Sometimes, the first sign that something has changed with your health is not a new symptom, but an activity you have quietly given up.
When was the last time you took the stairs without thinking twice, walked to the market without needing a break, or said yes to an outing without worrying about how tiring it might be?
Tavishi Dogra is a Deputy Chief Content Producer, Health & Wellness, at Hindustan Times. She joined Hindustan Times to simplify wellness subjects by cutting through jargon. She has over 9 years of experience writing about fitness, nutrition, and mental well-being, translating medical research and expert insights into practical advice readers can trust. Career journey and experience Tavishi began her health journalism journey in 2017, and has since reported for RSTV, Financial Express, Jagran, HT Media Labs and Zee.
Education and professional background Tavishi holds a Master’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication and began her career reporting on public affairs for broadcast. Editorial Philosophy I write with one single goal: To simplify health in a world full of noise by finding what’s actually doable, safe, and evidence-based for my readers. I test claims against research and user experiences. Sumanto Mukhopadhyay tells Health Shots . It is easy to put these changes down to age, but they may be telling you something worth investigating. Could you walk the same distance without stopping? Have stairs that once felt routine become difficult? Have you cut back on morning walks, stopped playing a favorite sport, or become less inclined to leave the house? Do everyday activities like grocery shopping, gardening, or household chores take more effort than before? However, a persistent change in exercise tolerance or everyday activity should not automatically be dismissed as a normal consequence of aging. People with heart valve disease may experience breathlessness during activity, unusual fatigue, dizziness or light-headedness, swelling in the feet or ankles, and palpitations. These symptoms can also have other causes, but if they persist, are unexplained, or worsen, they warrant discussion with a healthcare professional. Heart valve disease can develop gradually, allowing people to adapt their routines without recognizing the underlying problem. Someone who becomes breathless while walking may take shorter routes, while another person may avoid stairs or social activities that involve physical exertion. Eventually, these adjustments can become part of daily life, making it harder to recognize a change in health. A simple three-part comparison offers a useful starting point: What could I do before? What can I do now? What changed in between?
When all else fails, I speak to the expert who sees 50 patients a day, not the one with the most followers. These questions are especially relevant after the age of 45, when declining stamina may be attributed entirely to aging.
“A morning walk gets shorter, a flight of stairs calls for a pause, or a favorite weekend outing starts to feel like too much effort,” Cardiologist Dr. A simple “activity audit” can help you connect the dots. Those early years in policy and TV shaped how she writes today: fast, factual, and human-first. Instead of asking only whether you feel unwell, compare what you could comfortably do a few years ago with what you can manage today.
Subject expertise With 9+ years tracking India’s health conversations, Tavishi knows the gap between clinical advice and daily life. She knows fads from fundamentals and curates science-backed, expert-recommended solutions. In fitness, she breaks down bodyweight training, recovery, and posture fixes for desk-bound readers. In nutrition, she translates guidelines into affordable, desi meal tweaks. In mental well-being, she focuses on stigma-free, actionable tools — all backed by research, expert input, and lived context. It helps people recognize changes that might otherwise go unnoticed and decide when to seek medical advice. Getting older doesn’t mean giving up the activities that make everyday life enjoyable. Noticing changes in physical ability can help distinguish an expected adjustment from a potential health concern. Think about three activities you could comfortably do a few years ago but now find difficult or tiring, or that you’ve stopped altogether. Note when these changes began and whether you have experienced symptoms such as breathlessness, unusual fatigue, dizziness, or palpitations. If you notice a persistent or unexplained decline, schedule a consultation with your doctor and discuss whether further evaluation, including an echocardiogram, may be appropriate. The question is simple: What have you stopped doing, and could your health be the reason? Taking that first step can help you understand the change and decide what to do next. (Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.)
From decoding health trends and interviewing doctors to testing fitness routines herself, Tavishi always approaches content with one filter: “Will this help someone make a better decision today?
