Progressive overload—the systematic increase in intensity or resistance—is necessary for gain. MED training allows for proper recovery time so that the body can adapt and get stronger between sessions.

How to Add MED Training into Your Workout Plan

Step 1: Start Small and Track Progress

The secret to MED training is discovering the minimal amount of exercise to achieve desired results. Begin with the smallest effective dose:

• Strength training: One set to failure for each exercise which is to train with weights during an exercise until you simply cannot do another repetition
• Cardio: 10-minute high-intensity intervals

If progress is noted (i.e., enhanced strength, enhanced endurance, improved body composition), you've found your minimum effective dose. Otherwise, increment intensity, volume, or frequency incrementally until improvements manifest.

Step 2: Focus on High-Impact Movements

Rather than long workouts with repetitive exercises, emphasize compound movements like squats, deadlifts, push-ups, and pull-ups. These activate the most muscle in the least amount of time.

Step 3: Prioritize Recovery

Rest days and sleep are essential for fitness progress. MED training enables greater recovery, less fatigue, and more performance.

Step 4: Be Consistent

Though MED training maximizes effort, it does not imply results without commitment. Omitting sessions regularly will lower efficiency. Be consistent with your routine for long-term progress.

Is MED Training Right for You?

MED training is particularly ideal for:

• Busy professionals with time constraints.
• Athletes and fitness enthusiasts seeking to avoid overtraining.
• Newbies who desire a productive and sustainable method.
• Anyone recovering from injury requiring a low-impact fitness regimen.

High-performance individuals with certain high-performance objectives (e.g., competitive athletes) might still need greater training volumes.

Public health advice has usually centered on how much sleep we get. Eight hours has long been the magic number, but researchers are now uncovering that how well you sleep matters just as much — maybe even more. Deep, restorative sleep is the body’s prime time for repairing tissue, consolidating memories, and balancing mood-regulating hormones. And as it turns out, a surprisingly simple daily habit can help you get more of it.

A new study from The University of Texas at Austin, published in the Journal of Physical Activity & Health, followed students over several months using wearable devices like Fitbits. Instead of just counting total exercise minutes, the research team zoomed in on how often people moved.

The big reveal? Those who exercised regularly even for just 10 minutes a day enjoyed deeper, more restorative non-REM sleep, the stage most critical for brain and body recovery. “Frequency does seem to matter,” said Benjamin Baird, a research assistant professor of psychology and one of the study’s lead authors.

Why 10 Minutes Is Enough?

Moderate to vigorous activity — think brisk walking, cycling, or any movement that quickens your breath while still allowing conversation — for as little as 10 minutes daily had measurable benefits. This wasn’t about logging intense workouts or breaking personal records. Even light, consistent movement like short walks or standing breaks improved sleep quality and next-day mood.

According to Chris Corral, co-lead of the study, “You don’t need to run marathons. Just moving a little each day helps. Light activity counts too. Doing something is better than doing nothing.”

Participants who moved daily didn’t just sleep better — they woke up feeling more energized and reported lower stress levels. This connection between non-REM sleep and mood has been observed before, but most earlier studies only looked at short-term effects in controlled lab settings.

What made this study different was its real-world design. By tracking people’s habits continuously for months, researchers could see the cumulative benefits of consistent movement on sleep and emotional well-being.

How We Measure “Enough” Exercise?

Current guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and World Health Organization (WHO) recommend 150 minutes of moderate activity per week. But they don’t specify how to spread it out. That gap matters.

“If you pack all that activity into the weekend, you might miss out on the sleep benefits of moving daily,” Corral explained. The UT findings hint that public health advice may need updating — shifting the focus from total minutes to frequency.

How Sleep Quality Shapes Overall Health?

Deep sleep isn’t just about feeling rested. It’s when the brain clears waste proteins linked to neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s. It’s also when muscles repair, immune cells strengthen, and the nervous system resets. Poor-quality sleep, on the other hand, is tied to higher risks of heart disease, diabetes, depression, and even shortened lifespan.

In other words, this isn’t just about feeling less groggy — it’s about long-term brain and body health.

The study’s use of wearable trackers like Fitbits allowed researchers to capture a detailed picture of both movement and sleep in real life — not just in the artificial environment of a lab. This is part of the Whole Communities—Whole Health initiative, an interdisciplinary project aiming to understand how everyday habits affect overall well-being.

Next, researchers plan to see if these findings hold true in more diverse populations, including older adults and people with chronic health conditions.

Why Better Sleep Is Essential for Everyday Wellness?

Move daily, even briefly — A brisk walk after dinner, stretching breaks at your desk, or climbing stairs instead of taking the elevator all count.

Consistency beats intensity — Doing a little bit every day trumps exhausting yourself a few times a week.

Pair movement with good sleep hygiene — Keep a consistent bedtime, limit screen exposure before bed, and create a cool, dark sleeping environment for maximum benefit.

Better sleep doesn’t require an overhaul of your schedule or a gym membership. Just 10 minutes of daily movement can make a tangible difference in how deeply and restoratively you sleep.

Sleep is the foundation for energy, focus, emotional resilience, and long-term health. And unlike expensive treatments or complicated regimens, this fix is free, simple, and accessible to almost everyone.

As Baird put it, “Current guidelines don’t reflect the importance of frequency for sleep health. Having this kind of data allows us to start thinking about whether they should.” So if you want to sleep deeper, feel sharper, and start your days with more energy, the solution might be as simple as lacing up your shoes and moving every single day.

The Philadelphia Eagles’ Pro Bowl left guard Landon Dickerson was helped off the field and later carted inside after suffering an apparent right leg injury during the team’s open practice Sunday night at Lincoln Financial Field.

The incident happened late in the more than two-hour practice during a pass play, when quarterback Jalen Hurts connected with running back Saquon Barkley on the opposite side of the field. Dickerson went down and stayed on the ground for several minutes, surrounded by teammates as a hush fell over the crowd of nearly 50,000 fans.

Also Read: 3 Common Yoga Mistakes That Could Be Limiting Your Progress

Unable to put much weight on his right leg, Dickerson was assisted off before riding a cart indoors. He was replaced in the lineup by Brett Toth.

The injury comes a day after Dickerson appeared on the team’s injury report with a knee issue, which limited his participation in practice on Saturday. He was not listed on the report for Sunday.

What Are The Common Injuries in Football?

Football players are more likely to get hurt during matches than during training, with risks coming from tackling, sprinting, twisting, jumping, or even repeating the same movements until fatigue sets in. Collisions, poor conditioning, or re-injuring a previously weakened area can also contribute.

Sprained Ankle

Quick changes of direction and uneven surfaces make ankle sprains one of the most common football injuries. This happens when the ankle rolls inward or outward, overstretching the ligaments.

Management: Follow the POLICE principles: Protect, Optimal loading, Ice, Compression, Elevation, and avoid HARM factors: Heat, Alcohol, Running, Massage, in the first three days.

Hamstring Strain

Hamstring muscles power a player’s acceleration. Sudden bursts of speed without adequate flexibility or strength can cause a strain.

Management: Use POLICE and HARM steps. Prevention includes stretching, foam rolling, and strengthening exercises like deadlifts, leg curls, and bridges.

Groin Strain

Twisting, kicking, or rapid directional changes can strain the inner thigh muscles, also known as adductors.

Management: Same POLICE and HARM, with prevention through regular stretching and strengthening exercises such as side lunges and adductor side bridges.

ACL Injury

The anterior cruciate ligament is critical for knee stability. Injuries often occur when the lower leg stays planted while the upper leg twists, during tackles, or awkward landings.

Management: Mild sprains may heal with physiotherapy, but severe tears often require surgery. Persistent swelling or pain should be checked by a professional.

Preventing Football Injuries

• Strengthen lower limbs with exercises like squats, lunges, and calf raises.
• Warm up with dynamic stretches and sport-specific drills.
• Cool down after matches to aid recovery.
• Wear proper gear, including fitted boots and shin guards.
• Stay hydrated, eat well, and rest between games.

Yoga, at its heart, is a journey of balance, patience, and self-awareness. Yet, even regular practitioners can unknowingly fall into habits that limit progress or compromise the essence of the practice. Celebrity nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar, who works with stars like Kareena Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Varun Dhawan, Saif Ali Khan and Karisma Kapoor, recently shared three common yoga mistakes that many of us make and how to correct them. Her advice is simple, practical, and rooted in tradition.

1. Always Starting With the Right Side

This habit, she explains, can unconsciously deepen the existing imbalances in the body. Yoga, after all, is a practice of samatva or balance. The aim is not to favour one side but to restore equilibrium—physically, mentally, and emotionally.

She suggests a simple correction. Yoga should be done with awareness. She says how even sitting postures like Sukhasana should be alternated to ensure both sides of the body are equally engaged. Start from the weaker or underused side. It may feel awkward initially, but over time, it helps realign the body and build balanced strength.

2. Only Practising the Asanas You Are Good At

This is a common pitfall. We gravitate towards what feels familiar and comfortable. But yoga is not meant to keep us within our limits; it is meant to gently stretch them. She encourages practitioners to explore the lesser-known asanas, especially those we tend to avoid, like backbends or twists. “We should go to their lanes, we should practise them, and we should have patience with ourselves. Little by little, every asana, especially backbends, will also come.”

She reminds us, “Yoga is not for show-offs. Yoga is for strength. For inner strength. This practice is not for outsiders.” It is a deeply personal journey, and real growth lies in consistency and courage, not perfection.

3. Skipping Practice When Time Is Short

But this is not how yoga works. “If you do not have time for 12 Surya Namaskars, then do 6. If you do not have time for 6, then do 3. But do it.” Even five minutes of mindful movement can bring enormous benefits. Over time, it is the commitment, not the duration, that matters most.

She also urges balance between the physical and the subtle. “If you are doing pranayama only every day, then do asanas also. If you are doing asanas only every day, then do pranayama once a month.” Her advice is to explore and embrace all aspects of yoga. That way, even if your routine is limited, it is never lopsided.

Yoga is not about being perfect in every pose. It is about showing up. “In your asana practice, explore the key aspects of yoga a little bit,” says Rujuta. “And give this gift of yoga to yourself in your lifetime.”

Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned yogi, her words are a gentle but firm nudge back to the basics. Do not let routine, comfort, or lack of time come in the way of your practice. As she sums up beautifully, yoga is a gift and one worth giving yourself every single day.