Physical Activity

Stretching: benefits, myths and how to do it right

Does stretching prevent injuries? What a systematic review found about static stretching, performance and injury risk, and how to warm up properly.

2 min read · 3 scientific sources

Lifestyle medicine

Six habits that matter more than any miracle pill

Plain-language explanations of what science knows about food, movement, sleep, stress, risky substances and relationships. Every article is grounded in peer-reviewed research and U.S. public health guidelines.

What is lifestyle medicine? → How we check our sources →

Latest articles

Social Connection

Loneliness as a health risk: what you should know

How loneliness and social isolation are linked to mortality, heart disease and stroke, who is most at risk and what helps.

Physical Activity · Myth or fact

Do you really need 10,000 steps a day? What the research says

Where the 10,000-step goal came from and what meta-analyses show about daily steps and mortality by age, including where benefits level off.

Stress

Breathing exercises for stress: what works according to research

What a meta-analysis of breathwork trials found, how slow breathing and cyclic sighing affect mood, and three simple techniques to try.

Sleep

A bedtime routine for better sleep: what really helps

Which sleep hygiene habits are backed by research, why screens delay sleep, a 60-minute wind-down routine and when a routine alone is not enough.

Risky Substances

How to quit smoking: the methods with the best evidence

What Cochrane reviews show about nicotine replacement, varenicline and counseling, what the EAGLES safety trial found and a 5-step plan to quit.

Nutrition

How to build a healthy plate: a simple method for every day

The plate method in plain English: half vegetables and fruit, a quarter whole grains, a quarter protein. Why it works and how to use it without counting calories.

Start with the guides

Social Connection · Guide

Social connection and health: why relationships are a pillar of health

How relationships, support and community are linked to longevity and heart health, what meta-analyses show and where to start.

Physical Activity · Guide

Physical activity: how much exercise do adults need?

The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans in plain English: 150 to 300 minutes of moderate activity a week, muscle strengthening and why every minute counts.

Stress · Guide

Stress and health: how tension affects the body and what helps

What happens in the body during stress, why chronic stress is harmful and which stress-management methods have scientific evidence behind them.

Sleep · Guide

Sleep: how much do adults need and why it matters for health

How much sleep adults need according to sleep medicine experts, how short and very long sleep are linked to health and what works for insomnia.

Risky Substances · Guide

Tobacco, alcohol and addiction: a guide to the risky substances pillar

Why avoiding risky substances is one of the six pillars of lifestyle medicine: what the data say about smoking and alcohol and where to start making changes.

Nutrition · Guide

Nutrition in lifestyle medicine: a guide to whole, mostly plant-based eating

What "whole, mostly plant-based" eating means, why it is linked to lower heart disease risk and how to start without going to extremes. With scientific sources.