Apr 12

10 Ways to Make Sure You Work Out Through the Winter

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Don’t let colder temps chill your exercise routine. Try these tips from HSS exercise physiologist Chelsea Long to transition from outdoor to indoor workouts.   Spring and summer practically beg you to work out. Fall and winter, not so much. The colder, darker days make working out just a little more work. But it’s important to keep active, even as the temperatures dip. “In the colder months our bodies turn to conservation mode and we tend to gain weight,” says HSS exercise physiologist Chelsea Long, MS, CSCS. “We also don’t get as much vitamin D and we often feel run down.” To keep your metabolism revving and energy levels high, you need to keep your activity levels consistent, she says. Plus, exercise releases endorphins — nature’s feel-good chemicals — which can help boost your mood no matter how dark the days seem. To make sure the cold weather won’t freeze out your exercise plan, here are 10 tips to help keep you going all season long.   1. If you’re a morning exerciser, set everything out the night before. Pull your workout clothes out of the drawers, get your water bottle ready and make sure your electronics are charged and your […]
Apr 11

Weight Loss Tips: Try These Core Exercises For Beginners

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Read on as we share simple core exercises for beginners to help boost weight loss.   Core exercises are movements that strengthen the muscles in the abdomen, lower back, hips, and pelvis, which are collectively known as the core muscles. These muscles are essential for maintaining balance, stability, and good posture in daily activities and physical exercises. Core exercises can help with weight loss by engaging multiple muscle groups, burning calories, and boosting metabolism. They also improve overall body strength and endurance, making other forms of exercise more effective. In this article, we share simple core exercises for beginners to help boost weight loss.   6 Core exercises for beginners that are effective for weight loss   1. Plank The plank is a simple but effective exercise that targets the core, shoulders, and back. To perform a plank, get into a push-up position, but rest on your forearms instead of your hands, keeping your body in a straight line from head to heels. Hold this position for as long as possible. The plank helps strengthen the entire core, improve posture, and increase endurance.   2. Bicycle crunches Lie on your back with your hands behind your head, lift your legs, […]
Apr 10

“Eat the Rainbow” and Other Tricks to Healthy Eating

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Improving your eating habits helps you maintain a healthy immune system and reduces your risk of chronic disease—ensuring you’re always at your best. Marlys Slone, a clinical dietician with Kettering Health, stresses the importance of eating healthy. “Eating healthy should be a priority,” Marlys says. “As we age, our nutritional needs change. We want to focus on choosing foods that support a healthy lifestyle and reduce our risk of chronic diseases.” Marlys recommends the following ways to eat healthy and improve your quality of life.   Eat from the earth Simple changes to your diet can make all the difference. To start eating healthy, begin with eating more natural foods. Eat a more plant-based diet. Fresh, frozen, and dried items are all good options. And do your best to avoid processed foods. “Choose fresh and frozen fruits and vegetable, whole grains, and other healthy options like nuts and seeds. Look for items that are natural and from the earth,” Marlys says.   Reduce meat intake Be sure to practice portion control by filling up on vegetables, fruits, beans, peas, legumes, and whole grains. Limit your intake of meats like chicken, beef, and pork. And consider that the American Heart Association […]
Apr 09

This Easy Walking Plan Can Help You Lose Weight—No Gym Required

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Here’s how to walk for weight loss, according to a personal trainer.   Walking is one of the most convenient and often underrated forms of exercise. Studies have continuously supported that walking is effective at boosting heart health, improving mental well-being, helping with weight management and even reducing chronic disease risk. But before you lace up those sneakers and hit the pavement or trail, here’s everything you need to know to make strides toward your goal of walking for weight loss.   Health Benefits of Walking “There are numerous benefits to beginning a walking regimen,” says April Hartsook, master coach, personal trainer and founder of the Want Different Do Different movement. Aside from the visible changes that will become physically evident with a regular exercise program, here are some of the other benefits you may gain from walking.   Improved Heart Health Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States.1 Getting active is one of the most effective things we can do to increase our cardiovascular health, and walking is one of the easiest ways to get moving.   Healthy Weight In addition to improving cardiovascular health, losing weight can also help decrease our risk of […]
Apr 08

Is It Okay to Work Out at Night, or Does It Affect Your Sleep?

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Here’s what you should know if you prefer to exercise before bed.   If you’ve been struggling to drift off, you’ve probably tried all sorts of strategies to fall asleep faster: Put your phone away at a decent hour, make your bedroom relaxing, and stop exercising before bed. Wait, hold up. Does working out at night really mess with your sleep? It’s a valid question if you don’t have tons of free time to exercise during the day; for a lot of people, evenings may be the only option to squeeze in a session. But many folks are reluctant to sweat before they sleep because they think a workout might rile up their body and mind, making it hard to wind down. Rest assured: A 2019 review published in the journal Sports Medicine concluded that the science does not support the idea that exercise before bed revs you up—“rather the opposite,” the researchers wrote. A separate 2022 review published in Nature and Science of Sleep supported that statement and added that some moderate-intensity evening routines helped people sleep better. There’s no “magic hour” for fitness, and “working out at night is better than no exercise at all,” Thom Manning, MS, […]
Apr 07

Fresh ideas to improve health habits

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Try these strategies to reduce stress and boost exercise, sleep, diet, and socializing.   Are your big New Year’s resolutions a bust so far? Don’t fret — just take a different approach. Perhaps one or more of these ideas will inspire you.   Make April resolutions Forget New Year’s; a post-holiday health reset will work just as well. There’s no magic to January. If you like, call it a April resolution or simply a goal. “Setting a goal gives you something to work toward. People like having a prize or something to win based on their efforts. At the end of the day, the real prize will be that you’ve changed your behavior,” says Mark Murphy, a sports performance specialist at the Mass General Brigham Center for Sports Performance and Research. You don’t need a special occasion to set a goal. Just choose a lifestyle habit you’d like to change (such as diet, sleep, stress management, or exercise) and set a goal for improvement. Murphy recommends starting small. For example, start going for a daily five-minute walk. Increase the walk time gradually. “Be consistent and try to do something toward your goal every day,” Murphy says. If you stray from […]
Apr 06

How To Get Bigger Legs

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Bulk up your lower limbs with seven essential tips for getting bigger legs   Leg day is a phrase that strikes fear into the hearts of even the most seasoned gym-goers, simply because the day that follows it can involve hobbling around on severely aching pins. However, there is a reason that so many people take the maxim “never skip leg day” to heart. The lower body contains the biggest and most powerful muscle groups, and you’re selling yourself short if you’re not training them at least as much as the rest of you. If you’re looking to increase the size of your legs in particular, then these tried-and-tested tips can help you out. We also have lots of legs workouts for you to pick and choose from.   Train Quickly You’ll often be told that you should move through your weightlifting exercises at quite a slow pace to put your muscles under the maximum amount of stress. While this does apply for much of the upper body, when you train your legs making explosive, faster movements allows you to do more reps and actually builds muscle faster. Try timing your leg exercises, doing as many (controlled) reps as you […]
Apr 05

6 Ways to Bring Mindfulness Into Your Daily Life

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Each day brings plenty of opportunities for mindfulness, from washing the dishes to waiting in traffic. Here are 6 ways to stay mindful throughout the day. Mindfulness involves being aware of your surroundings as well as what you are feeling inside. Practicing mindfulness as part of your everyday life can benefit both the mind and the body. Incorporating mindfulness into your everyday life doesn’t need to be difficult; it can be as simple as daily mindful breathing exercises.   What is mindfulness? The American Psychological Association defines mindfulness as a sense of awareness of one’s surroundings and one’s internal state of being. A mindfulness practice can help people acknowledge their thoughts and feelings in a healthy way and enable them to avoid destructive or unhelpful habits or behaviors. Mindfulness can be used as a tool in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), meditation, and stress reduction exercises. Modern mindfulness practices commonly include a focus on meditation, relaxation, attention, and observing passing thoughts. When you start to practice mindfulness, you may notice that each moment brings an opportunity for mindful presence.   1. When you wake up When you wake up in the morning, you can spend a few minutes checking in with […]
Apr 04

13 Healthy Pre-Workout Snack Ideas to Keep You Fueled (Not Full)

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If you need a bite before you move, these easy, tasty, RD-approved options will satisfy—without weighing you down. When it comes to health there’s so much emphasis put on working out that it’s easy to forget that what you do when you’re not exercising might actually be more important. Not only does time outside of the gym represent the bulk of your day, proper fuel and recovery are key for an optimized workout. While many people feel like they need to have a snack before they hit the mat, that’s not actually true. “If you’re only exercising for an hour or less at lower intensity, you wouldn’t need to fuel, especially if you had eaten a meal three to four hours prior—but you should still hydrate,” says nutritionist Leslie J. Bonci, MPH, RD, CSSD, LDN. Many people also find that working out with food in their stomach—even if it’s just a small snack—can lead to cramping or gastrointestinal (GI) distress. Those people will delight in learning that more and more research is showing the benefits of working out on an empty stomach, as it allows the body to burn fat (not the carbs you just ate) for fuel.   1. […]
Apr 03

How Many Ways To Workout Indoors? 7 Super Cool Ways For A Slim And Toned Physique

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We all dream of having a fit and fabulous body but first things first. How many of us actually honoured our gym memberships or workout plans in the pre-lockdown era? With immunity being the buzzword in this pandemic period, we can only blame ourselves for not having exercised enough to boost our immune response. But all is not lost. The excuses can be aplenty but there is no denying the fact that all we need is a little of bit of discipline in our lives to stay healthy and fit. Besides a balanced diet and healthy lifestyle practices including steering clear of alcohol, tobacco and getting proper deep sleep, fitness coaches, doctors and dietitians alike recommend engaging in physical activity for at least 30 minutes every day. This not only boosts immunity, strengthens muscles, elevates stamina and stimulates metabolism, but also ensures heart wellness and helps maintain a healthy body weight by burning excess body fat and calories consumed during meals. Here are some fantastic indoor workouts that can be easily done at home.   Top 5 Home Workout Ideas:   Jump Rope As a kid, you would have definitely experienced that adrenaline rush while skipping using a rope, with your […]
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