It’s a pool party! How to stay safe around the pool with friends this summer

Amy Peden, UNSW Sydney

It’s summer so kids’ playdates and birthday parties might start moving from the playground to the pool.

I research how to prevent drowning. I’m also a mum of two kids living in a house with a pool. So water safety is always front of mind.

Drowning deaths are at a record high in Australia. For pre-schoolers, this often happens in backyard pools. Although school-aged children have a much lower risk it’s still important to be vigilant.

Here are some key questions to ask and things to consider before you accept an invitation to a pool party or host your own.

With these tips, you’ll be able to navigate pool safety while ensuring the kids have heaps of fun.

Not everyone knows how to swim

First, think about your child’s swimming ability. Have they learned to swim? Do you know how their ability stacks up against their peers? Check their skills against the recommended minimum national swimming and water safety benchmarks for their age.

Perhaps some top-up lessons or some intensive lessons over summer might give their skills a boost ahead of a busy swim season.

As important as swimming skills are, so too is knowing how to be safe around the water. Have you talked to your kids about water safety? Are they mindful that others may not be able to swim as well as they can and may not be comfortable disclosing this to their friends?

Have you discussed how dangerous it can be to hold each other down under the water or hold their breath to swim to the end of the pool repeatedly? It can lead to someone blacking out.

It’s also not just about drowning. Knowing about water depth, the dangers of diving into shallow water, and not running around a wet and slippery pool can help avoid injury.

It’s not just about the kids

You also have a more direct role in keeping everyone safe. If you’re hosting a playdate and planning to include a swim, have you checked with the child’s parents? Ask about children’s swimming abilities or fears.

Before everyone hits the water, discuss your pool safety rules and expectations with the kids, including your own. My kids, and their friends, are very used to my “lifeguard lectures” by now.

An important part of playing lifeguard is supervision. If your kids’ friends are weak or poor swimmers, regardless of their age, you should be in the water with them. This is usually more fun anyway.

For older kids and more confident swimmers it’s still best to supervise from a distance (maybe poolside) and be dressed ready to get into the water in an emergency.

If you’re expecting more than a couple of kids, you might need more than one adult to ensure adequate supervision (and keep your stress levels down). Ensure each person’s supervision responsibilities are clear to avoid tragic miscommunications, such as: “I thought you were looking after them.”

Have you refreshed your CPR skills lately? Does your pool have a CPR sign you can refer to? Is your pool fenced and compliant? Does the gate close and lock on its own?

What about at someone else’s house?

Are you confident in your child’s ability to swim and be safe around the pool, if you’re not there? Have the hosts asked about your child’s swimming ability and any concerns? If not, you should be proactive and flag them.

Remember that eveyone’s definition of “can swim” is different. Would the hosts mind if you stayed to help supervise?

If you’re going to do the “drop and run”, will the adults hosting be supervising? How vigilant will they be? Will the adults be drinking alcohol?

Having the conversation early can ensure all parents involved are aligned on matters of water safety.

We’re heading to the local pool instead

Many of the same rules apply if you’re meeting up with friends for a swim at your local pool.

Conditions here are more controlled with depth markers and safety equipment. But none of this replaces good swimming skills and safe behaviours.

Although lifeguards are on hand to help should anything go wrong, they are not a substitute for active parental supervision and shouldn’t be treated as babysitters.

In fact, reports of aggression and verbal and physical abuse of lifeguards are increasing, so please be respectful and keep your cool.

Keep yourself safe too

Kids aren’t the only ones who can get into trouble in the water. Adult drownings in a variety of different waterways are also on the rise.

So if you’re hitting the pool this summer, avoid alcohol around the water. You can even be impaired the day after heavy drinking.

Older adults can also be at risk of drowning in backyard pools due to medical incidents, such as a heart attack, or accidentally falling into the water.

If you keep all these issues in mind, we can all have a safe and enjoyable summer by the pool.

Amy Peden, NHMRC Research Fellow, School of Population Health and Co-founder UNSW Beach Safety Research Group, UNSW Sydney

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Read More........→December 24, 2025

How to handle teen ‘big feelings’ as the social media ban kicks in

Christiane Kehoe, The University of Melbourne and Elizabeth Westrupp, Deakin University

Watching your teenager grieve the loss of their social media account can be confronting. Many are genuinely distressed or struggling with the change, and many parents are unsure how to respond.

Australia’s social media ban, which started this week, means teens under the age of 16, have lost accounts to platforms such as TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram.

These are the platforms they relied on to talk to friends, find support, follow interests, or decompress after school.

While some teens feel relieved or not fussed, many are feeling sad, worried, powerless, helpless, disappointed or angry.

These aren’t signs of entitlement. They’re signs your teen may need support.

A mixed bag: here’s what more than 17,000 teenagers think of the ban.

Why losing social media hits some teens hard

There’s a neurological reason why the loss of social media can hit teens so hard.

Adolescence is a period of enormous social, neurological and emotional change. Teen brains are wired for peer connection, and their brains become more sensitive to feedback from their peers. Meanwhile the brain regions responsible for impulse control, managing strong emotions and long-term planning are still developing.

When teens say losing social media feels like being “cut off”, they aren’t being dramatic. Their neurological systems are reacting to a loss of social reinforcement.

Connect and validate their feelings

If your teen is upset, the instinct might be to justify the government’s decision or to explain why life offline is healthier. However, advice lands badly when a young person feels unheard. Teens often perceive even well-meaning advice as criticism.

Accepting their feelings about the changes helps validate their experience. You can say:

Feeling angry or sad makes total sense. I know you used those sites to stay connected with your friends.

Losing your account feels huge. It’s a big change to deal with.

Then pause and listen.

Or you can sit with them without saying much. Some teens prefer parents to just listen sympathetically.

Supporting your teen doesn’t mean you agree with their perspective. It means you’re acknowledging their emotional reality. When teens feel understood, they become more open to talking – and eventually, to problem-solving.

The first two weeks may be the toughest. Some teens may experience grief and withdrawal-like symptoms: boredom, anxiety, irritability, restlessness and a powerful urge to “just check once”.

Help teens understand these reactions are normal. Social media platforms are designed to keep users hooked.

Understand the ‘why’ together

It might help to explore the governement’s concerns about social media with your teen – but not as a lecture. The ban isn’t about social media being inherently bad, but about how platforms are designed.

You can talk about algorithms maximising engagement using the same mechanisms as gambling to encourage dependence and addiction. Or you can talk about how feeds are personalised to keep users scrolling for longer.

Ask your teen what they think about these concerns. This isn’t about convincing them the ban is right, but developing their awareness of how digital platforms work. This prepares them for use when they’re older.

Help teens rebuild what social media gave them

To support your teen, it helps to understand the function social media played in their life. Was it to:

• connect with friends?
• find community around a niche interest or identity?
• share creative work, or find outlets for self-expression?
• de-stress after a busy day?
• know what others are talking about?

Once you understand this, you can help them find alternatives that genuinely meet their needs. They might be able to maintain:

• connection by organising a get-together, make FaceTime calls, join clubs, or have group chats on allowed platforms
• creativity by finding other outlets such as photography, video-making, music, writing, art, or gaming communities with safe age settings
• relaxation by reading, exercise, podcasts, nature time, shows you can watch together.

Many teens won’t immediately know what they want to try. They may need time and space to have their feelings first. Once they are ready, inviting them to brainstorm a few options (without pressuring them) can help.

Problem-solve together, notice efforts

Once emotions settle, gently shift to collaborative problem-solving. You can ask:

What’s been the hardest part this week?

How could we help you stay connected in ways that are allowed?

What would make this change even a tiny bit easier?

Let your teen lead. Young people are much more likely to follow through on strategies they helped design.

Even small signs of coping deserve acknowledgement. You can say:

I can see you’ve been finding other ways to talk to friends. That takes maturity.

I’m proud of how open you’ve been about how you’re feeling.

But if something doesn’t work, treat it like an experiment. You can say:

OK, that didn’t help as much as we hoped. What else could we try?

Check in later

For teens, losing social media isn’t simply losing an app. It can feel like losing a community, a creative outlet, or a place where they felt understood.

Keep an eye out and offer opportunities to check in with how they are going. This ensures teens don’t navigate this transition alone or become secretive – and that your relationship remains a source of support.

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The eSafety Commissioner website explains why the rules were brought in and how they will work; youth mental health service headspace has seven tips for navigating the social media ban; the Raising Children’s website explains how teens use technology for entertainment; tips for digital wellness and how to draw up a “contract” for use of a child’s first phone are also available.

Christiane Kehoe, Senior Lecturer in Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne and Elizabeth Westrupp, Associate Professor in Psychology, Deakin University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Read More........→December 16, 2025

Worried after sunscreen recalls? Here’s how to choose a safe one

Katie Lee, The University of Queensland

Most of us know sunscreen is a key way to protect areas of our skin not easily covered by clothes from excessive ultraviolet (UV) radiation.

But it’s been a rough year for sunscreens.

In June, testing by Choice identified 16 products on Australian shelves that don’t provide the SPF protection they claimed.

In July, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) released a review recommending the amount of certain chemical ingredients allowed in sunscreens should be lowered.

Since then, several other sunscreens have been recalled or are under review, either due to manufacturing defects or concerns about poor SPF cover.

All this has left many of us feeling confused about which sunscreens are safe, effective and do what they say on the label.

Here’s what you need to know so you can stay safe this summer.

The good news first

There’s very little evidence sunscreens cause cancer and plenty of evidence they prevent skin cancer.

This is vital in Australia, where two in three people will get skin cancer at some point in their lives.

One randomised controlled trial in Queensland, run over four and a half years between 1992 and 1996, asked 1,621 people to either use sunscreen every day or continue their usual use (usually one or two days a week or not at all).

It found using sunscreen every day reduced the numbers of squamous cell carcinomas by 40%, compared to the group that didn’t change their habits. Ten years after the study, the number of invasive melanomas was reduced by 73% in the daily sunscreen group.

Significantly, this study was conducted in the 90s using SPF 16 sunscreen. Modern sunscreens are expected to routinely provide SPF 30+ or 50+ protection.

Companies should provide the SPF levels they’re advertising. But this research shows even sub-par sunscreen (by modern standards) provides significant protection with daily use.

Making sure SPF claims stack up

In Australia, the TGA regulates how SPF is assessed in sunscreens, but doesn’t do the testing itself. Instead, companies perform or outsource the testing, which must be done on human skin, and provide the TGA with their results.

But when Choice independently tested 20 Australian sunscreens, it found 16 did not meet the SPF factor on the label.

An ABC investigation pinpointed two potential sources of the problems: a poor quality base ingredient manufactured by Wild Child Laboratories, and suspicious SPF testing data from Princeton Consumer Research, which many of the brands relied on.

The TGA has since recommended that people stop using 21 products that contain the Wild Child base, listed here.

What about the chemical ingredients?

The TGA regularly reviews scientific research to make sure Australian sunscreens keep up with advances in safety and effectiveness. To be sold in Australia, sunscreens must use active ingredients from a specific list, limited at maximum concentrations.

July’s safety review found evidence that two permitted ingredients – homosalate and oxybenzone – can cause hormone disruptions in some animals exposed to high doses for a long time. These doses were far higher than someone would be exposed to from sunscreen – even at the maximum usage – thanks to the TGA’s ingredient limits.

Still, chemical risks are managed strictly. The amount absorbed during consistent, high-dose sunscreen use, year-round, must be less than 1% of the dose known to cause problems in animals.

The new results suggest that absorption could go over this “margin of safety”. So the TGA has recommended the amount allowed be reduced.

Homosalate and oxybenzone are not being banned, and you don’t need to throw out sunscreens containing these ingredients.

But if the idea of using them makes you nervous, you can check ingredient lists and buy sunscreens without them.

What should I look for in a sunscreen?

When buying a sunscreen there are four non-negotiables. It must have:

• 30+ or 50+ SPF
• broad spectrum UV protection (filters both UVB and UVA rays)
• water-resistant (for staying power in Australia’s sweaty climate)
• TGA approval mark on the packaging (“AUST L” followed by a number).

Sunscreen only works if you use it, so choose a sunscreen you like enough to actually wear.

There are milks, gels and creams, unscented, matte, tinted and many other varieties. Since faces are often the most sensitive, many people use a specialty sunscreen for the face and a cheaper, general one for the rest of the body.

Spray-on sunscreen is not recommended, however, because it’s too hard to apply enough.

You need to apply more than you think

Sunscreen works best when you apply it 20 minutes before you go into the sun, and reapply every two hours and after swimming, sport or towel drying.

How you apply it affects how well it works. You need about one teaspoon each for:

• your face and neck
• back
• chest and abdomen
• each arm and leg.

It’s also common to miss your ears, hands, feet and back of the neck – don’t forget these either.

Sunscreen usually lasts two to three years stored below 30°C, so keep an eye on the use-by date and follow any instructions about shaking before use.

If the sunscreen seems to have separated into thinner and thicker layers even after shaking, the ingredients providing SPF may not be mixed evenly throughout and might not work properly.

But remember – sunscreen isn’t a suit of armour

If you’re planning to be out in the sun for more than a few minutes at a time, slip on sun-protective clothing and slap on a hat. Use sunscreen to protect the areas you can’t easily cover.

Slide on sunnies and seek shade where possible to complete your sun-protection practice for a burn-free summer.

Katie Lee, Postdoctoral Researcher, Dermatology Research Centre, The University of Queensland

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Read More........→December 04, 2025

How to host a meal if one of your guests has an eating disorder or is anxious around food

Kathleen de Boer, Swinburne University of Technology; Courtney P. McLean, Monash University, and Inge Gnatt, Swinburne University of Technology

As the festive season approaches, perhaps you’re thinking of hosting friends and family.

You know at least one person who’ll attend who becomes anxious around food and another with an eating disorder.

So, how to host and make sure everyone feels comfortable and supported?

Perhaps you’ve already hosted someone with food anxiety or an eating disorder without even knowing.

First, some definitions

Food anxiety refers to fear or anxiety in response to eating food. This could relate to certain textures and smells, or fear of choking or vomiting. These fears and anxieties can be intense and are associated with mental health conditions, including avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder.

For others, anxiety about food might be based on fear of the impact food could have on their body shape and size. This kind of food anxiety is closely associated with diagnosable eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa.

Eating disorders are among the most rapidly increasing mental health diagnoses in the world, and can be present at any shape or size. These disorders involve negative thoughts about one’s weight, shape and eating. Behaviours people can experience include skipping meals, or feeling like they can’t stop eating.

Eating disorders can have significant impacts on someone’s life, including withdrawing from social circles and hobbies. They’re associated with high mortality rates.

Just because someone experiences some food anxiety, it does not mean they have a mental health diagnosis. It’s also important to consider how this anxiety impacts their life and the level of distress it causes them.

Hiding is common

It’s likely you’ve shared a meal with someone who has an eating disorder, who might be in recovery, or has anxiety around food. A lot of the time, you may not be able to tell, and they might try to hide it because of shame or guilt.

Your nephew at last week’s family barbecue might have binge eating disorder. The cousin who you caught up with for dinner might have a fear of choking and only eats soft foods.

You might not have noticed as people tend to be skilled at hiding their food anxiety. Some common strategies include avoiding shared mealtimes, only choosing certain foods, or saying they have already eaten and aren’t hungry.

So, if you’ll likely share a meal with someone with food anxiety or an eating disorder in the future, how can you host compassionately?

Is it worth adjusting the menu?

Unless someone has made specific requests, it is OK to roll on as usual. It can be helpful to invite guests to bring anything that meets their specific needs. Having variety and allowing people to serve themselves may also reduce food anxiety.

The goal of this meal is not to solve someone’s food anxiety, but to create a safe eating environment for all.

What not to say

At mealtimes, it might be common to comment on the amount or type of food someone is eating, or the way they eat it.

This “food talk” might be comments such as, “why are you only eating potatoes?” These comments can draw unwanted attention to someone’s food choices, increasing food anxiety.

Then there are comments on people’s bodies, shapes and sizes. Or sometimes people comment on the need to diet or skip meals after eating.

For example, people might say “that was so much food, you won’t need dinner tonight”.

While some of these comments may not be intended to hurt, these attitudes often perpetuate harmful messages about what we should and should not eat, how much we should eat, and even how we should look.

These comments can even contribute to body dissatisfaction, a key risk factor in developing eating disorders. Negative food and body talk can also contribute to increased anxiety.

Even commenting on your own eating and body can be a problem. For instance saying, “I need to skip dinner to make up for eating all this” might hurt the people you’re sharing a meal with, particularly if they have an eating disorder. This is because it reinforces and normalises food restriction.

A good rule of thumb is to avoid commenting on people’s food and bodies. And that goes for complimenting someone’s body.

What to say instead

As a guest or a host, you can contribute to developing a safe culture around food for everyone. This includes replying to unsolicited food or body comments, whether aimed at you or someone else.

Sometimes replying can be tricky for the person with a food anxiety or eating disorder, so you can also speak up even when the comment isn’t directed at you.

You can say:

• Would it be OK if we didn’t chat about my/their food/weight/body at the moment?
• I’m working hard to focus less on my body at the moment. Let’s talk about something else.
• I find it uncomfortable when you mention my/my friend’s weight/body/eating.
• I hear what you’re saying, but let’s steer clear from discussing my/their appearance/weight/eating.

Some of these suggestions might sound awkward, so offer them gently and personalise however you need.

Why this is important

Ultimately, setting boundaries with family and friends helps create more balance and compassion in how we talk about food and bodies. This can challenge some of the outdated and harmful messages that have become normalised.

Sharing mealtimes are important opportunities to connect with loved ones. Let’s make these experiences safe and inclusive.

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If this article raised any concerns for you or someone you know, contact the Butterfly Foundation on 1800 33 4673.

Kathleen de Boer, Clinical Psychologist, Lecturer in Clinical Psychology, Swinburne University of Technology; Courtney P. McLean, Research Fellow, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, and Inge Gnatt, Psychologist, Lecturer in Psychology, Swinburne University of Technology

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Read More........→December 03, 2025

7 ways to teach little kids about body safety before they can talk

Danielle Arlanda Harris, Griffith University

Families with young children are yet again reeling after this week’s Four Corners investigation into abuse in the early childhood sector.

The program identified almost 150 childcare workers who had been convicted, charged, or accused of sexual abuse and inappropriate conduct.

System-wide changes are needed to improve standards and safety in the early childhood sector. But parents may also be wondering what they can do in the home to teach their kids about body safety.

There is increasing awareness of how to talk to children about body safety. This includes teaching kids that adults should not ask them to keep secrets and to tell a trusted adult if something feels wrong.

But what about babies and younger children who have not yet learned to talk?

According to Swiss psychologist Jean Piaget, children under two can understand language and even communicate before they develop speech. It is never too early to teach them about body autonomy, normalise safety, and model trustworthiness in relationships.

How can parents and caregivers do this?

1. Use the correct words

When you’re talking to a child about their body, you may want to use “baby talk”.

But it is important to use the correct anatomical words for their genitals, the same way that we teach them about other parts of the body.

This reduces shame and normalises body boundaries. It also ensures children grow up being able to describe any experiences clearly if there is a problem.

2. Narrate what you are doing

We teach older children that people should not touch their penis, vagina, or bottom.

But obviously for younger children, parents and carers need to touch their genital areas at nappy changes.

When changing a nappy, you can talk to little children in straightforward language and narrate what you’re doing in simple and easy steps. This is so they understand what a “normal” nappy change looks like.

For example,

I’m going to pick you up now. We need to change your nappy. We change your nappy when it’s dirty. First, I’m going to get a new nappy out of the drawer. Now I’m going to take off your pants. Remember, we only touch your bottom when we need to clean it.

3. Would you like to go to Tickletown?

You can normalise consent around touching from the beginning.

For example, teach consent around tickling. Practice using language that invites them to respond: “Would you like to go to Tickletown? Would you like me to tickle you?”

Then teach and demonstrate “yes/no” or “happy/sad” with a smile/frown, or thumbs up/thumbs down.

As they get older this can develop into having a safe word or modelling safe touch and unsafe touch.

4. Respect ‘push-away’ body language

Even very young children can send clear messages when they don’t want to be touched or held.

Where possible, respect their “push-away” body language such as pushing back, turning away, wriggling to get down, or arching their back. This teaches them they have autonomy of their bodies.

You can say things like: “Do you want to be put down? Your body belongs to you”.

5. Don’t force affection

Family and friends may be eager to hug or kiss your child, especially if they don’t see them often.

Resist the temptation to force your child to hug or kiss adults (“go on, give Grandad a kiss”) – even if it is a special occasion or visit. This teaches children about body boundaries and lets them know they can make decisions about their own bodies

6. What if a child doesn’t want a nappy change?

The “my body, my rules” message can be complicated when a child does not want a bath or when they don’t feel like having their nappy changed.

If you meet resistance during these times, calmly explain and narrate what you are doing and why. It will help form a foundation for them to understand healthy and necessary touching and recognise if someone is touching them inappropriately.

For example,

we need to have a bath to wash off all the dirt from the park. Let’s put some soap on your feet where they went in the sandpit.

7. Recognise nonverbal signs of distress

Preverbal children communicate through gestures and behaviour. Parents can learn to recognise nonverbal cues that might indicate signs of general distress.

In preverbal children such signs might include increased meltdowns or tantrums, withdrawal, unexplained genital pain or redness, changes in appetite, regression in toileting or sleeping, sudden fear or dislike of people or places, and even sudden mood changes or changes in personality.

Learning these signs can improve parent-child interactions and make it easier to recognise early signs of abuse.

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If this article has raised issues for you, or if you’re concerned about someone you know, you can call 1800 Respect on 1800 737 732, Lifeline on 131 114, Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800, or Bravehearts (counselling and support for survivors of child sexual abuse) on 1800 272.

Danielle Arlanda Harris, Associate Professor in Criminology and Criminal Justice, Griffith University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Read More........→October 22, 2025

Your body can be a portable gym: how to ditch membership fees and expensive equipment

monika kabise JeCVBSpS xU unsplash. Monika Kabise/Unsplash Dan van den Hoek, University of the Sunshine Coast and Jackson Fyfe, Deakin University

You don’t need a gym membership, dumbbells, or expensive equipment to get stronger.

Since the beginning of time, we’ve had access to the one piece of equipment that is essential for strength training – our own bodies.

Strength training without the use of external forces and equipment is called “bodyweight training”.

From push-ups and squats to planks and chin-ups, bodyweight training has become one of the most popular ways to exercise because it can be done anywhere – and it’s free.

So, what is it, why does it work and how do you get started?

Lawrence Crayton/Unsplash

What is bodyweight training?

Bodyweight training simply means you use your own body weight as resistance, instead of external weights such as barbells and dumbbells.

Common exercises include push-ups, squats, lunges and sit-ups.

But bodyweight training can also use static holds that challenge your body without moving, like planks or yoga poses.

Bodyweight training can be used for any muscle group. Typically, we can break down the exercises by movement type and/or body region:

• upper body: push-ups, pull-ups, handstands
• lower body: squats, lunges, step-ups, glute bridges
• core: sit-ups, planks, mountain climbers
• whole body: burpees, bear crawls, jump squats.

Bodyweight training can also be done with equipment: calisthenics is a style of bodyweight training that uses bars, rings and outdoor gyms.

What are the main forms?

Types of bodyweight training include:

• calisthenics: often circuit-based (one exercise after another with minimal rest), dynamic and whole-body focused. Calisthenics is safe and effective for improving functional strength, power and speed, especially for older adults
• yoga: more static or flowing poses with an emphasis on flexibility and balance. Yoga is typically safe and effective for managing and preventing musculoskeletal injuries and supporting mental health
  
• Tai Chi: slower, more controlled movements, often with an emphasis on balance, posture and mindful movement
• suspension training: using straps or rings so your body can be supported in different positions while using gravity and your own bodyweight for resistance. This type or training is suitable for older adults through to competitive athletes
• resistance bands: although not strictly bodyweight only, resistance bands are a portable, low-cost alternative to traditional weights. They are safe and effective for improving strength, balance, speed and physical function.

What are the pros and cons?

There are various pros and cons to bodyweight exercises.

Pros:

• builds strength: a 2025 meta-analysis of 102 studies in 4,754 older adults (aged 70 on average) found bodyweight training led to substantial strength gains - which were no different from those with free weights or machines. These benefits aren’t just for older adults, though. Using resistance bands with your bodyweight workout can be as effective as traditional training methods across diverse populations
• boosts aerobic fitness: a 2021 study showed as little as 11 minutes of bodyweight exercises three times per week was effective for improving aerobic fitness
• accessible and free: bodyweight training avoids common barriers to exercise such as access to equipment and facilities, which means it can be done anywhere, without a gym membership
• promotes functional movement: exercises like squats and push-ups mimic everyday actions like rising from a chair or getting up from the floor.

Cons:

• difficulty progressing over time: typically, we can add weight to an exercise to increase difficulty. For bodyweight training, you need to be creative, such as slowing your tempo or progressing to unilateral (one-sided or single-limb) movements
• plateau risk: heavy external loads are more effective than bodyweight training for increasing maximal strength. This means if you stick to bodyweight training alone, your strength gains are more likely to plateau than if you use machines or free weights.

Tips for getting started (safely)

As with any form of exercise, it’s always best to speak to a medical professional before starting.

If you are ready to get going, here’s some tips:

• start small: pick simple moves to begin and progress them as you gain strength, confidence and experience
• focus on form: think quality over quantity. Completing movements with good control and body position is more important than how many you can do with poor control
• progress gradually: vary the number of sets or repetitions to make your exercise more challenging. You can progress the movements from easier (push-ups on your knees) to harder (decline push-ups) as you get stronger and need more of a challenge
• mix it up: use a variety of types of bodyweight training as well as targeting different muscle groups and movements
• seek guidance: reach out to your local exercise professionals or use apps like the Nike Training Club to help guide your planning and progress.
  

Bodyweight training means you don’t need expensive equipment to improve your health. Whether it’s squats in the park, push-ups at your children’s football game, or yoga at home, your body is a portable gym.

With consistency, creativity and time, bodyweight exercises can help you build strength and fitness.

Dan van den Hoek, Senior Lecturer, Clinical Exercise Physiology, University of the Sunshine Coast and Jackson Fyfe, Senior Lecturer, Strength and Conditioning Sciences, Deakin University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Read More........→October 15, 2025

Traditional Herbal Remedies to Quit Smoking!

Quit Smoking!

Smoking is one of the toughest addictions affecting the overall health of a smoker & is known to cause cancer, heart and other respiratory diseases. Though quitting smoking requires more than just will power for most smokers, but once done, has immediate & long-term benefits.

Traditional home remedies are natural & non-addictive as these to help give up smoking by soothing stressed nervous system & to adjust with the life without nicotine. Try some of such time tested home remedies that would prove beneficial in quitting smoking and give you a healthy physical, mental and social being.

Quit Smoking for Health & Well being!

• Take 25g of aniseed and caraway seeds each & soak in lemon juice. Mix black salt to taste & let the mixture dry in shade. Now, roast the mixture and let it cool. Take about ½ tsp of the formulation to overcome the desire to consume tobacco.
• Take betel leaf and wrap in it a tsp of fennel seeds & a clove bud. Chew it after meals to prevent you from wanting to light up another cigarette. This remedy would also help improve digestion.
• Cut ginger rhizome in small thin pieces & to it, add lemon juice, common salt, black salt, a pinch of asafetida, roasted cumin seeds & black pepper. Mix all the ingredients well and put it to dry in shade. This preparation can be taken to curb the urge to smoke.
• Drinking a glass of sugarcane juice with lemon juice & black salt is helpful in withdrawing from nicotine addiction.
• Boil and cut ½ kg of Indian gooseberry fruits into small pieces. Add rock salt, common salt, powdered black pepper, and about 200g of sugar. Mix well & dry the preparation in shade. To overcome the desire to smoke, have a piece or two of the same.
• Sucking a piece of lemon with rock salt creates a sour taste in the mouth and helps in killing the urge to smoke.
• Consuming pineapple fruit slices with black salt also effectively helps in curbing the strong urge.
• Chewing mulethi roots not only reduce the smoking urge, but also help clear the throat & comfort food passage.
• Chewing ½ tsp of fried aniseed is also useful in controlling the smoking urge, especially after meals.

Include Fresh Fruits & Vegetables in Your Diet!

Eating fresh fruits and vegetables such as oranges, grapes, tomatoes, peppers, broccoli, avocados and wheat germ are good sources of Vitamins C and E. These are powerful antioxidants that help combat free radicals and fight the carcinogens found in smoke. Include in diet, foods rich in beta carotene & B vitamins (found in yellow fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean meat & fish). Avoid intake of alcohol, coffee and tea. Indulge in regular physical activities that would keep a check on the weight as well as help reduce craving to smoke. Yogic exercises such as Pranayam (regulated breathing), ustrasana (camel pose), dhanurasana (bow pose) & Savasana (corpse pose) can effectively check thought patterns connected to smoking cessation. Learn the technique of mental relaxation in stressful situations. Spend time with family and friends and seek their support. This may support your decision to give up the deadly habit of smoking successfully. HerbHealtH: Traditional Herbal Remedies to Quit Smoking!

Read More........→August 11, 2025

How to Lose Belly Fat- Tips for a Flat Tummy!

We all want a toned flat stomach, but the question that comes to our mind is how to lose belly fat? Before we start, let us first find out the culprits that cause the accumulation of fat and lead to weight gain! Yes, it is your desk bound lifestyle, unhealthy food habits, and stress and anxiety that further worsens the situation! 

So how do you shape up? Incorporate these suggestions below and you will be on your way to a flatter belly in no time flat!

Cut Down on Sugars!

Cut down your sugar intake! Reduce calories by filling yourself up with protein, vegetables, whole grains, and replacing bad habit snacks with sprouts and fruit salads. Include vitamin C rich fruits like kiwi, oranges and lemon in your diet chart as these not only help in slicing off fat but also help encounter the stress and anxiety that causes ‘stress eating’.

Load Up on Greens!

Not only are vegetables like lettuce, broccoli and kale practically calorie- free, they are also rich in vitamins and are super filling! Munching on these at lunch time or for snacks will make you less likely to eat junk.

Hydrate Your Body!

To regulating your metabolic rate and consequently, your body's fat-burning mechanisms, drink your recommended 3-4 liters of water daily to help body run more efficiently. This would make your workouts and healthy eating efforts way more effective.

Take a Deep Breath!

When you are feeling worked up, close your eyes and take long deep breaths for about 5 minutes. Stopping work and taking conscious breaths can calm your mind and give you a rejuvenating time out. Don’t let stress creep up and leave you feeling frazzled by the end of the day, that way may lead to comfort eating.

Sleep Affects your Weight!

Do you know, you require 6-8 hours of sleep every night? By getting the right amount of sleep, your body and metabolism will stay regulated, keeping you and your tummy on-point.

Time to Stretch Your Body!

Schedule a stretching break and do simple exercises from the comfort of your office chair or while you are at home! try pulling in your tummy when you are sitting or standing for a minute to strengthen your abdominal muscles. Stand up straight, pull shoulders back and walk tall!

Abdominal Crunches to Lose Belly Fat!

1. Lie on your back with knees bent and hands behind your head. Now, lift your shoulders off the floor and curl legs towards your rib-cage simultaneously. Slowly, return to the starting position.

2. Lie on your back, lift and bend your knees at 90-degrees. Contract your abs to stabilize torso, and bring hips and knees towards your chest. Slowly return to the starting position.

3. Lie on your back with legs extended & arms behind head to support your neck. Contract abs & lift shoulders off the floor. Use your oblique muscles by attempting to bring the left shoulder towards the right knee and the right shoulder toward the left knee. The Slimming Furnace: How to Lose Belly Fat- Tips for a Flat Tummy!

Read More........→June 27, 2025

The Slimming Furnace: 10 Tips for Fast Weight Loss

1. Do not skip breakfast! This will help you curb your snack attacks a lot better and help stop unhealthy cravings. Eating breakfast helps stabilize your hormones and keeps potential overeating at bay.
2. Slow down you eating! Because slow eating and chewing food properly gives ample time to the body for appetite-related hormones to activate, slow eaters munch through nearly 70% less calories per meal. Evidence shows that this way you'll end up eating less.
3. Eat more ‘small’ meals! It is fine to have several snacks or small meals during the day, if you are eating healthy. Keeping hunger at bay prevents mindless cravings to binge on food at the very sight of it.
4. Out of sight is out of mind! Keep snacks out of sight! Stock up on healthy snacks like fruits, salads, oats and corn flakes instead!
5. Cut the salt! Do you know that sodium holds up to 50 times its weight in water!! Eating more than 1 tablespoon of salt daily will cause you to retain water and gain weight. The urge to drink water is an indicator of the fact that sodium intake in your diet is too high. Consuming salty snacks like potato chips, salted peanuts, etc can add more of salt into your body system.
6. Avoid eating straight from a multi-serve packet! The basic or natural tendency to keep reaching for the food is given a huge blow if you serve yourself from a small bowl or cup. Pour out the amount you intend to eat, and give it a stop when it's over.
7. Walk after every 4 hours! Sitting down or being virtually inactive for longer than 4 hours slows down your metabolism making it easier for you to store fat so to prevent this from happening try standing up for at least 10 minutes within every 4 hours.
8. Time for some workout! Weight loss would be more effective with a good exercise routine & mixing with cardio would be the best way! Any workout that stresses on muscle tone and enhanced heart rate is helpful in losing weight and keeping it off. This would make your body burn more fat to help you slim down.
9. Combat stress & anxiety! Stress and anxiety always harms our body and mind and leads to weight gain in the long run. Nurture your hobbies and spend quality time with your loved ones and friends. Try practicing yoga and deep breathing exercises to combat stress.
10. Drink plenty of water! Water is one of the best tools for weight loss, first of all because it often replaces high-calorie drinks like soda and juice and alcohol with a drink that doesn't have any calories. Water is great appetite suppressant, and often when we think we're hungry, we're actually just thirsty. Water has no fat, no calories, no carbs, no sugar. Drink plenty to help your weight-loss regimen. The Slimming Furnace: 10 Tips for Fast Weight Loss

Read More........→June 19, 2025

Five Ways to Move Beyond the Monster of Self-Doubt and Pursue Your Passion

Photo by Daniel Martinez For Unsplash+

I don’t know the first thing about NFL football, but I have no trouble relating to Buffalo Bills running back Ty Johnson’s struggle to overcome bouts of crippling self-doubt.

A few years back, Johnson was dropping balls and questioning his abilities at every turn.

“There was a lot of things as a player I was experiencing, and you know it makes you question yourself as a player,” Johnson told WKBW news reporter Michael Schwartz a few days before the Bills trounced my hometown team, the Ravens.

Johnson then posed a question that’s plagued us all, at one point or another: “Do I deserve to be here?”

Fortunately, Johnson found a way toward, as he put it, “having positivity” by writing affirmations like I’m great or Be present on his wrist before every game.

This solution might not work for everyone, but it’s clearly helped Johnson to put doubt in its place so that it no longer dominates his every waking moment.

We should all be so lucky. Living with doubt breeds a lot of uncertainty, as we postpone decisions and plans, not sure how they’ll turn out. Furthermore, as mental health professionals have long known, self-doubt often leads to a vicious cycle involving anxiety, procrastination, low self-esteem, and depression.

The good news? We have the power to turn this around—to go from doubtful to purposeful.

“Uncertainty is a foundation of creativity,” Maggie Jackson, author of Uncertain: The Wisdom and Wonder of Being Unsure, told me recently.

My own lifelong strides with doubt led me to conversations with doubters around the world—from artists to entrepreneurs. And I’ve come up with five strategies every self-doubter can adopt to shift their mindset toward feeling motivated and more self-confident.

1) Change the channel. Competing inner voices clamor in our heads for attention. Your “doubt monster” may be among the loudest and most persistent—but it’s not the only voice. Acknowledge the fear and insecurity. Then invite your self-affirming voices to speak up: Look at what I’ve already accomplished! Put the positive voices on repeat—and even try saying them out loud in the mirror each morning. You’ll be surprised at how changing the channel will alter your perspective.

2) Focus on your ‘why.’ When the jitters kick in, take a beat and remind yourself why you’re doing the work you do in the first place. Whether you’re a major league athlete or an entrepreneur embarking on a new start-up, you’re going all-in on something you love, something that lights you up and gets you out of bed in the morning. Your ‘why’ holds the key to driving your passion forward. Any doubts you feel are worth the price—and it’s not their job to slow your roll.

3) Put your doubts to good use. Doubt can be a force for good. Think of the surgeon who pauses before cutting into a patient. Doubt focuses your attention. Your doubts are not telling you “no,” they’re telling you where to sharpen and apply your skill, talent, and intellect so as to achieve your goal. This is a classic “yes-and” strategy: acknowledging doubt’s downside while harnessing its upside.

4) Gather the right allies. Anytime you take a big creative risk, friends and family will question your motives and possibly your sanity. You cannot comfortably make big moves surrounded by doubters who exacerbate your doubts. Instead, expand your networks to identify more allies—people and institutions that will back you and encourage you every step of the way. Dial down the adversaries and dial up the allies.

5) Renegotiate your relationship to risk and reward. Our culture prizes efficiency and a fast return on investment. But anytime you set an ambitious plan in motion, doubt quickly kicks in when conventional measures of success, whether profit or external validation, do not materialize. Try uncoupling risks from traditional rewards. Start-up companies and novelists often fail many times before succeeding. The time and effort invested in your passion project or career is intrinsically valuable; productivity and accolades are not the only—or even the best—measures of a worthy pursuit.

Doubt is a trickster, often masquerading as fear and lack of confidence. It wields enormous and sometimes undetected influence on how we make decisions. All the more reason to take stock of your self-doubts and ask whether they are serving you or holding you back.

Never forget that at every stage of life, we retain the capacity to change in ways that give our lives meaning and show us we have not yet finished becoming who we really are. There is room to grow and discover. Chances are, you’re still well on the way to finding that out for yourself. Don’t let self-doubt hold you back.Amy L. Bernstein is the author, most recently, of Wrangling the Doubt Monster: Fighting Fears, Finding Inspiration, an inspirational book for self-doubting creatives. She is an award-winning novelist, a former journalist, and a certified nonfiction book coach helping authors find their best path to publishing. She also teaches workshops and brings an empowering message to conferences and podcasts around the world. Five Ways to Move Beyond the Monster of Self-Doubt and Pursue Your Passion:

Read More........→April 09, 2025

6 Expert Parenting Tips for Getting Closer to Your Kids–Try Changing Up These Routines

Photo by Some Tale on Unsplash

A therapist has revealed six parenting tips for building a stronger connection with your child.

Melinda O’Neil, 37, an associate licensed Professional Clinical Counselor in Pleasanton, California, has been a therapist for one year and child counselor for seven.

O’Neil—also the mom of a six-year-old son—focuses on connection, empathy, and personal growth as key components of effective parenting.

From fostering independence to encouraging emotional intelligence, here are her top tips for parenting.

Become a fan

It’s easy for parents to tune out when their child is talking about video games, dinosaurs, or the latest pop star, but O’Neil says engaging with their interests is crucial for bonding.

“[Renowned physician and educator] Maria Montessori always said, ‘Follow the child,’” O’Neil summarizes.

“That means embracing whatever they’re into—whether it’s excavators, the alphabet, animals, or trains.”

She acknowledges that parents may not always love their kids’ taste in music, but she encourages them to listen anyway.

“[L]istening with them means you know what they’re listening to. Plus, it’s a great way to bond. If they want to go to a concert, chaperone!”

“Even if you don’t love the artist, bring some earplugs—it’s about showing interest in their world.”

Rephrase your questions

Parents often ask, “How was school today?” only to be met with a one-word response. O’Neil suggests taking a more intentional approach to foster open communication.

“Ask specific questions about their day,” she said. “Instead of ‘How was school?’ try ‘Did you see your friend today?’ or ‘What was the funniest thing that happened?’ Make communication a two-way street.”

By engaging in detailed conversations, parents create an environment where children feel safe opening up.

“It’s not just about you talking at them or them talking at you—it’s about having real conversations where they feel heard.”

Own your own mistakes

Kids are always watching, and O’Neil says parents should be mindful of the behaviors they model.

“If you make a mistake, own it,” she explained. “Say, ‘I got really frustrated and shouldn’t have reacted that way. Next time, I’ll take a deep breath.’”

By doing this, parents show kids that mistakes are a normal part of life and that they can be handled with accountability and grace.

“It’s a lot of pressure because kids are always copying us,” she admitted. “But modeling healthy responses teaches them how to navigate emotions and interactions in a positive way.”

– credit: Quinn Dombrowski, CC 2.0. via Flickr.

Try new things

While it’s important to follow a child’s interests, O’Neil also stresses the value of trying new things.

“Structured activities beyond the park—like cooking classes, new hobbies, or different restaurants—help kids expand their world,” she explained.

“And if they’re hesitant? Encourage them anyway. Remind them, ‘You might like it!’”

She acknowledges that not every new experience will be a hit.

“If they try something and truly don’t like it, that’s okay,” she said. “Congratulate them for trying. But the key is to keep encouraging curiosity and new adventures.”

Let them be emotional

Emotions can be messy, but O’Neil says learning to sit with them is crucial for emotional intelligence.

“Feelings can make us uncomfortable, but if your child is experiencing one, let them,” she advised. “Be present. Sit with them in their sadness, frustration, or joy.”

She notes that emotions naturally cycle every seven minutes.

“Give them that space,” she said.

“If they’re crying, tell them, ‘It’s okay to cry.’ Even if it makes you uncomfortable, practice sitting with it instead of shutting it down.”

Getty Images / Unsplash+

Parent yourself

The best parenting starts with self-growth, O’Neil says.

“One thing I see every day is that many parents weren’t taught how to manage their own emotions,” she explained. “So as adults, we’re almost re-parenting ourselves.”

She stresses the importance of self-reflection.

“The best thing you can do for your child is to become a healthier version of yourself.

“Acknowledge your mistakes, work on your emotional responses, and show yourself the same compassion you’d show them.”

At the end of the day, O’Neil says parenting is about connection, empathy, and being willing to grow alongside your child.“Promote empathy and compassion,” she said. “And that includes being compassionate with yourself.” 6 Expert Parenting Tips for Getting Closer to Your Kids–Try Changing Up These Routines

Read More........→April 07, 2025

Bodyweight Exercise Program to Build Muscle and Lose Fat

Health & Fitness Solutions, By Michael Paladin, Bodyweight exercises are strength  training  exercises
that do not require weights for resistance. Your own body weight is enough resistance to build an amazing level of muscle, and bodyweight exercises are definitely challenging enough to chisel away any extra fat. If you want to build more muscle and burn more fat, then this bodyweight exercise workout program is for you. The 4 Basic Bodyweight Exercises: Pull-ups, Squats, Push-ups, Sit-ups These four exercises provide everything you need for a fit and functional body. You have a pull movement (pull-up), a squat movement, a push movement (push-up), and an abdominal movement (sit-ups). How This Bodyweight Exercise Program Works You will perform these four exercises as a circuit using a “pyramid” format. That means you will start on the bottom “level” of the pyramid and “climb” your way up it. Then when you hit the top, you’ll “climb” back down. Because four exercises are done consecutively on each level, you are getting a sufficient rest period for each exercise. Additionally, when you get to your top level on the pyramid and start to get fatigued, you start going down it, doing fewer repetitions per level (set). That means you can still keep good form and concentrate on doing the repetitions perfectly. Bodyweight Exercise Pyramid:

Level	Pull-ups	Squats	Push-ups	Sit-ups
1	1	5	3	5
2	2	10	6	10
3	3	15	9	15
4	4	20	12	20
5	5	25	15	25
6	6	30	18	30
7	7	35	21	35
8	8	40	24	40
9	9	45	27	45
10	10	50	30	50

How to Do the Bodyweight Exercise Workout Program: Go to the column labeled "Levels." Think of each exercise at each level as a set. So, you start on level 1 and do 1 pull-up, then 5 squats, 3 push-ups, and 5 sit-up with no rest between the exercises. Then you go to level 2 and go across, then level 3, and so on until you get to level 10, or until you start to fatigue, and you feel like you won’t complete the next level of the pyramid. When this happens, you’re going to start going down the pyramid. For example, if you get to level 7 and feel like you just barely completed it, then you start going down the pyramid again, by going to level 6, then 5, 4, 3, etc. When you reach level 10, you will be doing 100 pull-ups, 500 squats, 300 push-ups, and 500 sit-ups, which should be completed in about 60 minutes. How to Determine Your Starting Level The simplest way to determine your starting level on this bodyweight exercise workout program is to just begin with level 1 and go up each level until you start to fatigue, and you feel that you won't complete the next level of the pyramid on any one of the four exercises. Then start going back down the pyramid. If you make all the repetitions, then that's your starting level. How to Progress on this Bodyweight Exercise Workout Program You are ready to progress on this bodyweight exercise workout program when you can complete all the repetitions at a particular level or half-level with perfect form without needing to pause or rest to complete any set. When you can do that, move to the next half-level, which only adds one set per exercise. If you went straight to level 6, you would be adding two sets, which is too much. For example, if you started at level 5, your maximum repetitions would be 5 pull-ups, 25 squats, 15 push-ups, and 25 sit-ups. Your next level is not level 6. It's doing level 5 twice. When you can complete all those sets, then you move to level 6.  Moving up a half-level every 2-4 weeks would be excellent progress if you do the program three times a week. Reaching level 7, which is just about one-half the maximum repetitions at level 10, would be a challenging goal to begin with.If you can follow simple instructions, then you can build a HEALTHY, HIGH-PERFORMANCE, ATTRACTIVE body in the comfort of your own home using ONLY bodyweight exercises. To discover the REAL reason you've failed to reach your fitness, fat loss and physique-building goals (and what you can do about it), click here! Source: Health & Fitness Solutions

Read More........→March 24, 2025