Daily Health Workouts

Let Loose With The Cobra

09:16

End your next abs routine with this back extension stretch, based on the yoga pose, the Cobra.

How to: Lie on your stomach on a mat. Place your hands on the floor on either side of your chest and, keeping your hips flat on the mat, press through your palms to extend your arms, arching your back slightly and keeping your chest high. Hold this position for five deep breaths, then slowly bend your arms to lower your chest back to the mat. Repeat twice.

Tip: If your flexibility allows, try arching your back even more – tilt your chin towards the ceiling and curve your neck slightly rearward.

Keep in mind: If you have a weak back or are prone to back pain, it’s best to skip the cobra pose altogether.

body workout

Train Like Maggie Dubrawski

09:15

Nine-time Oxygen cover girl Maggie D. shares the workout schedule and lifestyle tips that got her those chiseled abs.

Maggie D’s Personal Program

Here’s a rundown of Maggie’s typical weekly training schedule. She prefers to separate cardio and resistance training by doing cardio in the morning and resistance training in the afternoon on alternating days, and to save time in the weight room, she does compound exercises and supersets, aiming for three sets of 12 to 15 reps per exercise.

Monday: chest, triceps and core for 45 to 60 minutes in the afternoon.
Tuesday: run and bike for 60 minutes in the morning.
Wednesday: legs and core for 45 to 60 minutes in the afternoon.
Thursday: run and bike for 60 minutes in the morning.
Friday: back and biceps for 45 to 60 minutes in the afternoon.
Saturday: shoulders and core for 45 to 60 minutes in the afternoon.
Sunday: yoga in the morning or afternoon.

health tips

Straight from the Stretching Experts

09:14

Our pros give no-nonsense answers to all of your stretching and flexibility questions.

Are some people naturally stiff?

“Yes,” says David Ishii, DPT, owner of Synergy Physical Therapy & Sports Performance in Huntington Beach, California. He says that even though we are all built differently, everyone benefits from regular moderate stretching to optimize their individual range of motion.

What time of the day is better for stretching?

“Later in the day is always best,” says Suzanne Martin, DPT, author of Stretching (DK Publishing, 2005), adding that “you’ll also get a better stretch after a cardio workout or strength-training session, when your body is warm.” If you stretch in the morning, be sure to warm up with easy, small-range repetitive motions (also known as dynamic stretching) before progressing to the deeper stretches.

How often should I stretch?

Two to three times a week will do the trick. “You begin to lose muscle memory after about three days,” says Martin. “If you can find a way to make stretching a part of your daily routine, that would be ideal.”

health tips

Personal Cardio Plans

09:13

We know that there are only so many ways you can move on the treadmill, spin bike or elliptical. With that in mind, here are three ideas to mix up your cardio session and build a heart-pumping workout on the fly.

Switch up the machine

Not just day-to-day, but within a single workout. Three 10-minute cardio routines done back-to-back may be easier for you to mentally digest than one 30-minute bout, and because you will have to work up to your maximum intensity each time you change machines, you will be pushing your body further while conditioning your heart.

Freestyle it

Having a program laid out for you in advance can be convenient and motivating, but sometimes the best plan of attack is to not have one at all. Push yourself when you feel like you can (be honest!), and listen to your body for cues as to when to pull back. (Breathing in gasps and trying to ignore that dry-mouth feeling? That’s your body telling you to slow down.)

Wheel ‘em and deal ‘em

Design your own plyo routine with the help of a deck of cards. Choose three different plyo moves before you start (think burpees and jump squats), then deal yourself two cards. Add up the values on the cards (kings, queens and jacks count as 11; an ace is one) and perform that many reps of your first move. When you are done, immediately deal yourself two more cards and apply that number of reps to your next exercise. Continue cycling through your three moves and repeat until the deck is done. Remember to rest when you need it!

health tips

Your Arms, Only Better

09:12

Just like natural peanut butter and organic honey, your bis and tris are a perfect pair. This workout hits them both in about 20 minutes.

Get strong, sexy arms in just 20 minutes with this workout! This routine works your biceps and triceps with spider curls, an incline triceps extension, Zottman curls and a cross body triceps extension. Try it today!

health tips

Two-In-One Toning

09:08

Rushed for time at the gym? The Row/Flye Combo does double duty and targets your back and delts in one shot.

What to Do: Three sets of 12 to 15 reps

Target Muscles: latissimus dorsi, rhomboids, trapezius, lateral deltoids.

Set Up: Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding a light to medium dumbbell in each hand. Keeping a slight bend in your knees, hinge forward from your hips until your torso is about 45 degrees to the ground. Extend your arms toward the ground [A].

Action: As you maintain a straight back, flex your arms to draw the weights up until they reach the sides of your ribcage [B].

Slowly extend your arms back toward the floor, keeping a slight bend in your elbows [C]. Next, raise your arms up and out, leading with your elbows, until your arms are almost parallel to the ground [D]. Lower your arms back to the start and repeat.

Tip: Want to hit your rear deltoids? As you set up your starting position, lean forward from your hips until your torso is parallel to the ground; from this position, you may need to bend your knees more for stability.

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Let Loose With The Cobra

End your next abs routine with this back extension stretch, based on the yoga pose, the Cobra.

Train Like Maggie Dubrawski

Nine-time Oxygen cover girl Maggie D. shares the workout schedule and lifestyle tips that got her those chiseled abs.

Maggie D’s Personal Program

Straight from the Stretching Experts

Our pros give no-nonsense answers to all of your stretching and flexibility questions.

Are some people naturally stiff?

What time of the day is better for stretching?

How often should I stretch?

Personal Cardio Plans

We know that there are only so many ways you can move on the treadmill, spin bike or elliptical. With that in mind, here are three ideas to mix up your cardio session and build a heart-pumping workout on the fly.

Switch up the machine

Freestyle it

Wheel ‘em and deal ‘em

Your Arms, Only Better

Just like natural peanut butter and organic honey, your bis and tris are a perfect pair. This workout hits them both in about 20 minutes.

Two-In-One Toning

Rushed for time at the gym? The Row/Flye Combo does double duty and targets your back and delts in one shot.

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