Dec 28

How to improve your life in 2025 according to science

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The start of a new year is a time for making changes and resolutions to improve your health and wellbeing. We look at some of the best tips that science has to offer. With the arrival of another new year, you might be reflecting on what you’d like to achieve and the kind of person you want to be over the next 12 months. But while roughly a third of us plan to make resolutions or set goals for ourselves in 2025, sticking to them is quite another matter. In previous years, surveys have revealed between 17% and 45% of us abandon these attempts after just the first month. The majority of people quit their resolutions by the middle of the year, according to one study. (Although if a recent YouGov poll is to be believed, Americans were somewhat better at sticking to their resolutions last year, with only 16% of resolution-makers giving up before the end of the year.) These failures can lead to what some psychologists describe as an annual cycle of “false hope syndrome”. Instead, there’s some evidence that it might be better to set goals that are more achievable. Research suggests that approach-orientated goals – those […]
Dec 27

7 Stationary Bike Workouts You Can Do Anywhere

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When it comes to cardio equipment, stationary bike workouts are sometimes overlooked. Riding a stationary bike, known as indoor cycling, is a convenient way to meet some or all of your aerobic exercise goals from the comfort of your home or a gym. Stationary bike workouts provide benefits like keeping your blood pressure or cholesterol levels in check. Before starting any new exercises, always talk with a healthcare provider. They can advise you on appropriate and safe activities for your fitness needs and how long you should do them.   7 Stationary Bike Workouts To Try Whether a biking newbie or an avid cyclist, experience the spin benefits first-hand with one of seven expert-designed cycling workouts. Just make sure you grab a timer to clock all the intervals. All levels welcome Cardio and strength for higher levels Intro to hill and speed intervals Cycle fartlek 25-minute intermediate intervals Power intervals Advanced conditioning   1. All Levels Welcome This 53-minute, beginner-friendly stationary bike workout is primarily aerobic. It incorporates short, challenging intervals to build fitness and burn calories, Kate Ligler, NASM-CPT, CES, PES, a MINDBODY wellness specialist and designer of the workout, told Health. How to do the workout: Start with […]
Dec 26

Winter wellness: Self-care tips for mind and body

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Winter’s chill brings unique challenges for our well-being. Prioritizing self-care is key to thriving during colder months. Nourishing your body with seasonal foods, staying active indoors and out, and adapting your skincare routine are essential. Supporting mental health through light therapy, social connections, and mindfulness As temperatures drop, our bodies and minds often face unique challenges. Winter is a time when self-care becomes essential to stay healthy, energized, and resilient. Here are some effective tips to nurture both your body and mind during the colder months:   1. Nourish your body Stay hydrated: Though we sweat less in winter, staying hydrated is crucial. opt for warm herbal teas, soups, and broths. Eat seasonal foods: Incorporate winter fruits and vegetables like citrus, sweet potatoes, carrots, and leafy greens, which are rich in vitamins and antioxidants. Boost immunity: Include immune-boosting foods such as ginger, garlic, turmeric, and honey in your diet.   2. Keep moving Indoor workouts: Try yoga, Pilates, or home workouts to maintain flexibility and strength. Outdoor activities: If weather permits, enjoy brisk walks or winter sports like skating or skiing to get fresh air and sunlight. Stretch often: Combat stiffness and improve circulation by stretching regularly, especially if you’re […]
Dec 25

A merry, healthy Christmas: Essential tips to boost immunity against winter illnesses

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Christmas is here, and it is the time of joy, celebration, and togetherness, but as the winter season sets in, the drop in temperature can lead to various health issues due to factors such as reduced sunlight and increased indoor time. These factors can weaken the body’s immune system, making it more vulnerable to congestion, cough, flu, pneumonia, and respiratory problems. Winter can increase your chances of falling ill. Boosting your immune system becomes crucial during the winter to fight various health issues. You can even get vaccinated for flu and pneumonia for the betterment of your health. “People who are at a higher risk of experiencing these conditions, such as those with chronic conditions, children, and older adults, should get vaccinated immediately. The risk of respiratory issues like coughs and bronchitis can worsen during the winter due to various factors such as cold air and temperature,” says Dr. Manjusha Agarwal, Senior Consultant, Internal Medicine, Gleneagles Hospital Parel, Mumbai.   Tips to boost immunity and stay healthy in winter Ensure you dress properly according to the weather to keep you warm and cosy. Individuals are advised to eat foods that are known to boost their immunity, such as ginger, turmeric, […]
Dec 24

10 exercises that help blast away belly fat

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Looking for washboard abs? Add these exercises to your routine. Reducing belly fat is one of the most common fitness goals out there — who wouldn’t want washboard abs and to get rid of that annoying bulge above their waistband? In addition to being an aesthetic goal, losing belly fat is a good way to improve your overall health: research has linked larger waist sizes to conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, as well as some cancers. That said, doing hundreds of crunches every day isn’t enough. Instead, it’s about a mix of eating well, limiting the number of calories you eat and increasing the number of calories you burn In other words, losing weight and lowering your body fat percentage is the only way to really reduce belly fat, and despite what you might have heard, specific exercises that target your abdominals alone aren’t the answer. So, rather than spending hours doing sit-ups and crunches in the gym, it’s better to focus on exercises that include cardio and strength work, as well as targeting your core. Not sure where to start? We’ve found 10 of the best exercises for banishing belly fat here.   1. Burpees We’ll get these out […]
Dec 21

11 proven ways to build mental strength for better running

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Training your mind in tandem with your body is the key to easier running and better performances The language and advice around training for endurance sports tends to be dominated by physical factors – increasing your strength, improving your lactate threshold or your VO2 max. But seeing the mind and the body as one system provides a better strategy for improving, and working on improving your mental strength alongside your physical fitness will definitely reap the benefits when it comes to your running performance.   The research on mental strength and running In a 2010 paper, Professor Samuele Marcora, from the University of Bologna, Italy, and Walter Staiano, from the University of Valencia, Spain, challenged the assumption that physical exhaustion was the key limiter in exercise performance and introduced the concept of training by ‘psychobiological’ principles. In their study, a group of cyclists were still able to produce short periods of higher intensity effort even after reaching a point of physical exhaustion. Their research showed that our exercise tolerance is a balance between how hard we find an activity (our rate of perceived exertion or RPE) versus how motivated we are for that activity. Other studies by Marcora have explored […]
Dec 20

Healthy holiday eating tips for the whole family

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With a little planning and creativity, you can enjoy the season’s flavors while keeping your family’s nutrition on track. Holidays are a time for joy, togetherness and delicious food. With festive meals and treats around every corner, it’s easy for healthy eating habits to take a back seat. But with a little planning and creativity, you can enjoy the season’s flavors while keeping your family’s nutrition on track. Dr. Jessica Lazerov, a pediatrician with Children’s National Primary Care, reveals her top tips for helping families maintain healthy eating habits during the holiday season.   Start with smart planning Before the holiday feasts begin, set the stage for balanced eating: Stock healthy options: Keep fresh fruits, veggies, whole-grain crackers, yogurt and nuts on hand for quick snacks before holiday events. Don’t skip meals: Skipping breakfast or lunch to “save room” for dinner often leads to overeating. Start the day with a healthy, filling breakfast like Greek yogurt or oatmeal topped with fresh fruit or scrambled egg bites made with chopped veggies and a sprinkle of cheese. Always make sure to drink plenty of water.   Fun ways to engage kids Get children involved in food preparation to make healthy eating fun: […]
Dec 19

These 4 simple tips will burn more calories — you don’t even need to go to the gym

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When it comes to burning calories, work smarter — not harder. Fitness Coach DH (@dhfitinc) says there are four easy adjustments you can make in your day in order to maintain a calorie deficit to lose weight, and none of them involve dragging yourself to the gym.   Rucking Enjoy a nice walk? No need to trade it in for an arduous run or stint on the treadmill. “Walking at a moderate to vigorous pace can improve memory, sleep, cognitive function and help control your weight,” Dr. Robert Glatter, a board-certified emergency medicine physician, told The Post last year. But you can upgrade your walking to rucking by adding a weight-filled backpack. Rucking elevates walking from simple cardio to compound resistance training by adding weight to your back. The low-impact exercise is rooted in military training, where “ruck” refers to a rucksack and ruck marching, a core skill used by militaries worldwide. “Why it works is that it increases your intensity, it engages more muscles, and it’s a simple way to burn more calories doing a simple activity without having to speed up. It’s easy on the joints, too,” DH said. He recommends newbies get a backpack or specifically designed […]
Dec 18

How a Strong Mind-Muscle Connection Can Take Your Workouts to the Next Level

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Focusing on how your muscles are operating during your strength-training workouts can help make your movements more effective.   Oftentimes, a workout can be your one chance to let your mind go totally blank. After spending an entire day thinking about problems at work, at school, and in your personal life, a solo gym session spent powering through biceps curls and lunges — all while zoning out to the latest Taylor Swift album — can feel truly restorative. But you may not want to shut your brain down completely. In order to level up your performance and make gains, you’ll need to pay close attention to how your muscles are contracting, lengthening, and moving throughout your strength-training practice. In other words, you’ll want to build up and tap into your mind-muscle connection.   The Mind-Muscle Connection, Explained You may not realize it, but while performing any sport or physical activity, your mind either zeros in on what’s occurring in the external environment around you (e.g. the songs blasting through the gym speakers, the trees you jog past while on an outdoor run) or what’s happening within your own body (e.g. muscle fatigue, your breath, any pain). This concentration on your […]
Dec 17

The Definitive Amount of Exercise You Need to Make Up for Sitting All Day

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Here’s how to reverse the curse of a sedentary lifestyle, according to science.   There is no shortage of scientific research to tell you that a sedentary lifestyle—one that involves little to no physical activity—is detrimental to everything from our mental wellbeing to physical health to overall longevity. In fact, besides endowing you with all kinds of immediate aches and pains, sedentary behaviors and physical inactivity are some of the leading factors around the world for cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality. Even for people who are relatively active, prolonged periods spent sitting—whether from desk-bound work days or lazy weekends in front of the TV—can chip away at the benefits of their healthy choices. But before you panic and start working your nine-to-five from the treadmill in the attic, there’s good news. It is possible to help counterbalance some of the health risks associated with sitting for hours (and hours) with a regular and attainable amount of movement. A massive meta-analysis published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine seems to have found the daily exercise sweet spot required to offset the negative impact of 10 hours of sitting. According to the published research, 30 to 40 minutes of mild to […]
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