Practicing yoga poses with a partner has been a truly transformative experience for me. Initially, it felt awkward trying to sync our movements, but as we laughed through the stumbles, it brought us closer. One of my favorite poses is the double-tree, where we support each other’s balance, reminding me of how our bond grows stronger when we work together.

The partner camel pose opened up not just my body but my heart, fostering trust and connection. Overall, yoga for two has taught me the importance of patience, trust, and shared growth, both on and off the mat.

Did you know that the word "yoga" means “union” in Sanskrit? This powerful definition reflects not only a connection with oneself but also with others. Practicing yoga with a partner, whether it’s a friend, loved one, or family member, brings an opportunity to strengthen the bond between two individuals.

Couples yoga encourages trust, communication, and laughter, making it a perfect way to connect, relax, and stay healthy together.

Yoga is more than just a physical activity—it’s a way to build a deeper emotional and spiritual connection with your partner. When done together, yoga poses help both individuals work in harmony, balancing each other both physically and emotionally. Plus, you don’t need to be in a romantic relationship to reap the benefits! Best friends, siblings, and even co-workers can enjoy the challenge and fun of these yoga poses.

Here are five yoga poses for two that will deepen your connection, improve flexibility, and add a little lightheartedness to your day.

1. Double-Tree Pose (Beginner Level)

The double-tree pose is a simple yet effective pose that emphasizes balance, trust, and focus. In this pose, each partner stands on one leg, pressing the sole of their foot against the inner thigh or calf of the opposite leg. Partners hold each other’s hands or place palms together in a prayer position. This pose helps improve balance, coordination, and communication between both partners. It’s a great way to kick-start your couples yoga session with stability and laughter.

Benefits

- Improves balance and coordination

- Encourages trust and cooperation

- Enhances core strength

2. Partner Camel Pose (Intermediate Level)

The partner camel pose is a heart-opener that helps build trust and emotional connection. This pose involves kneeling back-to-back with your partner while arching backward, reaching for each other’s hands or shoulders. This movement opens the chest and stretches the entire front body, helping release tension and promote deeper breathing.

Benefits

- Stretches the chest, shoulders, and quadriceps

- Strengthens the back and core muscles

- Opens the heart chakra, fostering a sense of openness and vulnerability

3. Seated Spinal Twist for Two (Beginner Level)

The seated spinal twist is a fantastic stretch for two that releases tension in the lower back and promotes relaxation. In this pose, partners sit back-to-back with legs crossed and gently twist in opposite directions, placing one hand on their partner’s knee and the other on the floor. This twist not only stretches the spine but also promotes a gentle connection between the partners.

Benefits

- Relieves lower back tension and stiffness

- Improves spinal flexibility

- Promotes relaxation and calmness through a gentle twist

4. Two-Person Standing Forward Fold (Beginner Level)

The two-person standing forward fold brings a sense of fun while releasing tight hamstrings and lengthening the spine. In this pose, partners stand facing each other, fold forward, and reach around to clasp their partner’s arms or legs for added support. The forward fold provides a deep stretch for the hamstrings and back muscles, while the connection with your partner creates stability and comfort.

Benefits

- Stretches the hamstrings and spine

- Relieves tension in the neck and back

- Encourages laughter and connection

5. Double Chair Pose (Intermediate to Advanced Level)

Double chair pose is all about teamwork, trust, and communication. In this pose, partners stand back-to-back and squat down as if sitting in an invisible chair. Both partners must work together to maintain balance and stay in sync. This pose strengthens the legs, glutes, and core, while promoting trust and coordination.

Benefits

- Builds leg and glute strength

- Enhances trust and communication

- Improves posture and core stability

Benefits of Performing Couples Yoga

Practicing yoga with a partner requires more than just physical strength; it calls for communication, patience, and trust. The sense of connection that comes from synchronizing your breath and movements deepens emotional bonds and promotes a stronger relationship.

Beyond the emotional connection, yoga offers a multitude of physical health benefits. It improves flexibility, posture, balance, and muscle strength. Couples yoga, in particular, can relieve tension, improve circulation, and boost mental clarity as partners work together.

So, whether you’re looking to have a fun workout with your best friend or deepen your relationship with your significant other, couples yoga is a rewarding way to connect and improve overall well-being. Ready to give it a try? Grab a partner and enjoy the harmony, laughter, and health benefits couples yoga has to offer!

High blood pressure (BP) has become a public health problem that is driving cardiovascular diseases like heart attacks and strokes globally. While medications are important to keep hypertension under control, lifestyle changes and healthy practices are also crucial.

Several global health guidelines recommend regular physical activity, but adhering to exercise programs daily becomes a challenge for many people. But in the overtly busy schedules, sparing 10 minutes for an exercise regimen can be easier than travelling to the gym.

A large randomized clinical trial, published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC), has proved that a traditional Chinese mind-body practice — baduanjin — may help lower blood pressure, that too, without any equipment.

Baduanjin is a slow, structured movement, focused on deep breathing and meditation.

Importantly, the clinical trial proved that the ancient Chinese technique could lower BP as effectively as brisk walking.

In people practicing baduanjin, BP reductions were seen after three months and were sustained for one year.

"Given its simplicity, safety, and ease with which one can maintain long-term adherence, baduanjin can be implemented as an effective, accessible, and scalable lifestyle intervention for individuals trying to reduce their blood pressure," said Jing Li, Director, National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases in Beijing, China.

Baduanjin: The 10 Minute Routine

Baduanjin is a standardized eight-movement sequence that integrates aerobic, isometric, flexibility, and mind-body components.

It has been in practice for centuries and commonly performed in community settings across China. The routine typically takes 10–15 minutes and requires no equipment and only minimal initial instruction.

Because it is low- to moderate-intensity, it is considered safe and accessible for many adults.

Also read: Cardiovascular Diseases Lead As India’s Top Killer: US Cardiologist Points Out Risk Factors

The Clinical Trial

A team of Chinese researchers led the first large, multicenter randomized trial to look at the impact of baduanjin on blood pressure.

They followed 216 participants, aged 40 years or older, across seven communities to determine changes in 24-hour systolic BP from baseline to 12 and 52 weeks.

Compared to people indulging in self-directed exercise, practicing baduanjin five days a week reduced

• systolic blood pressure by approximately 3 mg Hg
• systolic blood pressure by 5 mg Hg.

Notably, the benefits were sustained even without ongoing monitoring, a key challenge for many lifestyle interventions that struggle to maintain long-term adherence outside structured programs.

"Baduanjin has been practiced in China for over 800 years, and this study demonstrates how ancient, accessible, low-cost

approaches can be validated through high-quality randomized research," said Harlan M. Krumholz, Editor-in-Chief of JACC and the Harold H. Hines, Jr Professor at the Yale School of Medicine.

"The blood pressure effect size is similar to that seen in landmark drug trials, but achieved without medication, cost, or side effects. This makes it highly scalable for community-based prevention, including in resource-limited settings," they added.

Also read: AHA Cholesterol Guidelines 2026: How Indians Can Improve Heart Health

How To Practice Baduanjin

• Stand upright with your feet shoulder-width apart and keep your movements slow and controlled.
• Coordinate each motion with steady, deep breathing, inhaling and exhaling smoothly as you move.
• Move through the traditional eight postures in sequence, focusing on posture, balance, and relaxation rather than speed or force.
• Practice for about 10 to 15 minutes a day in a quiet space, maintaining calm attention throughout.

If you believe only gym workouts matter, you might be mistaken. While gyms offer a structured space to exercise, busy schedules often lead many to skip workouts—and feel guilty about it.

However, a new study suggests that even short bursts of vigorous everyday activity—such as running to catch a bus or climbing stairs quickly—can significantly reduce the risk of several major diseases and even lower the risk of death.

The research, based on nearly 96,000 people and published in the European Heart Journal, found that just a few minutes of intense activity each day was linked to a lower risk of:

• Major cardiovascular disease
• Irregular heartbeat
• Type 2 Diabetes
• Immune-mediated inflammatory diseases
• Liver disease
• Chronic respiratory diseases
• Chronic kidney disease
• Dementia

“We know that physical activity reduces the risk of chronic disease and premature death, and there is growing evidence that vigorous activity provides greater health benefits per minute than moderate activity,” said Minxue Shen from the Xiangya School of Public Health, Central South University, China.

Also read:Just Twice A Week At-home Resistance Training Enough To Build Muscle, Reveal New Guidelines

Longer Workouts or Intense Bursts?

To explore whether exercising more intensely offers greater benefits than simply exercising longer, the researchers followed 96,408 participants for seven years.

Each person wore a wrist-based accelerometer to track movement, including short bursts of activity often overlooked.

The findings showed that compared to those who did no vigorous activity, participants with the highest levels had:

• 63 percent lower risk of dementia
• 60 percent lower risk of type 2 diabetes
• 46 percent lower risk of death

“Our findings suggest that adding short bursts of activity that make you slightly breathless—like climbing stairs quickly or walking briskly between tasks—can have substantial health benefits,” Shen said.

“Even 15–20 minutes per week, just a few minutes a day, can make a meaningful difference,” the Professor added.

Also read: Exercising Could Make Your Brain Younger, Says Doctor

Is Vigorous Activity Safe for Everyone?

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that adults (18–64) perform at least 150–300 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity, or 75–150 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity per week.

The new study suggests that intensity also plays a key role—and may vary depending on the disease being prevented.

The researchers noted that these findings could help shape more personalised exercise recommendations in the future. However, they cautioned that vigorous activity may not be suitable for everyone, particularly:

• Older adults
• People with certain underlying medical conditions.

IPL 2026 is back, and for fans of cricket, it is the most amazing and eagerly awaited time of the year. Eight exceptional teams, an incredible line-up of cricketing sensations from all over the world, and an unforgettable clash of titans — IPL deserves all the hype it gets. And after last night's incredible battle between Kolkata Knight Riders and Mumbai Indians, former captain Rohit Sharma also deserves all the hype he is getting. Not only did the Hitman score his fastest IPL 50, but he also managed to impress everyone with his transformation. Nita Ambani, Chairperson and founder of the Reliance Foundation and Dhirubhai Ambani International School, and a director of Reliance Industries (owner of the Mumbai Indians team too), was awestruck to see a fitter version of Sharma.

Read more: Checking BMI For Body Weight? It Can Wrongly Mark You As Overweight or Obese, Says Study

When Nita Ambani did not recognise Rohit Sharma

In a recent video shared on the Instagram page of Mumbai Indians, Nita Ambani is seen meeting the squad as they were training ahead of the 2026 IPL. As she encounters Sharma, she says, "My God, Rohit, I didn’t recognise you! You look like a young boy."

Rohit Sharma, now 38, will be turning 39 on April 30, but to a fan's eye, he seems to be ageing in reverse. On May 7, 2025, Sharma announced his retirement from Test cricket. Earlier in 2024, he announced his retirement from T20Is after the 2024 World Cup win. Since then, he has focused primarily on ODIs and, as it turns out, on becoming a fitter version of his current self.

Read more: Exercising Could Make Your Brain Younger, Says Doctor

A fitter Rohit Sharma since retirement

Rohit Sharma smashed an impressive 78 off 38 balls in last night's match against KKR, and perhaps his success can be credited to his recent transformation. His physical transformation took place ahead of the Vijay Hazare Trophy, and he lost an impressive 11 kilos before returning to the game. But what his fans loved most is that he was never really lagging because of the extra weight — he was always fit, quick and proactive, but now he is a lot leaner on the outside. How did the former skipper achieve this goal? Let’s find out:

1. Hydration: For Sharma, fitness has to start with hydration, and this involves drinking plenty of water throughout the day in various forms — protein shakes, green tea and carrot juice.
2. High-protein meals: According to TheHealthSite, Sharma switched to a high-protein diet, which is one of the most important steps in a weight-loss journey. This means foods like eggs, oats, legumes, millet rotis, brown rice, grilled chicken and salads dominated his diet routine.
3. Workout regime: A workout regimen need not be about the kind of exercise one does, but also the timings. Reports suggest that Sharma kick-started his days with 30 minutes of cycling, followed by a core workout. And the best part — he relied on morning workouts for optimal results, as during the early hours of the day, scientists say it is the best time to break a sweat.

Cardio workouts like interval training, running and cycling help build stamina and endurance — these help ensure peak performance during stressful matches.