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Thousands of passengers heading for a Christmas getaway are facing travel chaos amid long queues towards the Port of Dover and major train cancellations.

Ferry passengers have been advised to “not arrive any earlier than two hours before their scheduled sailing”, as delays were experienced on the approach to the Kent port on Sunday morning.

Nearly 30,000 cars are estimated to embark on outbound sailings during the festive period.

Peak traffic at the port will be between 6am and 1pm, when P&O Ferries, which operates some sailings from the port, urged customers to allow extra time for their journey.

Thousands of passengers heading for a Christmas getaway are facing travel chaos (PA Wire)

Doug Bannister, chief executive of the Port of Dover, said: “To help ensure a smooth departure, we kindly ask all customers travelling with our ferry partners not to arrive any earlier than two hours before their scheduled sailing, just as you would if departing from a UK airport, and greatly appreciate everyone’s patience should there be any additional waiting time due to the high volumes of traffic.”

Meanwhile, rail passengers planning to travel on Cross Country trains faced cancellations amid a shortage of drivers.

The operator warned customers that services were set to be busier than normal.

A number of services between Manchester and Birmingham were cancelled on Sunday afternoon, with disruption expected until the end of the day.

Sunday is forecast to be quieter than Saturday on the roads, but motorists are still facing delays on the M25 clockwise from Junction 15 to Junction 19.

A total of 3.5 million car journeys are expected on Sunday, according to RAC research, but motorists planning last-minute travel could face heavy traffic as 4.2 million getaways are predicted on Christmas Eve, which would make it the single busiest day over the period.

Drivers are being warned the worst hold-ups on December 24 will be between 11am and 7pm.

RAC figures suggest it could be the busiest Christmas getaway on record, with a total of 37.5 million leisure trips between Wednesday and Christmas Eve – the most in the week before Christmas Day since the company began recording the data in 2013.

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Hennessy Artistry once again proved why it remains one of Nigeria’s most influential culture-shaping events, delivering a multi-city journey that fused music, style, self-expression, and unforgettable experiences—growing bigger, bolder, and more immersive at every stop.

The 2025 edition kicked off in May in Lagos, setting the tone for what would become an extraordinary nationwide movement. With over 2,000 guests in attendance, the Lagos opener brought together tastemakers, creatives, and music lovers for a night driven by rhythm and connection. Headlined by Reekado Banks, the opening event reaffirmed Hennessy Artistry’s role as a launchpad for high-energy performances and a celebration of modern Nigerian sound. From the crowd response to the carefully curated experiences, Lagos marked the beginning of a campaign rooted in creativity and shared moments.

By July, the movement had travelled south to Port Harcourt, and the energy multiplied. Drawing over 3,500 guests, the city showed up in full force as Hennessy Artistry took a meaningful turn, becoming deeply rooted in local pride and musical heritage. With electrifying performances from Zlatan and Port Harcourt’s very own Duncan Mighty, the night became a powerful blend of street energy, nostalgia, and regional flair. The Port Harcourt edition stood out as a cultural homecoming, celebrating the city’s vibrant music scene while reinforcing Hennessy Artistry’s commitment to connecting authentically with every audience it touches.

The journey continued in September, as Hennessy Artistry took over Abuja, raising the bar yet again. With over 6,000 guests in attendance, the capital city experienced an elevated edition of the campaign—sleek, energetic, and unapologetically expressive. BNXN delivered a performance that had the crowd fully locked in, as Abuja embraced the Artistry spirit with enthusiasm and style. This stop highlighted the campaign’s growing momentum, proving that Hennessy Artistry wasn’t just traveling, it was evolving.

The grand finale returned to Lagos over the weekend of December 13, with over 8,000 guests, closing the year with a powerful statement. The final chapter brought together an impressive lineup of A-list artists, including Mavo, Teni, Lil Kesh, and Shallipopi, backed by an equally stellar roster of DJs such as DJ Consequence, Six7even, and Ms DSF, alongside hype energy from Hypeman Jimmy, Jerry Shaffer, and more. The atmosphere was electric—each performance building on the last, creating a night that felt celebratory, reflective, and forward-looking all at once.

Adding to the cultural weight of the finale was the presence of Hennessy brand ambassadors, Neo and Liquorose, who joined the celebration

and other key tastemakers across entertainment and lifestyle, including Sheggz, Bright Morgan, Kolapo, Ozo, Samuel Bankz, Yhemolee, and Eniola Tizzle. Their attendance further amplified the event’s reach and reinforced Hennessy Artistry’s position at the heart of Nigeria’s culture and nightlife scene.

Beyond the stage, the finale truly embodied the essence of artistry through its immersive experience centers. Guests were invited to engage creatively, creating their own Hennessy cocktails, getting custom grillz, expressing themselves through mural painting, and exploring exclusive Hennessy merchandise. These interactive zones transformed the event from a concert into a living, breathing creative playground, where every guest became part of the story.

From Lagos to Port-Harcourt, Abuja and back to Lagos again, Hennessy Artistry – The Reboot 2025 stood as a testament to growth, community, and creative evolution. Each city added its own flavour, each event surpassed the last, and every experience reinforced Hennessy’s long-standing connection to music, culture, and self-expression in Nigeria.

More than just a series of events, Hennessy Artistry remains a cultural movement, one that continues to spotlight talent, celebrate individuality, and bring people together through unforgettable moments. And as this year’s journey showed, the artistry only gets richer with every chapter.

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The liver is one of the hardest-working organs in the human body. It detoxifies harmful substances, helps with digestion, stores nutrients, and regulates metabolism.

Despite its remarkable resilience – and even its ability to regenerate – the liver is not indestructible. In fact, many everyday habits, often overlooked, can slowly cause damage that may eventually lead to serious conditions such as cirrhosis (permanent scarring of the liver) or liver failure.

One of the challenges with liver disease is that it can be a silent threat. In its early stages, it may cause only vague symptoms like constant fatigue or nausea.

As damage progresses, more obvious signs may emerge. One of the most recognisable is jaundice, where the skin and the whites of the eyes turn yellow. While most people associate liver disease with heavy drinking, alcohol isn’t the only culprit. Here are five common habits that could be quietly harming your liver.

1. Drinking too much alcohol

Alcohol is perhaps the most well-known cause of liver damage. When you drink, your liver works to break down the alcohol and clear it from your system. But too much alcohol overwhelms this process, causing toxic byproducts to build up and damage liver cells.

Alcohol-related liver disease progresses in stages. At first, fat begins to accumulate in the liver (fatty liver), often without any noticeable symptoms and is reversible if drinking stops. Continued drinking can lead to alcoholic hepatitis, where inflammation and scar tissue begin to form as the liver attempts to heal itself.

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Alcohol is perhaps the most well-known cause of liver damage (PA)

Over time, this scarring can develop into cirrhosis, where extensive hardening of the liver seriously affects its ability to function. While cirrhosis is difficult to reverse, stopping drinking can help prevent further damage.

Even moderate drinking, if sustained over many years, can take its toll, particularly when combined with other risk factors like obesity or medication use. Experts recommend sticking to no more than 14 units of alcohol per week, and including alcohol-free days to give your liver time to recover.

2. Poor diet and unhealthy eating habits

You don’t need to drink alcohol to develop liver problems. Fat can build up in the liver due to an unhealthy diet, leading to a condition now called metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), formerly known as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).

Excess fat in the liver can impair its function and, over time, cause inflammation, scarring, and eventually cirrhosis. People who are overweight – particularly those who carry excess weight around their abdomen – are more likely to develop MASLD. Other risk factors include high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol.

Diet plays a huge role. Foods high in saturated fat, such as red meat, fried foods and processed snacks, can raise cholesterol levels and contribute to liver fat accumulation. Sugary foods and drinks are also a major risk factor. In 2018, a review found that people who consumed more sugar-sweetened drinks had a 40 per cent higher risk of developing fatty liver disease.

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Eating a balanced, wholefood diet can help prevent – and even reverse – fatty liver disease (Getty/iStock)

Ultra-processed foods such as fast food, ready meals and snacks packed with added sugar and unhealthy fats also contribute to liver strain. A large study found that people who ate more processed foods were significantly more likely to develop liver problems.

On the flip side, eating a balanced, wholefood diet can help prevent – and even reverse – fatty liver disease. Research suggests that diets rich in vegetables, fruit, whole grains, legumes, and fish may reduce liver fat and improve related risk factors such as high blood sugar and cholesterol.

Staying hydrated is also important. Aim for around eight glasses of water a day to support your liver’s natural detoxification processes.

3. Overusing painkillers

Many people turn to over-the-counter painkillers such as paracetamol for headaches, muscle pain, or fever. While generally safe when used as directed, taking too much – even slightly exceeding the recommended dose – can be extremely dangerous for your liver.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dipa Kamdar is a Senior Lecturer in Pharmacy Practice at Kingston University.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

The liver breaks down paracetamol, but in the process, produces a toxic by-product called NAPQI. Normally, the body neutralises NAPQI using a protective substance called glutathione. However, in an overdose, glutathione stores become depleted, allowing NAPQI to accumulate and attack liver cells. This can result in acute liver failure, which can be fatal.

Even small overdoses, or combining paracetamol with alcohol, can increase the risk of serious harm. Always stick to the recommended dose and speak to a doctor if you find yourself needing pain relief regularly.

4. Lack of exercise

A sedentary lifestyle is another major risk factor for liver disease. Physical inactivity contributes to weight gain, insulin resistance, and metabolic dysfunction – all of which can promote fat accumulation in the liver.

Symptoms of liver disease

NHS

Once you start to get symptoms of liver disease, your liver is already damaged and scarred. This is known as cirrhosis.

Symptoms of cirrhosis include:

• feeling very tired and weak all the time
• loss of appetite – which may lead to weight loss
• loss of sex drive (libido)
• yellow skin and whites of the eyes (jaundice)
• itchy skin
• feeling or being sick

The good news is that exercise can benefit your liver even if you don’t lose much weight. One study found that just eight weeks of resistance training reduced liver fat by 13 per cent and improved blood sugar control. Aerobic exercise is also highly effective: regular brisk walking for 30 minutes, five times a week, has been shown to reduce liver fat and improve insulin sensitivity.

5. Smoking

Most people associate smoking with lung cancer or heart disease, but many don’t realise the serious damage it can do to the liver.

Cigarette smoke contains thousands of toxic chemicals that increase the liver’s workload as it tries to filter and break them down. Over time, this can lead to oxidative stress, where unstable molecules (free radicals) damage liver cells, restrict blood flow, and contribute to scarring (cirrhosis).

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Smoking also significantly raises the risk of liver cancer (Getty Images)

Smoking also significantly raises the risk of liver cancer. Harmful chemicals in tobacco smoke, including nitrosamines, vinyl chloride, tar, and 4-aminobiphenyl, are all known carcinogens. According to Cancer Research UK, smoking accounts for around 20 per cent of liver cancer cases in the UK.

Love your liver

The liver is a remarkably robust organ – but it isn’t invincible. You can protect it by drinking alcohol in moderation, quitting smoking, taking medications responsibly, eating a balanced diet, staying active and keeping hydrated.

If you notice any symptoms that may suggest liver trouble, such as ongoing fatigue, nausea, or jaundice, don’t delay speaking to your doctor. The earlier liver problems are detected, the better the chance of successful treatment.

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It’s no surprise by now how Ife and Frank have continued to serenade us with sweet love in elegant style ahead of their big day. In this beautiful video showcasing their third pre-wedding look, they flawlessly delivered this combo one more time.

The romantic red backdrop set the tone for this lovely moment. Ife looked absolutely radiant in her elegant, golden dress, while Frank was ever dapper and stylish in his crisp, dazzling suit. Together, their electric chemistry shines through these elegant looks, and we cannot get enough! We rate them a solid A1 in style and romance, and we truly look forward to seeing more of their radiant love. 😍

Enjoy the video below:

You can also catch up on more stunning pictures from the shoot here:

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Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more

Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more

Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more

Cruz Beckham has claimed that he and his parents, David and Victoria, woke up to find they had been blocked on Instagram by his brother Brooklyn.

After reports emerged that David and Victoria had unfollowed their eldest son, Cruz set the record straight, posting on his Stories: “NOT TRUE. My mum and dad would never unfollow their son… Let’s get the facts right. They woke up blocked… as did I.”

Rumours of a family rift first began in April, centred on Brooklyn and his other brother Romeo. Tensions are thought to have started when Romeo dated Kim Turnbull, who had previously been linked to Brooklyn.

However, Turnbull and Romeo reportedly broke up in June, after only seven months of dating.

In May, feud rumours intensified when Brooklyn and his wife Nicola Peltz were absent from David’s 50th birthday celebrations, with guests including Tom Cruise, Guy Ritchie and Gordon Ramsay.

Brooklyn and Nicola skipped Victoria’s Paris Fashion Week show in June, which TMZ claimed was because of Turnbull’s presence at the event.

Cruz’s post: ‘We woke up blocked’ (Cruz Beckham Instagram)

In August, the Beckhams were not in attendance when Brooklyn and Peltz renewed their marriage vows just three years after their wedding.

Brooklyn addressed the rumours in September, telling the Daily Mail: “There’s always going to be people saying negative things, but I have a very supportive wife. Me and her, we just do our thing, we just keep our heads down and work. And we’re happy.”

In October, Brooklyn was notably absent from his mother’s new Netflix documentary series, Victoria Beckham, despite the rest of his famous siblings appearing.

Romeo, 23, Cruz, 20, and Harper, 14, all appeared alongside their mother, backstage at her 2024 Paris Fashion Week show, but 26-year-old Brooklyn, did not feature – apart from in brief clips of him as a baby and a child.

Brooklyn was also absent from the documentary’s red carpet premiere in London on, while Victoria and David posed with their other three children.

Peltz was previously rumoured to be feuding with her mother-in-law in 2022 after the actor decided to wear a Valentino couture gown on her wedding day instead of a dress designed by Victoria’s own label.

However, Peltz has repeatedly denied these rumors, telling Variety in August 2022 that she was initially going to have Victoria design her wedding dress. “And then a few months down the line, she realised that her atelier couldn’t do it, so then I had to pick another dress,” she told the outlet.

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Outdoor weddings are a true intimate delight, and if you have yours coming up soon, you are at the right place because we have just the look here to get you inspired for your fairytale grand slay.

Thanks to Sima Brew, this stunning halter-neck dress can now bring your glamorous dreams to reality. From the fit silhouette to the open back and voluminous detachable train, this look screams bold luxury. The hair is styled in sleek Hollywood curls, courtesy of Strands Ghana, while MZ Aquia stepped in with this beautiful, subtle makeup that adds much elegance to the radiant look. You deserve something that transforms you into a vision of timeless elegance. It can all begin when you take a chance on this beautiful ensemble!

Enjoy the photos below and be inspired:

Credit

Dress: @sima_brew
Makeup: @mz_aquia
Hair: @strandsghana
Bouquet: @_theflorist__
Photography: @ansahkenphotography
Videography: @phil_os_films | @phil_os_lifestyle

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Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more

Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more

Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more

There’s nothing quite like the unbridled thrill of waking up on Christmas morning to see a stocking that’s spilling over with presents in the corner of your room. Even those among us who’ve outgrown the ritual still feel the rush. Father Christmas has been! And he’s filled his boots with chocolate, face masks, socks, lip balms and supermarket candles!

Though most people experience stocking magic for the first time as children – when the contents sit roughly at 50 per cent plastic, 49 per cent sugar and one per cent clementine – the tradition has followed a significant chunk of the population into adulthood. A 2024 survey found that just over half of adults give a festive stocking to their partner at Christmas, at a cost of roughly £62 a pop. And the contents are grown-up too. Unlike the gifts under a tree, these little luxuries are simple, small and sought after. Or, if we’re using the official term, “bits and bobs” collected by the giver over the course of the year as an extra treat before the main event. You know, just a small something to make life a little nicer.

Top stocking gifts, according to one 2023 study, include gift cards, snacks, self-care items like lip balms and makeup. Or, on the lower end of the spectrum, 17 per cent reported receiving coal (classic), sardines, olives and toilet paper. Whatever floats Father Christmas’s boat…

“Somehow, I’m still receiving a stocking full of gifts from my parents at the age of 33,” says Katie from Liverpool, who lives in her family home. “As a kid, I always vaguely assumed that there would be a cut-off point, possibly around the time that I moved out and took on adult responsibilities, but this just never happened,” she reflects. “I feel a bit like it will maybe come to an end when all of us have partners and kids,” she adds of her siblings, “but for now, we’re all quite happy with this very ‘kidult’ set-up one day a year.”

It’s a similar story for Ellie from London, who is 32 and has received a stocking every year of her life without fail when returning to Mum and Dad’s for Christmas. “Mortifyingly, my parents still sneak into my room in the night to leave a stocking at the end of my bed,” she says. “Every year I think it’ll probably stop and it never does. I know Mum (let’s be honest, it’s not Dad or Father Christmas) really enjoys buying presents for stockings as it’s all the lower-stakes fun stuff you tend to pick up in the shops as you get closer to the till. So maybe it will continue for many years to come, for both her enjoyment and mine.”

One YouGov study found that, in the UK, 61 per cent of women purchase presents for their family compared to just eight per cent of men. As some children grow up and naivety falls away, they become aware and opt to relieve some of this labour – especially the daughters.

“For the past decade or so, my sisters and I have been buying stuff for each other’s stockings so the gift-buying burden doesn’t fall entirely on our mum,” Katie says. “We tend to be on a pretty similar wavelength: last year, they both bought me the same Pilates grippy socks without realising. For us, ‘stocking’ presents tend to be nice little extras… or weird in-jokes.”

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Footing the bill: We spend roughly £62 on each stocking for our loved ones in the UK (Getty/iStock)

But the women in Katie’s family are far from stopping when it comes to stockings: “Last year was the first time that my brother-in-law joined us for Christmas Day,” she says. “My mum decided that he needed a stocking of his own too, and got very concerned about whether his presents would be up to scratch. He was completely bemused by this, of course.”

When you look at it objectively, the concept of a stocking is pretty weird. According to legend, in the 4th century, Saint Nicholas heard about a man who couldn’t afford dowries for his three daughters and threw a purse of coins down the chimney of their house at night so the eldest daughter had enough money to get married. The purse fell into a stocking, which had been put by the fire to dry, and St Nicholas repeated the act until all three daughters could marry.

However, there’s no proper evidence of this ever happening, according to historian and author of Christmas: A Biography, Judith Flanders. “We have no real idea of when and where it came about,” she says. “The first mentions are in the 1810s in the US, where it appears in a little clutch of Christmas paraphernalia from one circle of friends, so our guess is that they invented it.”

This group of friends included The Nightmare Before Christmas author Clement Clarke Moore and short story writer Washington Irving, who penned The Knickerbocker’s History of New York, both of which included references to stockings. “It was supposed to be a history, but it was actually a comic satire,” Flanders says of the latter text.

“John Pintard, who was the founder of the New York Historical Society, gathered these people together, so it was presented as a history – all of these transitions – but they were all made up.”

The nice thing about there being no firm origin story for stockings is that nobody can tell you what rules to play by, meaning you can receive one until you’re 100 years old if you’ve got someone who’s willing to do all the wrapping. Age limits do not apply.

“You can do what you like,” confirms Flanders. “Hang your stocking on the fireplace. Give a stocking to your cat! No one can tell you otherwise.” That’s as good a reason as any. Kind of.

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Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more

Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more

Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more

Jennifer Meyer, Tobey Maguire’s ex-wife, is pregnant with her third child.

The 48-year-old jewelry designer and daughter of Ronald Meyer, who co-founded prominent talent agency CAA, revealed in a Friday Instagram post that she is expecting her first child with her fiancé, Geoff Ogunlesi.

“Hey baby girl,” she captioned her social media post. “We love love love you!!”

The post showed three images, with the first two showing off her bump, as the last one showed Ogunlesi — who is the founder of the music and entertainment management company, the Ogunlesi Group, and the son of Nigerian billionaire Adebayo Ogunlesi — holding her bump and leaning into her.

According to a 2023 article from the Mayo Clinic, it becomes more difficult to get pregnant past the age of 35 due to a naturally lower quantity of eggs. Once a woman reaches her mid-40s, natural pregnancy becomes increasingly unlikely, with people around Meyer’s age often relying on either donor eggs or in vitro fertilization (IVF).

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Daughter of the CAA co-founder, Jennifer Meyer, announced that she was pregnant with her first child alongside her fiancée, Geoff Ogunlesi (Getty Images)

Many A-listers quickly commented on the post to congratulate the couple, with Jenna Dewan writing, “I am crying!!!!! So happy for you!!”

“So happy ahhhh!!!!” Sofia Richie-Grainge also gushed over the news. In addition to her child with Ogunlesi, Meyer also shares kids Ruby, 19, and Otis, 16, with Maguire.

The news of Meyer’s pregnancy comes over one year after she and Ogunlesi announced their engagement in an Instagram post in August 2024, after one year of dating. “YES!!!” she captioned the post at the time, wearing an emerald-cut diamond ring on her ring finger.

Meyer and Ogunlesi made their red carpet debut as a couple at the annual Baby2Baby Gala in November 2023, where Meyer serves as a board member for the Los Angeles-based nonprofit organization.

Prior to the start of her relationship with Ogunlesi, Meyer was married to the Spider-Man actor from 2007 to 2016. She didn’t officially file for divorce from Maguire until October 2020, requesting joint legal and physical custody of their two children.

The former couple have since maintained an amicable co-parenting relationship. In 2022, Meyer shared on an episode of The World’s First Podcast that her divorce from Maguire has been “the most beautiful experience of my life.”

“I would literally do anything in the world for Tobey. He is my brother. I love him to death, and we have the most beautiful family,” Meyer told podcast co-hosts Sara and Erin Foster at the time. “The work is a motherf***er. I’m not gonna lie. And we did a lot of work to stay on track to stay a family.

“It was a choice, and it was trusting in, like, the universe has got our back,” she said.

Maguire, who has designed jewelry for celebrities including Jennifer Aniston, and Ogunlesi have also bonded over the last few years, explaining earlier this month during an episode of The Inside Edit exactly how close they are.

“I’d come home at night, and Tobey and Geoff and his best friend would be watching a movie on the couch,” she said. “I’d be like, ‘How? This is a dream.’”

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Sign up to our free Living Well email for advice on living a happier, healthier and longer life

Live your life healthier and happier with our free weekly Living Well newsletter

Live your life healthier and happier with our free weekly Living Well newsletter

Stiff knees, aching hips and the slow grind of chronic joint pain are often accepted as an unavoidable part of getting older. But while osteoarthritis is the world’s most common joint disease, experts say the way we treat and prevent it is badly out of step with the evidence.

The best medicine isn’t found in a pill bottle or an operating theatre – it’s movement. Yet across countries and health systems, too few patients are being guided toward the one therapy proven to protect their joints and ease their pain: exercise.

Exercise is one of the most effective treatments for chronic, disabling joint conditions such as osteoarthritis. Yet very few patients actually receive it.

Research across health systems in Ireland, the UK, Norway and the United States shows the same pattern: fewer than half of people with osteoarthritis are referred to exercise or physiotherapy by their primary care provider. More than 60% are given treatments that guidelines do not recommend, and around 40% are sent to a surgeon before non-surgical options have even been tried.

To understand why those figures are so troubling, it helps to understand what exercise does for joints. Osteoarthritis is by far the most common form of arthritis, already affecting more than 595 million people worldwide.

Exercise is one of the most effective treatments for chronic, disabling joint conditions (Getty/iStock)

According to a global study in The Lancet, that number could approach one billion by 2050. Longer life expectancy, increasingly sedentary lifestyles and rising numbers of overweight or obese people are driving the trend.

Yet people who exercise regularly are physically and biologically protecting themselves from developing the disease and from suffering its worst effects.

The cartilage that covers the ends of our bones is a tough, protective layer with no blood supply of its own. It relies on movement.

Symptoms of osteoarthritis

NHS

The main symptoms of osteoarthritis are joint pain and stiffness, and problems moving the joint.

Some people also have symptoms such as:

• swelling
• tenderness
• grating or crackling sound when moving the affected joints

Like a sponge, cartilage is compressed when we walk or load a joint, squeezing fluid out and then drawing fresh nutrients back in. Each step allows nutrients and natural lubricants to circulate and maintain joint health.

That is why the old idea of osteoarthritis as simple “wear and tear” is misleading. Joints are not car tyres that inevitably grind down.

Osteoarthritis is better understood as a long process of wear and repair in which regular movement and exercise are critical to healing and to the health of the entire joint.

A disease of the whole joint

We now know osteoarthritis is a whole-joint disease. It affects the joint fluid, the underlying bone, the ligaments, the surrounding muscles and even the nerves that support movement.

Therapeutic exercise targets all these elements. Muscle weakness, for instance, is one of the earliest signs of osteoarthritis and can be improved with resistance training. There is strong evidence that muscle weakness increases the risk of both developing the disease and seeing it progress.

Nerve and muscle control can also be trained through neuromuscular exercise programmes such as GLA:D® (Good Life with osteoArthritis: Denmark) for hip and knee osteoarthritis. Usually delivered in supervised group sessions by physiotherapists, these programmes focus on movement quality, balance and strength to improve joint stability and rebuild confidence.

About the author

Clodagh Toomey is a Physiotherapist and Associate Professor in the School of Allied Health at the University of Limerick.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Significant improvements in pain, joint function and quality of life have been recorded for up to 12 months after completing the programme.

Exercise is good medicine for the whole body: it has documented benefits across more than 26 chronic diseases. In osteoarthritis, it helps not only by strengthening cartilage and muscle but also by tackling the inflammation, metabolic changes and hormonal shifts that drive the disease.

Obesity is a major risk factor for osteoarthritis, and not merely because of the extra mechanical load on joints. High levels of inflammatory molecules in the blood and in joint tissues can degrade cartilage and accelerate disease.

For osteoarthritis, regular activity can counter this at a molecular level, lowering inflammatory markers, limiting cell damage and even altering gene expression.

Exercise first, surgery later

Currently, there are no drugs that modify the course of osteoarthritis. Joint replacement surgery can be life-changing for some people, but it is a major surgery and does not succeed for everyone.

Exercise should be tried first and continued throughout every stage of the disease. It carries far fewer side effects and brings many additional health benefits.

Osteoarthritis is not simply a matter of “worn-out” joints. It is shaped by muscle strength, inflammation, metabolism and lifestyle.

Regular, targeted exercise addresses many of these factors at once – helping to protect cartilage, strengthen the whole joint and improve overall health. Before considering surgery, movement itself remains one of the most powerful treatments we have.

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Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more

Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more

Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more

The winter solstice, a phenomenon revered by ancient civilisations, continues to hold profound significance today as it heralds the official start of winter.

This annual event marks the shortest day of the year, characterised by the fewest hours of daylight, and conversely, the longest night. It is also the precise moment when the sun reaches its lowest daily maximum elevation in the sky.

The term “solstice” itself is rooted in Latin, combining “sol,” meaning sun, with “sistere,” which translates to “to come to a stop” or “make stand.”

When is the winter solstice?

While the Southern Hemisphere embraces the onset of summer, those residing north of the equator will observe the opposite – the inaugural day of winter. This year, the celestial event is set to occur on Sunday 21 December at 3:03 pm.

Depending on where you are in the UK, the exact length of the day will differ. In London, there will be 7 hours 49 minutes and 42 seconds of daylight. That means it is 8 hours and 49 minutes shorter than the June solstice.

While that means that the day is likely to be dark and dreary, the good news is that it also means that the days will get progressively longer, with more hours of daylight until the climax of the summer solstice.

The variation happens because the Earth orbits the sun at an angle of 23.4 degrees on its axis, according to the Royal Museums of Greenwich.

Arriving on the same day across the globe, a solstice occurs when the sun reaches its lowest or highest point in the sky during the year as a result of the Earth’s axis tilting to or away from the sun.

For the Southern Hemisphere, it’s the opposite case, as 21 December marks the one day of the year with the longest period of sunlight.

What is the history of the winter solstice?

Historically, the winter solstice has been of great importance to many cultures, such as Ancient Egypt and Ancient Rome, often as a marker for the passing seasons, and a possible time of rebirth.

In northern Europe, from the Faroe Islands to Estonia, Germanic peoples have long celebrated the event, which became known as Yule.

While Yule dates back to the Norse people, who celebrated the sun’s rebirth for 12 days, it was also celebrated by Anglo-Saxon pagans.

According to Pliny the Elder, in Britain, druid priests would mark the important date by gathering mistletoe and sacrificing bulls – which was also likely a practical measure to limit the number of mouths to feed during months of famine.

What is the equinox?

During the equinox, the Earth’s axis and its orbit align so that both hemispheres get an equal amount of sunlight.

During the warmer periods, the North Pole is tilted towards the sun in the northern hemisphere, meaning longer daylight hours, while the southern hemisphere experiences the opposite. During winter the situation is reversed as the North Pole tilts away from the sun for the northern hemisphere.

The word equinox comes from two Latin words meaning equal and night. That’s because on the equinox, day and night last almost the same amount of time — though one may get a few extra minutes, depending on where you are on the planet.

The Northern Hemisphere’s fall — or autumnal — equinox can land between Sept. 21 and 24, depending on the year. Its spring — or vernal — equinox can land between March 19 and 21.

People take part in the winter solstice celebrations during sunrise at Glastonbury Tor in Somerset. (PA Wire)

What’s the difference between meteorological and astronomical seasons?

These are just two different ways to carve up the year.

While astronomical seasons depend on how the Earth moves around the sun, meteorological seasons are defined by the weather. Meteorologists break down the year into three-month seasons based on annual temperature cycles. By that calendar, spring starts on March 1, summer on June 1, autumn on Sept. 1 and winter on Dec. 1.

Additional reporting by AP.

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