Top 10 Outdoors Exercises (No Gym Needed)

1.Park Bench Push-Up Trio

Targets chest and shoulders

In this exercise, you’ll do three kinds of push-ups using a park bench. First, put your feet on the park bench and your hands on the ground, belly down. Do 10 push-ups this way. Then switch and put your feet on the ground and your arms on the bench. Do 10 more this way. End with 10 regular push-ups completely on the ground.

2. Swing Pike + Knee Tuck

Swings are a great alternative for suspension training. This move is one of our favorites to target your abdominals and upper body. The trick is to press the top of your feet into the swing seat to help lift your hips in the air.

Start by placing the top of your feet in the swing seat and your hands on the ground shoulder width apart in a straight arm plank position.
Lift your hips up into the air to form an upside down V (also known as a “pike”).
Contract your abdominals and bring your knees to your chest while maintaining a flat back.
Extend your legs straight back to a pike position. Lower your body back to a straight arm plank position for 1 rep. Repeat this core exercise 10x.

3.Bench Hops

Targets glutes and quads

Sit on the edge of a bench. Throwing your arms up as you go, jump in the air as high as you can, and then go back to being seated. Do this for 60 seconds. MAKE IT HARDER:Lift leg straight in front of you a few inches off ground and bend right knee to sit down briefly on bench. Do as many as you can for 60 seconds, then switch legs.

4. One Legged Bench Lunges

Bench lunges are a great way to isolate one leg and target your quadriceps, hamstrings and glutes.

Start by standing in front of a bench or picnic table. Make sure it’s not too high otherwise you will put too much pressure on your lower back.
Step your right leg back and place the top of your foot on the bench with your hands on your hips for balance.
Bend your knees and lower into a lunge. Make sure your front knee is in line with your ankle for optimal alignment.
Extend your legs straight for 1 rep. Repeat 10x on one side and switch sides.

5.Karaoke Shuffle

Targets butt, calves, quads, hamstrings, and glutes

Find a large hill located on grass. At the bottom of the hill going up, start running to the right, putting your right leg far right, and then following up with your left leg, planting it behind your right leg in a grapevine movement. Put your right leg out to the right again, this time following up with your left leg planting in front of your right leg. Continue alternating, increasing your pace and swinging your hips as you go. After 30 seconds of going uphill, turn around and go back, leading with the left leg.

6. Reverse Tricep Bench Dips

We spend time in every class at MOD Fitness toning arms. We like to target the triceps because it’s the largest muscle group in your upper arm and one of the first places we start to see a change in our clients. This is a great exercise to do anywhere — on the edge of your bed, a bench or even on the ground.

7.Leapfrog Burpee

Targets chest, abs, quads, and calves

Choose a destination point in the distance. Imagine that you have a leapfrog partner, and crouch down, springing from your legs to leap over your partner. Once you land, plant your hands on the ground in front of you and kick your legs back to land in plank position. Then thrust your legs back to your hands so you’re in crouch position, leaping across your partner again to complete one rep. Do as many as you can in 60 seconds. MAKE IT HARDER: Use a partner to leap frog over.

8. Lateral Jumps with Jump Rope

Jumping rope is a great way to boost your heart rate for an added dose of cardio in your workout routine. Adding the lateral jumps will help improve your ankle and foot stability.

9.Sandbox Shuffle

Targets butt, abs, and arms

On a playground, get in the middle of a sandbox. Assume a squat position and staying low, shuffle from left to right maintaining the same depth and posture the entire time. Hold your arms out perpendicular to your body for balance and to tone your arms. The slower you go, the more intense the isometric contractions will be — which may cause some shaky legs! Shuffle for 60 seconds, going back and forth in the sandbox as needed.

10. Bench Jumps

Find a bench that can be used as an alternative for box jumps. Make sure it’s not too high so you can successfully clear it. This will target your legs, glutes and calves in this exercise.

Stand in front of a bench or picnic table. Start with your feet slightly outside your hips in a squat position and arms shoulder height.
Jump up on the bench by accelerating from your lower body. Land in a deep squat position. Your back should be flat and hamstrings parallel to the ground.
Extend your legs straight to a standing position with your shoulders, hips and feet in alignment. Press your arms down by your hips to complete 1 rep. Slowly step down from the bench and repeat 10x.

If you are looking for workout clothes check out our fitness and yoga leggings page.
Sources:www.fitnessmagazine.com,www.camillestyles.com

Top 10 Most Efficient Core Exercises ( With Video)

1.RKC (Russian Kettlebell Challenge) Plank

This is my personal favorite plank variation.

The general idea is that you are creating tension throughout your whole body by actively contracting your muscles. This should make you tremble and make it impossible to hold for an extended period of time.

2.The Bicycle

We’re starting with a challenging and effective move that’s still fairly easy to master. Plus, you can modify it to accommodate your fitness level. As you improve and notice more strength in your core, increase the difficulty of the move so you can continue to challenge yourself and see results.

How to Do It:

Start by lying on your back on the mat with your knees and feet lifted off the ground at a ninety-degree angle.
Lace your hands behind your head to cradle your neck and head, but do not pull on your neck and head. Allow your elbows to fall out to the sides.
Start by raising your shoulders and upper back up off the mat and leaning slightly to the left. At the same time, bring your left knee toward your chest, so your left knee and your right elbow come together.
Do the same with the other side by bringing your right knee and your left elbow together.

3.HOLLOWMAN

This move I learned from Jillian Michaels. While this is an isometric exercise, requiring no movement, it’s a real burner. Make sure you keep your shoulders down and away from your ears and your low back glued to the mat.

4.Reverse Crunches

These are reverse crunches which, as the name suggests, are the opposite of regular crunches. And unlike regular crunches, they help improve your posture.

They’re easier than some of the other exercises on this list, but they definitely shouldn’t be underestimated. If you’ve never done them before you will get sore.

It’s important that you keep your core tight throughout this exercise (tense it as if somebody was going to punch you in the stomach).

5.The Towel Plank and Knee-In

This one’s a favorite of boot camp instructors the world over because it’s hard. Not only are you improving the strength of your core by forcing the lower abdominals, obliques, and lats to extend and pull, you’re also strengthening your glutes, quads, and hamstrings.

This movement is the definition of a full core exercise. According to the Mayo Clinic, a core exercise is one that works the muscles of the abdomen, pelvis, hips, and lower back so they can all work in harmony. And again, once you master this move, there are lots of ways to play around with it so you’re always challenged.

6.SUPERMAN PULL

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwQWXXuo68o

This move really targets the low back. In fact, many people suffer from low back pain because their core (including their low back) is actually really weak. If this variation is too difficult, skip the “pull” part and just practice raising your arms and legs off of the ground.

7.Dead Bug

Dead bugs look easy.

But if they feel easy, I can almost guarantee you’re doing them wrong.

Your back should be flush against the ground throughout, which is accomplished by keeping your core braced. And the movement should be slow and controlled.

8.The Russian Twist

An oldie but a goodie — a real goodie. This move will strengthen the obliques for a strong core that you’ll actually be able to feel when you move. It’s also an essential move for strengthening the muscles near your spine and alleviating back pain. Again, this move can be modified to fit your fitness level

How to Do It:

Start seated with knees bent at roughly a ninety-degree angle and feet flat on the mat.
Lean your upper body back so it’s at a roughly 45-degree angle with the floor.
Bend your elbows and hold them out in front of your body or cross them in front of your chest if you prefer.
Start moving only your trunk to the left. Keep your core tight and contracted, and make sure you aren’t just moving your shoulders and head. You should be rotating your entire top half to the left (as far as you can safely go), and your bottom half should remain frozen.
Return to center position, and repeat to the right.

9.V- SIT

See how long you can do this move without shaking! If extending your legs is too difficult, you can do it with bent knees until you gain the core strength. As with the Hollowman, and all these core exercises for that matter, make sure that your shoulders stay down and away from your ears- no matter how hard it gets!

10.TRX Fallouts

Ab wheel rollouts are thought to be the most effective core exercise in existence.

But as the name suggests, you need an ab wheel to perform them. You probably don’t have room for an ab wheel in your suitcase or backpack, so the next best thing is a suspension trainer (such as TRX).

Using a suspension trainer, you can perform fallouts, which challenge your core in much the same way as the ab wheel.

One added benefit of using a suspension trainer is that it is easy to adjust the difficulty of the exercise. If you stand close to upright it will be fairly easy, but if you lengthen the straps and lower yourself closer to the ground it will be much tougher.

If you are looking for workout clothes check our fitness and yoga leggings page.
Sources:www.travelstrong.net,www.wholelifechallenge.com,www.runtastic.com

Top 10 Mistakes Women Make in The Gym

1.Wearing The Wrong Workout Clothes

If you do intense workouts every day, you can’t get away with wearing flimsy, bargain buy workout clothes. True workout clothes are designed with the conditions of demanding physical activities in mind. When you are moving your body quickly and for long periods of time, it needs different things from its clothing. Gravity works harder on your muscles and tissue; you sweat profusely, and your skin rubs against itself constantly. Your standard brunch outfit material simply won’t make the cut. If you skimp on your workout wardrobe, you can experience a lot of discomforts, and even heighten the chances of injury. If you’re distracted by itchy material, you may not pay attention to the weights you’re lifting or the speed on the treadmill.

2.Using Less weights

Women are usually found picking up the least amount of weights or somewhere close to it. Women are usually considered to have less capacity than men. But, this does not mean that you begin with the least amount of weights. You can try starting with the weights that you think you are capable to pick. This can be anything in between the range that is available. Starting with an exact amount of weight will help you improve your own capacity and thus achieve results sooner.

3.Way Too Much Cardio

You should avoid steady state cardio and focus more on high intensity interval training (HIIT). Increase your workout intensity, but lower your duration.Try something new (kickboxing, circuit training, sprints, or intervals on different machines) and continue to switch things up to keep your body guessing. HIIT improves your hormonal state and your body’s ability to burn fat and build lean muscle.

4.Bad Form

Bad form continues to be one of the biggest gym killers amongst trainees. The purpose of proper form is to fully engage your muscle fibers, as this causes the growth. When your form is not optimal, growth is simply not happening, and causes no changes to your body. It is important to remember that when you’re using weights, you must contract the weight to the specific body part you are targeting (and not push the weight). Bad form can also lead to injuries. Make sure your form is optimal when performing a proper workout.

5.Focusing on only one form of workout

While you are working out, it is important to perform different kinds of workouts. Cardio and strength training workouts both play an important role in fitness. Cardio helps in burning fat, whereas strength training exercises help in metabolism burning. Hence, it is important that you combine both of these forms of workouts to make sure that you achieve appropriate results.

6.Crunches

We all want flat abs but doing endless crunches is not going to get you there. Your abs are made in the kitchen with a great diet. Eat real, whole foods and avoid the processed junk and you will be well on your way to the stomach you want.

7.Setting Unrealistic Goals

Setting unrealistic goals can often lead to unhappiness and disappointment. Make sure that whatever goal you set, it is one that is attainable in the near future. Setting short-term goals is key, as it leads to a more attainable and gradual progress while keeping you motivated and goal driven. Set short-term goals, conquer them, and then move on to new goals. This approach is most effective.

8.Being Tired of Working out

As time passes by, women are found to skip out a few workouts or reduce the intensity or the reps that they perform. But, this will not help you in any way. You should always move forward and take up more reps and workouts of higher intensity as the time passes. Your body gradually gets used to the regular exercises that you may be performing. It is important to increase the intensity or the reps to make sure that you are increasing your body’s capacity to perform more.

9.Carb Loading

Lower to moderate carb intake is the most effective way to get lean. Athletic performance is different than weight loss and training for body composition. If you are competing in marathons and triathlons you may need to eat a few extra carbs before your 2–8 hour workouts but if your primary purpose is to get a lean fit body, then stop eating carbs before your workout.

10.Long Breaks

Following break times is not only a problem amongst females, but males as well. We tend to (at times) get lost in the world of social media or simply have a conversation with someone that goes on for too long. Each rest time has its own distinct purpose, typically fat loss. Rest times should range between 10-90 seconds. Unless you’re a woman seeking strength gains, then your rest times should range between 3 to 6 minutes. Shorter rest periods with high volume trigger a greater GH (growth hormone) response. The GH response is necessary for fat burning, thus making the importance of shorter rest times that much more crucial. Keep those conversations short ladies (unless you’re a power lifter, then it’s cool).

If you are looking for workout clothes check our fitness and yoga leggings page.
Sources:www.lifehack.org,www.betterhumans.coach.me,www.thetalko.com

Top 10 Hardcore Workout Songs ( Motivation ) With Video

Day of the Dead – Hollywood Undead

Day of the Dead is the first single from the band’s fourth album, Day of the Dead. The music video for the song was released on March 17th, 2015.
It was directed by Spence Nicholson. It features the band appearing as musical guests on a satirical version of a for-profit televangelism show.

2.Skan & Krale – No glory

3.Who Taught You How to Hate – Disturbed

On the 21st of August, 2015, nu-metal band Disturbed released Immortalized, ending a 4-year hiatus since the release of The Lost Children.“Who Taught You How To Hate” is the 13th and final track on the standard version of the album.As the title would suggest, this song questions irrational hate towards others, generally due to a lack of understanding or a cultural stereotype.

4.Love The Way You Hate Me – Like A Storm

Love The Way You Hate Me is the second track on Like A Storms’ album “Awaken The Fire”

5.Do You Really Want It? – Nothing More

This song is the start of an album that (I feel) can be applied to relationships. If you look at the song names and you listen to the music, it’ll strike you like a stone.

6.Fivefold – Darker Side Of Me

7.Courtesy Call – Thousand Foot Krutch

8.Not Gonna Die – Skillet

This song is, according to John Cooper, one of the more natural songs for the Skillet fanbase. It has similarities to one of their most notable hits, “Comatose”; however, the song’s message presents a reminder that there is a persistent hope to life

9.Murder Melody – Cult to follow

10.Stronger – Through Fire

“Stronger” was originally released as a demo on Through Fire’s Riot 10 EP when they were named Emphatic. This re-recording is the lead single of Through Fire’s album, Breathe. The song is about breaking free from somebody who you believe you have become stronger than.

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Sources:www.youtube.com,www.genius.com

Top 10 Best And Worst Cardio Exercises To Loose Weight

Best Cardio Exrcises

1.Burpees

Burpees are a great all-around workout that strengthen the arms, core, chest and legs, all while raising your heart rate. Start in a pushup position, palms planted on the ground at shoulder-width and place your feet behind you. In an explosive motion, bring your feet in close to your hands. Quickly move to a standing position, throwing your hands in the air above your head. Do 10-12 in a row.

2. Air Runner

Stepping onto the treadmill to log another mindless 30-minute jog might sound like the most unappealing way to spend a workout — so don’t waste your time. Instead, cut your running time in half and ramp up the intensity with this curved tread, specifically designed for sprinting.

Better yet, the motor-free machine is built to be powered by your strides. There’s no max speed, either, so try your best to push it as hard as you can during sprint interval workouts.

Think you can handle the speed? Try this workout: Perform a 15-second sprint as fast as you can, and then rest for 15 seconds. Keep your chest high and your core braced the entire time you’re running. That’s 1 round.

3.Stair Mill

Effectiveness: A
Functionality: A-
Availability: A-

Every booty loves the stair mill. What could be more functional than walking up a never-ending flight of stairs? We suggest intervals for the best workout. Just try not to support too much of your upper body on the handles; you might feel like you’re still doing work, but your workout will be much less intense and you’ll burn fewer calories.

4.Mountain Climbers

Warning: this exercise should not be performed on a real mountain. It can be done just about anywhere else, however. Start on your hands and knees with a slight bend in your back. Bring the right foot up to your chest and put it back, then quickly do the same with the left. Continue alternating feet with your hands planted firmly in front of you for 30-40 reps.

5. Assault AirBike

The Assault AirBike might look like it belongs in a dust-filled corner of your high school’s weight room, but it deserves respect. “No one climbs off of one of these thinking, ‘That was easy,’ ” says De Wispelaere, who has seen a few clients almost heave after an Assault AirBike workout.

The reason it’s so tough: The Assault AirBike is a stationary bike without a motor. It only has a fan in its front wheel that provides wind resistance. The harder you pump your arms and pedal your legs, the higher the resistance becomes. “While it’s easy on your joints, it provides an intense aerobic workout that burns a ton of calories in a short amount of time,” says De Wispelaere.

If you’re looking for a finisher to tack onto your regular workout, De Wispelaere recommends sprinting for 15 seconds, then resting for 15 seconds. That’s one round. Do six. If you’d rather test your endurance instead, do three miles as fast as possible.

Worst Cardio Exrcises

1.CROSSFIT

“CrossFit-style workouts are exploding in popularity around the world and are often promoted as the best way to get in shape and improve health,” Petre says.

“I don’t want to be controversial, but if your goal is to lose weight and improve health, CrossFit is the number one exercise you should avoid. It’s too intense for many people, and often includes high-risk activities.”

“The number one rule about losing weight through exercise is that you can’t exercise to lose weight if you’re injured,” she adds.

“If you’re a fit, active, and athletic individual, CrossFit might be the best workout for you, but if your body is not already in top shape, don’t unnecessarily risk injury. You’re likely to lose more weight if you combine a healthy diet with a moderate exercise program that’s more sustainable.”

2.Recumbent Bike

Effectiveness: D
Functionality: F
Availability: B

With your upper body, torso, and even your butt at rest, the recumbent bike asks your body to do almost nothing but move your legs. If you’re looking for a chair to sit in while you read a book or catch up on your favorite Netflix episodes, this is your guy.

3.PILATES

“Pilates, like yoga, has a lot of health benefits that will help you live better, ranging from improved flexibility and balance to deeper relaxation, but fast fat burn is not one of them,” Petre says.

“Because it helps you gradually build and strengthen your muscles, it can be a great way to prevent getting injured while training. However, you need to do heavy compound weightlifting on the big muscle groups along with cardio to maximise fat loss, and Pilates does not incorporate either type of exercise.”

4.Elliptical

Effectiveness: D
Functionality: F
Availability: A

We’re putting the elliptical below the Arc trainer, because the Arc trainer offers more versatility. However, we have the same problems with the elliptical; it’s just unnatural and ineffective. Further, setting the resistance at a level any lower than a 10 is about as effective at burning calories as sitting on the couch.

The elliptical’s only plus side is that it’s a low-impact option. However, we think the bike or swimming are much more effective options if you’re limited by an injury.

5.YOGA

“Yoga represents the polar opposite to CrossFit, but this doesn’t mean that it will shed those layers of fast food on the body,” Petre says. “In fact, a 150-pound [68kg] person will burn only 150 calories in an hour of doing regular yoga, compared to 311 calories for an hour of walking at 3mph [4.8kmh].”

“Increasing your physical activity is a good first step towards losing weight,” she says. “It’s true that yoga can help you gain strength and tone up, but if you aim to shed pounds, you want to work as much of your body as possible to lose weight and stimulate your metabolism.”

If you are looking for workout clothes check our fitness and yoga leggings page.
Sources:www.healthfitnessrevolution.com,www.stuff.co.nz,www.menshealth.com,www.bodybuilding.com

Top 10 Cardio Exercises That Burn More Calories Than Running

1.Swimming

We’re not talking a leisurely swim here, but if you choose the right stroke and maintain a high level of intensity, calories burned swimming can be more than running. “Swimming is one of my favorite exercises because it not only involves your entire body but also puts less stress on your joints,” reveals Dempsey Marks, fitness expert and creator of the PreGame Fit fitness and lifestyle program. “

With each stroke you must use your legs, arms, and core just to stay afloat. That is a great start to calorie burn because of muscle recruitment.” Marks recommends the butterfly stroke to maximize calorie burn and says an average 150-person person will burn 400 calories per half hour. A more popular stroke, such as the breast stroke, will burn 375 calories per 30 minutes. To add some resistance, swim in an ocean where a current will make you work harder and up the calorie burn.

2.Kettlebell Swings

These exercises help you burn calories and sculpt a lean figure. They are great for sculpting the glutes and quads while giving your body an overall workout.

TOP TIP: The BodyRock Sandbag is a more cost-effective version of a kettlebell. You can make it whatever weight you want by filling or emptying the internal bags, and it can be used for way more exercises than a traditional kettlebell!

3.Tabata Training

Tabata training is a high-intensity exercise modality that burns a lot of calories in a short period of time. The protocol consists of doing 20 seconds of work at an all-out pace, followed by 10 seconds of recovery. You repeat this eight times. Almost any activity can be done in a Tabata-training style. A typical Tabata workout might include four exercises — for example, push-ups, squats, jumping rope and crunches. Although the first round might seem easy, just wait. By round eight, your muscles will be screaming! A study conducted by the American Council on Exercise determined that a typical Tabata workout can burn an average of 15 calories per minute, or 450 calories per half hour (workouts usually don’t last longer than 20 to 30 minutes).

4. Boxing

You don’t have to get in the ring against an opponent to knock out calories with boxing-style workouts. Hit a heavy bag, work with a partner, or just perform punch combos on air to smash through calories — up to 800 per hour, if a study from supplement maker Forza’s claims are correct.

5.Jumping rope

If you’re wondering what activity can burn more calories than running and also make you feel like a kid again, go back to your jumping rope school-days! It’s a simple exercise that burns calories fast and engages the whole body. “The faster you jump, the higher the calorie burn,” says Marks. “An average 150-pound person burns 375 calories per 30 minutes of rope jumping.” This is an exercise that you can incorporate into intensity training by changing the rate of jumping. “Go hard for one minute then back off to a skip,” suggests Marks. “Use this formula to increase the benefits of the workout as well as the calorie burn!”

6.Burpees

Burpees are great for reducing excess body fat. The American College of Sports Medicine found that a 180 pound man could burn almost 1.5 calories per burpee. Those numbers only get better when you ramp up the number of burpees you do in a short time. Try for 10 burpees in 60 seconds.

Top Tip: Adding the BodyRock Weighted Vest to your burpees adds 6-10lbs of extra weight to your body, increasing the calorie-burn-rate substantially!

7.Hill Workouts

Whether you’re biking or running, throw some resistance in the mix to significantly boost your calorie burn. “Running up a steep hill recruits more muscle fibers,” says ACSM spokesperson Jim White. “It’s going to be taxing, and it’s going to definitely burn more calories.” In fact, you’ll burn about 10 percent more calories for each degree of incline versus running on a flat surface. That means a 155-pound person running at a five-mph pace will burn 373 calories every half hour at a five-percent grade versus 298 calories at the same speed on a flat surface. Get those glutes firing even more and up your calorie burn at the same time by incorporating more hills into your workout.

8. Agility Ladder

You’ll burn a ton of calories with the short bursts of speed, balance, and coordination it takes to finish a full agility ladder circuit—especially if you run through the drills continuously with limited rest.

But your brain might get the best benefit from this type of cardio exercise. A 2014 study from the Air Force Research Laboratory showed that agility training can improve cognitive performance along with boosting cardio levels. Instead of just plodding mindlessly along on a run, agility drills help you hone your VO2 max, athletic footwork, memory, and concentration.

9.HIIT

Schaltze is an advocate of any form of HIIT (high intensity interval training) workout to burn more calories than running. “These workouts are short and effective,” she says. “You burn calories, build muscle, and you don’t need any fancy equipment. With any HIIT workout, I like to combine cardio movements with body weight strength movements to ensure the body burns calories not only during the workout but also after.” Schaltze’s advice is start with basic movements, performing them back-to-back with minimal rest. Her 10-minute HIIT workout consists of 50 jumping jacks, 40 alternating side lunges, 30 tricep dips (using a chair), and 20 squats or squat jumps. Set a timer for 10 minutes and do as many rounds as you can in that time.

10. Cross-Country Skiing

Zipping along on skis delivers a better cardio workout compared to running at about the same pace, thanks to the fact that the sport requires you to push with your lower-body and pull with your upper.

In fact, a good cross-country ski session can burn more than 12 calories a minute, according to the Compendium of Physical Activities.

That explains why Nordic Skiers consistently collapse in exhaustion at the finish line of Olympic races. (No fresh snow? Look for the new Concept2 SkiErg machine at your gym.)

If you are looking for workout clothes check out our fitness and yoga leggings page.
Sources:www.rd.com,www.livestrong.com,www.menshealth.com

Top 10 Hacks to Burn More Calories

Cool it in the bedroom

A striking new study published in the journal Diabetes suggests that simply turning on the AC may subtly transform a person’s stores of brown fat — “good” fat, stimulated by cold temperatures, that serves to keep us warm by burning through “bad” fat stores. Participants spent a few weeks sleeping in bedrooms with varying temperatures: a neutral 75 degrees, a cool 66 degrees, and a balmy 81 degrees. After four weeks of sleeping at 66 degrees, the men had almost doubled their volumes of brown fat. Cool!

2.Jam-up

Music is a healer on its own but researchers in University of Wisconsin divided individuals in two groups to see how it impacts physical body functions. The first group was made to exercise on stationary bikes with music and the other one without. The results showed increased heart rate by 10 bpm and 7% more calorie burn in the former group. Hope that says it all.

3.Exercise on an empty stomach

Evolution has hardwired our bodies to store fat for potential famine, rather than torching it for fuel. But imposing a tactical food delay could hack your weightloss hard drive. A Uni of Bath study found training on an empty stomach triggers the ‘PDK4 gene’: a sign that your body fat is burning off. An hour’s effort is enough, so schedule in your Sunday run before you settle at the brunch table. Avo on toast, we presume?

4. Pile on the mild peppers

It’s well reported that fiery capsaicin (think: hot sauce, cayenne, chilies) can rev up the metabolism, but study findings presented at the Experimental Biology meeting in Anaheim, California, showed similar weight loss potential in dihydrocapsiate (DCT), the non-spicy cousin of hot peppers. Participants who ate the most DCT experienced a metabolic boost that was nearly double the placebo group! Bottom line: pile on the poblanos! And learn more about the best spices for weight loss here.

5.Weight-up

As per science, obese people burn calories faster as their body has to work harder to keep them moving. However, if you are not obese but still wish to burn calories the way they do, then you can fake weight by wearing a weighted vest or perform squats with a bar bell.

6.Lift heavy after work

Your lunchbreak workouts may offer respite from office drudgery, but for maximum fat-burn from your weight training, save the heavy stuff for the evening. According to journal Chronobiology, our in-built body clocks mean we’re strongest at 6pm. Use this time for full-body deadlifts over curls or presses to recruit maximum muscle mass. You’ll shift more weight – and can drop them sooner, too.

7. Get moving for 2.5 minutes

Forget slogging on the treadmill for hours, research printed in the journal Physiological Reports showed that people who did five 30-second bursts of max-effort cycling, followed by four minutes of rest, burned 200 extra calories that day. That’s just 2.5 minutes of work for a resting metabolism boost that will last 24 to 48 hours!

8.Hike-up

For an added 50% burn, you must do your regular walking, jogging, racing, hiking or cycling in an inclined setting. If going uphills is not feasible every day, then you must look for a higher ground or take the flyover!

9.Swap your double espresso for decaf or breakfast tea

If an insatiable sweet tooth is souring your weightloss plans, it’s time to reconsider your afternoon pick-me-up. But it’s not just the digestives at fault: a Cornell University study found 200mg of caffeine – a double espresso’s worth – dampens our tastebuds and makes sweet foods less satiating. If you recoil at the word decaf (that’s French for ‘brown water’), breakfast tea is your best of both.

10. Drink more water

Weight loss doesn’t get easier than this: Simply drinking more water may increase the rate at which healthy people burn calories, according to a study in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. After drinking approximately 17 ounces of water (about two tall glasses), participants’ metabolic rates increased by 30 percent. The researchers estimate that increasing water intake by 1.5 liters a day (about 6 cups) would burn an extra 17,400 calories over the course of the year — a weight loss of approximately 5 pounds! (Speaking of drinks, avoid the diet soda. Find out how it only makes you fatter.

if you are king for workout clothes check our fitness and yoga leggings page.
Sources:www.huffpost.com,www.news18.com,www.menshealth.com

Top 10 CELEBRITY DIETS THAT ACTUALLY WORK

1.Beyoncé

While Sasha Fierce has recently devoted herself, and her social media, to a vegan lifestyle, Beyoncé is also famous for completing the Master Cleanse, an all-liquid diet of cayenne lemon water, to prepare for her role in the 2006 film Dreamgirls. During that time, Beyoncé allowed herself a cheat day to indulge in pizza and wine.

2. Kim Kardashian – Atkins

Wondering how Kim Kardashian shed her post-baby weight so quickly? Calling it the “greatest challenge” of her life, Kim lost around 25 kilos in 11 months leading up to her wedding. Featuring a diet that mainly consists of protein rich foods high in healthy fats like avocado and nuts, as well as eggs, fresh fruit and vegetables, and cheese, while eliminating the intake of carbs.

It is also advised for dieters to stop counting calories – instead ensuring you consume three regular sized meals and two snacks every day.

Kardashian also enlisted the help of celebrity trainer Tracy Anderson to keep her exercise in check and reportedly had a chef accompany her on tour with Kanye West in order to keep her meals carb-free.

3. Jennifer Aniston, Demi Moore, Sandra Bullock – THE ZONE DIET

WHAT IT IS: Developed by former scientist Dr. Barry Sears, The Zone Diet involves getting 40 percent of your daily total caloric intake from carbohydrates, 30 percent from carbs and 30 percent from fats. According to Sears, balancing the correct amount of amino acids with carbs helps control the appetite to prevent over-eating (which leads to weight gain). Followers eat three portion-controlled meals and two snacks a day, preventing you from getting too hungry – or cranky. Hollywood hottie Jennifer Aniston was such a big fan, some have even called it the “Jennifer Aniston Diet.”

4.Marilyn Monroe

Eggnog for breakfast? Miss Marilyn Monroe herself would start her day with two raw eggs whipped in warm milk. Opting to skip lunch, the pop culture icon would then consume broiled liver, steak, or lamb and five carrots for dinner, finished with a decadent hot-fudge sundae dessert.

5. Victoria Beckham – Alkaline Diet

ex-Spice Girl, fashion designer and mother of four Victoria Beckham cites the alkaline diet as her method of maintaining her incredibly svelte figure. The diet tries to keep the body’s pH level between 7.35 and 7.45 by ultimately aiming the dieter to eat 80% alkaline (fruits, vegetables, nuts and legumes – fennel, broccoli, grapefruit and kale are considered the most alkaline) and 20% acidic (wheat and dairy products, coffee, sugar, meat, fish and alcohol) foods.

Reportedly Beckham’s daily diet includes grilled fish, smoked salmon, scrambled eggs, yellow fin tuna, sushi salad, and blueberry smoothies, which effectively controls aging due to their high omega 3 content. Those who keep an alkaline diet boast increased energy levels, improved memory, as well as the prevention of cancer and heart disease.

6. Sofia Vergara, Ricki Lake, Lauren Conrad, Jennifer Lopez, Julie Benz -FRESHOLOGY

WHAT IT IS:Freshology provides calorie-controlled, low-carb, high-protein, all-natural gourmet meals (prepared by a five-star chef, ooh la la) delivered straight to your front door. Said to be the “Diet Plan of Choice for the Dancing with the Stars Celebrities,” meal plans start at $48 a day.

“The food is good and I don’t have to think about it!” says sultry star Sofia Vergara. But the best part? You’ll even get dessert.

7.Kate Middleton – The Dukan Diet

Kate Middleton took a cue from the French and slimmed down for the Royal Wedding with The Dukan Diet. After an initial kick start of straight protein and vegetables, the regimen is broken into three phases that get less strict week by week, with variations depending on how many pounds you’re trying to shed.

8. Angelina Jolie – The Ancient Grains Diet

To keep her energy levels up, Angelina Jolie makes sure she regularly snacks on and adds ancient grains such as quinoa, chia seeds, millet, spelt and buckwheat to her diet. The humanitarian and film star claims provide her with nutrients she can’t find anywhere else, plus boasts glowing, radiant skin and shining, healthier hair to prove it.

9. Kim Cattrall, Nicole Kidman, Oprah, Eva Mendes, Bill Clinton – THE SOUTH BEACH DIET

WHAT IT IS: According to their website, The South Beach Diet is “a food-lover’s diet”. Divided into three phases (the first two are the most strict), the program is said to eliminate cravings, kick start weight loss and maintain for life. While there’s no counting calories or strict portion sizes, followers must say goodbye to bread, rice, potatoes, pasta, baked goods, and fruit – at least for the first two weeks. Relatively simple in principle, it replaces “bad carbs” and “bad fats” with “good carbs” and “good fats.”

10.Lady Gaga – Baby food diet

Did Lady Gaga purée her pounds away? The singer is rumored to have tried Tracy Anderson’s baby food diet, a plan that replaces your first two meals of the day with Gerber’s baby food, followed by a health-conscious dinner. While she has yet to fess up, other celebs have also been linked to the diet, including Reese Witherspoon, Jennifer Aniston, and Gwyneth Paltrow.

If you are looking for workout clothes check our fitness and yoga leggings page.
Sources:www.shape.com,www.harpersbazaar.com.au,www.shape.com

Top 10 Vegan Mistakes

1. Not eating enough variety.

When you first stop eating animal products, it’s easy to get stuck on what’s easy. We ate pizza four times in a week once, and pasta five times. Both are extremely easy to make with various sauces and toppings, and while carbs are good for you (your brain runs on them!) and pasta does contain some protein, you need other nutrients, too. Add in more vegetables—frozen are fine and have all the same nutrients as fresh!

2.Assuming That Vegan or Vegetarian Products Are Automatically Healthier

Unfortunately, just because a food product is labeled “vegetarian” or “vegan” doesn’t necessarily mean it’s healthier than the regular alternative.

For example, almond milk is a popular, plant-based milk that’s often a staple in vegan diets.However, while almond milk is low in calories and enriched with several important vitamins and minerals, it is not necessarily healthier than cow’s milk.

For example, 1 cup (240 ml) of low-fat cow’s milk contains 8 grams of protein, while the same amount of unsweetened almond milk contains only 1 gramSweetened almond milk can also be high in added sugar, with 16 grams of sugar in just 1 cup

3. Going Vegan Overnight

One of the quickest downfalls I’ve seen is to “go vegan” literally overnight. One day you’re chowing down on two cheeseburgers, and the next, you’re swearing off all animal products forever. A small subset of people, often motivated by serious medical diagnoses or some other emotional reason, can do it. They have a strong, unbreakable “why.” But for most people, it absolutely doesn’t work that way — and it is a shock to your body. Start eliminating one food category at a time. Poultry, dairy, fish, pork, beef, eggs, etc., and give your body time to adjust.

4.Being obsessed with protein.

You don’t need as much protein as you may think you need, and if you’re eating enough variety, you shouldn’t have a problem getting enough of it, or any nutrient for that matter. No Meat Athlete’s website states that the total number of calories from protein that you need is between 10 to 15 percent of your total calories.

5.Not Getting Enough Vitamin B12

Vitamin B12 plays several important roles in the body. It’s important in the creation of red blood cells and DNA, among other processes.

Unfortunately, the main sources of vitamin B12 are animal products, such as meat, poultry, shellfish, eggs and milk products.For this reason, vegetarians have an increased risk of vitamin B12 deficiency

Vitamin B12 deficiency can cause fatigue, memory problems and numbness. It can also lead to megaloblastic anemia, a condition caused by having a lower-than-normal amount of red blood cells

Unfortunately, a high intake of folate can actually mask vitamin B12 deficiency, hiding symptoms until the damage becomes irreversible.However, there are foods and supplements available that can help vegetarians meet their vitamin B12 needs.

6.Not Eating Enough Iron

You need iron. It’s a mineral required for vital biological functions including transporting oxygen throughout your body. In fact, every living cell in your body needs iron to function, so it is a big deal to make sure you are getting enough! Iron comes in two forms, heme and non-heme. About 40 percent of the iron in animal products is heme, which your body easily absorbs. Non-heme from plants isn’t absorbed as easily, so you need to eat more of it. Vegan sources of iron include:

Coconuts
Legumes (beans and peas)
Macadamia nuts
Oats (traditional steel-cut)
Quinoa
Raisins
Sesame seeds
Sun-dried tomatoes
Swiss chard

7.Eating too many meat and cheese substitutes.

People say going vegan is too expensive for a reason—they’re thinking of all of the substitutes they’ll “have” to buy when they go vegan… but you don’t have to buy them! There are plenty of products out there from companies that make fantastic meat and cheese substitutes, but they aren’t necessarily healthy, and you can make plenty of substitutes at home for a fraction of the price. Looking to cut it out? Try making veggie burgers with beans, vegetables, and spices, baked in the oven to cut out oil, or make your own cashew cream sauce for pasta to make mac and “cheese”.

8.Eating Too Few Calories

Many foods and food groups are off-limits for vegans and vegetarians, which can make it challenging for them to meet their calorie needs.In fact, vegans and vegetarians tend to eat fewer calories than people who eat both meat and plants.

One study compared the nutritional quality of 1,475 people’s diets, including vegans, vegetarians, vegetarians who ate fish, people who ate both meat and plants and people who ate meat only once a week.Vegans had the lowest calorie intake across all the groups, consuming 600 fewer calories than people who ate both meat and plants.

Vegetarians had a slightly higher calorie intake than vegans, but still consumed 263 fewer calories than people who ate both meat and plants

9.Avoiding Fat

We live in a fat-phobic society, but our bodies can’t absorb certain vitamins unless fat is present. It’s also a source of energy. If we don’t eat fats, we don’t live. It doesn’t do you any good to drink a huge fat-free smoothie or skip a healthy dressing on a salad because there are vitamins that your body can’t absorb without the presence of some fat.

There are bad fats — ones that harm our health and provide no benefits. Those are trans fats and other hydrogenated fats that are highly processed, completely man-made, and unnatural. Skip those.

However, you want to make sure you’re getting enough Essential fatty acids (EFAs). Among other benefits, they help your body absorb the nutrients in your food and help maintain healthy cell walls. You need both (that’s why they’re called essential), but your body can’t make them, so you must eat them. They come in two forms: omega-3 and omega-6 and should be eaten in a 2:1 ratio of two parts omega-6 to one part omega-3.

10.Not having more than one reason to go vegan.

For some, one reason may be enough, but studies show that for most people, they need two or more reasons to go vegan, whether for health, ethical, or environmental reasons. Do your research, and find out what’s important to you. Animal agriculture is the number one cause of global warming; do you want to contribute to that, or fight against it? Have you read that eating a plant-based diet can help fight heart disease and high blood pressure or even prevent seemingly genetically predisposed diseases? Do you want to save the cows from their untimely death at two years old, when they should be living 20 or more years when not farmed? Find your reasoning, and do your research.

If you are looking for workout clothes check our fitness and yoga leggings page.
Sources:www.thoughtcatalog.com,www.healthline.com,www.beachbodyondemand.com

Top Fitness Trends For 2019

1.Exercising at home

Working out is no longer solely resigned to hitting the gym. Tom Holland, MS, an exercise physiologist from Connecticut,said home workouts will continue to be popular in the new year. Many Americans are creating home gyms, or using streaming technology to exercise under their own roofs.

“Getting started doesn’t require a large amount of space or investment,” Holland said.

2.HIIT IS HERE TO STAY

Mentioned at the top of the ACSM’s 2018 trends survey, we expect HIIT (high-intensity interval training) to stick around in 2019. The results are undeniable, and especially for working professionals short on time, there’s no better way to get a complete, gym-free workout than with some intense circuits.

Head outside, do it in the living room, or take a class at your local studio – HIIT is all about movement and workout efficiency.

3.Boxing

When it comes to what workout trend more of us will be trying, that will be boxing, according to Jawaid. Combat sports in general are becoming more of a part in mainstream culture in part due to rising popularity of mixed martial arts, or MMA.

“Boxing workouts are a great way of getting an intense workout but also feeling like a fighter,” Jawaid told Healthline. “I think people feel a sense of empowerment when they emulate certain movements of fighters.”

Second to boxing is spinning, Jawaid said. The controlled aspect of pedaling typically means less injuries than other recent trends such as CrossFit.

4.GETTING SWEATY WITH STRANGERS

According to the ACSM, group training (more than five people) will be the second most popular fitness trend in 2019. For good reason, too — these classes are social, highly motivational and provide instruction for people who need structure in their daily workouts. Group classes cover a wide range of disciplines, including spin, dance, aquatics and cardio-based classes, and are available anywhere from private studios to public facilities to mainstream gyms.

5.Smart training

Having a fitness wristband to track calories and steps is one thing, but workouts will get even smarter in 2019, says Von Collins, an ACE-certified professional with Complete Tri, said that smart treadmills and other fitness equipment that features streaming apps is quite a game changer.

Smart training lets you, for example, ride a bike while seeing the course on a tablet. The bike changes to reflect hills or other obstacles, plus many smart training platforms let you compete with other users. You can do workouts, time trials, or even go for rides with friends who might live miles away.

“Up until now, the technology to stream workouts at home in a fully integrated way has been best described as clunky,” Collins said. “It is becoming much more streamlined, much more plug-and-play, which opens the entire market up beyond the hardcore junkies and to the masses.”

6.THE RETURN OF THE TREADMILL

Step aside elliptical — in the past few months we’ve seen many fitness classes and training plans getting back to basics. We’re talking about the treadmill, the machine that’s been around seemingly forever.

If it’s not broken, don’t fix it, and with the rise of popular and effective treadmill programs, we anticipate this machine will be a staple in many training plans in 2019. Just don’t forget your running and multisport watchto monitor your efforts!

7.Fitness studios — not gyms

For those who do like going to a gym, the big box facility may still be the perfect fit.

But expect them to offer more classes than you’ll see in fitness studios, says Eric Casaburi, founder and chief executive officer of Retro Fitness.

While gyms aren’t going anywhere, the shift toward boutique fitness studios and classes will dominate 2019.

The 2017 IHRSA Health Club Consumer Report found that 18 million Americans belonged to a studio, which was up 15 percent compared to 2015.

Still, 32 million Americans held membership in traditional commercial health clubs and gyms, which is down from 2015.

8.YOGA, YOGA, YOGA

While there’s no doubt the classic form of yoga will always reign supreme, the variations on this ancient practice are injecting new life into a sometimes stale routine. 2019 will continue to see more outdoor yoga classes, yoga retreats, standup paddleboard (SUP) yoga, goat yoga (yes, we said goat yoga), etc. We can’t wait to see what yoga variations the new year will bring.

9.Being fit is trending, overall

Other trends to watch out for in 2019, according to the annual American College of Sports Medicine predictions report, include more personal training, fitness programs for older adults, and the continuation of yoga as a popular fitness trend.

Their top trend for the year is wearable technology, which debuted on the list in 2016, stayed there in 2017 and dropped to third place last year. The ACSM says group training and HIIT will be the second and third biggest trends in 2019.

10.NETFLIX OF THE WORKOUT WORLD

Here at Polar, we’re officially rebranding “Netflix and chill” as “Stream and workout” in 2019. Many big-name fitness brands are creating subscription-based virtual streaming services designed to replicate a guided group session in the comfort and convenience of your home.

For example, Les Mills On Demand offers access to over 600 online workouts, YogaWorks has created an on-demand library of over 1,000 guided yoga classes, and brands like Peloton offer a live, interactive platform to work out with others in real time. Think of these as a modern-day Richard Simmons VHS tape — minus the neon spandex and electronic music.

If you are looking for workout clothes check our fitness and yoga leggings page.
Sources:www.healthline.com,www.polar.com