Healthy living – articles and advice
Exercise and physical activity
Articles on diet, fitness, sleep and overall wellbeing, supporting a healthy lifestyle.
Exercise and physical activity
Regular activity boosts energy, mood and overall health. Learn how to fit exercise into your routine and choose activities that suit your lifestyle.
- HIIT for weight loss: how does it compare to traditional cardio?
- Keeping kids active over Christmas
- How to keep kids active over the summer
- New campaign helps people with chronic conditions get active
- What are the benefits of postnatal Pilates?
- How to spot the signs of an exercise addiction
- Women's health in sport: injuries, menstruation, and motherhood
- Is your exercise routine giving you acne?
- Stay fit indoors: winter workout ideas you can do at home
- How to deal with stress through exercise
- Can exercise help with grief?
- How to get over gym anxiety
- Can exercise help you feel less stressed?
- How to avoid injury while strength training
- Is running bad for your knees?
- Knee health: how to prevent knee injuries
- Are creatine supplements effective at building muscle?
- The best resistance band workouts to build muscle
- Which sports are the worst for your health?
- Walk, jog, repeat: what is Jeffing?
- What are the long-term benefits of exercise?
- How to start a new fitness routine this autumn
- Do you really need to walk 10,000 steps a day?
- Can fitness trackers help boost activity levels in adults?
- How to get into CrossFit exercise safely as a beginner
- What are the health benefits of yoga?
- Why sitting ruins our health - and how 22 minutes of exercise could help
- What are the benefits of Pilates?
- The best forms of exercise for those who hate the gym
- How to strengthen your core
- How to get into swimming safely for beginners
- How to get back into exercise after having a baby
- How to exercise with a physical disability
- How to deal with a fear of judgement whilst exercising
- How can you start strength training at home?
- Balancing exercise and your diet
- A guide to essential home gym equipment
- Weekend workouts might be enough for your health
- How to run a 10k with no experience
- 5 ways to get more out of every step you take on the road to better health
- What is somatic exercise? Exploring the mind-body connection
- What is rucking and is it right for you?
- Is TikTok's 12-3-30 workout any good?
- What is Reformer Pilates and why is it so popular?
- Could cold exposure boost your health and wellbeing?
- Do sports drinks really work to improve performance?
- The health benefits of stretching every day
- How to get over your fear of exercise
- What are the best resistance band exercises for legs?
- How to work out without feeling like you're exercising
- Are dance workouts good for keeping fit?
- Should you exercise if you have a chronic illness?
- How to embrace fitness after 50
- What are the benefits of strength exercises?
- Do 30-day fitness challenges actually work?
- Natural protein verses protein powder: which is better for strength training?
- How to do Pilates at home
- How to become more flexible
- HIIT or weights: which is best for weight loss?
- Should you eat before swimming and what types of food are best?
- Can you do too much exercise?
- How to maintain your fitness New Year's resolutions
- Fun ways to keep fit without even realising it
- How to maintain your running routine in winter
- How to exercise safely in later life
- What does spinning do to your body?
- 6 health benefits of swimming
- Will future towns and cities focus on fitness?
- Video: Hip pain exercises
- Improving mental and physical health through exercise
- Video: Glute strengthening exercises
- 8 high-protein nuts to boost your strength
- How to work out in a heatwave
- What are the benefits of squats?
- Why spending time outdoors can improve your health
- The benefits of switching up your exercise
- 7 morning stretches to get you ready for the day
- How to fall in love with exercise
- Is yoga good for weight loss?
- This is how to make exercise a daily habit
Gender identity
Gender identity is the personal sense of one's own gender. Gender identity can correlate with a person's assigned sex or can differ from it.
- How to support your transgender child
- Why do young LGBTQ+ people have a poorer experience of cancer care?
- Do lesbian and bisexual women still need smear tests?
- What to do if you're questioning your sexuality
- Is there an LGBTQ+ health gap?
- Why do transgender people struggle to get cervical screening?
- What harm can conversion therapy cause and why isn't it banned?
- LGBTQ+ people share their personal conversion therapy stories
- How remote mental health services have helped the LGBTQ+ community
- LGBTQI+: what are the barriers and challenges in end of life care?
- Debunking bisexual stereotypes and myths
- Debunking gay men stereotypes and myths
- Debunking lesbian stereotypes and myths
- Debunking transgender stereotypes and myths
- Should you 'come out' to your doctor?
- How to bind your chest safely
- What does it mean to be intersex?
- LGBTQ+ travel: how to stay safe
Managing harmful habits
Whether it’s smoking, drinking, or gambling, breaking harmful habits is tough. Learn about tools, treatments and support to help you make lasting change.
Alcohol advice
- The best way to get rid of a hangover
- What are the dangers of drinking in hot weather?
- Does alcohol cause cancer?
- What is alcohol intolerance, and what are its symptoms?
- How does alcohol affect your sex life?
- Why does drinking alcohol affect your sleep?
- Where to find support if you have been a victim of drink spiking
- How to tell if a drink has been spiked
- How to control your drinking at a work Christmas party
- What to do when you're waiting for drug or alcohol services
- Drinking in the sun: a dangerous cocktail
- What are the risks of alcohol as you get older?
- What is alcoholic cardiomyopathy?
- How to look after your liver during freshers’ week
- Hard seltzer: how healthy is it?
- Should you take regular breaks from drinking alcohol throughout the year?
- Can mindful drinking improve your mental health?
- What are the benefits of giving up alcohol?
- How to drink safely over Christmas and New Year
- How to drink sensibly over the festive season
- Is going sober becoming a trend?
- The warning signs of a drinking problem
- What not to say to someone who doesn't drink alcohol
- One in five hospital patients have a problem with alcohol
- 5 best Dry January apps for 2024
- Ketone drinks: a buzzy and safe alcohol-alternative?
- How does alcohol affect your body temperature?
- How to drink less over Christmas and the New Year
- How to create healthy drinking habits that last beyond Dry January
Smoking and vaping
- How to quit smoking during pregnancy
- Does smoking affect your sex life?
- Does vaping age or damage your skin?
- Smoking effects on skin: from ageing to illness
- What does smoking do to your heart?
- Smoking could lead to sight loss, warn optometrists
- Are e-cigarettes a safe way to quit smoking?
- The best ways to quit smoking for good
- Safer than cigarettes? The rise of vaping in schools
- E-cigarettes could be prescribed on the NHS in world first
- How to resist the toughest cigarette cravings
- What to do if you relapse after quitting smoking
- How to stop smoking
- Fagerström test
- Half of smokers would quit if they were paid to do so
- How quitting smoking affects your mental health
- Should you take Champix to help you stop smoking?
- The truth about vaping
- How to quit smoking without gaining weight
- Will making e-cigarettes available on prescription encourage teenagers to smoke?
Mental wellbeing
Mental health matters just as much as physical health. Learn strategies to manage stress, improve resilience and take care of your emotional wellbeing.
- The link between gut health and happiness
- How gut bacteria affect mood, focus and brain health
- Is brain rot real - here's what brain health experts say
- Is the vagus nerve the key to our mental health?
- How to look after your mental health this winter
- What you need to know about parenting with a mental health issue
- When to take a mental health day at work - and how to talk to your boss
- How to protect your mental health in the workplace as a Black woman
- How to improve your mental health while working from home
- How to manage your mental health if you've been made redundant
- How to look after your mental health during your menstrual cycle
- The mental health impact of skin conditions
- The health benefits of seawater
- Can hair transplants improve mental health?
- Why going bald can seriously affect your mental health
- What to do if you feel lonely
- How your teeth can affect your self-esteem
- Why walking your dog can boost your mental health
- Why do we find it comforting to re-watch our favourite movies?
- Can spending time in nature benefit your mental health?
- More than just entertainment: Jeanie Y. Chang on K-dramas and mental health
- Mental health: keeping track of your symptoms and early interventions
- Why you should take up a creative hobby this year
- The best mindfulness apps, according to experts
- 5 benefits of reading
- What is 'good mental health'?
- How to be happy: 12 everyday tips
- Why new year's resolutions fail - and what you can do about it
- National Houseplant Week: Health benefits of biophilia and plants
- Is the term 'wellness' problematic?
- Why we should be making mental health New Year resolutions
- 5 ways to look after your mental health this Christmas
- How to look after your mental health at university
- How to improve your self-esteem and be kinder to yourself
- Is crying good for you?
- Is Christmas music good or bad for your mental health?
- How to stop ‘mum guilt’ from impacting your mental health
- Can football tackle mental health stigma?
- The impact of boredom on our health
- What to do if you're struggling with your mental health at Christmas
- What are the mental health benefits of making your bed in the morning?
- New Year, New Me: Why reinventing yourself in 2025 might be bad for your mental health
- Breaking the stigma of mental health
- Why a Christmas movie can make us feel good
- Young people who seek mental health support forced to cope on their own
- Movember spotlight: black men's mental health
- How to talk to people about your mental health
- Body positivity: 7 daily habits for self-love and acceptance at any age
- How peer support can help boost your mental health
- What is the difference between mental health and mental illness?
- What mental health support is available to veterans?
- Does the moon really affect us?
Obesity and weight loss
Carrying extra weight can affect your health. Learn how weight loss supports wellbeing, explore healthy ways to lose weight, and avoid risky quick fixes.
- How to talk to your child about their weight
- Does apple cider vinegar help with weight loss?
- Can probiotics treat obesity and diabetes?
- Why you don't need to detox
- Do crash diets ever really work for healthy weight loss?
- Beyond diet and exercise: understanding holistic weight management
- Understanding internalised weight bias: a guide to self-acceptance
- Does stress cause weight gain?
- Can you lose weight and be body positive?
- 10 daily habits for healthy weight loss
- What to do if your weight is getting you down
- Why fad diets can actually lead to weight gain
- Is Pilates good for weight loss?
- What your waist measurement says about your health
- Problems caused by being underweight
- Does BMI matter?
- Can you really be fit and fat?
- How to lower your BMI and lose weight healthily
- Size matters: why our oversized portions are contributing to the obesity crisis
- Can we trust BMI charts for kids?
- Switch off TV in the bedroom to avoid weight gain
- Will the government's obesity strategy work?
- Does eating spicy food help you lose weight?
- How does losing a lot of weight affect your mental health?
- Do calorie counts on restaurant menus lead to healthier choices?
- The conditions that cause unexpected weight gain
- Obesity blamed for fewer eligible organ donors
- Does cold weather boost weight loss?
- Can you blame your weight on your genes?
- The most common reasons you're not losing weight
Weight loss treatments and surgery
- What are weight loss injections and are they safe?
- Orlistat healthy eating guide
- How to stop taking Mounjaro or switch to an alternative
- Who is eligible for weight loss injections?
- What happens when you stop taking weight loss injections?
- Are protein shakes good for weight loss?
- Do diet pills really work – and are they safe?
- Can hypnotherapy help you lose weight?
- What is gastric sleeve surgery?
- How weight loss surgery changed my life: Gemma's story
- What is bariatric surgery?
Relationships
Good relationships are key to wellbeing. Learn about communication, respect and boundaries, and how to seek support if a relationship becomes unhealthy.
- Domestic abuse survivors more likely to develop serious mental illness
- Have a healthy, happy Father's Day
- Spotting depression in your partner
- What is person-centred counselling?
Parenting
- How to ask kids about their health
- How to talk to your child about social media
- How to support your child if they are being cyberbullied
- What to do if your teen has a drug problem
- How to talk to children about death
- Should parents worry about 'dry drowning'?
- Parental burnout: your guide to understanding and overcoming it
- How to be a calm parent when you're stressed
- How to cope with the stress of being a new parent
- What parents need to know about school entry health checks
- How to deal with empty nest syndrome at Christmas
- How many children should you have?
- How to talk to your kids about sex, porn and healthy relationships
- When is your child too sick for school?
- Can counselling help you decide when or whether to have children?
- How to get your child the right support at school
Sexual relationships
- Is your lifestyle impacting your sex drive?
- Telling current and past partners about your STI
- Nurturing intimacy: 6 tips for long-term relationships
- How to have great sex in later life
- How to talk to your partner about a sexual problem
- What you need to know about sexual fantasies
- How to talk to your partner about painful sex
- How an affair affects your sexual and mental health
Sleep and insomnia
Sleep plays a vital role in good health and well-being throughout your life. Discover how to improve your sleep routine as well as causes of and self help for insomnia.
- What to do when your child can't sleep
- The link between anxiety and insomnia
- How does your period impact your sleep?
- Are facial workouts good for sleep, speech and oral health?
- Transform your sleep: a guide to overcoming stress dreams
- Heartburn at night: how to improve sleep quality with heartburn
- Can better sleep help with diabetes?
- Sleep videos
- Can antidepressants cause vivid dreams?
- 1 in 10 people have encountered a near-death experience
- CBT for insomnia: how does it work?
- Does getting good sleep really improve your skin?
- How getting older affects your sleep
- Do you need more sleep in winter?
- Why phones should be banned from the bedroom
- How to fix your sleep schedule with a healthy bedtime routine
- What is polyphasic or biphasic sleep, and is it good for you?
- What are sleep trackers and do they work?
- Understanding the cause of your sleep problems
- Should you keep a dream journal?
- How to sleep-proof your relationship
- How to sleep better
- Can the clocks changing affect insomnia?
- Can a new bed improve your insomnia?
- Is sleep apnoea dangerous? When snoring problems turn serious
- What your dreams can reveal about your health
- How revenge bedtime procrastination affects your health - and how to avoid it
- Tips for better sleep in summer
- How to improve your sleep behaviour
- Gene discovery may explain why some people cope on little sleep
- Why do we need sleep?
- What binge-watching is really doing to your health
- Do naps count as sleep?
- What causes sleepwalking and how can you stop?
- Is it really worth tracking your sleep?
- What's the right temperature for sleep?
- What causes sleep paralysis?
- Healthier ways to get your TV fix
- Sleep diary
- Do teenagers really need more sleep?
- Can hypnotherapy help insomnia?
- Pregnancy insomnia: how to get better sleep while pregnant
- How to alleviate your menopause sleep problems
- Insomnia linked to increased risk of heart disease and stroke
- Trouble sleeping? The culprit may be something you ate
- Is insomnia affecting your job?
- How to stop snoring wrecking your sleep and your relationship
- How long should a power nap be?
- Good sleep matters: it isn't just about clocking hours
- How to fall asleep fast: 5 simple methods for speedy sleep
- Can you really die from lack of sleep?
- Grounding mats: can they boost your wellbeing?