Working out shouldn't feel like a chore, but with dozens of variables to nail down before hitting the gym, it certainly can. Did you remember to eat before your spin class? Did you pack the right shoes in your gym bag? Did you get enough sleep the night before?
But there's one thing you can get right about your workout: the timing.
Some research suggests it's best to sweat it out early in the morning on an empty stomach to help speed weight loss and boost energy levels; other studies conclude that squeezing in your fitness routine later in the day, once your body is naturally warmed up, is a better idea.
"The best time of day to work out is the time you're most likely to work out," Jordan told Business Insider.
Jordan, who has worked as a fitness consultant for the US Air Force in Europe and is now the director of exercise physiology at the Johnson & Johnson Human Performance Institute, said he experimented with various timing windows for his fitness routine before settling on afternoons.
He said afternoons worked the best not only for his schedule — which is jam-packed with work and playing with his 4-year-old — but for his body, which can feel stiff first thing in the morning.
"What I like about working out in the afternoon is that I'm loose, I'm not typically as tired, and my muscles aren't stiff like they sometimes are in the morning," Jordan said. "Plus, it's a great break, and I get so much energy afterward."
Morning vs. afternoon workouts
If you're partial to working out early in the day, however, there's great news for you: Some studies suggest that an early-morning workout on an empty stomach helps speed weight loss and boost energy levels by priming the body for an all-day fat burn.
Plus, working out early could mean you get more sunlight — something that's key to setting your body's internal circadian rhythm. One study found that people who basked in bright sunlight within two hours after waking tended to be thinner and better able to manage their weight than those who didn't get any natural light, regardless of what they ate throughout the day.
"There are some pros and cons with whatever time you choose," Jordan said. "Maybe you're a bit sluggish in the morning, but if you choose that time, then at least it's done for the day, and you're not going to skip it when unexpected things come up."
The most important thing about a fitness routine is that you're able to stick with it. Whether that means waking up at the crack of dawn to hit the track or cutting out of the office for an hour or two in the afternoons matters less than how well it jibes with your schedule.
"If you need to plan ahead, plan ahead — schedule it," Jordan said. "The most important thing is to do it on a consistent basis."
Chris Jordan, the exercise physiologist who designed the viral 7-minute workout, told us what snacks to eat and avoid to help power you through your next workout.
Eating too much or too close to your workout can weigh you down, but abstaining from food can leave you tired and burned out before you even hit the treadmill.
Jordan's advice doesn't require any fancy powders or mixes — the snacks he recommends are all cheap and simple.
Getting ready to work out is often the hardest part of exercising. You need a plan, a place to do it, the right kind of clothes, good shoes, and enough energy.
Caffeine can help you feel more energetic — but so can certain foods.
Chris Jordan is the exercise physiologist who came up with the 7-minute workout routine designed to give you the benefits of a sweaty bike ride and a trip to the gym in just a few minutes. He says it's important to fuel your body properly before working out.
"I always remind my clients that exercise is an energy-requiring activity and you get energy from your food," Jordan told Business Insider.
That said, eating too close to a workout or indulging in the wrong kinds of foods can lead to burnout or gastrointestinal distress. To avoid those unpleasant side-effects, Jordan recommends two kinds of snacks which should be eaten within roughly one to two hours before and after a workout.
The first should contain carbohydrates, which are the quickest and easiest source of energy for the body.
"That could be a small nutrition bar or a piece of toast with peanut butter," Jordan said. "You're trying to go into the workout with a full dose of energy."
The second snack can be somewhat similar to the first, but Jordan recommends ensuring that it also contains a hefty amount of protein to help repair and rebuild the muscles you use during the workout. Jordan's favorite after a sweaty trip to the gym? A glass of low-fat chocolate milk.
"It tastes good and it requires no effort. It's not a fancy snack or supplement. It's simple, cheap, and effective," he said. "Sometimes the simplest thing really is the best."
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Whether it's to cut down on costs, travel time, or working out in a crowd of people and with limited machines, doing your workouts at home is appealing if you’ve got the space and the equipment.
If you’ve ever hit a gym in the city in that 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. window, you’ve likely thought about how nice this would be if it could be done at home.
But while I would probably rather sweat myself into a puddle in the comfort of my own basement, I lack the exercise equipment that makes my at-home workout as punishing (and therefore ‘worth it’) as my workouts in the gym. If I’m going to do it, I want it to be challenging.
I think a lot of us feel this way, and we’re not altogether sure which home exercise accessories pack the most bang for their buck. We’re not going to spend the same as our local gym, replicating their machines, because of a) money and b) space, so it pays to know which exercise accessories stretch the furthest for their dollar.
I asked Chris DiVecchio, a personal trainer based out of LA recently seen on Good Morning America, to help me out. Below you’ll find his picks for the five at-home accessories you should buy, plus why he loves them.
Since they might outstrip the average person's budget, we picked some lower-priced options to compare them to, too.
Foam rolling is one of the most crucial components to any program I design because it increases range of motion and mobility. More mobility means more muscle fiber recruitment, which translates to bigger and stronger muscles. The Vyper is the top dog in this world, with a vibrating device that helps to open the fascia even more.
When building a home gym, having enough space for equipment is always a problem. These racks solve that problem by taking up only a small amount of wall space and providing versatility for multiple exercises.
This product is cost effective, doesn't take up much space, and provides versatility for multiple exercises. I love training clients on the Bosu Ball because it requires them to perform each move with control. Take a push-up and make it more advanced by doing body Bosu push-ups to incorporate balance and stability.
The Insider Picks team writes about stuff we think you'll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships, so we get a share of the revenue from your purchase.
Taking a shower after your workout isn't always possible, but no one likes showing up to class, the office, or a social event sweaty and smelly.
ShowerPill cleansing wipes ($10 for 10)— developed by former college football players, tested by professional athletes, and loved by busy, active people — are the quick and easy solution.
As seen on Shark Tank, these thick, disposable, alcohol-free wipes kill 99.99% of germs without leaving any sticky residue or strong scents and are conveniently packaged to take on the go.
There's a somewhat disparaging joke that circulates within gyms that if you leave a workout or practice without showering, you're "taking a shower pill." For athletes like former UC Berkeley football players Justin Forsett, Wendell Hunter, and Wale Forrester, taking a shower pill was a common practice when their schedules were lined back to back with workouts and classes. Showering every time they sweat wasn't realistic, but they also hated being that smelly athlete sitting in class.
After noticing there were many athletic products made for hydration, performance, and recovery, but few for hygiene, they developed an athletic body wipe called ShowerPill to combat the hygienic problems that they and their teammates experienced every day.
Accustomed to performing on the national stage of the football field, Forsett, Hunter, and Forrester didn't see as much success when they brought ShowerPill to "Shark Tank" in January 2018. The judges weren't convinced by the company's financial numbers, but they did like the idea, and the success of ShowerPill after the show has shown that it has resonated with consumers, too.
While most of us aren't college athletes, we can relate to the struggle of not having enough time to bathe ourselves before rushing off to our next commitment. ShowerPill wipes make it easy to clean your entire body so you can walk into class, the office, or other public space without feeling embarrassed about the way you look and smell.
They contain the FDA-approved antimicrobial agent benzalkonium chloride to kill microorganisms and prevent their future growth, as well as aloe vera, vitamin E, and witch hazel to soothe your skin. Like other types of body wipes or wet wipes on the market, they're very effective at killing germs — 99.99% of them, in fact — but unlike other wipes we've tried, they don't leave behind any uncomfortable sticky residue or strong scents. They also don't contain alcohol, parabens, or sulfates, and they're animal cruelty-free.
Each wipe is thick and sturdy, working like a washcloth to eliminate sweat, dirt, and body odor. Because it comes in a single-serving packet, you can conveniently store a few in your bag or locker for any future situation that calls for help.
I tried the ShowerPill wipes after workouts of varying intensities, from a light run to a class that left me literally dripping with sweat. I expected the wipe to easily clean up my thin layer of sweat and slight odor after the run, but what I didn't expect was how effectively it took care of my body after intense activity.
I wasn't sticky, and I smelled clean, but not clinically so. Sometimes it's clear from the smell that someone is trying to overcompensate for not taking a real shower by using an excessive number of wipes, but I smelled and felt natural after using just one ShowerPill wipe. Thanks to the single-use, individually packaged design, I could travel light instead of weighing my bag down with an entire bulk-size pack of wipes. Throw a packet in your car, backpack, office desk drawer, and locker, and you're set with a reliable shower backup.
Tested and loved by both professional athletes and ordinary folks like myself, ShowerPill wipes were designed for anyone who leads an active, busy lifestyle. However, their use extends beyond post-exercise hygiene. They can also be used to help people in need and crisis when they don't have access to clean bathing water. The company has donated tens of thousands of ShowerPill wipes to homeless relief organizations and victims of the Flint water crisis, Hurricane Harvey, and Hurricane Maria, proving the product's versatility and importance.
As shown through the above situations, a "shower" significantly affects not only the way people physically feel but also their sense of personal dignity. A box of ShowerPill wipes is a smart supply to pack on long camping and hiking trips, in household emergency kits, and for other situations where you can potentially lose access to clean water. In the end, you should pull out a ShowerPill wipe whenever you want to feel, smell, and be clean in a convenient, no-fuss way.
The Insider Picks team writes about stuff we think you'll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships, so we get a share of the revenue from your purchase.
I have extremely bad posture and even worse back pain.
At $99.98, it's cheaper than most other ergonomic chairs, making it a solid value.
I'm in possession of a pretty messed up back. This doesn't bode well for me as someone who sits at a desk all day, so I'm constantly on the hunt for products that make me feel a little more comfortable, or at least a little less terrible.
You may have caught the article I wrote about the BetterBack, a posture corrector made famous by its appearance on "Shark Tank" (and kept famous by how well it works). I love this gadget because it essentially forces my back into a properly aligned position, so I don't have to engage my core or do anything special to reduce my back pain.
But I'm here to tell you about something that has made sitting at my desk, well...kind of fun!
The most recent product I've tested to deal with discomfort is the Gaiam Ultimate Balance Ball chair ($99.98). Though it takes some effort on my part to keep my spine aligned, it has also helped with my discomfort and made sitting at my desk less of a daily stressor. Plus, I can use it in combination with the BetterBack to force myself to maintain proper posture if I find myself slouching on the chair during the day.
The Ultimate Balance Ball chair is one of the newest in Gaiam's line of balance ball chairs, all designed to help you engage your core, improve your posture, and "energize you" as you sit at your desk. An important thing to note here, though, is that it doesn't just do this for you automatically — you have to put some effort into it. There's nothing about the chair that forces proper posture — in that you can still physically slouch if you want to — but it does provide an ergonomic base that subtly reminds you to engage your core and straighten up.
The setup of the ball is pretty straightforward — you just have to assemble the base and fill the ball with air using an included pump. The ball comes off the wheeled base so you can use it for actual exercise, but I just use it to sit on. A few of the five wheels feature locks on them so you can stay perfectly in place, though I haven't had to engage the locking mechanisms at all (for reference, I have carpet underneath my chair).
I'll admit, I didn't really know what the brand meant when they claimed the chair had "energizing" powers, but after sitting in it, I kind of get it. Because the chair is so easy to wiggle around and stretch on, it gives you a playful, almost childlike sensory experience. Though the ball is supported by a base and back rest that keeps it in place, I can easily recall the feeling of bouncing around on one just like it as a kid.
The one disadvantage to this model is that in order to adjust the height of the chair, you have to either pump or deflate the ball until you get it just right — there's no simple way to adjust the height of the base otherwise. This became a bit of an issue for me after testing out the ball while wearing different types of shoes over the course of a few weeks. I will say it's a lot more comfortable to use the ball when you're wearing sneakers, flats, or anything without a tall heel, and that you might want to adjust the ball based on the shoes you're wearing.
Overall, I can't say the balance ball chair has fixed my back problems or completely changed my life, but I can say that it's a fun and comfortable way to sit at work.
I would highly recommend it to anyone who works from a home office specifically because it would be super easy to take stretch breaks using the balance ball. I can't really lay backwards over my chair in the Business Insider office, but I'd definitely do it at home where I'm not at risk of our CEO walking by.
Taryn Toomey is a sales exec turned fitness guru who is favored by celebrities like Jennifer Aniston and Naomi Watts.
I tried Toomey's 10-day detox — a "seasonal diet" that eliminates meat, gluten, dairy, and soy.
After the first five days, it goes fully vegan.
I had some serious sugar cravings, but I lost two pounds in a week while eating more than three meals a day.
Overall, it was difficult but made me feel empowered.
Before Taryn Toomey's 10-day diet was created, the former sales exec turned fitness guru became famous for a particular brand of spirituality that comes in the form of a $35 workout class that is so unlike anything else, it is called simplyThe Class. Toomey's Tribeca studio is fitted with crystals, and her classes are dotted with F-bombs.Her signature workoutblends yoga, a heavy dose of burpees, and a fair amount ofscreaming, which is intended to help release tension (and over the past year, who doesn't want to shriek?). But there's often a bit of giggling as well, which Toomey and her teachers often remind participants is OK, too. Anything goes when it comes to this part-devotional, part-boot-camp-like workout that attracts celebrities like Jennifer Aniston and Naomi Watts. Attendees want to know everything about how TT herself lives, eats, and breathes outside of the confines of her studio. She now offers retreats, opened locations in L.A. and Vancouver, and has collaborations with brands like Lululemon.
A post shared by The Class By Taryn Toomey (@theclassbytt) on Jan 7, 2018 at 8:00am PST on
Toomey's offshoots also includeThe Layer, which is a 10-day seasonal diet created in collaboration with culinary nutrition consultantMikaela Reubenand triple-board-certified nutritionistDana James. It's a pretty restrictive diet — meat, gluten, dairy, and soy are instantly eliminated, and after the first five days, the diet goes fully vegan (the elimination of eggs and fish is the main change). Participants are offered the option of working with a private chef, though it is not required or even encouraged. I had my meals for 10 days provided byChef Avivain New York City. Ideally, The Layer is done in conjunction with The Class, and discounted class packs can be bought with the program.
As I learn on day one, the morning is a crucial part of The Layer.
You wake up. You scrape your tongue. You brush your teeth. You do something called a "belly roll," which involves stretching out with a rolled-up blanket under your stomach in a restorative yoga-esque pose. You blend hot water, lemon juice, and turmeric for your "morning tonic." You take a probiotic, eat breakfast, and then take chlorophyll to promote detoxification and B-complex to help convert food into energy. This was needed as I kicked things off with a Monday morning class. Never mind that I'm not a super-consistent exerciser, let alone a morning one — I wanted to go headlong into Toomey-land. (By Wednesday, when my next scheduled class rolled around, I shamefully emailed TT's team to say that I was too sore to attend. Thoseburpees…)
A post shared by RICH TASTE (@r_i_c_h_t_a_s_t_e) on Feb 20, 2018 at 12:42am PST on
During the day, you eat lunch, which you are encouraged to do solo, silently, and sans technological accouterments. Your detox diet will not be Instagrammed. You are also encouraged to put your food on a real plate — not an option for me, as I eat at my co-working space, rather than at home. My first lunch was salmon with tomatoes, capers, and spinach, and I was grateful to enjoy some animal protein while I still could. If you're hungry between meals, you can eat a small handful of nuts or a piece of fruit. I took to carrying nuts in my bag to stave off cravings and late afternoon hunger.
Naive, perhaps, but I didn't realize how quickly withdrawal can kick in (nor did I realize how much sugar and caffeine I consume on a daily basis).
Unfortunately, by 2:00 p.m., I had a headache. This isn't entirely surprising as I was diagnosed with chronic migraine disorder over a decade ago, but by 7:00 p.m., when dinner rolls around, according to my notes, "I'm not even craving sugar, just Excedrin."
In the evenings, you receive an email from Taryn herself. On day one, she writes, "How is everyone feeling? How/what are your symptoms, or do you have none at all? The caffeine and sugar withdrawal can be intense, but to say it again (you will hear these words many times from me!), think of it as the addictionleavingthe body." At night, you drink tea and practice a 10-minute meditation, not with Headspace, but with a song that, as I learned while distracted and tired, goes on for longer than 10 minutes. You take magnesium glycinate to promote sleep and relaxation and drink Steep Rise mint chocolate tea, which helps digestion and reduces inflammation, but is also meant to serve as a"dessert" of sorts and ward off sugar cravings.
A post shared by Integrative Nutrition (IIN) (@nutritionschool) on Apr 10, 2017 at 9:53am PDT on
On days two and three, I was still pretty distracted by my headache, which did not let up, even though I felt like I was eating like a health-obsessed angel. Thankfully, by day four, I started to feel better. "I hope you are all feeling better today and feeling some of the ease that happens once some of the major detox side effects move out. The blended foods may have you feeling full but needing more. Oxymoron of sorts? Let's get used to what feeling 'full' actually means," Toomey's note reads. Aviva's morning smoothies are delicious—but left me pretty hungry. I'm not fully sure whether or not that hunger is legitimate, or that I am used to eating enough to feel more-than-full was not obvious.
By the time the weekend arrived, I felt both smug and sore — still!
While many people report that the weekend is way harder than the weekdays, that was not the case for me. As obvious as it sounds, half the battle lies in making the good choice when surrounded with less healthy options. But because Chef Aviva delivered everything, there was simply no choice to make. The Layer's breathing exercises are meant to help combat cravings, but I'm not going to lie — I wanted a sandwich. And possibly a cupcake. But I had lost two pounds in a week while eating more than three meals a day.
By Sunday, I finally made it back to The Class and again on Tuesday, when I went back to the jam-packed Tribeca studio, as Toomey herself was teaching. To be in Toomey's class, for me, means trying to surrender to its aforementioned one-of-a-kind brand of spirituality and cardio.
A post shared by Taryn Toomey (@taryntoomey) on Sep 27, 2017 at 8:34pm PDT on
"Begin!""Begin!""Begin!" she screamed.
"Begin what?!" she asked rhetorically.
"ANYTHING!"
Women screamed in tandem and in turns, and then again, as if on the brink of a collective orgasm. I screamed too, in joy at the fact that I can return to a carnivorous lifestyle again in 24 hours. I've heard people talk about eliminating gluten, dairy, and sugar (all of which The Layer requires) with religious devotion: "I'm so clear-minded!""I've lost so much weight!""I can focus again!""I'm sleeping so well!" they exclaim.
Truthfully, though, Ididn'tfeel as though my perennial brain fog or perpetual exhaustion lifted.
What I did feel — as cheesy as it sounds — was mostly just empowered. As it turns out, this is just what Toomey wanted. Rather than losing five pounds, the goal of The Layer as she sees it is this: "To find out that the choices you make are entirely up to you, and that doesn't only pertain to food. Clear, empowered, and light in many ways." By the time I finally I made it to day 10, I was no longer in pain, but I was (oddly) craving sugar or carbs a bit more than I did at the start. Still, I stuck it out and never cheated — and just knowing Icould stick with a near-perfect diet if I really wanted to is a good enough start for me.
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Fitness injuries are painful and can put a significant dent in your workout progress.
Many people either fail to warmup entirely or do the wrong kind of warmup, according to Chris Jordan, the exercise physiologist who designed the viral 7-minute workout.
That's because limbering up before hitting the gym isn't just about raising your heart-rate, Jordan said.
Fitness injuries can put a significant dent in your workout progress. But many people fail to properly warm up before exercise, putting their bodies at risk of harm.
Chris Jordan, the exercise physiologist who designed the viral 7-minute workout, told Business Insider that he frequently sees people either forgetting to stretch and warm-up before their workouts or doing the wrong kind of preparation entirely. Jordan's popular routine, which is available as a free app, is designed to give you the benefits of a sweaty bike ride and a trip to the gym in just a few minutes.
But whether you're doing the 7-minute workout or training for a marathon, it's easy to short-change your body when it comes to your warm-up routine.
Simply stretching a few muscles or raising your heart-rate by hopping on a piece of gym equipment is not enough to avoid injury, he said. That's because doing so may only warm up one subset of muscles, when in reality you want your warmup to loosen the specific muscles you aim to workout later on.
You might think, for example, that hopping on a rowing machine for a few minutes is a good way of limbering up for a run. But while rowing would raise your heart rate and improve your blood flow, it would do little-to-nothing for the most important groups of muscles that you'll be stressing when you run: those in your legs.
Instead of simply lifting your heart-rate, you want your warmup to precisely prepare your body for the type of workout you'll be doing, Jordan said.
"You want to prime yourself for the stress it’s about to experience — in the exact way you’re about to apply it," he said.
That means that before an activity like a long run, you want to start with a walk. Then you'd walk briskly, jog next, and eventually build up to a running pace.
Conversely, if you're going to be lifting weights, you want to limber up with a lighter version of the heavier weight you aim to use later.
Jordan calls these types of warmups "dynamic" because they are targeted to the exact part of the body that is going to be stressed during your exercise routine.
"Aim for a specific sequence that's going to dynamically and specifically prepare your body for future stress," Jordan said. "So if I'm going to go on a run, something like rowing won't prepare me for the stress I'll be putting on my knees and hips. You want a dynamic warmup, like a walk-jog-run."
Picking up litter while jogging in groups — known as "plogging"— has become a popular pastime in Sweden.
One among many lifestyle fads to come out of the Nordics, plogging is catching on in other countries.
According to a fitness app, plogging is a more effective form of exercise than jogging.
Forget lagom or hygge, there is a new Scandinavian word to add to your vocabulary: plogging.
Plogging essentially combines jogging with picking up trash, while turning it all into a social event. The phenomenon was born in Sweden in 2016, when groups started to form around the activity.
"I run a lot and I love to spend time in nature. When I find litter out in the woods or in the archipelago it makes me sad and a bit angry," Swedish plogger Maja Tesch told The Washington Post.
The word plogging fuses "plocka" and "jogga," meaning "picking (up)" and "jogging" in Swedish.
As it turns out, plogging comes with some great health benefits.
According to data from the fitness app Lifesum, one hour of plogging burns 288 calories, on average, compared to 235 calories on average for plain old jogging, with the added benefit that participants are simultaneously cleaning up their local communities.
The founder of the impromptu movement is said to be the 57-year-old Swede Erik Ahlström. When he recently moved back to Stockholm after having lived in the north of Sweden, Ahlström had the impression that there was a lot more litter on the streets than before.
A post shared by Ramzi (@ramzi_md) on Mar 11, 2018 at 6:24am PDT on
Now the eco-friendly fitness craze, which could be considered a subset of "friluftsliv," is gaining a foothold in social media and making headlines everywhere.
"It's time to embrace the Scandinavian trend for picking up litter while jogging," the Guardian wrote.
According to some media reports, plogging is starting to catch on in the US, Germany, France, Thailand, and Canada.
Working out regularly is key to achieving results, according to Chris Jordan, the exercise physiologist who came up with the 7-minute workout.
Jordan gave us a sample weeklong fitness routine to start with.
His recommendations are supported by recent research from the American Heart Association.
If you've renewed your commitment to getting fit now that spring has arrived, you may be wondering how much time that goal will require.
For your workouts to produce real results, exercise has to be a regular habit, Chris Jordan, the exercise physiologist who came up with the popular 7-minute workout, told Business Insider.
Jordan's viral routine, officially called the "Johnson & Johnson Official 7 Minute Workout" is based on a popular form of fitness called interval training. It's designed to give you the benefits of a sweaty bike ride or longer cardio workout in just a few minutes — but you have to commit to doing it regularly.
That means working out three to five times a week at the minimum, Jordan said.
That isn't to say that your half-baked attempts at squeezing more fitness into your daily life don't count — they do. Everything from taking the stairs at work to getting up from your desk every so often has a positive impact on your overall health, according to new research published in March. But if you want benefits that you can see — like more toned muscles or six-pack abs, you'll need to up your game significantly.
For the January study focused on heart health, researchers split 53 adults into two groups, one of which did two years of supervised exercise four to five days a week, while the other simply did yoga and balance exercises. At the end of the study, the higher-intensity exercisers saw significant improvements in their heart's performance, while the stretchers and balancers did not.
"We found what we believe to be the optimal dose of the right kind of exercise," Benjamin Levine, the author of the study and a professor of internal medicine at the University of Texas Southwestern, said in a statement.
And while the researchers were focused on heart health, it's likely that their advice applies to people who are either looking for physical results like leaner limbs and toned muscles or psychological ones like improved mood and higher energy levels. Both Jordan and Levine recommend interspersing cardio — running on a treadmill, riding a bike, or doing high-intensity interval training — with resistance training like planks, squats, or leg raises.
Here's an example five-day training plan you can try that Jordan shared with us:
Monday: Cycling and upper-body resistance training, like arm raises.
Tuesday: Yoga and lower-body resistance training, like squats.
Wednesday: Running and upper-body resistance training, like bench presses.
Thursday: Rest.
Friday: Boxing and lower-body resistance training, like leg raises.
Whichever workout you try, however, the most important thing is to keep doing it. That might mean setting up a regular time every day when you cut out of the office for spin class or simply hitting the track first thing every morning.
"Plan ahead, schedule, the most important thing is to do it on a consistent basis," Jordan said.
Working out regularly is key to achieving results, according to Chris Jordan, the exercise physiologist who came up with the 7-minute workout.
Jordan gave us a sample weeklong fitness routine to start with.
His recommendations are supported by recent research from the American Heart Association.
If you've renewed your commitment to getting fit now that spring has arrived, you may be wondering how much time that goal will require.
For your workouts to produce real results, exercise has to be a regular habit, Chris Jordan, the exercise physiologist who came up with the popular 7-minute workout, told Business Insider.
Jordan's viral routine, officially called the "Johnson & Johnson Official 7 Minute Workout" is based on a popular form of fitness called interval training. It's designed to give you the benefits of a sweaty bike ride or longer cardio workout in just a few minutes — but you have to commit to doing it regularly.
That means working out three to five times a week at the minimum, Jordan said.
That isn't to say that your half-baked attempts at squeezing more fitness into your daily life don't count — they do. Everything from taking the stairs at work to getting up from your desk every so often has a positive impact on your overall health, according to new research published in March. But if you want benefits that you can see — like more toned muscles or six-pack abs, you'll need to up your game significantly.
For the January study focused on heart health, researchers split 53 adults into two groups, one of which did two years of supervised exercise four to five days a week, while the other simply did yoga and balance exercises. At the end of the study, the higher-intensity exercisers saw significant improvements in their heart's performance, while the stretchers and balancers did not.
"We found what we believe to be the optimal dose of the right kind of exercise," Benjamin Levine, the author of the study and a professor of internal medicine at the University of Texas Southwestern, said in a statement.
And while the researchers were focused on heart health, it's likely that their advice applies to people who are either looking for physical results like leaner limbs and toned muscles or psychological ones like improved mood and higher energy levels. Both Jordan and Levine recommend interspersing cardio — running on a treadmill, riding a bike, or doing high-intensity interval training — with resistance training like planks, squats, or leg raises.
Here's an example five-day training plan you can try that Jordan shared with us:
Monday: Cycling and upper-body resistance training, like arm raises.
Tuesday: Yoga and lower-body resistance training, like squats.
Wednesday: Running and upper-body resistance training, like bench presses.
Thursday: Rest.
Friday: Boxing and lower-body resistance training, like leg raises.
Whichever workout you try, however, the most important thing is to keep doing it. That might mean setting up a regular time every day when you cut out of the office for spin class or simply hitting the track first thing every morning.
"Plan ahead, schedule, the most important thing is to do it on a consistent basis," Jordan said.
For celebrities, looking good is part of the job. One look at your favorite star’s Instagram feed and you will likely see pics of them sweating it out in the gym. And although exercise is a big part of keeping fit, maintaining a healthy diet is also key to looking and feeling your best.
If you’re looking for ways to make some changes to your diet, take some inspiration from a few celebrities who make staying in shape look easy, and have given us all some serious food envy.
Julianne Hough loves carbs.
Singer, actress, and dancer, Julianne Hough maintains a healthy diet along with her intense training regimen to keep herself ready for the stage.
According to Hough, eating clean is all about having great kitchen tools to make delicious, healthy meals.
Jennifer Garner worked with nutritionist Kelly LeVeque to get in shape for her role in the movie, "Peppermint." Le Veque suggested a protein-rich smoothie complete with almond butter, spinach, blueberries, and collagen protein powder to make sure the actress was camera ready.
And according to Instagram, Garner loved the smoothie so much, she kept drinking them every day even after the film wrapped.
Lupita Nyong'o loves a healthy bowl for breakfast.
Whether she's slaying on the red carpet or kicking butt as a Wakondan spy, Lupita Nyong'o looks great in practically everything.
She said her secret to looking her best is all about keeping cool and maintaining a Zen lifestyle. The Black Panther star loves practicing yoga and told Women's Health that she starts her day with a breakfast of plantains, sweet potatoes, and blueberries.
If you're searching for an all-natural way to lift your mood, preserve muscle tone, and protect your brain against the decline that comes with aging, look no further than the closest mirror.
One of the most powerful means of reaping these benefits is exercise — and in many cases, you already have everything you need to get it: your own body.
As we age, two forms of exercise are the most important to focus on: aerobic exercise, or "cardio," which gets your heart pumping and sweat flowing, and strength training, which helps keep aging muscles from dwindling over time. Most of the time, they don't require any fancy equipment or costly classes. Read on to find out how to incorporate both forms of fitness into your life.
Aerobic exercises like jogging may help reverse some heart damage from normal aging.
Many of us become less active as we get older. Over time, this can lead some muscles in the heart to stiffen. One of those at-risk muscles is in the left chamber of the heart, a section that plays a key role in supplying the body with freshly-oxygenated blood.
A recent study split 53 adults into two groups, one of which did two years of supervised exercise four to five days per week while the other simply did yoga and balance exercises. At the end of the study, published in January in the journal Circulation, the higher-intensity exercisers saw significant improvements in their heart's performance. Those results suggest that some stiffening in the heart can be prevented or even reversed with regular cardio.
"Based on a series of studies performed by our team over the past 5 years, this 'dose' of exercise has become my prescription for life," Benjamin Levine, the author of the study and a professor of internal medicine at the University of Texas Southwestern, said in a statement.
Strength training moves like Tai Chi are best for preserving muscles against age-related decline.
Strength or resistance training can take many forms, but it typically involves a series of movements geared towards building or preserving muscle.
Tai chi, the Chinese martial art that combines a series of flowing movements, is one way to strength train. The exercise is performed slowly and gently with a high degree of focus and a special attention paid to breathing deeply. Since practitioners go at their own pace, tai chi is accessible for a wide variety of people — regardless of age or fitness level.
There may be a powerful link between regular cardio exercises, like swimming and walking, and a lower risk of dementia.
A study published this spring in the journal Neurology suggested that women who were physically fit in middle age were roughly 88% less likely to develop dementia (defined as a decline in memory severe enough to interfere with daily life) than their peers who were only moderately fit.
Neuroscientists from the University of Gothenburg in Sweden studied 191 women whose average age was 50 for 44 years. First, they assessed their cardiovascular health using a cycling test and grouped them into three categories: fit, moderately fit, or unfit.
Over the next four decades, the researchers regularly screened the women for dementia. In that time, 32% of the unfit women were diagnosed with the condition; a quarter of the moderately fit women did. But only 5% of the fit women developed dementia.
Despite that strikingly positive finding, the research only showed a link between fitness and decreased dementia risk; it did not prove that one caused the other. Still, the work builds on several other studies that suggest a powerful tie between exercise and brain health.
Celebrities leave us in awe of their talents often. Whether it's singing, acting, or just a killer Instagram feed, we know these stars are entertaining in their respective industries, but many could also start a side hustle as fitness influencers or trainers with the passion and dedication they have for a healthy lifestyle.
Here's how 15 of your favorite celebrities stay in shape — from kickboxing to yoga and everything in between.
But many people would also be surprised by how strong she is. In an interview with US Weekly, Peterson said Jenner is a master of full-body exercises like the squat, dead-lift, and pull-up.
Bella Hadid prefers to workout solo.
The Hadid family shares some great genes, but they likely don't share the same workout schedule. At least, Bella Hadid prefers to workout alone with her trainer, Rob Piela, in New York City.
"When I work out I love to work out. I train and, I work out hard for two hours," Bella said. "I don't like to do the whole yoga thing. I think yoga is calming, and it's amazing, but if I am going to go for it, I am going to go hard."
Pippa Middleton likes competing in cycling and skiing races.
ClassPass introduced a new credit-based system to its subscribers, and some ClassPass users are taking to Twitter to say they aren't happy with it.
With the new system, some vocal subscribers said they feel that they aren't getting as much value for their money as before.
Others say they're still saving money with the new pricing structure compared to signing up for classes without ClassPass.
ClassPass says most users are happy with the changes, but that it has "adjusted the per class credit rate at a small percentage of studios to better reflect the true cost of those classes."
ClassPass recently made a major change to its subscription-based fitness class offerings — and some ClassPass subscribers don't seem to be happy about it.
Through ClassPass, users can sign up for an assortment of different fitness classes at various studios in their city for a fixed subscription plan. The subscription varies in price, depending on the user's location. (For example, a monthly subscription in San Francisco will typically cost more than a plan in Austin, Texas.)
When it first launched, ClassPass subscribers could sign up for a flat-rate subscription plan. A monthly fee of $45 gave access to 5 fitness classes a month, regardless of what the class actually taught or where it was held.
But at the beginning of 2018, the company rolled out a big change: Now, instead of being completely unlimited, the subscription gives you a certain number of class credits every month. An especially popular studio class might require as many as nine credits, while a more general fitness class could call for only one or two. At the time, ClassPass pledged that it meant users could still attend at least 5 classes per month.
However, some vocal ClassPass subscribers are complaining online that the the average token cost of a subscription is going up — which would mean that they're receiving dwindling value for their monthly subscriptions.
Leah Gay, an active ClassPass subscriber who has been using the service in New York for nearly a year, said that she first noticed ClassPass's change when her favorite fitness influencer, who posts to Instagram under the handle @sweatsandthecity, made a post complaining about ClassPass's credit system.
"I looked into it and realized that every class in the system costs more, even though no announcement was made on ClassPass's end," she told Business Insider in an email. "This means that users can no longer guarantee they'll get the same number of classes as they used to only a few months ago for the same price."
In a statement to Business Insider, ClassPass downplayed any changes as to better reflect the regular cost of attending a class, and suggested that most users are still happy with the service.
"Since switching to a credits model, we’ve adjusted the per class credit rate at a small percentage of studios to better reflect the true cost of those classes," another ClassPass spokesperson tells Business Insider.
On Twitter, Gay wrote, "The new ClassPass credit prices in NYC are absurd. Remember when you rolled out credits saying, 'Oh no, don't worry, you'll still get at least 5 classes with 45 credits.' NOT ANYMORE! Please explain yourselves."
The new @classpass credit prices in NYC are absurd. Remember when you rolled out credits saying, "oh no don't worry you'll still get at least 5 classes with 45 credits." NOT ANYMORE! Please explain yourselves 😫
A ClassPass representative responded to Gay's tweet and said that users could still take five classes a month, but it all depended on the classes the user opted to enroll in.
But Gay soon realized that she wasn't alone in her grievance, nor was her complaint relegated to ClassPass's New York City offerings. ClassPass subscribers from LA, San Francisco, Atlanta, and Miami all responded to Gay's tweet and said that they, too, had noticed an uptick in ClassPass's credit model. One user wrote, "This is their 5 [sic] platform change in less than 2 months. It's been the sign of death for awhile!! Inconsistent business practices!"
This is their 5 platform change in less than 2 months. It’s been the sign of death for awhile!! Inconsistent business practices!
Not all ClassPass users believe the new credit change is bad, however. Breanna Reynolds, who has been a ClassPass subscriber for two years in the Bay Area said that she thought the new credit changes were "so much better.""I pay $115 for ten classes," she told Business Insider. "The studios I go to charge around $25 to $30 per class, so I save a s---- ton of money." Plus, some classes charge more or less at different times of the day, meaning you can actually save more if you go at off-peak hours, says Reynolds.
While some ClassPass users on Twitter said that they had plans to quit the service for a gym pass, Gay said that she would likely still continue to use ClassPass, even though she found the pricing surge to be both unexpected and unfair.
"As a broke New Yorker, I will probably keep ClassPass for a while unless they change their model again soon," she said. "Unfortunately, even though I don't love the company and their shifty business practices, getting classes through them is still cheaper than going through studios directly."
One reason you shouldn't rely on the scale is that it doesn't measure your body composition, or the ratio of muscle to fat that you have on your body.
To demonstrate that, many women have shared photos on social media that show how building muscle can make you look leaner, even if you don't see a change on the scale.
When you're going to the gym, eating well, and taking steps to improve your health, it's normal to want to track your progress and see the results. You might think that weighing yourself is the best way to measure that progress, but that's not always the case.
There are a number of reasons why it's not a good idea to fixate on the number on the scale. One easily forgotten reason is that your weight only indicates your body mass index (BMI), not your body composition, which is the amount of muscle versus fat you have on your body. Your body composition makes a huge difference in what you look like even though it can't be measured by the scale.
To the scale, a pound is a pound. Muscle does not weigh more than fat — but it does take up less space on your body, which is why you might look leaner after building muscle even if your weight doesn't change.
The following women have posted photos to remind others that, at the end of the day, you shouldn't rely on your weight to measure your progress toward your fitness goals.
A post shared by @ wholesome_lee on Nov 5, 2017 at 10:40pm PST on
Leanne didn't see any change on the scale when she toned up, showing that weight can't always measure progress.
"This is why I find the scale to be so problematic. It does not take into account SO many factors, like for example how much of your weight is actually muscle and how much is fat, the time of the day you are weighing yourself, the time of the month, whether or not you have eaten, etc.," the blogger wrote.
A post shared by ↠a d r i e n n e o s u n a↞ (@adrienneosuna) on Feb 17, 2017 at 9:07am PST on
Osuna shows the scale can't account for your body composition. As she writes in her caption, she lost fat and gained muscle by hitting the gym, lifting heavy weights, and practicing intermittent fasting.
A post shared by H O L L Y L O U I S E (@thefitpharmacist_) on Nov 21, 2017 at 2:22am PST on
"When you build muscle and lose fat you may not notice much of a change in the scales but you will notice a big change visually and in your body measurements," Louise writes.
A post shared by Sophie Brewster WBFF PRO (@sophiebrewster_) on Feb 12, 2018 at 2:55pm PST on
Brewster's photos show just how much of a difference gaining muscle can make in your appearance. She notes that transformation happened as a result of her working as a personal trainer.
A post shared by 🔹Mahaba Sidi🔹 (@maha_sfit) on Feb 20, 2018 at 11:14am PST on
Patience is a virtue, but if you want to see change, it requires hard work day in and day out. "Whatever your goal is, you can achieve it," Sidi writes in her caption. "Just keep working hard, be consistent, and be patient."
A post shared by Nessa (@nessasphere) on Jun 14, 2017 at 12:09pm PDT on
Although Sphere increased her calorie intake to tone up, she reminds her followers that there's no one correct answer for how many calories you should eat. It depends on your weight, height, age, how active you are, and how often and how intensive your workouts are.
A post shared by LauraPattison_fit (@laurapattison_fit) on Feb 22, 2018 at 9:54am PST on
Pattison's mindset helped her take the stagnant number she saw on the scale as an opportunity to recognize that "our bodies are incredible."
"This is why you shouldn't depend on the scales when you're working out," Pattison writes. "I have so much more muscle definition now and look completely different, yet weigh the same."
A post shared by Iulia / danilovajulia (@fit.with.iulia) on Feb 23, 2018 at 4:21pm PST on
Danilova is amazed that our bodies are capable of looking so different at the same weight. As she shares on her blog, she's been skinny, had extra body fat, and went through pregnancy — and never looked extremely different. "I'm still amazed by the fact what the human body is capable of," she writes.
A post shared by SIA COOPER (@diaryofafitmommyofficial) on Apr 5, 2018 at 8:35am PDT on
Cooper takes measurements to measure her health because, as she writes, they "will give you a truer representation of how you’re doing in your fitness journey."
"Numbers lie all the time," Cooper wrote in her caption. "See these two pictures? I weigh the same in both yet, I have more muscle tone in the right and I'm fluffier on the left, yet, the numbers are the same."
A post shared by Nikki (formerly Activelyrees) (@nikkigundy) on Feb 27, 2018 at 5:45am PST on
"How heavy or light you are, does not define what your body will look like," Gundy writes in the caption of her photo. She also added that weight "measures nothing else but how heavy your body is."
A post shared by Madalin Giorgetta (@madalingiorgetta) on Oct 24, 2016 at 4:31pm PDT on
Giorgetta admitts in her caption that she still struggles to love her body, but working out helps her change her mindset. "My physical changes weren't drastic but I grew to develop a deeper love for my body," she writes.
A post shared by Arielle (@theblondefiless) on Jan 2, 2018 at 12:37pm PST on
"This is your reminder to screw the f'ing scale! That number means nothing, what's important is how you feel, if you're being kind to your body (and mind), if you're nourishing yourself with proper nutrients, and letting your body sweat," Mandelson writes in her caption.
At the end of the day, your weight and how you look don't really matter. What does matter is that you feel happy and healthy.
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There are some health "facts" that many people have heard so many times that they just assume they are true, ideas like "juice is healthy" or "gum will stay in your stomach for years.
But many of these "facts" are really myths about health.
Here's what the science really says about these health myths.
There's something about health and nutrition folk wisdom that's resistant to truth.
Common health "facts" include the ideas that MSG will make you sick, that a juice detox is just what you need after a week of indulgence, and that sports drinks like Gatorade are totally fine since you need the electrolytes.
None of these things are true. They, like many other folk sayings and tips, fall into the category of health myths that are totally — or at least mostly — wrong.
Here's the truth behind some of those health claims you've heard all your life, but might not hold water at all.
The myth that MSG is bad for you comes from a letter a doctor wrote to the New England Journal of Medicine in 1968, where he coined the term "Chinese restaurant syndrome" to describe a variety of symptoms including numbness and general weakness.
But though the doctor blamed these feelings on monosodium glutamate, MSG, the research doesn't back it up. The scientific consensus according the American Chemical Society is that "MSG can temporarily affect a select few when consumed in huge quantities on an empty stomach, but it's perfectly safe for the vast majority of people."
There isn't a whole lot of evidence on this, but most research finds no correlation between caffeine consumption and bone growth in kids.
In adults, researchers have seen that increased caffeine consumption can very slightly limit calcium absorption, but the impact is so small that a tablespoon of milk will more than adequately offset the effects of a cup of coffee.
Interestingly, advertising seems to be largely responsible for this myth. A breakfast cereal manufacturer named C.W. Post was trying to market a morning beverage called "Postum" as an alternative to coffee, so he ran ads on the "evils" of Americans' favorite hot beverage, calling it a "nerve poison" that should never be served to children.
Bundle up or you’ll catch a cold.
Being physically cold isn't what gets you sick; exposure to a cold virus does. There's no evidence that going outside with wet hair when it's freezing will make you sick by itself — provided you avoid hypothermia.
But there are some scientifically sound explanations for why people catch more colds in winter. Because we spend more time in close quarters indoors, it is more likely that we'll cross paths with a cold-causing virus spread from another person during the winter. And for several reasons, we may have a harder time fighting off cold and flu virus particles in winter.
Arlington, Virginia, was ranked the best U.S. city for running. It has the highest number of races relative to its population size.
The study found that the cities that rated highest for running also tended to have high property prices.
Southwestern cities tended to rate the poorest for running, as they generally require a car to navigate and have fewer park areas.
Nearly 17 million people competed in 30,400 U.S. road races in 2016, according to data from Running USA. But for Americans who are truly passionate about getting their daily steps in, not all cities are equal. Some cities are better for runners who prefer to run outdoors. While others are better for those who value access to competitive races. Below we look at these and other factors to rank the best cities for runners.
We looked at data for 100 U.S. cities across eight factors. Specifically we looked at data on the number of races per 10,000 residents, walkability, safety, housing cost as a percent of income, gyms per 10,000 residents, percent of a city covered by parkland and percent of residents with access to a park. Check out our data and methodology below to see where we got our data and how we put it together.
Key findings
Southwest USA is car territory— Cities in Southwestern states like Arizona and Nevada ranked at the bottom of this study. In total cities in those two states occupy five of the bottom 10 cities for runners. Those cities tend to have little parkland and are not very walkable.
Tradeoff between walkability and housing costs — In general the most walkable cities tend to be the more expensive ones. Cities like Boston, San Francisco and Washington D.C. are all in the top 10 most walkable cities but also come with high housing costs.
Arlington, Virginia ranks first. Anyone who lives and runs in Arlington is probably aware of the large number of races in the city. According to our data, no city in the study has more races relative to population size than Arlington.
And if road races are not your speed, there are plenty of other ways to run in this city. It has top 10 scores for number of gyms per 10,000 residents and percent of residents who have park access.
2. Minneapolis, MN
Minneapolis has top 15 scores in six out of the eight metrics, so no matter what kind of running you prefer the city should have something for you. The city's best scores come in pedestrian fatality rate and percent of residents with access to parks. It ranked second and fourth in those metrics, respectively.
Of course, winters in Minneapolis can be brutal, so outdoor running may be difficult for much of the year. Fortunately, the city also has a top 10 score in the number of gyms per 10,000 residents, meaning those who want to stay in shape on a treadmill during the cold months can do so.
3. (tie) Madison, WI
After Minneapolis comes another Midwest city, Madison, Wisconsin. In Madison, almost 9% of the workforce walks to work. That suggests this is a good city for those who prefer to get around using their two feet. It also leaves open the opportunity to jog to work.
According to our data, Madison also has the second-highest number of gyms per 10,000 residents in the study.
If you're partial to working out early in the day, however, there's great news for you: Some studies suggest that an early-morning workout on an empty stomach helps speed weight loss and boost energy levels by priming the body for an all-day fat burn.
