Healthy happy you.
A proper warmup starts your workout on the right foot, prepping both your muscles and lungs for what's to come. Once the staple of readying the body for exercise, stretching has fallen under scrutiny of late. Studies have found that static stretching, holding the stretch for 30 seconds to two minutes, is basically a wash as it neither causes nor prevents injury. And if your workout involves Read more
When warming up for a run you have more options than just walking briskly or jogging slowly; you can warm up dynamically. Doesn't that sound like fun! Here are a few moves that prime your body for running: High-Knee Marching: Marching in place while bringing the knees up to at least 90 degrees alternating legs, or better yet even with your belly button, is a great warm up for your hip flexors. Read more
Stretching before a run has always been a little iffy in our playbook. It's hard to lengthen muscle fibers before they're warm and trying to do so can lead to injury. But warming up is still a good thing, so try an active warm-up. A dynamic warm-up raises your heart rate a bit while priming your joints for action. We created this video of five moves to do before you hit the ground running. Check Read more
Summers can be incredibly busy — between shuttling kids to and from activities to planning and going on vacation, all the activities that come along with the season can leave you pressed for time. Luckily, we've got a few suggestions for how to maintain a healthy lifestyle, even if you've only got minutes to spare. Total-body in 20: Breaking up your workout in just 10- or 20-minute increments Read more
If you woke up with an achy back, have a stiff back from sitting for an extended period of time, or have tense shoulders and a tight neck from a day in the office — well then I have a simple cure for what pains you. The Cat and Cow stretch is an oldie but goodie that doubles as a great warmup for your spine before just about any activity. The photo above only shows half of this stretch, so to Read more
If you'd rather skip a run than hit the treadmill, then there's no doubt you're continuing with your outdoor runs even through this brisk and snowy Winter weather. That doesn't mean you're not dealing with some discomfort along the way. I've given you some tips on how to beat burning lungs, but if it's your feet that are bothering you, here are some ways to avoid numb toes. First, consider your Read more
A solid warmup sets you up for a solid workout. When it comes to prepping for strength training, an active warmup primes the joints and muscles, prepping them for the heavy lifting. Lauren, my Equinox trainer, introduced me to these moves, and after a little light cardio — for me, it's five minutes running on a treadmill at a 6 mph pace, but the elliptical or a little jump rope would work — Read more
No matter your fitness passion, from snowboarding to CrossFit, you likely do squats in your sweat sessions — they're a fitness staple. Sometimes, the more simple the move, the more careless we become when doing it, and before you know it you have sloppy squats. Here are four common mistakes that plague the standard squat. Next time you head to the gym, take a little time to get back to basics Read more
End-of-the-year investments that are worth the money Learn how to choose the perfect live crab Quick fixes for common makeup mishaps Nostalgic stocking stuffers for '90s girls Get Tori Spelling's tips for dressing boho-chic this holiday Inspired headboard alternatives What's your favorite network comedy of 2011? Ideas to use up your FSA before the year-end Skip the stretching and try this Read more
The first day of June is National Running Day! Put your excuses aside, lace up your sneakers, and get ready to hit the road . . . or treadmill. We've rounded up some of our favorite tips, gear recs, and stretches to warm you up before your run, cool you down when you're done, and hopefully make the actual act of running that feel that much less lonely! For starters Get back to basics and review Read more
