The Stair-Stepper Workout That Will Torch Major Cals In 20 Minutes

Image: GETTY IMAGES

Whether you love it or hate it, the obtrusive stair-climbing machine has been a staple in gyms for decades for a reason. It's effective (it blasts your legs and booty more than pretty much any other piece of cardio equipment), and it's functional (you actually ascend stairs IRL). Okay, make that two reasons.

Of course, you could hop on the ol' StairMaster and start stepping away for a long and boring half-hour slog. Or you could crank things up a notch and fire up your fat-burners with a high-intensity interval workout that's over in less than 20 fly-right-by minutes. 

Tight on time? This 5-minute butt workout will help you squeeze in some exercise:

Want in on the latter? Look no further than this sweet plan from certified personal trainer Erica Lugo, owner of EricaFitLove Studio in Centerville, Ohio (and former WH Next Fitness Star finalist!). Lugo's three-pronged approach features a series of quick pre-activation drills to warm up your muscles, a smart interval build-up (with 30- to 60-second intervals, so you never feel overburdened), and a metabolic finisher that'll kick your heart rate into high gear (this will keep you burning cals long after you've stepped onto flat ground). 

Step to it! 

THE PRE-ACTIVATION

Before jumping on the machine, find an area to complete these two moves (should take about two or three minutes):

1. Knee Ups: Standing with your feet hip-width apart, bring your knee as close to your chest as possible. Hug and hold your leg for 15 to 20 seconds, then switch sides. Repeat twice. 

2. Glute Bridges: Lying on your back, bend your knees so that your feet are firmly planted on the floor, hands by your side. Slowly raise your butt, pushing through your heels, and squeeze your glutes before you release slowly back to floor. That's one rep; do three sets of 10 reps.

THE WORKOUT

0:00-3:00: Warm up at a slow speed, around 3 to 5. Your intensity shouldn't be higher than a 4 or 5 out of 10.
3:00-4:00: Increase speed to 7 or 8. Your intensity should be close to a 7 out of 10—you can talk, but holding a conversation is slightly difficult. 
4:00-4:30: Decrease speed to 3 or 4.
4:30-5:00: Set speed to 3, and start skipping a step to mimic a lunge movement. 
5:00-6:00: Increase speed to 8 or 9.
6:00-6:30: Decrease speed to 4 or 5. 
6:30-7:00: Set speed to 3, and start skipping a step to mimic a lunge movement again.
7:00-8:00: Decrease speed to 1.
8:00-9:00: Increase speed to 7 or 8.
9:00-9:30: Decrease speed to 3 or 4.
9:30-10:00: Set speed to 3, and start skipping a step to mimic a lunge movement.
10:00-10:30: Increase speed to 8 or 9.
10:30-11:00: Decrease speed to 4 or 5.
11:00-11:30: Set speed to 3, and start skipping a step to mimic a lunge movement.
11:30-12:30: Decrease speed to 1 or 2 to cool down.

THE FINISHER

12:30-13:00: Increase speed to 8 or 9.
13:00-13:30: Increase speed to 9 or 10. Talking should be difficult now.
13:30-14:00: Decrease speed to 2.
14:00-14:30: Increase speed to 8 or 9.
14:30-15:00: Increase speed to 9 or 10.
15:00-15:30: Decrease speed to 2.
15:30-16:00: Increase speed to 11 or 12. Your breathing should be labored!
16:00-16:30: Decrease speed (slightly) to 10 or 11.
16:30-18:00: Decrease speed between 2 and 4 to cool down and recover. 

SOURCE: Womenshealthmag

The Best Reasons You Should Exercise Today

Everyone needs to reorganize and reprioritize their lives so that we put our health first by making the time for regular exercise.

No matter how busy life gets or how mentally challenging the day has been, a workout always makes you feel better. It clears the head, detoxifies, and adds peace and balance to the day.

I exercise at least five days a week almost without fail. It's a nonnegotiable part of my life. Why? Sure, it's good for me, but the biggest motivator is, I love the way it makes me feel: fit, healthy, energized, and positive.

Why you Should Exercise Today

Energy

To help make meeting the physical and mental demands of everyday life easier. And, if that's not enough, to help you run faster, dance longer, and play harder.

Flexibility

Over time, flexibility can decrease by up to 50 percent, making it harder to squat down, bend over, and reach behind you, but in a study published in the International Journal of Sports Medicine, researchers found that three full-body workouts a week for 16 weeks increased flexibility of the hips and shoulders, helping to make daily life activities easier and more functional. If the stats aren't convincing enough, regular exercise helps to keep you strong, youthful, and feeling great.

Instant Therapy

Regular exercise helps you alleviate the stress in your day, leaving you calm, relaxed, and peaceful, but with increased energy. In fact, researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham discovered that people who performed three workouts a week for six months significantly improved their scores on measures of anger and overall mood.

Quality Sleep

To help you fall asleep more easily, wake up feeling more refreshed, and feel the benefits of a good night's sleep.

Helps to Manage Your Weight

Exercise speeds up your metabolism by creating more muscle, and more muscle means burning more calories.

Self-Esteem

University of Florida reports that negative body image has grown to almost epidemic proportions over the past 20 years, with as many as 60 percent of adults in national studies saying they don't like the way their bodies look. The simple act of exercise and not fitness itself can convince you that you look better.

Fight Depression

Scientists at the University of Sydney found that regular exercise significantly reduces symptoms of major depression. They reported that a meaningful improvement was seen in 60 percent of clinically diagnosed patients, similar to the response rate from antidepressants. The American Psychological Association reports that the effects of physical activity extend beyond the short-term. Research shows that exercise can also help alleviate long-term depression.

Live Longer

PLOS Medicine reports that just 150 minutes of moderate exercise a week increases life expectancy by 3.4 to 4.5 years.

Happiness

Exercise increases dopamine, a chemical in the brain that's associated with feelings of pleasure and happiness. Exercise also releases the feel-good chemical that promotes happiness: endorphins. The American Psychological Association reports that usually within five minutes after moderate exercise, you get a mood-enhancement effect.

All the mental and physical benefits of exercise and yet, the President's Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition reports that less than 5 percent of adults participate in physical activity each day and only one in three children are physically active everyday.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention reports that 25 percent of the U.S. population reported zero leisure-time physical activity.

The research also shows:

• More than 80 percent of adults do not meet the guidelines for both aerobic and muscle-strengthening activities, and more than 80 percent of adolescents do not do enough aerobic physical activity to meet the guidelines for youth.
• The national average for regular exercise is 51.6 percent.
• Children now spend more than seven and a half hours a day in front of a screen (e.g., TV, video games, computer).
• Only six states (Illinois, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New York, and Vermont) require physical education in every grade, K-12.
• 28 percent of Americans, or 80.2 million people, age 6 and older, are physically inactive.
• Nearly one-third of high school students play video or computer games for three or more hours on an average school day.

SO IF EXERCISE IS SO GOOD FOR US AND MAKES US FEEL GOOD, WHY ARE RELATIVELY FEW PEOPLE PHYSICALLY ACTIVE?

The hardest part of exercising is getting started, but once you get into a regular routine, you won't want to stop.

We're not talking about a quick fix here. There is no magic powder or supersmoothie. We're talking about long-lasting, maintainable changes from a reboot of old habits to reap the lifelong physical and mental benefits of exercise.

Find the motivation that works for you. Ease into it slowly, and gradually build up to a regular exercise habit until exercise becomes a part of your weekly routine.

SOURCE: Popsugar

6 Easy Ways to Add Cardio to Your Strength Workout

Resistance training and cardio exercise can indeed co-exist. In fact, blending them together creates the ideal time-saving gym session. All you have to do is make a few intensity-amplifying tweaks to your existing strength workout and it can drive up your heart rate, burn more calories and improve your cardiovascular health, says New York City-based trainer Laura Miranda, DPT, CSCS, exercise physiologist. Get started on getting more from your workout by following these six strategies that marry weights and cardio. You just might find you’re having more fun, too.

6 Tips for Turning Up the Cardio on Your Strength Workout

1. Vary your rest.

The first way to spike your heart rate while strength training: Perform each move back to back with as little rest as possible — that is, while still maintaining good form. Miranda prefers a ladder approach to accomplish this goal. After the first round of resistance exercises, rest for 20 seconds. On the second set, rest for 15 seconds; and the third, pause for a 10-second break. As your body gets less and less time to recover, it taxes your aerobic system, she explains. Keep in mind, because you can’t lift at max weight with this many sets, it’s a good goal for fat loss, rather than strictly strength gains.

2. Hold weights in both hands.

Rather than putting all your effort into single-arm movements for exercises like curls, rows or extensions, pick up two dumbbells or kettlebells. Then, go to town. Doing upper-body bilateral movements — like bicep curls with both hands moving at the same time — increases your heart rate more than when focusing on one arm at a time, according to a 2017 study in The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research.

3. Pepper in plyometrics.

Explosive movements — think squat jumps and jumping lunges — are super effective and efficient for cranking up your cardio, while still building muscle. To maximize the payoff of these powerful moves, perform at least 15 reps of each exercise. This can keep your heart rate elevated for up to 50 minutes post-exercise, according to one study.

Miranda also recommends combining plyos with a strength and coordination move to lessen some of the jarring impact on your body. For example: Do a dumbbell lateral lunge, followed by a bear crawl, then end with broad jumps. Take a brief rest before cycling through those three exercises again.

4. Lighten your load.

In a traditional strength workout, you’d pick up a weight heavy enough that you could only do a few reps for up to 45 seconds, says Miranda. But to hit the sweet spot where lifting turns more aerobic, opt for lighter weights that allow you to perform a set for one to two minutes. You might even drop the weight altogether and work for longer periods (i.e. go from a weighted squat to simply bodyweight squats). Or, grab a set of five- to eight-pound weights and perform a move like dumbbell uppercuts for one minute. Trust us, it will burn.

5. Try a two-fer.

Why do a squat or a bicep curl or an overhead press when you can be super efficient and do all three at once? Compound movements like this one require you to use more muscle groups, which gives you a greater metabolic boost, says Miranda. Even better, these multi-move exercises test your coordination. Some others to add to your exercise repertoire: a push-up with row, reverse lunge with triceps extensions, curtsy lunge with bicep curl or a glute bridge with chest press.

6. Go beyond everyday exercises.

No doubt you’ve done a burpee or 10. After all, they’re used in many workouts because they’re an efficient way to get your heart rate up between strength sets. “When you choose movements that your body is not used to doing — like getting on and off the floor, as you do for a burpee — it enhances the difficulty of your workout,” says Miranda. (Typically, we’re used to simply sitting, standing and walking.) A burpee requires you to use all major muscle groups at once, which is probably why research shows this move is nearly as good as bicycle sprints in terms of gaining cardiovascular benefits.

Another similar way to enhance the cardio challenge: Do moves that work your body in different planes of motion, says Miranda. For instance, a forward lunge, followed by a side lunge, then wrap it up with a backward lunge. “Our bodies are not used to moving in those sequences,” she says. Wood chops or 180 squat jumps will also do the trick. So not only will you feel your muscles getting fatigue, but you’ll breath heavy while you’re at it. A single workout for strength and cardio…you’re welcome.

SOURCE: Health.com

The Secret to Losing Belly Fat

While focusing on crunches will strengthen your abs, it unfortunately will not get rid of fat around your waist. To see a difference in this trouble spot, it's essential to regularly include calorie-burning cardio in your routine. And not just any kind of cardio—it's important to focus on interval training; alternating between moderate and speedy bursts of exercise is the key.

A study in the International Journal of Obesity revealed that when compared to women who cycled at a consistent pace for 40 minutes, women who worked out for 20 minutes but alternated between eight-second sprints and 12 seconds of low-intensity cycling lost more belly fat after 15 weeks. Work out half as long and lose more fat? Sounds good to us!

You can do intervals with virtually any type of activity. Here are some ways to incorporate them into your routine:

1. Use visual goals: Run or bike at a moderate pace, and then look ahead and sprint to the mailbox that's 50 feet away or up the hill or to the end of the street. Once you reach your goal, reduce back to your moderate speed. After your breathing returns to normal, choose another goal to race to.

2. Use time: Watch the clock, and move moderately for two minutes, and then zoom as fast as you can for one minute. Repeat this pattern for at least 30 minutes.

3. Use music: Make an interval playlist, alternating between fast-paced peppy tunes and slower, chill tunes. Walk, run, or dance to the beat. Here's a 60-minute walk-run playlist, or for a faster-paced workout, try this 40-minute running playlist.

4. Use a POPSUGAR Fitness interval workout: If you find it easier to follow a cardio routine, check out these interval workouts:

45-minute fat-burning treadmill workout

Tush-toning hill repeat intervals

45-minute walk-run-sprint workout

45-minute elliptical interval workout

10-minute HIIT (high-intensity interval training) video workout

30-minute pyramid intervals

30-minute Barry's Bootcamp running workout

30-minute beginner intervals

60-minute walking-jogging workout

This article was written by Jenny Sugar and repurposed with permission from POPSUGAR Fitness.
SOURCE: Womenshealthmag

'How Can I Get Rid Of My Armpit Fat?'

Image: GETTY

If you’ve ever put on a bra and noticed an extra fold of skin between your arm and your boob (a.k.a your armpit), you’re not alone. Armpit fat is common—and nothing to feel bad about.

In fact, you might want to embrace it, because, annoyingly, there’s no simple solution to eliminating extra tissue from that area. Actually, spot reducing, the common term for trying to lose fat in one specific area of your body, is not even possible. All of us store weight in certain places based on our genetics. So if you’re trying to lose a little from a certain spot, you need to focus on losing  overall body fat, as well as adjusting your workout regimen to target the muscles in your pit region, says Lauren Simmons, R.D., C.S.C.S., a trainer and nutritionist at Core Dynamics in Indiana (a.k.a a total diet and exercise expert).

Here, she explains how to tackle this.

What To Eat

First, if you’re trying to shed pounds in general, you should aim to take in fewer calories than you’re expending overall (not just via exercise). This varies on an individual level, but you can use an app like MyFitnessPal to keep track of your cal input and calculate your basal metabolic rate (the calories you burn if you literally do nothing but breathe) here. Then, of the calories you are taking in, group them according to macronutrients: carbohydrates, proteins, and fat, says Simmons. 

She suggests allotting about half of your daily calories to carbohydrates, such as whole-grain pasta and veggies like potatoes, corn, and peas. Another 20 to 30 percent should be made up of protein-rich foods such as chicken, eggs, spinach, and beans. And the remaining 20 to 30 percent goes towards fat—yes, fat. Opt for healthy sources, such as nuts and olive oil, says Simmons. And don’t overdo it on that avocado: One gram of fat contains nine calories, more than carbs and proteins at four cals per gram.

What To Do At The Gym

The best workout to burn fat is strength-training. (You probably guessed that, huh?) “Increasing muscle mass is going to help increase your metabolism,” says Simmons. That means you'll be burning more calories overall. Focus on working the largest and most powerful muscle groups to burn the most calories possible. Those muscles include your glutes and quads. You can work those powerhouses with moves like squats, lunges, chest press, and rows. She recommends working one of those groups per day.

When it comes to your armpits, the two groups to focus on are your chest and back. For your chest, try moves like pullups, chinups, and cable pulldowns. For your back: bench press, chest fly, pushups, and shoulder press. Simmons recommends waiting a day or two before working your chest and/or back again so your muscles have time to repair and rebuild.

And don’t be afraid to lift heavy. Simmons says the best way to burn fat and get your heart rate up is lifting a heavier weight for a moderate amount of reps. Her strategy: Choose a weight that you can only complete eight to 12 reps with proper form. If you can’t maintain form, it’s too heavy. If you’re losing count of the reps you can do with a weight, it’s probably too light.

And if you’re thinking, “what about cardio?” Simmons says it’s best if you choose high-intensity cardio exercises like interval training or bootcamp classes, rather than running on a treadmill at the same pace for 30 minutes.

The bottom line: You can't spot reduce your armpit fat, but you can work towards getting fitter overall, which could have an effect on that area. 

SOURCE: Womenshealthmag

10 Biggest Fitness Myths Busted

Have you been busting your bottom at the gym but the results aren’t coming? Perhaps you’ve been waking up at 6am each morning to workout before you even get to work?


Yet despite you best efforts, nothing is improving. You still feel unfit. And you’ve not really lost any weight. Worse still, your muscles just aren’t forming.

So what gives?

The chances are that you’ve fallen victim to misinformation. Unfortunately, this is something that happens a lot because of the Internet. Anybody can post anything on the world wide web – including stuff that is totally and utterly untrue.

And this is never more the case than in the fitness world, were everyone is an expert, and everyone has some advice to give you. Hey, it worked for them so it should work for you, right?!

Or maybe you weren’t given bad advice over the Internet. Maybe it was your friend who told you to do this or do that. But while their intentions were no doubt honourable, they may have been guilty of sharing bad advice.

To separate the truths from the lies, and to you get your fitness game back on track, here are 10 of the biggest fitness myths busted.

For Flat Abs, Crunches Are Key

Crunches are probably the most iconic of all the abdominal exercises. Everyone does them. And you’ve been told to do them too if you want a flatter midsection.

But just because everyone believes something doesn’t make it a fact. And this one certainly is not a fact.

Crunches don’t actually burn off all that many calories, which therefore means they aren’t suitable if you’re looking to flatten your tummy.

Crunches do tone a tiny bit of your abs – but not enough.

Instead, I suggest swapping crunches for something which invokes your distal trunk, because what you’re really looking to do is engage your whole core.

Carbs Make You Fat

Carbs are not intrinsically bad for you, and they don’t make you fat. In fact, you need carbs for optimal workout performance!

Sweat = More Burnt Calories

It seems to be a common idea among gym bunnies that the more you sweat, the more calories you burn. If you don’t leave a workout session looking as though you’ve just walked through a car wash, it basically means that you haven’t pushed yourself hard enough. You haven’t burnt enough calories. In other words, you’ve totally failed.

Not true. Just because you’re absolutely soaked to the skin, it doesn’t mean that you’ve burnt more calories than usual. Sure, you’d love to believe that (and you’re probably reading this with great disappointment now!), but I’m sorry – it just isn’t true.

Too Much Running Will Ruin Your Knees

I’ve heard this myth a few times, and you probably have, too. Basically the myth is that the more you run, the worse your knees will become. They will buckle and fall apart and pretty soon you’ll not be able to walk ever again!

The reality, though, is that running is NOT bad for your knees. At all. In fact, people who run often will have just as spectacular a pair of knees as those who don’t run at all.

However, you do have to take care when running. It’s fairly rigorous exercise, and if you don’t take the right precautions, you could do yourself a potentially bad injury.

Running On A Treadmill Is Better For Your Knees Than Running On Pavement

I’m gonna fix this one onto the tail of the one above. No matter how many times people say to you that running on a treadmill is better for your knees than running on pavement or asphalt, don’t believe them.

Your body weight and its force is what causes stress on your knees – NOT the ground you’re running on.

An Aerobic Workout Improves Your Metabolism For Hours On End

This myth is actually partially true. Yes, an aerobic workout will enhance your metabolism. But it won’t turbocharge it the way lots of people think it does.

Your metabolism burns at a higher rate after aerobics – but the improvement is only marginal. It’s there, but it doesn’t allow you to burn any more than around 20 more calories.

If You Stretch, You Will Recover Quicker

A recent study carried out by the University of Milan totally debunked the myth that stretching after exercising improves your body’s rate of recovery.

The study found that the blood lactate levels in people who stretch after working out is no different to the levels in folk who don’t stretch after a workout.

Unfortunately, then, stretching will not speed up your recovery time, and your sore muscles and aching joints are going to stay with you for as long as usual.

You can still stretch, though, because it does come with some useful benefits. For a start, it feels good. It also improves joint flexibility. So you don’t need to totally discard it – just don’t get annoyed when your recovery time doesn’t improve!

Swimming Will Help You Lose Weight

Swimming is a great form of exercise, and you should keep doing it. But if you’ve taken up swimming to lose weight, I have to tell you that you’re in for a lot of frustration.

Swimming’s main benefits lie with the lungs and muscles. It tones muscles and boosts lung capacity. But it doesn’t really help you to shed the pounds.

Any Less Than 45 Minutes Is Not Enough Time To Get A Health Benefit

This is totally untrue. Sometimes we only have ten minutes to spare each day. But are we really going to refrain from exercising because “ten minutes is pointless”? We might – but we shouldn’t.

All exercise is beneficial. Even if it’s half an hour or 10 minutes, it’s all good for your health.

In fact, studies suggest that short workouts are incredibly powerful and could actually be even more beneficial than longer ones.

Weights Bulk You Up

This is a myth that has probably been around since the time of Hercules. But it’s just not true. Weights by themselves do not bulk you up because the hormonal conditions needed to add muscle mass aren’t naturally occurring in most of us. Instead, you need to eat the right foods.

Do you know other fitness myths?

SOURCE: Beautyandtips

8 Runners On What They Eat For Breakfast

What do people who run double-digit miles every week eat for breakfast? That's a question we've been asking ourselves lately as we sip on our cauliflower smoothies and dabble in the magical world of mermaid toast day after day. While breakfast choices vary from runner to runner, nearly all of their breakfast options sound delicious—and yes, some of their morning routines include coffee.

Intrigued? We thought so. Here's how top runners fuel up every morning.

1. Robin Arzon

Photo credit: @robinnyc

"I've never said no to a jar of almond butter. Almond butter and bananas are my two favorite things. And Ezekiel bread and almond butter is my favorite race morning meal." —Robin Arzon, ultramarathoner, Peloton instructor, and Shut Up and Run author

2. Andia Winslow

"Time permitting, I love lentils and spinach—even though that doesn't seem very breakfast-like. Lentils, a prehistoric food stuff, are full of protein, dietary fiber, essential nutrients. And spinach is so vitamin-rich. Benefits aside, I love the taste. In a rush, I'll have an apple and peanut butter." —Andia Winslow, professional athlete, sports and conditioning coach

Photo credit: @andiawinslow

3. Alexi Pappas

@alexipappas

"My go-to pre-run and pre-workout, pre-race breakfast is a bowl of Maple Hill yogurt with BeetBoost and GenUCAN mixed in. I also like Great Harvest toast with Wild Friends nut butter on top. Cafe Mam coffee is also a must!" —Alexi Pappas, Olympic runner

4. Krista Stryker

Photo credit: @kristastryker

"My go-to breakfast is steel-cut oats with flaxseeds, cinnamon, and a little peanut butter swirled in with berries on top. I'll also add one scrambled egg with three egg whites. It keeps me full and fuels my morning while satisfying my morning sweet tooth as well." —Krista Stryker, founder of the 12 Minute Athlete HIIT movement and app.

5. Rebecca Kennedy

"Pre-run, and I'll have almond butter and a banana. I also I take Promix Intra-Workout because it gives me immediate energy without any artificial taste and I always have better runs when I use it... that 'tired feeling' doesn't hit.

"If I have more time before my workout, I'll have whatever's in my crockpot—lamb shank, beef shank, pulled pork, carrots, and celery, rosemary for flavor. It's so easy—I season it with coarse sea salt and black pepper and fresh rosemary (or whatever herbs I have, but this is my favorite and go-to) add in the celery and carrots chopped in big pieces (I'll add sweet potatoes for a carb hit) and cover, set to low for eight hours, and when I wake up my apartment smells amazing and I'm ready to dig in." —Rebecca Kennedy, Nike trainer, Barry's Bootcamp coach, and SOLID founder

6. John Cianca

"As a runner, it's very important that I get a good amount of calories for breakfast to prep me for my runs. On a regular day I usually have scrambled eggs with veggies, whole wheat toast, and some kind of fruit. On my long run days or race days I go big with the carbs to keep me energized throughout my training. My go-to meal is a nice-sized bowl of oatmeal, brown sugar, cinnamon, and bananas. I've been doing that forever and it's always worked for me." —John Cianca, runner and Equinox instructor

7. Todd McCullough

"After a good run you want to refuel the body. This breakfast gives me protein to rebuild muscle tissue, fats to fuel me throughout the day, and veggies to give me my daily supply of nutrients. I made an egg scramble with portobello mushrooms, onion, spinach, and avocado. " —Todd McCullough, founder to tmacfitness.com.

8. Jordan Younger

"My go-to breakfast is Bulletproof coffee. I have never been the type of person to wake up hungry for solid food, mainly because I have so many food intolerances. It always takes my stomach a few hours to settle and digest after waking up, so finding the Bulletproof way of life has been amazing for me. The healthy fats and the delivery system of the coffee (an herb, believe it or not!) have been awesome for my digestion, metabolism, and my energy levels. A few hours later I have a big low-glycemic green smoothie, usually, full of more healthy fats like avocado and almond milk. I also put plant-based protein, blueberries, and spinach in my smoothie usually, but I'm always mixing it up!" —Jordan Younger, yogi and author of Breaking Vegan: One Woman's Journey From Veganism, Extreme Dieting, and Orthorexia to a More Balanced Life

Featured Photo credit: @andiawinslow SOURCE: Mindbodygreen

Why Running Is Such Perfect Cardio

Photo: Getty Images

There was once a time, just a few decades ago, when few people ran to stay in shape. Today, running is almost synonymous with exercise. If your goal is to be fit and healthy, you’re either a runner or someone who’s planning to start running really soon (promise).

Running has become so popular, in part, because a mountain of evidence suggests it’s great for a long, disease-free life.

One 2014 study found that running is linked to a 45% drop in risk of death due to cardiovascular disease. “Runners on average lived three years longer compared to non-runners,” says study author D.C. Lee, an assistant professor of kinesiology at Iowa State University. Those mortality benefits held fairly steady regardless of how fast, how long or how often a person ran.

Lee and his colleagues just published a follow-up report showing even more impressive benefits. Running for about two hours each week was linked to three extra years of life. He and his coauthors also found that running outperforms walking, cycling and some other forms of aerobic exercise when it comes to lengthening life.

Research has also linked running to lower rates of stroke, cancer and metabolic diseases like diabetes, as well as better bone strength. “Weight-bearing exercises like running promote greater bone mineral density,” says Arthur Weltman, a professor and chair of kinesiology at the University of Virginia. Especially as you age and your bones start to weaken, running can help keep the bones of your legs healthy.

Muscles also get stronger with running. “One of the tenets of training is that when you do damage to muscle tissue, it’s stronger after repair,” Weltman says. Your heart is a muscle. And while hard running can initially result in increased levels of proteins associated with heart damage, these levels quickly return to normal, and the heart bounces back stronger than before, he explains.

But in order for that strengthening to occur, you have to give your muscles time to recover. “Depending on your fitness and how hard you go, running can be vigorous, high-intensity exercise,” Weltman says. “If you’re running hard and pushing yourself every day, you have the potential to over-train and do some damage.”

Overtraining is most likely to cause joint-related issues: lower-body aches or strains that may sideline a runner for a few days or weeks. If you always seem to be injured, that’s a good indication you’re not giving yourself enough rest, Weltman says. Running is high-impact exercise, so it may cause pain or injury in people with obesity or those with joint problems—particularly if they don’t allow enough time for recovery between bouts.

But overtraining may lead to more than simple pain or sprains, some recent scientific literature suggests. Research from James O’Keefe, a cardiologist with the University of Missouri-Kansas City, found that doing excessive endurance exercise—especially during middle-age and beyond—could theoretically lead to unhealthy structural changes in the chambers of the heart. His research pegged “too much” somewhere beyond an hour per day of vigorous exercise. More isn’t always better when it comes to running and endurance training.

It’s also important to realize that what’s “vigorous” for one runner is not going to be vigorous for another. “There’s a lot of person-to-person variation that depends on fitness level,” Weltman explains. For older people or those who haven’t broken a sweat in a while, brisk walking might constitute a tough workout.

“I think the best way to exercise and avoid risk of injury revolves around perception of effort, rather than time or duration,” he says. “At least twice a week, you want to exercise at an intensity that you perceive as hard.” At most, you want to alternate between hard and easy days “so your body has 48 hours to recover.”

But what if you’re concerned about running too little, not too much? Even a little running has been shown to pay huge dividends. In Lee’s study, people who ran as little as 30 to 59 minutes a week—just five to 10 minutes a day—lowered their risk of cardiovascular death by 58% compared to non-runners. Even in small doses, running rocks.

This article originally appeared on Time.com. 

SOURCE: Health

5 Reasons You're Not Seeing Definition In Your Legs No Matter How Hard You Try

Most weep in the face of leg day, but not you. You are the squat queen, you love lunges, and your calf raises are no joke. But despite practically living in the gym, you're still not seeing the results you'd like in your legs. Sure, you know you're strong, but you'd like to look like it too. Unfortunately, getting sculpted legs a la Carrie Underwood is is no simple task. Here's where you might be going wrong. 

Bodyweight workouts are great for getting your heart rate up, but they're not what your legs are looking for. "Your body will not build muscle until it is stressed," says Albert Matheny, R.D., C.S.C.S., co-founder of SoHo Strength Lab and advisor to Promix Nutrition. While upper-body strength training can be taken to a very high level without weights, lower-body training requires added weight in order to see major changes in lean muscle, he says. This is because your lower-body is stronger than your upper-body (think about it, we spend the day walking with our legs, not our arms). In order to see results, add weight to your leg workouts at a level that feels challenging but not impossible. Steadily continue to increase the amount of weight you're using as the moves become easier.

Cardio is an important part of any fitness routine, but if your results are MIA, you might want to give the treadmill a break. You've probably heard that mixing up your fitness routine is important to keep your body guessing and that's because it's true, says Matheny. Your body is adaptive, so if you do a ton of cardio exercises—at least 20 minutes of prolonged activity—and no strength training, you'll have a low level of muscle mass. Excess muscle is actually a hindrance to cardio performance, since excess weight will slow you down, therefore running often can leave your legs with very little muscle to show. 

Again, the solution here is to strength train, says Matheny. When you push your muscles to work at a higher percentage of their capacity, that's when they grow.

So we know you need to push your muscles to the limit when it comes to strength, but pushing them to a full range of motion is just as essential, says Matheny. You'll never see the full potential of your muscles if you don't engage them in every way possible. 

An obvious solution is literal stretching before and after workouts. But it's also important that you're constantly trying new moves and exercises in order to target your muscles in the most dynamic way possible. This could be as simple as trying a new lunge variation or signing up for a Pilates class.

The saddest truth on earth is that you can never achieve results through fitness alone. Every person has muscles, but what determines whether or not we can see those muscles has to do with the amount of fat on your body, says Matheny. Of course, you can lower your body fat through exercise, but when it comes to getting that percentage low enough to really see those muscles, it's what you're eating that really counts.

That means sticking to a diet of lean proteins, vegetables, complex carbs, and fruit, he says. Cheeseburgers and fries are (sadly) not going to do your calves and quads any favors.

You can do squats until you collapse, but if your form is off, it's all useless. If you're not performing exercises in a way that properly targets the muscles, you won't see the results you want, says Matheny. Not hitting your #quadgoals? Do some research to see what proper form really looks like. Then, next time you hit the gym, grab a spot by the mirrors to check yourself out. If you're still feeling less than confident, consider asking a trainer or fitness instructor if they can help correct you.

SOURCE: Womenshealthmag

8 Yoga Poses That Can Improve Your Digestive Health Effectively

via YOGA.com

Unhealthy digestive system is a condition suffered by many but talked about by few. Apart from being extremely unpleasant and painful, digestive problems can lead to a series of other health problems since the toxins aren’t being defused from the body properly. The causes vary from bad diet, stress and an altogether unhealthy lifestyle. Looking for how to improve digestive health, many people opt for quick fixes in the form of medication such as laxatives which bring more harm than good since they are aggressive and can be highly addictive.

How to improve digestive health the right way

As with any other health problem, we should address the root of the issue. Busy lifestyles most often leave no time to focus on the right diet and stress free living, yet there is always a way to make the most out of our free time and dedicate it to making healthy meals and exercising. Yoga is one of the best ways to improve not only your digestive health, but its benefits also include:

• muscle and bone strengthening
• weight loss
• body toning
• de-stressing

Since it involves deep breathing, it allows your digestive organs to get enough oxygen to function properly. Moreover, since it requires activity, your intestines’ muscles become more active as well, providing regular food disposal.

And you can do it from the comfort of your home. Here are 8 yoga positions that you should implement into your daily routine if you want a healthy digestive system, and, as a bonus, you get to look and feel great as well.

1. Child’s pose

via PopSugar

• kneel down with your forehead touching the floor and arms extended in front of you
• separate your knees slightly wider than your hip-width and keep your toes touching
• do 10 deep breaths, leaning forward as you exhale

This pose will keep your stomach area warm which allows digestive juices to flow regularly.

2. Bridge pose

via YOGA.com

• lie down on the floor with your stomach facing up
• as you exhale, press your feet and arms to the ground and lift your hips as high as you can, your hands locking your ankles
• take a few deep breaths in this position and slowly return to the beginning position
• repeat 5 times

As you stretch your abdominal muscles in this pose, your digestive system gets stimulated. Plus, your heart and thyroid get stimulated as well, giving you more energy and getting your metabolism in order.

3. Downward dog

via PopSugar

• start by kneeling down with your arms extended pressing the floor in front of you
• raise your hips, straightening your knees with your arms still on the floor and your head between them
• relax and take ten deep breaths

This position relaxes your gastrointestinal tract.

4. Supine twist

via YogaBasics

• lie on your back
• bend your left knee and cross it over your right leg
• press your left knee with your right hand
• left arm remains extended with both shoulders pressed to the floor
• breathe deeply for a minute and then switch sides

The supine twist position stimulates the kidneys, abdominal organs, urinary bladders and intestines.

5. Camel pose

via PopSugar

• get down on your knees keeping your shins on the floor with your knees separated by one hip-width
• as you inhale, put your hands on your hips; as you exhale, slightly arch your back placing your weight on your knees
• continue breathing and place your right hand on your right heel, and your left hand on your left heel lowering your head behind you
• take five deep breaths

This pose helps to relieve constipation as it stretches the stomach and intestines.

6. Triangle pose

via YOGA.com

• start by standing with your legs about four feet apart, arms raised parallel to the floor
• point your left foot to the left and lower your left hand to the ground in front of your left ankle
• gaze at the right arm stretched above your head
• after a minute in this position, repeat on other side

Triangle pose helps your digestive health as it alleviates constipation.

7. Extended puppy pose

via American Council on Exercise

• get down on your knees with your shins on the floor
• bend down slowly walking your hands in front of you with your posterior up
• stay in this position for a minute

8. Pawanmuktasana or a wind relief pose

• lay down with your back on the ground
• bend your right knee and press it against the right side of your ribcage
• keep your left leg on the ground
• breathe deeply in this position for two minutes, then switch sides

This pose is very helpful for releasing abdominal gas.

Now that you know how to improve digestive health. Get your yoga mat and start stretching!

SOURCE: Lifehack.org

The Most Common Mistakes People Make While Lifting Weights + How To Fix Them

Photo: Stocksy

If your exercise routine doesn't include weight training, I have news for you: It should.

The American College of Sports Medicine recommends that all healthy adults weight train at least two days a week (and this is in addition to at least three to five days of cardio exercise)! A common fear with weight training, however, is injury. How can you avoid it? What constitutes right from wrong in the weight room is heavily debated in the fitness injury. There are endless weight machines—with new variations coming out every year—so this further adds to the confusion.

However, understanding basic human biomechanics, particularly for the low back, shoulder, and knees, or the top three areas most prone to injury, is the first step in learning how to navigate the weight room safely.

Lower back

Photo credit: Rachel Straub

Basically, if you over-round or overarch your back, you will hurt it. And this can happen in just about everything you do in the weight room. For example, arching your back can occur when doing push-ups, bench presses, lunges, biceps curls, and squats. And rounding your low back can occur when doing leg presses, squats, back rows, triceps extensions, situps, crunches, and biceps curls. Therefore, learning to keep your low back in a neutral position is key to preventing low-back injuries. An example of an incorrect vs. correct low-back position during a push-up (above). 

Shoulder

Photo credit: Rachel Straub

Basically, if you use an improper handgrip or flare your elbows, you are setting yourself up for shoulder injury (particularly to the rotator cuff). For example, flaring your elbows during bench presses and triceps extensions is a common error. And using a handgrip that forces your elbows behind your head (such as when using a poorly designed shoulder press machine) is also concerning. And then a palm-down grip during exercises such as shoulder raises and triceps extensions is also incorrect as this places undue stress on your shoulders. Therefore, learning to keep your elbows close to your body and learning how to choose the handgrip that places the least amount of stress on your shoulders is key to preventing shoulder injuries. An example of an incorrect vs. correct hand placement during a barbell triceps extension, above. 

Knee

Photo credit: Rachel Straub

Basically, if you place too much stress on your knees, you are setting yourself up for knee problems. This can result from overbending or overextending your knees, allowing your knees to move excessively inward or outward, or from poor selection of foot or trunk positioning. For example, overbending your knees during squats, hyperextending your knees during leg extensions, positioning your trunk upright during squats while allowing your knees to move forward, and twisting your feet during lunges are all common errors. Therefore, protecting your knees from injury requires careful selection of exercise variables from head to toe. See an example of an incorrect versus correct knee position during a lunge is above. 

SOURCE: Mindbodygreen.com

7 Little-known Hacks for Bigger Arms

Photo credit: Pixabay

Rolled up sleeves – bulging forearms – people drooling over your fully developed biceps and triceps – Guys? Who wouldn’t want to look like a super-hero? All guys do. Coincidentally, women find bigger arms sexy. It’s not that difficult if you follow these 7 little-known hacks for getting bigger arms.

As a teenager, I was quite conscious of my thin arms and always dreamt of flaunting my big biceps. As I grew up, I had to spend most of my time doing exercises that I really didn’t know would work out. Apparently, they didn’t, so I studied up on how to get bigger arms in less time, which I share with others too who want to flex their arms.

Eat, eat and eat

Well, you must’ve read about eating healthy three or four times a day but for getting muscles, you’ve got to eat like a machine. Consume sufficient calories to stimulate muscle fiber growth. Eat before and after each workout. Use protein-rich food such as meat, poultry, dairy products, and seafood. Meet the nutritional requirements of your body and avoid eating too much.

Train your forearms accordingly

For beginners, don’t try intensive biceps curls and triceps extensions for long hours. That’s only effective at the advanced level. Don’t over train your forearms in the beginning because you’ll look funny if only the arms are big and the rest of your body is thin. Try doing more squat and dDeadlift to build your arms faster.

Complete workout plan

Gradually develop a complete plan for your workout. As you get stronger, increase your intensity level. Start blood flow restriction techniques that help deliver blood to your muscles. Start supersets of triceps and biceps. Later add pull-ups, chin-ups, and inverted rows for building your biceps whereas bench press, overhead press, and push-ups will hit your triceps.

Let your muscles rest

Muscles grow best when at rest. Don’t push hard, let your muscles ease their tension once a while, catch a break to focus on other parts of your body too. Training your arms three times a week will give your muscles plenty of rest and the growth will be rapid. Get eight hours of sleep and avoid overdoing activities that require the use of your arms.

Protein intake

Your diet should contain the main constituent of muscle building, protein. Eat food that is protein rich such as fish, chicken, red meat, eggs, spinach, nuts and beans. Supplement your diet with protein powders that contain amino acids. These protein supplements let you work harder, recover, and build muscle faster. One good example is Megadrox because it has L-Arginine HCL that promotes muscle growth.

Train to failure

It is the term used by body builders when you lift such heavy weights that you feel unable to carry on after few reps. This comes at an advanced level when your body is accustomed to hard training. At this time you should focus on high intensity training and lift heavier weights, keep on adding more unless you feel like you’re failing. That will be your train to failure weight. This certainly isn’t easy and causes extreme discomfort but that’s what you need to build stronger and bigger arms.

Split up

I recommend having two alternate days, because training in a same old consistent manner is boring and stagnated. Day one should be for arms (biceps and triceps) whereas day two for wrists and forearms.

DAY 1: Warming your body up before a hard workout is important. You can warm up with bench press and bent over row at 12 reps before supersets for building bigger arms. It’s important that first day include exercises involving biceps and triceps as fixators, not fundamental movers, to make it a complete workout.

DAY 2: Wrists and forearms should not be ignored while focusing on biceps and triceps.

Splitting up the exercises produces the intensity required to achieve maximized results, giving muscles ample time to rest and hence allowing for fast growth and recovery.

SOURCE: Lifehack.org