mardi 31 janvier 2017
lundi 30 janvier 2017
The Total-Body Strength Workout Professional Ballerinas Do Every Day
mercredi 25 janvier 2017
Why You Really Need to Join the Gym
This article originally appeared on Time.com.
Everyone knows that joining a gym is a quote-unquote good idea. Now, a new study looks at exactly how much of a benefit fitness club-goers have over the rest of us when it comes to getting regular exercise—and its results may convince you to restart that stalled membership.
To put some research behind this commonly held belief, Iowa State University scientists recruited 405 relatively healthy adults, half of whom had belonged to a gym for at least 30 days, and half who had not been members for at least least three months. All participants had their resting blood pressure, heart rate, and body mass index measured, and completed questionnaires about their time spent exercising, sitting, and doing various lifestyle activities each week.
The researchers then analyzed those responses to determine which participants met the national recommended guidelines for physical activity: 150 minutes of moderate or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity each week, including at least two days of weight lifting or other muscle-strengthening activities.
The difference between groups was “pretty dramatic and surprising,” says corresponding author Duck-chul Lee, an assistant professor of kinesiology. While non-members only exercised an average of 137 minutes a week, those who belonged to a gym logged an average of 484 minutes a week. Only 18% of non-members met the guidelines for both physical activity and strength training, compared to 75% of members.
Overall, the researchers calculated, a gym membership was related to 14 times higher odds of meeting weekly physical activity guidelines. The results were similar in both men and women, and were adjusted for health issues like high cholesterol, arthritis, and asthma.
Not only did gym members exercise more; they also had better cardiovascular measures and were less likely to be obese. Gym-goers—especially those who had kept a membership for a year or more—tended to have lower resting heart rates, higher cardiorespiratory fitness, and smaller waist circumferences than their non-member peers.
Before their analysis, Lee and his co-authors suspected that gym members may be more sedentary in their time outside the gym than non-members. “We thought maybe they’d be more tired, or be satisfied they’d done enough for the day,” he says.
But they didn’t find that to be the case, either. “Physical activity outside of the gym was the same for both groups,” he says, “For non-members, joining a gym really may increase overall activity levels.”
Because of the study’s cross-sectional design, Lee says, it’s also possible that people who are more active are simply more likely to join a gym. And while the study took place in a city with lots of health-club options, he notes, people living in more rural areas may find it more difficult to attend a gym regularly.
And, of course, you do have to show up. “It’s true that some people with a gym membership do not go regularly, just as some people who don’t have memberships still go out and run or bike and still meet the guidelines,” Lee says. For this study, some measurements were taken at the gyms themselves, assuring that memberships were in use.
But Lee says the study supports the idea that joining a gym can help people who aren’t getting enough exercise on their own. Only half of Americans get the recommended amount of aerobic activity, the study reports, and only about 20% meet the guidelines for strength training.
“At the gym you can use the weights or the resistance machines,” Lee says. “In real-life, there aren’t a lot of day-to-day activities that improve muscle.” (The researchers did not ask participants if they had weights or other fitness equipment at home.)
The researchers report no conflicts of interest, and no financial stake in any fitness clubs. The study is published in the journal PLOS ONE.
Lead author Elizabeth Schroeder, a former Iowa State graduate student, says that health club memberships can have more benefits than just weight loss, and she hopes these findings encourage more people to find a gym or fitness studio that works for them.
“Some people may enjoy being at a gym and doing their own workout routine, while others may desire group classes that potentially foster a social aspect, fun environment, consistent schedule, and a workout designed for you,” she says. “Either way, they both involve accumulating physical activity, and that’s the goal.”
Why You Really Need to Join the Gymmardi 24 janvier 2017
Emma Stone's Trainer Swears By These 3 Full-Body Exercises
In La La Land, Emma Stone goes on a sing-and-dance journey through Los Angeles—and boy does all that tap dancing look tiring. We wondered what Stone did to build the strength and stamina needed for long days of dancing and singing on set, so we reached out to her personal trainer, Jason Walsh. Here, he shares the three exercises he uses in training with all of his celebrity clients, who in addition to Stone include Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, and John Krasinski.
Deadlifts
"Deadlifting is essential to all of my training programs, weather its men or women, because it strengthens all the major muscle groups while reinforcing primitive movement patterns and alignments," Walsh says. "Essentially, its the most effective move there is."
To do a deadlift, stand with your feet hip-width apart, knees slightly bent. Keeping your weight in your heels, push your hips back and lower your torso as you slide a weighted bar or dumbbells down the front of your thighs to just below your knees. Slowly rise to standing while keeping your shoulders back.
If you don't have a bar or weights, you can do a single-leg deadlift to improve balance and strengthen your legs. Watch the video for a tutorial:
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Sled pushes
Walsh also swears by sled pushes. "They're another great tool that utilizes all major muscle groups but in a unilateral form, with a single leg working at a time," he says. Walsh says this move is great for conditioning and burning fat.
To do it, stand in front of a weighted sled. Stagger your feet, hinge forward at your hips slightly, place your hands on the front of the sled, and push. Walk as far as you can.
Hip thrusts
Get the most out of a booty-burning workout with hip thrusts (also known as hip bridges), which strengthen hip movement and activate the glutes. "This might be the single best exercise for the glutes, which are the biggest, and in my opinion, the most important muscle group in the body," Walsh says. To do a hip thrust or glute bridge, lay on your back, knees bent, with your feet parallel to each other, palms face down. Raise your hips towards the ceiling and the slowly lower. Repeat 10 to 15 times.
Emma Stone's Trainer Swears By These 3 Full-Body Exercisesvendredi 20 janvier 2017
What to Know About Rhabdomyolysis, the Potentially Fatal Condition Caused by Extreme Exercise
Last week, after a series of extreme workouts, three University of Oregon football players were hospitalized, one of them with rhabdomyolysis—or rhabdo for short—a condition in which muscle tissue breaks down so severely that the contents of the muscle fibers leak into the bloodstream and literally clog up your kidneys. It’s as awful as it sounds. Unchecked, it can lead to kidney damage, and in the worst case scenario, death.
The Oregonian reported that the players had endured grueling, "military" style workouts, including a session that involved up to an hour of continuous push-ups and up-downs (which are kind of like Burpees on steroids). But you don’t have to be an elite athlete to succumb to this condition. Anyone who regularly engages in super intense training sessions can get it.
“It’s a product of pushing well past your limits,” says Vijay Jotwani, MD, a primary care sports medicine physician at Houston Methodist who serves as a team consultant for the Houston Astros. “You’re working hard, feeling the burn and go that next step—and another step, pushing far past the point of pain. Later, you have extreme muscle pain and swelling—much worse than delayed muscle soreness. You may also have dark colored urine. That’s because the [protein] myoglobin from your muscles has flooded into your bloodstream and your kidneys are overwhelmed.”
Though rhabdo is rare, some studies have found increasing incidents among the US Armed Forces. And with the rise in popularity of high-intensity, military-style workouts like those performed by extreme CrossFit enthusiasts, rhabdo has earned the nickname “Uncle Rhabdo” in certain CrossFit circles.
“It’s one of those situations that you don’t expect to ever happen, but it can happen, and you need to be aware of it because it can be life threatening if it does,” says Dr. Jotwani. We spoke with him about rhabdomyolsis factors that may increase your rhabdo risk. Below are a few steps you can take to stay safe.
RELATED: Yes, It's Possible to Exercise Too Much—Here Are the Signs
Tune in
The easiest way to avoid rhabdo is by listening to your body, building up intensity gradually, and giving yourself recovery time after hard workouts, says Dr. Jotwani. “This is especially important when you’re just starting out or coming back from a layoff or injury when it’s easier to overdo it,” he says.
Stay hydrated
“Rhabdo-related kidney damage comes from muscle protein and dehydration,” Dr. Jotwani explains. So make sure you go into workouts properly hydrated; and if you’ve had a very heavy workout, drink up afterwards. Also take care when you’re exercising in the heat, if you’re sick, or coming back from an illness—all scenarios in which you're more likely to be dehydrated.
RELATED: 6 Big Myths About Hydration
Be careful about competing
It’s extremely unlikely that anyone would give themselves rhabdo working out solo. But in a competitive environment? You may be more likely to push past searing pain to keep up, or impress. When your body says "stop," stop.
Go easier the morning after a night out
It might feel good to “work off” a hangover, but the morning after drinking is not the time to push for a PR. “Alcohol is a muscle irritant. Add in excessive exercise and you have a higher risk,” says Dr. Jotwani. Better to dial it down a notch rather than amp it up past max.
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Consider your meds
Certain cholesterol-lowering medications like statins can increase your risk for rhabdo, with higher doses posing higher risks. The relative risk, however, is very low: One case for every 100,000 people taking the drugs for an extended period of time.
Seek medical attention ASAP for symptoms
If you have any signs or symptoms, including severe muscle pain, swelling, stiffness, and/or dark colored urine, head to the hospital. The doctors there can screen your blood for markers of the condition such as high levels of the enzyme creatine kinase and if needed, start treatment immediately to minimize the risk of lasting damage.
What to Know About Rhabdomyolysis, the Potentially Fatal Condition Caused by Extreme Exercisemercredi 18 janvier 2017
mardi 17 janvier 2017
The Top 7 Ways Fit People Injure Themselves at the Gym
YouTube is full of gym fails; think exercisers falling off treadmills, misusing strength machines, and wearing wildly inappropriate clothing. But most workout mistakes are a little less...obvious—and they aren't made only by people who are totally clueless about working out. Your friend who runs 20 miles a week or the woman you always see at the weight rack can be just as prone to errors that lead to injury as a gym newbie. Here, physical therapists reveal the seven most common ways their patients—even the super-fit ones—hurt themselves while working out.
They don't bother to warm up
It's tempting to skimp on a warm-up when you're time-crunched and want to maximize your precious gym minutes. Bad move: “The worst thing you can do is start cranking out the weights without getting your muscles ready,” says Karen Joubert, a Beverly Hills, Calif.-based physical therapist. That’s especially true when you work out after a day at the office, when your muscles are tight from eight hours of sitting.
Get your body ready for action with a dynamic warm-up. David Reavy, a Chicago-based physical therapist, gave us one of his favorite moves: Get into a lunge position, then fold your body forward to touch your toes. This lengthens the hip flexor in your back leg and engages the posterior chain (a group of muscles in the back of your body). (Check out six more dynamic stretches to prep you for any workout.)
They work themselves too hard
You just hit a back squat PR—and immediately add two more plates to the barbell to try to max it out even more. “We think if we lift heavier weights and push ourselves harder, we’re going to see quicker results,” says Joubert. “But really we’re going to see quicker injuries.” Her advice: “Play smarter, not harder.”
But how do you know when the time is right to take it to the next level? Wait until workouts start to feel too easy, says Reavy, and then focus on moving up gradually. If you’re running 3 miles at an 8 minute pace, for example, either up your distance by a mile or two at the same speed, or run faster for the same distance. The same goes for weight training; either bump up reps or pounds. “You have to give your body time to adapt to a new challenge,” Reavy says.
RELATED: Jillian Michaels' Total-Body Blasting Workout
They let their form break
Can't eke out one more deadlift without rounding your lower back, or one more squat without leaning forward? Best to either lighten your load, or even call it quits for the day—lifting with poor form opens you up to injury, says Reavy. When you're lifting weights, remember to keep your spine straight and weight in your heels, and if you're unsure whether you're keeping correct form, enlist the help of a trainer.
They push past the pain
Is it muscle soreness or something more serious? Here's a rule of thumb: Soreness may linger a day or two before going away, but pain persists, says Joubert. Soreness also tends to be relieved by stretching and movement, while an injury will actually get worse. And if you get a pain that is sharp and shooting, then you know you’re causing some damage, says Reavy. “Or any pain that travels, like something that starts in your leg and moves up.”
That said, muscle soreness could be a bad sign as well, especially if you notice it in one leg and not the other, says Reavy. This could be a sign you’re compensating on one side for an injury on the other.
While you may be tempted to really push yourself to reach results, the key is to check in with your body and take a breather if something feels off, says Joubert. The bottom line: working through the pain doesn’t make you stronger; it makes you injured.
They don’t take a recovery day
In the same way it’s important to take a break when your body is hurting, it’s also crucial to give yourself some regular R&R. While skipping a workout or taking a day off may seem counterproductive to your goals, “It’s actually just as important, because you won’t see changes if you don’t give yourself a break,” says Joubert. “If you push your body in that gym every day, what happens is it starts to tear down, because you’re not giving the muscle cells time to rebuild and grow.” She recommends focusing on adequate hydration, getting plenty of electrolytes along with clean foods, and resting.
That said, a recovery day doesn’t need to be a lazy day. Reavy actually likes to have what he calls “mobility days,” which involves a combination of activation exercises, muscle releases, and mobilization workouts. To activate his muscles, he revisits his go-to functional warm-up. Then, he releases tension in various parts of his body using a foam roller. Finally, he gets to the main event, mobility training, mainly focusing on his hips and pelvis. Here are two of his favorites that you can try out for yourself:
Ilium Mobilization Against Wall: Place the back of your hip against a wall so that the back hipbone is firmly pressed into the wall. Keeping your spine neutral, bend forward as far as you can only at the hip, while maintaining the firm pressure of the back hipbone into the wall. Return to the starting position. Repeat.
SI Mobilization Backbend: Place one foot behind you with the heel slightly raised. Reach back with the arm of the same side and place a fist on the center of your sacrum. Lean back as far as you can so that your spine is extended. This is the starting position. Rotate your upper body to the side you are mobilizing, and return to the starting position. Repeat on both sides.
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They don’t cross-train
As obsessed with SoulCycle as you may be, doing one workout—and only one workout—will backfire eventually. “If you’re doing the same thing over and over again, even you’re using your body properly, you’re strengthening the same muscles over and over again which can lead to tightness,” says Reavy. You might also wind up with an overuse injury, like tendonitis or shin splints, Joubert says.
As an alternative, they both strongly suggest cross training. And when choosing your mix of exercises, just be sure you keep them balanced. “Your body needs to lengthen and shorten its muscles,” Reavy says. “So if you’re often lifting heavy weights (shortening), go take a yoga or Pilates class (lengthening) as a counterbalance.”
Cross training is really a win-win, says Joubert: You’ll see better results, and your body won’t get burned out by doing the same thing constantly.
They wear the wrong shoes
Different shoes are best for different kinds of workouts. Running shoes are designed with flexible fabrics and for straight-line motion, so wearing them to, say, a boxing class that requires side-to-side bounding sets you up for a rolled ankle. Invest in a set of cross-training shoes—your body will thank you.
The Top 7 Ways Fit People Injure Themselves at the Gymlundi 16 janvier 2017
The Best Workout to Do When You're Really Sore
vendredi 13 janvier 2017
A Surprisingly Small Amount of Exercise Can Fight Inflammation
Chronic inflammation is nasty stuff: It’s considered a contributing factor to diseases from arthritis to cancer, as well as long-term health conditions like obesity. Regular exercise has been shown to curb inflammation in the body, but it hasn’t always been clear exactly how it helps—or how much activity you need to reap the benefits.
Now, new research suggests that your workouts don’t have to be that long, or that hard, to produce real results: Just 20 minutes of brisk walking produced an anti-inflammatory response in immune cells of study participants, supporting the idea that every workout truly does count.
"Each time we exercise, it seems that we are doing something good for our body at the cellular level," says senior author Suzi Hong, PhD, associate director of the Integrative Health and Mind-Body Biomarker Lab at the University of California San Diego.
The study involved 47 adults, who were asked to walk on a treadmill at a pace that felt moderately hard to them. (Think faster breathing and light sweating.) They provided blood samples before and immediately after the exercise, so researchers could measure proteins associated with whole-body inflammation.
RELATED: 14 Foods That Fight Inflammation
The “after” samples showed about a 5% decrease in a protein called TNF, which is produced by immune cells. Hong says this is a “clear and significant sign that the immune cells are suppressing the inflammatory markers,” which may provide health benefits both in the short term and, when exercise is repeated regularly, the long term as well.
The research also shed light on how exactly this process happens, says Hong. It seems that stress hormones released during moderate exercise may trigger receptors in the body’s immune cells. The results were published in the journal Brain, Behavior and Immunity.
"The message here is that exercise doesn't have to be really intense to have anti-inflammatory effects,” says Hong. That’s especially important for people who might be intimidated by the idea of working out, or frustrated by a lack of noticeable results, she adds—including those who are overweight or have a chronic inflammatory disease. “Even before you see weight coming off, there's evidence that you're fighting inflammatory activation in your body,” she says.
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The study did not compare treadmill walking to different types (or different intensities) of exercise, so it’s uncertain whether harder or easier workouts would produce similar results.
It’s also not entirely clear how much these cellular changes really affect healthy people without elevated inflammation. But it’s likely that everyone can benefit, says Hong, since exercise-triggered immune responses can make the body more efficient at regulating inflammation in the long run.
Hong cautions that people with chronic illnesses should always talk with their doctors before starting a new exercise plan, and shouldn’t expect exercise alone to cure their problems. But she hopes her research will provide this group with new motivation to add moderate physical activity to their routine.
“Everyone knows that exercise is good for them,” says Hong. “But maybe making it a little more specific—saying that each time you exercise can have a real anti-inflammatory benefit—will help people accept it a little more clearly.”
A Surprisingly Small Amount of Exercise Can Fight InflammationThis is How Fast The Average Woman Runs A Mile
Whether you're a running newbie or an avid pavement pounder, you've likely considered your running pace an important mark of improvement. And if you've ever wondered how your mile time compares to other runners' times, there's now a solid statistic you can cite.
Workout tracking app Strava has released its list of end of year insights, which includes average run statistics like distance, elevation, moving time, most popular day, and pace, using data from the 86.7 million runs logged globally on the app in 2016. The average pace for a woman came in at 9 minutes and 55 second per mile. Other averages included a moving time of 49 minutes and a distance of 4.6 miles.
If you want to get faster and improve your average pace in 2017, there are plenty of ways to reach your goal. First, you could try this speed workout: Spend 15 minutes warming up by walking for 5 minutes and lightly jogging for about 10 minutes. Run for 2 minutes at a pace just short of a sprint, and then jog for 2 minutes. Repeat the sequence four times, and then cool down for about 15 minutes. You'll also improve your pace by doing these strength exercises for runners.
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If you're looking to get your run on the fun way, follow along with our Mile High Run Club interval running video. It makes training indoors much more enjoyable.
This is How Fast The Average Woman Runs A Milejeudi 12 janvier 2017
Hip and Shoulder Mobility Exercises for Deeper Squats and Stronger Presses
mercredi 11 janvier 2017
Exercising But Not Seeing Results? You May Be Doing the Wrong Workout for Your Body
Resolved to rev up your fitness routine in 2017? The secret to producing real results may be ditching your old workout and trying something entirely new.
Experts who study the science of human movement have known for years that not everyone responds to exercise in the same way. In fact, some people are “non-responders,” meaning exercise doesn't give them the same boost in cardiovascular fitness (as measured by heart rate and other key fitness metrics) as other people. Why this occurs isn’t entirely clear, though scientists suspect genetics may play a role.
Now there’s new evidence suggesting that a person's individual response to exercise may depend on the type of workout—and that switching from one routine to another could make all the difference.
For the study, published in the journal PLOS ONE, researchers from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, and the University of Ottawa followed 21 healthy women and men as they completed two types of workouts during two separate training periods, with a gap in between that lasted several months.
RELATED: 10 Reasons Your Belly Fat Isn't Going Away
Half of the participants did endurance training in the first period, then switched to interval training; the other half did the opposite. All of the participants exercised four times a week through each three-week period.
The endurance training consisted of 30 minutes of cycling on a stationary bike at a moderate level of exertion (about 65% of maximum heart rate). For the interval training, participants pumped up the intensity of their pedaling by doing eight 20-second sprints, resting 10 seconds between each.
Before the experiment began and after each training period, the researchers tested the participants to assess their heart rate, VO2 max (the maximum amount of oxygen the body can use), and other key measures of cardiovascular fitness.
They found that both workouts improved the fitness level of the group overall, by about the same amount. But when the researchers looked more closely at the individuals, they found that some people experienced greater improvements after endurance training than interval training; while others gained better results from interval training than endurance training.
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"What our study shows is that if you’re doing one type of exercise and you’re not getting the optimal result, you can switch to a different stimulus and that may help you,” says co-author Brendon Gurd, PhD, associate professor of muscle physiology at Queens University School of Kinesiology and Health Studies.
This is hopeful news for anyone feeling frustrated at the gym. You may simply be a non-responder to your current workout. But how can you find an ideal routine for your body?
It's really a matter of paying close attention, says Todd Astorino, PhD, a professor of kinesiology at California State University, San Marco, who was not involved in the new study: "The typical exerciser needs to be very aware of how they adapt to the particular regime that they are following. And if they do not feel that they are adapting, they need to change something." That something could be the the type of exercise you do, the length or intensity of your workout, or how often you do it, he says.
RELATED: The Top 20 Fitness Trends for 2017
Prefer to have some hard evidence before you switch gears? Gurd suggests using two tests to gauge your present fitness level.
The first involves walking or running on a treadmill at a set pace for a certain amount of time. "So say you pick 3 miles per hour at an incline of 2, and you jog at that for 10 minutes," he says. Then record your pulse.
The second test is to measure your speed over a set distance. For example, he says, you could time how long it takes you to run 5 kilometers.
Once you have these results, carry on with your workout, whatever it may be. After several weeks, perform the two tests again. "If your heart rate at a set speed isn't getting lower, and you're not able to run faster, then those are two pretty easily measured things in a gym that would indicate that you're not responding," he says. At that point, you know it's time to mix up your routine.
Exercising But Not Seeing Results? You May Be Doing the Wrong Workout for Your BodyHow Yoga Can Help You Look Younger Than Your Years
To keep your body looking and feeling its best with each passing year, say "om." Studies have shown that doing yoga is one of the greatest ways to slow the clock. And it's not just because you're helping your muscles remain limber—a regular yoga practice may increase the levels of stay-young hormones that can slow the aging process.
"As you get older, you lose lean muscle mass—as much as 15 percent per decade if you're not active," says Vonda Wright, MD, an orthopedic surgeon and the author of Fitness After 40. But doing yoga plus other strength exercise at least four or five times a week helps slow this loss so that even a 60-something can have as much lean muscle mass as someone 20 years younger, she adds.
Yoga is also especially good at battling the sag that comes as time marches on, notes Janiene Luke, MD, associate professor of dermatology at Loma Linda University in California. "The skin is like a drape for the underlying musculature," she says, "so if those muscles are toned, you'll look firmer and your skin will be less baggy."
Even just a few minutes a day can make a big difference, says Kristin McGee, Health's contributing yoga and wellness editor and a yoga instructor in New York City, who put together a few of her favorite gravity-fighting poses. They're great for you anytime but are particularly key now, as we bounce back from the holidays and set ourselves up for our healthiest year yet.
RELATED: 12 Yoga Poses for People Who Aren't Flexible
1. Side Crow
This move targets bat wings. Squat with knees and feet together. Twist knees as far to the right as you can; place hands on the floor shoulder-width apart, right hand aligned with left little toe and left hand a few inches farther out. Lean forward and place upper outer left leg on upper right arm; tilt forward to lift legs, balancing them on upper right arm. Lower; repeat on the other side. Too hard? Do regular Crow (watch the video below to learn how).
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RELATED: 14 Yoga Poses for Better Digestion
2. Goddess Squat
This move targets saddlebags. Stand with feet about 3 feet apart, toes turned out to about 45 degrees. Bring hands together in front of chest in prayer position. Exhaling, bend knees as deeply as possible, keeping them in line with toes. Press palms together while gazing straight ahead.
RELATED: Yoga Poses for Anxiety, Pain, and More
3. Chair Pose
This move targets a mushy bum. Stand with feet together; inhale and lift arms overhead. Exhale and bend knees, bringing thighs toward the floor while drawing shoulder blades down and reaching arms past ears. Keep lower back long and lift through chest as you lower legs a little more toward the floor, gazing forward and keeping arms parallel. Rise to stand. Do this as a continuous flow, ideally holding each pose for 5 to 8 breaths; repeat the flow 2 or 3 times. Complete the sequence 3 or 4 times a week and in a couple of weeks you'll start to see your parts perking up.
RELATED: How to Fight Cellulite Fast With Yoga
4. Incline Plank
This move strengthens the backs of your thighs. Sit on the floor with legs extended straight out, feet together, palms at sides a few inches behind you with fingers pointing toward body. Lift hips, pushing through heels and hands, forming a straight line from head to heels. To release, lower hips back down to the floor. To make it harder, lift one leg and point toes.
RELATED: A 10-Minute Yoga Routine to Sculpt Your Body
5. Chaturanga
This move targets your breasts. Begin in a straight-arm plank with hands directly below shoulders and legs extended straight out behind you. Slowly bend elbows, lowering body until you're hovering a few inches off the floor; keep back flat, elbows close to sides and head in line with body. Push through palms to return to starting plank position.
RELATED: The Best Yoga Routine for Strong Arms
6. Fish Pose
This move targets a turkey neck. Lie faceup with legs extended, arms at sides, palms down. Press forearms and elbows into the floor, lifting chest and arching upper back slightly. Continue arching back, lifting shoulder blades off the floor; tilt head back so top of head touches the floor. Continue pressing through forearms and out through heels. To release, tuck chin as you lower back to the floor.
RELATED: 5 Yoga Poses You Can Do at Your Desk
7. Bow Pose
This move targets a rounded back. Lie facedown with legs extended, hands at sides. Bend knees, bringing heels toward glutes; grasp ankles with hands. On an inhale, lift heels while bringing thighs and chest off the floor. Look forward, breathing evenly. To release, exhale and lower thighs and chest to the floor, letting go of feet.
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Why You Don’t Have to Exercise Every Day
This article originally appeared on Time.com.
Exercise is one of the best ways to avoid chronic diseases like diabetes and cancer, as well as an early death. But it can be tough to squeeze into a schedule: Health experts recommend about 150 minutes of moderate activity, or 75 minutes of vigorous, breath-sapping exercise, each week.
Since daily exercise isn’t realistic for everyone, researchers decided to study whether people who tend to cram their weekly exercise into one or two days on the weekend (so-called “weekend warriors”) get the same benefits as those who exercise daily. In the new research published in JAMA Internal Medicine, they found that how often a person exercises might not make a difference in determining how long a person lives.
Gary O’Donovan, a research associate in the Exercise as Medicine program at Loughborough University in England, and his colleagues analyzed data from national health surveys of more than 63,000 people, conducted in England and Scotland. People who said they exercised only one or two days a week lowered their risk of dying early from any cause by 30% to 34%, compared to people who were inactive. But what was more remarkable was that people who exercised most days of the week lowered their risk by 35%: not very different from those who exercised less.
The findings support the idea that some physical activity—even if it’s less than what the guidelines prescribe—helps avoid premature death. Researchers saw benefits for people who squeezed the entire recommended 150 minutes per week into one or two days, as well as for people who didn’t quite meet that threshold and exercised less.
Exercise was also effective at reducing the risk of heart-related death. The people who exercised regularly and those who exercised a couple days a week both cut their risk by about 40%. Again, the frequency of exercise didn’t seem to matter.
The same was true for risk of death from cancer. Those who exercised—whether it was every day or only a few days—lowered their risk of dying from cancer by 18% to 21%, compared to those who didn’t exercise. This risk reduction was true whether they met the recommended physical activity requirements or not.
“The main point our study makes is that frequency of exercise is not important,” says O’Donovan. “There really doesn’t seem to be any additional advantage to exercising regularly. If that helps people, then I’m happy.”
The results remained significant even after O’Donovan accounted for other variables that could explain the relationship, including a person’s starting BMI. In fact, the benefits were undeniable for people of all weights, including people who were overweight and obese.
That should be heartening to anyone who finds it hard to carve out time for physical activity every day. Not that you can slack off: O’Donovan stresses that his results focus specifically on moderate-to-vigorous exercise people did in their free time, and they do not apply to housework or physical activity on the job, since the surveys didn’t ask about those. The study does, however, include brisk walking, which he says is a good way to start an exercise regimen for people eager to take advantage of the findings.
“This is new evidence, and perhaps guidelines have to be revisited as new evidence emerges,” says O’Donovan. In the meantime, it’s clear that exercise—even if it’s only on the weekends—is a worthwhile addition to your routine.
Why You Don’t Have to Exercise Every Day5 Exercises You're Probably Doing Wrong
mardi 10 janvier 2017
lundi 9 janvier 2017
The Best Workout Songs, According to Spotify
There's no question that a great playlist can help you push through a tough sweat session—or motivate you to get moving in the first place. If you're looking for some fresh musical fitspo as you head into the new year, check out Spotify's playlist of the most popular workout songs of 2016. The top 10 tunes, including Drake's "Jumpman" and Rihanna's "Work," are proven to get people fired up.
Most are recent heart-pumping hits, but the #1 song is a throwback that fitness fanatics just can't get enough of: "Till I Collapse" by Eminem. There's something special about that song, said Shannon Cook, Spotify’s trends expert, in the press release: “Year after year, our listeners have made [it] the most popular track to get sweaty to, so it’s pretty clear a message of endurance resonates with them."
Here's the full crowd-approved list that will make you want to hit the gym asap:
Want more ideas? Spotify has also compiled playlists of the most popular dance workout songs, the best rock songs for working out, and the the most popular cardio workout songs. And if you're feeling nostalgic, take a trip down memory lane with 2015's top 50 running songs.
It's worth the effort to curate your perfect list: Studies have shown music makes exercise more enjoyable (even workouts that leave you drenched in sweat and totally spent), which means you're more likely to get back out there the next day as well.
The Best Workout Songs, According to Spotifyvendredi 6 janvier 2017
Switch Up Your Fitness Routine With This Heart-Pounding Hip-Hop Workout
jeudi 5 janvier 2017
Yoga Is Officially Sweeping the Workplace
This article originally appeared on Time.com.
The American workforce is becoming more mindful. In a new study of more than 85,000 adults, yoga practice among U.S. workers nearly doubled from 2002 to 2012, from 6 percent to 11 percent. Meditation rates also increased, from 8 percent to 9.9 percent.
That’s good news, say the study authors, since activities like yoga and meditation have been shown to improve employee well-being and productivity.
“Our finding of high and increasing rates of exposure to mindfulness practices among U.S. workers is encouraging,” they wrote in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) journal Preventing Chronic Disease. “Approximately 1 in 7 workers report engagement in some form of mindfulness-based activity, and these individuals can bring awareness of the benefit of such practices into the workplace.”
The study, which surveyed adults on whether they’d participated in specific activities in the last year, revealed that people with jobs were more likely to practice mindfulness techniques than those who were unemployed. (However, the participants were not asked where and when they practiced these activities, so it’s unknown how many people were actually doing them at work, versus on their own time.)
The authors point out that incorporating mindfulness practices into the workplace experience—through employee wellness and stress-reduction programs, yoga and meditation classes and web-based offerings—can be a way for companies to encourage their workers to take part.
The study also identified room for improvement in certain sectors. Blue-collar and service workers were less likely to practice mindfulness techniques than white-collar workers, and farm workers even less. Household income and education levels partially accounted for these disparities, but not entirely.
The authors say that employers in these occupations could benefit by identifying workers who do practice mindfulness techniques, and involve them in planning and promoting these activities for other employees.
Institutional obstacles, such as lack of funding, lack of time or personal beliefs, “should be addressed to make these practices available to all workers,” they wrote. Men and socioeconomically disadvantaged groups within these occupations are the least likely to do them.
In previous research, these types of workplace interventions have been associated with a host of benefits for employees. Mindfulness training has been shown to reduce burnout and mood disturbances in health care providers, and to improve sleep quality among teachers. (The study authors were unable to find any mindfulness studies that had specifically focused on blue-collar or farm workers.)
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The new study also looked at the prevalence of two other mindfulness practices—tai chi and qigong—but did not find a substantial change in these rates over time. Yoga and meditation are likely more popular because they’ve received much attention in the general public over the past two decades, the authors point out.
As a whole, mindfulness practices can “address multiple workplace wellness needs, benefiting both employees and employers,” the study authors say. Kristin McGee, a yoga instructor in New York City and author of the upcoming book Chair Yoga, says that mindfulness techniques are important for managing workplace pressures, no matter what that workplace is. “Having any type of job nowadays is so stressful because of the long hours we spend working,” says McGee (who was not involved in the study). Mind-body techniques like yoga can help counteract some of that stress and some of the physical demands of work, whether from hard manual labor or sitting hunched over at a computer, McGee says.
McGee encourages people in all types of jobs to incorporate a bit of mindfulness into their workday, even if it’s just a simple breathing exercise. Research has shown that slowing down and deepening breath can have real effects on wellbeing, including controlling blood pressure and improving heart rate. “That oxygenating breath helps clear the mind and reminds you that you’re in charge of your breath and your body,” McGee says. “It’s a great tool for avoiding knee-jerk reactions, and having better control over the situation.”
To stretch a bit at work, McGee recommends side bends to help prevent back soreness and stiffness. These can be done standing or seated in a chair: Keep your back straight, lift your arms overhead, interlace fingers and press palms toward the ceiling, and bend gently to right and then to the left.
Other work-friendly yoga poses include spinal twists, (which can be done seated or standing) eagle arms (great for stretching out wrists and shoulders), and mountain pose (for resetting your posture, boosting energy, and improving focus).
Yoga Is Officially Sweeping the Workplace7 Fitness and Diet Journals That Can Help You Achieve Your 2017 Goals
This article originally appeared on SI.com.
You've set a health goal for 2017. Now stay on track and stick to your resolution by using one of these fitness journals or workout logs to keep tabs on your daily meals and more. After a few days, weeks or months, check back in to see how far you've progressed—and to set new goals as the year carries on.
Eat Drink Move Sleep: A Health Tracking Journal
Getting healthier in the new year isn’t all about the food you eat and the weights you lift. This journal’s pages allow you to record workouts and meals, but it also has space for you to record daily notes on sleep, mood and more, so you can improve habits and feel great ($12; amazon.com).
Believe Training Journal
Created by professional runners Lauren Fleshman and Roisin McGettigan-Dumas, this journal is made to help runners achieve their goals. The journal has space to record daily workouts and plan training weeks, but it also features photos, advice, inspirational quotes and secrets from real runners on how to push your body to the limit ($15; amazon.com).
Weekly Workout Journal and Food Diary
Made for on-the-go tracking, this journal is smaller than most but features two key pages, one for recording workout routines and another for daily food logging. Its look and layout are simple and straight-forward, so you can put your time and effort into working towards results ($13; amazon.com).
Fitlosophy Goal Getter Fitspiration Journal
This journal features 114 entries for 16 weeks of inspiration through healthy tips, motivational quotes, and space for notes and reflection on each page. Rate each day and write notes on workout quality, food intake, mood and more. It’s like carrying a motivating companion with you each day ($24; amazon.com).
Fitness Journal 2017 Notebook and Food Planner
Another simple way to achieve your fitness and health goals in 2017. This journal’s pages are formatted for one year’s worth of workouts and food planning—it’s up to you to fill in the blanks and record your journey to a better you ($6; amazon.com).
Fitlosophy Fitbook
Stay accountable with this detailed log book featuring 12 weeks of goal-setting, planning and measurement pages. There are spaces for writing in eating habits, including nutrients, vitamins, water and sleep, and also features a built-in small pen and sleeve for workouts, cards, cash and more ($23; amazon.com).
Gym Diary Workout Log Book and Food Journal
Counting calories? Looking to build strength at the gym? Whatever your looking to do in 2017, this gym diary is an easy way to record exactly what you eat and how quickly you can reach a new PR at the gym ($6; amazon.com).
7 Fitness and Diet Journals That Can Help You Achieve Your 2017 Goalslundi 2 janvier 2017
This Is the Full-Body Workout Ruby Rose Swears By
Need some fitspo? Just take a quick scroll through Ruby Rose's Instagram feed. Pull-ups, sit-ups, axe throwing—the Australian model and actress has been there, done that. But prepping for her turn as Acres in John Wick: Chapter 2 (out in February) called for compound moves—like a full-body combo of mountain climbers, scissors, and frogs—to spike the heart rate and incinerate fat, explains Patrick Murphy, who trained her for the role.
"Ruby had many fight scenes and had to look strong doing them; these triple-threat slider moves really increased her cardio strength, in addition to core and leg muscular endurance," he says. The best part: You'll notice improved balance and quicker heart rate recovery between sets after just three weeks. Now get ready to rock it like Rose!
RELATED: 24 Fat-Burning Ab Exercises (No Crunches!)
For maximum calorie burn, do 10 reps of the sequence above, then repeat three times. Do it three times a week.
This Is the Full-Body Workout Ruby Rose Swears By