Mar 15

14 Post-Workout Snacks Trainers and Dietitians Swear By

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Replenish your energy after exercise with these delicious post-workout snack ideas from trainers and dietitians.   1. What’s a Good Post-Workout Snack? So you’ve just completed a brutal gym session and you’re looking to refuel with a post-workout snack. Odds are your first thought is a protein bar, especially since protein plays an important role in muscle synthesis. But there are plenty of other after-workout snack options you can add to the rotation to refuel and recharge without having to exclusively eat protein bars day after day. Searching for the best post-workout snacks that are packed with nutrients and keep things ~fresh~? Look no further than these snack suggestions from trainers and dietitians.   2. Turmeric Smoothie The body is inflamed and filled with lactic acid after an intense workout, so the primary goal is recovery, says Tamal Dodge, E.R.Y.T., a yoga instructor in Venice, California. Many people reach for protein after exercise, but since most protein is acidic, one of the best after-workout snacks is something alkaline and anti-inflammatory, he says. “I eat organic grapes or fruits that are alkaline, and I try to incorporate something that is really anti-inflammatory such as turmeric,” says Dodge. “I will make a […]
Mar 13

8 Exercises Trainers Want You to Try to Meet Your Fitness Goals

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Add these expert-approved exercises to your workout regimen.   You know fitness matters. By remaining active, you can improve your physical and mental health in a myriad of ways, especially as you get older. But there are a number of workouts you could potentially do — which ones should you begin with? With the help of personal trainers, we’ve determined the best exercises that fit a wide range of fitness goals. These exercises will improve your strength and endurance and will benefit your workout journey in the long run. You can also modify them depending on your fitness level and still get the same benefits. Add these expert-approved exercises to your workouts today.   1. Deadlifts The deadlift is a compound exercise that has you lifting heavy weight off the floor by bending at the hips and standing back up. There are plenty of variations to choose from whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned weightlifter. Some variations include the kettlebell deadlift, Romanian deadlift, conventional deadlift, stiff-legged deadlift, sumo deadlift and trap bar (or hex bar) deadlift. “The deadlift is a great exercise because it helps strengthen the core, back, shoulders, arm muscles, as well as your glutes, quads, hamstrings […]
Mar 09

How To Do An Incline Dumbbell Press To Challenge Your Entire Upper Body

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If you’re not already utilizing compound movements in your workout routine, now would be a great time to start. Targeting more than one muscle group and therefore firing up your body more effectively, compound movements are the hidden gems of fitness—they offer the most bang for your buck when it comes to weight training. One of our favorites? The incline dumbbell press. Building your upper-body strength not only improves muscle tone, but it can actually make day-to-day life that much easier (think carrying your groceries all in one trip), and an incline dumbbell press targets several areas of the upper body and core. Below, we break down exactly how to perfect your form as guided by fitness trainer BB Arrington, CPT, along with some helpful tips for modifying the movement to match your fitness level.   How to do an incline dumbbell press. Seated on the floor, in front of your sofa (or a wall), lean back so that your shoulders rest against it. With dumbbells in hand, lift your elbows to shoulder height, wrists stacked over elbows. Brace your core and keep your gaze forward. Press the dumbbells up to the ceiling, and return to start. Keep the dumbbells […]
Mar 05

When Lower Back Pain After a Workout Is Cause for Concern

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Some soreness after hitting the gym is okay, but if you have excruciating lower back pain after a workout that just won’t quit, you might have an injury. There are some major worries around lower back pain — during or after a workout — pervading the fitness world. Case in point: While you’re powering through a class, you’ll probably hear your instructor give a reminder about keeping proper form and stress that you’re doing something wrong if you’re feeling it in your lower back. To be fair, back injuries are not fun. Not only can they force you to dial back your fitness routine, but they may also require you to go through physical therapy or even have surgery. So, it makes sense that gym-goers and at-home fitness enthusiasts alike often want to baby their backs and start to panic if they feel any aches or pangs. But is lower back pain after a workout something you actually need to worry about? Simply put, it depends on your symptoms and their severity.   When Lower Back Pain After a Workout Is Normal It’s common to feel some tightness across your lower back after a workout, particularly after performing exercises that […]
Mar 02

6 Best Dumbbell Leg Exercises to Do at Home

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Whether you’re looking to boost your lower body strength or want to train your legs, there are various dumbbell leg exercises that can be included in your home workout routine. Dumbbell leg exercises allow you to work on your legs unilaterally, which means you can train one leg at a time and also identify potential imbalances between the two sides. Additionally, dumbbells are versatile, easy to use, and suitable for beginners and advanced exercisers alike. While a barbell can limit your range of motion, dumbbell leg exercises help you complete a move with the full range of motion and enhance volume as well, without making the bones and joints vulnerable. Incorporating dumbbell leg exercises into your home workout session can help train your legs and develop your lower body muscles for massive growth.   Dumbbell leg exercises to do at home As a beginner, start with lightweight dumbbells, and look to complete at least eight reps. If you’re already into strength training for several years, go for a medium-weighted dumbbell, and aim to complete the following dumbbell leg exercises for 12 reps max. Here’s a look at the six best dumbbell leg exercises you can do in the comfort of […]
Feb 25

Recharge your mind and improve work productivity with these yoga asanas

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Postures that stretch the back muscles are considered cooling in Ayurveda, and soothing for those feeling overly stressed, frustrated, or angry   Work productivity can reduce due to multiple reasons — having a poor manager, not feeling a connection with your workplace and its values, or the work, in general. While there are some remedial measures like feedback, and open communication that can help, it may take time before the changes are actually reflected. That is where our personal philosophy, stress management skills, and ability to cope with tough situations can come into play. Yoga is an empowering practice that can help you manage stress because it integrates three aspects of health and wellness – body, breath, and mind.   Here are a few yoga techniques that are exceptionally helpful in coping with stress.   Sun salutations Moderate levels of aerobic exercises are great for mental health, and sun salutations are perfect for that. When practised with the correct breathing pattern, for 6-12 rounds, they help relieve tension, elevate mood, and boost energy, too.   Balance on one leg Single leg balances like tree pose, warrior III, or dancer’s pose help improve balance and stability. The simple act of balancing […]
Feb 22

Forget the gym — build a stronger chest and arms with this 5-move dumbbell workout

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Five moves to build muscle, no gym required If you usually work out at the gym, you’ll know that a lot of people target their upper body with staple moves like bench presses. However, that’s not the only way to strengthen your arms, chest, shoulders, and back, as this five-move dumbbell workout shows. All you need to get started is some fixed-weight dumbbells or a set of adjustable dumbbells. Adjustable weights cost more initially, but you can increase the load as you get stronger, rather than buying a new set of standard weights, which also makes them easier to store. Don’t worry if you’re new to resistance training or haven’t tried some of these exercises before. We asked personal trainer Ollie Thompson to design a short routine and guide you through each move with some useful tips to improve your form.   How to do this five-move upper-body workout Thompson has put together a routine that’ll target “all major muscle groups in the upper body: chest, back, shoulders, arms, and core. All exercises can be performed with just a pair of dumbbells.” Although you’re free to train in whatever way works best for your body, Thompson has a few suggestions. “Perform each exercise […]
Feb 19

Here’s Why People Have Trouble Following A Workout Routine & How To Combat That

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Below we discuss reasons why people may have trouble following a workout routine and some strategies to overcome these obstacles. Working out regularly is important for good health. It not only helps boost our physical and mental health but also helps improve our mood for the day. However, many factors can lead to you missing your workouts. In this article, we discuss reasons why people may have trouble following a workout routine and some strategies to overcome these obstacles.   10 Reasons why you may have trouble following a workout routine:   1. Lack of motivation It can be hard to stay motivated every single day. While it is okay to take a break once in a while, it is imp to power through and motivate yourself to show up daily. Find a form of exercise that you enjoy and consider setting achievable goals to keep yourself motivated.   2. Lack of time Lack of free time in the routine can cause you to deprioritise your workout routine. Prioritize your daily tasks and schedule your workouts like any other important appointment. Consider shorter, high-intensity workouts if you have limited time.   3. Lack of knowledge If you are new to […]
Feb 17

Do you ever crave to workout? Try out these ‘exercise snacks’

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The innovative concept of ‘exercise snacks’ is a promising solution for integrating fitness into our daily lives, where sitting for prolonged periods has become increasingly common. The approach breaks the intimidating notion of exercise into small, manageable segments, allowing for easy incorporation throughout the day. Coined ‘exercise snacks,’ this method draws an analogy with snacking on food, proposing short bursts of physical activity as a way to snack on exercise. It stems from the realization that long hours of inactivity negatively impact health. This concept suggests that even brief amounts of exercise can significantly improve one’s well-being, offering a ray of hope for those tethered to a sedentary existence.   The science of exercise snacks A slew of recent studies and analyses have illuminated the tangible effects ‘exercise snacks’ have on both mind and body. Research collated in Sports Medicine, reviewing 32 studies involving inactive but healthy adults, found that small, feasible instances of movement, like brief walks, motivate individuals to meet daily activity targets and bolster health outcomes. These snippets of exercise have been linked to a decreased risk of heart disease and certain cancers. Additionally, findings in the Journal of Applied Physiology revealed that short spells of moderate-intensity […]
Feb 16

3 Reasons Why You Should Never Be Cutting Short Triceps Training

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You can’t have a strong upper body without working on this muscle group. Given a choice between leg day and arm day, which one would you choose? It’s not like training legs is not essential because it is, but nothing gives you instant gratification more than a wicked arm pump. In the mirror by the dumbbell rack, doing endless biceps curls and shoulder raise variations for increased flex time. But wait, isn’t something missing? If you guessed tricep training, you would be correct. Minus standing overhead triceps variations, many triceps exercises are not performed in front of a mirror, so they are sometimes pushed aside for exercise variations where your handiwork can be admired. But your triceps—the three-headed horseshoe-shaped muscle on the back of your arm — deserve more attention. The triceps make up two-thirds of your upper arm muscle and cover the entirety of the back of your arm. That’s some prime flexing real estate, and the triceps are not all show and no go, either. It’s your triceps doing work whenever you’re pressing or doing dips. Here, we’ll dive into a little triceps anatomy and three reasons to never neglect your tricep training again during arm day.   […]
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