10-Minute Hip-Opening Yoga Flow

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This Foolproof Trick Will Convince You to Work Out Even When You Don’t Want To

Ever feel like you just can’t get motivated to exercise? Or that you don’t have enough time in your day to fit even the quickest of workouts? We’ve all been there. Even if you’ve set yourself up for success—you’ve laid out your gym clothes the night before (or even slept in them!), you’ve put together a high-energy playlist, you have a friend waiting to meet you—sometimes even the thought of a delicious brunch isn’t enough to get you going.

Good news: we think we've discovered a potentially life-changing motivational trick, courtesy of Holly Rilinger, a celebrity trainer, FlyWheel master instructor, and Nike master trainer, as well as a trainer featured on Work Out New York.

It's all about shifting your mindset: “If you’re going to say, ‘I don’t have enough time to work out,’ you should say instead, ‘it’s not important enough to me to work out,’” Rilinger says. Whenever you find yourself low on motivation, or feeling like you’re short on time, she says that this subtle change can make a huge difference. “If you change that, you’re going to change the way you think,” she says. “And see what happens.”

Rilinger, who gave us this gem during a Facebook Live segment, also dished with us on her morning ritual, how she uses meditation to stay focused, the essential items she always keeps in her gym bag, and the one thing she recommends that her clients do every day for wellness. Watch the video above for all of her great tips.

This Foolproof Trick Will Convince You to Work Out Even When You Don’t Want To

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This 20-Minute Treadmill Workout Builds Speed and Stamina

Got 20 minutes? Then you have just enough time to hop on the treadmill for this high-intensity interval (HIIT) workout from Debora Warner, a running coach and CEO of the Mile High Run Club.

Warner calls it a "Peak to Peak" workout, since it alternates between challenging bursts of effort and lighter recovery periods. It also combines two types of interval training—hills and speed—to deliver a high-intensity sweat session in less time. As you probably already know, intervals are an efficient way for runners to build strength. Not only do they burn more calories than running at a steady pace, but they also help improve speed and stamina.

"All runners do interval and speed training or hill work to improve performance," Warner explained in a recent Facebook Live with Health at Mile High Run Club's New York City studio. "It's the only way to get faster and improve indurance." (Check out the full video below.)

RELATED: 3 Signs You Need a New Pair of Running Shoes

Ready to break a sweat? The first 10 minutes of Warner's Peak to Peak workout are comprised of hill intervals, which fire up your glutes and build strength. The final 10 minutes are speed intervals, helping you to push your pace.

Before you get started, pay attention to your form: Warner recommends that you "run tall," which means keeping your chest and ribcage out and open, and making sure your shoulders are relaxed. Your arms should be kept at a 90-degree angle, with your wrists and elbows in line.

This 20-Minute Treadmill Workout Builds Speed and Stamina

Sorry, But Yoga Might Not Count Toward Your Weekly Exercise Goals

Do you rely on yoga to meet your 150 minutes of moderate physical activity in a week? You might actually be falling short of your goal, suggests a new review of studies on the physical benefits of the popular mind-body practice. That’s because not all forms of yoga are intense enough to count as moderate exercise—although, depending on how you practice, certain styles certainly can be.

It’s estimated that as many as 20.4 million Americans practice yoga. With its increasing popularity, says study author Enette Larson-Meyer, PhD, it’s important for students and health professionals to understand exactly what type—and how intense—of a workout it really provides. Larson-Meyer is an associate professor at the University of Wyoming, and a certified yoga instructor.

Her new research looks at 13 previously published studies on Hatha yoga and several of its variations. Hatha is an umbrella term that describes a practice that integrates physical postures, breathing, and meditative elements; popular Western styles such as Vinyasa, Ashtanga, and Bikram can all be considered branches of Hatha yoga.

RELATED: Yoga Poses to Know Before Your First Class

The review, published in the journal Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, found a wide range of metabolic equivalent (MET) values for yoga practices and poses between the 13 studies. MET values are a measure of how hard the body is working, and can be used to calculate calorie burn. According to American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) guidelines, an exercise with a MET value less than 3 is considered light intensity. Moderate intensity is between 3 and 6, while vigorous is 6 METs and up.

In the studies included in Larson-Meyer’s review, MET values for full yoga sessions ranged from 2.0 to 7.4—suggesting that yoga can vary from very relaxed to quite vigorous. The lowest value came from a study evaluating a Nintendo Wii Fit yoga practice, while the highest value came from a group of experienced practitioners flowing quickly through four rounds of Sun Salutations (Surya Namaskar), a series of 12 poses that’s practiced in many modern yoga classes.

The review found that most individual yoga postures, when evaluated on their own, had MET values in the light-intensity category. The few that did reach moderate levels included Dandayamana-Janushirasana (Standing Head to Knee), Dandayamana-Dhanurasana (Standing Bow), Trikanasana (Triangle), and Tuladandasana (Balancing Stick). Inversions, such as Sirsasana (Head Stand) only received MET values up to 2.5—although the studies did not measure some of yoga’s most difficult poses, such as Bakasana (Crow) or Adho Mukha Vrksasana (Hand Stand).

RELATED: Restorative Yoga Poses

Interestingly, the one study that looked at Bikram yoga did not find significantly higher energy expenditure than those found in studies of other yoga types. Bikram classes follow a set series of poses and are held in 105-degree rooms, and they’re often touted as major calorie burners because of how much participants sweat.

But the MET values of Bikram “were within the same range as yoga practiced at room temperature,” Larson-Meyer wrote. Bikram does not incorporate Sun Salutations or flowing transitions from move to move, she points out, so it may require less energy than other styles. (If the sequences were exactly the same, a person may indeed burn more calories in a hotter room.)

“I know a lot of people who attend hot yoga and they feel like they get a better workout, and that’s great,” says Larson-Meyer. “But for people who might be uncomfortable in the heat, it’s good to know that’s not necessarily true—you can get a similar workout in a room at normal temperature.” 

RELATED: How to Have a Home Yoga Practice That Sticks

The bottom line, says Larson-Meyer, is that yoga can be whatever you want it to be: a relaxing, light-intensity stretch session or a full-on workout with plenty of high-intensity moments.

Choosing a restorative class with more seated poses will likely give you the former, while one that incorporates lots of fast-paced transitions (jumping rather than stepping, for example) can give you the latter. Sessions that include standing poses and Sun Salutations are also likely to give you a greater burn.

“Most studies show that yoga is pretty comparable to walking,” says Larson-Meyer. “But if you really did want to get a higher MET value, it’s still possible by doing some specific harder poses at a faster pace than you normally would.”

RELATED: 8 Body Weight Exercises You Can Do Anywhere

Certain poses can count, in small amounts, toward the ACSM’s and American Heart Association’s recommendation to get at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week, she concludes. But if you’re just starting out or prefer a gentler style of yoga, a good portion of your practice may not be intense enough to meet those criteria.

That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t practice this type of yoga, if that’s what you like. Even light-intensity yoga has been shown to boost strength, improve balance and flexibility, calm the mind, and reduce stress, says Larson-Meyer. It’s great cross-training for people who do more intense workouts on other days, and it may be a sustainable form of exercise for older adults or people with joint problems, rheumatoid arthritis, or back pain.

“The most important thing is that you’re doing it in a safe environment with a qualified instructor, and that you’re getting the benefits of centering and focusing on things other than the physical body,” she says. “Other than that, people should find a higher- or lower-intensity style that works for them and their fitness goals.”

 

This article originally appeared on RealSimple.com.

Sorry, But Yoga Might Not Count Toward Your Weekly Exercise Goals

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This series of poses strengthens and tones the lower body. 10-Minute Yoga Flow for Butt, Back, and Thighs

Traveling For a Race? Here’s Your Packing List

They say that they best way to see a new city is by foot, so what better way to do that than by signing up to run a race somewhere new? A few years ago, I decided to use races as an excuse to see the world, and have traveled to three international races, and one here in the United States. I discovered my new favorite city, Vancouver, when I traveled to the SeaWheeze Half Marathon. I also learned at the Safaricom Marathon in Kenya that that running alongside wild animals is as scary and as exhilarating as it sounds.

But traveling for a race has its challenges, especially when it comes down to what goes in your suitcase. Ultimately, you need to pack all of your race day essentials, right down to the very last gel. At the same time, you need to bring anything else you might need to explore the city.

Before I get into all the specific items you need to pack, here's an important piece of advice: Pack everything you might need—right down to the hair tie—in your carry-on luggage. Be prepared to pack both a carry-on and a checked bag if you need the extra space for anything you won't need on your run. Why? Imagine this: You’ve been training for months, and you have your perfectly broken-in running shoes packed neatly in your checked luggage—and when you land in your race city, you learn that your bag didn't make it there with the rest of your flight. Now you have to face the starting line in brand-new running shoes, making you prone to blisters,

Besides your clothes and shoes, here's a quick rundown of what to pack, including what you might overlook, so you can be sure to have a stress-free race (and vacation).

Comfortable walking shoes

In addition to your race sneaks, you’ll need a comfortable, supportive pair of kicks that you can wear around town. You don’t want to suffer through your race with sore arches and achy legs because you were stuck with unsupportive shoes in the days leading up to the race. You might not want to bring your high heels at all—no matter how comfortable they are—but you could benefit from podiatrist-recommended sandals and fashion sneakers.

Compression socks

Wrestling into a pair of compression socks can feel like a workout in and of itself, but after your race, you’re going to want to put in the extra effort to slide them on your feet. A study in the Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research found that runners who wore compression socks in the 48 hours following a marathon performed better on a treadmill test than those who didn’t, which means that the sock-wearing runners had improved functional recovery. Additionally, since you’ll likely be in a car or cramped into an airplane to get to and from your race, you could benefit from the increased circulation. This pair from Vitalsox ($20-$35; amazon.com) covers your entire foot up to beneath your knee, and comes in a host of vibrant colors.

An empty water bottle

It’s vital to stay hydrated in the days leading up to and after your race—but you already knew that. If you’re traveling by air, you can bring an empty water bottle with you and fill it up with water after you get through security. Beyond the flight, carry your water bottle with you everywhere.

The World Health Organization (WHO) notes that the low humidity levels in an airplan cabin (usually below 20%) can cause dehydration—but externally only. So while your skin and eyes may feel dry and itchy, there is no risk to your health. But if you do feel dehydrated, it’s probably because you’re not drinking enough water in the first place.

The fuel you need for your race

You spent months training for your big race and found the type of nutrition that works perfectly for you, so you want to make sure you’re equipped with what you need. Don’t assume that you’ll be able to find your favorite gels where you’re going (especially if you’re flying internationally or to a remote location).

Healthy snacks

Pack nutritious bites that you’re used to eating leading up to a big training run, as well as the foods you would like to eat the morning of the race. You shouldn’t change anything about your established routine for race day, so be sure to have the type of food that you can stomach. Having healthy snacks on hand are also useful for long plane rides or car drives when snack choices may otherwise be less-than-stellar. You can store these in your hotel room or your bag for easy access to nutrition while you’re on-the-go.

Gear for all the weather possibilities

Forecast says no rain? Great! Pack a raincoat anyway. You never know what Mother Nature will do on race day (or the days leading up to it), and you should pack anything you might need to make your trip as seamless as it can be. Overpacking is O.K.—for this one time in your life, do not feel guilty for packing too much for your race.

Eye mask and ear plugs

While you might not sleep too well the night before a race anyway, take precautions to make sure that nothing will disrupt the rest you do get. You won't know until you show up whether your hotel room faces the quiet courtyard or the noisy street, or if the guests down the hall will be having a rowdy party. (When I raced in Kenya, there were tree monkeys screaming outside my window throughout the night).

Foam roller and/or lacrosse ball

If you’re also bringing checked luggage, packing a foam roller is much easier than you might think. If you have one that is hollow, like this one from TriggerPoint ($40; amazon.com), you can stuff your clothes inside and not lose too much space in your bag.

You’ll want to be foam rolling in the days leading up to your race and immediately following it. Try these 5 foam foller moves that prevent pain and injury to make sure you stay healthy for race day. 

Traveling For a Race? Here’s Your Packing List

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Trampoline Workouts Are as Effective as Running, But Feel Easier and More Fun

Hate running? Need a break from the bike? Working out with a trampoline can provide an equally effective calorie burn and cardio boost, according to new research—but it might feel easier and more fun.

We’re not talking about those big backyard trampolines linked to injuries and ER visits, though; this study focused specifically on mini trampolines designed specifically for fitness. They’re available commercially for home use, and can be found in gyms and fitness studios, as well.

The American Council on Exercise (ACE), which sponsored the study, says this non-conventional exercise may be beneficial for people who don’t enjoy traditional cardio workouts, who want to try a different type of cross-training, or who are looking for a low-exercise alternative to pounding the pavement. (Trampoline workouts can be easier on joints, says ACE Chief Science Officer Cedric X. Bryant, Ph.D., although you should still get cleared by a doctor or physical therapist if you have injuries or ongoing issues.)

This isn’t the first time scientists have studied the effectiveness of mini trampoline workouts: Their benefits were first touted by NASA researchers in the late 1970s, which led to a surge in trampoline-based exercises classes and fitness videos. “We know that this type of workout engages the whole body and involves a lot of muscle mass,” says Bryant, “and the more muscle mass you can dynamically engage, the more calories you’re going to expend.” Plus, he says, the instability of a bouncy surface also provides strength-training benefits. 

But research in subsequent decades has been mixed: Two studies in the 1990s, specifically, questioned whether such programs really provided as good a workout as they claimed.

So ACE, the world’s largest health and fitness nonprofit certification organization, decided to conduct a study that would lay the matter to rest. To do so, the group teamed up with researchers at the University of Wisconson–La Crosse and recruited 24 healthy, active college students. Before the study began, researchers measured each volunteer’s maximum heart rate and oxygen intake—indications of how physically fit a person is—as they ran on a treadmill.

Then, all of the volunteers completed a 19-minute full-body trampoline workout, set to motivational music and designed by JumpSport a company that sells fitness trampolines, accessories, and DVDs. Their heart rates and oxygen-update levels were collected every minute during the workout, which the researchers used to calculate their calorie burn.

Those calculations showed that men and women burned an average of 11 and 8.3 calories per minute, respectively. That put the workout on the cusp between moderate and vigorous intensity—similar to running on flat ground at six miles an hour (or a 10-minute-mile pace), biking at 14 miles per hour, or playing football, basketball, or ultimate Frisbee.

Interestingly, though, the workout didn’t seem to feel intense as it really was. Based on calorie burn and intensity level, researchers expected participants to give the activity a rate of perceived exertion (RPE) or about 13. Instead, their rankings averaged 11.7—which translates to a workout of light to moderate intensity.

“This may be because, while the muscles are working hard, the trampoline makes the activity less jarring,” said lead author John Porcari, PhD, professor of exercise and sport science, in an article published on the ACE website. “The enjoyment factor may make things easier, as well.”

The study also found that during the workout portion of the trampoline routine (not including the warm-up and cool-down), participants averaged 79 percent of their maximum heart rate and 59 percent of their VO2 max, a measure of how much oxygen the body can utilize during exercise. These values both fall within the ranges stipulated by the American College of Sports Medicine guidelines for improving cardiorespiratory fitness.

“That means that, yes, the workout is sufficient to improve endurance,” Bryant says. “We also saw that participants consistently thought the workout was easier than the measured heart rates and oxygen uptake levels, which should likely have a positive impact on long-term exercise adherence.”

When people perform other types of exercise within the moderate-to-vigorous intensity range, they tend to report significantly higher rates of exertion, Bryant adds. “This may be due in part to the fact that trampolines are a unique form of exercise and participants felt comfortable on them very quickly,” he suggests.

Indeed, the study participants did report that exercising on the mini-trampoline was a lot of fun, and that the JumpSport choreography was easy to learn. And while having fun may not be the top priority for someone looking to burn calories and improve their heart health, Bryant says it’s key to making successful long-term commitments. 

“We must not undervalue the enjoyment factor,” he says. “We can do things out of sheer determination for a finite period of time, but if we want to develop long-standing exercise habits, we need to find things that we actually like doing.”

This article originally appeared on RealSimple.com.

Trampoline Workouts Are as Effective as Running, But Feel Easier and More Fun

Why Getting Back in Shape Is So Hard

Taking a month or two off of regular exercise may not be so benign. A new small study shows that when muscles take a break, they maintain very little muscle memory from the prior exercise.

The goal of the new study, published Thursday in the journal PLOS Genetics, was to gain a better understanding of how exercise influences the body on a genetic level. As TIME recently reported, exercise carries a whole host of benefits for the body, from aging to brain health to a stronger ability to fight infections. But how that exercise translates to changes in genetic activity is more unknown.

In the report, 23 people trained one of their legs for three months by kicking and pulling a bike-like contraption 60 times a minute for 45 minutes (see below). They did this training four times a week for three months. After that, the people in the study took nine months off. The study authors took skeletal muscle biopsies from both legs before and after and found that the cells in the muscles expressed over 3,000 genes in different ways after a person exercised. However, after the fitness hiatuses, the scientists couldn’t detect any exercised-related genetic changes between the people’s trained and un-trained legs.

“We couldn’t see any differences at the gene activity level,” says study author Maléne Lindholm of the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden. “Most effects are lost by a month or two of no training.”

After that, 12 of the people in the study started training both of their legs. When the researchers compared biopsies of the two trained legs, they once again saw changes in genetic activity, but the leg that had undergone training nine months early looked virtually the same as the newly trained leg. “We did see some differences in the response but not substantial enough to claim some type of memory,” says Lindholm.

Lindholm says the study could be interpreted in a couple ways. It underlines fact that exercise can spur healthy biological changes, and that keeping up the practice is important to ensure those healthy changes are sustained. On the other hand, she says that the results can be encouraging to people who are sedentary. It suggests they can achieve the same benefits from exercise as anyone else. “The study could be used as positive encouragement,” says Lindholm. “It’s never too late to start training from a muscle perspective.”

This article originally appeared on Time.com.

Why Getting Back in Shape Is So Hard

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9 Reasons to Never Skip a Workout, As Told To Trainers

Photo: Pond5

Sure, it would be nice if you bounded out of bed in the morning and into your running shoes. Or rushed home from work and went straight to the gym multiple times a week—no bribes or pep talks required. But let’s be honest, that doesn’t always (uh, rarely?) happen. However, some people have found that one no-excuses method to moving more. They get their butts in gear, even when it’s tempting to stay on the couch. So we asked Daily Burn 365 trainers and fitness pros what their clients say is the best workout motivation. Next time you’re thinking of skipping out on fitness, steal one of their secrets.

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1. “I’m doing it for them.” You often hear that exercise should be a time you invest in yourself. It’s all about you. But sometimes, it’s even better to look at the big picture. Figure out who else your health benefits—whether it’s just for bragging rights or something more. “One client told me, ‘I’m exercising to prove to my wife that I can do this,” says Daily Burn 365 trainer Prince Brathwaite, who’s also the CEO and founder of Trooper Fitness. Another said, ‘I want my kids to have something positive to look up to.’”

2. “There’s comfort in routine.” No matter how busy life gets, think of your workout as something that keeps your life in line. Amid the chaos, a sweat sesh can feel pretty darn good. “One of my clients who takes barre just finished her nursing residency. After 12-hour shifts, she’d come to class simply because she wanted to maintain a normal life and have something for herself,” says Krystal Dwyer, instructor at Flybarre and CityRow in New York City and DB365 trainer. “That’s motivation. She inspires me.”

RELATED: 7 Reasons to Never Miss a Monday Workout

3. “Because Jon Snow is waiting.” Rewarding yourself for a workout well done is the way to go. (Err, as long as your prize isn’t always a double scoop of chocolate chip cookie dough.) Bentley Garton, elite trainer at LA Rox and Daily Burn Fitness/Nutrition Coach, had a client with a unique prize in mind. “She would only let herself watch the latest episode of Game of Thrones if she had done four workouts that week,” she says. You might prefer a new sports bra or an hour of Instagram surfing and that’s good too. Whatever gets you to the finish line!

4. “It makes sense financially.” If you pay for a gym membership or monthly subscription, you better use it, right? Sometimes thoughts of throwing cash away can help you get up and at ‘em. “One client sat down with her husband and made a chart with the total cost per month of a gym membership and what that would make each visit cost—for instance, one trip would cost the full monthly amount,” explains Cheri Paige Fogleman, a New York City-based fitness instructor and Daily Burn 365 trainer. “So she turned it into a game and challenged herself to get the average cost of each visit as discounted as possible.”

RELATED: 7 DIY Pinterest Projects to Get You Motivated

5. “It’s on my schedule—in pen.” You know you should put your workout on the calendar and treat it like any other really important, non-negotiable appointment in your life. Well, Becca Pace, owner of In Your Pace Fitness and Daily Burn 365 trainer, has many clients who take that to heart. “They’ll tell their bosses and co-workers that they have a ‘meeting’ every week. Then they can run to class during their lunch hour,” she says. Everyone deserves a break.

6. “I’m helping the world.” With apps like Charity Miles, you can log your activity to raise money for more than 30 non-profit organizations. Knowing that your sweat turns into real equity may help you get to the gym more often. At least that’s what it does for a bunch of Erika Shannon’s trainees. “A few of my clients are currently participating in a fundraiser where every time they check in on social media at a gym or fitness studio, they raise money to help build schools,” says the DB365 trainer. “I love it!”

RELATED: Hate Crunches? 6 Better Core Moves for Beginners

7. “I sure look the part.” Gone are the days of baggy throwaway tees and shorts you found at the bottom of the hamper. “I hear from women all the time that if they look good, they feel good. So they’ll wear cute workout outfits to feel better heading into a class,” says Lauren Danzinger, creator of Sweat Sessions in New York City, a program that offers complimentary fitness classes for New Yorkers. Permission to buy those sweet sneakers you’ve been eyeing (as long as that means you’re inspired to wear them).

8. “Well, I’m already in my leggings.” If you pop out of bed, brush your teeth and head out for a workout class, you won’t know what happened until you’ve got weights in hand. “One client told me she sleeps in her workout attire so there is no excuse not to make my 6:30 a.m. class,” says Dara Theodore, trainer for DB365 and the Fhitting Room in New York City. “It might not be the best pajama choice, but it works!”

RELATED: 8 Running Apps for Marathoners, Skeptics and Everyone in Between

9. “I don’t have a backup wardrobe.” If you have to force yourself to break a sweat in order to fit into certain clothes, then do what works. That’s what one client of Daily Burn Fitness/Nutrition Coach Sarah Snyder thinks. “When she purchased a dress a couple sizes smaller for an upcoming occasion with no other options, she had to make it fit,” she says. The horror of the outfit being too snug in all the wrong places encourages her to torch those calories.

 

This article originally appeared on DailyBurn.com.

9 Reasons to Never Skip a Workout, As Told To Trainers

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Sweat Mecca: Once America’s Largest Bank Hall Is Now Under Armour's Deposit in Fitness

When Cam Newton visits Under Armour in Baltimore, he heads to the bank. For workouts.

Already with an impressive workout facility at its worldwide headquarters on Baltimore’s Inner Harbor, the new Under Armour Performance Center powered by FX Fitness at 10 Light St. has turned America’s largest bank hall in the 1930s into one of the most unique fitness stops anywhere. A stop Newton has already made since the facility opened in May. 

Not only is the Light Street location in the heart of the Inner Harbor, but developers kept the building’s history in tact, while merging it with the modern. The classic bank hall now sports a 60-yard field turf run, with each of the oversized teller bays off the hall still wrought with the original ironwork.

Chris Welsh, FX executive vice president of fitness, says the historic main hall—still with marble pillars, iron ordainments and fossil designs—blends with the space kept at high energy. With racks, bars, benches, plate-loading and free weights in the various former teller bays, mounted TVs that display daily workouts and plenty of open space to encourage people to “get up and move,” there’s nothing quite like the look of the old bank.

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Climbing the marble stairs to the second floor offers more in the way of movement. With 70 pieces of cardio in the mezzanine overlooking the bank hall, Under Armour and FX Fitness have also loaded up on state-of-the-art machines, such as the ARC trainer, which mimics of the motion of a skier, in an Under Armour-branded design. Expect anchor points aplenty for TRX bands or bags, a Jacob’s Ladder machine for incline work—a popular machine for use by firefighters—30-degree incline treadmills and even space for a DJ to overlook the main space.

A 30-bike spin room and Barre studio sit off the second floor.

When Newton visited, it wasn’t only about the workout. The Under Armour facility also boasts a full salon, health-focused café, retail component and a six-bed physical therapy space. To ensure the correct frame of mind for visitors, the bank’s former deposit vault, still complete with the vault door, now serves as a tranquility room.

While branded Under Armour, the Inner Harbor location is open by membership to the community.

FX Fitness owner Nate Costa opened the Under Armour facility in the former bank, but it comes as his fourth Under Armour location. Already with space at Hunt’s Point and a relatively new workout facility at Building 37—the first building at Under Armour’s future campus nearby the Inner Harbor—the other most well known workout space for Under Armour comes at its headquarters on the water, the former Procter & Gamble soap factory.

It is there that spin classes move onto the promenade for workouts overlooking the Inner Harbor and exercise classes shift outside onto the FieldTurf that connects the water to the brick building that houses the workout facilities, open to both Under Armour employees and the community. Oversized garage doors open onto the promenade from inside the largely open space of the facility, designed for small-group classes, TRX and more.

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Inside the space, expect plenty of free weights, cardio equipment and the other requisite materials expected in a gym. But one more element comes as a surprise: The pit.

Located in the main space overlooking the water is a pit lowered below the main workout space, accessible by climbing rope. It is there that boxing and other physical workouts reign supreme. And the way back out? Yes, that same rope that brought visitors in.

From the pit to the bank hall, Under Armour Performance Centers offer plenty of intrigue. They also encourage a healthy deposit of movement.

 

This article originally appeared on SI Edge.

 

Sweat Mecca: Once America’s Largest Bank Hall Is Now Under Armour's Deposit in Fitness

How to Spin Your Way to a Killer Body Like Cobie Smulders

Actress Cobie Smulders, 34, who stars in the new movie Jack Reacher: Never Go Back, has admitted she's a class junkie. One of her favorites: SoulCycle with N.Y.C.-based senior master instructor Laurie Cole, whose classes ramp it up with HIIT intervals. "These intervals are a highly effective way to raise your heart rate in short bursts, with bits of recovery in between," says Cole. "This promotes muscle building and fat burning."

Try the following ladder routine from Cole—perfect for anyone with access to a stationary bike—to get in supreme spin shape like Smulders. Warm up with 10 to 12 minutes of moderate-paced cycling; cool down with five minutes of moderate-paced cycling. 

How to Spin Your Way to a Killer Body Like Cobie Smulders

Finally, a Non-Slip Yoga Mat That Really Works

It’s the enemy of all yoga aficionados: sweaty, slippery hands. I’ve been doing yoga regularly for more than 15 years, and whether it’s a hot yoga class (I take one or two a week) or a midwinter session in my underheated neighborhood studio, at some point during every practice, my hands get damp and start sliding around during Downward Dog. My usual fix has always been to have an old towel handy, to place under my palms and absorb the sweat, but often the towel starts slipping too (though if it gets soaked enough, it’ll cling to the mat).

So I’ve been on a decade-plus quest to find a yoga mat that really grips, even when sweaty. For a while I used a mat so sticky it would make tape-ripping sounds whenever I moved my feet and pull on my hair in savasana—and it still got slippery when wet. I had a brief love affair with a gorgeous mat printed with patterns and yoga phrases, but the printed overlay was so slick I’d slip even at the beginning of class. And of course I’ve used studio-provided mats all over New York City.

RELATED: Which Type of Yoga Is Best for You?

Well, the search is over. I’m here to tell you that the best mat for yogis who sweat is the Gaiam Studio Select Dry-Grip Yoga Mat ($70; amazon.com). It’s designed for hot yoga, but it works great for any type of yoga practice. It grips my hands and feet without being sticky, and even when I get super sweaty, my hands never slip. The surface wicks moisture and actually seems to get more grippy the sweatier you get—though for a hot yoga session, you might still want a towel to help avoid puddles.

Bonus: It’s 5mm thick (a standard yoga mat is 2 or 3mm), which means it’s extra cushy; no more having to put a blanket or towel under my knees in low lunges. And I love the cool black-on-black design (it comes in purple and blue too). The downsides are that it’s heavier than average, and of course it’s on the pricey side. But it’s worth the investment to be able to settle in and think about my breathing—instead of worrying about sliding out of my pose.

Finally, a Non-Slip Yoga Mat That Really Works

The Best Places to Live if You Love Outdoor Sports

Thinking about moving? Today, MONEY magazine releases its annual report on the best places to live in America. This year, the magazine focused on towns with populations between 50,000 and 300,000 (so big-city lovers, this list isn't for you).

To compile the list, researchers begin with a list of thousands of towns, whittling it down to a final 100 through hard data, town assessments, and resident interviews. Each town and city was scored on about 60 different factors, including health, education, culture, and even the highly intangible community spirit. (Check out the full list of MONEY’s Best Places to Live in 2016.)

MONEY also ranked towns based on their proximity to campsites, ski resorts, and golf courses, as well as the ratio of green to urban space—or in other words, the best places to live if you love outdoor sports.  Here are the top 10.  

10. Woodbury, MN

Woodbury is a suburb of Minnesota’s second largest city, Saint Paul. Play golf and go bird watching in the warmer months, and come winter, wrap up warm and cross-country ski in one of the many parks and nature reserves located nearby.

9. West Hartford, CT

For anyone into their extreme sports, West Hartford offers everything from mountain biking and rock climbing to kayaking and snowboarding. For those wanting something a little lower key, there are plenty of long-distance trails and state parks to explore.

RELATED: 50 Day Hikes You Must Add to Your Bucket List

8. Novi, MI

Novi is home to several city parks, where visitors can go fishing, swimming, or hiking (or just chill with friends at a barbecue).

7. Broomfield, CO

There are 46 camping sites within a 15-mile radius of Broomfield, making it a great place for an outdoor weekend away. There are also plenty of activities to try, such as horseback riding, white water rafting, zip-lining, and even dog sledding.

6. Eden Prairie, MN

Eden Prairie boasts 1,000 acres of developed parkland, 120 miles of bike trails, and 13 miles of nature trails, making it an ideal location for any nature lover. If you feel like something a little different, you can visit the archery range, go ice-skating, and even try your hand at disc golf.

RELATED: The 50 Best Bike Rides in America, State by State

5. Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ

Parsippany-Troy Hills is located about 30 miles outside of New York City, making it the perfect respite from bustling city life. The town is surrounded by lakes, parks, and wildlife preservation centers.

4. Clarkstown, NY

Nestled in Rockland County between Harriman State Park and the Hudson River, there's no shortage of natural beauty. For any amateur golfers out there, there are an impressive 375 golf courses in a 30-mile radius to choose from.

3. Eastvale, CA

Eastvale is high on green space and within driving distance to several ski resorts. Plus, it being California, you’re never far from the coast.

2. Irvine, CA

Irvine sits in the affluent Orange County region of California, right between the Newport Beach and Limestone Canyon National Park. So whether you like surfing or hiking, Irvine has you covered.

RELATED: The 50 Most Gorgeous Running Races in America

1. Scottsdale, AZ

Located in the heart of Arizona and slightly to the east of Phoenix, Scottsdale is a haven for nature lovers. With just over 202 square miles of greenery within a 15-mile radius, Scottsdale offers more than any other town on the list—perfect for biking, camping and any number of other outdoor sports.

The Best Places to Live if You Love Outdoor Sports

How to Do a Downdog Calf Stretch

How to do a downdog calf stretch. How to Do a Downdog Calf Stretch

As People Age, Exercise Levels Drop—and That’s Bad

THURSDAY, Sept. 15, 2016 (HealthDay News)—More than one-quarter of Americans over 50 don't exercise, a new federal report estimates, increasing their risk for heart disease, diabetes and cancer.

"Adults benefit from any amount of physical activity," said study co-author Janet Fulton. "Helping inactive people become more physically active is an important step towards healthier and more vibrant communities."

Fulton is chief of the Physical Activity and Health Branch at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

For the study, the researchers analyzed results of a 2014 national survey about health, focusing on people aged 50 and older. The investigators defined inactivity as moving around only to accomplish routine daily duties.

Based on that definition, 31 million older Americans are inactive—just over 29% of women and nearly 26% of men.

One-third of Hispanics and blacks were inactive, the findings showed. That compared with 26% of whites and 27% of people in other racial and ethnic groups.

The older Americans get, the less exercise they get, according to the study. Thirty-five percent of people aged 75 and older were inactive, as were 27% of those between 65 and 74, and 25% of those aged 50 to 64.

Southerners were least likely to exercise: 30% were inactive. In comparison, 28% of older people in the Midwest, 27% in the Northeast, and 23% in the West were inactive.

Colorado had the most active older Americans, with 82% getting daily exercise. People in Arkansas were the least active, with only 61% getting daily exercise, according to the report.

People carrying extra pounds were less likely to be active, while those with more education were more apt to exercise, the study found. And, not surprisingly, people with a chronic disease were more inactive (32%) than those who were not ill (19%).

Physical activity can boost life span and lower the risk of conditions such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, dementia and some kinds of cancer, according to the CDC. And among older people, exercise also can reduce the risk of falls and broken bones.

"More work is needed to make it safer and easier for people of all ages and abilities to be physically active in their communities," lead author Kathleen Watson said in a CDC news release. Watson is an epidemiologist in the CDC's Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity.

The report was published in the Sept. 15 issue of the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

More information

The U.S. National Institute on Aging has more about exercise and physical activity.

As People Age, Exercise Levels Drop—and That’s Bad

Feel Guilty About Ditching Your Fitbit? You’re Not Alone

If you’ve ever taken off your fitness tracker “for just a few hours” and found it months later in the back of a drawer, you can surely relate to this: Researchers are studying why people stop using Fitbits, and the emotions they experience—from guilt to freedom—when they give them up. The researchers hope their findings will show that there’s no “right” way to track health and fitness data, and help developers create devices that will ultimately be more useful for consumers.

For their new study, computer scientists at the University of Washington surveyed 141 people who had previously used Fitbit but had since stopped. Half said they felt guilty or frustrated about their lapsed use, and nearly all of those who felt that way said they’d like to return to tracking.

About half of those who felt guilty said they’d stopped tracking because they lost their Fitbit or did not replace it after it broke. The rest said they lacked motivation to stick with it, or kept forgetting to use their device.

As for the other half—those who didn’t feel guilty for abandoning their Fitbits—45 participants said they had “conflicting feelings” about stopping, and were ambivalent about the prospect of starting again. Five people said they’d learned enough about their habits in the time they used their Fitbits, and 21 said they got no value out of tracking, found it annoying, or struggled to connect the data to actual behavior changes.

When the researchers made various recommendations about going back to tracking, those who felt guilty were very receptive to them. But those who had already gotten what they had wanted out of self-tracking felt those same suggestions were judgmental and unhelpful.

RELATED: 3 Unexpected Things Your Fitbit Can Tell You About Your Health

A previous study from the same group of researchers found that many people who gave up fitness trackers experienced no real difference in their lives. Some, however, experienced guilt for not keeping up with their habit, while others felt “relief from the tyranny of self-tracking,” the researchers said.

The new results, presented this week at the Association for Computing Machinery’s 2016 International Joint Conference on Pervasive and Ubiquitous Computing, show that one-size-fits-all tracker designs lead to missed opportunities for serving different types of users, the researchers say.

“Right now self-tracking apps tend to assume everyone will track forever, and that’s clearly not the case,” said co-author James Fogarty, PhD, an associate professor of computer science and engineering, in a press release. “Given that some people feel relief when they give it up, there may be better ways to help them get better value out of the data after they’re done, or reconnect them to the app for week-long check-ins or periodic tune-ups.”

RELATED: First Look: The New Fitbit Charge 2 and Flex 2

The takeaway?

Most of the researchers’ advice is aimed at developers and marketers of these tracking tools. The study wasn’t set up to determine the best ways to use the tools that are currently on the market, says co-author Sean Munson, PhD, an assistant professor of human centered design and engineering. But, based on its findings, he does have some thoughts for consumers.

When shopping for a tracking technology, Munson encourages people to consider the balance of “benefits and burdens.” Some tools have fewer features, for example, but they’re easier to keep charged.

If you tend to forget to take extra devices with you (or don’t want to wear them as accessories) every day, smartphone apps—like the iPhone’s built-in step counter—may be a good choice for you. “This is especially true if you just want to check in on your activity level and don’t find that you need badges or social competitions to be motivated,” he says.  

RELATED: 7 Fitness Tracker Accessories That Look Like Jewelry

People looking to better understand and fine-tune their routines, on the other hand, might consider a tracking tool that combines activity data with other information, such as GPS location. (Munson recommends the smartphone app Moves to keep track of separate trips throughout the day.) “This is nice if you wonder things like, ‘How much do I walk in my commute?” or ‘How far do I walk to get between different buildings at work?’” he says.

If comparing yourself to friends or family members is important, he says, it can help to join a tracking network (like Fitbit or Strava) that your friends and family are already using.

And if you want to track more than just walking and running—or you don’t usually keep your phone on you while exercising—you’ll probably need a dedicated tracking device. From swimming to weight lifting, there are options on the market that track all kinds of movements, so consider what activities you’ll be doing before you buy. 

RELATED: The Best Bluetooth Headphones for Working Out With Your iPhone 7

Finally, Munson says, try not to feel bad about how—or how often—you use your tracker. “We can see that different strategies work for different people,” he says. For example, some people like to use trackers short-term until they’ve reached a goal, while others like to check in occasionally.

“I don’t typically pay a lot of day-to-day attention to my step data,” he adds, “but I benefit from checking in the fall, when my job gets busiest, the hiking season ends, and the rain returns to Seattle.”

Munson thinks people should feel free to try each of these approaches, rather than feeling like they’re “supposed to” use their devices in a certain way. And if you still feel guilty about all that time that tracker spent in your desk drawer? Go ahead, give it another shot.

Feel Guilty About Ditching Your Fitbit? You’re Not Alone

Are You Doing These Yoga Poses All Wrong?

Photo: Pond5

Ideally, you’d have a personal yoga teacher to tell you every time your feet or hands aren’t in the proper places for key yoga poses. That way, you’d feel the “oohs” and “aahs” in all the right spots. But unfortunately, instructors can’t be everywhere at once, so a few form mistakes may slip by them. That doesn’t mean you can’t get aligned like the pros, though. We asked experts to ID the most common missteps, whether they’re committed by beginners or experienced yogis. Keep reading to ensure your yoga game is as on point as possible.

RELATED: 8 Things Experts Wish You Knew About Yoga

Mistake #1: Putting your feet too close to your hands in downward-facing dog
This happens all the time, says Rhode Island-based yoga instructor Jessie Dwiggins. But its easy to position your hands and feet properly. “Start in a high plank with the hands directly underneath the shoulders,” Dwiggins says. “Then lift the hips up and back.” If your heels don’t touch the floor, that’s OK—it’s just a sign that your hamstrings are tight. You can always slide a blanket under your heels to have something to press into. What’s more important is that your weight is evenly distributed between both of your hands and feet, and that you activate your upper-arm muscles and core. You should notice a stretch down the backs of your legs.

RELATED: 5 Signs It’s Time to Take a Rest Day

Mistake #2: Letting your shoulders tense up in chaturanga
If you sit at a desk most days, you probably roll your shoulders forward without even realizing it. Well, think of the chaturanga as the opposite of that hunched-over-your-computer posture. “Chaturanga requires the shoulder blades to slide down the back, as the head of the shoulders lift away from the floor,” says Dwiggins. (You should feel an opening in your chest.) With your shoulders by your ears, you could put unnecessary strain on your upper body, which can lead to rotator cuff issues, Dwiggins says.

RELATED: How to Maximize Your Yoga Calorie Burn

Mistake #3: Leaning into the balls of your feet in mountain pose
The idea here (and in any pose): No matter what part of your body is touching the floor, you should have a firm, grounded connection. So putting too much pressure on your pinky or thumb in poses like plank or downward-facing dog is also problematic. “In down dog, people get a lot of wrist pain, often because they’re leaning on the pinkies,” says Gwen Lawrence, yoga coach and owner of Power Yoga for Sports. Think about plugging your whole hand or foot into the floor and distributing the weight as evenly as possible.

RELATED: The 15 Most Underrated Exercises, According to Trainers

Mistake #4: Rounding the lower back too much in forward bends
People tend to push their hips back when bending forward in poses like standing forward fold, dolphin and pyramid, because it seems easier. But that can compromise your lower back, says Dwiggins. Instead, keep your hips directly over your heels, maintain a flat back and reach your tailbone up toward the ceiling. Using blocks under your hands can also help you avoid back aches. “This adjustment brings a much better stretch into the hamstrings, and it’s a little safer,” says Dwiggins.

RELATED: Can Yoga Help Relieve Your Asthma?

Mistake #5: Looking straight down in crow
If you want to master any arm balance, where you look is crucial. “You need to focus away and out,” says Lawrence. “This gives you three points of balance, with two being your hands and the third being your gaze.” You’re also less likely to fall forward if you’re looking ahead, not down. During your next attempt at crow (or if you get crazy with a one-leg arm balance), try switching your stare from the floor, forward and you might find you’re suddenly able to stick it. (Need more tips on pulling off crow pose? Follow these three steps.)

RELATED: 5 Relaxing Yoga Poses to Do Before Bed

Mistake #6: Doing headstand against a wall to prep for a real headstand
If you don’t have the strength needed to do a headstand, it’s best to keep a foot or two on the floor, rather than using a wall for assistance. “It gives a false sense of security, and people can get hurt when they attempt it without the barrier,” Lawrence says. Instead, try this modification that’ll help you work your way up: Start on your hands and knees. Put the top of your head on the floor and bend your elbows 90 degrees (upper arms parallel to the floor). Experiment with straightening one or both legs. Eventually, try resting your knees on your upper arms to get used to the pressure on your head and neck. Soon enough, you’ll be able to lift your legs toward the ceiling and rock a solid headstand.

Ready to progress to a handstand? Check out this video that shows even beginners how to nail it.

 

This article originally appeared on DailyBurn.com. 

Are You Doing These Yoga Poses All Wrong?

The Best Bluetooth Headphones for Working Out With Your iPhone 7

It's no secret people are in a frenzy around the iPhone 7 release. With next-level graphics, a hot new color (hello, matte black!), and a longer battery life, it seems like this phone will be better than ever. The biggest and most buzzed about drawback? No more headphone jack. You know what this means: You have to say so-long to your corded earphones. By upgrading, you'll now have to invest in Bluetooth headphones (because let's face it—you're going to lose the EarPods).

That's why two Health editors spent the summer testing wireless headphones. Over the course of two months, they tested seven pairs during marathon training runs, vigorous HIIT workouts, and strength sessions at the gym. Their favorites had excellent audio quality, good battery life—and perhaps more importantly, they stayed put during even the most aggressive workouts. Read more about the winners, below. 

Skullcandy XTfree Earbuds ($80; amazon.com)

I was already a big fan of Skullcandy's wired XTplyo earbuds when I started testing a slew of new Bluetooth headphones for this article, and the XTfree model did not disappoint. After two months of testing, the Skullcandy XTfree wireless headphones are my new go-to for one reason: They never, ever fall out. Here's how they work: You put them in your ear, twist them forward to lock, and then secure them in your ears with a cushiony tip on the outer ear. I usually run on the treadmill for cardio, use the stair climber for endurance training, and doing bodyweight moves to build core strength, and these earphones stayed in place the whole (sweaty) time. Once they're locked in, no matter how much I sweat, the ear pieces never fall out or end up dangling from one ear.

In addition to being budge-proof, the XTfress are also super comfortable. Unlike a lot of other in-ear models, the XTfrees are made with a silicone blend that is so soft that I forget they're in. The inner ear portion is very soft, so it never feels like you have a piece of hard plastic in your ear. Plus, the piece that you stick in the curve of your outer ear to lock them in place is extra cushiony and bendable, so no matter what shape your ear is, this pair will adjust to fit. 

The one downside to wireless headphones? You have to take the time to charge them—but the truth is, you have to do that with every pair, and the Skullcandy XTfrees charge up in an hour (reasonable!) with a standard USB port. Battery life is 6 hours. I charge headphones every third or fourth workout. 

Once charged, these headphones are very easy to use. Simply put them in your ears, and press and hold the skull in the middle of the volume control buttons until you hear "power on." Then, go to the Bluetooth settings in your phone and click on "XTfree" once it appears. This connects your phone to your earphones so you can start listening to your favorite gym playlist. When you're done with your workout, you simply press the same skull button you used to turn them on until you hear "power off" in the earbuds. —MaryAnn Barone

Trekz Titanium from AfterShokz ($130; amazon.com)

As an outdoor runner who is perhaps overly concerned about her safety on the route, these headphones hit the sweet spot for me. Because I like to be aware of what’s going on around me—traffic, cyclists whizzing by, or someone trying to get my attention—I’ve become accustomed to running without earbuds. But since I’m training for a marathon, I have needed something more than those city sounds to get me through my long runs. 

That’s where the Trekz Titanium have come to be the perfect solution. These headphones use bone conduction technology to deliver sound vibrations through your cheekbones to your inner ears, which means that there is nothing covering or plugging your ears. I am able to simultaneously listen to my favorite podcasts while also being able to be aware of my surroundings. While testing these headphones, I took them on numerous runs ranging from 3 to 18 miles, and I also wore them in the gym while doing strength training exercises. 

The headphones are comfortable and lightweight—they hook over your ears and connect around the base of your hairline on your neck. Although you can’t tighten them to fit more snugly, I never noticed them moving or bouncing around. Plus, they are sweat-proof, which means they have survived the worst 3-hour-plus runs in the sweltering summer heat. 

The battery life is great, lasting at least six hours—I can take them through a few workouts before needing to charge them again. When I do need to charge them, it takes around an hour and a half for a full charge. They charge through a regular USB port, so I can plug them through a wall mount of my computer. 

Connecting to my phone via Bluetooth was surprisingly easy. You must continuously hold down the power button (which is also the volume up button) through the power up notification in order to get the headphones into pairing mode. You’ll know you’re in pairing mode when the light flashes blue and red. One note: They don’t have a standby mode, so you have to remember to turn them off when you’re not using them or else you’ll drain the battery. 

Once paired, you can listen to audio and take calls. While I typically don’t like taking calls over headphones, I happened to pick up a call toward the end of an outdoor workout. It was easy to answer, with a press of a button on the headset. The person on the other end of the call commented that I sounded very clear, and was surprised to find out that I was outdoors and not in my apartment because the sound was so isolated. 

Overall, I would recommend these headphones primarily to people who want to use them for outdoor workouts or in the gym. When using them in a quiet office or during a commute, there is some noise that leaks out of them—but when you’re an athlete who puts safety first, that’s what you want. —Alison Mango

The Best Bluetooth Headphones for Working Out With Your iPhone 7

5 Exercises to Work Off Your Waist

Ladies, it's time to forget those waist trainers you've seen online. The better strategy for cinching: targeting the transverse abdominis. That's the deep core muscle that wraps around the entire belly and acts as your body's natural corset. And my dynamic, plank-based moves hit it extra hard. Strengthening this muscle will also help protect your lower back. Now who's ready to lose the love handles?

Do 30 reps of each move in the series on one side, then repeat the sequence on the other. For exercises 3 and 5, just switch the side you initiate the move on.

RELATED: The Best Exercises to Tone Your Butt and Back

Kick, Twist & Arabesque

Sit with feet and palms planted on the floor, fingers facing back. Lift hips, coming onto toes as you extend left arm and right leg up, right inner thigh facing the ceiling (A). Rotate torso, placing left hand and right knee on the floor as you extend left leg up (B). Reverse motion to return to "A." Repeat.

Tuck & Inner Thigh Kick

Sit with feet and palms planted on the floor, fingers facing back. Lift hips and cross right ankle over left thigh. Lift left arm, bending it as if making a muscle (A). Push hips up slightly as you uncross right leg and kick it straight up (B). Return to "A" and repeat. This move will really challenge your balance.

Pike and Dip

Start in plank position, then lift hips; think Downward-Facing Dog (A). As you lower hips, twist waist to the left, dipping hips toward the floor (B). Twist hips back up to center and then over to the right, dipping them down again. Continue alternating, turning leg out from the hip.

RELATED: Sign Up for Tracy Anderson's 30-Day Core Challenge

Swinging Arabesque Plank

Start in plank, then lift leg as high as possible, toe pointed (A). As you lower down, rotate body to the right, coming to rest on right hip. Immediately swing left leg back behind body (B). Reverse motion to return to "A" (make sure to avoid arching your back here). Repeat.

Alternating Arabesque Kick

Start on all fours with forearms on the floor (A). Lift right leg up and over to the left on a diagonal, rotating torso and right leg slightly so that sole of right foot faces left (B). Return to "A" and repeat move with left leg (C). Continue alternating, trying to reach that leg back.

 

Pin the entire workout:

 

Tracy's wearing: Liquido Om Stars Twisted Bra ($35, liquidoactive.com), Karma Karma Luxe Kyla Tights ($122, usa.karmaathletics.com), Nike Air Max 1 Jacquard Shoes ($140, nordstrom.com).

5 Exercises to Work Off Your Waist

Why You Crave Food After Mentally Taxing Tasks—And How Exercise Can Help

Could the solution to post-study session cravings be a 15-minute jaunt on the treadmill? According to new research in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, short but strenuous workouts may curb the hunger pangs that tend to follow challenging cognitive tasks.

For anyone who's ever ordered Domino’s after pouring over a spreadsheet, or wrapping up a complex report, the brain-fried binge is all too familiar. “Mental work utilizes the brain’s energy resources, and the brain then signals that it needs additional energy," researcher William Neumeier, PhD, a postdoctoral scholar at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), explained in an email to Health. "If food is available, the brain will use it to replenish energy. This could lead to overeating."

Neumeier and his colleagues suspected that physical activity might counteract that urge to eat: “Exercise, especially high-intensity exercise, can increase available energy in the body’s bloodstream, and promote satiety in the short term,” says Dr. Neumeier. The researchers hypothesized that the brain could replenish its energy deficit from a mentally-taxing chore by utilizing byproducts of exercise—primarily glucose and lactate—and halt cravings for more food.

To test their theory, they offered 38 healthy college students pizza (to see how much they ate under normal circumstances). On another day, they had the participants do 20 minutes of math and reading comprehension problems to tire out their brains. Afterwards, one group rested for 15 minutes while another group did interval training on a treadmill. Then the researchers served a pizza lunch, and tracked how many calories the volunteers consumed.

RELATED: 11 Reasons You're Always Hungry

The results lined up with what the researchers expected: “Mental work increased food intake by 100 calories, unless there was an intense bout of exercise in between,” study co-author Emily Dhurandar, PhD, an assistant professor in UAB’s Department of Health Behavior, said in an email. “Among those who exercised, there was no increase in food intake resulting from mental work.”

More research is needed to investigate the effects of workouts of varying types, lengths, and intensities. But the current findings might be helpful for workhorses looking to lose a few pounds. “People who find themselves hungry after completing mentally-demanding tasks should consider adding a bout of exercise to their schedule to help curb their appetite,” says Dhurandar. 

So next time you finish a big item on your to-do list, try reaching for your running shoes before a bag of chips, and you may leave your cravings in the dust.

Why You Crave Food After Mentally Taxing Tasks—And How Exercise Can Help

How to Do an Inchworm Stretch

Prevent blood clots from forming during your travels. How to Do an Inchworm Stretch

Regular Exercise Can Save You Thousands of Dollars Each Year

Getting regular exercise may help you save big on annual healthcare costs, especially if you’re living with cardiovascular disease. In a new study, heart patients who got at least 30 minutes of exercise five days a week spent about $2,500 less over the course of a year on drugs and medical bills than those who didn’t reach this recommended amount.

People without heart problems benefited from cost savings, as well. Even in the healthiest group surveyed—those with no cardiovascular disease and, at most, one risk factor for it—people who got regular exercise shelled out, on average, $500 less on annual medical costs.

The study, published last week in the Journal of the American Heart Association, looked at more than 26,000 responses from a 2012 national survey on health and exercise. Researchers divided these responses into two groups: people who had been diagnosed with cardiovascular disease—for which physical inactivity is a known risk factor—and those who had not. In this case, the researchers defined cardiovascular disease as coronary artery disease, stroke, heart failure, irregular heart beat, or peripheral artery disease.

For those without cardiovascular disease, they further divided them into three sub-groups based on how many risk factors they had. These risk factors included high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, smoking, and obesity.

Then they looked at exercise totals. Specifically, they wanted to know how much moderate and vigorous activity people were getting every week. Moderate activity was defined as anything that causes a light sweat or only modest increases in breathing or heart rate, and includes brisk walking, lawn mowing, or heavy cleaning. Vigorous activity includes running or race walking, lap swimming, or aerobics.

 More than two-thirds of people with cardiovascular disease, and more than half of those without it, did not meet the recommended 30-minutes-a-day, 5-day-a-week minimum for moderate-to-vigorous activity.

That’s disappointing, say the study authors—especially because, when they crunched the numbers, they found that those who did exercise spent a lot less on health care compared to non-exercisers with otherwise similar health statuses.

When they factored out differences in age, sex, income, ethnicity, geographic region, and type of insurance, they found that people with cardiovascular disease who didn’t exercise regularly spent an average of $12,650 a year, compared with $10,092 for those who did.

People without cardiovascular disease spent much less in health care costs overall, especially those who had the fewest risk factors. But exercise still benefited their wallets, as well. Non-exercisers in the healthiest sub-group (one or no risk factors), for example, spent an average of $3,734 a year, compared to $3,240 for exercisers—a nearly $500 difference.  

Those in the least healthy non-cardiovascular disease sub-group (with three or more risk factors) spent about $1,060 more when they didn’t exercise—including about $400 more on medications alone.

It’s well known that regular exercise reduces the risk of heart disease and other chronic health conditions, but these findings “also emphasize the favorable impact on how much you pay for health care,” said senior author Khurram Nasir, M.D., director of the Center for Healthcare Advancement & Outcomes and the High Risk Cardiovascular Disease Clinic at Baptist Health South Florida in Coral Gables, in a press release.

The average individual cost savings associated with exercise, when all study participants were grouped together, was about $700. The study also suggests that if just 20 percent more people with cardiovascular disease started to meet this exercise goal, the United States could save billions of dollars a year in health-care costs.

Since this was an observational study, the researchers could not draw a definitive cause-and-effect link between exercise and lower medical costs. But they do say that it provides "strong evidence of the association." In fact, they point out, because cardiovascular disease and its risk factors were self-reported (and not everyone knows they have them), those numbers were likely to be lower in the survey than in real life. "As a result, the estimates in our study are likely to be conservative," they wrote.

"The message to the patient is clear,” said Dr. Nasir: “There is no better pill in reducing the risk of disease and health care costs than optimizing physical activity.”

 

This article originally appeared on RealSimple.com.

Regular Exercise Can Save You Thousands of Dollars Each Year

CrossFitters May Need Rest Days to Keep Their Immunity Up, Says Study

CrossFit enthusiasts may be smart to take a break after two consecutive days of hard workouts, suggests a new study, especially if they’re new to the sport. Otherwise, they may experience a temporary drop in anti-inflammatory immune system proteins.

Study author Ramires Tibana, PhD, is a CrossFitter himself. Writing in the journal Frontiers in Physiology, he notes that the fitness phenomenon—which has more than 13,000 affiliates around the world—clearly has a lot of benefits.

CrossFit has been shown to improve muscle strength, cardiovascular fitness, and body composition, he says. And its model—different high-intensity workouts every day, in a group environment with lots of community support—keeps members coming back and helps them commit to regular workouts. 

But CrossFit has also been criticized for focusing on results rather than technique, which some say can fatigue muscles and raise injury risk. And Tibana, a professor at the Catholic University of Brasilia in Brazil, was curious about research that suggests that repeated bouts of high-intensity exercise can put stress on the body, temporarily impairing immunity.

So he recruited a group of nine male CrossFit participants, all of whom had been following the program for at least six months. The men did intense CrossFit-style workouts two days in a row—including Olympic lifting, power lifting, strength-training moves, and aerobic drills—aiming to finish them as quickly as possible without compromising their technique.

RELATED: 7 Things to Know Before Trying CrossFit

During and after each workout, Tibana and his colleagues measured the participants’ muscle power, as well as levels of inflammatory cytokines and metabolic markers in their blood.

The good news? Two days of intense exercise didn’t compromise the CrossFitters’ muscular strength. The bad? After day 2, participants had reduced levels of anti-inflammatory cytokines—proteins produced by white blood cells that fight off threats to the body, like illness or infection.

The study was small, only included male CrossFitters, and didn't show that the workouts definitely increased vulnerability to illness. And the results don’t mean CrossFit isn’t safe, says Tibana, but they do suggest that following the same workout schedule may not be best for everyone. Beginners, especially, may need more rest days than people with higher fitness levels and more experience.

RELATED: CrossFit’s Camille Leblanc-Bazinet: ‘I’m Glad I Don’t Have a Thigh Gap’

"For non-athlete subjects who want to improve their health and quality of life through Crossfit training, we recommend that they decrease their training volume after two consecutive days of high intensity training to prevent possible immunosuppression," he says.

This is particularly important for people recovering from an illness or who already have compromised immune systems, or during times of the year when viral illnesses are prevalent. (Healthy, well-trained athletes, Tibana adds, can likely tolerate a higher workout volume without negative effects.)

If you’re new to CrossFit or want to give it a try, Tibana recommends finding a facility with trained professionals that encourages gradual progression. He also suggests taking rest days after exhaustive workout sessions, and making time for alternative recovery techniques such as massage, and gentle, restorative exercise.

RELATED: 5 Lacrosse Ball Moves to Speed Recovery and Prevent Soreness

Still, there’s no hard and fast rule as to how often you should sit out a workout, he says—it depends on a lot of factors, including how hard you push yourself every day. “The main concern is to control training volume and intensity,” he says. If health and safety is your main goal, he adds, aim for a combination of high- and low-intensity sessions.

CrossFitters May Need Rest Days to Keep Their Immunity Up, Says Study

How to Stretch Your Hip Flexors

This figure four stretch targets the outer sides of the hips and thighs. How to Stretch Your Hip Flexors

Tone Your Glutes With This Resistance Band Workout from Emily Skye

Certified personal trainer Emily Skye wants to make sure you don't neglect your glutes during your next leg day workout. The social media star from Australia's Gold Coast spoke with Health about the importance of activating these muscles, which can have a powerful impact on your entire body. Not only do glute exercises firm up that booty, but they also help undo some of the damage from sitting at a desk all day.

"A lot of people have weak glutes because they spend a lot of time sitting down, which switches 'off' the glutes," she says. "This puts a lot of pressure on the lower back, hips, knees, and feet." 

Strengthening your glutes can also make it easier for you to correctly perform other lower body moves, she adds, like squats, lunges, and dead lifts.

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Skye's go-to glute activation workout is easy to do at home. In this video she posted on Facebook, she demonstrates a few of her favorite moves: squats, monster walks, and crab walks, all of which employ a handy resistance band.

"I love using a band to work on lateral hip stability, pelvic control, and general mobility of the hips," she says. "The hip is multi-directional, which means it moves in three planes of motion. Adding a band creates a challenge, firing up the glutes just a little bit more."

Emily Skye's Killer Glute-Burning Resistance Band Workout

20 crab walks (2 steps at a time)

12 monster walks (up 6, back 6)

20 band squats

Complete 5 rounds with as little rest as possible.

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Skye recommends doing this sequence either as a warm-up before leg exercises, or alone to specifically target your glutes. And before you get started, pay close attention to your posture: "It's important to ensure your posture is correct by setting yourself up properly," she says. "Otherwise, you're only going to make any imbalance worse." 

Tone Your Glutes With This Resistance Band Workout from Emily Skye

Why It’s Especially Important to Work Out If You Drink Alcohol

Drinking alcohol at or above recommended levels has been linked to an increased likelihood of disease and early death—but a new study says that getting regular exercise may offset some of these risks. The paper, published online yesterday in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, is the first to examine the opposite influences that physical activity and alcohol intake seem to have on mortality due to cancer, heart disease, and other causes.

Alcohol consumption is an “integral part” of western culture, the study authors write. In 2013, 88% of American adults said they’d had alcohol at some point in their lifetime, while 56% had imbibed in the past month. That’s true despite some troublesome statistics. While low to moderate levels of drinking may provide some health benefits, it has also been shown to raise the risk of certain cancers.

The consequences of heavy drinking are clearer, still: Many studies have shown that drinking in higher-than-moderate amounts (in the United States, that’s considered more than 7 servings a week for women and more than 14 for men) increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, several types of cancer, and death from all causes.

Exercise, on the other hand, is known to help people stay healthy and live longer. In fact, the study authors write, physical activity and alcohol consumption “may be linked to chronic disease through shared pathways but acting in the opposite directions.” 

RELATED: How Much Exercise Do You Really Need to Protect Against Disease?

So they set out to see whether staying active might help cancel out the harmful effects of alcohol consumption over the years. To test their hypothesis, they looked at survey responses about health and drinking from more than 36,000 adults in England and Scotland, recorded between 1994 and 2006.

Over the next several years, nearly 6,000 of those adults died. After accounting for other factors that could potentially influence their results, the researchers found that drinking any amounts (compared to lifelong abstinence) was associated with a heightened risk of death from cancer—and the more people drank, the higher that risk was.

Heavy drinking (defined in this study as more than 14 servings a week for women and more than 21 a week for men, a now-outdated British guideline) was also associated with increased risk of death from all causes.

But when they factored in physical activity, they saw a more nuanced picture. The links between drinking and death—from all causes as well as from cancer—remained for people who got less than the recommended 7.5 MET hours, which is equal to 150 minutes of moderate physical activity, a week. For those who moved at least that much, however, those risks were lessened or canceled out.

In fact, people who were physically active and drank occasionally (not every week) seemed to have lower risk for cardiovascular death than those who were complete teetotalers.

RELATED: Is It Risky to Drink Alcohol While Taking Medication? Depends on the Drug

Occasional drinkers who were sedentary didn’t reap the same benefits. “This suggests that low and irregular alcohol consumption has cardioprotective effects, but these effects need some physical activity to ignite,” says study co-author Emmanuel Stamatakis, PhD, associate professor of exercise, health and physical activity sport sciences at the University of Sydney in Australia.

Because this was an observational study, and because it didn’t look at specific drinking or dietary patterns, the authors can’t draw any definite conclusions about cause and effect. But the findings do indicate that physical activity has the potential to curb some of the harmful effects of drinking, they say. What’s more, these benefits start at relatively low levels—just 150 minutes a week of moderate exercise, the minimum amount recommended for overall health by the U.S. government. 

That doesn’t mean, though, that people who exercise regularly shouldn’t worry about drinking in excess. “Our study examined specific long-term health outcomes in relation to alcohol drinking, and it says nothing for all other alcohol harms such as liver disease, mental health conditions, brain damage, or car accidents and alcohol-fueled violence,” says Stamatakis.

Given that drinking is so prevalent in society, it doesn't make sense to recommend abstinence, he adds. But he does suggest limiting consumption to moderate levels at most. (Taking into account differences in serving sizes and recent changes to British guidelines, the definition of “moderate” varies only slightly between the U.S. and the United Kingdom.)

RELATED: 15 Ways Exercise Makes You Look and Feel Younger

“As long as people remain physically active, consumption within these guidelines would be wise advice,” he says. “And it may be a good idea to take a break from alcohol for a week or a few weeks from time to time.”

Overall, Stamatakis says, the findings highlight what we already know: how important it is to stay active. “Exercise is such a powerful influence that may even offset some of the damage done by other unhealthy behaviors,” he says. “If we were to interpret our results causally, it looks like physical inactivity and alcohol drinking is a very toxic combination.”

Why It’s Especially Important to Work Out If You Drink Alcohol

3 Boxing Workouts to Get Fit and Strong

Photo: Ryan Kelly / Daily Burn 365

You don’t need to start a fight to throw a few punches. Think of boxing as your go-to stress-relieving workout. You’ll not only knock out frustrations by releasing some feel-good endorphins, but you’ll also get a blend of hardcore cardio and strength training. In just 30 minutes, the fighting moves squash more than 375 calories and sculpt your back (lats, in particular), shoulders (or deltoids) and core.

Before you step into the ring, though, you’ll want to follow a few pointers on technique. Enter Rob Piela, owner of Gotham Gym in New York City and creator of Gotham G-Box (a group exercise class) in connection with WellPath. Heed Piela’s tips on how to pack a serious punch, then tackle one (or all!) of his three beginner-friendly boxing routines. Whether you want to kick up your cardio, build stronger muscles or do jab-cross combos with a buddy, there’s a plan for you.

RELATED: 3 Quick HIIT Workouts for Beginners

Boxing Basics: 5 Steps to Look the Part  

Photo: Ryan Kelly / Daily Burn 365

Step 1: Master the Boxing Stance
Stand with your feet a little wider than shoulder-width apart (a). Step your left foot forward. Turn both feet 45 degrees to the right and bend knees slightly (b). Bring your fists up to your cheekbones, keeping your elbows in by your sides. Your left shoulder should be in the front and the right shoulder behind. Get ready to punch (c).

Photo: Ryan Kelly / Daily Burn 365

Step 2: Practice Your Main Punch, The Jab
Start with the left hand. Keeping your elbow in by your side and your right fist up by your face, extend your left hand straight out in front of you (a). When your arm is almost fully extended, turn your wrist so your thumb faces down toward the floor. The jab should be quick (b). Snap your fist in and out, like a whip, with your hand coming right back to your face after you execute the punch (c).

RELATED: 3 Breathing Techniques for a More Effective Workout

Photo: Ryan Kelly / Daily Burn 365

Step 3: Put Power Behind Your Cross
For the right cross, starting from the bottom: Pivot your right foot so it turns inward and you’re on the ball of your foot (a). Your right hip and shoulder should turn forward with it, while you push your left shoulder and left hip behind you (b). With your left fist up by your face, move your right arm forward (keep your elbow in) and punch it straight out (c). Turn your wrist at the end of the punch, so your thumb faces down toward the floor (d). After you fully extend your right arm, snap it back to your boxing stance (e).

RELATED: 8 Killer Treadmill Classes to Try Now 

Photo: Ryan Kelly / Daily Burn 365

Step 4: Add Upper Body Oomph to Your Hook
For the left hook, from your boxing stance, turn to your right as you bring your left elbow up (bent 90 degrees) to about shoulder level (a). At the same time, your left heel pops up off the ground, as you pivot on the ball of your foot and shift your weight back onto your right leg (b). Bring the punch back to your face, resetting into your boxing stance (c).

RELATED: Hate Crunches? 6 Better Core Exercises for Beginners

Photo: Ryan Kelly / Daily Burn 365

Step 5: Attack from a Different Angle with Uppercuts
For the right uppercut: From your boxing stance, turn your right hip and shoulder forward. Keep your elbow in as you punch upward, thumb facing you (a). Bring your fist back to your face and return to your boxing stance. Bend your knees if you need to reach a lower target (b). For the left uppercut: Follow the same steps as the right uppercut, except this time, turn your left hip and shoulder forward and punch with your left hand, thumb facing you (c).

RELATED: 5 Moves to Sculpt a Better Butt

3 Boxing Workouts to Make You Sweat

Boxer’s Cardio Workout

You’ll get your heart rate up for this cardio routine, designed by Piela, which also tones your entire body. Perform the combinations below for one minute each. If you’re up for the challenge, Piela suggests using light weights while you punch.

Photo: Ryan Kelly / Daily Burn 365

2-minute warm-up: 30 seconds each of jumping jacks and high knees. Repeat a second time.

Jab and cross: Alternate jabs with your left hand and crosses with your right and continuously and as fast as you can. Make sure your punches go straight out and back to your face. Engage your core and turn your shoulders and hips toward your target.

Jump rope: Do this with an actual jump rope or just mimic the movement by rotating your wrists. Jump with feet together up and down or side to side.

Jab, cross, squat: Do a jab with your left hand and a cross with your right, then perform a squat. Pause briefly between each combination.

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Burpees: Jump straight up with your hands in the air. Then, put your hands on the ground and jump your feet back to a high plank position. Jump the feet back up to your hands and explode back up off the ground. (Hate burpees? Try this variation.)

Uppercuts: Perform right and left uppercuts as fast as you can. Make sure to keep turning your shoulders with each punch and engage your core the entire time.

Forearm plank: Keep your back straight and flat, and hips in line with shoulders. Position elbows directly underneath your shoulders. (Here’s how to fix the most common mistakes.)

Repeat the entire sequence one more time, skipping the burpees and planks on the second round.

 

View the rest of the workout here.

3 Boxing Workouts to Get Fit and Strong