Desk yoga: is this the best way to de-stress in the office?

India’s civil service is encouraging staff to incorporate a ‘Y-break’ into their day. And it isn’t the only option for getting fitter at your desk

Anyone who goes to a beach already has a ‘beach body’. Don’t strive for an illusion

Instead of falling for fitness and diet fads, focus on the things that will bring you true health and happiness this summer, says public health academic Devi Sridhar

How the perils of mountain biking helped me cope with my brain tumour diagnosis

Hurtling down trails on two wheels might not be the most obvious way to cope with a life-changing news but for Tracey Croke it helped her find inner peace

Do I feel the burn after going to the gym? No, I feel like going to bed. But it’s getting better

Despite eye-bleedingly steep gym fees, I am actioning my spring fitness plan. It is very much a work in progress, says Guardian columnist Emma Brockes

I walked the 650km Australian Alps walking track at 19, alone. Nothing was as I expected

Ya Reeves lost toenails, survived anaphylactic shock and at one point was ‘found’ by police, but there was also true joy in the journey – and in leaning into the unknown

The walking cure: why we should all be putting one foot in front of the other

Walking is the simplest and most natural thing to do, but its impact on our health and wellbeing is dramatic and far-reaching, says Anna Fielding

The secret to why exercise is so good for mental health? ‘Hope molecules’

What we long suspected is now scientific fact: there’s a magic chemical connection between mood, strength and longevity, says scientist and writer Devi Sridhar

The secret to getting more out of exercise? It’s not what you do – it’s when you do it

Current science suggests that chrono-activity or adjusting our regimes to suit our body clocks, plus short, sharp workouts, are the key to a beneficial exercise routine

Chasing the runner’s high: the elusive buzz scientists are still figuring out

The promise of a runner’s high hovers tantalisingly on the horizon, but pinning down exactly what it is – and where else you can get it – is tricky

My personal bests are behind me – but I’ve found the secret to sustained exercise

For fitness fanatics it can be galling to see our physical powers wane. The solution is to choose exercises to suit our age – and to find new interests, writes Joel Snape