From oatzempic to mouth taping: does science back up TikTok health tips?

Here are some of the more curious health hacks circulating on the social media platform – and what the evidence says

66 days to cut down sugar: ‘I find myself enjoying the sweetness of my lip balm’

With a family history of diabetes, Sharlotte Thou knows she has to reduce the amount of sucrose in her diet. Will nine weeks be enough to tame her sweet tooth?

Lift, rest, recover: how to start weightlifting

Strength training brings multiple benefits and anyone can do it – just as long as they start by getting their form right

From turbo trainers to running buggies: the fitness gear that made you fitter

‘The best £12 I ever spent’: real fitness starts with the right kit. Here’s the gear that helped these ordinary people get fit and stay motivated

How to be a half-arse human: ‘You probably aren’t going to have clean knickers all the time’

Is it better to fail half the time than do nothing at all? Of course! Author and poet Leena Norms explains the fine art of being slapdash and happy

Is ‘sleep divorce’ the key to marital bliss?

Some swear that sleeping separately from their partner improves their relationship. Personally, I’m in ‘team same bed’, says freelance journalist Coco Khan

Breakthrough drugs herald ‘new era’ in battle against dementia, experts predict

Medical advances make pills to treat Alzheimer’s disease viable, though challenges remain in sharing gains globally

‘75 hard’: the viral fitness challenge is back – but is it really the best way to spend January?

Do you yearn to do two workouts a day, eat healthily, eschew alcohol and commit to reading self-improvement books? If not, there are softer options ...

The anxiety secret: how the world’s leading life coach stopped living in fear

Famous for her work with Oprah Winfrey, Martha Beck is a bestselling author and self-help superstar. But for 60 years she was anxious and terrified - until she found a simple, uplifting answer

How I learned to meditate in Herefordshire

At a centre in the Wye Valley our writer puts aside her initial doubts and learns how silence and focusing on the breath can quieten the mind and boost wellbeing