While the first official day of Summer is a few weeks away, Memorial Day weekend is so close we can taste it. If you're looking to inject a little Summer spirit into your workout music, this playlist is just the thing you need. This mix of classic rock and indie tunes will motivate you to move your bottom off your beach towel and start getting active in the sun. Subscribe to the Spotify playlist, then keep reading for the full list of songs.
Side lunges offer a new take on regular lunges. They allow you to work your hips, glutes and thighs a bit differently than traditional squats and lunges while still targeting the major muscles of the lower body. They offer a really good workout and are friendly on the knees, reducing the risk of injury. First, start with your body weight. Once you get the movement down, add dumbbells for more of a challenge. Here is how to do them:
Celebs like Jessica Alba and Cameron Diaz love it, and if you're a runner, you may love CrossFit, too. This workout is all about basic exercises involving body resistance, gymnastics, aerobics, weight lifting, and other high-intensity moves. Read on to learn why you might want to skip today's run and head to the nearest CrossFit gym.
The Problem With Running
"The challenge is that runners think that their legs are strong, and they are strong at that one movement pattern. But life is more than just that one movement pattern," says Reebok CrossFit ambassador Yumi Lee, who trains Jessica Alba. Since running is a linear, repetitive movement that involves mostly your legs, it can cause an imbalance in the rest of the body, which can lead to injury now or down the road. Solely running also leads to workout plateaus, so when the muscles become used to the demands placed on it, a runner needs to run further or faster in order to keep up her level of fitness.
Why CrossFit Is a Good Complement to Running
"CrossFit exercises involve your whole body rather than isolated muscle groups," which strengthens your overall body and makes you a better runner, explains marathoner and CrossFit instructor Shirley Brown of CrossFit LA. Yumi explains that specifically, CrossFit combines power lifting, strength training, and gymnastic training, all of which benefit your fast twitch muscles used for sprinting and your slow twitch muscles used for long distance. Working your entire body in CrossFit will also help you lose overall body fat, which will increase both endurance and speed, and also helps you maintain proper form during your runs, which is one way to avoid a running injury.
Another benefit? CrossFit helps prevent those dreaded workout plateaus so you'll actually be excited to work out. "CrossFit forces you to do things you would have never done before. It forces you to push yourself in a way that you thought you had pushed yourself . . . and it makes you better at overall life," Yumi says.
Tips For Getting Started
Shirley and Yumi recommend finding a reputable facility and signing up for the on-ramp (sometimes called foundations or fundamentals) program so you can learn the basic exercises. "It's a comfortable and safe way to learn the movement patterns so you can stay injury-free," Yumi says. You'll also learn beginner versions of certain moves — if you've never done a pull-up, they'll show you how you can do one using a box and a band. Then you can jump right into regular classes, modifying exercises as you need to. Some gyms offer endurance programs or private instruction, so if you have a specific running goal, they can help you achieve it.
Don't just jump into a new CrossFit program, however. Meghan and Tyler Barnes, owners of CrossFit TT, warn that "you'll be super, super sore when you start," so it's probably not a great idea to sign up when you're training for a race. Definitely listen to your body, but stick with it — don't miss a class on account of being too sore. Good programs will go easy on the muscle groups that were worked hard the day before, and getting your heart rate up can ease soreness.
Keep reading to learn how to prevent a CrossFit injury and whether runners should eat strictly Paleo.
If you too always wanted to do a split, practice these nine stretches and you'll soon be on your way.
Celebrate your healthy accomplishments with a healthy (and cheap!) treat for $10 or less. Instead of breaking the bank, overindulging, or hindering your healthy progress, each of these ideas supports your new balanced lifestyle.
Keep reading for five more ways to treat yourself for $10 or less.
Planning a healthy Summer getaway? Consider one of these yoga festivals that aim to bring like-minded yogis together through music and yoga flow. Each of these festivals offers an experience that will leave you rested, refreshed, and heading back to the "real" world with a positive attitude. Click through to learn about the festivals we'd love to attend before you book your next adventure.
Lounging all day at the beach might be your speed, but anyone who's fallen out of a bikini can tell you, they wish they'd thought their top choice through. If you're going to be active at the beach this Summer, click through the following trendy picks to inspire smart swimwear beyond the standard triangle top.
It's time to redefine what it means to have a girls' night out — with a run! Forget heading to the movies this Friday night and start training for a half or full marathon. More like a dance party, these races take place in fun locations, require tons of girl power, and are nothing short of bright costumes. Making fun the main priority, there's no doubt this type of competitive spirit will bring you closer to your gals while helping you stay fit too. Check out the 5K, half, and full marathon races we found throughout the country; the hardest part will be deciding if you'd rather be rewarded at the finish line with bling, bubbly, or both!
It's time to prep for your bikini. And who better to help than Jeanette Jenkins, president of The Hollywood Trainer, where she's worked with heavyweights like Alicia Keys, Pink, and Kelly Rowland. In this 10-minute, total-body bikini boot camp, Jeanette will have your heart rate up and muscles burning. Grab a pair of three- to five-pound weights and get ready to work!
Seven minutes for a workout — who doesn't have time for that? That's why we've been loving this quick circuit workout from the American College of Sports Medicine, which burns major calories in a short amount of time. Keeping the intensity up — and the rest periods short — is key, so make sure you are pushing yourself during each 30-second spurt! You'll need a mat and a chair or bench. Repeat the circuit up to three times.
Learn how to do all the moves here, and get the printable poster of this seven-minute HIIT workout here.
