How to Actually Get a Good Workout on the Elliptical Machine

By Alison Feller, Greatist

To reap maximum benefits, put away distractions and pick up interval training.

Doing the same workout day after day may be effective at first, but it will eventually lead to a fitness plateau.

Out of all the cardio machines, the elliptical probably gets the most side-eye. People tend to think it's boring and ineffective (research even says so!), and the go-to source for an easy, mindless workout, if even that. But it turns out there are plenty of science-backed benefits to the elliptical, like raising your heart rate even more than the treadmill and improving fitness just as efficiently as the treadmill or Stairmaster.

What's more, there's actually a right and wrong way to use it. With the correct form and plan of attack, you can get a truly killer workout on the machine. To find out how to make the most of every stride, we asked top fitness experts for their best advice, plus an effective 20-minute workout.

Do: Make a plan before hitting “start.”

Before even stepping foot on the machine, set an intention for the workout. “Ask yourself what you want to achieve that day,” says Leanne Weiner, a personal trainer and corrective exercise specialist. “Then monitor your perceived level of exertion — where zero is like going for a leisurely stroll and at 10 you’re completely out of breath — throughout the workout to make sure you’re not just dialing

Read More

10 Ways to Make Your Treadmill Workout Safer

Using a treadmill is a good way to get aerobic exercise, but there a few rules of the road you'll want to follow to use it safely.

With the news of SurveyMonkey CEO David Goldberg's accidental death on a treadmill, we are reminded that there are risks to exercise, particularly when using gym equipment. Because a treadmill is powered by a motor, rather than self-propelled, accidents can happen, especially when people lose their balance. Injuries can include bruises, sprains, broken bones, concussions, and sometimes, even death. 

While the Consumer Products Safety Commission reported over 24,000 emergency room visits associated with treadmills in the United States in 2014, deaths are rare. That said, it's important for people to know their physical limits and keep safety in mind when using a treadmill.

"On those days when you can't walk or run outside due to heat, cold, or rain, treadmill exercise can offer the same benefits plus the added benefit of being able to add hill-specific workouts and pacing strategies," advises Chris Eschbach, PhD, director of the Human Performance Laboratory at Meredith College in Raleigh, N.C.

Treadmill Training and Safety Tips

Exercise can help you lose weight, make your bones and muscles stronger, relieve depression and stress, and lower your risk for diabetes, arthritis, heart disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure,

Read More

The Beauty Benefits of Exercise

By Nicole Blades

Working out not only helps your figure, but also improves your complexion. Learn why exercise may be one of the best skin remedies for acne, wrinkles, dull skin and more.

There are plenty of reasons to exercise. For some, it’s because you booked a beach vacation, while others are focused on staying healthy. No matter what your motivation is, we can all agree that the benefits of exercise are obvious. But there’s a stealthier payoff: healthy skin. Read on to learn more about the skin and beauty rewards that come from regularly working up a sweat.

Instant Glow 

When you get your heart pumping from aerobic exercise, you’re supplying your skin with a nice dose of oxygenated blood, says Noëlle S. Sherber, M.D., a board-certified dermatologist based in Baltimore, Maryland. “It gives you that great post-workout glow.”

Wrinkle Reduction 

Working out also helps maintain healthy levels of the stress-related hormone cortisol, Sherber says. “Elevated cortisol levels are linked to increased sebum production, which means more acne breakouts,” she says. Too much cortisol can also cause the collagen in the skin to break down, Sherber says, which can increase wrinkles and sagging. “Exercise actually supports the production of collagen,” says Amy Dixon, a Los Angeles–based exercise physiologist and celebrity trainer. “The boost in this protein helps to keep your skin firm, supple, and elastic.”

Acne Relief 

Regular exercise boosts circulation. “It nourishes your skin, bringing more blood flow and oxygen to it,” says Mauro C. Romita, M.D., a board-certified plastic surgeon and founder of Ajune Center for Beauty Synergy in New York City. “This will help draw toxins out of the body.” Plus, all that sweating cleans out the pores of congested skin. “Working out corrects the hormonal imbalance that can cause adult acne,” Romita says.

To reap the beneficial skin effects of working out, a few extra steps are required, Sherber warns. “If you're acne prone, make sure to keep gentle, fragrance-free cleansing wipes in your gym bag.” Be

Read More

Train Like an Olympian With Lindsey Vonn's Lower-Body Workout

Lindsey's lower-body workout torches calories and builds muscle in all the right places.

Lower-Body Workout-1

1.Tone your legs and thighs

by Alison Prato

Lower-Body Workout-2

Why not train like an Olympian? Lindsey is sharing her secrets. These moves tone and trim everything from your core to the floor. Do this series three or four times a week, and a better bottom half awaits. 

2.Single-Leg Box Squat

Stand on right leg in front of a plyo box (or bench), with toes of left foot resting on box and arms at sides, an 8-pound dumbbell in each hand (A). Lower body down until right leg forms a 90-degree angle (B). Return to "A." Do 10 to 12 reps, then switch legs and repeat.

Lower-Body Workout-3

3.Single-Leg Lift

Start on hands and knees, with abs tight (A). Squeeze butt as you lift left leg up to form a 90-degree angle (B). Return to start. Do 10 to 12 reps, then switch legs and repeat.

Read More

Exercising With Physical Limitations

As Dom Lassonde felt the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis creep into his body, the 40-year-old Vancouver Islander knew he needed a different way to stay fit. The autoimmune disease inflamed his synovial membranes—a connective tissue in joints that produces lubricating fluid for smooth movement—so much it felt like shards of glass were lining his joints. Ultimate Frisbee and hockey, two of his regular activities, were no longer feasible.

After beginning a new medication regime about a year after his diagnosis, Lassonde could cycle and swim—activities that put less stress on his joints. He was right to keep moving: according to the American College of Rheumatology, regular aerobic exercise, especially when combined with strength training, can reduce joint pain.

Lassonde is one of many Canadians living with a physical limitation that makes exercise difficult. Two common issues, chronic pain and heart disease—which affect 3.9 million and 1.3 million Can­adians, respectively—make it challenging for individuals to achieve the 150 minutes of weekly moderate aer­obic exercise, or cardio, recommended by the Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines (CPAG).

Read More

How to Get Rid of Back Fat Easily and Quickly at Home

Fat on the body is bad news. It doesn’t just look bad, but these excess pounds bring poor health with it too. It is by now an established fact that obesity can cause a lot of medical conditions, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart diseases, stroke and several others. Several studies and research works have proved this beyond doubt. Obesity can kill self-confidence and bring down morale too, which again can have a long-term negative impact on the mind and the body.

Read More

Quick Tips For Longer & Healthier Life

There are many stories that go round about ninety nine year old aunts who have never exercised, smoked their life away and have lived on a diet of everything that they fancy, from ice cream to red meat. Such instances might urge people to lead a life of unhealthy choices. However, it is to be kept in mind that, for one person who has lived a long life even after making unhealthy choices, there are countless others who have passed away prematurely due to such bad choices in life. There can be no alternative to choosing the right path for leading a long and healthy life.

Maintaining Better Health Through The Right Food

There is no alternative to following a healthy diet in order to lead a longer and healthier life. If you have a long life full of ailments, there is not much fun in leading such a life.

Read More