Oct 05

What You Need to Know About Rest Days for Your Workout Plan

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You might have heard that you need to go hard every day for success. You heard wrong.   TAKING A NO days off mentality to accomplish your fitness goals might have short term benefits, but likely wind up putting yourself at risk of injury in the long run. That type of mindset is an antiquated concept of old-school gym culture as useful these days as a rusty barbell. You can pick it up and try to give it a few reps, but you’ll be better off with a newer, more modern approach. Rest days are not for the weak. That can be hard to swallow if you love training, and if you have big-time goals you’re working hard to achieve. If that’s you, you’re wondering exactly how many rest days do you really need to optimize your recovery? What if you’re training for a race or pushing for a PR? Taking time off when you have a goal staring back at you can be difficult—so how long should you break before you get back into your workout plan? How many rest days are needed in a week of training? Here, Kurt Ellis, C.S.C.S., owner and coach at Beyond Numbers Performance, […]
Oct 04

A 7-Day Workout Routine To Help Meet Your Fitness Goals

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A well-balanced workout schedule can help you reap the benefits of physical activity, such as boosting your mood and helping with sleep.1 The key to an effective workout plan is to challenge your body and engage your mind by adding various cardio, full-body, stretching, and weightlifting exercises. Though general physical activity recommendations for adults include aerobic exercises and strength training, your workout routine also depends on your fitness goals. Read on for a sample weekly workout schedule by Jacklyn Romano, CPT, a certified physical therapist based in New Jersey, and Sharon Gam, PhD, a certified personal trainer and health coach.   The Sample Workout Schedule Romano and Gam designed this seven-day workout plan to help you develop a regular exercise routine. Here’s what each day of the schedule entails:   Monday: Cardio Tuesday: Lower body Wednesday: Upper body and core Thursday: Active rest and recovery Friday: Lower body with a focus on glutes Saturday: Upper body Sunday: Rest and recovery   The CDC has recommended that adults aim to get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity per week. This amount of time equals a minimum of 30 minutes per day, five days per week. The second part of […]
Oct 03

No, You’re Not Too Busy to Live a Healthy Lifestyle

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Can’t see the forest for the trees? These lifestyle tips will help reframe your perspective on prioritizing your own health.   Where did the time go? Many of us find ourselves asking that question every single day. Managing a hectic life felt challenging before the pandemic, but for a lot of people juggling tasks became even more difficult since the onset of the crisis. The majority of workers (60 percent, reportedly) felt that coronavirus affected their work-life balance. And when life began opening up, society seemed to swell back to the previous pace and beyond. So when are you supposed to be taking care of yourself? More people are talking about self-care, mental wellness, the importance of exercise, clean eating, and doing things that bolster our immunity. But where is the time to do any of that? Laurie Watkins, author of Go from Stressed to Strong: Health & Fitness Advice from High Achievers, says it’s a myth that there aren’t enough hours in the day to achieve a healthy lifestyle. “It’s a myth because each of us have developed personal habits as we’ve aged through life. Though each habit means relatively little on its own, over time, the meals we […]
Oct 02

How Much Should You Be Able to Back Squat?

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Guys yearn to build strength in this gold-standard exercise. Here’s the weight you should be aiming for when you train.   TESTING YOUR LIMITS is an integral part of any training plan, whether you’re performing max pushups or holding a plank. When it comes to strength benchmarks, there are a few classic moves that are typically used to gauge your ability. For your upper body, you might consider how much weight you can bench press. For the large muscles in the lower body, it’s common to use the barbell back squat as your go-to heavyweight exercise. That leads us to the obvious question: How much should the average guy be able to squat? What if you’re relatively new to lifting, or you aren’t sure when it’s time to add weight to the bar? First, don’t fixate on how you stack up to the guy next to you at the gym. Everyone’s goals and training history are different. “Volume, intensity, and desired outcome are variables that will impact how much and how often weight should be added to someone’s squat program,” says Kurt Ellis, C.S.C.S., owner and coach at Beyond Numbers Performance. That said, if you’re curious about where you stand […]
Oct 01

The Secret Tricks for Getting a Lean Body After 60, Say Experts

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Just because it’s harder doesn’t mean it’s impossible.   There’s no getting around it—as you get older, it becomes progressively harder to run the six miles you used to do each morning. Your strength, balance, and mobility naturally decrease with age, and it’s harder for many people to stay strong and manage your weight. “[As you age] there’s a steady increase in fat mass and changes in body composition, as well as an increase in insulin resistance,” says Leada Malek, PT, DPT, CSCS. “There are also changes in bone density, joint stiffness, and sometimes posture, and all these factors can contribute to metabolism and muscle mass changes after 60,” she adds. What’s more, as you age you often see a reduction in metabolic rate due to the loss of muscle mass. “Your body makeup also starts to shift where what was once muscle turns to fat since you typically stop using your muscles and don’t need to maintain them anymore,” says Caley Crawford, NASM-CPT, trainer and director of education for Row House. These factors make it harder to lose unwanted weight and maintain a lean body after 60, she says. Because of these changes, people often feel weaker and less […]
Sep 30

Five tips for a healthy transition into college life

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Springing into wellness with tips from dietitian nutritionist Lisa Carlson For many, this time of year marks the beginning of a new chapter of life – starting college or returning to school after treats and sweets from the holidays. Transitioning from the familiar routine of home life to the dynamic environment of college can be challenging, especially when it comes to developing new, healthy habits. Here are some vital tips to ensure a healthy experience during the spring semester. Consistency is key Establishing and maintaining consistent habits is key for a successful transition to college life or returning after the holiday break. Whether it is attending all classes in person, engaging in regular exercise, adopting a balanced diet or staying hydrated, healthy routines lead to long-term rewards. By creating and sticking to consistent habits, you pave the way for a smoother adjustment to the college lifestyle. Maintain a healthful diet A healthful diet doesn’t mean eliminating all indulgent foods; rather, it involves ensuring that your meals are mostly wholesome and nutritious. Focus on choosing greens from the salad bar, fresh fruits, vegetables, lean proteins and whole grains. Remember, if you didn’t eat pizza or a burger every day at home, […]
Sep 29

Expert Tips To Live A Heart Healthy Lifestyle

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To keep the heart at its healthiest best, it’s important to watch what you eat and keep your weight under check. Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) continue to adversely affect our nation as sedentary lifestyles are fast becoming the norm for an average working citizen. It is a major cause of mortality globally, as well as in India. While medical practices continue to work on developing better and more effective cures, maintaining heart health remains the first line of defense for tackling the problem. Thus, every year on 29th September, World Heart Day is celebrated to raise awareness around Cardiovascular disease (CVD). This year’s theme ‘Use heart to connect’, is a reminder for many people across the world to take a step back, and start working towards ensuring their family and their own heart health. One of the main reasons for the ever-growing rate of CVD is the consistent lifestyle change that many Indians have undergone, including an absence of physical activity, poor dietary regimes, high consumption of sugar, salt, and high intake of saturated and/or trans fats. However, as the world adapts to an ever-changing sense of normal, it’s important to take a step back, and relook at lifestyle choices that […]
Sep 28

Your brain needs more rest than you’re giving it. These 9 tips can help.

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Brain health is not just about sleep. Here’s how to focus on adding more restful moments into your day   When you think about getting rest, which of these situations comes to mind?   A. Enjoying a good night’s sleep B. Taking a midday nap C. Reclining on the sofa to watch mindless television   While these restful moments all have their place in daily life, it’s a common misconception to view rest as an entirely passive experience. True rest, say experts, is not just about being sedentary or in the prone position — it’s also about giving your brain the restorative breaks it needs to function at an optimal level. While adequate sleep is essential to brain health, many forms of rest involve activity, not slumber. “The most restorative kinds of rest — the things that recharge our mental and physical batteries most effectively — are the things that are active rather than passive,” said Alex Soojung-Kim Pang, author of the book “Rest: Why You Get More Done When You Work Less.” “Going for a long walk or hike or working out can give us more rather than less energy and leave us feeling mentally more rejuvenated.”   This […]
Sep 27

9 Must-Know Strength Training Moves for Beginners

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This total-body beginner weight lifting routine is the easiest way to ease into strength training as a newbie.   You’ve probably heard that you should do strength training workouts, but maybe cardio-based activities like running a few miles or hopping on a spin bike fit your personality more. While that’s totally fine, you should keep in mind that the benefits of strength training are too good to pass up, and they range from building muscle endurance to preventing injury. Read on for a beginner’s guide to strength training and a closer look at key exercises you can implement into your workout regimen.   How to Add Strength Training Exercises for Beginners to Your Fitness Routine Most people think of weightlifting when talking about strength training. Contrary to popular belief, you can build muscle strength using various methods, including using your own body weight, resistance bands, cable resistance machines, and yes, weight machines and free weights. Start small with your weights and increase as needed: “Choose a weight that’s just heavy enough to complete 10 reps, and by that eighth rep, you feel really happy it’s almost over,” says Joel Freeman, creator of the LIIFT4 program and Beachbody Super Trainer. “This […]
Sep 26

5 things to do in the morning for a long and healthy life

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The article detailed five morning habits shown to improve health and longevity. It highlighted meditation to reduce stress, drinking warm lemon water for hydration and immune support, morning exercise for energy and cognitive function, a nutrient-dense breakfast to lower heart disease risk, and practicing gratitude to enhance mental well-being and life satisfaction. Mornings set the tone for the rest of the day, and the habits we cultivate during these early hours can significantly impact our long-term health and longevity. While there are numerous ways to start the day, focusing on practices that promote physical, mental, and emotional well-being can make a big difference. Below are five morning habits that can contribute to a long and healthy life.   Start the day with meditation Mindful meditation is a practice that involves focusing on the present moment, which can reduce stress and anxiety. Research published in the journal Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging found that meditation can increase the grey matter in the brain, which is associated with improved memory, learning, and emotional regulation. Starting your morning with just 10-15 minutes of meditation can set a calm and focused tone for the day, helping you manage stress more effectively and promoting long-term mental health. […]
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