Worried about winter? 10 ways to thrive – from socialising to Sad lamps to celebrating the new year in April

The temptation is to sit at home and hibernate, but beating the winter blues can be done. Here’s how to embrace the coldest and arguably most beautiful season

The 175 best holiday gift ideas for 2025, vetted by the Guardian US staff

Unique, tested gift ideas for every budget – from stocking stuffers to splurges – to cover every recipient and scenario

NHS directed pregnant women to controversial Free Birth Society via charity

Exclusive: NHS websites pointed women to factsheet featuring podcast by ‘dangerous’ influencers linked to baby deaths

The one change that worked: I was trembling with anxiety when I found a fun, free way to get calm

I can’t dance. Not even a little bit. But the terrible moves my friends mock are an antidote to the racing heart and quivering breath that arrive in my more anxious moments

The 36 best gift ideas for US teens in 2025 – picked by actual teens

Teenagers tell us what gifts they actually want this year, from Lululemon to slushie machines

The 12 best US gifts for the fitness fan in your life, vetted by a CrossFit coach

From Lululemon to LMNT and Nike, here’s the fitness gear that’s stood up to sweat tests and made workouts better

The perplexing rise of protein shakes: how a ‘meaty sludge’ became a billion-dollar industry

In 1865, the first ever protein-based product consisted of ‘melted-down beef hides and carcasses’. Now, there are countless shakes on the market – including one by a Michelin-starred chef. Why is everyone drinking them?

Is it true that … the harder you work out, the more you sweat?

Sweat levels can be misleading, and factors such as age, sex, humidity and even your clothes all make a difference

‘You Britons go to the pub, we go to the swimming pool!’: the European health habits worth adopting

Daily swims, power naps and five meals a day – not tips from the latest hit wellbeing podcast, but longstanding traditions that have kept generations healthy in Iceland, Ukraine, France and more …

You should act your age – at least when it comes to exercise. Here’s why

Adapting your fitness routine to your physical realities can help prevent injury from over-exercising