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Do you have memories of being able to bend over backwards as a kid? I remember it being easy and intuitive back then, but fast forward to today and now they’re a bit creaky, hard work to breathe through and some can be painful too. From cow and locust through up-dog and cobra to camel, wheel and pigeon, backbends are some of the most rejuvenating and recharging moves you can make on a mat – helping reverse crunched postures, hydrating and nourishing the spine, improving lower back pain and lifting the mood. Flex yoga instructor Dr Abhishek Agrawal explains how they work, and how to make them safe and beneficial.

Post birth, the natural instinct of a mother is to focus on their new baby, as well as any older siblings and their husband. Her own needs come at the very bottom of the food chain. However, it is vital for mothers to focus on themselves as a priority at this time. Recovering and restoring through nurturing, optimal nutrition and resting is essential, not only for them, but also for the entire family’s health. However hard it is to prioritize yourself as a new mother, the foundation of post birth recovery is self-care. Sofie Jacobs of Urban Hatch talks you through how to blossom post birth.

The end of the year brings so much fun and celebration, but it also has us feeling at our most challenged. There’s the influx of irresistible food and drink. The focus on friends and family is delightful but somehow takes precedence over fitness. Plus the toll of a long year and the need for a break looms larger than ever, psychologically as well as physically. Here are our top 10 ways to hack the beginning of 2017. Add a few of these to your fresh, new and bright outlook for the new year and you’ll take the edge of that sluggish, tired, run down person you were at the end of 2016.