I understand Cinderella’s pain: When the clock strikes midnight each New Year’s Eve, I go from strutting my stuff like Beyoncé to real-life crying Michael Jordan in a matter of seconds.
Why?
Because at 12:01, the new year officially begins, and so do all the resolutions I vowed to make in 2018.
There’s a lot of pressure to keep New Year’s resolutions. It can be really overwhelming, especially when you feel like you’re competing with friends, family, and co-workers to see who can keep their resolution the longest.
That’s why instead of resolutions, I prefer to simply make achievable goals.
Same thing right?
“Well, a rose is a rose is a rose,” says Joanna Nunez, author and licensed clinical social worker and licensed clinical addictions specialist with a private practice near Ft. Bragg, North Carolina. “But there is actually a difference in terminology here. A goal is a desired result that a person wishes to achieve. It can be short term or long term. A good goal is measurable and achievable. A resolution is supposed to be long term, and something you keep, not complete.”
Whatever you decide to call it, instead of caving to the pressure to make a resolution on New Year’s Eve, why not set those goals in December and get a head start on the new year?
Crazy, I know.
Hear me out.
Earlier this year, I resolved to run my first half marathon. I vowed to start my training Jan. 1.
But after some deliberation, I decided to start training in December, getting a jump-start on achieving my half marathon goal.
So far, it’s been great.
For one thing, all the treadmills at the gym are totally empty during the holidays!
But more importantly, I haven’t put any pressure on myself. If I miss a run day, it’s no big deal. During Thanksgiving, I happily stuffed myself with all the pie without stressing over whether I was going to make a six-mile run happen (I did not).
If you already know your goals for 2018, why not go ahead and start working toward them?
Creating a vision board is a good way to get a head start on your December resolutions. Vision boards are collages of images designed to motivate you to reach specific goals.
You can create a vision board on Pinterest, or you can go middle-school project and pull out magazines and poster board.
Either way, include images that inspire you each time you look at your vision board.
Have no idea what you want to achieve in 2018?
That’s just fine too.
Nunez says that planning ahead gives you time to set or change multiple goals.
“Planning now gives you time to edit [your goals]. …You’ve decided to give up sugar, caffeine, cigarettes, and start running 5 miles a day. …That part I said before about goals being measurable and achievable was important. If you wake up on Jan. 1 and decide this is your plan, you will probably crash and burn pretty quickly.”
Instead, Nunez suggests prioritizing your goals and starting with the one that is most important to you. Then work on ways to incorporate the other goals you would like to achieve in the future.
Setting resolutions in December gives you time to practice, Nunez tells HealthyWay:
“Say you decided to start with a running goal. If you’re not a runner, or not a regular runner, starting out at 5 miles a day would be frustrating, painful, and potentially dangerous. It would be great to start with small runs now, giving you time to build up endurance, make it a habit, make sure you like running, and make sure your body can physically tolerate running. This would give you time to reconfigure your resolution if for some reason running isn’t right for you.”
So whether you call it a goal or a resolution, when everyone else is schlepping to the gym on New Year’s Day, you can cozy in at home because you’ve been working toward your goals since Thanksgiving!
Category: Fitness Advice x Motivation
With countless media platforms and increasingly accessible means of socialization, we live in an age that’s truly encouraging individuals to take advantage of their first amendment right to spark discourse on highly stigmatized topics. Yet, one such subject that continues to remain fairly hush-hush is menstruation.
As women, many of us have experienced the awkward conversational pauses and influx of rash comments that seem to accompany our periods. Living under heightened scrutiny and routinely compared to their male counterparts, it’s no surprise that professional female athletes have a tendency to leave the topic of menstruation out of the conversation when discussing training and competing.
As easy as it might be to “just ignore” them, periods are a healthy, natural, and essential process that needs to be normalized. Olympic bronze medalist Fu Yuanhui laid the foundation for a female revolution when, after her beautiful backstroke finish at the 2016 games, she explained to a reporter that being on her period may have adversely impacted her performance. Far from a simple excuse, Yuanhui was shedding light on the truth. Our strength, endurance, and hormonal balances are all prone to marked changes during that time of month.
If an Olympic swimmer obliterated much of her competition while on her period, what does that mean for the rest of us? Well, every woman experiences acute differences in her hormonal levels during menstruation and responses to these are experienced on a spectrum. Some women are capable of adhering to their resistance training protocols while others need to simplify their movements, opting for upward dog and a heating pad.
No matter what your menstrual experience entails, we’re here to help you navigate the waters (no pun intended) of Mother Nature’s monthly gift.
Is it your period, or could it be PMS?
We’re familiar with what it means to be on our periods, but what’s far less understood is how to differentiate a typical cycle from one marked by premenstrual syndrome or PMS. During the time of a woman’s period, it’s normal to experience cramping, bloating, breast tenderness, and mood changes. PMS, however, is a condition characterized by additional psychological and physiological symptoms.
PMS begins after ovulation and ends at the start of the period. It’s often accompanied by irritability, depression, fatigue, acne, and appetite changes in addition to the normal period symptoms already mentioned. And while the term PMS is thrown around fairly causally, true cases only affect some 20 to 30 percent of women. For those who do receive a diagnosis, the symptomatology tends to be severe.
If you think you may be experiencing PMS, make an appointment with a trusted healthcare provider so you can explore your options for managing the discomfort and read on for additional tips on caring for yourself throughout your cycle.
Should you exercise?
It’s okay to cut yourself a break if you’re feeling completely zonked. Remember that taking a stroll or slipping into a warm bath with essential oil–infused Epsom salts is also self-care. Taking a rest day (or two) is completely warranted if your headache and cramps have you hiding under the covers of your cozy bed.
These rest days are especially important during the second half of your cycle (days 15 to 28), which is formally known as the luteal phase. During this time, your body is gearing up for another round of menstruation. An increase in progesterone (which can actually have a depressive effect on the brain!) and decrease in performance means that a staycation with an endless supply of peppermint tea could be exactly what you’re needing. However, that being said, exercising during your period does offer a range of benefits.
Getting your body moving can actually help alleviate many characteristic and frustrating symptoms of menstruation. Sweating can actually decrease bothersome water retention and bloating while shuttling some much-desired endorphins throughout your tired body. Maintaining a consistent exercise routine also helps lessen the cramping and can decrease the flow of your period. Lauren Streicher, a gynecologist and associate clinical professor at Northwestern University, shared that there’s no reason to ditch the gym entirely.
If our bodies are up for it, we can safely do the same forms of exercise during our periods that we do every other day and can look to Yuanhui for a little inspiration.
Let’s get you moving.
While it may seem counterintuitive to hit the weights, training during the first half of your cycle (days 1 to 13) and taking full advantage of your body’s follicular phase (which starts on the first day of your period and ends whenever you ovulate) can have major perks. Our periods mark the first day of our cycles, so keep in mind that, yes, we’re about to get you thinking about heading to the gym during your monthly flow.
In fact, a Swedish study found that strength-training during this timeframe yields greater power, strength, and muscle gain when compared to strength-training during any other phase of our cycles, which means lifting and pressing during your period and the time immediately following it can be pivotal in helping you reach your fitness goals.
It may also be the best time to knock out a few high-intensity interval training (HIIT) sessions (and try our at-home HIIT videos!) Hormones are low during a woman’s period, which enables our muscles to access carbohydrate stores more easily. Utilizing similar bioenergetic mechanisms as those seen in strength training, the change in hormones helps make quick fuel more accessible for metabolic breakdown—which in turn ramps up the intensity of short workouts. The lowered hormones during this time also help decrease the body’s natural temperature. As a result, this extends the time it takes to reach heat exhaustion and complete fatigue. Not only can we bust out an impressive cardio session—we might even be able to maintain that high level of intensity for a longer period of time.
Day one of your cycle might be the perfect time to take the plunge and drop in to your local boxing studio or CrossFit. Go on, show them what you’ve got.
Know when to go slow and easy.
As you make it through ovulation and return to the second half of your menstrual cycle, you may notice yourself getting thrown back into a bit of a funk. Naturally, your energy will wane with the decrease in estrogen. Reward yourself for a killer two weeks, and gradually transition into a slightly less intense workout regimen. Attempting a new squat PR may not be in the books. Instead, use the boost in stamina this week and gear up for some endurance workouts. Now is the time to lace up your shoes and hit the asphalt for a nice long run along the boardwalk. If you’re aching to hop back onto the Reformer, pilates is another great choice.
During the final week of your cycle, you may once again crave the comfort of your warm bed. But, if you can tap into the reserves and push through the exasperation, your body will thank you for the sweat sesh. Opt for gentle exercises that still get your heart rate revving. Think power vinyasa and heated ashtanga. Pairing that movement with some mindful time on the mat is the ideal prescription. Despite the discomfort and dread you might experience, remember to show your body loving-kindness for staying on top of these natural processes and maintaining your womanly wellness.
Our periods should be treated with respect, considering they’re a built-in mechanism for cleansing and beginning anew. If we’re willing to celebrate the moon, why not celebrate our ovaries while we’re at it?
How to harmonize our diets and flows.
During Mother Nature’s visit, we may find ourselves experiencing a plethora of cravings that threaten to throw us out of our healthy groove. As we know, wellness requires a blend of exercise and nutrition. Let’s talk about how to stay on top of the latter when that pint of ice cream is screaming your name. As your hormones fluctuate throughout the month, your training protocol isn’t alone in experiencing the effects. Your dietary needs shift as well! Here are a few pieces of advice to help you continue to nourish your body and counteract the period pangs…
During the week of menstruation, reach for healthy fats and an abundance of root vegetables. According to Alisa Vitti, holistic health coach and author of WomanCode, this is the best time for a boost in fatty acids. These will help buffer the changes in hormones and stabilize your mood. Salmon, avocado, raw almonds, and chia seeds are all wonderful add-ins. Many nuts and seeds are high in vitamin E, which can help prevent those debilitating menstrual migraines. Incorporating root veggies gives your body a boost of vitamin A, which, according to Vitti, can help the liver process fluctuating estrogen levels. Sweet potatoes, pumpkin, carrots, and beets are all potent players here.
If you’re interested in learning more about syncing your diet with your menstrual cycle, consider investing some time in educating yourself about balancing female hormones naturally. As we set the intention to continue honoring our bodies with compassionate exercise, we must do the same with our diets. Keep in mind that this is not about restriction. Instead, these changes are centered on sustainability and optimizing your body’s unique month-long process. If you need a piece of dark chocolate, go ahead. Just pair it with some cinnamon-dusted squash instead of finishing the entire bar.
For most of us, periods are unavoidable. Take these tips and start to listen closely to your body. Trust that your cycles are for your benefit—cramps included.
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This past weekend, my toddler and two buddies had an all-out jumping, laughing, rolling around, slugs-in-their-hair play fest in a giant yellow pile of leaves. Besides being the cutest thing ever, it got me feeling a bit jealous…maybe not about the slugs, but still, I wanted that carefree fall feeling!
While not all of us are prepared to actually get down and dirty rolling around in the leaves, we can still take our exercise time outside and enjoy the spectacular autumn weather while experimenting with these workout ideas.
Multi-tasking for the win!
Inspired by my 2-year-old (and an increasing demand for clean sidewalks before trick or treaters arrived) I took to the street…right in front of my house. You see, according to WebMD, an hour of raking leaves can burn between 350 and 450 calories.
The number of calories you’ll burn raking depends on lots of things—including your size, age, and fitness level— so I tested WebMD’s assertion with my Fitbit, raking and hauling leaves in my yard for about 90 minutes.
Here’s what my leaf-conquering workout looked like:
- 5-minute warm-up of walking up and down the block swinging my arms and breathing
- Six 10-minute sessions of all-out speed raking leaves into neat piles, switching arm positions on the rake to keep balanced
- A short break after each power-raking session
- 25 minutes of slower—but more demanding—bending and scooping to bag the raked leaves
- 5 minutes slow walking (surveying my clean empire) to cool down
My calorie burn ended up slightly lower than WebMD’s claim (according to my fitness tracker, anyway), but I definitely felt a bit of burn in my torso, shoulders, and hips.
As trainer Joshua Margolis told WebMD, “Raking and bagging leaves is particularly good because you also do a lot of bending, twisting, lifting, and carrying—all things that can build strength and engage a lot of muscle fibers.”
Celebrate fall sports (and unleash your inner badass).
If you get pumped up watching all the baseball and football on TV this time of year, why not combine that fervor with the fall temps in your favor to get into a heart-pumping stair routine?
Here’s a 20-minute stadium stair routine to try:
- Minutes 1 to 3: Walk or jog up and down the stairs for a light warm-up
- Minutes 4 to 7: Sprint up the stairs (taking each individual step) and jog down, resting 30 seconds at the bottom
- Minute 8: Set your timer and rest 1 minute
- Minutes 9 to 15: Sprint up the stairs (skipping every other step) and jog down, resting 30 seconds at the bottom
- Minute 16: Rest for 1 minute
- Minutes 17 to 19: Set an interval timer for 30 seconds of work and 30 seconds of rest for a total of 2 minutes. Standing at the base of the steps, hop with both feet onto the first step. Hop back down and repeat.
- Minute 20: Walk up and down the steps for a cool-down
Combine your leaf peeping with a killer workout.
Trail running is hands down my favorite outdoor fall workout. During the winter, outdoor runs can be foiled by snow and ice, while in the summer, high temps often keep me resigned to running on a basement treadmill. But in the fall, temperatures tend to be perfect for beautiful outdoor runs on your city’s scenic paths and trails.
Design a fall trail run with the following components recommended by longtime running coach Jenny Hadfield:
- A 10- to 15-minute warm-up
- Running for your desired amount of time instead of planning according to distance, because trails can be way more demanding than flat road
- Modification of your pace based on the terrain, for example, walking up or down steep or rocky inclines if you need to
Unless you’ve already been trail running, plan for no more than one outing per week to start, then add more runs based on your availablility and physical preparedness.
Give back and get outside.
Although charity fun runs can definitely get you out and moving, it’s possible to realize your fitness goals while giving back to your community in other ways, too. Maybe you’re not able to adopt a rescue dog right now, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get your snuggly pooch fix while working out in the crisp air. Animal shelters all over the country need volunteer dog walkers and runners—a perfect opportunity for doing good and feeling good at the same time (with an adorable companion!).
The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) recommends visiting Petfinder.com’s shelters and rescues page to find a center near you that needs help.
Like many women, I use habitual exercise not only as a way to stay fit and bolster my health but also as a way to keep myself from going all-out nuts. The endorphin boost, the release of anxious or angry energy, and even just the time to get out of my head and into my body are all among the reasons that exercise is way at the top of my self-care regimen.
So what happens when an unexpected injury sends you to the sidelines? You lose that all-important outlet and need to develop some new strategies to maintain your physical and emotional health.
About six years ago I developed a chronic overuse injury in my right leg (the generic term is runner’s knee) that made running, walking, and sometimes even just standing super painful. That should’ve been an indication for me to stop, right?
Well, I was stubborn, and I made that classic amateur mistake of confusing pain for the discomfort we’ve been told is part of athleticism.
I had become so reliant on long-distance, steady-state cardio for controlling my weight and keeping my anxiety in check that I just couldn’t follow doctor’s orders of staying off it long enough for it to fully heal. I kept returning too soon, re-injuring myself repeatedly for more than a year—a cycle that was vicious enough to eventually land me crying and limping into an orthopedic surgeon’s office.
What could I have done differently to help myself [linkbuilder id=”6442″ text=”stay sane”] and healthy while I needed a rest? Oh so many things.
Get your wiggles and your crazies out.
This is what I tell my toddler when she’s acting up or showing destructive behavior. I make her jump around waving her arms and legs for as long as she can before flopping over. And this is basically what I’m doing for myself when I make sure I get my workouts in.
Did you know you can become addicted to exercise, which means you might suffer withdrawal symptoms without it? Exercise has long been known to benefit a restless or depressed mind, and when you can’t get it because of injury, illness, or whatever reason, you may suffer if you don’t re-calibrate your mental health self-care to account for the missing piece.
For example, my surgeon, who happened to also be a cancer-surviving, award-winning triathlete, told me that the only way he kept his sanity when a punishing cancer treatment schedule sidelined him from triathlon training was fanatically doing crossword puzzles during his time in the hospital.
Whatever it is—meditating, getting massages, or even just obsessing over a new murder mystery series—finding other ways to stay focused, giving yourself an endorphin boost, or mitigating an unsettled mind can be key to staying sane while on a layoff from exercise.
The 411 on Active Rest
Just because you have an injury, that doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be completely confined to the couch.
Let me stress that you should follow doctor’s orders here, but depending on the severity and location of your injury, there may be some forms of exercise that are still available to you while you recover. Working out while working around a specific body part or group of muscles is part of the concept of cross-training, which can keep you going strong and injury free when done correctly.
For example, many common fitness injuries have to do with overuse of one muscle group or repeated pounding damage to one joint. If you find a form of activity that doesn’t exacerbate your injury (a professional trainer or physical therapist can help you with this), you’re golden.
So if you injured your knee from repetitive high impact to the joint (like I did), you might be able to cross-train by switching to cycling, swimming, aqua-jogging, or even hand-cycling if your gym has that machine. In fact, adding biking and swimming to my routine is how I made the evolution from runner and yogi to include hobby triathlete. So, silver lining? Yep.
Keeping It Tight in the Kitchen
Have you heard the phrase “you can’t outrun a bad diet”? If you’re sidelined from working out while you’re on a weight loss journey—or even just on a lifelong mission to maintain a healthy body—losing the metabolism-boosting and calorie-burning effects of exercise can feel devastating.
Still, remembering that you have control over the food you eat can put things back in perspective. If you’re burning fewer calories throughout the day because you’re resting more and exercising less (or not at all), then you can adjust your calorie intake to make sure you won’t gain weight during your recovery. And if weight and body composition is your main concern while injured, you will feel buoyed to know the results of several studies say that diet is overall more important to sustained weight loss than exercise output. The takeaway? Adjust your food intake to fit with your altered physical output and stay on track.
Getting Back out There on the Quick
No matter how much encouragement and well-meaning advice you get while you’re recovering from an injury, the fact remains that you just want to heal and get back to your grind, right?
In addition to your efforts to stay fit and positive while you allow yourself the time to heal, remember to make use of those tried and true quick recovery methods: RICE (rest, ice, compression, elevation), eating nutritious meals, and even alternative recovery methods like getting massages and acupuncture have been shown to help. In the end, follow the advice from your doctor, stay focused, and know you’ll be back on top of your game soon.
From practiced yogis to cardio junkies, we’re all familiar with the importance of physical activity. However, many women shy away when the conversation turns to weightlifting. Shoes are laced and feet are hitting the pavement before a barbell is given a second thought. For many of us, there’s a fear of “bulking up” and putting on too much muscle.
Every woman has heard that old fear floating around—“Lifting makes you manly.” Well, it’s time to dispel those nagging weightlifting myths and take back the power, because one fundamental step in achieving any set of fitness goals is strength training, and women are still considerably less likely to make lifting a health and wellness habit.
The truth is, the claim that women will bulk up with weightlifting holds no ground. Physiologically, women are incapable of putting on the same amount of muscle as men. This is due to the significantly lower levels of anabolic hormones (which are crucial for building muscle) in female bodies compared with male bodies.
The truth is, a date with the weights is the answer you’ve been waiting for.
Read on for insight on how to strut over to the weight rack with confidence.
The benefits are waiting, and you’re going to burn baby, burn.
While beneficial, cardio doesn’t offer the same rewards as weightlifting. And despite differing levels of growth hormones, regardless of sex, people experience far greater muscle development when strength training than their friends who are tied to the old treadmill. Lifting helps individuals burn fat while building muscle, as opposed to cardio, which cannot boast toning-related gains.
This is especially noteworthy because muscle needs significantly more energy to perform its basic functioning than fat does. This means that with more muscle, an individual’s body will naturally have a higher resting metabolic rate. And the benefits don’t stop there! That muscle will also help individuals reshape their bodies to achieve a more balanced look.
An increased metabolism and perky behind? Yes please.
According to a recent study, individuals who took part in a weight training regimen developed significantly less belly fat than their counterparts who engaged in aerobic exercise alone. There are many factors at play here. One of the most important takeaways is that although cardio can contribute to weight loss, it doesn’t have the same lasting effect on the body as resistance training does.
A runner only burns the total calories expended during their run, but a weightlifter experiences caloric expenditure during their workout as well as an increased metabolic rate during the next 48 hours. This means that exponentially more calories are burned by weightlifters over time.
So if you’re longing for that flat tummy, weightlifting may be the trick.
Performance Perks
You can hit peak performance with a little help from the weight rack. Stronger muscles mean greater power and exertion across the board. From participating in a local duathlon to acing an inversion yoga flow, once you start weight training, you’ll notice yourself moving with greater efficiency. Your core, arms, and legs will be better equipped to keep you speedy and balanced.
This is why runners and yogis alike often cross-train with weightlifting. From pounding through the last few miles to perfecting a crow jumpback, your muscles will be prepared to support you.
Here’s to Longevity
Women are far more prone to bone and joint degeneration than men are as they age, and weight training actively works to lessen this risk. A prime example of this is weight training’s effect on osteoporosis. Research has shown resistance exercise like weightlifting provides “the mechanical stimuli or ‘loading’ important for the maintenance and improvement of bone health,” which means lifting enough weight actually helps stimulate bone growth and improve bone density, preventing or even reversing damage related to joint and bone degeneration.
And while cardiovascular activity often gets all the attention when it comes to heart health, strength training also plays an important role. In fact, it may offer greater benefits due to the improved blood flow to active muscles during weight training. Resistance exercise produces unique blood vessel responses, specifically in that it stimulates improved blood flow in the limbs. It also contributes to a lasting drop in blood pressure following the workout that cannot be paralleled by aerobic exercise.
Reach for those dumbbells.
Fear not, cardio bunnies! You don’t need to give up that runner’s high. For the widest range of benefits, combine a few sessions of aerobic exercise with three to four sessions of resistance training each week. Don’t know where to start? Build on the fundamentals and treat form as your highest priority as you get into your new groove. As a good reminder, make sure to establish and maintain full range of motion before moving on to heavier weights.
Once your technique is mastered, shoot for three to four sets of 12 to 15 repetitions. Between those sets, keep rest at a maximum of one minute for the greatest benefits. There are hundreds of helpful resources floating around the internet, so don’t hesitate to continue your research. For visual guides, find videos of coaches performing the exercises. However, make sure those sources are credible. T Nation and Bodybuilding.com are both great places to start since they’re brimming with expert advice and workout templates.
As you map your plan, aim to rotate upper body and lower body days to keep your initiation into weight training simple. For example, an average week could look like this:
Monday: Upper Body
Try these! Lat pull-downs, pull-ups, chin-ups, dumbbell rows, dumbbell bicep curls, dumbbell triceps kickbacks, push-ups, military presses, and lateral raises.
Tuesday: Lower Body
Try these! Back squats, goblet squats, leg press, walking lunges, lying leg curls, leg extensions, hip abduction, cable hip adduction, and standing calf raises.
Wednesday: Cardio
Take to the streets, gym, pool, or court for the cardio activity of your choice.
Thursday: Upper Body
Follow the same upper body routine as you did Monday, focusing on your form as you become more comfortable with the exercises.
Friday: Lower Body
Revisit Tuesday’s lower body routine with a focus on form.
Saturday: Yoga
Drop into your favorite once-a-week class or unfurl your mat and get your stretch on at home.
Sunday: Cardio
Enjoy your go-to cardio activity, or switch it up with something else you like but didn’t have time for on Wednesday.
Your sister-in-law does HIIT and so does that one friend from your pilates class. Oh, and your impressively fit co-worker also does HIIT? You may be wondering what it is they know that you don’t. So, just one more question: What the heck is HIIT?
Exercise enthusiasts and self-care warriors out there are naturally curious about this buzzworthy workout that promises big results in just minutes at a time. You care about your fitness, your cardiovascular health, your metabolic conditioning, your body composition, and, naturally, getting that exercise endorphin boost.
From your happy-hour buddies to celebrities like supermodel Karlie Kloss, it seems like everyone is incorporating HIIT in their workout routines. Yet, you have lots of important (and sometimes already conflicting) things vying for your limited time and need to know if HIIT is right for you.
So let’s start with the basics.
The Deets on HIIT’s Popularity
HIIT stands for high-intensity interval training, sports medicine specialist Zarinah Hud, MD, says: “It’s an exercise routine in which you give maximum effort at high intensity bursts, followed by a quick rest phase and repeat this interval.” These rest phases and high-intensity intervals add up to your desired workout length. For example, a HIIT routine could consist in running on the treadmill at an all-out sprint for 30 seconds, resting, then repeating the sprint–rest sequence several minutes.
I’ve done HIIT right in my living room with jumping jacks or burpees, some motivating music, and my cell phone timer, all while the baby was asleep upstairs.
HIIT is so popular not only because it can be snuck into even the busiest schedules but because studies have shown that it can burn significantly more calories and provide greater cardiovascular benefits in a much shorter time than steady-state, moderate workouts. For instance, Hud says, “A well-known study done by the Journal of Physiology showed that 10 one-minute sprints was equal to several hours of steady-state cycling in burning fat.”
Tyler Spraul, a certified strength and conditioning specialist and head trainer at Exercise.com, explains that on top of more efficient fat burning, HIIT can really help you increase your speed and power as well, since it’s “focused on training how you operate at higher levels of intensity.”
“HIIT earns some bonus points here,” he tells HealthyWay, “because it will increase your total work capacity as well.”
More Points for HIIT
Most women struggle to find enough time in their busy days to work out but still want to make fitness and wellness a high priority in their lives. If this describes you, Spraul points out that “HIIT is a great choice when you’re short on time and still want to get a challenging workout in.”
Bosses in their offices? Check. Busy grad students after class? Yup. Moms with a baby who will only sleep for 30 minutes at a time? Regardless of their individual fitness goals and schedules, HIIT stands to benefit them all.
Although both Hud and Spraul stress that too much HIIT can be counterproductive (more on that later), Spraul explains that HIIT is terrific for “your heart and cardiovascular system, which then carries over into just about every area of your overall health.” HIIT has even been shown to be a big helper for your VO2 max, which will contribute to your efforts to become a healthier, stronger athlete.
In short, high-intensity bursts of anaerobic exercise, interspersed with rest, can burn tons of calories and improve overall fitness and health in a New York minute.
Of course it’s cool from a time-management and accessibility perspective that you can do HIIT pretty much anytime, anywhere, with no equipment besides your body and a clock. Simplicity for the win!
This type of exercise is also a big hit (pun intended) with those who “tend to get bored of monotonous sets and reps,” according to Spraul, which could be the antidote for long, dull runs on the treadmill.
The Science Behind the Big Claims
One of the keys to success in HIIT is to realize the sweet spot of your anaerobic threshold, which of course requires appreciating the different between aerobic and anaerobic exercise.
Simply put, aerobic refers to moderate, steady-state exercise that uses your large muscle groups. Anaerobic exercise is shorter in duration but way higher in intensity (think sprinting) and makes use of your “fast twitch muscles,” according to a paper published in the World Journal of Cardiology.
Hud explicates, saying it’s “well documented in the literature that high-intensity workouts burn significantly more total calories and fat calories overall when compared to a conventional steady-state aerobic exercise routine, such as jogging.”
Hud says the so-called after-burn phenomenon is one of the reasons HIIT is so effective. Simply put, HIIT burns fat not only during the exercise but also “for hours after you’ve completed the routine.” Your body uses more energy than usual to recover, which means the calorie burning goes on for about two hours.
So what’s the takeaway for you? The after-burn phenomenon can add between 6 and 15 percent more calories to the overall energy expenditure associated with the workout, according to both Hud and the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM).
Spring Into Action: How do I try HIIT?
You can do HIIT with tons of different types of exercises, like cycling, swimming, or even calisthenics, although it originated with running as the exercise of choice when the Finnish Olympic track team used interval training to win gold in the early 20th century. As the story goes, around 1910, Finnish running coach Lauri Pihkala started recommending that competitive runners “should include more training that included alternating fast and slow runs,” according to an article from The Science of Running. His method helped two Finnish runners, Paavo Nurmi and Hannes Kolehmainen, achieve victory at the 1912 Olympics.
Though most of us aren’t aiming for Olympic gold, HIIT is still a great choice. Whether you’re running on the open road or doing it indoor style on a spin bike at the gym, a good beginner’s HIIT workout will look something like this: a nice and easy warm-up followed by alternating a short period of super hard effort with a rest period, repeating the interval process until you get to the end of your desired time. Hud recommends anywhere between 15 and 30 minutes of HIIT exercise, and Spraul says, “20 minutes is probably about the optimal time, [though your workout] can vary based on your goals and fitness level.”
And of course, don’t forget to do a nice relaxing cool down.
When it comes to figuring out the right effort level to exert, don’t worry if you don’t have any fancy equipment. You can just go by feel. During the high-intensity phases, Hud advises going to “75 to 80 percent of your maximum heart rate for two to three minutes,” a level of effort marked by “[not being able] to hold a conversation.”
During your “active recovery” stages, she says to shoot for “40 to 50 percent of your maximum heart rate for two to three minutes,” which you can also think of as being able to hold a conversation with a “mild” effort.
We’ve got a video series you can use for for designing your own at-home HIIT workout, or you can consider turning to a trainer to help you put together a personalized routine.
Try This
Choose your favorite “fast twitch”–inducing workout. Maybe it’s running, maybe it’s cycling, rowing, hand-cycling, burpees, jumping jacks, swimming, rope-climbing…whatever. Just make sure it’s something you feel confident going all out with. Some more suggestions for low-tech workouts include jump squats, lunges, mountain climbers, or push-ups.
After completing your normal warm-up, choose how many reps you’ll do (so there’s no cheating once you get tired) and what timing structure you’ll use for your intervals. The ACSM says that using “a specific ratio of exercise to recovery” can “improve the different energy systems of the body.” For example, “a ratio of 1:1 might be a three minute hard work (or high intensity) bout followed by a three minute recovery (or low intensity) bout.”
Our HIIT video series includes exercises for core, full body, upper body, lower body, glutes, and cardio.
Another HIIT strategy is called the “sprint interval training method,” according to the ACSM, which explains that “the exerciser does about 30 seconds of sprint or near full-out effort,” followed by around four minutes of recovery. Then you repeat this interval process three to five times depending on your experience and fitness levels.
Again, don’t forget to cool down! Andrea Fradkin, associate professor of exercise science at Bloomsburg University, was quoted in a New York Times science blog post as saying that although cooling down doesn’t necessarily prevent future muscle pain, it does prevent a “buildup of blood in the veins,” which can cause fainting, dizziness, and an all-around gross feeling (believe me, I know).
So, what to do? Just “walk for a few minutes at the end of a workout and you’ll maintain normal circulation to the brain,” according to Ross Tucker, a physiologist who contributed to the same post. Another option is dialing down the same exercise you’ve already been doing and continuing it at a comfortable talking pace until your heart rate returns to normal.
Watch out for noob mistakes.
High-intensity interval training can help you score some pretty impressive benefits, but Spraul stresses that “it’s just one tool in the toolbox, and should be programmed intelligently as part of a larger approach to your fitness goals… Don’t try to do too much at once!” He emphasizes that when it comes to HIIT, “sometimes less is more.”
Both Spraul and Hud agree that one to three HIIT sessions a week should be okay (closer to one if you’re a beginner) as long as you have a good fitness base and you allow yourself enough recovery time in between. Otherwise, both of them mention that you’d be setting yourself up for an overuse injury.
Never exceed four HIIT workouts per week, and never do HIIT for more than 30 minutes at a time, says Hud. Spraul warns that “If you’re in pain, chances are you don’t need more HIIT and need to try something else for a bit to recover.” As with any new exercise regimen, it’s definitely important to consult with a physician to make sure you’re healthy enough for intense exercise.
Another potential pitfall? Dropping the ball on the nutrition front. When a workout this intense is on the table, Hud advises her patients to “stay away from ‘restrictive diets’ and go for a balanced meal, which would include a moderate amount of complex carbohydrates and lean protein a couple of hours before and after the HIIT routine.”
Nutrition-wise, the most important thing after a hard workout is replacing glycogen, which helps to prepare your muscles to repair themselves. According to Hud, “Research supports a 3:1 ratio of carbohydrates to protein within 30 minutes of finishing a HIIT workout is best for replacing energy stores.”
Trail mix or almond butter on whole wheat toast are great choices.
Thoughts From the Trenches
As a longtime exercise enthusiast, yogi, runner, bike commuter, and hobby triathlete (all pursuits that keep me both fit and sane) I’ve definitely tried incorporating HIIT into my routines before. And boy did I feel great when I powered through my routine…until 20 minutes or an hour or two later when I got a splitting headache, almost without fail.
HIIT sadly doesn’t work for me as a regular part of my routine because I have a headache disorder (daily chronic migraine) that causes certain increased vascular activity to trigger a really, really yucky headache. For me personally, that means being resigned to spending hours on the road, treadmill, or yoga mat instead of just a few minutes in ass-kicking mode to get the results I want.
In a broader sense, it means HIIT isn’t for everyone and affirms the importance of consulting with a trusted healthcare provider before implementing a routine that might hurt or incapacitate you.
Hud and Spraul both mention the importance of having “a good fitness base” before you embark on a high-intensity interval training journey. Like with any exercise, it’s important to make sure you won’t hurt yourself and that it’s safe to go all-out. Especially with HIIT, given the extreme nature of the “on” periods, you could harm yourself if you’re not quite up to the task.
Of course, even if your girlfriend can’t join you in your newfound HIIT regimen, that doesn’t mean HIIT won’t be the magic key to upping your workout routine.
HIIT has hard science and anecdotal evidence from trainers and athletes on its side, so whether you go for HIIT or another approach to achieving your fitness goals, start slow, listen to your body, and give yourself plenty of rest and recovery time between sessions so you can keep going strong.
Remember how women were once banned from long-distance running because it was thought that our uteruses might fall out? Maybe not, considering we’ve come a long way from believing that exercise myth, but here are five more we need to ditch—and one that actually deserves some reconsideration.
1. Myth: It’s gotta hurt to work.
The widely popular “no pain, no gain” attitude toward workouts might not be doing your fitness any favors. Somewhere along the way we got the idea that exercise should be an all-out grunt-, sweat-, scream-fest in order for it to be effective. No thanks.
Fact: That delayed muscle soreness (DOMS) is “your body adapting to better prepare your muscles for further physiological stress,” which is “not a bad thing,” according to Angela Ioannou, a fitness expert interviewed by WebMD.
She goes on to warn exercisers not to be “fooled into thinking that DOMS is a strong indicator of how hard you have worked in the gym. The effects will vary from person to person, and the pain often lessens over time as your muscles become conditioned to a higher volume of resistance training.”
So, pick your workouts based on your unique goals and thorough research, not how groan inducing they are.
2. Myth: You should crunch your way to a six-pack.
We know that having a strong core is part of better overall physical performance, but it turns out that all that repetitive crunching you’ve been putting yourself through ever since middle school gym class might not be the best way get you there.
Fact: Abs only show when you have a pretty low body fat percentage, so it makes sense that Wayne Westcott, PhD, a professor of exercise science at Quincy College, told Health you’d be better off hitting other moves that tone more of your core, like planks and bridges.
3. Myth: You can melt fat by targeting trouble zones.
Focusing on specific “trouble areas,” as we often hear them called, with targeted workouts sounds great, but it’s really not that simple.
Fact: According to an article in Yale Scientific, “there are a few basic physiological reasons why targeted fat loss does not work.”
Those reasons have to do with the way our fat and muscles cells work. You can add shape and tone to your muscles with targeted exercises, but according to the article, “Fat loss comes down not to targeted exercises, but to the basic principle of how many calories you expend versus how many you take in.”
4. Myth: Cardio, cardio, cardio is the secret to weight loss.
Few of us are up for committing to the marathons stereotypically associated with lean runners’ bodies. But fear not, you don’t necessarily have to endurance train if you’re making smart choices when it comes to nutrition.
Fact: While a study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology did pinpoint aerobic training as the most effective means of decreasing fat and body mass for sedentary and obese or overweight participants, Cris Slentz, PhD, one of the study’s authors, told CNN, “Exercise by itself will not lead to big weight loss. What and how much you eat has a far greater impact on how much weight you lose.”
5. Myth: If you’re not sweating, you’re not burning.
Sweat is so strongly associated with working hard—and working hard with burning calories and getting built—that a lot of us assume the more we sweat, the closer we are to our fitness goals.
Fact: “Sweat is a biological response that cools your skin and regulates internal body temperature,” Jessica Matthews, spokesperson for the American Council on Exercise told Health. So how much you sweat may be more of an indication of how hot you are.
Part of this has to do with how hard you’re working, but it also has to do with the temperature you’re working out in.
6. One “Myth” That Might Actually Be True:
Think rest days are integral to avoiding over-training? Well, you may not have that excuse to laze around in bed all day Sundays—or whatever your rest day is—anymore.
We don’t necessarily need full rest days in our exercise routines after all. According to an article by Jonathan Ross, American Council on Exercise senior consultant for personal training, “active rest” days or “active recovery” days may actually be more effective at aiding recovery and getting you back in the gym or on the road—unless you’re really injured, in which case passive recovery (aka “doing almost nothing”) is warranted.
If you’re just sore and tired from the previous days’ workouts, then active recovery, like walking or an easy bike ride, may be more helpful than complete rest. As Ross explained, “Muscles and joints love circulation. And they really love it when they need more of it. And they need more of it when they are recovering from a challenging workout.”
And if you’re not positive if something you’ve heard about fitness is fact or fiction, it’s always best to run it by a trusted health or wellness professional to make sure.
Chances are you’re a busy person with a lot going on. And even though you may genuinely enjoy working out and are fully aware of all of the benefits that exercise and leading a healthy lifestyle can have, you also don’t want your efforts in the gym to be wasted. With your limited time, you want to make sure that you’re focusing your efforts on safe, efficient exercises.
Just like everybody is different so is every body, but there are a few moves that fitness experts agree are a total waste of time.
1. Those Gym Machines
Sure, a gym with lots of machines might look impressive, but they may not actually be helping you in any way, shape, or form. Alex Bennett, an Athletics and Fitness Association of America–certified personal fitness trainer with a degree in corrective exercise specialization from the National Academy of Sports Medicine, notes that he sees many people using machines at the gym that actually lack effectiveness and functionality.
Their movement patterns have become altered so the body no longer knows how to stabilize and protect itself.
The top two offenders? The abdominal crunch machine and the hip abductor/adductor machine.
He explains that the machines are designed to isolate a muscle, but in the process they leave out key corresponding muscles, making the move less beneficial overall. Instead, he recommends skipping the machines and doing more compound movements, such as lunges or squats, to help strengthen the hip complex and legs.
“Compound movements also burn more calories than isolation machines,” Bennett adds.
For your core, he suggests planks or stepping it up and doing a plank on a BOSU ball or Swiss ball. “This recruits more muscle fibers and requires greater activation to stabilize the spine,” he explains. “It strengthens the core and leads to better long-term back health.”
Eric Wilson, 31, a master personal trainer and award-winning corrective exercise specialist from Cary, North Carolina, adds that the Smith machine—that one-stop-shop for all exercises in the gym—is a breeding ground for unbeneficial moves.
“Performing exercises like the squat, bench press, and overhead press on the Smith machine takes your body out of a natural movement pattern,” he notes. Because the Smith machine bar is fixed on a vertical plane, Wilson explains that using it effectively reduces any training for critical stabilizer muscles that need to be strengthened to prevent injury.
Unfortunately, although some people might think that they are doing a lot of heavy weight on a Smith machine, they actually aren’t able to really lift that much literally anywhere but on that one machine. The Smith machine basically does a lot of the work for you by stabilizing the weight. You might be able to isolate a muscle group, but it’s not helpful for overall strength and everyday functionality.
“This is why you may hear about people who lift a lot of weight in the gym but throw their back out picking up a laundry basket,” Wilson adds. “Their movement patterns have become altered so the body no longer knows how to stabilize and protect itself.”
Two other gym machines that Wilson actually bans his clients from using at all are the seated ab crunch and seated back extension machine. Not only does he believe that those machines are not beneficial, but he also notes that they tend to pose a great risk for back injury or aggravation. He explains that while many people believe that using machines is “safer” than doing free weights, this is not correct. Instead, machines can isolate muscles in ways they were never meant to be used.
For example, the bending back extension forces the lower back to play a mobility role it wasn’t designed to do. “While seated on these machines, your pivot point is now moved from the hip into the low back, forcing the low back into flexion and extension under shearing forces,” Wilson points out.
“Imagine your disc being compressed because you are in a seated position, then being further compressed back and forth in a rocking motion under load. This creates the potential for a herniated disc or worse.” To strengthen your back and your abs at the same time without the risks the machines pose, focus on movements that engage the whole core, such as planks, side planks, or crunches on an exercise ball.
2. This Basic Move
Does exercise get any more basic than your classic crunch? Probably not. But unfortunately, that basic crunch is probably not doing much to help you either.
This can also put the back muscles responsible for posture in a very poor position.
Bennett explains that not only is your basic crunch on the floor not an effective exercise, but it can also be harmful for the back and neck. “I see a lot of people tuck the chin during a sit-up,” he says.
“This puts a tremendous amount of strain on the neck, especially for those who are performing numerous reps. This can also put the back muscles responsible for posture in a very poor position. That position can lead to rounded shoulders and a forward head.”
Instead of risking harm with a basic crunch or sit-up, Bennett suggests moving to a Swiss ball, which allow you to keep your chin up and keep your back flat so you work the entire abdominal complex.
Bennett also notes that crunches or twists that focus on the abdominals or obliques can be particularly harmful to mothers who have recently given birth. “This is due to diastasis recti or rectus divarication, which is the widening of the gap between the two sections of the rectus abdominis (or 6 pack),” he says. Crunches or twists can actually force those muscles further apart.
Instead, he recommends practicing engaging your core by drawing your belly button back in toward your spine as you slowly exhale. “It is important to do this slowly and not forcefully,” he adds.
3. This Common Ab Exercise
One thing that Wilson frequently sees people doing (that they shouldn’t be) is a common ab exercise in front of a mirror. It involves standing in front of a mirror, holding a dumbbell in each hand, and bending over sideways, engaging the obliques as you stand back up straight.
By holding an equal amount of weight in each hand, you are effectively canceling out any resistance benefits.
The only problem? He says it’s a waste of time.
“While a good mobility drill for the spine if done slowly and controlled, it doesn’t achieve any significant abdominal or muscle strengthening benefit,” he explains. “By holding an equal amount of weight in each hand, you are effectively canceling out any resistance benefits as the weights counterbalance each other; as you bend to the left, the left weight aids you in bending to the side, and the right weight aids you in returning to a neutral position.”
But there is good news. This move can work with one simple modification: Lose one of weights. Using just one weight in one hand will activate the obliques much more effectively.
4. Basically Any Move When You Do This
The hard truth is that any move can be a waste of time if you’re not taking the time to focus on it. If your mind is wandering, you’re not making that mind–muscle connection that is so important to make it effective. Even more importantly, you’re more at risk for performing the move without proper form, which could lead to injury.
To decrease stress on the spine and shoulder joints, we now instruct people to bring the bar in front of them.
“Any exercise that you cannot do with good form and control—or any exercise that causes pain—should be avoided,” explains Sims Corbett, a national fitness trainer for SilverSneakers.
“It’s also important to learn the correct way to do an exercise to avoid injury. For example, when doing lat pulldowns, many people have learned to pull the bar behind their head. However, to decrease stress on the spine and shoulder joints, we now instruct people to bring the bar in front of them. It is safer, more comfortable and just as effective.”
Additionally, although learning new moves in the gym might be exciting, the temptation to jump into a new form of exercise can transform those moves into a waste of time.
“People are often excited to get started and push themselves too hard when they start exercising,” Corbett points out. “It’s important to start slowly. This decreases the chance of burnout and injury by allowing your body and mind to adjust to the new demands exercise creates.”
5. Age has nothing to do with it.
You might think that what exercises you should avoid will change as you get older, but that’s not actually the case, explains Corbett.
“Often it isn’t age that requires people to change their exercise patterns,” she notes. “Instead, it is the injuries and chronic conditions that become more common as we age.”
As you plan your exercises or work with a trainer, it’s important to keep in mind any chronic conditions or injuries that you have had—and tailor your own workouts around those. Again, there is no one-size-fits-all, and exercises can be individualized.
For example, she says that people with osteoporosis should avoid forward spine flexion, movements that could lead to a fall, or exercises that require excessive overloading of the back, such as abdominal crunches and leg presses—especially those that load the weight on your shoulders or position you with your legs above your head.
6. Anything You Try to Do on Your Own and Aren’t Sure About
Anytime you are unsure of yourself at the gym, it’s important to [linkbuilder id=”5461″ text=”ask for help”]. Cough up the extra money for a trainer (just make sure he or she is certified first) or even watch a few YouTube videos from credible, reputable trainers.
Doing this helps prepare people for the movement patterns they do in everyday life.
“How helpful an exercise can be is specific to each individual and their unique needs and situation,” Corbett adds. In general, she suggests that people should focus on functional movement patterns that strength train multiple muscle groups at one time, such as rows that engage your back and biceps instead of just bicep curls. “Doing this helps prepare people for the movement patterns they do in everyday life and creates a more efficient workout,” she says.
Stay focused on what matters.
In the end, to ensure that you aren’t wasting your time in the gym, focus on exercise and moves that will translate into life outside of the gym. You don’t want to be able to squat 500 pounds on the Smith machine but not be able to lift your own kid at home.
To stay focused on function, Wilson recommends keeping your exercise moves basic with deadlifts, lunges, squats, farmer’s walks, and planks.
“After that you can start doing variations and additional lifts,” he adds. “But those will cover 90 percent of the movement you would do outside the gym—and make sure you stay safe and strong for your whole life.”