Fitness Trends

Beyond the jungle of treadmills, ellipticals, stair climbers and bikes is another maze of machines: contraptions with weights or cables or weights and cables. If you don't know what you're doing, we don't blame you for speed walking right past that equipment for another 45 minutes on the cardio machines. That's why we called on Ali Gritz, the assistant fitness manager at Crunch Gyms, to talk us through the best of the weight lifting machines. "A lot of woman are scared of the machines because they don't want to get too big, muscularly," she says. "But the reality is that creating lean muscle mass helps you get rid of body fat. Too many women do cardio for too long at an intensity that's too low — that's where weight lifting can actually help you." And, realistically, you'll never produce enough testosterone to get really jacked, anyway. So, go ahead. Follow Gritz's tips below, and we bet people will be asking you for ho...

I click the light out and whisper good night to my husband. Two minutes later I hear his gentle rhythmical breathing. He’s already asleep. I on the other hand, am not. I often find it difficult to fall asleep, so I’d like to share a few tips with you. How to Sleep When You Can't Sleep. An awesome way to teach yourself to relax when your mind is buzzing. Normally, my mind is whirling. Full of useless things. A long list of things I didn’t get done today. A long list of things I need to do tomorrow. A long list of mundane things, important things, worrying things. Just things to mull over. Oh things! Please be quiet and go to sleep. So this is what I do. It’s one of my favourite bits of yoga class. The bit at the end when you do a little bit of relaxation. It’s really easy. Get in a Comfortable Position. You want to relax your body so either flat on your front or flat on your back. Relax Your Muscles Individually by focusing your attention on the.. I start by...

  The majority of us nowadays ‘do not have the time’ to eat healthily and thus opt for fast food instead for a healthy one, while the polls rank fruits and vegetables very low on the scale selection of food! According to the scientists and nutritionists, it is not clear why most people in the West prefer such food to so great, amazing, beneficial, and above all, natural ingredients. The latter ingredients can provide us with all the materials we need to take in so that our body functions properly. Let’s take bananas as an instance. this fruit is the favorite food of monkeys, and it is not surprising because besides the fact that it tastes great, it is also very nutritious and it is a real treasure. According to nutritionists, if you consume two bananas a day for a month, your health condition is going to become significantly improved. HERE IS HOW AND WHY:  The amount of sodium in bananas is pretty low, and the amount of potassium is high, so this makes this frui...

Today I’m going to cover what foods you should NEVER eat under any circumstances! If you’re reading this article, you’re probably interested in healthy eating. You might even know a thing or two about what foods are good for you.The problem is that there are so many so-called experts out there that we have no idea where you might have gotten your information from. Also, what counts as “healthy” in your mind?We consider health-boosting foods to be nutrient rich and minimally processed. We don’t care if the label says that it’s sugar-free, low fat, all natural, or even organic.In fact, most of the foods that we eat for our health don’t have a label at all.  we advocate a no sugar or processed foods diet, but even if you aren’t ready to take your diet to that level, there are still some foods you MUST avoid at all costs.Regardless of whether food is fresh, packaged or processed, there are some foods that should never cross your lips if your health is a priority.Stay healthier, fee...

20 MINUTE PLANK WORKOUT Planks are my favorite way to work my abs and back (the core). By far more fun that doing a sit-up. And why do a sit-up when you can do one exercise that works multiple muscle groups? Did you know the plank works the upper body, lower body AND the core? Do a plank on your elbows and you’ll feel your shoulders scream. Your quads are also working hard to stabilize your body. Plus, with so many different plank variations, you’ll work different areas of your core and never get bored. There are many benefits to doing a plank workout. Here are a few: Planks are isometric exercises. This means you’re flexing your muscles but going nowhere. Like your pushing really hard to move a wall that will not budge. Isometrics are really great for rehabilitation and reconditioning. They also help you get over a plateau in your strength training. Surprisingly enough, planks can increase flexibility in your hamstrings, feet and around your shoulders. Your posture can be ...

THE WORKOUT Complete the following exercises without any rest in between each exercise for a total of one round. 50 Hip Bridge & Leg Lift 80 Donkey Kicks 80 Fire Hydrants 50 Sumo Squats & Leg Raise 80 Side Lunges 1.HIP BRIDGE & LEG LIFT:     THE EXERCISE EXPLAINED: Lay on your back, bend one knee keeping your foot flat on the ground. Lift your hips up off the ground and hold that position. Lift your opposite leg up off the ground so your foot is about 3 – 4 inches hovering over ground. Keep your leg straight and lift it bringing your toes to the ceiling. Then lower your leg  without touching the ground and repeat. As I already mentioned  this exercise ended up being an awesome challenge  so I’m sharing with you guys to test the waters with the one leg bridge & leg lift. THE EXERCISE CHALLENGE : Complete 13 reps on your right leg, without resting immediately move to complete 13 reps on your left leg. Rest for 10 seconds ...

Summer is coming so you would like to be in perfect shape. Here we will demonstrate you a four step guide that you should follow to lose 20 pounds in a month. These steps are crucial and if you follow them correctly you will be on the right track to get the desired shape for the summer. It is not complicated at all and on the end you will see the difference. Step 1  On the first week you will need to prepare your mind and keep up with the pain The first week will be essential for that month and it is highly recommended not to skip it. All you should do is get a piece of paper and write the question why you should lose weight? and the answers under need to be with strongly motivational words that will remind you about the reason that you are doing all of this. It is very important that you start with the circuit training. It is recommended that you should do a six day circuit training’s followed up with a low fat diet plan. So if you are interested to lose 20 pound in a...

Pesky lower belly fat can be hard to shed. In fact, certain body types will hold on to fat stores around the stomach longer than anywhere else. You can lose fat on your thighs, arms, and chest before you even notice a difference in your lower belly. Losing belly fat can be a challenge. Nevertheless, it’s not hopeless. Eating healthy and following a strong workout plan helps you get rid of lower belly fat and keep it off. The most important aspect of weight loss is a balanced diet. Eating too many calories (even if it’s healthy food) will make you to gain weight, while too few calories may cause your body to hold on to pesky fat stores as a measure against starvation. To get rid of lower belly fat, you need to eat the right amount of food, and the right kind of food. Read on to learn more about the diets and exercises that help you lose belly fat and keep it off! Step 1: Limit the junk food. You don’t have to eliminate junk food from your life. In fact, the occasional tr...

Yoga poses ask us to remove judgment of ourselves and release expectation. It is in this way we learn to flow freely and easily both on the mat and in life. I have listed some juicy and productive beginners poses so that you may advance your practice at the perfect pace for you. Keep compassion for yourself and your body, knowing you are preparing yourself for an advanced physical (and most importantly, spiritual!) practice. Yoga Move 1. Reclined Goddess Our hips not only work extremely hard as the largest joint in our bodies, they also store a plethora of emotional information and past wounding + trauma. Opening this place is not just a matter of the muscles, but also the feelings that immediately come up. Through reclined goddess you can rest fully on your back, supported by ground and earth beneath you, while you learn to breathe deeply, slowly and evenly–allowing your hips to begin to release physically and emotionally in a safe and held position. Soon enough you’ll adv...

A WOMAN’S SLEEPING POSITION REVEALS A LOT ABOUT HER The sleeping position can tell a lot about you. HERE ARE 5 MOST COMMON POSITIONS WE STILL IN:  1. FREEFALL SLEEPING POSITION Sleeping on the stomach with the hands under the pillow is a position called “Freefall sleeping position”; it signifies that you are an open, social person, warm and hospitable.      2.HUNGER SLEEPING POSITION You like hugging the pillow during your sleep. It is a sign that you are a trusting person, sometimes even too open and trusting for your own good.      3.BOARD POSITION If you sleep like you are lying on a wooden board, than it means you are quiet and reserved person. Also, you probably have high opinion of yourself and can be very opinionated.      4.BACK SNORER POSITION If you are a snorer, your spouse probably has many sleepless nights. Also, it`s very probable that you don`t get much sleep, as well. This reflects on...

New year, new objectives, new exercises! We're as of now observing a few patterns rise in wellness, giving us a strong sign of what sorts of exercises will be super prevalent in 2017. Haven't attempted these yet? The coming year is the ideal time to analysis and discover something new and wonderful that you cherish. And keeping in mind that we don't see your most loved bootcamp or cycling classes losing any force, there are some up-and-comers that will thoroughly overwhelm in the new year — we believe will love them! 1. Boxing: With the rise of boutique boxing studios and the addition of beginner classes to traditional boxing gyms, boxing will see an even bigger year in 2017 than it did in 2016. Reward: you don't need to hop in the ring to receive the rewards of this aggregate body work out, the same number of studios are designed for a no-contact style of wellness. What's more, with included perceivability from big names sharing their boxing exercises, w...