It was a typical Tuesday afternoon when I found myself once again battling a migraine. The piercing pain on the left side of my head was relentless, coupled with dizziness and sensitivity to light that seemed to make every second unbearable. I had tried various medications, but nothing seemed to offer long-lasting relief.

That’s when I turned to yoga. It seemed to have not only help alleviate my symptoms but also become part of my regular yoga practice to prevent future episodes.

Migraines, characterized by throbbing pain, nausea, and dizziness, can often interrupt our daily lives. Unlike regular headaches, migraines can last for hours or even days. In my search for a natural solution, yoga proved to be a game-changer, providing both physical and mental relief. But how exactly does yoga help?

It isn't entirely clear how yoga changes the body to aid in migraine relief, but studies suggest that the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) may play a key role. The PNS is responsible for regulating your body’s rest and digestion processes, helping to slow your heart rate and lower blood pressure. When activated during yoga, the PNS can create a calming effect, which is essential for managing migraine symptoms.

A 2014 study revealed that individuals practicing yoga experienced reduced frequency and intensity of migraines. Participants also showed improvement in vagal tone, which refers to the level of activity in the PNS. When this balance is restored, the likelihood of migraines decreases significantly.

Specific yoga poses target stress and tension, which are often triggers for migraines. These poses also help improve circulation, promoting blood flow to the brain, which can ease throbbing and pain. In fact, another study from 2020 confirmed that yoga can reduce the frequency, duration, and intensity of tension headaches.

Yoga Asanas for Migraine Relief

Here are five yoga poses (asanas) that can provide migraine relief and improve overall well-being:

1. Balasana (Child’s Pose)

How to Perform:

- Kneel on the floor, keeping your toes together and your knees wide.

- Lower your buttocks onto your heels and stretch your arms forward.

- Rest your forehead on the floor, allowing your shoulders and neck to relax.

- Hold for one minute or longer, focusing on deep breathing.

Benefits:

Balasana is known for its calming effects. This pose soothes the nervous system, reduces tension in the neck and back, and helps relieve headaches. By resting your forehead on the ground, it can also alleviate pressure, making it a go-to for those experiencing migraines.

2. Setu Bandhasana (Bridge Pose)

How to Perform:

- Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground.

- Press your feet and arms into the floor as you lift your pelvis towards the ceiling.

- Keep your thighs parallel and hold the pose for up to one minute.

- Lower your torso back to the floor gradually.

Benefits:

Bridge pose opens up the chest and shoulders, which can reduce tension and anxiety. It improves circulation to the brain and can help with migraines by calming the mind and releasing stress.

3. Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward Facing Dog)

How to Perform:

- Start on your hands and knees, aligning wrists under shoulders and knees under hips.

- Lift your pelvis and straighten your legs, distributing your weight evenly between hands and feet.

- Hold for up to two minutes, focusing on lengthening your spine and breathing deeply.

Benefits:

Downward-facing dog increases blood circulation to the brain, which can help reduce the intensity of migraines. This pose also stretches the spine, hamstrings, and shoulders, releasing tension that may contribute to headaches.

4. Viparita Karani (Legs Up the Wall)

How to Perform:

- Lie on your back with your legs resting vertically up against a wall.

- Let your arms relax at your sides and breathe deeply.

- Hold this position for 5 to 10 minutes, allowing your body to fully relax.

Benefits:

This pose is incredibly restorative and promotes relaxation. It helps improve blood flow from the legs back to the heart and brain, aiding in migraine relief by calming the mind and reducing pressure.

5. Savasana (Corpse Pose)

How to Perform:

- Lie flat on your back with arms and legs relaxed.

- Close your eyes and focus on your breathing.

- Hold for 5 to 30 minutes, allowing your body to release any built-up tension.

Benefits:

Savasana allows the body to enter a deep state of relaxation, which can be particularly beneficial for calming the nervous system during a migraine. It helps the body and mind release tension, promoting recovery and a sense of peace.

Can Yoga Help Prevent Migraines?

Yoga is not just a reactive solution; it can also serve as a preventive measure. Practicing yoga regularly, you can improve your cardiac autonomic balance, which may reduce the chances of experiencing migraines. Yoga promotes relaxation, reduces stress, and encourages mindfulness, which are crucial in managing migraine triggers. Incorporating yoga into your daily routine can improve overall well-being, making your body more resilient to the onset of headaches.

Migraines can feel debilitating, but incorporating yoga into your lifestyle offers a natural and holistic approach to relief and prevention. Whether you're new to yoga or have been practicing for years, these poses can provide significant benefits, from reducing tension to promoting circulation.

Always consult your healthcare provider before beginning any new exercise regimen, but once you start, you may find that yoga offers not only relief but also a deeper connection to your body and mind.

The next time you feel the symptoms of a migraine coming on, instead of reaching for the painkillers, consider rolling out your yoga mat and experiencing the healing power of asanas.

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.