Originally published in 2021 | Written by Hayley Winter

Editor's Note | Looking Back from 2026

I first introduced the term Slumpasana to yoga teachers around 2011 as a playful way of exploring the anatomy and biomechanics of prolonged sitting.

When I wrote this article in 2021, the COVID pandemic had brought significant changes to how we worked and moved. Many of us were spending even longer periods sitting at computers, often without realising how little movement was happening throughout the day.

Five years on, research continues to highlight the health implications of prolonged sedentary behaviour.

What I find particularly interesting is the distinction between how we sit and how long we remain inactive. A slumped position can change the mechanical demands placed on the body, but sitting in one particular posture doesn't automatically cause injury or accelerate ageing.

The wider evidence reminds us that prolonged sedentary behaviour, limited movement variety and insufficient ph...

Exploring the science of balance, the nervous system and the benefits of everyday movement.

Originally published in 2021 | Written by Hayley Winter 

In this blog, I explore why including a simple everyday balance challenge is important for your brain and everyday movements.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), falls are the second leading cause of unintentional injury deaths worldwide.

A shocking statistic, and one that reminds us of the importance of maintaining our balance as we move through life.

A YSS favourite, Dr Michael Mosley, referred to this in his podcast series, Just One Thing. He said:

“Our balance is far worse now than it used to be. Having a more sedentary lifestyle comes at a cost - and that cost is a failure of balance.”

Balancing Act: The Science of Staying Upright

In our Yoga Biomechanics teaching, we explore the relationship between gravity, the ground and the body's ability to maintain balance.

Standing might appear effortless, but it'...

Originally published in 2018 · Written by Hayley Winter, Founder of the Institute of Yoga Sports Science®

Editor's Note | Looking Back from 2026

My interest in esports has a personal connection that goes back long before I founded the Institute of Yoga Sports Science®.

My first degree was in animation, and my background in graphic design and character animation taught me to study human movement in a rather unusual way: frame by frame.

Through drawing, observing and analysing the body in motion, I developed a fascination with how movement is organised. That curiosity continued into my later studies of anatomy, biomechanics and yoga.

I also worked in games education, teaching anatomy and character design on a course run by a dear friend and colleague. At the time this article was published in 2018, she was CEO of Women in Games, a position she continues to hold in 2026.

Looking back, this article reflects another connection between my creative background and the development of Yoga...