Your ‘Max Heart Rate’ Is Probably Wrong
By Beth Skwarecki Published on Aug 23, 2024 in LIFEHACKER. Original link:
If you’ve ever worried about your heart rate during exercise being too high or too low, you’ll want to read this. Your “heart rate zones” might be completely wrong. Not only are zones defined differently in different apps, they are also usually calculated based on your maximum heart rate. And that maximum heart rate calculation? It’s incorrect for huge swaths of the population.
Why Your Big Toes Play Such a Huge Role in Your Health and Fitness
By Erica Sloan in SELF published Aug 22, 2024 original link
Toes, in particular, tend to get overlooked in the scheme of fitness, but they play a pivotal role in your stability. After all, they’re the lowest building blocks of your physical frame.
CSA-Printstock/Getty Images
For pain-free movement, you need a substantial range of motion in your big toe joint
How Static Stretching Can Boost Your Flexibility
Static stretching is a great way to improve flexibility. It involves holding a stretch for 20-30 seconds without moving, allowing your muscles to gradually relax and lengthen. This type of stretching is important for cooling down your muscles and preventing stiffness after physical activity.
Here are some effective static stretches to add to your routine:
- Hamstring Stretch
Sit on the ground with one leg extended and the other bent inward. Reach for your toes, keeping your back straight. This stretch helps lengthen the muscles in the back of your thigh, reducing tightness and improving overall mobility. - Quadriceps Stretch
Stand on one leg, pulling the other leg behind you, grabbing your ankle. Keep your knees close together. This stretch targets the front of your thigh, easing tension in your quads. - Shoulder and Triceps Stretch
Bring one arm across your chest and hold it with the opposite arm. Then, raise the same arm over your head and reach down your back. This will relieve tension in your shoulders and upper back, which often tightens up after a long day of sitting or lifting weights. - Hip Flexor Stretch
Kneel on one knee, with the other foot in front of you. Push your hips forward gently until you feel a stretch in the hip of the leg that’s kneeling. This is great for reducing tightness in the hips, which can lead to lower back pain if left unaddressed. - Child’s Pose (Lower Back Stretch)
Kneel on the floor, sit back on your heels, and reach your arms forward as you lower your chest towards the floor. This stretch releases tension in the lower back and helps increase flexibility along your spine.
The wall sit, a simple bodyweight exercise that can be done virtually anywhere, isn’t just for building strength. It can help your cardiovascular health, too.
A recent study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine suggests that isometric exercises, like wall sits (also known as wall squats), can help reduce blood pressure even more effectively than other forms of exercise, including aerobic activity, weight training or high-intensity interval workouts.
The research is good news for people who struggle to meet physical activity guidelines that recommend at least 150 minutes of weekly moderate-intensity exercise, like brisk walking or bicycling. The new analysis found that about eight minutes of isometric exercise, three times a week, can lead to a meaningful reduction in blood pressure.
This means holding a wall sit for two minutes and resting for two minutes. Repeat for a total of four wall sits with breaks in between. A single session, including rest, will take only 14 minutes.
On average, a regular isometric routine of wall sits lowered systolic blood pressure (the top number) by 10 mmHg and diastolic pressure by 5 mmHg, according to the research.
The study’s authors say the findings support development of new exercise guidelines that go beyond recommending aerobic exercise for the prevention and treatment of hypertension.
“Our main message is that actually engaging in exercise is fantastic and any exercise might reduce your blood pressure,” said Jamie O’Driscoll, the senior author of the study. “But if you’re an individual who is currently exercising to the guidelines and you’re still having a bit of difficulty reducing that blood pressure and you want to avoid going on medication, perhaps isometrics is an additional mode to complement the exercise you’re already doing.”
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The Five Best Abs Exercises Recommended by Elite Athletes
Five top British sporting champions share their most effective core exercises to strengthen and tone your abs.
Stir the pot
Chosen by Jason Kenny, six-time Olympic track cycling champion
“I have always done a really good core exercise called ‘Stir the pot.’ It is like doing a normal plank exercise while leaning your forearms on a Swiss ball. But when you can hold that position, try making a circular motion with your forearms on the ball, as if you are stirring a pot. It is quite a tough one but it is really good for your core strength as you have to hold your balance while you’re moving around. Start with really small circles and gradually make them bigger as you get better.”
How to do it: Start in a plank position with your forearms resting on a Swiss ball. Keep your back straight and try to avoid your hips dropping to the floor. Now make five clockwise circular motions with your forearms, so the ball rolls around in a small circle. Reverse the motion with 5 anticlockwise rotations.
Dead bugs
Chosen by Kate Richardson-Walsh, Olympic hockey gold medallist
How to do it: Lie flat on your back with your arms pointing up to the ceiling. Now lift your legs up so your knees are bent at 90 degrees. Lower your right arm behind your head and move your left leg out in front of you at the same time, until your arm and leg are just above the floor. Slowly return to the start and repeat with the opposite limbs. Aim for ten reps per side.
Body saws
Chosen by Elinor Barker, Olympic gold medal winning cyclist
“One of the best core exercises I am doing at the moment is ‘the body saw’. It is a variation of the plank but with your feet on mats that glide backwards. It’s a really good exercise to help you progress after you get a bit bored of doing the plank. You can really feel the tension in your abdominal muscles as you slide backwards.”
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How to Do Cable
How to Do Cable Skullcrusher for a Better Triceps Workout
You’ll put yourself in position for a better pump if you swap out the free weights.
BELIEVE IT OR not, the skullcrusher isn’t the name of a pro wrestler’s signature move. It’s actually a classic muscle-building exercise to isolate the triceps, the big muscles on the back of your arms. As beloved as the skullcrusher is, there’s one key component missing in the way that even the most seasoned gym-goers approach the movement. Thankfully, there’s a simple way to fix that flaw.
Most guys do skullcrushers with free weights, using dumbbells or barbells to perform the movement. These tools allow you to have “great tension when our triceps are stretched,” says Ebenezer Samuel, C.S.C.S., MH fitness director. But there’s a catch: “Unless our form is perfect and our upper arm is leaning just the right way, we don’t often get that squeeze at peak contraction,” he continues.
A simple implement swap can fix that. Set this move up with a cable machine and incline bench instead of free weights and a flat bench, and your triceps will get that extra stimulus at the top of the squeeze—a vital portion of muscle growth. Here’s how.
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Here’s How Long You Should Hold A Plank For A Stronger Core
Plus, how to work your way up to a longer hold.
The moment your muscles engage and you lift up into a plank, that’s when your brain will start inundating you with questions like, “How long should I hold this plank?” or “Is it almost over?” — and rightfully so.
A plank is a tough isometric bodyweight exercise that requires you to hold yourself in a position similar to a pushup, says Ashley Iwanicki, a fitness instructor and founder of The Collective Studios. “A plank exercise primarily targets your core muscles, but recruits your shoulders, back, glutes, and leg muscles for support,” she tells Bustle. It also calls on your smaller stabilizer muscles, she says, which all work together to keep you steady.
As fitness instructor Kim D’Agnese previously told Bustle, you can pull off a perfect plank by planting your palms underneath your shoulders, keeping your glutes and abs engaged, and making sure your hips remain in line with your shoulders as you lift up. With form in mind, read on below for how long to hold a plank and how to increase your time, if that’s a goal.
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Introduction to Fitness and Setting Goals
Starting your fitness journey can be exciting! The first step is to understand why fitness is important. And set goals for yourself. Fitness helps you feel good, have more energy, and stay healthy. Here’s how to set goals:
- Short-term Goals: Things you can achieve in a few weeks, like doing 5-10 push-ups or jogging for 5-10 minutes without stopping.
- Long-term Goals: These take longer. For instance, running a 5K race or building stronger muscles.
Write down your goals and track your progress. Remember, every small step counts!
Warm-Up Routines: Stretching and Mobility
Warming up is super important before you start exercising. It prepares your muscles and helps prevent injuries. Here are some simple warm-up exercises:
- Dynamic Stretches: Move your body parts gently, like arm circles, leg swings, and torso twists. This helps improve your flexibility and get your blood flowing.
- Light Cardio: Do some jogging in place or jumping jacks for 5-10 minutes to raise your heart rate.
Warming up makes your body ready for more intense activities.
Here’s how much protein you need in a day — despite what TikTok may say
How much protein should you eat in a day?
If you take the question to TikTok, the answer might be overwhelming, as influencers tout the benefits of high-protein diets to build muscle and lose weight, often recommending well over 100 grams of the macronutrient a day.
Experts say it’s important to get the recommended minimum 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight a day (a kilogram is equal to 2.2 pounds). For the average person who weighs 150 pounds, that would be at least 54 grams of protein daily.
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https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/heres-much-protein-day-despite-113041000.html
Does Foam Rolling Actually Do Anything?
Foam rolling seemed to come out of nowhere maybe 15 or 20 years ago. It enjoyed a monumental level of popularity, feeling for a while like maybe it was mandatory if you wanted to train well. Many of the supposed benefits of foam rolling turned out to be myths, but foam rolling has stuck around as one of many tools we can use for recovery and mobility. Let’s separate fact from fiction.
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https://lifehacker.com/health/what-does-foam-rolling-do?utm_source=pocket-newtab-en-us
To Delay Death, Lift Weights
Trust me, I understand—in theory—that I should be stronger. Yes, I’m an aerobic beast (or an aerobic addict, if you prefer), but I’m not oblivious to the benefits of having a reasonable amount of muscle. When I play the “look, you’re touching the ceiling!” game with my 18-month-old, I’d prefer that she get bored before I have to admit that Daddy can’t military-press her anymore. And I’m hoping that 20 years from now I’ll still be able to push myself out of an armchair without help.
How to Do Hip Thrusts Without Bruising Your Hips
Hip thrusts are not only a great exercise for your glutes (aka butt), they’re also a great confidence-builder—most of us can learn to hip thrust a lot of weight once we get the hang of the exercise. This success brings a small problem, though: How do you lift all that weight on your hips without getting bruised? I’ll explain.
