Mar 13

Follow These Personal Trainer-Approved Tips for the Ultimate Post-Workout Recovery

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A personal trainer recommends these recovery strategies to keep your body and mind in peak condition.   As someone who has treated working out as part of my daily routine, I’ve come to find out that recovery is just as important as the workout itself. No matter the workout you do, whether its strength training, high-intensity interval workouts or getting some miles in on the treadmill, how you recover can impact your performance, prevent future injuries and support overall well-being. To break down the best recovery practices, I spoke with Louis Chandler, a certified personal trainer and head trainer at Alo Wellness Club. He shares expert insights on how to properly fuel your body and avoid common recovery mistakes.   Why prioritizing recovery matters Effective recovery isn’t just about feeling less soreness or muscle pain. It’s about helping your body adapt, grow and perform at its best, says Chandler. Neglecting recovery can lead to overtraining, decreased performance and even injury. Post-workout recovery helps rebuild muscle, restore energy levels and reduce inflammation. Good post-workout practices can include: Proper nutrition and hydration to replenish glycogen (the main storage form of glucose in the human body) and support muscle repair Rest and sleep […]
Mar 12

8 Myths About Doing Cardio for Weight Loss — and What to Do Instead

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If you’re on a weight loss journey, you’re probably wondering if cardio burns fat. These common misconceptions might be the reason you’re discouraged or not seeing results, but the truth will set you free. Here, experts bust widespread myths about doing cardio for weight loss, and offer alternative suggestions for how to exercise to lose weight.   1. Myth: Focus Only On Cardio for Weight Loss First things first: does cardio burn fat and, thus, aid in weight loss? Yes — but it’s not the only activity that can help you see results. Enter: strength training. All cardio and no strength training isn’t just boring, but it’s also inefficient. “Strength training builds lean muscle mass, which both increases your metabolism and decreases fat,” says Elizabeth Burwell, a NASM-certified personal trainer and co-owner of High Performance Gym. “So the more muscle you build, the more calories you burn on a day-to-day basis,” she continues. Some strength training workouts can even double as cardio: A recent study by the American Council on Exercise found that kettlebell exercises can burn up to 20 calories a minute — the equivalent of running at a six-minute mile pace! Maximize weight-loss benefits by incorporating up to […]
Mar 11

Breathe for a Better Workout

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Tips to help you through favorite exercises   “Breathe!” Personal trainers and their peers like to remind you of this, as if you don’t know how. You’ve been inhaling and exhaling all your life. But during a workout, you might not be getting it right. Whether you’re running, walking or doing squats, learn the best techniques to get the smoothest performance out of your activity.   First: Why not breathing is bad “We tend to hold our breath as a way to stabilize the torso and create pressure around the abs,” says Galina Denzel, coauthor of Eat Well, Move Well, Live Well: 52 Ways to Feel Better in a Week. If the exercise gets intense, we hold our breath as a way to get extra strength out of the core, “so it then becomes a crutch.” That’s not good. We need regular oxygen to feed our muscles. This is why we breathe heavily and consistently while running and walking, she says. By cutting off the oxygen to our bodies, we risk hernias, muscle cramping and dizziness, which can lead to a fall. For a safe and effective workout, try these techniques.   When you’re running Be a “belly breather,” says […]
Mar 10

10 Nutrition Experts Share Their Top Tips for Staying Healthy This Winter

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Listen to the pros!   Winter is officially here, and with the chilly season comes the highs of festivities and celebrations…and the lows of dreaded cold and flu season. Both of these scenarios can be tricky to navigate nutritionally for a variety of reasons—plus the fact that nutrition needs can be altered in the winter for those living in the northern part of the country. But tracking down reputable, approachable, and beneficial winter nutrition information for a large audience is a tall order. So, we’ve done the heavy lifting for you by asking 10 registered dietitians to share their top winter nutrition tips to help you feel your best this winter for your most impressive winter arc yet!   Embrace Foods Rich in Immune-Boosting Nutrients When it comes to her number one winter nutrition tip, Lena Bakovic, MS, RDN, CNSC, registered dietitian at Top Nutrition Coaching, recommends focusing on immune health. “Nutrients such as zinc and vitamin C can help to boost the immune system,” she says, “Vitamin C is found in citrus fruits, berries, kiwi, broccoli, and tomatoes, while zinc is found in foods such as legumes, whole grains, many seafoods, and poultry.”   Try New Whole Grains The […]
Mar 09

Fitness Isn’t Just Physical: The Importance Of Exercising Your Brain

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Each day without even thinking about it, we walk, lift, bend and breathe. I don’t know about you, but when I feel out of shape, I change what I feed myself and focus on exercise. Whole-body fitness includes exercising our minds. Without strong brains, we face cognitive decline. Lately, I run from meeting to meeting, finding my energy dipping and creativity not as heightened as I would like. Although I schedule myself “thinking time,” it is often over-booked by more meetings. I needed a change and took a day to focus on myself — after all, we are called human BEINGS, not human DOINGS. This brain break helped me come back to my work revived, energized, more focused, alert and happier. Exercising the brain not only strengthens neural pathways but also builds new ones. Neural pathways are where our memories live. The goal is to strengthen pathways with good habits, thoughts and actions. Have you ever heard of neuroplasticity? Neuroplasticity means our brains have this amazing ability to modify connections and literally rewire themselves. Holistic means to be focused on how separate parts of something are intimately connected together and do not truly function when they are apart. Therefore, to […]
Mar 08

Workout For Seniors: Follow The Road To Fitness In Your 70s With These Tips

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In this article, we discuss some tips you can follow when working out if you are in your 70s.   Engaging in regular physical activity in your 70s is essential for maintaining independence, vitality, and a high quality of life. Exercise strengthens muscles and bones, reducing the risk of fractures and falls. It supports heart health, lowers blood pressure, and helps manage chronic conditions like diabetes and arthritis. Additionally, working out improves flexibility and mobility, enabling better performance in daily activities. Beyond physical benefits, exercise boosts mood, sharpens mental clarity, and reduces the risk of cognitive decline. Staying active enhances sleep quality, increases energy levels, and fosters a sense of achievement, contributing to overall well-being. Read on as we discuss some tips you can follow when working out if you are in your 70s.   9 Fitness tips for people in their 70s   This ensures safety and helps create a personalised exercise plan, minimising the risk of injury or exacerbating existing health conditions. Schedule a check-up with your doctor to discuss your fitness goals and health conditions. Request guidance on exercises that suit your medical history, especially if you have heart issues, joint pain, or osteoporosis. Engage in activities […]
Mar 07

Preventing hypertension: Tips to maintain healthy lifestyle, reduce high BP risk

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Many people don’t know they have hypertension as most heart patients are asymptomatic. Check tips to maintain healthy lifestyle, reduce high blood pressure risk Hypertension is high blood pressure and blood pressure is the measurement of the blood where it passes through the arteries, so when it is elevated, we call it hypertension but many people don’t know they have hypertension as most of the patients are asymptomatic hence, they recognise the onset of hypertension when they feel complications like stroke, heart attack or kidney failure. Hypertension is the most common non-communicable lifestyle disease worldwide and is a significant risk factor for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, impacting the economic well-being of nations and families hence, urgent action is needed to address hypertension through effective healthcare policies since this condition is associated with vascular and organ damage, often linked to chronic kidney disease, diabetes and obesity, which further increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. Dr Rajsekhar Varma, Senior Consultant Cardiologist at Aster Medcity in Kochi, revealed, “Nearly 90 to 95 percent of the patients don’t show any specific cause for hypertension. If blood pressure remains consistently high even after multiple examinations, non-pharmacological treatment, which means treatment without medication, is initially recommended. […]
Mar 06

9 ways to stay healthy when you have an erratic schedule

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Healthy eating and an ever-changing work schedule hardly go hand-in-hand. Most days, we eat without paying attention, hurry out of the house without saying bye to family members, and struggle to sit at the table without peering into our smartphone. We’re all guilty of not living mindfully when we have a laundry list of chores to get through on a daily basis. With commitments at work, social engagements and the darn traffic, staying healthy can seem like an insurmountable feat. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Here are some tips vetted by doctors, holistic health experts and entrepreneurs for staying healthy despite a crazy schedule. We’ve divided this into three categories—mind, body and food—so you can find the tips that work best for you.   HEALTH TIPS FOR YOUR MIND   -Unplug Allow yourself some time without the beeping of all your devices—and this includes your Kindle too. Enjoy an hour of the day without gadgets, and you’ll find yourself unwinding. You’ll have time to reflect on your day, spend time with your pets or even have a face-to-face conversation with a family member. Resist the urge to look at your phone before bedtime if you have trouble […]
Mar 05

At-Home Arm Workout: 10 Moves, No Weights Required

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If you want strong, toned arms without weights, try this at-home arm workout that uses bodyweight exercises—from tricep dips to planks—to strengthen your arms. Traditional arm exercises like bicep curls and shoulder presses work great for strengthening the upper body—but they usually require some weights to get the best benefit, Roxie Jones, NASM-CPT, a personal trainer and SoulCycle instructor, told Health. Instead, work your arms with these 10 bodyweight arm exercises developed by Jones.   1. Tricep Dip Sit on the floor with knees bent and feet flat. Place hands behind you, elbows bent, wrists underneath shoulders, and fingertips facing in toward the body. Straighten your arms and lift your butt off the floor. Slowly bend elbows to lower body toward the floor. Straighten your arms again, using your triceps to push yourself up. Repeat.   2. Reverse Plank Sit on the floor with your legs extended in front of you. Place hands slightly behind you, palms on the floor underneath shoulders, fingertips facing in toward the body. Press into palms to lift hips and torso off the floor. Keep arms and legs straight, and make sure abs and glutes are engaged. Pause for a few seconds. Lower back down […]
Mar 04

What Science Says About the Eating Habits That Actually Slow Aging

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Research proves there’s a strong connection between your diet and aging. Here’s what you need to know.   Conversations about “staying young” and “slowing the aging process” see to be everywhere, and all this talk can become overwhelming—especially when you’re trying to decipher what is true and what isn’t. For example, most of us have probably heard by now that what you eat can impact the way you age, but what exactly does this mean for us, and aside from all the mixed advice we are constantly hearing, what does the science actually have to say about eating habits that can slow aging? According to the Mayo Clinic, aging can impact your heart health, your bones and muscles, your cognitive health, your ability to lose weight, and many other areas of health. The Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion also emphasizes that aging brings on a greater risk for chronic disease. This may all sound very ominous, but fortunately, they add that sticking to healthy eating habits—along with regular exercise—can help you reduce these risks and pursue a healthy aging process. Read on to get a clearer idea of what research has to say about the specific nutrition habits […]
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