Category: Sweat

For years now, I’ve kept a little log in my planner tracking my water intake each day. I aim to drink eight glasses because I’ve always believed it to be the guideline for healthy water intake.
If I’m being honest, however, I’ve never struggled with being dehydrated. It’s just something I’ve felt like I should do as a part of trying to be a healthy person. Lately, this little checklist has started to feel like more of a burden in my busy life than a key to healthy living.
At the end of the day, after taking care of three young kids and working from home as a freelance writer has swallowed up most of my time, my water log is more often than not just one more task I’m not checking off my to-do list.
So recently I actually stopped trying to track how much water I drink each day. I drink when I’m thirsty and leave it at that. But what does science have to say about my dismissal of my old health-seeking habit?

When it comes the things we believe about the body, it’s easy to oversimplify or believe things about the ways they function that are simply untrue—and how much water we need each day is just one myth we’ve all fallen for.
Even though most of the myths are pretty harmless, some ideas we have about our bodies can actually keep us from making the right decisions about how to care for ourselves.
So, do you have an adequate understanding about how the body works? Let’s clear up those lingering untrue “facts” once and for all.

1. The Truth About Water Intake

When it comes to how much water we aim to drink each day, eight glasses has long been touted as the gold standard. But how accurate is the belief that everyone should drink 64 ounces of H2O each and every day?

That much water is far too much for those people and can overwhelm their systems.

The fact of the matter is, a one-size-fits-all rule is often too simple. Each person has different needs, and this definitely applies when it comes to water intake.

“Drinking eight glasses of water a day is not only not necessary for most people most of the time; it’s actually a very bad idea for the elderly or anyone who has a heart condition or kidney impairment. That much water is far too much for those people and can overwhelm their systems,” explains Dr. David Belk, internal medicine doctor and healthcare blogger.
So just how much water should you aim to drink each day? You might not like the answer, but water intake should vary person to person, day to day. The activities that fill your day, like working out or working outside, along with the environment you live in influence your body’s need for fluids according to Valentina Olivadese, holistic nutritionist and owner of Valiant Nutrition.
There is good news, though! You don’t have play a guessing game, because your body will tell you when it’s time to pour a glass. The body is great at communicating its needs, especially if you are a generally healthy person.
Instead of aiming to drink a certain number of ounces of water each day, just pour yourself a glass whenever you body tells you it’s thirsty, instructs Dr. Fayne Frey, board-certified dermatologist.

2. The Truth About When You Should Stop Eating

Many dieters and health enthusiasts hold strong to the belief that food eaten after a certain time each night will contribute to weight gain. Even well-respected publications like Runner’s World advise their readers to stop eating right after dinner if they want to lose weight.

Late-night eating is usually mindless and happens at the end of the day when a person ate too little.

As it turns out, though, there is hardly an ounce of truth to this claim, according to Dr. Lisa Doggett, a board-certified family physician who says that the act of eating late at night is not what causes weight gain. Instead, it is eating more calories that can land you in trouble.
So, yeah, that late-night PB&J might be causing you to gain weight, but it’s the calorie count, not the timing, that deserves the blame.

Additionally, Olivadese suggests that late night eating and weight gain may have a more complicated relationship than we assume.
“This myth is so widespread because late-night eating is usually mindless and happens at the end of the day when a person ate too little. Feeling famished makes us more likely to eat whatever we can find and to eat to the point of feeling stuffed. This cycle of starvation and bingeing can affect weight over time by causing stress and … preoccupation,” she says.
When in doubt, trust your hunger and feed your body healthy options in small portions, no matter what time of day hunger strikes.

3. The Truth About How Much of Your Brain You Use

Maybe like me, the first time you heard the statement that humans only use 10 percent of our brain power, it was coming from a self-improvement guru. Their solution was simple: Learn to use more of your brain, become a better person.

Most of our brain is continuously active, though we are unaware of much of what our brain does all day.

It’s not bad advice at first glance, but dig a little deeper and you’ll learn that it’s based on a widely accepted falsehood about the human brain. The idea that we only use a very small percentage of our brain couldn’t be further from the truth.

“Most of our brain is continuously active, though we are unaware of much of what our brain does all day. Even when we’re sitting and doing nothing, our brains are busy regulating our heart rate, body temperatures, blood pressures, posture, etc.,” shares Belk.
And even when we aren’t paying close attention to what’s going on in our brain, it is working hard to process what is going on around us using the information it takes in through the senses. Each part of our brain is so important that even a small stroke that affects only one spot in the brain may be debilitating, according to Belk.
“That we only use 10 percent of our brain is an urban myth that was never based on any scientific evidence whatsoever,” he concludes.

4. The Truth About Your Baseline Body Temperature

Feeling a little clammy? Don’t automatically assume something is up just because the thermometer isn’t reading 98.6 degrees.

It’s not even all that common for a healthy person to have a temperature of 98.6 degrees.

Even though most people hold pretty strongly to the belief that 98.6 degrees is the baselines temperature for humans across the board, it’s less of a rule and more of a guideline, according to Belk.
“In fact, it’s not even all that common for a healthy person to have a temperature of 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit. A person’s body temperature will vary by one to two degrees throughout the day with an average of around 98 degrees and only occasionally crossing 98.6 degrees,” he explains.

Instead, we should look for a range of temperatures within certain limitations. Most healthy people will find that their temperature changes by small amounts but falls somewhere between 97 and 99 degrees.

5. The Truth About What Shaving Does to Your Hair

As a preteen, I was told more than once to put off shaving my legs as long as possible because once I started, my hair would grow in dark and thick. I mostly ignored that advice, but I’ve always wondered if there is any truth to the idea that shaving makes your hair grow thicker.
Frey was quick to set the record straight. Hair does not grow faster or thicker if it has been shaved. In fact, because the nature of hair fibers, which are made of a protein called keratin, it’s impossible for shaving to have any effect on their structure.

The dead hair shaft cannot send information about being cut to the hair follicle.

“The visible portion of the hair that is cut has no biological activity. Since the dead hair shaft cannot send information about being cut to the hair follicle, the site of hair growth, growth continues as usual,” says Frey.
The fact that this belief is a myth isn’t new information, either. According to Frey, in 1928 a forensic anthropologist by the name of Mildred Trotter published conclusive findings that shaving does nothing to the color or texture of hair and it certainly doesn’t speed up growth.

And, while we’re at it, the same goes for trimming your nails.
“Similarly, clipping a fingernail, also made of keratin, does not cause the fingernail to grow any slower or faster because it was trimmed,” adds Frey.

6. The Truth About Detoxing

After every holiday, we’re barraged with advertising for detox diets. The idea behind each diet is that the body needs help clearing all the junk we eat out of our systems. But just how much truth is there to the claims that there are pounds of waste trapped in the human body? And does detoxing really help?

Our livers are incredible machines, they help detoxify the world around you.

“Our bodies are not dirty vessels and the concept of detoxing is off base…our livers are incredible machines, they help detoxify the world around you,” explains Elizabeth Trattner, an integrative medicine practitioner.

So many women come to see me saying, ‘I ate so much and now I have to detox.’

Although we are exposed to more chemicals than previous generations, regular detoxes are needless according to Trattner, who suggests skipping juicing and just eating the whole fruit instead.

Trattner does help some of her patients detox, but these are people who have been exposed to dangerous chemicals or have genetic conditions that prevent their livers from clearing heavy metals.
“So many women come to see me saying, ‘I ate so much and now I have to detox.’ Seriously, just eat [healthy foods] and you’re good to go.” she advises.

Last week, I started wearing snail slime to bed.
Okay, so it is actually snail extract, but I don’t see much of a difference between the two. After I wash my face each night, I slather on a cream made from 92 percent snail extract before applying a moisturizer to lock it in and climbing in bed with my favorite book.

Although a certain socialite made headlines for wearing snail slime in her hair to the VMAs, my interest in snails as part of my beauty routine started last spring. It all began when I adopted a rigorous skincare regimen inspired by a 10-step Korean routine.
Next thing I knew, I had moved from researching my favorite oil cleanser to reading up on the benefits of a popular cream claiming to harness the power of snails to repair skin damage and reduce the appearance of fine lines.
As it turns out, this trendy cream is derived from a practice said to have been used in ancient Greece, according to the journal JAMA Dermatology, with its primary use being treatment of inflamed skin. The discovery of the benefits of snail excretions is credited to Hippocrates, and there are rural communities in Italy that have used it to treat warts and calluses, too.

Admittedly, it makes sense that some people are skeptical, and I get why they might be grossed out, but I have read some interesting studies, like one published in the British Journal of Biomedical Science, that found antimicrobial properties in snail slime. And to be honest, I’m not above trying something a little “out there” to clear up my skin.
Of course, this isn’t the first modern beauty trend to claim ancient roots, and some revived practices have more basis in science and results than others. Keep reading for ancient beauty rituals that you should—and shouldn’t—add to your daily routine.

A Priceless Tradition With Roots in Chinese Medicine

Documentation of the use of pearl powder for cosmetic purposes dates back 2,000 years to ancient China, when women applied it topically to their skin. This practice was rooted in the belief that pearls have unique properties that help moisturize the skin and “reduce toxicity,” according to a study published by the Journal of Cosmetic Science.

These days, many have taken this practice a step further. Some people ingest water-soluble pearl powder daily in hopes of slowing down the aging process.
And although that might seem unlikely, there is actually some pretty good evidence backing up this practice. In fact, the same Journal of Cosmetic Science study asserts that three different pearl powders demonstrated the ability to moisturize the skin and reduce activation of tyrosinase and free radicals, which are both linked to skin cancer.

“Topically, crushed pearls are used in many beauty products from thousands of years ago and even today. Pearls are high in minerals and amino acids which help the skin and works as an anti-inflammatory agent,” explains Elizabeth Trattner, an integrative medicine practitioner who employs many ancient techniques in her practice, including acupuncture.

An Ancient Chinese Practice Known for Rejuvenation

Although it isn’t necessarily mainstream, the practice of placing needles in the skin is widely accepted among naturopaths and chiropractors as one way to promote overall wellness and even address specific ailments such as migraines and depression. According to Trattner, it has been a popular way to promote beauty for thousands of years, too.

“Acupuncture is one of the oldest beauty rituals in the world. For 5,000 years, empresses and Chinese women have been using facial acupuncture for beautification and rejuvenation,” she shares.
When it comes to using acupuncture to promote beauty, practitioners believe it revives the face, according to an article published in the Aesthetic Surgery Journal. The main benefits outlined in the article include reduction of the appearance of wrinkles, tightening of the skin, and reduction of acne.

“Acupuncture can smooth out wrinkles and bring circulation to the face and neck. It can also treat the underlying conditions that can age a woman, give her acne, dullness to her skin, slack skin, and dry skin,” Trattner explains.

A Bath Suited for a Queen

Many modern beauty products include milk of some kind as a main ingredient, from unexpected DIY breast milk soaps to more conventional goat milk lotion. Next time you reach for a bar of your favorite milk-based soap, remind yourself you’re engaging in a beauty practice fit for a queen.

“In ancient times, the Queen of Sheba was looked at as the epitome of beauty. As tradition has it, it has been recorded that she maintained her beauty by bathing in donkey’s milk. This was a regular occurrence for her, so much so that it took the milk of over 5,000 donkeys,” shares health and beauty blogger Daniel Powers.
According to Powers, milk is a well-loved beauty product because it is moisturizing. Specifically, milk can replenish the water, fats, and proteins that promote healthy skin.

Additionally, milk has exfoliating properties because of the acid it contains. Lactic acid specifically is able to gently remove old skin cells and debris, which leaves the skin looking brighter and healthier.

A Sweet Paste for Younger-Looking Skin

Recently, dates have regained popularity as a natural sweetener that’s high in antioxidants. If you think eating them is the only way to reap the benefits they offer, think again! Add this fruit to the long list of food products naturally minded women are applying right to their skin.

“Another ancient ritual is using date paste on the skin. Dates were used in the Middle East for beauty rituals. Dates are rich in minerals which support healthy skin, including the synthesis of collagen and elastin,” shares Trattner.
This ancient ritual isn’t without scientific basis, either. A 2017 study published in the journal Cosmetics found convincing evidence that applying date extract to the skin moisturizes it, improves pigmentation, increases elasticity, and reduces redness.

A Fermented Drink From Ancient Greece

When it comes to promoting beautiful skin, it really is what’s on the inside that counts. From staying hydrated to eating healthy foods, the naturally minded health community has long maintained that your skin benefits when you make good choices day in and day out.
For instance, switchel—a fermented drink made from apple cider vinegar, ginger, maple syrup, and water—has suddenly become very popular for promoting gut health, according to Jillian Berswick of Rosehive Superfoods.
The drink might be trendy, but it definitely isn’t a new recipe.

“Some say switchel was influenced by oxymel, an ancient Greek medicinal elixir made from vinegar, honey, and water. Wherever its origins, by the 18th century, switchel was the choice of American farmers during long work days to keep cool and stay hydrated,” says Berswick.
So what does a healthy gut have to do with beauty? If your gut isn’t healthy, it can cause a whole host of health issues, acne being just one of them.
Pass the apple cider vinegar!

A Sticky Solution for Inflamed Skin

The next time your skin is broken out or irritated, consider heading to your kitchen for a solution. In ancient Egypt, honey was believed to have medicinal properties and was even offered as a sacrifice to certain deities.

For 8,000 years, honey has had a place in traditional medicine for good reason. Research has found that honey is high in antioxidants and fights bacteria, according an article in the Iranian Journal of Basic Medical Science.
It makes sense that this powerful, natural commodity is also popular as a beauty product. Because it is a natural exfoliant and has antibacterial properties, many beauty bloggers recommend honey as a face wash or spot treatment for acne.

Ancient Beauty Rituals Worth Skipping

Of course, not all ancient beauty rituals have scientific basis. Personally, when it comes to adopting ancient methods for looking young, I can get behind snails but can’t get on board with anything potentially harmful or outrageously weird.
For instance, in the Victorian era, women were instructed by a popular beauty guide to ingest a tapeworm egg as an easy method of losing weight, according to Atlas Obscura.

For 10 centuries in China, the pursuit of dainty feet meant many young girls had their feet broken and wrapped to limit their growth.
Some 18th-century women had a much higher likelihood of getting lead poisoning thanks to their practice of using white lead to lighten their faces to a ghostly white, according to the University College London’s Department of Museums and Collections.
These examples just go to show that jumping on board with a cultural expectation of beauty at all costs is rarely a good idea.

So do your research, learn to your love yourself as your are, and for goodness’ sake, think twice before slathering on or ingesting any substance in the name of beauty.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), someone in the United States has a heart attack, or myocardial infarction (MI), every 40 seconds. That’s an alarmingly high number. And while heart attacks are scary and can lead to a lot of dangerous complications—or even death, many people do survive a heart attack.
A heart attack occurs when some part of the heart muscle isn’t able to get enough blood. This happens for a variety of reasons, but usually it is caused by a blockage in the vessels that bring blood directly to the heart.

The earlier you can recognize that a heart attack is occurring, the better your chance of survival is and the better your chance of minimizing any further damage and complications. The faster you recognize a heart attack, the faster you can seek help with the aim of getting blood flow restored to the part of the heart that is being cut off from blood supply before permanent damage is done.
Although it might seem hard to believe, it’s entirely possible to have a heart attack and not even realize it. This means that even if a person doesn’t recognize what’s happening, their heart muscle has been permanently damaged. In fact, 1 in every 5 people who experience a heart attack do not realize that they are having a heart attack, and 210,000 of the 790,000 Americans who have a heart attack every year have already had a first heart attack and may have not realized it.
It’s important to be aware of what causes a heart attack, what lifestyle and other factors place a person at risk for a heart attack, and what the main warning signs of a heart attack actually are, so that if a heart attack happens to you or a loved one, you are prepared.

What causes a heart attack?

There are actually a few different causes for a heart attack. The most common cause of a heart attack is coronary artery disease (CAD), which is a condition that occurs over time as a person’s coronary arteries (the blood vessels that flow into the heart and supply it with blood and oxygen) get blocked with substances such as plaque and cholesterol.
The arteries will continue to get narrower over time, or there might be so much “stuff” inside the artery that blood flow gets completely blocked. The Mayo Clinic explains that what usually happens during a heart attack is that a plaque in the artery ruptures, causing a blood clot to form, which then blocks blood flow in the artery.
There are also two other less common causes of heart attacks: a coronary artery spasm or a tear in the heart artery. A spasm generally occurs as a result of using tobacco or stimulant drugs. Richard C. Becker, MD, FAHA, endowed chair and professor of medicine with the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, explains that another form of heart attack, often referred to as a type II, occurs in the setting of other serious illness or condition, such as a stroke, very high blood pressure, pneumonia, or sudden stress.
In those cases, there may be typical heart attack symptoms, but more often the symptoms will be those of the condition causing the heart attack instead of the symptoms of the heart attack itself.
A broken heart can also actually cause a literal broken heart. Pamela Marcovitz, MD, a cardiologist at Ministrelli Women’s Heart Center in Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Michigan, notes that takotsubo syndrome (sometimes known as stress-induced cardiomyopathy or “broken heart syndrome”) is a type of heart attack commonly seen in women.
Unlike with most heart attacks, it doesn’t happen because of blocked arteries but instead happens after a big life stress such as hearing about the death of a loved one.

These are the main warning signs of a heart attack.

There may be different causes for a heart attack, but usually the signs and symptoms are pretty similar. The warning signs of a heart attack can vary from person to person, however, and may be noticeably different in men vs. women or in older adults vs. younger adults.

The classic signs of a heart attack in men are:
● Substernal chest pressure and/or pain that may radiate to the neck, jaw, arms, and back
● Sweating
● Nausea with or without vomiting
● Cold/clammy skin

In women, the following signs are common:
● Sudden-onset shortness of breath with or without chest pressure or a burning sensation in the chest
● Generalized fatigue
● Nausea with or without vomiting
● Confusion (particularly in older women)
The less common warning signs of a heart attack that can happen in both men and women include:
● Shortness of breath
● Flu-like symptoms
● Dizziness
● Extreme fatigue
● Brief loss of consciousness when the heart attack begins
In rare situations, a heart attack can happen without any symptoms whatsoever, which is known as a silent heart attack.

A silent heart attack is more common in people who also have diabetes, says Dr. Pantila Vanichakarn, a cardiologist at Indiana University Health. More frequently, however, what makes heart attacks so dangerous is that many people tend to write off their symptoms or wave them off as no big deal, especially when those symptoms aren’t the “classic” signs, such as arm pain.

A small percentage of people can even have a silent heart attack with no pain at all

“Some people won’t pay attention to arm pain or pain in the upper abdomen,” comments Jonathan G. Howlett, MD, editorial board member for Merck Manuals and clinical professor of medicine at the University of Calgary.
“Sometimes people overlook significant nausea or shortness of breath, and sometimes you could be feeling bad all day, which is a very nonspecific symptom and hard to diagnose. A small percentage of people can even have a silent heart attack with no pain at all, which is very uncommon.”

Another important way you can spot a heart attack is identifying when the pain begins. Howlett explains that most heart attacks actually occur when the heart is at rest as opposed to during vigorous exertion or stress.
When it comes to educating yourself about heart attacks, one of the most important points that Becker makes is that more often than not, the body gives out plenty of warning signs weeks before a heart attack actually happens.

Fatigue and problems sleeping may precede heart attacks in women by weeks or months

“At least 3 of every 4 people will experience episodes of chest pressure, shortness of breath, fatigue, restlessness, and impaired stamina within 1 to 2 weeks of a heart attack,” he explains.
Howlett notes that the most commonly reported symptom of a heart attack is just “overall feeling awful.” And Marcovitz adds that one other common warning sign the body gives off before a heart attack is trouble sleeping at night, especially in women.

“One study reported … that fatigue and problems sleeping may precede heart attacks in women by weeks or months,” she explains. “It’s possible that these symptoms may represent the manifestation of increased psychosocial stress leading up to a heart attack.”
Bottom line? Pay attention to your body. If you’re feeling “off,” it might be time to schedule a checkup with your doctor, even if you think it’s nothing. It’s always better to be safe.

Are you at risk for a heart attack?

According to Becker, the main risk factors that put a person in the path of a heart attack include hypertension (high blood pressure), smoking, diabetes, high cholesterol, obesity, inactivity, and a strong family history of heart disease.

He notes that there is also an increasing number of heart attacks associated with street drug use, especially stimulants. Unfortunately, a history of chemotherapy and radiation to any area near the heart—such as the lungs, breast, or esophagus—also increases an individual’s risk of having a heart attack later in life.
Studies have shown that chemo and radiation can damage the blood vessels or intensify existing heart disease, further increasing the risk of a heart attack following treatment.

Howlett also notes that there are two categories of risk factors for heart attacks: those you can control and those you cannot. Risk factors you can control are things such as a lack of exercise, poor eating habits, and most importantly, smoking—while other things, like genetics or family history, are out of your control.
For women in particular, having diabetes is also a risk factor for a heart attack. Marcovitz explains that there is an estimated 3- to 7-fold increase in risk of heart attack in women with diabetes compared with 2- to 3-fold increase in men. “In one study, diabetes and psychosocial stress raised the risk of subsequent heart attack more in women than in men, while lifestyle modifications helped prevent heart attack more in women,” she says.

Wondering at what age heart attacks most commonly occur? Men tend to experience a first attack between the ages of 60 and 65 years, whereas women tend to have heart attacks later, between the ages of 65 and 70 years. Becker notes, however, that there has been an increase of heart attacks among women of color who are between 45 and 55 years old. Of course, heart attacks can occur at younger ages as well, although those incidents are much less common.

If you suspect a heart attack…

If you have any suspicions that you or a loved one might be experiencing a heart attack, do not delay in seeking medical attention. You should never wait or try to drive to the ER yourself. Instead, call 911 immediately and wait for an ambulance.

If you wait over four hours, there is usually little they can do to reverse or restore the situation.

The interventions and oxygen the emergency attendants can provide you en route to the hospital might just save your life, because when it comes to a heart attack, minutes matter.
Howlett also points out that one of the symptoms of a heart attack is passing out, so if you try to drive yourself to the ER or wait your symptoms out to see if they get worse, you run the risk of passing out before you can call for help. So it’s always best to call 911 immediately.

“The faster you get medical attention, the greater chance of restoring blood flow to the heart muscle,” explains Teri Dreher, RN, CCRN, iRNPA, a private professional patient advocate from Chicago. “If you wait over four hours, there is usually little they can do to reverse or restore the situation. ‘Time is muscle’ as they say in the medical field—the longer the artery is blocked, the less chance of preventing that part of the heart’s muscle being saved.”
Although heart attacks are a scary topic to think about, it’s more important than ever to educate ourselves and each other on how they can happen and how to recognize the symptoms when they are happening.
Becker explains that major health organizations such as the CDC, the World Health Organization, and American Heart Association all have recently reported that death rates from cardiovascular disease have risen in the U.S. for the first time in the 50 years. “This is a call to action of large proportion,” he says.

Truth: My pre-pregnancy workout style was lax at best. For a long time, I hated to exercise because I thought working out meant going to the gym.
I was intimidated by the swole bros who hogged the weight machines, so I just didn’t go. Instead, I exercised at home in the comfort of my living room, which is conveniently located next to the kitchen for water and snack breaks (hey, gotta keep that energy up).
Unsurprisingly, my at-home workouts didn’t do much good, probably due to my snack break to workout ratio. Then I discovered running, a workout that does not require any equipment or gym time.
I love to run, and I loved going for long walks during my pregnancy, but post-pregnancy?

Most days, my workout consists of carrying my 10-pound little nugget from the living room to the changing table a dozen times a day.
I’m not all that concerned with losing baby weight, but I noticed recently that I feel sort of gross all over. Running has always given me an energy boost, and I miss those post-workout endorphins.
“It can be challenging to stay positive about your ability to include exercise in your day when you’re thinking about all the other things that have to get done,” says nutritionist Melissa Halas-Liang, “but it all adds up!”

Instead of beating yourself up for skipping the gym (again), Halas-Liang suggests busy moms “try reframing your concept of how to incorporate physical activity into your schedule. Don’t have time for an hour-long workout at the gym or a 45-minute spin class that you have to commute to get to? Then do two or three short 10-minute workouts at home while watching TV or in-between chores. …By the end of the day, you’ll have done 20 or 30 minutes without having to rearrange your entire schedule.”
I know I’m not the only mama who wishes she could squeeze in some exercise, so I spoke to a few fitness experts who shared their hacks on scoring an equipment-free workout on your schedule even if you only have a minute to spare during naptime.

1. Stretch it out.

Stretching isn’t just a pre-workout ritual. Done correctly, stretching can be a workout all its own.

Pilates instructor Lesley Logan tells HealthyWay, “[The double leg stretch] is the exercise I give to every client.”
To do the double leg stretch:
Lying on your back, pull your knees into your chest and your head and chest toward your knees. Be sure your low ribs are on the mat. Place one hand on each shin/ankle and hug your heels tight together. Your knees will be about shoulder distance apart (not wider).
Reach your arms straight back overhead and your legs straight out on a diagonal. Hold for a moment in this position—your legs are hugging together, arms reaching back, and your stomach pulling into the floor (double check your chest didn’t drop as your arms reach back). Then circle your arms wide as you bend your knees into your chest. Grab your ankles and pull your legs into your chest two times. Repeat this motion 10 times.

Logan says the double leg stretch is great because it works the entire core, strengthening your back, arm, and leg muscles in under a minute.
Yoga instructor Claudia Matles also agrees that stretching can be a workout. She recommends starting the day with a few Sun Salutations to challenge your entire body.
“Sun salutations help lengthen and strengthen, and they burn calories to aid weight loss. Sun [Salutations] can improve cardiovascular conditioning, prevent fatigue, promote a calm nervous system, relaxation, and provide a range of other mental and physical benefits. They help tone, strengthen, and add flexibility to the entire body and can be performed in about the same time you would take a run—or even less! ”

Matles continues, “As a warmup, this primes the muscles to become more flexible, preparing the body for deeper poses. But Sun Salutations on their own are an effective cardiovascular workout.”
To do sun salutations:

• Start in Mountain Pose with hands in prayer at the heart. Inhale and sweep your arms up overhead to prayer and gaze at your hands.
• Exhale into a Forward Fold by circling your arms down with hands to the floor next to your feet.
• Inhale as you move into a Half Forward Fold, looking up with your hands still on the mat by your feet.
• Exhale as you move into Plank Pose, similar to a push-up position. Your hands and toes should be on the mat, hips and shoulders aligned at the same height.

• As you exhale, lower into a push-up and in the same motion, inhale as you move to Upward-Facing Dog by pressing your hands into the mat and lifting your chest while keeping your hips pressed into the mat.
• Exhale into Downward-Facing Dog, pushing up with your hands to let your body become an upside down V shape. Hold this posture for five breaths.
• During the last exhale, move your right foot between your hands to move into the High Lunge/Warrior Pose and again, hold the posture for five breaths.
• Finally, step your left foot forward, inhale, and circle your arms to come back to Mountain Pose.

2. Get fit with HIIT.

Who has time for a lengthy sweat session at the gym?
People who don’t have kids, that’s who.
If you’re missing your gym time, then high intensity interval training (HIIT) might be for you.

Personal trainer Marcey Rader explains, “HIIT or high-intensity interval training of 20 seconds hard or fast and 10 seconds off for four minutes, gives a great heart rate boost and has been proven time and time again to maximize calorie burn and energy expenditure.”
Fitness guru Jen Jewell recommends this 20-minute workout.

It can be done just about anywhere, without equipment.
Perform each exercise for 30 seconds back to back without rest. After one round, rest for one minute and repeat until you’ve hit your 20-minute goal.

• Jump Rope (Modification: run in place)
• Spiderman Push Ups
• Reverse Lunges
• Mountain Climbers
• Jump Rope
• Side Lunges
• Jump Rope
• Sliding Leg Curls on the Floor
• Bear Crawls

Bonus: We’ve got our own series of HIIT workout videos right here!

3. Short on time? Try Tabata.

If you’d rather spend your baby’s naptime napping yourself instead of working out, consider Tabata, a super-charged form of HIIT that only lasts four minutes per round!

Personal trainer Eloise Le Santo explains: “The idea is you give it your all for 20 seconds and then rest for 10 seconds and repeat it eight times, which brings you up to a total of four minutes. You can complete as many rounds as you like. Four minutes may not sound like much, but I promise you it will leave you sweating!”
Le Santo recommends this equipment-free Tabata workout:

• Step Ups (onto a chair or similar sturdy piece of furniture)
• Squat Jumps
• Mountain Climbers
• Jumping Jacks

Trainer Joe Pepe says, “With the right move, [Tabata] can burn up to 56 calories in those four minutes!”

While four minutes is plenty, Le Santo recommends doing her Tabata routine for four rounds in 20 minutes for optimal results.
“Complete one four minute round of each [exercise], working as hard as you can for 20 seconds and resting for 10 seconds until the four minutes is over. Take a one minute break in between exercises, then move on to the next move.”

3. Make a workout that works wherever you are.

Even on days when you don’t have time to make yourself lunch, much less schedule a 20-minute sweat session, you can still get your workout in by modifying your daily tasks.
“I think it’s important to make every second count, since I know time is often limited with our crazy schedules,” fitness instructor Shana Schneider says.
Any room in the house can turn into a gym; you just have to be creative. “There’s at least one room you know you’ll be in every day, and that’s the kitchen,” says Schneider.

She recommends a setting the stove or microwave timer for 10 minutes, then using your kitchen appliances as gym stations to complete the following circuit. Do each exercise for one minute and complete the circuit twice if you’re extra motivated:

• March in place to warm up
• Calf raises at the microwave
• Push-ups using the kitchen counter
• Side leg lifts at the sink
• Squats at the oven

“You can also just do each exercise on its own while you’re at that particular appliance or station in your kitchen,” Schneider says.

Another good place to sneak a workout in is the laundry room, Schneider tells HealthyWay.
The next time you’re folding laundry, Schneider recommends these fitness tips:

• Do a set of squats as you move the clothes from the washing machine to the dryer.
• Use the laundry detergent bottle as a hand weight to do a set of bicep curls.
• March in place and pull in those abs while you fold clothes.

You’ll keep the largest muscle group in your body working (legs) and start to build stomach muscles (pulling your abs in is like doing sit-ups without having to get on the floor).

4. Get the kids involved.

Even though I like my workout to be my “me” time, that rarely happens. More often than not, if I’m trying to get my 20-minute HIIT in, I’ll be interrupted by my well-meaning babysitter (i.e., husband) every 30 seconds because “the baby likes Mommy better than Daddy right now.”

When you just can’t get a minute to yourself, get the kids involved instead. I’m not fitness expert, but one of my favorite ways to burn a few extra calories is to wear my son in his carrier on a long walk. He adds an extra 10 pounds of weight and helps me work on my posture at the same time.
Kid’s yoga instructor Amira Freidson says, “My best advice for busy moms is to remember that you can exercise without working out. Playing with your kids is an excellent way to bring your heart rate up, keep your body active, and get the whole family moving together!”

If you’re a health-conscious person, you’ve probably heard the research showing that simply eating from a smaller plate can help you consume less food overall.

Life hacks like these are what give us faith that anyone can learn better habits, even if we think we don’t have time or can’t will ourselves into making changes. The truth is that many of us feel we’re already doing our best when really we could be doing a lot more for our health.

So here’s an idea: We know it’s not that hard to manipulate the human brain, so why not turn the tables and trick ourselves into better living? The genius of the smaller plate self-trickery got us thinking: How else can science teach us to dupe ourselves into making healthier choices?

If you truly want to upgrade your habits but are…um…realistic about your willpower, it’s time to hack your lifestyle and make the human brain’s gullibility work in your favor. Try these seven science-backed ways you can literally trick yourself into healthier living today.

1. Keep your kitchen clean to cut calories.

Good news for neat freaks, bad news for the rest of us. It turns out that chowing down in a cluttered, chaotic kitchen can actually lead to eating extra calories.

A chaotic environment can create a vulnerability to making unhealthy food choices.

A 2016 study found that women who were asked to spend time in a clean, organized kitchen before making food choices ate significantly fewer calories than a group of women who waited in a chaotic, messy kitchen before snacking.

So what’s going on? “A chaotic environment can create a vulnerability to making unhealthy food choices,” study authors say. So if only we had the power to turn down all the chaos in our lives, we’d be sitting pretty. If you’re looking to trim your calorie consumption, you could set yourself up for success by giving your kitchen a deep clean makeover.

But if you’re among us mere mortals who can’t overhaul our kitchens into a perpetually peaceful place, the authors suggest that taking a short moment to reflect and remind yourself that you’re in control before you eat could help you achieve similar results.

2. Turn up the lights on your dining habits.

What’s the difference between sitting down to dinner in a dark corner booth and eating your meal in a well-lit restaurant? Besides the potential for romance, eating in a dim dining room may be making you put on extra pounds.

A study conducted by food psychology researchers at Cornell University found that not only are brightly lit restaurant-goers nearly 25 percent more likely to choose healthier menu items, those who chowed down in a darker atmosphere ended up ordering 39 percent more calories. Yikes.

But before you break up with your favorite low-light cafe, the scientists involved say that how much attention diners are paying is the real variable.

For instance, when the low-light eaters were given caffeine to perk them up first, they were just as likely to side with the well-lit healthy eaters. So being alert—through light levels, caffeine, or just mindfulness—is the real takeaway trick here.

3. “Crowd out” unhealthy foods.

No doubt you’ve tried deprivation diets before. Cut out sugar, cut out fat, cut out gluten, cut out dairy…it’s hard to get yourself to stick to a plan when so much of the strategy has to do with what you can’t have. This tactic can backfire by perpetuating a deprivation and binging cycle.

Instead of cutting everything out of your diet … focus your attention on adding good foods into your diet

Instead, experts like Integrative Nutrition–certified health coach Christiana Hill recommend tricking yourself into consuming fewer unhealthy things by consuming more healthy things, so there’s no longer space in your diet for the things you shouldn’t have so much of. She calls this a “crowding out” strategy, and the philosophy behind it is deceptively simple yet effective.

“Instead of cutting everything out of your diet (processed food, sugar…etc.),” Hill tells HealthyWay, she recommends “… focus[ing] your attention on adding good foods into your diet first without [worrying about] removing any of the less healthy options.” Makes sense, right?

“When you eat healthy [things] first, you naturally ‘crowd out’ the unhealthy foods,” Hill shared via email. “When you approach dieting this way, you learn to make this more of a lifestyle vs. a quick fix.” Say goodbye to yo-yo dieting.

4. Out of Sight, out of Stomach

The results of a study published in Appetite demonstrated that when unhealthy snacks are within convenient reach, we tend to overeat them far more than if we have to get up and seek out more helpings.

So if you’re trying to control portion sizes, instead of leaving serving dishes out during meals, a good practice is to dish out your dinner then put leftovers away or leave them in the kitchen while you nosh.

The good news is that you can use this out-of-sight, out-of-mind phenomenon to trick yourself into making better choices. By storing nutritious foods like fruits and vegetables in plain sight and in close proximity to your chair, you’ll consume more of what’s good for you.

And by keeping treats like chocolate or chips hidden behind the highest cabinet in the kitchen (or not buying them at all—ahem), you can dupe yourself into eating well.

For example physical and integrative medicine specialist Dr. Zarinah Hud explains to HealthyWay that she recommends a “prep and pretty” strategy to help clients imbibe more of the healthy stuff and less of the junk.

She likes to set out a glass pitcher of water at the beginning of the day that’s spiked with wholesome and pretty combos like cucumber, mint, and berries—and then keep it in clear view and easy reach throughout the day.

“Before you know it you have tricked yourself into getting all of your daily required amount of water, plus the added health benefits of the fruit and herbs,” Hud explains.

5. Spend more time with your fit friends (even if it’s just online).

Did you know that peer pressure can be a good thing? Sure, mob mentality is to blame for lots of rough stuff, but if you align yourself with the right “mob,” you can actually reap the benefits of their good influence.

You probably know that making plans with a running buddy is a great way to ensure you get out on the road in the morning, but research says even just online exposure to posts about your peers’ exercising habits can subliminally encourage you to jump into the challenge.

Recent studies carried out at the University of Pennsylvania have shown that people paired up with groups of “exercise buddies” (anonymous or not) on a social media platform showed clear improvement in frequency and long-term commitment to exercise classes.

After noting these initial results that online exposure to peers’ activity causes a spike in exercise, the studies’ authors have turned to examining whether “social support” or “social comparison” is a better motivator. According to results so far, it turns out, a little friendly competition could be the kick in the pants you need to commit to getting more exercise over time.

6. Set smarter goals.

You’ve heard the saying “life is about the journey, not the destination.” But did you ever think to apply this mentality to your physical fitness? Most of us probably focus on an image of the sweet six-pack we’d like to have in the future instead of trying to motivate ourselves by visualizing all the hours on the treadmill it’ll take.

But maybe that’s an outdated way of setting fitness goals. A study published in International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology is turning this old thinking upside down with its findings that “process goals” are strikingly more helpful in adherence to an exercise program than “outcome goals” over a six-week testing period.

In plain speak, this means that people who focus on how they feel while pursuing an exercise program (instead of obsessing over the results they want to achieve) stick with it at a remarkably higher rate than their outcome-focused peers (not to mention reporting much more enjoyment and lower pressure or tension).

7. Buy workout clothes you love.

Are you still working out in your old school “gym clothes,” even 10 or 15 years (or more) since you’ve left school? It may be time for an update if you want to get more exercise. If your only workout clothes are frumpy sweats you don’t really like, then how do you expect to feel your best and feel energetic when you put them on?

Wearing flattering and fun workout clothes can increase your confidence, and in turn, your overall performance

According to Meghan
Kennihan, a National Academy of Sports Medicine–certified personal trainer and Road Runners Club of America/USA Track & Field run coach, “The act of putting on workout gear [especially] for those new to exercise” spurs what she calls “the physical side of a mental shift” toward healthier habits, and she’s not talking about your old torn college t-shirt either.

“Wearing flattering and fun workout clothes can increase your confidence, and in turn, your overall performance, so you get the most out of your workout,” she explains.

We’ve all experienced that strange phenomenon where dressing the part for an occasion can change your whole frame of mind for the better, and it just so happens there’s a name for that: “enclothed cognition.” This means there’s scientific backing to support that you’ll feel better and perform better when you’re wearing what you perceive to be cool workout duds. That’s one good reason for a trip to the mall.

What It All Means

Sure, living a “healthy” lifestyle sounds like a great general plan, but a recent Mayo Clinic study uncovered the truth that less than 3 percent of Americans actually meet all the standards for healthy living (including frequent exercise and good nutrition) laid out by the study’s scientists.

It seems there’s a major disconnect between how healthy we think we’re being and how healthy we really are.

Living a “healthy lifestyle” is a complicated balancing act to be sure, and it’s impossible to achieve without at least a bit of effort. Still, why work harder than you have to? Institute a few of these research-backed hacks today, and over time it’s quite possible you’ll see measurable results.

There’s nothing more inviting than a hotel bed. At home, I consider it a luxury if the bed even gets made with a few flat pillows tossed on top.

A hotel, however, is a magical place where each day I return to a perfectly made bed piled high with blankets and decorative pillows just waiting for me to jump on in. It’s the stuff of dreams—until my husband walks in the room.

“Don’t touch it,” he commands, approaching the bed as if he’s coming in contact with an alien atmosphere. First he removes the duvet, tossing it to the ground so that it won’t come in contact with any of our belongings. Next to go: the pillows, thrown in a corner of the room. Only when the bed has been stripped of all its decadence will he flop down.

“Ahhhh,” he sighs, relaxed and relieved.

My husband is a bit of a germaphobe. Where I see indulgence and luxury, he sees previous guests, their dirty bodies touching everything in the room that is now ours. I’ve always been both amused and a little irritated by his hotel room routine, but it turns out my husband is right: Hotel rooms are downright dirty.

“I’m crazy paranoid in hotel rooms,” says a former housekeeper with eight years of experience cleaning at hotels.

If the professionals tasked with keeping your room clean aren’t convinced that it’s germ free, you shouldn’t be either. And although no one wants to think about how dirty hotel rooms can be, acknowledging the reality might help keep you away from some nasty germs. Even I have to admit that my husband has probably saved me from a virus or two by stripping away all that beautiful bedding.

Cleaners, doctors, and scientists weigh in on the dirtiest parts of hotel rooms, revealing where the germs lurk and how worried we should really be.

1. Freshly made? Not quite…

It might pain me to say it, but my husband is right about the hotel bed. Sheets and pillowcases are changed between guests, but a cleaner who worked for a major hotel brand for two years tells HealthyWay that in her opinion the bed-making standards weren’t high enough.

“The one thing that grossed me out so much was that the brand standard was to not wash the duvets,” she says.

Instead, cleaners put a flat sheet on top and a flat sheet over with the duvet (the cover for the comforter) in the middle. The idea was that the sheets would keep guests from touching the duvet, but anyone who has tossed and turned in bed knows that sheets get tangled easily.

“Someone sleeping in the bed could easily sleep skin to skin with the duvet (I know I had) and not realize it hadn’t been washed for quite some time,” the cleaner reports.

Another cleaner from Massachusetts who worked for a different hotel chain had the same experience.

“If we saw someone mostly slept under the sheets and that the duvet cover wasn’t visibly dirty or did not smell, we didn’t wash them,” she says. Yuck!

2. This is the one place you won’t want to relax on your vacay.

When you’re traveling, taking a long and luxurious bath can seem like the perfect way to unwind at the end of the day. You may want to think twice about that plan, though.

“Hotel baths can be filthy, and unfortunately the tubs are cleaned with mops and other cleaning tools that [have] high levels of bacteria,” says Dr. Elizabeth Trattner, who has an integrative health practice in Miami Beach, Florida.

Women especially want to pay attention, since bathing in a bacteria-filled tub can put them at risk for vaginal infections, Trattner says. If you really want to take a bath, wipe down the tub and be sure to rinse it well before getting in.

“No one wants to relax in a soup of bacteria,” Trattner says.

3. Think before you click.

Now that the bath is out, you might want to spend your evening relaxing in front of the television. After all, when you think of dirty things in a hotel room, the TV remote probably isn’t at the top of the list, but unfortunately, it should be.

“The germiest … surface we find is usually the TV remote, especially typical remotes with protruding buttons, since it seldom gets clean,” says Charles Gerba, PhD, who’s a professor of microbiology and environmental sciences at the University of Arizona and has studied germs in hotel rooms.

The next time you think about scrolling through the channels, consider this: Gerba and his researchers found that remotes can hold E. coli and other fecal bacteria, and a shocking 18 percent of hotel remotes also have semen on them.

Just how dirty your remote is will vary. Gerba has found that the number of germs on remotes can range from 2,500 to 430,000. Even the low end of that range is too high for my comfort, so I’ll either skip the television watching or consider bringing antibacterial wipes to clean the remote myself the next time I pack for a hotel stay.

4. Forget about calling for help.

Second to the TV remote, Gerba says the next dirtiest place in a hotel room is the phone. Most people bring their cell phones everywhere these days, but you might still use the phone in your room to call room service or request a wakeup call. Although these are nice conveniences, it’s best not to touch the phone at all, if you can avoid it.

Gerba notes that his hotel room study was conducted a few years back. Since people use their cell phones so much now, the number of germs on hotel room phones might be lower. Either way, better safe than sorry.

5. Something’s lurking in the bathroom, but not where you’d expect.

It’s no surprise that hotel bathrooms can get pretty nasty.

“People tend to use the bathroom with reckless abandon,” says the hotel cleaner from Massachusetts.

Of course, the toilet and the surrounding areas can get pretty gross, but Gerba says that the dirtiest part of the bathroom is not where you would expect.

“People might be surprised to find that the sink counter often has more bacteria than the toilet seat,” he says.

The next time you’re tempted to leave your toothbrush, makeup, or jewelry on the bathroom counter—think twice. It’s better to put your personal items right back into your bag, where the only germs you have to worry about are your own.

Your getaway is a perfect storm for germs.

Wherever you’re traveling, the germs in your hotel room aren’t the only ones you’re going to encounter. There are also the germs in the lobby, the swimming pool, the restaurant, and, well, every other place you go to!

“Hotels can be challenging in terms of germs because of the large number of people in one place—often from different regions of the world—coming in and out on a daily basis,” Gerba tells HealthyWay.

Even systems like the air conditioning can keep all those microorganisms in circulation, exposing you to new germs throughout your stay. In fact, one of the most common ways that germs spread through a hotel is on the very people who are supposed to be stopping them.

“We’ve done virus tracer studies where we found that maids move the viruses from room to room during cleaning,” Gerba says.

How worried should you be?

All this information is pretty alarming, but before you go and cancel all the trips you’ve got planned, take a deep breath.

“The fear of germs in general is very overblown,” says Dr. Amesh Adalja, a senior associate at Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security in Baltimore, Maryland.

While the thought of other people’s germs is naturally heightened during a hotel room stay, Adalja says that we’re always surrounded by other people’s germs—we just don’t think about it much in the day to day.

“The germs in a cleaned hotel room are really no different than in other setting and likely include many innocuous germs as well as some that could cause disease,” he says.

“However, we constantly encounter disease-causing germs everywhere, and only [under] special circumstances do they actually cause harm.”

Gerba said that the most harmful germs you’re likely to encounter in a hotel room are the viruses that cause the cold and flu. While those aren’t fun—especially while traveling—they are common enough that chances are just as good that you’d encounter them as part of your daily routine.

In fact, Adalja says you’re more likely to pick up an infection or illness from the person you are sharing a hotel room with than from the previous occupants.

“The idea of special dangerous ‘hotel germs’ doesn’t make much sense, as our bodies are literally covered with germs and are constantly bombarded with them in all settings,” he tells HealthyWay.

Although that might be alarming to hear, the point is that hotel rooms aren’t that much dirtier than other spaces, especially spaces that we share with strangers.

In the meantime, however, I’ll let my husband keep taking apart the bed when we stay in a hotel—even if I know I’m more likely to catch a cold from him than the duvet on the floor.

Katie Dunlop, the owner of Love Sweat Fitness, a fitness Instagram with a blog to match, never set out to become a brand influencer.
In fact, if you had pulled her aside when she was a recent college grad who had gained 45 pounds during her college career and you told her she would soon be making her living as a fitness influencer, she probably would have thought you were joking.

“I never imagined I’d be teaching fitness classes or in the fitness world, let alone running an entire fitness community online,” Dunlop tells HealthyWay.
Before she adopted her healthy lifestyle, weight loss and fitness were difficult subjects for her. She tried countless fad diets, specialty products, and cycles of unhealthy eating followed by days of restriction. Taking care of her body was an emotional struggle for her.
When eating nutritious meals and finding exercise she loved really clicked, she not only lost 45 pounds, she also gained a passion for helping other women move past their struggles with weight and into a lasting, healthy lifestyle.

How She Got Started

Today Dunlop has 244,000 followers on Instagram, a popular blog, and more than 205,000 YouTube subscribers. As hard as might be to believe, her online following started very organically.
Her personal success losing weight sparked an interest in fitness and healthy eating.

“It really came out of my own weight loss transformation. I lost 45 pounds and completely changed my lifestyle. I fell in love with health and fitness,” explains Dunlop.
She became a certified personal trainer and began teaching fitness privately in Los Angeles. Her friends and the students in her barre classes actually were the ones who came up with the whole idea of taking her fitness education online, asking her to post workouts they could use while they weren’t in class.
Beginning with her personal Instagram feed, in 2014 Dunlop started posting fitness content, including inspirational quotes and workouts she created. It wasn’t long until she felt she should switch to a new account, so her family and friends wouldn’t be inundated with non-stop workouts and healthy living quotes. That’s when Love Sweat Fitness was born.

Dunlop believes that her message of no fad diets and a healthy lifestyle that is maintainable for the long term resonated with women who were tired of trying big changes or trendy diets that didn’t work. She also believes her timing was right—that starting her influencer career in the earlier years of Instagram’s popularity allowed her to reach a large audience in a shorter amount of time.
“It really stemmed from this passion that I had for wanting to share with people I did know. Because of that, and sharing my own personal transformation stories, it got picked up by larger pages who would then share it.”

This is when her audience really began to take off. Having popular fitness influencers sharing her content allowed her page to grow into something much larger than she had ever planned for it to be.

The Hustle

Of course, just because her life as an Instagram fitness influencer began organically, that doesn’t mean Dunlop hasn’t hustled. In early 2016, she turned Love Sweat Fitness into a full-time career. Making her business her sole source of income has meant giving it her all.
Between her time spent creating recipes, going on photo shoots, and filming workouts, Dunlop is a busy woman. If there is one thing she wants others to understand it is that being an influencer is no walk in the park and that her husband sacrifices his time off helping her photograph, edit, record workouts, and strategize for her business.

“We work basically 24/7, which I think is something people don’t think about. People see the fun, ‘Yay! I’m going here and it’s lovely!’ But it’s nonstop…nights and weekends and everything.”
Dunlop’s financial success and popularity may have stemmed in part from the fact that she is offering more to her followers than sponsored posts. Although she does work with brands frequently, she also regularly turns down brands that don’t align with her message.
“At the end of the day, I have to be real because that is who I am and I understand how deep it goes and how much of an emotional thing [weight loss] can be for women. I want to make sure I am always being true to that and expressing that in everything I do. It is really easy to get caught up in seeing what their physical body looks like and then believing that whatever they say or do is going to work for you, like some magic pill.”
In addition to the money she makes working with brands like Lorna Jane, BioClarity, and more, Dunlop has worked tirelessly to create weight loss and nutrition resources she feels proud to sell.

“I have my Hot Body Sweat Guide and Hot Body Meal Plan, I’m getting ready to launch a lifestyle and recipe book. Those are probably the main source of our income. As well as the apparel. I have tanks and water bottles.”
When it comes making money as a brand influencer, Dunlop has set pretty strict rules for Love Sweat Fitness. She does have ongoing brand partnerships that provide her with regular income, but says:
“I’m super picky and particular, especially when it comes to anything that is food or beverage related. Even with clothing, I’m very picky about the brands I work with because… I know there are a lot of companies out there that have a ton of money. It is tempting to want to work with them but at the end of the day, I have to put my beliefs first. So, the brand partnerships are a smaller part of what we do.”

A Day in the Life

“Throughout the week it can change constantly, whether it’s jumping to different events, going to film different shoots for collaborations with collaborations like PopSugar… In general, it’s a lot of time online.”
Although she knows many might believe her life is spent working out all day, that isn’t the case. Instead, Dunlop spends a lot of her time reading and responding to comments on YouTube and Instagram, which she believes is essential to nurturing her community of followers. She also spends a lot of her time brainstorming content and putting together blog posts.

When it comes to maintaining her own fitness, it really isn’t as time consuming as many outsiders might assume. For Dunlop, working out only takes up between 30 and 45 minutes of each day.

The Truth Behind the Shot

Dunlop spends a lot of time in front the camera. She is constantly shooting content for her blog and Instagram and shares that she and her husband work hard keep a large library of original photos available for use online.

Additionally, each brand partnership or collaboration means a new photo shoot. Sometimes these are photo shoots she and her husband have planned, other times they are photo shoots with magazines or online publications.
“I do a lot of workout creations for brands like Lorna Jane or Fabletics, and so part of that will be creating workouts and doing photos for their blogs or for their social channels of the different workouts, exercises, and movements.”
Getting the right shot is a lot of work. Dunlop isn’t afraid to admit that Instagram is a visual platform and that her feed is curated to look pleasing to the eye.

Just like anyone else, Dunlop is always putting her best foot forward on her Instagram feed. At the same time, since she prioritizes being authentic, she has found ways to strike a healthy balance so her followers can see more of her “real life.”
“I think the creation of platforms like Snapchat and now Instagram having the story, has provided a really great opportunity…for people to be able to see the daily, messy bun, here I am just working on the computer.”
Dunlop and her husband–photographer work hard to get beautiful shots for her Instagram feed, blog, and workouts. There are many times when entire weekend outings are centered around getting shots of her on the beach, hanging out with friends, or wearing new gear from a brand partnership.

At the same time, there is a big difference between styling a photo by posing with props and heavily editing a photo to cover up the truth. For Dunlop, putting her authentic self out there is a standard she simple isn’t willing to budge on just to get more likes or a chance to team up with a bigger brand.
“Of course, I want to put pretty pictures up, but that is more to help inspire people. But I don’t edit photos except for making sure you can see them and they’re well lit. I’ve never gone down that road because I think, at the end of the day, it always comes out, you don’t feel good, and it’s not authentic. People are going to see through that and it’s just not worth it.”

A gym might be more conducive to working out than your living room, but there are certain realities in life and one of them is that we’re going to watch TV after a long day of work.
Thankfully, there are plenty of options for stretching, toning, and building muscle in confined spaces. Here are some of our favorites.
1. Kangoo Jumps
Using these unique shoes indoors necessitates a bit of headroom, but if you’ve got the right ceiling height, they’ll have your heart pumping in no time, whether you’re running in place or doing jumping jacks. They’re perfect for those trying to reduce impact on sore joints or muscles.

Review: “They are fun to wear, easy to use and very comfortable. I would recommend them to anyone. I have had knee surgery and they are great on my knee. I find I can do a lot of things I could not do since the surgery. They take up the shock and are easy on my joints. I love them.” –Mindy Houck
Get them here.
2. Bodyblade
This deceptively simple piece of equipment provides resistance for 30 dynamic exercises.

Review: “Love this unusual piece of exercise equipment. Use it 5-6 days per wk. Great for tightening up the arms while engaging the core. The back and chest area are also getting trim. I’m 60+ woman who is seeing results from the body blade. The DVD is most helpful. So glad I purchased.” –Christmas junkie
Get it here.
3. Xiser Mini Stairmaster
This compact taskmaster requires no assembly—just a lot of sweat and hard work. At 14 pounds, it’s lightweight and portable.

Review: “Great little stepper. Have been using it regularly, it’s very small and quiet. I had an old yoga mat [I] cut to fit as a base and have no fear of scratching when [I] use it on hardwood floor. Very adjustable in terms of intensity and work up a sweat in 10 minutes. Have been doing 45+minute sessions on it while doing online things at my standing desk. Would highly recommend.” –mama Carmen
Get it here.
4. Adjustable Dumbbell Set
Adjustable dumbbells save space, time, and energy by allowing you to select different amounts of weight from the same compact base.

Review: “I love them. They’re easy to change, don’t rattle much, don’t seem loose and allow me to lift a larger variety of weight without filling my house with weights. I love Fitness Blender too, they go well together. They have to be aligned properly which isn’t always easy, but it’s not even kind of hard either.” –Corgi
Get them here.
5. Gorilla Grips
Add these grips to barbells, dumbbells, or kettlebells to increase muscle stimulation with the weights (or moves) you already have.

Review: “The Gorilla Grips I bought were excellent. They look just like the pictures. I got the 2.0 since these are bigger than the fat grips I already own. I like the natural football curve at both ends. The red is a bright fire truck red and the material feels premium. great product and fast shipping.” –Solomon Chris
Get them here.
6. Foam Roller
Physical therapists love foam rollers for their ability to roll out kinks and knots. Once you try one, you’ll love it too.

Review: “I gave my mother one several years ago. Hers has held up great with repeated use. So much so I ordered a shorter one for myself. Love these things. They really do a great job with loosening knots in your back, legs, feet, and butt. I don’t think I’ll ever live without one again.” –S. Parker
Get it here.
7. Resistance Loop Exercise Bands (Set of 5)
These high-end resistance bands of varying strengths can be used to engage your arms or legs…all while your eyes never have to leave the TV screen.

Review: “Great product, sturdy bands. Comes with an exercise card displaying which bands to use for which part of the body.
Awesome price. Love the cute little pouch it all comes in.” –julie a
Get them here.
8. Foldable Exercise Bike
This upright exercise bike folds up for easy storage when it’s not in use. It also features adjustable height and eight levels of tension.

Review: “This is a great little bike. Perfect for what I was looking for.” –R and R
Get it here.
9. Medicine Ball with Handles
This timeless exercise accoutrement gets a crucial upgrade in the form of easy-grip handles. Firm your core while also giving your legs and arms a workout.

Review: “I love these medicine balls with the grip handles. It is so much easier to manipulate the ball. ” –T.Corson
Get it here.
10. Ab Pro Roller
Give your abs a workout they won’t forget with this ergonomic roller wheel.

Review: “This has become a central part of my workout after the gym. Works abs, core, shoulders, back, and used well affects a good deal of your body with strong effort. Key to use is after every couple roll-outs, lift roller just enough to hear the spring inside recoil. Then the tension will always be correct! Well crafted, strong spring mechanism, VERY ergo design, and turns beautifully with you as you extend left and right!” –Ron Kolman
Get it here.

In my mid-20s, I embarked on the adventure of living carless in a tragically auto-dependent Midwestern city—something I couldn’t have done without my bicycle.
And what a bicycle it was! A Schwinn World Sport from the 1980s, it was black with hot pink striping. It had track wheels (completely unnecessarily) black-wrapped flop and chop bars, and that rear hub? You’d better believe it was fixed.

It was the ’00s. It was the Midwest. Fixed-gear bicycles were a thing, okay?
All this is to say I had finally broken through into the territory of the legitimately cool—or so I thought. I pictured myself skidding to a stop and crowds erupting into cheers.
That’s why I was so confused when, that first summer, I’d pedal for half an hour up a hill to meet a promising date only to be greeted with with the shame-inducing inquiry:
“What is wrong with your face?! Are you okay?”
I learned it the hard way: When I exert myself, my face turns intensely red and blotchy. It is not a good look for a night out.

Much later, when the bike-only lifestyle collapsed and I slouched into my true and stationary adulthood, I got a gym membership. There I learned I am not alone. I’d sit there pumping away at a stationary bicycle, going nowhere, pretending to locomote despite a daily commute by car, and I’d spot them: my red-faced compatriots.
Are we sick? Is our fate normal? And, most importantly, can the affliction of red-faced people everywhere be used as a legitimate, doctor-sponsored excuse to stop exercising now and forever?
The answers are, respectively: no, yes, and no. Here’s why.

The Real Reasons Your Face Gets Flushed During Workouts

Lots of fair-complected folks share my tomato-faced concern. Readers asked Time magazine health writer Markham Heid about this phenomenon. Heid turned to Edward Coyle, director of the Human Performance Laboratory at the University of Texas at Austin, for official answers.
Getting flushed during exertion is normal for lots of people, Coyle told Heid.
“As your body heats up during activity, your core temperature and your skin temperature increase,” Coyle said. In response, the blood vessels close to the surface of the skin open up, distributing more blood at skin level.

“This helps cool your blood and therefore your body,” Coyle explained. “But especially if your skin is very pale to begin with, that increased blood flow may result in a red or flushed appearance.”
But that’s not all. Individual differences in skin chemistry can also contribute to this sometimes-embarrassing flush.
“For some people, exercise can cause the cells in the skin to release histamine, which in turn can cause the blood vessels to widen, adding to the exercise-induced flushing,” dermatologist Adam Friedman told Heid.
Like just about everything else—your complexion, body shape, predisposition toward depression, whatever—you can thank your genes for the extremity of your exercise-induced flush. There are worse problems to have.

Today, I ride a bike with lots of gears. Sometimes I even ride it to work. On those rare occasions, I stagger into the office, drenched in sweat, with a purplish face that frankly concerns my co-workers.
So what? I’m fresh out of things to prove. That’s the consolation prize that comes with the end of youth, and besides, the doctors say it’s normal.

How to Address Your Post-Workout Flush

If you’re still in the ride-your-bike-to-a-hot-first-date chapter of life, you might have a vested interest in getting rid of the post-workout flush as quickly as possible.
According to Shape magazine, the trick is to cool your body down or to avoid getting quite so hot in the first place.
“Make time to gradually reduce your heart rate at the end of your workout,” New York Dermatology Group dermatologist Jessica Weiser told Shape.
Don’t skip the cool-down, and remember to stretch.
Even better, leave the house a bit early so you can bike to your sweetheart’s place at a leisurely pace.

“Doing lower intensity exercises and intermittently taking breaks will bring down your heart rate to help relieve redness before it gets out of hand,” Weiser said.

If you’re tired of paying high membership fees to use a gym you hate—or you just don’t have time to work out—give one of these products a try. They’ll help you get a satisfying workout in your own home, but they’re small enough to put away when you’re done.
Here are your pop-up gym essentials:

1. Stamina AeroPilates Magic Circle

The Magic Circle is one of those rare products that totally earns its name. It builds and tones muscle, but it’s small enough to keep in a drawer. This soft rubber-coated ring can be used anywhere at anytime, but it still gives you all the resistance you need for a full-body workout.

Positive Review: “I’m a personal trainer and I use the magic circle with my clients. They love the results!”- MarlainaHealthCoach
Buy your own Magic Circle here for $25.49.

2. Reehut High Density Exercise Mat

The Reehut exercise mat is made from 1/2″, easy-to-clean, eco-friendly Nitrile rubber. It is incredibly supportive and comfortable as it stabilizes your body all throughout your workout. When you’re done, it rolls up into a compact tube for easy storage.

Positive Review: “This is a great product to purchase if you work out at home. It’s thick enough to support my weight (5’4″ 160 lbs) and comfortable as well. The length is also good. It comes with detachable handles that make it easy to store.”- Riya Seifert
Buy the mat here for $19.99.

3. BookFactory Fitness Journal

Keep track of your hard work and progress with this pocket-sized fitness journal. Pages contain spaces to record your strength workouts, cardio, daily goals, food and water intake, and notes on your fitness journey.

Positive Review: “This is by far the best workout book out there. Very user friendly and flexible. There are pages to put your diet and water intake as well. So nice!”- Z on March
Get your own journal here for $6.99.

4. Empower 3-in-1 Kettlebell

Finally, a kettlebell you can adjust to fit your workout needs. Set to 5, 8, or 12 pounds and feel the burn. This compact kettlebell stores easily and takes up way less closet space than a set of weights.

Positive Review: “I love this Kettle Bell! It is so easy to use and the DVD is great!!”- syndig
Buy the kettlebell here for $28.99.

5. Stamina Doorway Trainer Plus

Build upper-body strength with the Doorway Trainer Plus. Use it in a door for pull-ups or chin-ups, or move it to the floor for dips and push-ups.

Positive Review: “I bought this warily that it would not feel safe or secure. My previous bar screwed in to the door frame but I don’t want to put holes in my rental house. This bar is worth the money. It was easy to setup, feels very sturdy, and is simple to slip in and out of the doorway. The design makes it convenient for floor dips (we don’t belong to a gym) which my wife also enjoys. We can also flip it to the bottom and use it to do sit-ups but honestly we just use the ab-wheel. Ours stays up most of the time and I do a few pull-ups when I pass through the door. I’ve been at it for about a week and I enjoy having a pull-up bar again.”- Wardy
Buy the bar here for $27.49.

6. Fit Simplify Resistance Loop Exercise Bands

These high-quality, 100 percent latex resistance bands are perfect for working out at home or on the go. Workouts don’t get simpler than this.

Positive Review: “Excellent quality bands, come in various resistances. Good packing. Very satisfied.”- Luis Malorano
Purchase the resistance band set here for $11.95.

7. AmazonBasics Medicine Ball

You don’t need fancy equipment or a ton of space to get a great workout. You just need a good, old-fashioned medicine ball like this one.

Positive Review: “I use this ball to do circuits and it is exactly what you want in a medicine ball, easy to grip and the weight is distributed evenly. It is of the same great quality as more expensive balls that I have seen and the price point is perfect. Have used it for a couple months and have no complaints!” – runnergirl
Get your own ball here. They’re available in various sizes, with prices ranging from $17.69 to $36.99.

8. Readaeer Ab Roller Wheel

Work those abs in your own living room with the durable and affordable Readaeer Ab Roller. It even comes with knee pads.

Positive Review: “Perfect for working the abs. Well constructed. It rolls smoothly. It’s a great addition to my home gym.”- Brandi
Get one here for $9.99.

9. C9 Champion Neoprene Hand Weight

Super-size your upper body with these C9 hand weights. The weights are neoprene coated, so they won’t scuff up the floors during use. The neoprene coating also provides a comfortable, non-slip grip so you can get the most out of your workout.

Positive Review: “Great quality. I bought 2. I like that these weights are comfortable to use. Provides a good grip, and more enjoyable and comfortable to use than metal weights. Overall, excellent quality & value.”- Jennifer M
Purchase various sizes and colors here. Priced from $3.49 to $18.49 per weight.

10. Sanganizer Balance Ball With Resistance Bands

This balance ball provides a full-body workout setup. Build your strength and your sense of balance without having to endure a crowded gym.

Positive Review: “This works just as well as the one my daughter uses at physical therapy. It’s been a great help to have one at home.”- Darcey C Frewin
Buy one here for $61.99.