Daily Health Workouts

Amp Up Your Abs Routine

09:19

Do this advanced take on a stability ball crunch and you'll have a tighter core in less than a month!

There are two elements that you need to incorporate into your abs routine if you want a tight midsection in little time: instability and weight. We’ve paired an unstable surface with a medicine ball to create an amazing exercise that will carve your entire core.

If you’re a beginner, master the move on the floor first before moving on the ball.

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Elaine Goodlad’s Lean Legs

09:17

Find out Elaine's secrets to a beautiful lower body!

Fitness virtuoso Elaine Goodlad obviously has legs to die for, and we’re giving you the inside scoop on just how she got them, plus Elaine’s best move for sculpting great glutes!

“Like most women, my lower body is the last to lose fat and shape up,” says Elaine. “I have to work super hard to keep it high and solid.” Because of this, Elaine goes heavy when working the lower body, and always attacks her glutes on leg days instead of doing a stand-alone routine.
Make squats and lunges even more effective by following Elaine’s best tips: “I make sure that my legs are in a wide stance, and I drop my butt just below knee level.”
Don’t be jealous: Elaine hasn’t had to do calf exercises for “a good decade.” “The years of wearing high heels (in high school and on stage) did have a role in that, but so do genetics,” she notes, adding that she also does a lot of calf-centric cardio, such as running the stairs or jumping rope.
If you’re looking for Elaine’s favorite leg move, look no further than the reverse Smith machine lunge. The first time she tried it, her legs were out of commission for days! (In a good way, of course.)

health tips

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!

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Amp Up Your Abs Routine

Do this advanced take on a stability ball crunch and you'll have a tighter core in less than a month!

Elaine Goodlad’s Lean Legs

Find out Elaine's secrets to a beautiful lower body!

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

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