Daily Health Workouts

Reasons Running May Not Help You Lose Weight

19:41

"My body just can't lose weight."

That's the first thing I heard when I picked up the phone. Sounding frustrated and hopeless on the other end of the line, my client Sarah continued.

"If you knew how hard I've been working, you'd understand. You'd know I wasn't making excuses."

Sarah first contacted me after a friend of hers had successfully lost weight through my online coaching program, just six months after having a baby. I asked her to keep an open mind and walk me through everything she'd been doing in terms of diet and exercise. The problem was immediately clear: Sarah was putting effort into her weight loss, but the typeof effort—specifically her over-reliance on running—wasn't the best way to lose fat and get the results she wanted.

Running Mistake No. 1: Your Workout is Always the Same
Your body is an amazing machine. It's designed for efficiency, meaning if you do the same thing over and over again, the process becomes easier. This applies to your running workouts too. Not only will they start to feel more effortless (even if you're still sweating and pumping your legs), but your metabolism literally learns and reacts so that fewer calories are burned with the same exercise output.

Running Mistake No. 2: You Go Longer, But Not Faster
One of the most important variables with any type of exercise—cardio or other—is intensity. If you look at the average person who runs, they pick a pace that they can maintain for a long duration. Think about it: When you jump on a treadmill, elliptical, or bike, you're starting with the intent to be on there for a while. Whether it's 30 minutes or an hour, your goal is to push at a pace you can sustain, work hard, feel tired, and then go home. While this is great for endurance, it's not so great for fat loss.

body workout

Workout moves you can't afford to skip

19:39

No matter how much thought you put into your circuit or how varied you make your Tabata, you’re guaranteed to be incorporating these movements into your workout. All to often we look for max reps and big weights at the expense of form. Master the technique of each of these fundamental movements and watch your results skyrocket.

Squats

To tone your legs, strengthen your hips and give your butt a boost, there’s nothing quite like performing squats. But not all squats were created equal. If you’re arching your back and letting your lower back do all the work, chances are, your squat is causing you more harm than good. Give your power press and box jump a leg up by harnessing the explosive power you can gain by refining your squat.

Lunges

You can’t develop your lower body properly without incorporating lunges. They require balance, coordination and stability, and they promote functional fitness. Think about walking, climbing stairs or kneeling down to pick up a child; we’re lunging all the time. Base exercises around lunges to ensure you’re developing your quads, hamstrings and glutes. They’ll keep your hips, knees and ankles injury free by promoting optimum muscle function, too.

body workout

Best Things You Can Do for Your Body

19:36

Your quality of life is largely dictated by one factor: your physical health. And when it comes to building and maintaining a healthy lifestyle, we all know that eating right and working out are more or less the keys. But there’s more to being healthy than choosing brown rice over white and hitting the gym five days a week. To take your health to the next level, you’ve got to think details, like meditation, flossing, and sex frequency (don't worry: research says the more, the better). If you’re ready to live to 100, start off with these 14 habits. -

health tips

5 Scary Facts About What You're Eating

10:46

1. Flour and cereal products comprise 23 percent of our calories every day, nearly all of which (89 percent) are refined. That means that they've lost most of their vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids, and antioxidants.Refining of grains can affect blood-sugar levels and lead to inflammation throughout the body.

2. We eat 17 percent of our calories from refined table sugar and high-fructose corn syrup. The current estimate is about 496 calories a day and more than 22 teaspoons. Of course, it takes B vitamins, magnesium, chromium, zinc, and other nutrients to metabolize and use these sugars, but there aren't any of these nutrients present in refined sugars, so your body has to steal them from somewhere else.

3. Twenty-four percent of our calories come from fats and oils, most of which have been highly processed and stripped of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. These are "junky fats" that have been denatured, oxidized, and structurally damaged. They're found in nearly all of our packaged and processed foods and in most of the vegetable oils that we buy.

4. We eat only five percent of calories from fruits and vegetables. Fewer than one person in four eats at least five servings of fruits and vegetables a day (about two and a half), even though they protect us against heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and most other illnesses.

5. The average American also eats a dearth of nuts each year—only 15 ounces. Most of the ones they do eat are on or in pastries. Nuts have been shown to support heart and brain health and generally be terrific for us. (Nuts are also linked to a lower risk of pancreatic cancer and act as a natural weapon to protect your health in these five other ways.)

health tips

Tired? Try This Simple Way To Boost Your Energy Naturally

10:42

If you're on your third cup of coffee already today, there may be a simpler way to perk up.

Just thinking about your significant other can boost your mood and energy, according to a new study from the University of Western Ontario in Canada.

Researchers found that daydreaming about your love triggers a chemical reaction that increases your levels of cortisol and blood sugar. This results in a jolt of energy.

The rush of being in love does the same thing to our bodies, explains Stanton. The only difference is there are no negative feelings associated with this stress. You get the boost of energy without the worry, panic, or anxiety. "Essentially, love 'stresses' us out in a good way," she says.

Want to give the all-natural upper a shot? Close your eyes and think about your loved one. Visualize her face and body in as much detail as you can. Reflect on your favorite moments with him and think about how you feel when you're with him. After a few minutes, open your eyes. How do you feel? Hopefully a little more energetic. Doesn't get much simpler than that.

body workout

Abs Workout: The Fastest Way to Lose Belly Fat

10:34

We all want a toned, flat stomach. No surprise there. But since many women are still relying on crunches to get it, we want to make one thing clear: Crunching is not the most effective abs workout. "Crunches work only the muscles on the front and sides of your abdomen, but it's important to target all the muscles of the core to get more defined abs—including lower back, hips, and upper thighs," says Lou Schuler, co-author of The New Rules of Lifting for Abs.

The Best Abs Exercises: Side Plank

Why it works: This abs exercise is more challenging than a traditional plank because you're supporting your entire body weight on two points of contact instead of four. As a result, you must work your core harder to stay stabilized.

How to do it:
A. Lie on your left side with your elbow directly beneath your shoulder and legs stacked. Place your right hand on your left shoulder or on your right hip.

B. Brace your abs and lift your hips off the floor until you're balancing on your forearm and feet so that your body forms a diagonal line. Hold for 30 to 45 seconds. If you can’t hold that long, stay up as long as you can and then repeat until you’ve held for 30 seconds total. Switch sides and repeat.

More great stabilization moves: The standard plank and the anti-rotation hold.