Prehistoric Women Had Stronger Arms Than Competitive Rowers Today

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This article originally appeared on Time.com.

Today’s athletes may be strong, but they’ve got nothing on prehistoric women who spent their days harvesting crops and grinding grain. According to a new study in the journal Science Advances, the average woman who lived during the first 6,000 years of farming had stronger upper arms than modern-day female rowing champions.

The study “highlights the scale of women’s labor in prehistoric agricultural communities, and the hidden history of women’s work across thousands of years of farming,” says study author Alison Macintosh, a postdoctoral anthropology researcher at the University of Cambridge in the UK.

Previous research has compared women’s bones to men’s of the same era, the authors write in their study. But male bones respond to strain in a more visibly dramatic way than female bones, they explain, which has caused scientists to underestimate the true nature and scale of the physical work done by women in prehistoric societies.

In this study, researchers used a CT scanner to analyze the arm and leg bones of living women, and compared them to those of Central European women who lived between 7,400 and 3,500 years ago—a time period that included early Neolithic agricultural eras into the Middle Ages. The living women were selected to represent a range of physical activity levels and included runners, rowers, soccer players and people with more sedentary lifestyles.

The researchers found that the early Neolithic skeletons (women who lived between 7,400 and 7,000 years ago) had leg bones of similar strength to today’s female athletes. But even when compared with women on Cambridge’s championship rowing team, the prehistoric women’s arms were 11-16% stronger for their size. They were also 30% stronger than the arms of the non-athletes analyzed in the study.

Women from the Bronze Age (4,300 to 3,500 years ago) had 9-13% stronger arm bones than today’s rowers, but they also had 12% weaker leg bones.

The researchers suspect that the early women’s superior arm strength came from the daily work they likely put in tilling soil, harvesting crops by hand and grinding grain to make flour. “For millennia, grain would have been ground by hand between two large stones called a saddle quern,” says Macintosh. “In the few remaining societies that still use saddle querns, women grind grain for up to five hours a day.”

Women were also likely involved in fetching food and water for livestock, processing milk and meat and converting animal hides and wool into textiles—evidenced by the variety of different behavior patterns reflected in their bones. Prior to the invention of the plough, the authors say, they also spent time manually planting, tilling and harvesting crops.

“By interpreting women’s bones in a female-specific context, we can start to see how intensive, variable and laborious their behaviors were,” says Macintosh. Comparing their bone characteristics to living people—whose exercise levels are known—also provides a better understanding of the real amount of physical activity these women got on a regular basis. (The Cambridge rowers, for example, trained twice a day and rowed an average of 75 miles a week.)

“It can be easy to forget that bone is a living tissue, one that responds to the rigors we put our bodies through,” Macintosh adds. Bone reacts and adapts to strain—like physical impact and muscle activity—by changing in shape, curvature, thickness and density.

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Bone strength is affected by factors other than behavior, Macintosh says, including genetics, nutrition and overall health. These differences between prehistoric and modern women could affect some of the results, she says, although behavior “is still likely to be responsible for the bulk of these differences that we’re seeing.”

“Our study suggests that this labor was likely more rigorous and intensive than what is required of most living rowers in their sport,” says Macintosh. “Our work also highlights the huge variability in the daily activities of women, giving us a wider appreciation of the scale and variability of things that women were likely doing in their daily lives.”

In today’s industrialized societies, strenuous physical activity is less common and easier to avoid, Macintosh adds—and for the human species as a whole, bone strength and mobility have suffered because of it. The study serves as an important reminder, she says, about the importance of exercise—recreational or otherwise, and for men and women alike—for building and maintaining healthy bones.

Prehistoric Women Had Stronger Arms Than Competitive Rowers Today

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The 15-Minute Home Workout to Survive the Holidays

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This article originally appeared on DailyBurn.com.

For most, the holiday season means a whole lot of travel, food and to-dos…and little time, space or energy for exercise. But your fitness doesn’t have to take a backseat to a packed seasonal schedule — and this home workout, made up of just five exercises (all from Daily Burn 365), is proof.

The total-body bodyweight routine is low-impact, so you won’t bother others by jumping around. And you don’t need any equipment, either. Plus, you’ll target multiple muscles in each efficient move, working your body from top to bottom along the way. All you need is 15 minutes and a space the size of an exercise mat. Follow along pre- or post-feasting with the fam — or better yet, both.

RELATED: The 7 Best Strength Exercises You’re Not Doing

The Home Workout You Need This Holiday Season

Perform each combination exercise below in order for 40 seconds each. Rest for 20 seconds between each exercise — or skip the breather and keep going if you have the stamina. Repeat the circuit at least twice for three total rounds.

GIF: Daily Burn 365

1. Walk Out to Shoulder Tap

How to: Start standing with feet hip-width apart (a). Reach down to touch the ground (try to keep your legs straight) and walk your hands out to a high plank position (b). Tap your left shoulder with your right hand, then your right shoulder with your left hand. Engage your legs, abs and glutes so your hips stay steady (c). Walk your hands back to your feet and stand up (d). Repeat.

RELATED: 5 Planks, 10 Minutes: Your Ultimate Ab Workout

GIF: Daily Burn 365

2. Lunge to Front Pull

How to: Start standing with feet a little wider than hip-width apart, toes pointed slightly outward. Bring your arms straight up overhead (a). Lower into a sumo squat as your pull your elbows down and back by your sides (b). Stand back up, bringing arms overhead (c). Next, turn to your right as your bring your arms down to shoulder height and lower into a lunge, both knees bent to 90 degrees (d). Stand back up, bringing arms overhead (e). Repeat the turn and lunge, this time turning to your left side (f). Continue alternating sides with a front pull between each lunge.

GIF: Daily Burn 365

3. Shuffle Side Punch

How to: Start standing with feet a little wider than hip-width apart. Hold your fists at your face like a boxer (a). Shuffle your feet, taking two steps to the left (b). Using your hips to help drive the movement, punch your right arm out to the side, palm facing downward. Then quickly bring your fist back to your face (c). Shuffle to the right two steps (d). Then punch your left arm out to the side, palm facing downward and then quickly bring your fist back to your face (e). Repeat.

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4. Plyo Lunge with Bent Over Row

How to: Start standing with feet staggered so your left leg is in front, knee bent. Hinge forward at the hips about 45 degrees and straighten your arms out in front of you (a). Pull your elbows back, keeping them in close to your sides, then straight them back out to perform the row (b). Jump to switch your footing, bringing your right leg forward with knee bent (c). Repeat the row (d). Continue alternating your lunge stance with a row between each.

GIF: Daily Burn 365

5. Boat to Side Plank

How to: Start sitting on a mat. Lean back about 45 degrees and bring your knees up into a tabletop position, arms straight out by your legs. You should be in boat pose with knees bent (a). Roll onto your left side to hit a side plank, legs out straight, elbow under your shoulder and creating a straight line from shoulders to hips to ankles (b). Roll back onto your butt to hit boat pose again (c). Then roll onto your right side to hit a side plank (d). Repeat, performing boat pose between each side plank.

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Is Loud Music in Workout Classes Bad for Your Ears?

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That cranked-up stereo definitely isn’t great for your ears. Adults can safely bear a noise dose of less than 85 decibels for eight hours a day, per the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. And the max amount of time shrinks quickly the louder the noise gets. For instance, adults can tolerate 94 decibels for only one hour before it becomes potentially damaging to their hearing. And the music in some workout classes these days is blasted as loud as 99 decibels, a recent study found.

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That probably won’t tear you away from your favorite class, which is likely only an hour or less. But next time, see if you notice any ringing or buzzing in your ears (a.k.a. tinnitus) after class. If you do, I suggest you start wearing earplugs to prevent any long-term or permanent hearing loss. Earplugs will only muffle the noise, so you should still be able to hear the music. Some studios offer earplugs to clients for free (ask at the front desk), or you can pick up a pack at the drugstore and stash them in your gym bag. And don’t forget to watch the volume if you’re working out on your own and listening to music with headphones. As a rule, if someone near you can hear the music through your headphones, it’s too loud.

 

Health’s medical editor, Roshini Rajapaksa, MD, is assistant professor of medicine at the NYU School of Medicine.

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Janet Jackson Lost 70 Pounds Without Doing Any Cardio

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This article originally appeared on InStyle.com.

Janet Jackson is looking better than ever. Not only did the 51-year-old star recently welcome a baby girl, Eissa, she also is in the best shape of her life.

If you think she's been pounding the treadmill or doing some intense spin classes, think again. The famous singer and her trainer devised an entirely new workout plan, and she's lost 70 lbs. without doing any cardio. While still rigorous—they worked out together four times a week for a minimum of 45 minutes—the intense training skipped exercises that tend to be hard on the body.

"We were doing three or four exercises with weights back to back," Jackson's trainer Paulette Sybliss told E! News. "What that does—you would look at her and think she'd done like an hour of cardio with me—but when you're working with weights and you're working the muscle that way, it elevates the heart rate, but also it's creating that fat burning affect both during the session and also when she left me, and that was key."

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While their initial goal was to lose weight, they're now focusing maintaining her figure and staying healthy. "We're not looking to lose any weight whatsoever," Sybliss continued. "She looks incredible and she's so fit, but she's also healthy."

Despite her focus on staying in incredible shape, Jackson also makes sure to treat herself occasionally. "If Janet feels that she needs to have a chocolate cake, go ahead and have a chocolate cake. You're not eating it every day. You won't get fat overnight."

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Quick 3-Move Cardio Workout from Bob Harper

Photo: Daily Burn Black Fire

This article originally appeared on DailyBurn.com.

You don’t always need tons of equipment to get a heart-pumping, sweat-dripping workout. And you don’t even need many moves. With a little help from celeb trainer Bob Harper (and his Daily Burn workout program, Black Fire), you can get a serious cardio workout in just three exercises — no treadmill, elliptical or bike required. The secret to seeing results while still keeping it simple: working hard and moving fast, without sacrificing form. So step off the machine to step up your stamina with this quick cardio workout you can do anywhere. It’s time to test your limits.

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Bob Harper’s 3-Move Cardio Workout

Each exercise below works your entire body — cardiorespiratory system included. Start with a three- to five-minute warm-up and then get moving. Aim to perform this workout as a ladder, doing one rep of each exercise on the first round, two on the second, three on the third, and so on. See how many reps of each move you can complete in 20 minutes. If you repeat the workout another day, try to beat that number — because a little friendly competition with yourself offers some real motivation. Take a breather when you need it, but keep in mind: The harder you push, the more calories you burn. Ready, set, sweat!

RELATED: 7 Mobility Exercises to Never Skip Before a Workout

GIF: Daily Burn Black Fire

1. Wide Mountain Climbers

How to: Get in a high plank position, with your hands on the ground or on a box or chair in front of you. You should form a straight line from shoulders to hips to ankles (a). Step or jump your right foot to the outside of your right hand (b). Using your abs, lift your hips and jump to switch your feet so your right leg goes back to plank position and your left foot steps to the outside of your left hand (c). Continue alternating.

RELATED: 5 Mountain Climbers for Seriously Sculpted Abs

GIF: Daily Burn Black Fire

2. Dumbbell Swings

How to: Start with feet just a little wider than hip-width apart. Hold a medium to heavy dumbbell with both hands down in front of you (a). Inhale and hinge at the hips, lean forward with a flat back and bend your knees slightly as you bring the dumbbell between your legs (b). Using the power of your glutes and hamstrings, exhale and thrust your hips forward to bring the dumbbell straight up overhead as you straighten your legs. Make sure you engage your abs to stand upright at the top — don’t lean backward (c). Let the dumbbell naturally come back down and between your legs (d). Repeat.

RELATED: How to Kettlebell Swing Like the Pros

GIF: Daily Burn Black Fire

3. Hand Release Push-Up

How to: Start in a high plank position, wrists under shoulders and body in a straight line from shoulders to hips to ankles (a). Lower all the way down to the ground. Your elbows should point backward as you go, and your body should remain in a solid plank position (b). At the bottom, pick your hands up off the floor briefly (c). Then place them back down, in line with your shoulders (d). Push yourself back up to the top of a plank, keeping your body in a straight line. Don’t round or arch your back (e). Repeat.

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The Best Fitness Gear to Buy in Old Navy’s Black Friday Sale

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You can’t beat the price of Old Navy workout clothes on a regular day, but this Black Friday, your new favorite fitness gear is an even better deal. In addition to their outrageously amazing $1 cozy sock sale, Old Navy is kicking off a three-day sale starting Wednesday, November 22. From Thanksgiving Eve through Black Friday, you’ll get 50% off your entire purchase (no coupon code required), and many other items will be marked down to $10 or less. Here’s the cute, long-lasting workout wear we’ll be adding to our cart at oldnavy.com. An entire head-to-toe look (and more) for a grand total of under $150!

High-Rise Mesh-Panel 7/8-Length Leggings (regularly $33, now $16.50; oldnavy.com)

You can’t go wrong with a flattering high-rise legging and an on-trend cropped ankle, but these bottoms also boast chafe-preventing seams and moisture-wicking technology. Plus, this beautiful berry hue is literally called “Magical Potion," which is what all our workouts should feel like they’ve been blessed with, right?

Go-Warm Quilted Hybrid Jacket (regularly $70, now $35; oldnavy.com)

This half-puffer, half-hoodie gives the illusion of a vest and is perfect for bundling up on your way to and from spin class, thanks to its cozy fleece collar and sleeves.

Slub-Knit Performance Hoodie (regularly $23, now $11.50; oldnavy.com)

Super-soft and lightweight, this long-sleeve option is perfect for winter workout layering. Thanks to the flattering tunic cut, though, we wouldn’t blame you for adding this to your athleisure rotation, either.

High Support Adjustable-Strap Sports Bra (regularly $33, now $16.50; oldnavy.com)

At this price, you should stock up on multiple sports bras to last you throughout the year. Molded cups, two layers of moisture-wicking fabric, and an adjustable hook-and-eye closure (with a cute back too!) won’t disappoint.

Semi-Fitted Run Shorts (regularly $17, now $8.50; oldnavy.com)

In a fun floral print, these lightweight, moisture-wicking shorts will make your winter workouts feel (at least a little?) more like spring. Bonus: They even have a small pocket along the front interior.

Ultra-Light Mesh-Trim Racerback Tank (regularly $17, now $8.50; oldnavy.com)

Can you ever have too many workout tanks? Not when they’re this affordable–and this cute. The mesh trim shows a little peekaboo of skin and will keep you cool through hot yoga.

Graphic Tulip-Hem Performance Tee (regularly $17, now $8.50; oldnavy.com)

You’ll want to save this semi-cotton, super-fun tee for after you hit the showers because it’s just too cute to get sweaty! Only for the most confident of coffee-lovers.

Mid-Rise Slim Heathered-Stripe Track Pants (originally $40, now $20; oldnavy.com)

You'll want to wear these retro-inspired sweats all winter long. A tapered leg and tuxedo stripe give these joggers an effortlessly chic vibe. Also good: Hidden zippers at the ankles make them even comfier.

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Want to Live Longer? Every Movement Counts, Even Cleaning the House

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This article originally appeared on Time.com.

You don’t have to break a sweat to reap the health benefits of physical activity, according to new research in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. In a study of women age 65 and older, just 30 minutes a day of light exercise—like running errands and cleaning the house—was linked to a lower risk of death.

Moderate-intensity exercise, like leisurely bike riding or brisk walking, was associated with an even greater reduction in risk. The authors say that improving doing more light and moderate physical activity could be almost as effective as rigorous exercise at preventing disease and prolonging life. “The paradigm needs to shift when we think about being active,” says senior author Andrea LaCroix, professor of family medicine and public health at the University of California San Diego.

For the study, LaCroix and her colleagues asked 6,000 women, ages 65 to 99, to wear activity-tracking accelerometers for seven days as they went about their daily activities. The women were then followed for an average of three years.

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Based on the data from the women’s activity trackers, the researchers found that those who got at least 30 minutes of light physical activity a day were 12% less likely to die, compared to those who got less. Those who got an additional 30 minutes of moderate activity were 39% less likely to die.

Light physical activity includes just about any type of behavior that isn’t sitting down: walking to the mailbox, strolling around the neighborhood and doing laundry. Activities like these account for more than 55% of older adults’ daily activity, says LaCroix, so the fact that they were protective in this study is very good news.

“We’ve always been told that this type of activity isn’t enough to do you good,” says LaCroix. “But what we have here is solid evidence that light physical activity reduces a woman’s risk of dying over the next three to four years—and we see the benefits are substantial and independent of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity.”

MORE: TIME’s Guide to Exercise

The study could not show a cause-and-effect relationship between activity level and risk of death, only an association. But the link was present in all types of women in the study, including those of all races and ethnicities, women who were obese and those who were not, women with high and low functional abilities and women older and younger than 80.

As adults get older, they expend more energy doing the same activities they did when they were younger, LaCroix says—so they don’t need to exercise as much, or as intensely, to burn the same amount of calories or get their heart rate up. “We know that people of different ages need different amounts and intensities of exercise to get the same result,” she says. “It’s not one size fits all.”

But national guidelines still recommend that adults over age 65 follow the same guidelines as younger people: to get at least 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity per week. And recent analyses, compiled from studies in which adults self-reported their levels of physical activity, have suggested that older adults have to log moderate-to-vigorous exercise in order to reduce their risk of early death.

LaCroix says her new study refutes that research and shows that older adults can still benefit at levels below the moderate-to-vigorous guidelines. Questionnaires used in self-reported studies don’t do a good job of encompassing all the ways people get physical activity throughout the day, she says, which may have skewed previous study results. “What makes our study stronger than those others is that we used a device that was able to measure all of the movements we do in our daily lives,” she says.

The researchers hope their work sparks more discussion about how people—especially older ones—think about exercise and their goals for being active. “I think the current guidelines are discouraging to older people who don’t believe they can do 150 minutes of hard exercise,” LaCroix says. “They throw up their hands and think, ‘that’s not for me.’ But everyone does light physical activity, and the idea that doing more of it can have substantial health benefits should be welcome news.”

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The One Healthy Thing Fitness Experts Always Do on Thanksgiving Day

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Who doesn't love Thanksgiving—one of the few days of the year when you can put aside your usual healthy habits and pig out with no shame or judgment?

While we're totally on board with holiday indulgence, it's not a bad idea to try to do at least one food- or fitness-related move to keep your energy high, your mood bright, and successfully resist the urge to veg out on the couch after dinner nursing a monster food baby. To give you some inspiration, we asked fitness influencers, nutritionists, and Health staffers to tell us one thing they always do for mind-body health on Turkey Day.

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“I get out on the road early for a run before the festivities begin. I know later I most likely won’t have the time or energy. Running is also my 'me' time; on a day of giving thanks, it’s important to thank yourself for all you do! Having the ability to move, breathe, and share life with others makes me feel even more grateful. The crisp fall air and smell of fallen leaves doesn’t hurt in setting the mood either.”

—Rebecca Kennedy, New York based–fitness trainer

“I love taking recipes from Pinterest that look super yummy and find ways to make them healthier with organic and natural ingredients. It's fun because it's something the whole family can be part of. We're all cooking and being creative, and healthy!”

—Cassey Ho, fitness influencer and founder of Blogilates

“I always try to maintain a physical yoga practice during the holidays, even if it mean unrolling my mat in the one sliver of space that’s not occupied by a family member. It always helps me stay centered during what can be a very emotionally difficult time of the year and it helps validate my requisite gluttonous holiday meal choices. Plus, yogic twists make digestion of rich holiday food much easier.”

—Jessamyn Stanley, yogi and author of Every Body Yoga

“My mom, brother, dad, and I run our local turkey trot together. My mom and I always take the lead (sorry boys!), and we get a little bit competitive toward the end. I may have thrown out an 'eat my dust!' as I passed her in the final mile last year. But it's all in good fun!”

—Jacqueline Andriakos, senior editor at Health

“On Thanksgiving I pay close attention to my mind-body connection. It doesn't feel good to deprive myself, and it doesn't feel good to be stuffed and sluggish, so I make choices that allow me to feel both satisfied and energized simultaneously. This balance feels just right, both mentally and physically, and it's freeing to make choices motivated by feeling well, rather than numbers, rules, shoulds, or guilt!"

—Cynthia Sass, RD, Health contributing nutrition editor

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“Before we head to my aunt and uncle's house for dinner, I like to get in a workout with my younger brother. My dad built a mini-gym in our basement years ago, and now that my brother and I no longer live together (he's in college and I'm in New York), it's a fun way to bond, catch up, and sweat a little bit before stuffing our faces with food. Plus, he always has pointers for perfecting my weightlifting form or new exercises to try out (Thanks, Wyatt!).”

—Julia Naftulin, assistant digital editor at Health

“I just make sure to get a run in, walk before and after eating, and then also pace myself between the main course and dessert. I'm never one to wildly indulge and I think if you give yourself a bit of a break between the main course and dessert it allows you some time to spend with your family, in addition to being actually able to savor the deliciousness of the sweets.”

—Joe Holder, Nike master trainer

“Our Thanksgiving Day tradition (besides enjoying the meal) always includes exercise: We all go for a hike in the morning, followed by a stretching session, usually led by my daughter [fitness blogger and author] Katie, and then after the meal we put on loud music and dance around the house, inside and out! It’s a great way to keep your energy up and connect with the family!”

—Denise Austin, fitness expert and creator of LifeFit

“This Thanksgiving, I’ll be sneaking in an infrared sauna session. It’s a 30-minute sweat, so if I’m cooking all day and don’t have time to get my ass to the gym, it’s easy. And a good sweat definitely helps me mentally prepare for family dynamics!”

—Hannah Bronfman, DJ and founder of HBFIT

To get our best wellness tips delivered to you inbox, sign up for the Healthy Living newsletter

“I always try to go for a run before the meal, but no matter my exercise plans, my family and I try to do something active together during the day. Some years, with a big crowd, that's been a casual touch football game. Other times, it's just a walk around the block. Anything to get moving and help avoid a total food coma!”

—Sarah Klein, senior editor at Health

“Every year, I watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade from a friend's house that overlooks the parade route. Her apartment is about a two-mile walk from my house, and I always walk there and back to fit some activity in before I feast later on. The brisk walk is my favorite way to wake up on one of my favorite days of the year!”

—Anthea Levi, assistant editor at Health

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Years of Infertility and Miscarriages Sent Me Into a Spiral of Depression

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From the time she was small, Jessica Dolan wanted to be a mom. So not long after she and her boyfriend of nine years got married, they began trying to get pregnant. A year later, with no success, Jessica’s doctor sent her to a fertility clinic for help. Feeling hopeful, the couple began the intense process of in vitro fertilization, with every-other-day visits to the clinic for blood tests, exams, imaging, and injections of hormone-bolstering medications.

Then, in the summer of 2012, they received the news they’d been waiting for: Jessica was pregnant. “I was 37, and we were thrilled to be starting a family,” she recalls.

When she was six weeks along, Jessica started having menstrual-like cramps and feeling lightheaded. At first, she chalked it up to pregnancy, but when the symptoms persisted for several days, she went to her doctor. An ultrasound revealed that the fertilized egg had implanted in her fallopian tubes instead of her uterus—what’s known as an ectopic pregnancy—which meant it wouldn’t survive.

“I was crushed,” says Jessica. “The clock was ticking because of my age, but I dreaded starting the whole process over again.”

More heartbreak

Shell-shocked and in mourning, they took a year-and-a-half break to regroup, but by December 2013 they felt ready to try again. “My fertility doctor assured us that he’d never seen a woman have two ectopic pregnancies, and he was confident we’d be successful,” says Jessica. Indeed, in January 2014, she learned she was pregnant again.

At five weeks, however, she started having cramping again—and discovered that lightning can strike twice. This pregnancy, too, was ectopic. “Everyone at the fertility clinic was shocked, and I felt defective, like there was something terribly wrong with me if my body couldn’t do what it was supposed to do.”

With one frozen embryo left, Jessica and her husband decided to give it one final try. A month later, she had a positive pregnancy test—but at the following week’s office visit, a second test came back negative. “That false positive marked the end of our dreams,” says Jessica. “But giving up triggered a painful identity crisis. If I couldn’t have a child, who was I? What would I be if not a mom?”

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Rock bottom

Jessica spiraled into a dark, lonely place. She could barely get out of bed in the morning and began eating anything that made her feel better in the moment—pizza, ice cream, cookies. Over the next year she gained 30 pounds. “I was too depressed to work, and every morning I woke up and thought, ‘F**k, here goes another day.’ I couldn’t imagine what was going to become of my life.”

Still, there were fleeting moments when she felt more positive, and in one of those she downloaded the 7 Minute Workout app and pushed herself to start doing it. “I’d exercised off and on throughout my life, and even though I was ridiculously out of shape I figured I could do seven minutes,” she says.

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After a few months, she started running on her treadmill and gradually built her endurance to 10 minutes, then 15, then 20. “Instead of beating myself up for doing so little, I told myself that every minute was a win,” she says. The more she exercised the better she felt—less anxious, more positive, more confident and capable. By early 2015 she was working again and began re-engaging with life.

Last June, ready to take her routine to the next level, Jessica hired a personal trainer. “He keeps me accountable and pushes me farther than I thought I could go. Now when he tells me to do 50 push-ups I don’t think, ‘Are you crazy?’ I just do it,” she says.

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Her weekly routine is intense. She gets up at 4 a.m. two mornings for a bootcamp class, does personal training two days, runs at least three miles every weekend, and takes hip-hop or ballroom dancing a few nights a week.

“The fog has lifted and I’m feeling great. I’ve lost weight, and I’m energized by life again,” says Jessica. “Without exercise I would have been lost. It shifted my thinking from negative to positive. It helped me embrace every day instead of dread it. All my life, exercise seemed like a chore, like something I should do but didn’t really want to do. Now I look forward to it, because I know it keeps my mind as healthy as my body. And it all started with a few minutes a day. That’s how powerful it is.”

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Here's How Much You Need to Exercise to Make Up for a Day of Desk Sitting

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This article originally appeared on CookingLight.com.

Researchers of a sedentary lifestyle study have good news for office workers who find themselves trapped behind a desk every day from 9 to 5. The negative health effects created by long hours of sitting down can be reduced by daily exercise.

The study looked at data from 16 previous studies, mainly involving people ages 45 and above from the United States, Australia, and Western Europe. They found during their follow-up period of two to 18 years that those who sat for eight hours a day with little exercise had a 9.9 percent chance of mortality, while those who sat for less than four hours per day with one hour of exercise had a 6.8 percent chance of mortality.

The study goes on to recommend that those who sit daily for an average of eight hours should try to exercise one hour per day, while those who sit 6 or less should aim for half an hour of exercise.

“You don’t need to do sport, you don’t need to go to the gym. It’s OK doing some brisk walking, maybe in the morning, during lunchtime, after dinner in the evening," said lead author Professor Ulf Ekelund in an interview with The Guardian, "You can split it up over the day, but you need to do at least one hour.”

The bottom line: Right now, most health experts recommend 30 minutes of exercise every day. Adding another 30 minutes may seem daunting, but you can squeeze it in without interrupting your schedule. We know it's not always easy to get up and move during the work day, especially when deadlines loom, but being mindful of movement can really help. When getting up to use the bathroom or get a drink, be sure to take the longest office route possible. When feasible, a quick walk around during lunch time can also help stretch muscles and give your mind a break.

When not at the office, try to insert exercise into your daily life. Start mornings with a walk around the neighborhood and maybe try a visit to the park before dinner, too. Choosing to consistently add activity throughout the day will get you up to one hour of exercise before you know it.

Here's How Much You Need to Exercise to Make Up for a Day of Desk Sitting

9 Things No One Tells You About Running a Marathon Post-Baby

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This article originally appeared on DailyBurn.com.

This guest post comes from Daily Burn 365 trainer, running coach and three-time marathoner Cheri Paige Fogleman, NASM CPT (pre- and post-natal certified). The opinions expressed below are her own, and should not replace medical advice. After giving birth, it’s recommended to get medical clearance before beginning any exercise/training program.

In so many ways training for a marathon is like being pregnant. Your sleep suffers, and yet all you want is more time in bed. Your thirst is off the charts, despite drinking water non-stop. You try to eat more (because you need more calories), but your belly just can’t handle it. You’d really like a glass of wine, but you know you shouldn’t.

Your every movement is also an attempt to protect your body from injury. You prepare for months for something that scares the crap out of you, and while you just want it to be over with already, you are also still so terrified (so really, let’s not rush things). Your body is totally uncomfortable and achy and you hurt in weird places, but you know that it’ll all be worth it, and you’ll be filled with joy once the big day comes.

So, why once you’ve had a baby would you want to run a marathon?

Well, on Sunday, November 5, there I was — jammed into the corral at the start of the 2017 TCS New York City Marathon. Would my race be perfect? No. Would it hurt like heck at times? Probably. But, like most big and scary life events, I had a sneaking suspicion it would all be worth it in the end. And seeing my little girl at mile 25 reassured me of that.

Here are a few things I learned along my post-baby journey to 26.2, which might help other new moms, too.

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9 Things No One Tells You About Running a Marathon Post-Baby

Photo by Catherine Martin

1. Take advantage of your superhuman body.

The first thing my OB said to me at my first visit: keep running throughout your pregnancy. Postpartum, you’ll be able to get back to running quicker and you’ll still be able to take advantage of all the cardiovascular changes that happen to a pregnant body. These changes include increased cardiac output (up to 50 percent more than pre-pregnancy), increased blood volume (also as much as 50 percent more than pre-pregnancy), and an expanded ribcage (which offers more volume of air in one breath).

Basically, during pregnancy, oxygen circulates through the body more efficiently, and with increased efficiency, the body can perform better — and with greater ease. And, because a woman’s body doesn’t just snap back after delivery, it can take a year for the postpartum body to operate “normally” again (depending on breastfeeding). But that means we can take advantage of that so-called superhuman body for a while. My OB’s advice: Plan to qualify for Boston just shy of a year, postpartum. It’s nice when you can get a running coach and an OB all in one, yes?

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2. Anticipate a drop in breast milk production.

Possibly because of dehydration, maybe because of physical stress, I found that my breast milk production tapered dramatically once my training picked up. If you are exclusively breast feeding and are less than six months postpartum, a few things can help. Oatmeal, for instance, is high in iron, which is believed to promote milk production. Some experts also suggest performing a series of power pumping sessions (as in milk pumping, not pumping iron). This method encourages over-production going into your training so you’ll have extra in the freezer in case you’re coming up short and the little one is hungry. For me, consuming more gels and drinking more electrolytes (e.g. Gatorade and coconut water) while training also helped keep my production from dwindling.

3. Give your feet special attention.

Because it can take about a year for hormone levels to return to normal after giving birth, be cautious of over-stretching and putting excess strain on your feet. The hormone relaxin is present in the body during pregnancy to allow tendons and ligaments to loosen and the skeleton to make space for the baby. If your feet grew during pregnancy, that same hormone can now cause your feet to shift even more. Avoid minimal shoes (unless you’ve been wearing them all along). And don’t skimp on calcium, which has been shown to help protect not just the bones in your feet, but your entire skeleton. Plus, it fuels your body’s energy production — so make sure you fill up on sources like milk, yogurt, spinach and kale. A postpartum body (and a breastfeeding body) is often calcium-deficient due to “mining” calcium from the mother’s bones to provide for the growing baby.

RELATED: 9 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Started Running

4. Heed the advice about changing up how you hold the little one.

I was told to switch up which hip I hold my daughter on by more than one person. And I’m a trainer, so I should know better, right? (I have even given that same advice to clients for years!) And yet, when life happens, I have been 100 percent guilty of slinging her on my left hip while scurrying around the kitchen slinging eggs and coffee and oatmeal.

It wasn’t until my 15-mile training run that my back started to feel a little twinge…and then my hip and then my hamstring and then my calf. A few weeks later, after an 18-mile long run, I couldn’t walk. A trip to my PT revealed that (due to holding my daughter only on my left hip) my right lower back and the muscles that run up the right side of my spine had all called it quits. That lead to a chain reaction of pain and suffering down my left hip and leg. Which brings me to…

5. Whatever amount of core training you’d normally do, multiply that by four.

During pregnancy, abs have a tendency to stretch or even separate (aka diastasis recti), and if you had a caesarian, the trauma can be worse. This has an effect on not just your ab strength, but also your back stability and the integrity of your entire kinetic chain. As a pre- and post-natal certified trainer, I recommend planks, side planks, bird-dogs, bridges and supermans. And if you can, make an appointment with an MAT (Muscle Activation Technique) therapist. A MAT therapist can determine where muscle weakness might be causing problems. Next, he or she will work to bring that strength back by palpating muscles, then prescribing specific isometric exercises to continue on your own. It’s been a game-changer for me.

RELATED: 6 Core Exercises for New Moms with Diastasis Recti

6. Make it worth it.

In my before-child days, I never realized I was taking for granted the freedom to run at any time and for any distance. But now I know. The acrobatics of juggling childcare for training has meant driving 45 minutes to my brother’s house to drop off my daughter, squeezing my long run into two hours, and then rushing back home for her nap time. It’s meant waking up in the pre-sunrise hours to run and get home before she wakes. I joined a gym specifically because it has childcare. And, I went out and bought a jogging stroller. While there is a certain amount of peace and quiet that I’ve thoroughly enjoyed while running, the extreme inconvenience of every single run is unavoidable. Whereas my biggest decisions were once which leggings to wear, or which route to take, now it’s: where my daughter will be, if she’ll need food or milk, and when she’ll take her next nap.

Because my better half, my brother and sister-in-law, my friends, my wallet and even my daughter have all made sacrifices for the sake of my training, my performance on November 5 was more important than ever. It took a village to get me to the starting line. For their sake, I could not let the village’s efforts be in vain.

RELATED: How to Run (And Watch!) the NYC Marathon Like a Pro

Photo by Janice Lancaster

7. You’re stronger as a mom.

There’s no way around it: Hitting the wall sucks. But the sudden fatigue caused by depletion of glycogen stores is something all endurance athletes have to learn to push through. As a running coach, one of the ways that I familiarize clients with that “wall” feeling is through repeat speedwork. (Think: repeat 400s, 800s and miles.) It’s brutal, and it perfectly recreates that hopelessness and defeat as your legs feel like they are going to fall off or melt and you crumble into a pathetic heap on the ground.

The “good” news? I now know that the first three months of my child’s life was just hitting the metaphorical and literal wall over and over and over again. I went weeks on mere hours of sleep and then managed to not wake her as I cradled her, stood up from seated on the floor, tripped over the cat (and a pacifier), and finally lowered her into the bassinet. That is pushing through the wall! I now know that motherhood makes you an expert on perseverance. All of my training on the road and the treadmill prepared me for the marathon, but it was my training as a mom that prepared me to win it.

8. Your little one will help you recover faster.

Don’t worry for a second about how you will run 26.2 miles and then be able to squat down to tie your baby’s shoes. You already do daily functional training in the form of squatting, bending, twisting and lifting with your little one. So, as you add on miles, you will naturally continue your feats of strength and acrobatics. In fact, in my before-child days — when I’d allow myself to lounge around after a long run with my feet up — recovery actually took a bit longer. But, because blood flow (from movement) encourages recovery, and a toddler doesn’t allow days off from chases through the apartment, my muscles were surprisingly chipper the day after long runs. They even felt pretty great the day after the marathon!

RELATED: 5 Scientifically Proven Ways to Reduce Muscle Soreness

9. It’s no longer about you.

One of the overwhelming takeaways of running the NYC Marathon is how spectacularly the spectators cheered. Their emotional shouts of encouragement contained something more than inspiration. I felt a very strong sense of appreciation that I was achieving this marathon goal for them — on their behalf. While that’s a humbling duty I’m honored to carry out, I’ve begun to think more about how my every action impacts my child. It’s cliché, but true: Having a daughter has made me want to be a better version of myself. And more than ever, I’m aware of how I can lead by example.

I want my little girl to see that setting your sights on a goal and working to achieve it are key to excelling in life. And, for me, running 26.2 miles through the five boroughs of New York City was achieving a goal on my daughter’s behalf. It was my way of showing her that she has the necessary stuff in her genes to power through the seemingly impossible. That she can achieve things beyond her wildest dreams.

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How I Learned to Tell the Difference Between Being Lazy and Being Safe at the Gym

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I once took a face-plant in the middle of a set of plyometric push-ups. One second, I was a machine, effortlessly clapping between each rep and springing into the next one. The next second, my arms gave out and I went face first into the gym floor. I was a little stunned at first but I quickly laughed it off—endorphins are a hell of a drug—and gleefully launched into my next set. 

As a fitness professional in the prime of youth (I was in my mid-20s when I face-planted) and the peak of shape, I considered limits the enemy. It felt good to push them. It felt even better to ignore them, or insist that they didn't exist at all. So I’d write off any signs of fatigue as weakness and keep pushing through that next set, sprint, or session. And when my trembling muscles and broken brain did finally force me to give up, I told myself that I’d have to do better the next time.

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Then I started teaching a number of high intensity interval, martial arts, and cycling classes. I’d blast songs like “No Limits” by 2 Unlimited and guide my students through the exact same process. 

It wasn't until I was in charge of other people’s wellbeing that I started to question my fraught relationship with limits. I’d been happy to beat up my own body beyond all rationality in the pursuit of toughness—and then beat my brain up when my body failed—but I had both a professional and moral obligation to keep the people who took my classes safe, healthy, and challenged in responsible ways. A lot of what I was doing to myself, it turned out, was none of those things.

Why we push ourselves too hard

I was hardly alone when it came to my limits issue. Many of my students shared it. Most of my colleagues did, too. In fitness, it’s often hard to find the line between being strong and being reckless. The messages we receive are all about pushing beyond our limits, not quitting, and achieving the impossible, which doesn't always leave room for things like listening to your body and knowing when it is actually time to slow down or stop. There are no cool t-shirt slogans or high-BPM pop songs about backing off of your resistance training when you can no longer execute a move with proper form, or slowing down when your pulse starts climbing too close to your maximum heart rate. 

Even if you can manage to accept that you are a mortal with at least some limitations, it isn’t always easy to recognize these limits as you approach them. A lifetime of being encouraged to push yourself to the extreme in phys ed, in the gym, and in life in general leaves many of us so disconnected from our bodies and brains that we don’t recognize the signs of fatigue when they start to approach.

There’s also a layer of guilt and self-doubt that comes along with trying to figure out when it’s time to quit. On the rare occasions when I did recognize the signs in myself during my workouts, I’d immediately start to wonder whether I was just being lazy or weak, or whether I was possibly subconsciously sabotaging myself, and then I’d keep going. 

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Forget "no pain, no gain"

In my classes, I started to talk about how our bodies felt when we exercised. I would give examples of what it should look, feel, and sound like when we were exercising within responsible limits and I’d stress how important it was to know the difference between testing those boundaries and rejecting them completely. Most people who want to exercise know that it’s human to want to avoid discomfort and there is always a risk that we won’t reach our full potential during a workout because of that, but the opposite risk is just as serious.

I'd argue the value of the old "no pain, no gain" ethos, pointing out that discomfort can be an acceptable part of a workout that responsibly pushes your boundaries, but outright pain usually means that you're either injuring yourself or on the verge of doing so. 

If we were working in the aerobic zone, I'd point out that we should still be able to talk with some amount of comfort. Being completely out of breath, I'd stress, was only for very short periods of high-intensity interval training like sprints. I was also very anti-vomit. It might make you feel tough to push yourself to those limits, but puke is your body's particularly unpleasant way of telling you that something is going very wrong in your workout.  “You want to push yourself, but you don’t want to kill yourself” I’d tell my students. 

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Respecting my limits

It took me years to listen to my own advice, both at the gym and in the rest of my life. I started getting sick more often. Then I started having panic attacks, which would often hit right before I had to leave home to teach a fitness class. It wasn't until I had a meltdown and was finally diagnosed with autism in my late 20s that I started to think it was time to be a little more gentle with myself. 

I’ve made a lot of changes since then—and none of them came easily. Each workout I skipped, each class I stopped teaching, felt like a fatal character flaw. Maybe if I could just be a little better, I’d think, I’d be able to push through. Once I worked through the guilt, though, I was able to step back and start to reassess my life. I started to think of myself as a human being with a unique set of issues and skills that needed to be accepted as a whole. After a while, learning to work within my limits no longer felt like failure. It felt like relief. 

Two years ago, during another rough patch, I took a solid look at my career in fitness and decided that it wasn't working for me anymore. I quit teaching fitness, and I also took a break from my own workouts.

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When I finally started exercising again, I found that I no longer had the desire to push myself as hard as I once had. Sometimes I miss feeling like a cartoon superhero the way I used to when I was crushing reps, but there’s also something really exciting about getting to know your body well enough to be able to actually feel when it’s had enough.

Thanks to the years that I've spent looking for the signs of other people's limits, I'm starting to get a little better at spotting those symptoms in myself. I know what the difference is between feeling my breathing start to elevate and starting to feel a pain in my chest when I'm running. I know when my muscles are burning because I'm challenging them and when they're starting to twinge because I'm misusing or abusing them. I know that feeling a click in my left elbow during certain strength exercises means that I need to alter my range of motion, because no good has ever come from ignoring a malfunctioning tendon.

I no longer do push-ups to the point of face-plants. Now I do them until I can no longer maintain good form. It might not be as “tough” as what I used to do, but it’s smart training—and it’s sustainable. If I'd started doing this a decade ago, I probably wouldn't have had to learn this lesson the hard way at all. If I keep it up, I won’t have to learn it again.

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2-Minute Yoga Flow to Stretch and De-Stress

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This article originally appeared on DailyBurn.com.

When you’re feeling stressed, your body tenses up as a reflex reaction. Imagine a tug of war between muscle and mind. As your body succumbs to the stress, it creates tightness in your neck and shoulders. And if you’re guilty of sitting all day? Expect a stiff back and shortened hip flexors.

But instead of taking a few minutes to relax with a meditation, stretch into zen with this two-minute yoga flow. “Taking short movement breaks improves all body and mind functions,” says Kristin Condon, yoga instructor and producer on Daily Burn 365. Even better: “Get creative! Make shapes and get silly,” Condon says. “It helps to change your perspective and gets your body moving in new ways.”

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Stretch Into Zen with This 2-Minute Yoga Flow

Condon’s meditative flow includes three poses that’ll help you bring awareness to tense areas in your body and learn how to use your breath to release them. The result? You’ll feel more relaxed, rejuvenated — and ready to tackle the tasks ahead of you.

Condon recommends starting this flow in the crescent lunge (high lunge) to stretch your legs, align your spine and build balance. “This is a wonderful counter pose after long hours of sitting at a desk, where you’re probably hunched over a computer,” Condon says. Take three to five breaths for each pose and remember to keep breathing as you transition.

1. Crescent Lunge

This heart-opening pose will help you lift tightness out of your chest, while stretching your back and legs and testing your balance.

How to: Standing with your feet hip-width apart, step your right foot forward, aligning your right knee directly over your heel. Keep your left foot behind with your heel lifted, but your toes firmly on the ground. Stand with your torso upright, and clasp your hands together behind you at your low back. Deepen the stretch by extending your back, bringing your shoulders down and lifting your chest to the sky. Look upwards and take a few breaths.

2. Warrior III

Want to command in the boardroom? This pose gives you the backbone to by working your entire posterior, which has a tendency to weaken when sitting for hours on end. “Be an office warrior while you let go of work-induced stress and anxiety with this pose that grounds, focuses and energizes,” Condon says.

How to: From the high lunge position, balance your weight on your right leg and lift your left leg up so it becomes parallel to the ground. Flex your left foot and imagine pressing the wall behind you. Keep your hips square as you bring your torso forward and extend your arms out in front of you. You can bring your hands together and point your index fingers forward or have them in mudra (prayer). Hold this pose for about 30 seconds before releasing back to a crescent lunge and bringing your left foot forward to meet your right foot.

RELATED: 5 Yin Yoga Poses Every Runner Should Do

3. Side Bend

The key to getting the most out of this pose is to draw energy up from the ground through your inseam, torso and out of your pointer fingers, Condon says. “Lateral bends help with breathing by stretching the intercostal muscles. Better breath means more oxygen in your blood and in your brain, which relieves stress,” she notes.

How to: Place your feet and hands together in mountain pose (tadasana) and interlace your fingers. Point your index fingers up to the sky. While your feet stay firmly on the ground, take a gentle bend to your left side, inhaling and exhaling for five breaths before switching sides.

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How to Recover After a Giant Meal

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This article originally appeared on RealSimple.com.

When you’re stuffed to the point of discomfort after an indulgent holiday dinner, you might be wondering what it’s going to take to feel like your healthy self again. Here, nutrition and fitness experts share advice to help you get back on track after overeating—without starving yourself or doing hours of cardio.

First things first: Stop beating yourself up!
“Feeling guilty doesn't lead to healthier eating and is more often associated with perpetuating emotional and binge eating behaviors,” says Torey Jones Armul, RDN, National Spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. You can’t go backward: Tell yourself you’ll start making healthier decisions starting right now.

Go for a walk.
This can aid digestion and possibly help decrease the fat your body stores, says Marta Montenegro, exercise physiologist and nutrition specialist. One study showed that when subjects took a light walk after a high-fat meal, they decreased their post-meal triglyceride concentration (the type of fat your body stores to use for energy) by around 70 percent compared to the non-walking group.

Get leftovers out of sight.
Whether you encourage guests to take leftovers with them, or stick them in containers to store in your freezer, moving extra food out of sight and out of mind will help you return to your normal healthy eating routine over the next few days, Jones Armul says. “Portioning out leftover foods in single-serving containers prolongs the food's shelf life, helps with portion control and slows down the urge to chow down on those tempting dishes,” she says.

Note the damage, but don’t let it define you.
If stepping on the scale the day after Thanksgiving will help you get back on track with a healthier eating mindset, then do it, but don’t assume the scale shows true weight gain. It may be up a few notches, but that just reflects water retention, says Molly Morgan, RD, author of Skinny-Size It. There are 3,500 calories in a pound, so to have actually gained three or four pounds, you would’ve had to consume more than 10,500 to 14,000 extra calories! Even though our experts and other sources estimate the average American might take in 2,000 to 4,500 calories over the course of Thanksgiving day eating, that still only adds up to about a pound at the most. “Increase your fluid intake for the next few days to help flush out the extra water,” Morgan says.

Improve your next meal.
If you overdid the calories at one meal, keep the next meal lighter, but still satisfying by filling it halfway with vegetables, says Erin Palinski-Wade, RD, CDE, author of Belly Fat Diet For Dummies . T hen fill out the remainder of the plate with lean protein options.

Track your calories for the next few days.
Record your food intake on a smartphone app (like Lose It! or MyFitnessPal) or with pen and paper for a couple of days to get back to your eating routine, suggests Morgan. One study showed that self-monitoring consistently during the holiday season helped the study participants minimize weight gain.

Calm your stressed system with yoga.
Your body is under stress after a big meal, says Montenegro. Yoga can help by activating the parasympathetic nervous system, the one that lowers blood pressure, heart rate, and relaxes the stomach nerves. Doing yoga has also been shown to increase the response of feel-good neurochemicals like serotonin and the oxytocin hormone, so you’ll feel happier, more relaxed, and ready to move on with your healthy goals after this particular overeating session. In one study, Iyengar style yoga helped reduce Irritable Bowel Syndrome symptoms, such as abdominal pain, fatigue, constipation, and other digestive issues.

Tack on a few more intense workouts.
Maximize calorie burn by doing moderate- to high-intensity exercises—they’ll increase your metabolism for 12 to 24 hours after you’re done working out, says Montenegro. Do 15 reps of each of squats, shoulder presses, lateral side raises, bent over rows, biceps curls, triceps extensions, side bends, pushups and leg raises. Then repeat the circuit one or two more times.

Focus on your food intake over the course of a week rather than day-to-day, suggests Palinski-Wade: “Don't let one ‘bad’ meal or day define you.

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