Fitness - Health : mars 2017

vendredi 31 mars 2017

Steal Ashley Graham’s Killer Upper-Body Workout

Ashley Graham is definitely about that gym life. And we know this because the 29-year-old model has been posting her sweat sessions on Instagram as of late. Her workout of choice: hitting it hard with Dawin Peña, co-founder and trainer at The DogPound, a boutique training studio in NYC.

Thanks to a recent Instagram story posted by the America’s Next Top Model judge, we happened to get a glimpse into one of Graham's evening exercise routines. Let me tell you, it is a killer upper-body circuit that hit the triceps, biceps, chest, and back. And she finished off with some core work.

The best part: it only took Graham 2 minutes and 48 seconds to get through these moves. (Yep, I timed her). Granted, you have to take into account that she probably rested here and there, and did a few more sets and reps than she let us in on, but even with those considerations, this is still a great workout option for when you are short on time.

Our suggestion: Cycle through this 11-move circuit 3 times. If you do that, you are looking at about a 10- to 12-minute upper body blaster that you can knock out the next time you are in the gym. Oh, and you also might want to download the playlist Graham was rocking too—Sean Paul’s “Gimme The Light,” Mr. Probz’s “Waves,” Kid Cudi’s “The Pursuit of Happiness,” Eddie Money’s “Take Me Home Tonight” and Future’s “Real Sisters”—because it was kind of fire!

Now get that upper body (and those abs) in shape…because summer is coming!

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Rope Triceps Extension

Stand with feet hip-width apart, hinge forward slightly and grab each end of the cable ropes; palms face in. Keeping upper arms straight and close to body, pull down using forearms, lowering the rope until arms are fully extended and at either side of legs. Pause and then slowly return back to start. (Graham did 10 reps.)

Overhead Triceps Extension

Stand with back to cable machine, feet staggered, one foot in front of the other, and knees slightly bent; hinge forward. With arms overhead and bent backwards to about 90-degrees, hold cable rope in each hand; palms face in. Keeping elbows close to ears, pull ropes down until arms are fully extended. Pause and then return to start. (Graham did 9 reps.)

Rope Biceps Curl

Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, legs bent slightly and end of cable ropes grasped between hands; palms face in. Pull ropes up toward shoulders using forearms; upper arms stay fixed. Lower back down to start, and then repeat. (Graham did 9 reps.)

Seated Cable Row

Start seated on a bench with legs wider than hip-width apart, feet planted, and arms extended up on a diagonal with ends of cable ropes grasped between hands; palms face in. Squeezing back, pull ropes down towards torso; keep arms close to body. Pause and then slowly return to start. (Graham did 8 reps.)

Seated One Arm Row

Start seated on a bench with legs wider than hip-width apart and feet planted. Place left hand on hip while right arm is extended up on a diagonal with cable handle grasped in hand; palm face down. Squeezing back, pull rope down towards torso, twisting hand out so that palm faces in; keep arm close to body. Hold, and then slowly return back to start. Repeat on opposite side. (Graham did 7 reps.)

Seated Lat Pulldown

Start seated with back straight, knees under knee pad and bar in hands (overhand grip) slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Without moving torso, pull bar down to chest while squeezing shoulder blades together. Pause, and then slowly return to start. (Graham did 7 reps.)

Dumbbell Fly

Lie faceup on a bench with feet planted on floor and a dumbbell in each hand. Extend arms straight up over chest; palms face in. Keeping a slight bend in elbows, slowly open arms out until they are in line with chest and hands are parallel to floor. Pause and then raise arms back up to start. (Graham did 6 reps.)

Standing Biceps Curls

Stand with feet wider than hip-width apart and knees slightly bent. Hold a dumbbell in each hand in front of body; palms face up. Bend elbows and curl the right hand up toward the right shoulder. As you slowly lower the right hand back down, begin repeating the motion with the left hand. Continue alternating. (Graham did 4 reps per arm.)

In & Out

Start seated with arms behind you and hands on floor; fingers facing feet. Lean back, raise legs and bend knees. With abs tight, extend legs straight out as you lower back down slightly. Pull legs back in and lift torso back up. Continue repeating. (Graham did 17 reps.)

Jacknife

Lie faceup with arms and legs extended straight out. Simultaneously raise your right leg and left arm as you crunch up, bringing the two together over the stomach. Lower back to start. After desired number of reps, repeat with opposite arm and leg. (Graham did 10 reps.)

Crunches

Lie faceup with legs extended straight up, a light bend in knees, feet crossed at the ankles (left over right) and hands lightly on back of head. Crunch up and then lower back to start. Repeat. (Graham did 15 reps.)

Steal Ashley Graham’s Killer Upper-Body Workout

Google’s New Feature Takes the Stress Out of Booking Fitness Classes

Thanks to the Google's many clever features, we no longer get lost (as often), bungle dates and double-book, or choose mediocre restaurants. And now Google is back at it again, with yet another way to simplify your life: Reserve with Google is a new platform that makes it super easy to discover and book fitness classes.

The site allows you to search your area for upcoming classes, and reserve and pay for a spot instantly. If you're signed into your Google account, some of your info (like your name, email, and phone number) will pre-load to make booking even faster. The service kicked off in New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, and is now available across the country, thanks to partnerships with booking services you may already know and love, such as Mindbody, Genbook, and MyTime.

Reserve with Google also makes recommendations to help you discover new ways to get your sweat on, complete with class descriptions, pricing, and reviews—so you know exactly what you're signing up for. And the “Discover more around you” section groups suggestions into categories like “Yoga this evening” and “Pilates before work.” Really want to mix it up? You can choose Google's notorious “I’m feeling lucky" option.

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To help you fit your workouts into your schedule, the service works with Google Maps (so you get a visual of the closest gyms and studios) and Google Calendar (so you can block off precious time).

Whether you're looking to try a new activity, or schedule out a full week of exercise, this platform can help you do so seamlessly. And once you're sufficiently sore, it'll help you search for massage appointments (and other spa services) nearby to help your body bounce back.

Google’s New Feature Takes the Stress Out of Booking Fitness Classes

jeudi 30 mars 2017

These 2 'Microworkouts' Are Super Short and Majorly Effective

Your schedule is jam-packed, and you've lost all hope of making it to the gym. But here's some good news: You can still fit in a serious workout even when you have almost zero time. Really!

Research suggests that a 10-minute sweat session with 1 minute of high-intensity exercise (think sprints, on foot or a stationary bike) can lead to the same benefits—including improved cardiovascular health, increased endurance, and fat percentage loss—as exercising at a moderate pace for 45 minutes.

If you're wondering how that could possibly be, it's all explained in the new book The One-Minute Workout: Science Shows a Way to Get Fit That's Smarter, Faster, Shorter ($27; amazon.com). Author Martin Gibala, PhD, is the chair of the kinesiology department at McMaster University and the pioneering researcher behind ultralow-volume exercise.

"We have this notion that it takes at least an hour to get in a good workout—more if you factor in the time required to get to and from the gym," he writes. "My studies show that idea is nonsense." Below, Gibala shares two routines from his book that deliver maximum results in minimal time.

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The One-Minute Workout

"[T]his protocol can be used by almost anyone who wishes to improve or maintain cardiovascular fitness in the most time-efficient manner science has yet discovered," Gibala writes.

Peak Intensity: 10+

Duration: 10 minutes, with just 1 minute of hard exercise

1. Warm up with some light physical activity for 3 minutes at an easy pace.

2. Blast through a 20-second sprint at an all-out pace.

3. Rest with some light activity at intensity 1 for 2 minutes.

4. Blast through another 20-second sprint.

5. Repeat the cycle until you’ve completed 3 sprints.

6. End with a 2-minute cool-down for a total duration of 10 minutes.

Feel free to customize the sprint activity to any full-body movement that significantly elevates your heart rate.

The Go-To Workout

"If I could only do one type of workout, it would be this one," Gibala says in his book. "It includes some of the best elements of the most time-efficient workouts in this book, including body-weight training for upper- and lower-body strength and active recovery periods that keep the heart rate elevated for cardiovascular training."

Peak Intensity • 10

Duration • 10 minutes

1. As a warm-up, perform 30 seconds of jumping jacks.

2. Alternate bodyweight resistance-training exercises with some type of cardiovascular exercise in repeating 30-second intervals. The bodyweight exercises should be performed hard, at an intensity of 10, such that you “fail” or are unable to perform any additional repetitions at the end of the 30-second period. Reduce the intensity somewhat during the cardio intervals in between, but the pace should remain vigorous, perhaps starting out at an exertion of 5 and progressing to an 8. So while these are “recovery” intervals in between the bodyweight exercises, your heart rate remains high throughout the entire 10-minute workout, providing an effective cardiovascular training stimulus.

3. The bodyweight intervals should incorporate upper- and lower-body exercises. One great combination is push-ups, pull-ups, and air squats. If you’re unable to conduct the exercise for the whole 30-second interval, just do as many as you can. Also, feel free to work in such other exercises as mountain climbers, burpees, or lunges.

4. The cardiovascular exercise could be cycling, climbing stairs, or running a predetermined “lap” around a park or even briskly in place. You could stick with one type of exercise or vary this throughout the workout.

And you’re done! Congratulations—you’ve just employed a variety of the most potent, scientifically proven fitness and strength-boosting techniques to improve health, in only 10 minutes!

These 2 'Microworkouts' Are Super Short and Majorly Effective

mercredi 29 mars 2017

The Hidden Risk of Running a Marathon

This article originally appeared on Time.com.

Running is a great workout, and it comes with all of the heart-strengthening benefits of aerobic exercise. But doing it for long distances—like in a marathon—may come with unintended health consequences. A small new study finds that marathon runners can experience short-term kidney injury after the race.

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In the study, published in the American Journal of Kidney Diseases, researchers took blood and urine samples from 22 people who ran the 2015 Hartford Marathon, and looked for evidence of kidney injury. The researchers reported that based on the markers they observed in the samples, 82% of the runners had evidence of stage 1 acute kidney injury after the race. The problem appeared to be short-term, and most people’s kidneys returned to normal within 24 to 48 hours.

Still, the researchers say that their findings underline the fact that running a marathon is a stressful event for the body, and that some people may want to be extra vigilant. “We knew we would find something, but I was surprised by the level [of injury],” says study author Dr. Chirag Parikh, a professor of medicine at Yale University. “It’s comparable to what I see in hospitals.”

More research is needed, but Parikh says that people who have no risk factors for kidney disease probably don’t need to worry. People with diabetes or high blood pressure, or people who are older, may want to work closely with trainers and doctors to keep an eye on their kidney health if they’re running marathons.

Though the researchers did not determine how exactly running a marathon can temporarily hurt kidneys, Parikh says the damage may be due to less blood flow to the kidneys, high core body temperature and dehydration. It’s still unknown whether this short-lived kidney injury can cause cumulative damage, or if some people may not recover in the short-term.

The study is not the first to find that marathons can come with health risks. While it’s clear that getting exercise is important, research suggests that more isn’t always better. A 2015 review published in the journal Current Sports Medicine Reports found that while runners in the study lived longer than non-runners, men and women gained the lifesaving benefits of running if they ran at slow or moderate speeds for about one to two hours a week. Among the runners, the people who ran the most had worse survival rates than people who ran less.

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Parikh says that his study did not identify who might be at a higher risk, but notes that people over age 40 are increasingly signing up for marathons, and may want to take more precautions. Today, people 40 and older make up nearly 50% of marathon finishers in the U.S., compared to 1980 when this age group made up just 26%.

“Is there a right amount of distance for each person?” says Parikh. “Like everything else, there might be a balance of the benefits and risks. People can find the right distance for them and train their body.”

The Hidden Risk of Running a Marathon

mardi 28 mars 2017

The Real Reason I Work Out? Because I Want to Live in Leggings

The woman I want to be looks something like the woman I saw in a recent Athleta catalog. She’s effortlessly jumping across a babbling brook in a verdant forest—while wearing sleek slate-gray workout tights and a quilted jewel-toned hoodie. Or wait: Maybe I’m the lady doing yoga on the beach in a slouchy pale-pink tank top, who I saw pictured in the window at Lululemon. While I definitely admire both of their strong bodies and what looks like adventurous spirits (as well as their choice of vacation spots)—I also really, really want those clothes.

Confession: I’ve never met a pair of leggings I didn’t love. As far as I’m concerned, if I could spend 90 percent of my life in slimming, strategically seamed workout wear that makes me feel ready to leap and bound, I would.

But it comes with a catch. If I want a piece of new gear, I’ve got to earn it. I have to be out there logging miles, slogging through spin class, grimacing through the ridiculously hard thigh portion of barre workouts. I need to be using the stuff so much that occasionally the items actually wear out and have to be replaced! It’s simple: The more consistent I am with my exercise regimen, the more justified I feel bringing home a new goodie.

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Judging from what I wear the majority of the time—note that I work from home—you’d think I was pretty much always coming from or going to the gym. But that’s the point. The last person I want to be is the lady who looks like she is suited up for the gym but whose main cardio is gabbing at school drop-off. Oh, and my little sweat-for-spandex bargain also works once the gear has come home with me. On a day when I’m short on motivation, a cute new top is often what gets me out the door.

Look, I’m not aiming to be the best in the class, the fastest in the park, or even a seven-days-a-week exerciser. I’m only trying to keep myself on track when it comes to my spending, my sweating, and my style. Some people need a prize at the finish line. Me? I need something dangling at the starting gate—something just within reach and preferably ankle-length.

The Real Reason I Work Out? Because I Want to Live in Leggings

How Kickboxing Can Change Your Body and Your Life

This article originally appeared on Time.com.

To get better balance, power and agility, kickboxing is king among workouts. Experts who have studied the sport say nearly everyone—even older people who might shy away from such things—can benefit from throwing a punch.

Unlike most other types of exercise, kickboxing emphasizes powerful movements. Power is different from strength, and for older adults, it’s an even better predictor of mobility and their risk for falls, says Kurt Jackson, an associate professor of neurology and rehab science at the University of Dayton in Ohio. “Pure strength is what a weightlifter uses, but producing power is about both force and speed,” he says.

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Kickboxing training tends to involve shorts bouts, two to three minutes long, of intense, repetitive movement—like hitting a punching bag over and over again and kicking and kneeing a pad someone else is holding. “If you look at the research on high-intensity interval training [HIIT], you see these short, intense periods of activity can have big benefits,” he says. Some research shows that even very brief stretches—just 60 seconds—of HIIT can offer the same gains in heart and lung health as 45 minutes of less-intense exercise.

Kickboxing has been shown to improve fitness, power, flexibility and agility, according to a study of healthy men in their twenties who trained three days a week for five weeks. The men in the study improved their upper and lower body power by about 7%, while shaving off more than a second from their time in a 50-meter dash.

It also torches a lot of calories. One study from the American Council on Exercise (ACE) found that the kind of punching-and-kicking combinations used in Tae Bo or “cardio kickboxing” classes burn more than eight calories per minute—about the same amount you’d burn while swimming.

The sport can also improve coordination, even in the most extreme cases. Jackson studies the neuromuscular benefits of kickboxing training for people with multiple sclerosis (MS), a condition in which poor communication between the brain and muscles can lead to falls or problems with activities that rely on multitasking, like walking and talking. Kickboxing helps strengthen neuromuscular control in people with the disease in ways that improve balance, mobility and dual-tasking activities, he found.

The benefits likely apply to older adults as well. Kickboxing improves both types of balance that the body requires—anticipatory and reactive—and better balance reduces risk of falls or muscle weakness. “Anticipatory balance is something you use when you can see a need coming, like when you’re stabilizing yourself to reach up into a cupboard,” Jackson says. Reactive balance is the type of mind-muscle coordination you need to catch your balance when you trip, or when life throws some unexpected object your way.

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Those skills are useful before you hit old age. If your workout routine relies on lifting weights, running or yoga, your neuromuscular system may not be tuned to handle the kind of dynamic motion required for sports—even the ones you do just a few times a year, like skiing or pickup basketball. “You see these people step or twist wrong and suffer major tears,” Jackson says. “Kickboxing training is a great way to avoid those types of injuries.”

However, the swift whole-body movements required in kickboxing could also cause injuries. Back, knee, hip and shoulder strains are all common among kickboxers, found a study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research.

As with most other forms of vigorous exercise, if you’re a newbie, it’s important to ease into kickboxing gradually. “If you have a bad knee or some other limitation, it’s important to have a coach or physical therapist who knows how to adapt a kickboxing program to your needs, and who will introduce it in a controlled, systematic manner,” Jackson says. Start slow, and you’ll get the most benefits in the end.

How Kickboxing Can Change Your Body and Your Life

lundi 27 mars 2017

I Love My Children, But I Work Out to Escape Them

The birth of my twins 13 years ago coincided with the death of any semblance of privacy or personal space.

First there was the nursing, which kept at least one of them dangling off my body for a good part of the day and night. Then, once they could crawl, I was afraid to shut the bathroom door for fear they’d bring a bookshelf down on their heads or eat the refrigerator magnets and get stuck to one another at the belly.

I was a nervous mom to begin with, and the two of them, constantly in motion and mischief, made me anxious and hypervigilant. Unfortunately, my open-door policy with my toddlers led to their begging to sit on my lap, even when I was peeing. I said no, but I was too ridden with working-mom guilt (bad mommy, earning money to support your children!) to boot them out and too exhausted to deal with the ensuing meltdowns if I tried.

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I’d gotten myself into a bad pattern in which the kids felt entitled to a 24-hour all-access mommy pass, and I didn’t know how to break it. I loved them to the moon, but I was depleted and not exactly a joy to be around.

That’s when I started saying, "Mommy has to go to the gym." I’m not sure whether my husband was more thrilled to afford me the free time or to just be rid of me, but it didn’t really matter. For a full hour, I’d go downstairs to our building’s gym and do… whatever. At first, I’d simply sit in the ladies’ room and marvel at what it was like to not have to rush out—pants open, hands unwashed—to avert some impending crisis. I’d noodle around on the bike and then head back upstairs, a saner person for it. Sometimes I made uninterrupted phone calls, and occasionally I cried from the stress of it all.

RELATED: 4 Superpowers of New Moms

But eventually I began to use my time efficiently, doing 40 minutes of cardio and either stretching or using the weight machines. I’d been a regular before I had my kids, so getting back in shape wasn’t hard. And just going to a place where I could have myself all to myself was amazing.

Now my children are teenagers, and when I text them through the closed door of their bedroom to say, “Mommy’s going to the gym,” I’m lucky if I get a thumbs-up emoji in reply. But it’s all good, and the gym is still my sanctuary, a place I will forever associate with blissful escape.

I Love My Children, But I Work Out to Escape Them

Get Strapless Season-Ready With These 6 Exercises for Your Arms, Shoulders, and Back

vendredi 24 mars 2017

Do These 5 Moves to Boost Your Booty for Wedding Season

Torch Calories With This Total-Body Circuit Workout

This article originally appeared on DailyBurn.com.

Creating an all-encompassing workout — one that gets your heart rate up while strengthening every major muscle group — takes some fancy fit work. But it’s something Steve Uria, founder of Switch Playground in New York City (original location: South Africa), does with gusto. If you’ve never been to the playground, imagine recess for adults but with more structure and sculpting goals.

Each class at Switch includes 20 stations, with two exercises per station. You’ll work every body part — big and small — and because you only do each exercise for 30 seconds (two minutes total per station), you’ll break a serious sweat to boot. (The party vibe with a live DJ and neon lights will help you turn up the intensity, too.)

“Circuit workouts promote a functional training environment to condition the whole body,” Uria explains. “You’re maximizing benefit in minimal time, and creating a cardiovascular experience within a strength training arena.” In other words, you simultaneously pump up the volume on fat burning and muscle building.

Of course, we couldn’t leave Uria’s fun and games at the playground, so we had him design a sequence you could do right at home. All you need is a set of dumbbells, a kettlebell and med ball, and a killer workout playlist (like this one). Crank the volume, and you’re ready to blast through these circuits.

4 Mini Circuit Workouts, 1 Killer Total-Body Routine

Get ready for one mini circuit for every section of the body, plus a total-body scorcher. Each circuit features just three moves — but packs plenty of targeted body benefits. Do 12 to 15 reps of each move and two to three rounds of each circuit before moving on to the next. If you still have some drive by that final exercise, push it into high gear and repeat everything from the top, Uria says. Sweaty, sculpted and oh-so-energized… here you come!

Lower Body Circuit Workout

Fire up some of the biggest muscles in the body: your quads, hamstrings, and even more so, your glutes. Hello, booty burn.

1. Side Step Squat
How to: With a dumbbell in each hand and your arms down by your sides, stand with feet hip-width apart (a). Step out to the left side, push your hips back and drop your butt down to sit into a squat (b). Stand up straight, then step your feet back to the starting position (c). Next, step out to the right side and sit into a squat (d). Stand up, return to the starting position, and continue alternating.

2. Back Lunge with Knee Raise
How to: Start standing with feet hip-width apart (a). Step your left foot back into a low lunge, both knees bent at 90 degrees and your left knee hovering just off the floor. At the same time, bring your arms straight up at a 45-degree angle (b). Step forward, bringing your left knee up toward your chest, as you bring your arms back down to your sides (c). Repeat, then switch sides.

3. Glute Cross Overs
How to: Start on all fours with your shoulders over wrists and your knees in line with hips (a). Bring your right knee in toward your chest, then shoot it straight out behind you, raising it straight up toward the ceiling (b). Then move your right leg over your left leg, and tap the floor lightly with your right foot, just outside of your left foot (c). Shoot it back up to the ceiling and repeat, then switch sides.

RELATED: 9 Reasons Not to Skip Leg Day

Upper Body Circuit Workout

You’ll work your entire upper body — shoulders, chest, back, triceps and biceps — with this muscle-burning trifecta. Remember to keep your shoulders rolled down and away from your ears for each exercise.

1. Lateral Dumbbell Raise into Curl Press
How to: Holding a dumbbell in each hand, stand with your feet hip-width apart and arms down in front of you (a). Raise your arms straight out to the sides to shoulder height, palms facing down (b). Bring your arms back down to your sides and then, circle your hands inward and upward for a bicep curl (c). When the dumbbells reach shoulder height, swiftly switch your palms to face front. Then push your hands straight up for an overhead press (d). Bring your arms back down, flipping your palms to face you at chest height and return to the starting position (e). Repeat.

2. Push-Up Rotation
How to: Start in a high plank position with your hands holding dumbbells, shoulders over wrists and your body in a straight line from shoulders to ankles (a). Perform a push-up (b). Then, pull the weight in your left hand straight up to your chest, as you pivot on your feet. Straighten your arm to a T as you hit your side plank (c). Return back to the high plank and repeat on the other side (d). Continue alternating, with a push-up between each rotation.

3. Bent Over Fly to Row to Tricep Kickback
How to: Start with your feet hip-width apart with a slight bend in the knees. Hinge forward at the hips about 45 degrees. Maintain a flat back (a). Holding two dumbbells down by your sides, palms facing each other, lift your arms out to the sides (slight bend in the elbows) and squeeze your shoulder blades together to complete a fly (b). Bring your arms back down to your sides, then pull the weight toward your chest and bend your elbows. Keeping your elbows elevated, straighten your arms behind you to complete the tricep kickback. You should raise the weights above your hips (c). Return to the start and repeat.

To see the rest of this total-body workout, check out Life by Daily Burn.

Torch Calories With This Total-Body Circuit Workout

jeudi 23 mars 2017

4 Upper-Body Exercises to Steal From Taraji P. Henson’s Workout

10 Ways to Burn More Calories During Any Type of Workout

Let's face it: whether you're an experienced exerciser or totally new to working out, very few of us have the time to dedicate hours upon hours to our sweat sessions. That's why it's important to make every minute count. These proven tips and techniques will turn up your calorie burn during every workout you do, helping you bust through fitness plateaus and melt fat away in less time.

Pump up the jams

Pop in your earbuds, cue up your favorite playlist and get cranking. Listening to music is one of the easiest—and most fun—ways to rev up your calorie burn. When a team of University of Wisconsin researchers asked men and women to perform two 8-minute exercise sessions on a stationary bike, one with music and one in silence, the exercisers increased their average heart rate by 10 beats per minute, worked harder, and burned 7% more calories when they pedaled to tunes.

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Pair up with an inspirational partner

Exercising with someone just a little better than you can bring out your calorie-scorching best. In one study, researchers from Kansas State University found that people who exercised with a partner they thought was a little fitter and stronger than they were increased their workout time and intensity by as much as 200%.

Let go of the rails

The more muscles you use, the more calories you burn. That means letting go of the rails on the treadmill and not leaning on the elliptical so your lower body and supporting core muscles have to work harder to keep you upright and in motion.

Put your arms into it

Race-walkers have an adage: As your arms go, your legs follow. If you want to speed up your pace and turn up your burn, pump your arms faster and your feet will follow. You’ll also engage more upper body muscles for another calorie burning bonus. Ditto for your elliptical machine sessions. Research shows that exercisers use more fat-burning oxygen when they get their arms into the action by using the elliptical machines handles than when they churn along with their legs alone.

Find your sweet spot

High intensity interval training (HIIT) may be great for getting a big metabolic bump for your exercise time, but because it's so hard, many people burn out and don’t do it enough to see results. For a better, consistently higher, calorie burn, you want to hit your “sweet spot,” says Daniel Frankl, PhD, kinesiology professor at California State University, Los Angeles. “That’s the highest submaximal exercise intensity you can tolerate for 30 minutes.” You know you’re there when your breathing is slightly labored, but you can still talk in short sentences.

Wear some weights

Heavier people burn more calories because their bodies have to work harder to keep them in motion. You obviously don’t want to gain weight to burn calories, but you can fake it by wearing a weighted vest or adjustable weight garment like the TITIN Force Shirt System, a compression shirt that lets you slip up to 8 pounds of weight into 14 pockets. Research shows adding weight to your workouts can increase your calorie burn by 7% during moderate walks and more than 13% during step-climbing exercise.

Use the force

Gravity is an unexpected, but effective calorie burner—you have to work exponentially harder to fight its forces when you walk, bike, or run at an incline. Head to the hills: you can burn 50% more calories when you go from pancake-level terrain to a more challenging 6% incline.

Drink some java

Caffeine not only revs your metabolism, but also is a proven performance enhancer. Studies show that the energizing chemical found in coffee reduces your perception of exercise, so hard efforts feel easier and you can go harder, longer and burn more calories.

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Cool your jets

Hydrate with icy-cold water for a one-two metabolic calorie burning punch. For one, downing a couple cups of cold water can raise your metabolism by about 5% as your body works to warm the fluid. Also drinking an icy beverage before exercising in the heat can help you feel fresher and crank out longer and harder efforts before fatiguing, so you can easily burn more calories.

Tune in, not out

Texting, watching TV, and flipping through a magazine are good ways to multitask while spinning away on the stationary bike or churning through an elliptical workout, says Frankl. “But they take your attention away your workout so you may not be giving it your best effort,” says Frankl. “Paying attention to your effort—your heart rate, your breathing, the sensation in your muscles—helps you maintain a steady effort so you can burn more calories,” he says.

10 Ways to Burn More Calories During Any Type of Workout

mercredi 22 mars 2017

4 Exercises to Steal From Misty Copeland for a Strong Ballerina Body

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Exercise Addict Who Works Out 8 Hours a Day Seeks Help on The Doctors

This article originally appeared on People.com.

Erin is a self-proclaimed exercise addict.

The 39-year-old from San Diego, California reveals on Tuesday’s episode of the syndicated daytime series The Doctors that she builds her whole life around fitting in workout sessions.

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“I exercise eight hours a day,” she says in an exclusive clip. “I never get tired, I don’t get sore.”

But even though her body can seemingly handle her excessive workouts, they do not make her feel good.

“I’ll cancel plans, I’ll cancel appointments. It’s been controlling my life,” she says. “I just can’t stop. It’s not giving me the rush that I used to feel just doing three to four hours.”

Erin says she squeezes in early morning workouts before work, and then returns to the gym when she is done for the day.

“Around 5 o’clock is when I work out, and then I go to work, and then I work out for another two hours,” she says.

But Erin also reveals she has been using exercise to avoid a painful trauma she experienced in the past.

“Eight months ago I got a message from a girl. It triggered a memory that I had suppressed for 30 years,” she says in the clip. “Basically from that time on I’ve been adding on exercise so that I can just forget about that whole nightmare of those four years of life.”

Host Dr. Travis Stork commends Erin for seeking the help she needs to fight her addiction.

“Before we get into where we need to go from here, we have to acknowledge where we are right now,” he says. “I’m so happy you realize that you need to change, because when I saw those blood pressure readings, there are things in medicine we call hypertensive urgency, and those blood pressure numbers [are] quite alarming.”

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Gastroenterologist Dr. Jorge Rodriguez, who is working to treat Erin, says he was also alarmed by the results.

“In the six years that I’ve done the show with you, Erin is the most ill person, the sickest person that we’ve had on the show in my opinion,” he says.

To find out more of her test results and to see if The Doctors can help Erin, check your local listings and tune into Tuesday’s episode.

Exercise Addict Who Works Out 8 Hours a Day Seeks Help on The Doctors

mardi 21 mars 2017

10 Ways to Be a Better Runner for Life

Ready to step up the pace? Whether you need a motivational push, better calorie burn techniques, or a race-training program, this plan will get you there. 10 Ways to Be a Better Runner for Life

Why Your Butt Is Staying Flat No Matter How Much You Work Out

You do endless squats. You’ve tried the booty band. You’ve danced along to Brazilian Butt Lift DVD workouts. Yet somehow you still aren’t the proud owner of a tush that resembles the peach emoji.

The truth is, the appearance of your butt is partially out of your control, says Harley Pasternak, celebrity trainer and Fitbit ambassador. “Genetics is the number-one component of the size and shape of your butt,” he says. “Different ethnicities also have certain biological predispositions for adiposity in different parts of the butt, or different waist-to-hip ratios that give the butt and hips a particular look,” he adds.

Pasternak also notes that how you've used your glutes throughout your life may also dictate the natural development of your butt. “So someone who was a gymnast as a kid might have more developed glutes, or an easier time toning the glutes as they get older, than someone who maybe didn’t do any sports as a child,” he explains.

Now for the good news: Just because you can't necessarily battle the natural curve of your booty doesn't mean you can't amp up the assets you have, he assures. Plus, there are so many benefits of developing a strong, toned tush that go beyond how it fills out your jeans. Having strong glutes can make you a better runner, improve your posture, and more.

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So genetics aside, what else could be stalling your dream derriere? There are other little errors that people unknowingly make that can take the emphasis off of the glutes, Pasternak says. Make these exercise and lifestyle adjustments to accelerate your results.

Don't rely on the same old butt exercises

Certain moves that we often associate with the glutes actually recruit other large lower-body muscles (namely the quadriceps) to do most of the work. "This tends to be the case with basic body-weight squats and leg presses," Pasternak says.

Instead, Pasternak recommends focusing more on unilateral movement, or working one side of the body at a time so that other large muscles in both legs don't dominate. "Unilateral training will allow you to access the glutes more directly," he says. Moves to work into your butt routine: single-leg deadlifts, lunges, and lying single-leg hip thrusts.

Related: 4 Moves to Perk Up a Flat Butt

Add hills and speed drills to your cardio

"Your butt is mainly fat. That’s just a fact," Pasternak says—and fighting flab requires a combo of cardio and a healthy diet. But you should be doing more with your cardio than steady treadmill runs if you want to zero in on the glutes, he says. "Steady running can actually shorten the hamstrings and cause the glutes to become disengaged," he says.

Instead, opt for walking or sprinting. "Walking forces you into a longer stride, which gives you the opportunity to access your glutes better. Sprinting requires your knees to lift higher, which also fires up the glutes," Pasternak explains.

For even more effective butt-targeting cardio, add incline. "I think stairs are just the most underrated glute blaster there is," Pasternak says. "I recommend that all my clients hit a step goal of 10,000 or 15,000 steps per day, and at least 1,500 of those should be on hills or stairs if you want to really want to tone the glutes fast."

Sit less, stretch more

Putting all of your bodyweight on your butt for hours upon hours each day can actually change the shape of it, Pasternak says. “Sitting also shortens and tightens the hip flexors, which impacts our ability to really activate both our glutes and core even when we're not seated," adds physical therapist David Reavy, owner of React Physical Therapy in Chicago, Ill.

After a period of being sedentary (and especially before going from desk chair to workout), Reavy suggests doing these three exercises to help lengthen the front of your body and re-activate the glutes:

Mobilization backbend: Start in a split stance, with one foot slightly behind you and the heel slightly raised. Reach back with the arm of the same side and place your fist on your sacrum. Lean back as far as you can and hold for a few seconds. Repeat the movement on the other side. Do about 10 reps on each side, bending back as far as you can each time.

Hip-flexor release: Lay on your stomach and put a lacrosse ball under your psoas. Allow your bodyweight to release onto the ball as much as possible without pain and lay until you feel your hip flexor relax.

Hip thrusts: Put your shoulders on a flat bench, heels on the ground. Using your glutes, lift your hips up to a bridge position, hold for a few seconds and lower your hips. Reavy suggests putting a resistance band around your thighs for added challenge: “This helps turn on your external rotators, which are part of your glutes, so you’ll be working your butt all the way around,” he says. Do three sets of 10 to 15 reps.

Why Your Butt Is Staying Flat No Matter How Much You Work Out

5 Heart-Pumping Samba Dance Moves That Burn Fat

3 Essential Strength Exercises For Runners

Trying to be a better runner? It's not just about logging miles (although that certainly helps). The key to running strong and long also has a lot to do with shoring up your muscles, activating your core and back in addition to your lower body, and keeping your movements fluid. To help do that, start incorporating these full-body strengthening moves from Nike+ Run Club coach Julia Lucas to your routine three days a week, before or after a run. You'll start noticing a difference in your strength in no time.

1. Planks

Planks have long been considered one of the best exercises for your core. In addition to your abs, this move engages your back, quads, and hamstrings, making it a great full-body exercise for runners. To do it, get into the “up” part of a push-up, with palms on the floor directly under shoulders and legs extended behind you, forming a straight line from head to heels. Hold for 10 to 30 seconds, keeping abs tight. Do 2 or 3 sets.

RELATED: 20 Ways to Do a Plank

2. Clamshells

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Clamshells work your hips and glutes, parts of the body that runners regularly need to activate. To do them, start out by lying on your side with legs stacked and knees bent at 45 degrees. Rest head on arm; place top hand on hip. With inside edges of feet touching, lift top knee as high as you can without shifting hips or pelvis. Pause; lower knee. Do 2 or 3 sets of 10 reps per side.

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3. Side squats

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Side squats are a great way to strengthen your outer highs, hips, and glutes. To do, stand with feet hip-width apart, hands on hips; squat. Stand; move left foot a step out. Squat again; step left foot in as you rise. Continue, alternating sides. Do 2 or 3 sets of 10 to 12 reps per side.

Pin all of these moves for later:

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3 Essential Strength Exercises For Runners

lundi 20 mars 2017

The Best Songs to Motivate You During a HIIT Workout

If just thinking about a HIIT workout seems tiring, let the music play. A Journal of Sports Sciences study found that when people performed four 30-second all-out sprint intervals on a bike while listening to music, they had a more positive workout experience than when they pedaled without tunes—possibly because music helps distract you from the, uh, discomfort of a tough sprint. Try biking (or running or rowing) it out to one of these songs recommended by Steph Dietz, lead instructor at Cyc Fitness, an indoor-cycling studio chain.

"They’re perfect for intervals because they slowly build to the chorus, where the beat drops, picking up speed and intensity," says Dietz. "Each song has about two or three HIIT interval builds."

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The best HIIT workout playlist:

The Best Songs to Motivate You During a HIIT Workout

This 5-Minute Yoga Flow Helps Hilaria Baldwin Get Mind-Body Balanced

7 Upper-Body Exercises That Banish Bra Bulge

No matter what size you are, you may have some fat between your back and arms that spills over your bra—also known as "bra bulge." Some of that's due to genetics, but an unbalanced workout routine can play a role as well. Many women neglect their arms, chest, and back due to a misguided fear of getting bulky. And while you may not love your bra bulge, a weak upper body can also wreck your posture and bring on back pain.

Barry's Bootcamp instructor and celeb personal trainer Astrid Swan wants you to get over your fear of upper body workouts, so she created this exclusive routine for Health. This seven-move sequence revs your heart rate to torch calories and melt away fat from your whole body (including your back). Plus, these sculpting exercises will perk up your posture, which may minimize the appearance bra bulge. Use a pair of heavy dumbbells; Swan suggests 12 lb. or higher, depending on your strength level.

Pushups to superman

Lower all the way to the floor slowly as you do a pushup. Lay flat and extend arms forward to a superman position, lifting chest and thighs off the floor. Pull elbows down to goal-post position and lower your body down to press back up into the top of the pushup. Do 10 repetitions.

Plank renegade rows

Start in plank position, using the dumbbells as handles. Keep feet slightly wider than hip width, be sure to keep hips parallel to the floor and abs engaged. Alternate renegade rows, 10 repetitions per side, for 20 total reps.

Squat thrusters

Start with dumbbells on shoulders, feet hip-width apart with feet slightly turned out. Lower down into a squat position, keeping chest tall and abs engaged. Power from the core and glutes to press the weights above head in a press. Be sure to avoid locking out your knees as you press the weights up to the top. Do 10 reps.

Combination of first three exercises

Combine all three moves minus the superman. Using the dumbbells as handles, do one pushup, at the top of the pushup complete renegade rows on the right side then left side. Next, jump your feet forward sand land in the bottom of your squat. Be sure to keep your core engaged as you thrust the weights above your head. Do 10 repetitions.

Snatch passes

Using one dumbbell, bend knees slightly to hoist up the weight and snatch it to the top. Be sure to keep hips tucked and keep a small bend in the knees as you extend the arm. Return to starting position and pass the weight to the other side. Do 10 reps per side.

Triceps extensions

Depending on your strength, you can continue using both weights or drop down to one. Do a triceps extension slowly; think three counts to lower and one count to press up. Keep your elbows tight, framing your face. Do 10 reps, slowly and with intention.

Halo

Hold one dumbbell on each end. Start with the dumbbell right under your chin, and pass it around your head clockwise for 10 reps, then counterclockwise for another 10 reps. Be sure to keep your elbows tight, framing your face, and bring the weight around your head (like a "halo") with elbows bent.

7 Upper-Body Exercises That Banish Bra Bulge

This Hybrid Smart Watch Fitness Tracker Has a 25-Day Battery Life

This article originally appeared on SI.com.

The first thing you notice when you see the Withings Steel HR is how little it resembles what most of us have come to expect from most fitness trackers in terms of shape and design. At first glance, it looks and feels like a classic analog watch: the silicone strap (or leather, if you choose that option) connects to a slim, round display with minute markers dotting the edges and hands to show you the time. The one giveaway that this is not your typical watch is the small circular OLED display at the top, and little would you know that housed behind that round face is enough hardware to power a very capable fitness tracker.

The Withings Steel HR (from $179.95, amazon.com, bestbuy.com) has all the standard features one would expect from a fitness tracker: it lets you know how many calories you've burned, offers heart-rate monitoring, automatically tracks your sleep, counts your steps, pulls notifications from your phone and has an alarm to gently wake you up.

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Aside from its design, one thing that really helps to set the Steel HR apart from a lot of other fitness trackers is its incredible battery life. Most fitness trackers can last you a few days before it needs to be charged again. Withings boasts that it can last up to 25 days on a single charge and that it has the longest battery life of any heart-rate tracker on the market. After spending nearly three straight weeks with the Steel HR on my wrist and over a dozen workouts tracked in that time, there was still enough juice left in the tank to leave me with little reason to doubt them on that claim.

Using the Steel HR is simple enough. There is a single button on the right side of the watch that you press to turn on the display and to cycle through the different stats. It was a minor nuisance having to press the button every time to turn the OLED display on, as the display doesn’t automatically light up if you pull the watch up toward your face. However, the goal meter below the OLED display is a nice touch on the watch face. You can quickly see how close you are to hitting your daily activity goal by looking at the meter as it climbs towards 100%.

RELATED: 17 Best Fitness Trackers

Withings likely had to make some compromises for the sake of battery life and overall look and I found the OLED display to be one of te biggest weaknesses of the watch. While it’s relatively easy to read in regular usage if you’re just casually checking to see how many steps you walked, all of that changes if you’re engaged in a workout or on a run. If you’re running, trying to read the display or cycling through the different screens was a bit of a challenge. And you won’t get a lot of useful real-time feedback during a workout. With such a small screen, you can’t just casually glance at the display to get a quick readout. Notifications from your phone also don’t give you any real useful information.

It appears that GPS functionality was another compromise that Withings likely made. Not every fitness tracker comes equipped with GPS built into the device. Instead, they typically rely on your phone’s GPS to track you. However, the Steel HR isn’t even able to use your phone’s GPS, so it’s hard to put much faith into the accuracy of the distance measurements. It instead uses sensors and data about you to generate the distance, which is far from accurate. If you’re a runner, this is a pretty glaring omission.

Workouts are automatically detected, which seemed to work fine. Like most fitness trackers that have this feature, it will occasionally falter, but you can typically rely on it to record your workout in case you forgot to do so. You also have the option of tracking a workout manually by holding the button on the side, and workouts can be logged in the app after you sync your watch.

The heart-rate monitor on the Steel HR has two modes: workout and smart mode. Smart mode is constantly running and takes measurements about every 10 minutes, which helps to preserve battery life. However, if you switch to workout mode, it continuously runs throughout your workout. Every fitness tracker that I’ve used has had odd, random spikes that occur every now and then—this was no different for the Steel HR. I frequently wore a Fitbit Charge 2 along with the Steel HR to compare and noticed that the Steel HR always tracked higher than the Fitbit. It wasn’t enough to give me any real cause for concern, but it’s something that should be noted nonetheless. The Steel HR also seemed slower to normalize, frequently spiking at the start of a workout before eventually coming back down to a more reasonable level.

Sleep tracking worked as well as the Fitbit Charge 2, and the fact that you barely notice the watch while you’re wearing it makes it easier to wear at night compared to some of the bulkier fitness trackers out there.

If you’re the type of person that wants the features of a fitness tracker but don’t like how most of them look, the Withings Steel HR may be the tracker for you. It has a sleek and stylish design that looks good whether you’re in the gym or out on the town. Most people that see it won’t even be able to tell that you’re wearing a fitness tracker. For those that may be runners or just a little more serious about fitness, you may find the Steel HR lacks in some areas. Although, even with the compromises that Withings made with the Steel HR, this is the best hybrid option available.

This Hybrid Smart Watch Fitness Tracker Has a 25-Day Battery Life

Why You Should Rethink Your Spinning Obsession

This article originally appeared on Time.com.

Spinning might look about the same as outdoor cycling or riding a stationary bike, but in many ways, it’s a far more intense workout—and one of the easiest to overdo.

First, there aren’t many (if any) breaks in spin class. “When you’re biking outside, you have to be aware of road dangers like water and cars, so you have to slow down at times,” says Dr. Maureen Brogan, an assistant professor of medicine at New York Medical College who has conducted research into spinning. Especially if you’re a novice road rider, it’s going to take some time before you’re comfortable enough on two wheels to really push yourself hard for long distances. That’s not the case on a spinning bike, where newbies can hop on and ride hard from the start.

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Popular spinning studios like Flywheel and SoulCycle have their riders clip their feet into the stationary bikes. As long as the wheels turn, legs keep pumping. Combine this always-working aspect with the thumping music, enthusiastic instructors and energetic group atmosphere of most spinning studios, and it’s easy to get intense exercise and burn calories by the bucketful.

“The muscles you use on a spinning bike, the gluteus maximus and the quadriceps, are some of the largest in your body, so you’re using a lot of energy,” Brogan says—600 calories an hour, and sometimes more.

This puts spinning near the top of the list when it comes to high-intensity workouts. A study from Sweden found that one hour of spinning was enough to trigger the release of blood chemicals associated with heart stress or changes. While that may sound like a bad thing, these blood chemicals—or biomarkers—signal the heart is getting a good workout. “These kinds of findings have also been seen with prolonged exertion such as marathons,” says study author Dr. Smita Dutta Roy of Sahlgrenska University Hospital in Sweden. While more research is needed to tease out the risks or benefits associated with exercise of this intensity, she says that some of the biomarker shifts her team observed could lead to blood vessel repair and renewal.

It can also help improve body composition, decrease fat mass and lower blood pressure and cholesterol, says Jinger Gottschall, an associate professor of kinesiology at Penn State University. Some of her research has shown that high-intensity spinning can increase fitness levels even in trained athletes. “In every study we’ve done, we’ve seen increases in heart and lung capacity,” she says. She calls spinning “the optimal cardio workout,” and says you can get all the intensity of a treadmill or stair-climber without the impact.

The low-impact nature of spinning makes it great exercise for older adults or people recovering from orthopedic injuries, she adds. “Because you can adjust the resistance and moderate the pace and intensity of your ride, it opens the door for many people to participate,” she says.

But it’s also easy for people who are new to spinning to overexert themselves. “If you’re not used to vigorous exercise, or to exercising the large lower-body muscles involved in spinning, you can overdo it,” Brogan says. She’s a kidney expert by training, and some of her research has linked spinning to rhabdomyolysis, a condition in which muscles break down to the point that they release a protein that can poison the kidneys. “People have swollen legs or trouble walking, and sometimes they take aspirin or NSAIDs for the muscle pain, which is the last thing they should do because those can also damage the kidneys,” she says. Problems like this can set in a day or two after spin class, she says.

While overexertion is possible with any form of exercise, she says the risks during spinning may be higher—especially when you consider that some spinners lose up to a liter of water during an hour-long session.

Even for trained athletes, there’s some evidence that spinning too often may lead to trouble. A study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research concluded that spinning may push some people past the threshold at which the exercise is beneficial. “If indoor cycling were used as an everyday training activity, it is possible that the overall intensity would be too high and possibly contribute to developing nonfunctional overreaching,” the authors of that study write. (“Nonfunctional overreaching” is sports science lingo for a workout that’s so strenuous it leads to fatigue and performance declines, rather than fitness improvements.)

Overall, spinning is exceptional exercise. But if you’re new to it, you need to ease in and give your muscles time to adapt to its intensity. Even if you’re an experienced athlete, pushing yourself to your limit the first or second time you get on a spinning bike may be risky, Brogan says. Even once you’ve found your spinning legs, daily sessions may still be overkill.

But if you’re looking for a high-intensity workout a few days a week—and especially if running or other forms of vigorous aerobic exercise hurt your joints—spinning may be the ideal way to keep your heart and body in shape.

Why You Should Rethink Your Spinning Obsession

vendredi 17 mars 2017

Vibration Exercise Is Your New Favorite Workout

This article originally appeared on Time.com.

For years, companies have been hawking vibration as a form of exercise—from those fat-jiggling waist belts in the ’80s to the vibrating platforms found in many gyms today. Now, a new study in mice suggests there might be some truth to the idea that a vibrating machine may be able to deliver some of the same benefits as actual physical activity.

The new research, published in the journal Endocrinology, found that mice with diabetes and obesity had similar improvements in muscle mass and insulin sensitivity over 12 weeks when they were assigned to either 45 minutes of daily treadmill walking or 20 minutes of daily whole-body vibration. Both groups gained less weight and improved more in overall health than sedentary mice that received neither intervention.

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Whole-body vibration consists of a person (or, in the study’s case, a mouse) sitting, standing or lying on a platform. The platform’s vibrations send tiny shockwaves through the body, causing muscles to contract and relax multiple times per second.

The obese mice in the study also had low bone density, a common side effect of excess weight in both animals and humans. While treadmill exercise did improve this measure over 12 weeks, the vibration technique did not. Both interventions did, however, increase levels of a protein involved in bone formation, suggesting that longer-term treatments could potentially help prevent future bone loss.

Vibration is not a cure-all for the problems associated with sedentary life, say the study authors, and results seen in mice don’t necessarily translate to humans. Before vibration-based treatments can be widely recommended, these results would need to be replicated in clinical trials. (A 2009 study found that vibration platforms helped obese people lose body fat, but other metabolic benefits have been less studied in people.)

The authors also point out that the study was designed to test the benefits of vibration on obese, unhealthy mice for whom regular exercise is difficult. Young, healthy mice, who were also included in the study, did not reap the same benefits from the whole-body vibration.

Lead author Meghan McGee-Lawrence, assistant professor of cellular biology and anatomy at Augusta University, says that vibration therapy might be an effective way to help people who are extremely overweight or have other limitations that keep them from regular physical activity.

“If you are able to exercise, we’d still recommend exercise as a first choice option,” says McGee-Lawrence. But for people who find it difficult to work out in a traditional way, “our study suggests it may be possible to obtain some of the same beneficial effects of exercise in a different, less strenuous way.”

For vibration to have these benefits, though, a lot of things have to be just right. “The frequency and magnitude of the stimulus, and how long it’s applied, need to be optimized to achieve the outcome you desire,” says McGee-Lawrence. It is possible to have too much of a good thing, she adds. Exposure to higher-level vibration in occupational settings, for example, can actually have a harmful effect on bone.

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Pete McCall, an exercise physiologist with the American Council on Exercise, says that benefits of whole-body vibration are “100% legit.” Vibration platforms can be used for exercise warm-ups, cool-downs or for certain moves like squats, planks and Pilates poses.

“When you’re on one of these platforms, the oscillations add gravity and force, which are really important for building strength,” he says. For people who are too overweight or too out of shape to exercise safely and comfortably, he adds, vibration training can “introduce exercise to the body in a relatively low-stress environment.”

“Standing on a vibrating platform for 5, 10, 15 minutes can actually make cells stronger, maybe help them lose a little weight, and get them better prepared to eventually start exercising,” he says.

The American Council on Exercise warns that whole-body vibration machines may affect pacemakers and other electronic implants, and that pregnant women and anyone with a history of seizures, tumors or thrombosis should not use them.

For generally healthy people, McCall stresses that they should be used as a supplement to moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, not a replacement. “There’s no additional demand for oxygen, so the lungs and heart don’t have to work any harder,” he points out. “It’s not going to give you the important cardiovascular benefits that real exercise will.”

Vibration Exercise Is Your New Favorite Workout

The Best Low-Impact Workouts for Weight Loss

Torch calories fast with high-intensity, low-impact workouts that burn as many calories as running. The Best Low-Impact Workouts for Weight Loss

jeudi 16 mars 2017

Sculpt Your Legs and Butt With Gigi Hadid's Favorite Exercise

Gigi Hadid is anything but basic. Yet her go-to workout move—a simple squat—is surprisingly just that. "They are painful, and you have to do so many of them to work," admits Hadid, who even used the move to prep for last winter's Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. She put up a sticky note to remind herself to do 15 every time she walked past it. "It's a good trick. It reminds you to have integrity; no one is watching," she says.

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How to do Gigi's Lower-Body Blaster:

Start with feed shoulder-width apart, hands clasped in front of chest or arms extended straight out (A). Keeping chest up, push hips back, bend knees, and lower hips until they're just below parallel with knees (B). Pause, then push into heels to rise back to standing. Repeat.

Pin the full workout for later:

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Sculpt Your Legs and Butt With Gigi Hadid's Favorite Exercise

Lena Dunham Reveals Why She Loves Working Out With Celeb Trainer Tracy Anderson

This article originally appeared on People.com.

For Girls star Lena Dunham, getting fit with personal trainer Tracy Anderson is more about creating a mind-body connection than trying to look different.

“I think for me the big thing was that Tracy just very clearly wasn’t trying to change my body,” she told PEOPLE at the opening of Anderson’s new flagship studio on New York City’s Upper East Side. “I came to her and was like, ‘I have endometriosis, I have chronic physical pain, I just want to feel stronger I just want to have a stronger core, I want to feel like I have more power throughout my day, how do I get there?’ I like that she was coming at it from that perspective rather than like, I’d like to shrink six inches…”

Dunham, who attended the event with her Girls collaborator Jenni Konner, also has a sense of humor about what it takes to get through Anderson’s grueling sessions.

“I’m so naturally unathletic that I just go in and I’m thrilled if I can achieve anything,” she says. And as for comparing herself to other members of the class? “I just combat that feeling by having literally no physical expectations for myself, which makes it all work out perfectly.”

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According to trainer Anderson, who works with celebs like Gwyneth Paltrow, Jennifer Lopez and Alessandra Ambrosio, Dunham “knows what she wants for her body.” Says Anderson, “Women always think that they need to look like someone else… I really want examples like Lena, like Jennifer, like Gwyneth, that are really proud of who they are, and they just want to be healthy and balanced for themselves.”

Lena Dunham Reveals Why She Loves Working Out With Celeb Trainer Tracy Anderson

mardi 14 mars 2017

4 Ways to Stay Safe When You’re Running Alone

There are many reasons to take up running. It can be a great way to stay in shape, boost your mood and even commute to and from work. There's also research to suggest that taking it outdoors can improve your mental health. But if you prefer to sweat it alone, there are some important steps you can take to stay safe on your solo run.

Stay alert

We know music can make runs feel easier, but don’t get so caught up in Beyoncé’s beats that you lose track of your surroundings. "Keep one of your headphones in your ear and let the other one dangle," suggests Dan Kruy, a martial artist and trainer at Chelsea Piers in Stamford, Connecticut, who teaches runner’s safety and self-defense classes for women. "That way, you’re more aware of what’s going on around you."

Light up

Running in the dark? Wear something reflective. A flashing light or headlamp, like the Nathan Neutron Fire ($35; amazon.com), can keep you visible and illuminate stumbling blocks in your path.

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Notify others

Download a safety app, like RunSafe ($1; Google Play) or Glympse (free; iTunes and Google Play), and share your location with friends or family when you head out the door. RunSafe even has a panic button you can trigger if you’re under attack or worried about your safety. Or go old school: All the running apparel from Graced By Grit, like the Delicious Half Zip top ($86; gracedbygrit.com), comes with a free safety whistle that you can blow to attract attention when you need it.

Bring ID

The Road ID reflective Wrist ID Sport wristband ($25; roadid.com) and Shoe ID strap ($20; roadid.com) keep contact information on hand in case of emergency.

4 Ways to Stay Safe When You’re Running Alone

Trapped at Home for a Snow Day? Try This No-Equipment HIIT Workout

Don't get us wrong: Snow days are meant for sweatpants, face masks, and Netflix binges. But after you've been snuggled up for a while, it can actually feel good to break a sweat, even if it's just in your living room. When you're ready to get up off the couch, we suggest this calorie-torching HIIT routine that requires no equipment whatsoever.

HIIT (or high-intensity interval training) alternates spurts of vigorous activity with short recovery periods to burn more calories in less time. So if you need to keep an eye on work e-mail—or have a few episodes to go in your "This Is Us" marathon—you can still squeeze in a quick but serious sweat session.

In this 20-minute routine, Dara Theodore from New York City fitness studio The Fhitting Room will show you how to use your body weight to tone all over, with moves like alternating lunge jumps, rolling squat jumps, side planks, and bicycle crunches. And within half an hour, you can get straight back to cozy town.

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Bonus: HIIT workouts like this one may even reverse signs of aging at the cellular level, according to a new study from the Mayo Clinic. That's pretty productive for a snow day.

Trapped at Home for a Snow Day? Try This No-Equipment HIIT Workout

lundi 13 mars 2017

First Look: The New Fitbit Alta HR

Good news wearable enthusiasts: Fitbit just announced its latest fitness tracker, the Alta HR (starting at $150; nordstrom.com, target.com, and other retailers). OK, it isn’t exactly new; it’s an update to the original version, which launched in 2016. Still, after testing it for a week (on the ski slopes, in boot camp classes, during runs, and for general daily life dealings), I must admit that I am impressed. I like to think of it as the little sister to its predecessor—same great genes, but just a little spunkier.

In the market for a new device? Or, just trying to decide whether or not you should upgrade? Here’s the scoop.

The look: According to the folks at Fitbit, this tracker is “the world’s slimmest wrist-band, continuous heart rate tracking device.” Basically, that boils down to you don’t need a big old clunky heart rate monitor, because this sleek version has got you covered. The original snap closure band is gone, and has been replaced by a more traditional buckle style one. You’ll also notice that the colors of the interchangeable bands include slightly different hues this time.

New standout features: If you haven’t figured it out by now, the HR stands for heart rate. And, yes, this mini device is continually recording your ticker all day long, giving you access to everything from your resting heart rate to those zones during your sweat sesh (peak, cardio and fat burn) in real time.

Also handy: the new Sleep Stages feature. While it has been announced, it hasn’t been pushed through to the Alta HR just yet. (If you own a Blaze and Charge 2 you’ll also have access to this feature when it officially launches later this spring.) But here's the gist: It’s going to use that heart rate it’s been continuously monitoring to help estimate the different stages of your sleep (light, deep, and REM) along with how often you wake up mid-snooze. The result: a better understanding of your sleep quality. This data will help you with your overall Sleep Insights, another new feature, that will offer personalized guidance on how to improve, yep, you guessed it, your zzz's. Bonus: It also shows the slumber trends of folks your same age and gender.

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But my absolute favorite feature is a longer battery life. In fact, the battery can last up to seven days on a single charge (that’s 40% longer than its predecessor), which is amazing for people like myself who are notorious for forgetting to plug in their gadgets nightly.

The bottom line: The Alta HR gives you cool features of a smart phone, like email, text and calendar notifications, in a streamlined silhouette that also auto tracks your runs, keeps up with your ticker and helps you sleep better. And if we are doing size comparisons, it is 25 percent smaller than the Fitbit Charge 2. My vote: thumbs up all the way!

First Look: The New Fitbit Alta HR

vendredi 10 mars 2017

The HIIT Workout That’ll Leave You Breathless

When it comes to cardio, we love a good piece of equipment that will kick our butts. (Woodway Curve and WaterRower, we’re looking at you.) And one of the newer machines to hit the floor is actually an oldie but goodie: the air bike. Don’t be fooled, though. It’s just like riding a bike, but not at all. Unlike a traditional bicycle or spin bike, the air bike has a big fan in lieu of a front wheel (check one out here). And if you’ve heard rumblings that it ain’t easy, it’s true. These “assault” bikes will blast major calories, but straight up humble you, too.

All About the Air Bike

While you’d set a stationery bike at a certain resistance (or watts), the fan bike is different in that the faster you pedal, the more resistance you generate. “The harder you work, the harder it gets,” says Mike Boyle, co-founder of Boston area Mike Boyle Strength and Conditioning. Plus, you also use your arms at the same time, which allows you to work both your upper and lower body together. Boyle calls it the bike equivalent of an indoor rowing machine.

“It becomes a total-body exercise, which you’re not able to get on a regular bike,” he says. “They’re almost like a well-kept secret, because the average person tends to say they’re way too hard,” he says. But now that CrossFit’s gone mainstream and HIIT is hotter than ever, there’s a desire for equipment that takes your workout up a notch.

Because you use your arms and legs simultaneously, your heart rate soars about 20 percent higher than if you were to just pedal with your legs, says Boyle. So it makes sense that you also get a boost in calorie burn by about the same amount, he adds.

It’s also gentler to your joints. “With any bike, you eliminate the ground reaction force, so it’s safer. The only thing that gets beat up is your heart and lungs,” says Boyle. Plus, unlike other bikes, you sit up straighter, which puts less pressure on your spine.

Your Air Bike HIIT Workout

So how do you use the air bike? HIIT workouts are generally the best place to start. And, because you don’t have to deal with buttons or dials to change the resistance, you can simply hop on and go.

But before Boyle gets his clients going, he first has them do a “maximum speed aerobic test” or MAS. Translation: Ride the bike at a sustainable pace for five to six minutes. At the end, the bike should tell you what your average rpm is. The rate that you can hold for five minutes is your max aerobic speed, says Boyle. Once you know that, then you can set up your intervals in several ways:

20 seconds on, 10 seconds off

That means you ride at 110 percent of your MAS. Let’s say your trial told you your MAS was 60 rpm. In the “on” portion of the interval, you’d shoot for 66 rpm. Follow it up with 10 seconds off. “Off” means you simply spin the pedals with your feet. Don’t be concerned with your speed here — the idea is to recover, says Boyle.

To switch things up, other options for the intervals include:

10 seconds on, 10 seconds off
30 seconds on, 30 seconds off
30 seconds on, 15 seconds off

The total number of intervals you complete will vary depending on your work/rest ratio. But Boyle typically recommends spending the last 10 to 15 minutes of your workout doing conditioning on the air bike. (Yes, that means all this work happens after your regularly scheduled strength session.)

To vary things up, you can also use the air bike for a steady state ride (again in the 10 to 15 minute range). Or, you can try a timed two or three miles. No matter which route you go, we guarantee you’ll feel the burn.

More from Life by Daily Burn:

The 20 Worst People at the Gym According to Trainers

7 No-Crunch Exercises for Six-Pack Abs

No Pain, No Gain? 5 Myths About Muscle Soreness

The HIIT Workout That’ll Leave You Breathless

5 Standing Yoga Poses for Better Balance

You probably learned to balance at the ripe age of two. But honing the skill is essential to your overall fitness and sports performance as an adult, too. Rebecca Weible, owner and director of Yo Yoga! studio in New York City, says yoga urges us to improve our balance, posture and evenly distribute our weight in our feet. “Look at your own shoes. You’ll notice how worn out the heels are. Is one sole more battered than the other?” Weible says.

Mastering balance-focused yoga poses is one way to bring awareness to your weight distribution, while also building strength, stability and alignment. “It makes a huge difference when we’re running, weightlifting, doing plyometrics or performing agility moves,” Weible explains. Whether you’re doing tree pose or Warrior III, “your whole body needs to be involved with yoga,” Weible says. Check out these standing yoga poses to help you improve your balance and coordination.

5 Standing Yoga Poses for Head-to-Toe Strength

If you’re new to yoga, Weible recommends using a wall or chair to help you stabilize. “The goal is to notice the wall and lighten your touch. You can move from having your entire hand on the wall to just your fingertips,” she says.

1. Tricky Kitty

This beginner’s yoga pose is an excellent progression to standing positions, like tree pose or Warrior III. Weible likes this pose for balance because you’re much closer to the ground, and your body is immediately forced to find balance.

How to: Get into tabletop position with your knees directly below your hips and your arms and shoulders are perpendicular to the floor (a). Step your right foot back and keep it tucked (b). As you inhale, simultaneously lift your left hand and right leg off the floor. Your left fingers are pointing straight in front of you and your right foot is flexed and forms a straight line with your back and head (c). Focus on a point on the ground and keep your chest lifted and open so your upper body could provide support (d). As you exhale, slowly bring your right leg and left hand back down to the ground in tabletop position (e). Repeat the same movement on the other side.

2. Tree Pose

Tree pose reminds us to engage our core muscles, specifically the obliques, in order to maintain alignment from head to foot. Bringing your hands to prayer (mudra) isn’t just for aesthetics; it helps keep your chest open and extends your upper back so you stand straighter. Need to modify? Weible suggests placing the tip of your toes on the mat or resting your heel against the standing ankle for more support. From there, your foot can flutter to the calf and work its way above your knee on your thigh, but you should never have your foot on your knee, as it’s too straining for that joint.

How to: Stand in mountain pose (tadasana) with your feet hip-distance apart, hands by your sides, palms facing forward (a). Begin to shift your weight onto your right foot and bend your left knee (b). Slowly grab your left ankle with your left hand and place it against your inner right thigh, pressing your left foot sole with your toes pointing to the ground (c). Engage your core as you place your hands in prayer pose (mudra) (d). Focus on a point in front of you and hold for two or three breaths before bringing your left foot back down to the ground (e). Repeat the same movement on the other side.

3. Eagle Pose

The binds in eagle pose help loosen the joints for balance and improve mobility. Weible says as people age, their balance starts to change, but poses like eagle can help prevent falls. This pose forces you to keep your hips square, even when you’re balancing on one leg, so you’re not shifting side to side.

How to: Stand in mountain pose (tadasana) with your feet hip-distance apart, hands down by your sides, palms facing forward. Make sure the toes on your left foot are firmly ground on the floor (a). Have a slight bend in your knees and slightly sit your hips back as you lift your right leg and cross it over your left thigh. If you can, cross your right foot around your left calf, too, or use a block to rest your right foot on (b). Bring your hands to eye level and cross your right arm underneath your left. Then, cross your right forearm over your left to bring your palms together (c). Keep your hips square and your chest lifted and open so that your head, shoulders and hips are all aligned (d). Unbind your arms and legs, and repeat the same movement on the other side.

4. Warrior III

You’ll feel like a single-leg warrior once you master this challenging balance pose. But your back leg doesn’t have to be lifted crazy high, Weible says. Start with a lower lift that’s closer to the floor, while keeping your spine straight. When you’re balancing, your standing leg can be a little bent to have a more grounding effect.

How to: Get into a lunge position by stepping your right foot behind you, landing on the ball of your foot, with your left knee bent in front, pressing your feet firmly into the ground. Make sure your right knee doesn’t touch the floor (a). Simultaneously straighten your left leg as you lift your right foot behind you. While some people lunge forward, it can ruin your balance, so try straightening your front leg instead (b). Keep your right foot flexed and imagine it pressing against the wall behind you. Your right leg should be lifted and aligned with your hips and back so it’s parallel to the ground (c). Bring your palms together in prayer and hold for two or three breaths (d). Step your right foot back down to the ground and come to standing.

5. Dancer’s Pose

The key to balancing in this elegant pose is to keep your hips square, even as you open the hip, Weible says. Because your arms are lifting your foot, it helps to open your chest and have a slight back bend. Bridge or boat pose are great progressions to practice before moving onto dancer’s pose because they open the hips and stretch the quadriceps.

How to: Stand in mountain pose (tadasana) with your feet hip-distance apart, hands by your sides, palms facing forward (a). Begin to shift your weight onto your right foot and lift your left heel toward your butt, bending your left knee (b). Reach your left hand behind you to grab the outside of your left foot or ankle. Be sure to keep your hips square and your chest lifted (c). Lift your left foot up and back so that your left thigh and left arm are parallel to the floor (d). Raise your right arm at your side with your fingers pointing to the ceiling (e). Hold for two to three breaths before bringing your left foot back down to the ground. Repeat the same movement on the other side.

5 Standing Yoga Poses for Better Balance