Exercising and going to the gym regularly can be a very taxing process. One thing that bugs many people is the sudden downwards shift in the body structure after months of progression and gains- a term used for the progress people make during workout.

When you exercise right, your body gets tired. A of 'deload' week gives the body a chance to rest and recover. This helps avoid getting injured after having pushed the body too hard. 'Dealoading' also helps you feel less stressed, both in your body and your mind. When your muscles have time to heal, they get stronger. This means you can do better in your workouts later on. You'll also feel less tired because your muscles are ready for more. So, a deload week is like hitting the reset button, making you stronger and healthier in the long run.

Signs You Need a Deload Week

Your body gives you signs when it needs a break. If you're getting sick more often, it might be because you're overdoing it. If you can't lift as much weight as you usually do, or if you're always tired, even after sleeping, that's a sign. If your muscles are sore for days after working out, or if you're bored with your workouts, it's time to deload. Also, if you notice your performance at the gym is getting worse, not better, it's a clear signal. These are all ways your body tells you it needs a rest to recover.

There are many ways to deload. You can do fewer reps or sets when you lift weights, or run fewer miles if you're a runner. You can also take longer breaks between sets. Try to do your workouts at an easier pace, like you're having a casual chat. If you need a break from hard workouts, try easier things like walking or riding a bike. You can also change your workout moves to lighter ones. If you're really tired, take a few days off completely. Listen to your body and do what feels right.

Post-Deload Recovery and Progression

If you're new to working out, deload every six to eight weeks. If you work out regularly but not for competitions, listen to your body and deload when you feel you need it, but generally every four to eight weeks. If you're a serious athlete, deload every four to six weeks. This is because you're likely lifting heavier weights and need more rest. These are general guidelines, so adjust them based on how your body feels and what kind of training you do.

After your deload week, don't jump right back into your hardest workouts. Start slowly and gradually increase the intensity. Think about your goals and how you were doing before your deload week. If you were making progress, keep going. If not, try a different approach. Keep track of how you feel before, during, and after your deload weeks. This helps you understand what works best for you. Don't forget to get enough sleep, drink plenty of water, and eat healthy foods. And most importantly, always listen to your body and adjust your workouts as needed.

Yoga is much more than just exercise, it's a practice that truly helps your whole self-feel better. Many people use yoga to ease everyday body aches and pains, but its benefits go even further. Doing yoga regularly can genuinely rejuvenate your energy, making you feel fresh and lively.

For those dealing with uncomfortable bloating and gas, certain yoga poses offer a natural way to find relief, gently helping your digestion. This guide shares simple yet powerful yoga poses made to help you find comfort, boost your energy, and ease those digestive troubles.

Yoga Poses To Relieve Bloating

You can do these poses with or without a yoga mat. Some, like the bridge pose, are gentle stretches that stimulate your internal organs. Twist poses, like the spinal twist, gently massage your abdomen, which can be great for gas, bloating, and even constipation.

Knees Hugged to Chest (Apanasana)

This pose, known as "wind-relieving," can ease gas and bloating. Lie down, hug your knees to your chest on an exhale, and rock gently. Hold for 5-10 breaths. You can also do one leg at a time if that's more comfortable. Repeat as needed.

Spinal Twist

This twist gently massages your belly. Lie on your back, hug your knees, then drop them to the left as you exhale, turning your head right. Extend your right arm out. Hold for 5-10 breaths. Return to center and repeat on the other side.

Bridge Pose (Setu Bandha Sarvangasana)

This pose helps improve blood flow and can energize you. Lie on your back with bent knees, feet flat. Lift your hips towards the ceiling, stretching your chest. Lower your hips back down. Repeat as desired. For a deeper stretch, clasp your hands beneath your back.

One-Legged Seated Spinal Twist

Get more control with this seated twist. Sit with legs extended. Bend your right knee, placing the heel close. Place your right hand behind you. Use your left elbow to twist around your right knee. Hold for 5+ breaths, deepening with each exhale. Switch sides.

Seated Forward Bend Pose (Paschimottanasana)

This simple stretch helps you relax and can improve digestion. Sit with legs straight. Hinge forward from your hips, keeping your back straight, and lower your upper body towards your legs. Hold for 5-10 deep breaths. Go only as far as comfortable for a gentle stretch.

Seated Heart Opener

This pose stretches your belly and may relieve stomach cramps. Sit on your heels, lean back, placing hands behind you (fingers away). Press hands down, lift your chest, and gently arch your back. Feel hips pushing down. Hold for five breaths, then sit up.

Cat and Cow (Marjaryasana and Bitilasana)

Flowing between these poses warms your spine and releases back/neck tension. Start on hands and knees. Inhale for Cow Pose (arch back, lift head/tailbone). Exhale for Cat Pose (round spine, drop head). Connect breath to movement. Repeat several times.

Child's Pose (Balasana)

This resting pose offers a relaxing stretch. Sit on knees with legs wide. Lean forward, stretching arms in front, placing forehead on the floor. Keep your back straight. Hold for five or more breaths. You can use a pillow or block under your head for comfort.

Many people think of yoga as just gentle stretching and meditation, not a serious workout for burning calories. But the truth might surprise you! While yoga certainly brings mental calm, it's also a powerful way to engage your body.

Yoga is a fantastic blend of strength, flexibility, balance, and endurance. Experts estimate that an hour of yoga can burn anywhere from 180 to 600 calories. This wide range depends on the style; intense types like Bikram or power yoga will burn more than a gentle, restorative class. To maximize calorie, burn, choosing specific poses is key.

Yoga For Weight Loss

Harvard Health suggests that yoga can help you manage stress, lift your mood, reduce emotional eating, and build a supportive community. All these benefits can be incredibly helpful for both losing weight and keeping it off.

Beyond these mind-body benefits, yoga can also help you burn calories and build stronger, more toned muscles. It might even reduce joint pain, making it easier for you to be more active every day. These are just a few of the many ways yoga can support your health journey.

Plank

This pose is a calorie-burning powerhouse because it forces all your muscles to work against gravity. To burn even more, try lifting one foot slightly off the mat. The longer you hold it – from 30 seconds to five minutes – the more calories you'll melt away.

Chair Pose

Chair pose gets your body's largest muscles, the glutes, working hard, which automatically burns lots of calories. It's a safe and effective move for everyone, regardless of their yoga experience.

Chaturanga (Low Push-Up)

Chaturanga is like holding the bottom of a push-up. When done correctly, it engages most of your major muscle groups. Your core, legs, and arms all work to maintain a perfect 90-degree bend in your elbows. It's a challenging pose that requires focus and control, even for advanced yogis.

Wheel Pose

Wheel pose is an advanced backbend that opens your chest and stretches the entire front of your body. It deeply engages your legs, glutes, shoulders, arms, and even your heart and lungs. You can boost your heart rate even more by doing this pose in a heated room after a good warm-up.

High Lunge

You've probably seen High Lunge in other workouts because it's a full-body move, especially effective for your glutes and quads. This pose also builds strength and requires balance. Any time you add balance to a pose, your body has to work harder, leading to more calories burned.

Sun Salutations

Sun Salutations are a sequence of 12 flowing poses that get your heart pumping. They engage your abs, glutes, calves, shoulders, biceps, and triceps. This series combines breath with movement, energizing, strengthening, and stretching your muscles, while also boosting blood oxygen and strengthening your lungs.

Dolphin Pose

Dolphin pose is similar to downward dog but with your forearms on the mat. It's fantastic because it both strengthens your arms, core, and legs, while also stretching your shoulders and chest. Having your forearms down fully engages your triceps too, making it a powerful pose for overall body engagement.

Dominated by buzzworthy injections like Ozempic and Mounjaro, one woman’s extraordinary story is flipping the narrative. Meet Hannah Mai, a 37-year-old from Coventry, UK, who defied medical odds, overcame a rare hormonal condition, and shed 140 pounds naturally—all without relying on weight-loss drugs.

Diagnosed with Cushing’s disease, a condition marked by dangerously high cortisol levels, Hannah’s weight loss journey wasn’t just about slimming down, it was her battle to reclaim her body con, her identity, and her well-being. Her secret? Daily Pilates, relentless determination, and a clean, protein-rich diet.

For Hannah, sudden and uncontrollable weight gain started around age 30. Despite maintaining a healthy lifestyle and weighing about nine stone (126 pounds) for most of her adult life, she began gaining weight rapidly—seven stone (nearly 100 pounds) in just a few months.

“It was terrifying,” Hannah recalls. “I hadn’t changed my diet. People asked if I was pregnant. I knew something was wrong, but no one believed me.”

Doctors initially dismissed her concerns, chalking up her symptoms to hormones or lifestyle. But the weight kept piling on, eventually reaching 20st 5lbs (285 pounds). More than two years later, her body delivered an unmistakable warning sign—a sudden hunch in her back.

This prompted her to do her own research, where she found a possible explanation: Cushing’s disease, a rare condition caused by excess cortisol. Armed with her findings, she returned to her doctor, this time with a printed list of symptoms in hand.

Cushing’s disease, which affects fewer than 10 people per million each year, is often caused by a non-cancerous tumour on the pituitary gland. This tumour leads to the excessive production of adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH), which in turn signals the adrenal glands to release too much cortisol.

Cortisol, the body’s main stress hormone, affects nearly every system, regulating blood sugar, metabolism, and inflammation but too much of it wreaks havoc, resulting in weight gain (particularly around the trunk and face), thinning skin, mood changes, and high blood pressure.

Hannah’s case was textbook. In October 2020, she was finally diagnosed through MRI scans and blood tests at University Hospital Coventry & Warwickshire. A few months later, in February 2021, she underwent brain surgery to remove the tumour, followed by two years of steroid therapy to help her body rebalance.

By 2023, Hannah’s health had stabilized enough for her to discontinue the steroids. That’s when she decided it was time to take back control of her body.

But rather than jumping on the Ozempic bandwagon, she took a different route a holistic, lifestyle-based approach that focused on daily Pilates, clean eating, and discipline.

“I think Ozempic is great for people who need it medically,” she said. “But I wanted to prove to myself that I could do this. And once I started seeing results, I just kept going.”

Why Pilates Is Beneficial For Gaining Gentle Strength?

For Hannah, the cornerstone of her recovery wasn’t running marathons or punishing herself with extreme workouts. It was Pilates—a low-impact, mind-body exercise that emphasizes strength, flexibility, and alignment.

Done daily, Pilates became her physical therapy, mental reset, and weight-loss weapon.

“Pilates helped me reconnect with my body in a way I hadn’t felt in years. It didn’t stress my joints or overwhelm me,” she explained. “It was something I could do every day—and it worked.”

Combined with a high-protein, low-carb diet tailored for her body’s needs (and free from sugar, dairy, and gluten due to a celiac diagnosis), the results were astonishing: a drop from size 26 to size 10, and a weight loss of 140 pounds over two years.

Hannah’s journey isn’t just about the number on the scale. It’s about resilience, self-advocacy, and trusting your intuition especially when the medical system doesn’t listen.

“When I look at old photos, I feel sad about how far things got. But it also reminds me of how far I’ve come,” she reflected. “I’m proud of myself. And I want others to know it’s possible.”

In a world obsessed with fast fixes and injectables, Hannah’s story is a powerful reminder that transformations come in many forms. Her message is one of patience, persistence, and purpose the kind of inspiration that can’t be bottled in a prescription pen.

Why Is Cushing’s Disease Often Misdiagnosed?

Cushing’s disease is often underdiagnosed, especially in women, whose weight gain is often dismissed as lifestyle-related or hormonal fluctuation. As awareness grows, thanks to celebrities like Amy Schumer, who recently revealed her own Cushing’s diagnosis more people are starting to recognize the symptoms and seek help.

“I knew for years something was wrong with me,” Hannah said. “But I had to fight to be heard.”

Her journey underscores the importance of self-education, advocacy, and second opinions, especially when it comes to mysterious or unexplained symptoms.

As the popularity of weight-loss injections like Ozempic and Mounjaro skyrockets, Hannah’s story offers a refreshing counterpoint. Yes, medications have their place but not every weight-loss story begins or ends with a shot.