If You're Just Beginning to Walk for Weight Loss This Is How Many Steps You Should Aim For2/27/2019
If You're Just Beginning to Walk for Weight Loss, This Is How Many Steps You Should Aim For
https://ift.tt/2Sw6GVZ If the idea of joining a gym or attending an intense Spin class seems too intimidating, we have good news: you don't need high-intensity exercise to lose weight if you're a true beginner. Sure, it helps - HIIT has been shown to target belly fat, specifically - but you can increase your daily activity just by walking. Walking can be an effective weight-loss tool, whether you're heading on a brisk walk after dinner or completing a walking treadmill workout. And even when you're not actively walking for exercise, racking up your steps can help you achieve your weight-loss goals. It's all apart of NEAT, which stands for nonexercise activity thermogenesis: the amount of activity you get in a day outside of formal exercise. "The difference in energy expenditure between someone who is active all day and someone who is sedentary can run into hundreds and hundreds of calories," Eric Bowling, an NASM-certified personal trainer at Ultimate Performance who helps clients lose weight, told POPSUGAR. One of the best ways to increase your NEAT is to get in more steps. If you're a true beginner and completely new to exercise, Eric said to set your goal to something a little more realistic: 6,000 steps a day. "Then as you get into the habit and regularly hit your daily step target, increase this gradually toward 10,000-12,000 steps per day," he said. Track your steps with a pedometer, Fitbit, Apple Watch, or a free app on your smartphone. If you're like most Americans who drive to work, sit at a desk job for eight or so hours, and drive home only to veg out on the couch, then be strategic about getting your steps in: park your car further away from your destination, get off a few stops early if you take public transportation, walk the dog for a little longer, take a stroll around the block during your lunch break, or take the stairs at the office. Every little bit adds up, and increasing your NEAT is an essential key to achieving your weight-loss goals. Health via POPSUGAR Fitness https://ift.tt/2mWxwLI February 27, 2019 at 12:39PM
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Women Who Work Long Hours May Face More Depression
https://ift.tt/2NviYNg So women who work long hours are essentially "bucking" the societal trend, Weston said -- and that might create more conflicts. Those women might "feel the strain of greater time pressures and responsibilities due to a double 'burden' of paid and unpaid work," Weston said. They may also have to deal with less-than-supportive attitudes from the people around them, she added. "That may exacerbate any feelings of conflict or distress," Weston said. The findings, published online Feb. 25 in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, are based on more than 23,000 employed U.K. adults who took part in a national health survey. They answered a standard questionnaire on depressive symptoms, which asked about issues such as self-confidence and self-worth, enjoyment of daily activities, sleep loss over "worries," and the ability to concentrate and deal with life's problems. A score of 12 or higher may signal cases of depression, according to Weston. On average, the study found, women who worked 55 hours or more per week scored 11.8, versus 11 among women who worked a standard 35- to 40-hour week. There was no difference between men who worked long or standard workweeks. But men who worked weekends tended to report more symptoms, versus those who worked only weekdays, once job satisfaction was taken into account. In general, the study found, people with extra-long work weeks had high household incomes and the most freedom on the job. Increasingly, Nguyen said, employers are letting people work "remotely" -- which has clear upsides, but also downsides. There's freedom, but there's also isolation, she noted. Plus, Nguyen said, "your work and your home aren't separate anymore." And people can find themselves working at all hours, weekends included. So it's important, Nguyen said, to set boundaries: Decide that you're not going to answer emails after a certain hour, or on weekends, for example. Nguyen also recommended dedicating time to things that recharge you, whether it's taking a walk every afternoon or just getting some rest. Some people, she said, may need to talk with their manager about logging fewer hours or making other adjustments at work. Health via WebMD Health https://www.webmd.com/ February 27, 2019 at 12:28PM
You Don't Have to Take a Class to Get SoulCycle's Activewear - It's at Nordstrom!
https://ift.tt/2IH0874 SoulCycle has been one of our favorite boutique fitness studios for a long time, and not just for the killer workout. The yummy scented candles, top-notch bathroom products, and superhelpful staff all make our experience unforgettable, and we can't wait to return. One of our favorite parts, though, is all the adorable activewear. Cute, functional leggings, cozy sweatshirts, and classic tanks are all staples in our workout wardrobe, and we know that with the SoulCycle seal of approval, they're going to hold up through sprints and climbs. No matter if you're a Soul devotee or have never set foot in a studio, now everyone can have access to Soul by SoulCycle, because it's being sold at Nordstrom! Now all you have to do is book your bike! Health via POPSUGAR Fitness https://ift.tt/2mWxwLI February 27, 2019 at 11:39AM
Can Simply Getting More Steps Help Boost Your Metabolism? Here's What Experts Had to Say
https://ift.tt/2tItTua Metabolism is that almost mythical process that converts food into energy, and while there are lots of things that won't boost your calorie burn (like eating hot peppers or drinking coffee), moving more - even if it's just to get your steps for the day - may help rev it up. It ultimately depends on how in shape you are, Natasha Trentacosta, MD, sports medicine specialist and orthopedic surgeon at Cedars-Sinai Kerlan-Jobe Institute in Los Angeles, told POPSUGAR. "Your fitness level directly affects your metabolism. Fit, active individuals who participate in daily exercise burn more calories both during exercise as well as afterwards compared to their sedentary counterparts," she said. "For most people, walking for extended periods of time each day can have an overall positive effect by providing a boost in your metabolic processes," said Ty Stone, an NASM-certified personal trainer at Anatomy in Miami, FL. However, that surge will end when you stop walking, unless you develop a consistent workout regimen to help change your basal metabolic rate (BMR), or the number of calories required to keep your body functioning at rest, Ty explained. While ramping up your cardio can help - "A more brisk pace for a longer duration of time or a more difficult course will result in a bigger boost in metabolism than a slower, shorter walk," Dr. Trentacosta said - muscle building has the greatest impact on your calorie burn. How to Build Muscle and Boost Your MetabolismBoth Dr. Trentacosta and Stone recommend resistance training and high-intensity interval training (HIIT) to really power up your metabolism. "Moves like squats, lunges, rows, presses, or any other resistance-based exercises produce a stimulus that will keep your metabolism elevated for hours post-exercise," Stone said. Here are a few workouts that incorporate HIIT and resistance training. Do one of these, in addition to a walking workout, to help boost your metabolism and maximize your calorie burn.
Keep in mind that everyone's body handles resistance training differently. "Some people will respond better to longer periods of cardio or shorter intervals with resistance training," Stone explained. "And people who are new to training will see significant changes within the first six to 10 weeks, while those who have been training for years may have to do a lot more to achieve the same results." Dr. Trentacosta agreed, adding that genetics and other factors including age, weight, and sex play a role in metabolism and how effectively you can change it. Health via POPSUGAR Fitness https://ift.tt/2mWxwLI February 27, 2019 at 11:19AM
Smokers May Fare Worse Vs. Deadliest Skin Cancer
https://ift.tt/2tHCahQ MONDAY, Feb. 25, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- Melanoma patients who are recent and current smokers have lower survival rates than nonsmokers, suggesting that smoking may weaken immune response to the most deadly skin cancer, researchers say. In a study of more than 700 melanoma patients in the United Kingdom, smokers were 40 percent less likely to survive melanoma than people who hadn't smoked for at least 10 years before their diagnosis. In addition, in a subset of 156 melanoma patients who had the most genetic indicators for immune cells, smokers were about 4.5 times less likely to survive the disease than nonsmokers. The findings suggest smoking may affect how the body's immune system responds to melanoma, according to the authors of the study published recently in the journal Cancer Research. "The immune system is like an orchestra, with multiple pieces. This research suggests that smoking might disrupt how it works together in tune, allowing the musicians to continue playing but possibly in a more disorganized way," said lead author Julia Newton-Bishop. She is professor of dermatology at the University of Leeds in England. "The result is that smokers could still mount an immune response to try and destroy the melanoma, but it appears to have been less effective than in never-smokers, and smokers were less likely to survive their cancer," she explained in a news release from Cancer Research UK, which funded the study. Based on the study findings, people diagnosed with melanoma should be urged to quit smoking, she added. While the study found an association between smoking and melanoma patients' chances of survival, it could not confirm that smoking caused poorer survival. Previous research has shown that smoking can harm the immune system, but the chemicals responsible for this effect haven't been pinpointed. Julie Sharp, head of health and patient information at Cancer Research UK, suggested patients and physicians heed the findings. "Overall, these results show that smoking could limit the chances of melanoma patients' survival, so it's especially important that they are given all the support possible to give up smoking for good," Sharp said in the news release. Health via WebMD Health https://www.webmd.com/ February 27, 2019 at 09:44AM
Get Ready to Master the Pull-Up With This Effective Bodyweight Exercise
https://ift.tt/2TkzwwX If you can't tell by now, my goal is to help you all (especially women) learn how to do pull-ups. In my opinion, the best way to learn how to do pull-ups is by just doing them. I know that sounds a lot easier than actually doing it, especially if you don't have a foundation of strength. As you work on your upper-body strength, one move you can begin practicing is the scapular pull-up. This exercise will teach you how to depress your shoulder blades (moving your shoulder blades down your ribs), the first step to performing a pull-up. You can do this with a partner supporting your lower body if you're a beginner or alone if you're more advanced. How to Do a Scapular Pull-Up
Health via POPSUGAR Fitness https://ift.tt/2mWxwLI February 27, 2019 at 09:39AM An Expert Says to Follow These 2 Simple Diet Tips If You Want to Get Healthy and Lose Weight2/27/2019
An Expert Says to Follow These 2 Simple Diet Tips If You Want to Get Healthy and Lose Weight
https://ift.tt/2GOPUA0 What you eat and exercise are two important factors when it comes to weight loss. While they aren't the only things that will affect how you lose weight - your brain, sleep, stress, and hormones are other variables - making changes in these two areas is a good place to start. While exercise like strength training can help you lose weight, you've also got to change your diet. Instead of going from unhealthy eating habits to a highly restrictive diet, such as the ketogenic diet, Avigdor Arad, PhD, RDN, CDE, director of the Mount Sinai PhysioLab, shared two simple tips to improve your nutrition and help you lose weight. "What is certainly true is that the most important factor in a healthy diet is what you eat," Dr. Arad told POPSUGAR. "Meaning the quality of the food that you eat and how much," he continued. If you're ready to change what you eat, Dr. Arad said to start with these two steps: instead of eating processed, fatty foods, the first step he recommended is eating unprocessed, clean, sustainable food without added salt, sugar, fat, unhealthy preservatives, chemicals, "or other substances that the food industry is using to make food more palatable, more tasty, and last longer." The second thing Dr. Arad suggested is to focus on the amount of food you're consuming. Because everyone has different needs and goals and will react differently to carbohydrates, protein, and fats, your caloric intake will vary. The Dietary Guidelines For Americans recommend adult women consume 1,600 to 2,400 calories a day and adult men consume 2,000 to 3,000 calories a day. These steps are simple enough to start tomorrow. If you don't think you'll enjoy counting calories, you can use this simple portion control chart. If you're looking for more specifics in order to lose weight and improve your health, Dr. Arad advised meeting with a registered dietitian who has the knowledge and experience to guide you through the process and help you reach your goals. Health via POPSUGAR Fitness https://ift.tt/2mWxwLI February 27, 2019 at 09:20AM
This Weight-Loss Hack Takes 23 Minutes a Day - and a Study Just Proved It Works
https://ift.tt/2Vq0oJm If the thought of tracking all your food seems daunting, you're not alone. There's research to show that tracking your food can lead to substantial weight loss, but it feels like such a chore that many people drop out before they can see any results. A new study published in Obesity aimed to figure out just how much time you need to spend recording your food and how frequently you need to do it to reap the weight-loss benefits. The results are in: of the study's 142 participants, 90 percent of whom were women, the ones who lost weight spent an average of 23 minutes a day logging food in the first month. But by the end of the six-month study, they were taking just 15 minutes - and still losing weight. The participants used a web-based tracking program, which is more true to life (food-tracking apps and sites are the norm now, compared to old-school pencil-and-paper journals) and allowed researchers to track exactly how much time they spent tracking as well as how frequently they logged in. That second piece turned out to be telling. The researchers found that the people who lost the most weight - about 10 percent of their starting bodyweight - logged in about three times a day. They concluded that tracking more often throughout the day, such as after every meal or snack, as opposed to doing it all in one sitting, will get you much closer to your weight-loss goals. If 23 minutes still seems like a long time to spend tracking, take heart from the fact that it took the participants less and less time as the months went on. Researchers weren't sure if this was because they got better and more efficient at entering their foods or because they simply stopped recording as much food as before, but the good news is that it might not matter. Previous studies have suggested that it doesn't matter how detailed or comprehensive your tracking is or if it gets more abbreviated as time goes on; it might just be the act of self-monitoring, rather than the accuracy of it, that keeps your weight loss on track. In this study, participants shaved off an average of seven minutes a day over six months and continued to lose weight. It's like starting any new eating or workout plan: difficult, inconvenient when you start, and easy to fall off the wagon. But consistency is key when it comes to losing weight, and the study proves that calorie tracking will only get easier over time. (If you're just starting, this RD has five tips to help you out.) Set aside seven or eight minutes after each meal to log your food into MyFitnessPal or whichever calorie counter you prefer; you could even set a timer to keep it from taking too long. Including it in your meal schedule will make the tracking less annoying and help you stay consistent as the months go on and the weight loss starts rolling in. Health via POPSUGAR Fitness https://ift.tt/2mWxwLI February 27, 2019 at 07:19AM
I'm a Trainer, and These Are the 20 Lower-Body Exercises You Need to Do More of in 2019
https://ift.tt/2Xm9msV Is "get a stronger lower body" on your list of fitness goals? If so, I've got you covered. Your legs are made up of a lot of muscles, like your calves, hamstrings, glutes, and quads, and it's important to keep them strong. Whether you want to crush your current marathon PR or you just want to squat 135 pounds, you've got to have a strong lower body. Ahead, you'll find some of my favorite exercises that will help you build muscle from your glutes to your calves. Definitely don't do all 20 exercises in a single workout; that would feel terrible. Instead, choose three to four exercises that focus on both pushing and pulling (a push would be a squat, and a pull would be a hamstring curl) to create a workout. Health via POPSUGAR Fitness https://ift.tt/2mWxwLI February 27, 2019 at 06:39AM Overeating at Meals Causing Weight Gain? Try This Science-Backed and Dietitian-Approved Trick2/27/2019
Overeating at Meals Causing Weight Gain? Try This Science-Backed and Dietitian-Approved Trick
https://ift.tt/2Vo0KzY Notice the scale creeping up? It could be from eating too much at mealtimes. Although losing weight isn't always as simple as going low-calorie, there's no denying that taking in more energy than you expend will lead to weight gain. One of the biggest reasons people tend to eat too much at meals is that they let themselves get too hungry, then eat to the point past satisfaction. Yes, listening to your hunger cues and going by the hunger scale are key ways to make sure you stay satiated and don't overeat. But if you end up at a restaurant feeling absolutely ravished, don't immediately go for the bread basket or chips and salsa. Instead, dietitians and research point to one appetizer you should definitely order: a broth-based soup. "The benefit of having soup at the start of your meal is that it can help fill up volume in your stomach, leaving less room for more calorie-dense food items," registered dietitian Kelly Krikhely, MS, told POPSUGAR, adding that broth-based soups are recommended since creamy soups tend to be filled with calories and can actually impede your efforts. But it's not just a dietitian-recommended hack; there's science to prove this premeal order. A study out of Penn State found that when a group of participants ate a first course of soup before their entrée, they ate 20 percent fewer calories (with the soup and entrée) compared to when they didn't eat the soup beforehand. In addition to filling the volume in your stomach, broth-based soups are hydrating, which can satiate your thirst cue, explained Haley Hughes, MS, RD, CDE, who added that certain broth-based soups are a great source of protein, vitamins, and minerals. But be mindful of the kind of broth-based soup you're ordering; recipes featuring large amounts of rice, noodles, or potatoes can be calorie bombs, Kelly warned. "The trick is to make sure you're picking a broth-based soup that is chock-full of vegetables that will not only fill you up but keep you satisfied for longer," Kelly said, adding that eating a fiber-filled salad with tons of veggies and a light dressing beforehand serves the same purpose. And while this trick is handy at restaurants, you can also implement it at home. If you don't have time to whip up a broth-based soup at home, you can even sip on bone broth before a meal to help increase satiety. After all, some restaurant soups can be filled with sodium, which will make you bloated and make you feel worse the next day. But if you're really starving when you get to a restaurant, swap out the bread and butter with a veggie-packed soup starter. Bonus points if you look up the nutrition info beforehand to see how much sodium it contains. Health via POPSUGAR Fitness https://ift.tt/2mWxwLI February 27, 2019 at 06:04AM |
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