Michelle Spindler
20 Fitness Myths That Need To Stop!
We don’t blame you if you’re a little confused by the best way to stay fit. After all, it seems like there are a hundred different ways to exercise. Fortunately, most types of activity are good for your body. But as they say, the devil is in the details. That’s why we consulted with fitness expert Ashley Borden (ashleyborden.com), who has worked with some of the biggest names in sports and fitness. Follow her suggestions, and don’t fall victim to any of these flawed ways of thinking. To read more click here!
18 Habits That Can Make You Heavier
Struggling to lose weight? Or maybe you recently shed pounds only to see them slowly creep back on again? There may be some bad habits undermining your efforts. For example, are you aware that the size of your plate could matter as much as the size of the portion on it? Or that sharing yummy-looking photos of sugary and fattening foods can actually lead you to eat more? Read on, and find out about some habits that could be stopping you from losing those extra pounds -– or even causing you to gain weight. Are there any other bad habits that you think should have made our list? Let us know by leaving a comment below. To read more click here!
14 Foods to Help You Get Lean
Delicious foods that dampen your hunger, turn off your cravings for sweets and rev up your metabolism may be the secret to slimming down. Here are 14 delicious, waistline-friendly choices. Read on to see if one of your favorites made the list. To read more click here!
How to Use A Plyometric Box
Plyo boxes are hot property at the gym right now – these six-inch and taller platforms can make just about any move more heart-pumping or hard-core. Check out this plyo box video for ideas and then come into the store to purchase your plyo boxes. To watch the video click here!
The Best Fitness Apps for 2014
Your health is in your hands. Seriously, it’s right there—or it can be, in the form of flashy little apps downloaded to your smartphone. But with so many options to choose from, it can be tough to know which apps actually enable results. So at a time when storage space is precious and your health even more so, we’ve hand-selected the 65 best health and fitness apps designed to help you create a healthier you. We scoured every app market for standouts that were pushing the boundaries of health and fitness, and we sought to cover an array of interests and goals. While we definitely took popularity into consideration, we placed most of our focus for each app on these key criteria:
- Is it highly rated?
- Does it offer something totally unique?
- Is it user-friendly?
- Is it reliable and not buggy?
- Can it continue to grow and innovate?
Some of these apps have made it onto our yearly list in the past (they’re just that awesome!). We took our research seriously, but if there are other apps we should consider for next year, let us know in the comments below! To read more click here!
Is Yoga Better for You Than Running?
We’ve learned that yoga can make us limber like Gumby, help relieve anxiety and pain, and reduce blood pressure. And all those warrior and dog poses can help get us into serious shape. But what about our brains? A new study not only suggests that yoga is good for our brains, but that it actually makes them work better. Find out how yoga, and exercise, contribute to a healthier brain below. To read more click here!
The Best Foods for Your Heart – and Why You Should Care
If you’re a generally healthy 20-something, chances are the only time you really worry about your heart is when you’re going through a break up. (Hey, we feel your pain). But your ticker deserves more attention than that—especially considering around 600,000 people in the U.S. die from heart disease every year, making it the leading cause of death for both men and women in this country. And simply being young doesn’t protect you from heart disease risks. In fact, almost half of young adults between the ages of 18 and 24 have at least one coronary heart disease risk factor—such as high blood pressure, stress, or an unhealthy diet—which is pretty scary considering these factors can strongly predict a long-term risk of coronary heart disease. Even having a slightly elevated blood pressure level in your 20s may increase the risk of developing clogged arteries down the line. Not to get all fear-mongery, but what this means is that the habits and behaviors we establish when we’re young really can catch up to us—and those include YOLO-justified moments, like ordering an extra drink (or three) and skipping the gym for an all-day Netflix session. That’s not to say that sometimes we don’t need to watch TV all day, or have an extra drink every once in a while. But research shows that people who maintain heart-healthy behaviors—not smoking, drinking in moderation, eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly, and keeping a lean BMI—throughout their lives have a low cardiovascular risk profile well into middle age. The bottom line: What you do now, you feel later. The good news for young people is that about 80 percent of heart disease can be prevented through healthy diet and lifestyle choices. That means hitting the gym, quitting smoking, cutting back on any boozehound tendencies, and—perhaps most importantly—cleaning up your nutrition plan. Apart from ditching salty and processed foods, it’s a great idea to load up on eats that actually help your heart. Here, the list to live by. To read more click here!
Do You Have a Sweet Tooth?
I’ve always been one of those people that needs something sweet after dinner. It doesn’t need to be fancy, just something to satisfy my sweet tooth and stop it from nagging me. But sticking to just a small, sweet snack can be tricky. Let’s be honest: Anything that seriously satisfies our sweet tooth isn’t going to be the epitome of a healthy meal. Though all of these snacks contain (gasp!) sugar, we aimed to find lower-sugar options that offer something beneficial, whether it be a sneaky superfood (like strawberries and grapes) or additional nutrients like fiber or protein. So here are 33 less guilty ways to indulge any sweet tooth. To read more click here!
The 20 Best Foods in Your Grocery Store
Your local grocery store is packed with thousands of options, some of them good for you, others…not so much, despite what their labels might claim. To cut through the noise and help you get your shopping done faster, here’s a list of the 20 best foods you can buy – foods that are proven to help fight fat, build muscle, and prevent disease. Build your diet around these options, and you’ll take a big step towards living a healthier life. To Read more click here!
How to Motivate Yourself to Work Out (even if you don’t want to)!
Some days are more difficult than others when it comes to motivating yourself to work out. You may be tired from a long day at the office or exhausted after a poor night’s sleep. When you’re not in the mood to exercise, some of us will use almost any excuse to avoid going to the gym and stepping on the elliptical or going for a neighborhood run. But just how can you push yourself to work out when you really just want to watch a movie and put your feet up with a nice glass of wine? To read more click here!
10 Simple Fitness Tips That Works
Less than 5 percent of adults get at least 30 minutes of exercise each day, according to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, and only slightly more meet the recommended weekly minimum of 150 minutes. Some of the reasons are understandable. From fitting workouts into a hectic schedule to breaking through plateaus in your progress, reaching and maintaining physical fitness isn’t always easy. Implementing simple, effective fitness strategies can help take the angst out of the equation and give you a healthier, happier life. If you’re considering significant lifestyle changes, we recommend that you first seek approval from your doctor, and consider these 10 tips on the next slides. To read more click here!