5 Ways to Burn More Calories on a Walk

Is your daily walking workout challenging you? It should be! In order to improve your fitness level and continue getting results, you have to keep changing up your routine to make your body work in new ways. And yes, you can do all of that while sticking to walking as your preferred form of exercise.

Next time you lace up your sneakers to head out for a sweat session, try one of these simple ways to increase your calorie burn and amp up your daily walk:

1. Pick up the pace.

If you find yourself walking at the same pace day in and day out, adding music or bringing a fast-moving buddy could be the perfect motivator to get you to move at a quicker clip. At least a couple of days a week, try to walk faster during your entire workout by matching your steps to the beat of a fast song. Keep your steps short and fierce.

Tip: You’ll know you’re walking fast enough if it’s tough to hold a normal conversation because you’re running out of breath.

2. Add some weight.

While it’s not really a good idea to use hand or ankle weights when you walk—weights can cause overuse injuries or change your natural gait—you can wear a weighted vest, which will add resistance to your center of gravity and up the intensity of your walk.

Tip: Keep your chest up, shoulders back, and brace your abdominals as you walk.

3. Climb some hills.

If your regular walking routine has you on flat terrain for the entire time, you’ll notice immediate cardio benefits if you find a place to walk with incline. If you can’t find hills outdoors in your area, you can always hop on a treadmill and put the incline up to anywhere between 7–15 percent for a portion of your walk.

Tip: If you use the treadmill, don’t hold onto the railings; pump your arms to burn even more calories.

4. Break up your walk with intervals.

If you really want to power up your workout, you need to change up the intensity by adding a few spurts of faster walking in between your normal pace.

Tip: Use a watch to time yourself. After a five-minute warm-up, complete 30 seconds of super-fast power-walking followed by one minute of regular walking as active recovery; continue this pattern for the duration of your walk.

5. Find new terrain.

Do you live near a grassy park or beach? If so, try challenging your body by walking on a surface other than just pavement. Or, if you’re always on the treadmill, try walking outdoors.

Tip: If you really want to feel your leg muscles working in new ways, take your shoes off and walk along the beach one day in bare feet. Be prepared to feel the burn.

There’s a reason that walking is one of the most beneficial and universal forms of exercise in the world—it’s low-impact, free and almost everyone can do it. So get out there, get your steps in and walk yourself into better shape.

from Hello Healthy http://ift.tt/1YBvgCJ
via

A Classy Way to Respond to Body Shaming

Fitness instructor Megan Ellis is the co-manager of the Barre East Fitness Studio in Frederick, Maryland. When a newspaper clipping slid out of an envelope addressed to the studio, Ellis wasn’t particularly surprised. The studio had just been featured in the business section of the local newspaper and she figured it was someone they knew sending them a copy.

But when she unfolded the clipping, what she saw brought her to tears.

Photo courtesy of Taryn Sisco

An arrow pointing to Ellis’ hips reads: “You are fat, bordering on obese.” Another arrow connects co-manager and fellow instructor Taryn Sisco’s head to the words “You are overweight.”

Above the photo in scrawling cursive, the stranger wrote, “I’m tired of articles espousing fitness and health while those in the picture are neither.”

Photo by Brodie Ledford, courtesy of Taryn Sisco

And in the left-hand margin: “Pictures/articles like this give others a license to be overweight or obese.” It’s one thing if the sender was bashing barre fitness or their business model Sisco (left) explains. But this was an attack on the women’s bodies from “someone who didn’t know us, had never met us, and never set foot in the studio” Sisco tells SELF.

However, Ellis and Sisco weren’t about to allow hateful comments from a stranger bring them down. They were going to do something about it.

The next day, they published a blog post describing the incident, hoping to spread the message to their clients that body shaming is never okay and inspire them to stand up and say enough is enough. “Judging anyone based on their looks or a picture is just sad … and yes it is a form of bullying. It sends the wrong message to women everywhere. Women should lift each other up, not tear each other down. So nice try lady … but mission not accomplished,” they wrote.

The post has since received a lot of attention, and women across the country have been calling to voice their support and share their own stories.

“It was hurtful enough to receive a piece of mail like that,” Ellis says.

And while Sisco and Ellis know who sent the hate mail (the name and return address were on the envelope), they’re not telling. “Putting her name out in public knowing that people would criticize and tear her down just didn’t seem right to us,” says Ellis. Nor would it jibe with Barre East’s mission—to provide a judgement-free zone where all women can feel comfortable.

The sender hasn’t taken Ellis and Sisco up on their offer to try one of their classes, but she did stop by to say she was sorry—an apology they readily accepted.

“I don’t know what led her up to this point in her life that she felt it necessary to write those things about us,” says Sisco. “But, honestly, I think she’s done us all a favor by starting this conversation.”

Feature image (at top) photo by Brodie Ledford, courtesy of Taryn Sisco

from Hello Healthy http://ift.tt/21lzFfp
via

Cooking Oils Decoded

If there’s one thing we know about cooking oils, it’s that they’re really hard to keep straight—particularly in regards to how they impact our health and what types of oils to use when. If you often wonder, “Is the oil I’m using to roast these veggies protecting my heart?” Or, “Am I ingesting damaging free radicals with this stir-fry?” You’ve come to the right place!

A recent survey of MyFitnessPal members validated exactly what we suspected: we have a serious cooking oil conundrum on our hands.

1. Some of us still cook with harmful fats. While a whopping 94% reported having a bottle of heart-healthy olive oil at home, nearly 2 in 10 people still cook with vegetable shortening, which contains harmful transfats.

2. The majority of home cooks only have a couple of oils in their cabinets. 54% of those surveyed rely on just one or two cooking oils for all of their culinary needs. So basically, most of us own olive oil and maybe one other type. Maybe.

3. Over half of those surveyed think olive oil is the healthiest option. That probably explains why we all own it, and why it’s the top logged cooking oil in the MyFitnessPal food database. (Coconut oil came in second with nearly 25% of the votes for being the healthiest oil.)

While revealing, the data brings up still more questions:

1. What can we bake with besides Crisco?
2. Can we get by with just one or two cooking oils?
3. Which ones pack those heart-healthy omega-3s? And, probably most importantly:
4. Can we deep-fry with olive oil? (Not that any of us eat deep-fried foods…)

To clear up some of the confusion, here’s a visual guide to help you navigate the cooking oil aisle and select the best oils, both for cooking and nutritional benefits. You’ll also find a glossary below to help you make sense of the pretty pie charts.

DIETARY FAT GLOSSARY 

Unsaturated Fat: Generally recognized for their potential health benefits, unsaturated fats are largely liquid at room temperature and are grouped into two categories:

• Monounsaturated: Commonly found in olives, seeds, and nuts, monounsaturated fats have been shown to improve blood cholesterol levels and decrease risk of heart disease. They may also benefit insulin levels and blood sugar control.
• Polyunsaturated: Like monounsaturated, polyunsaturated fats also seem to have a positive impact on blood cholesterol and decrease risk of heart disease and Type 2 diabetes.While the body can make some polyunsaturated fats on its own, two essential fatty acids, omega-3 and omega-6, must be obtained from the diet.
  • Omega-3: A type of polyunsaturated fat show to be especially beneficial for heart heart. Omega-3s are commonly found in walnuts, seeds (particularly flaxseed), and fatty fish (like salmon, arctic char, and mackerel). They appear to decrease the risk of coronary artery disease, protect against irregular heartbeats, and help lower blood pressure levels. While still good for you, the body cannot convert and use plant-based omega-3 fatty acids as well as those found in fish.
  • Omega-6: A type of polyunsaturated oil commonly found in corn oil, soybean oil, and sunflower oil, as well as nuts and seeds. Research shows some omega-6 fatty acids tend to promote inflammation, but not all.

Saturated Fat: Mostly solid at room temperature, common sources include red meat and dairy products, and certain plants, like coconut and avocado. While saturated fats have been associated with high cholesterol and heart disease, research suggests plant-based saturated fats behave differently than animal-based saturated fats and trans-fats, and may have a neutral impact on cholesterol.

If you’re interested in learning more about fats, or nutrition in general, check out our awesome Nutrition 101 series.

from Hello Healthy http://ift.tt/1GcxLEg
via

6 Workouts to Break Your Elliptical Rut

The elliptical machine is genius for burning fat and tightening your butt. But let’s face it: It can be insanely boring. The fix? Getting smarter about your intervals. Here’s how.

WORKOUT #1—The Butt Blaster This sequence will tighten and tone your butt by building lean muscle mass in the glutes, says Ngo Okafor, trainer at Peak Performance NYC. You’ll need an elliptical machine with arms to complete this booty poppin’ workout.

• 5 minute warm-up — Level 7
• 2 minutes — Level 8 in a half-squat position
• 1 minute of recovery, making sure that the heels are down (this engages the hamstrings and glutes)
• 2 minutes — Level 9 in a half squat position
• 1 minute — Repeat earlier recovery
• 2 minutes — Level 10 in a half-squat position
• 1 minute — Repeat earlier recovery
• 5 minute cool down — Level 7

 

WORKOUT #2—The Body Fat Incinerator
Get ready to jumpstart some fat burn on an elliptical machine with arms. “The idea here is to keep the heart rate up without making the work Level too high,” says Okafor.

• 5 minutes of warm-up — Level 7
• 1 minute — Level 8 at a speed of 60 or higher
• 1 minute — Level 9 at a speed of 55 or higher
• 1 minute — Level 10 at a speed of 50 or higher
• 1 minute recovery — Level 7 at a speed of 50
• 1 minute — Level 8 at a speed of 60 or higher
• 1 minute — Level 9 at a speed of 55 or higher
• 1 minute — Level 10 at a speed of 50 or higher
• 1 minute recovery — Level 7 at a speed of 50
• 1 minute — Level 8 at the speed of 60 or higher
• 1 minute — Level 9 at the speed of 55 or higher
• 1 minute — Level 10 at the speed of 50 or higher
• 5 minutes of cool down — Level 7

 

WORKOUT #3—The Backside Burner “The elliptical is the perfect tool to tighten up every bit of your backside,” says Shannon Fable, Director of Exercise Programming for Anytime Fitness. This workout will hit your calves, hamstrings, and butt. Focus on moderate SPMs (Strides Per Minute), using resistance and incline to increase intensity.

Warm Up

• 3 minutes— 110-130 SPM: Use a lower resistance and incline to establish your base level of work

Round One

• 2 minutes — 120-150 SPM: Increase resistance and incline 1-2 from your base level of work
• 2 minutes — 120-150 SPM: Try to hold the SPM you had in the last 2 minutes. Increase resistance and incline until you begin to feel the work shift to your hamstrings.
• 2 minutes — 120-150 SPM: Try to hold the SPM you had in the last 2 minutes. Increase resistance and incline until you begin to feel the work shift to your glutes. (This should feel HARD!)
• 2 minutes — 110-130 SPM: Bring the resistance and incline back down to where you were in the warm up.
• 2 minutes — 110-140 SPM: Reverse the direction and stride backwards to finish the round.

Round Two

• Repeat Round 1. Your goal should be to increase the resistance and incline combination, while maintaining the SPM from Round One.

Round Three

• Repeat Round 2. Your goal should be to increase the resistance and incline combination, while maintaining the SPM from Round 1.

Cool Down

• 3 minutes — 110-130 RPM: Bring the resistance and incline back down to warm up levels and begin to recover.

 

WORKOUT #4—Hit It Hard “When you ‘hit it hard,’ you don’t have to work out as long, and the elliptical is a good, minimal-impact tool for high-intensity workouts,” says Fable. “Keep one eye on the time,” she says. “We’re asking for short bursts of work.”

Warm-Up


• 2 minutes at 110-130 SPM: Use a lower resistance and incline to establish your base level of work. You should be breathing easy and be able to do this level without too much effort.
• 3 minutes at a slightly higher effort. Increase your SPM by 10-20, and the resistance and incline slightly to move from breathing easy to a moderate effort.

Pyramid Intervals
 After your warm-up, increase your resistance and incline slightly, and adjust your speed during work and recovery intervals. Break for 2 minutes, then repeat the pyramid.

• 10 sec work / 10 sec recovery
• 20 sec work / 20 sec recovery
• 30 sec work / 30 sec recovery
• 40 sec work / 40 sec recovery
• 30 sec work / 30 sec recovery
• 20 sec work / 20 sec recovery
• 10 sec work / 10 sec recovery

Cool Down
 Bring your SPMs and resistance and incline back to warm-up levels and allow your effort to return to easy.

 

Workout #5—20-Minute Music Mission “Music motivates us to push ourselves,” says Heidi Powell, certified personal trainer and co-host of ABC’s Extreme Weight Loss, who created this plan with her current favorite songs. Choose your own faves, or let Powell’s playlist guide your intensity. Use her recommendations for Perceived Exertion (PE) to get yourself sweating.

Song 1: Fighter, by Gym Class Heroes

(Warm-up) 
Forward pedaling/No incline
During all parts of song except chorus: PE of 2 (out of 10)
 During chorus: Take your PE to an 8 (out of 10) 
Option: Increase resistance if needed to reach PE of 8

Song 2: Roar, by Katy Perry


Backward pedaling/incline to 5 (out of 10… or 50 percent of machine’s max)
During all parts of song except chorus: PE of 3 (out of 10)
 During Chorus: Take your PE to a 9 (out of 10)
Option: Increase resistance if needed to reach PE of 9

Song 3: Lose Yourself, by Eminem

Forward pedaling/incline of 10 (or max)
 During all parts of song except chorus: PE of 4 (out of 10)
 During Chorus: Take your PE to a 10 (out of 10) 
Option: Increase resistance if needed to reach PE of 10

Song 4: Radioactive, by Imagine Dragons

Backward pedaling/incline to 5 (out of 10…or 50 percent of machine’s max)
 During all parts of song except chorus: PE of 3 (out of 10)
 During Chorus: Take your PE to a 9 (out of 10) 
Option: Increase resistance if needed to reach PE of 9

Song 5 Madness, by Muse

Forward pedaling/no incline
. During all parts of song except chorus: PE of 2 (out of 10)
 During Chorus: Take your PE to an 8 (out of 10) 
Option: increase resistance if needed to reach PE of 8

 

WORKOUT #6—Build, Push and Dominate This workout from Angela Leigh, a certified personal trainer at Equinox, features three, six-minute high-intensity blocks.

Warm-Up

• 2 minutes at Resistance 3
• 1 minute at Resistance 4
• 2 minutes at Resistance 5

6-minute block (Perform 3 times)

• Build Interval: 60 seconds at Resistance 10
• Recovery 30 seconds at Resistance 5
• Push Interval: 45 seconds at Resistance 15
• Recovery 45 seconds at Resistance 5
• 
Dominate Interval: 30 seconds at Resistance 20 (or max)
• Recovery 60 seconds at Resistance 5
• 90 additional seconds at Resistance 5 for active recovery.

Cool Down

• 2 minutes at Resistance 3

from Hello Healthy http://ift.tt/1RaOIUH
via

4 Reasons to Be Thankful for Your Body (As It Is Today)

Thanksgiving is a great time of year to reflect on all the things we’re grateful for in our lives, and it’s also the perfect season to express a little gratitude for your body, too.

Now, don’t get me wrong, there are a few improvements I wouldn’t mind making to my body. But I find that the more you can focus on the positive, the easier it is to stick with healthy habits that help you look good and, more importantly, feel good!

Here are four reasons to be more thankful for your body today:

1. Your legs are powerful enough to walk, cycle or run wherever you wish to go.

While you may be judging the size of your thighs in the mirror, there’s someone else out there who is struggling just to walk around the block. Don’t forget to keep a little cellulite in perspective—it’s not such a terrible thing (almost everyone has it), and it certainly shouldn’t ever stop you from enjoying life to the fullest.

2. Your arms are strong enough to carry the things you love most.

Whether it’s your daughter, grandson or your pup, your arms have the strength needed to scoop up and hug the things you hold most dear.

3. Your core muscles are capable enough to allow you to sit, twist and reach anytime you want.

As anyone who has had a C-section or major abdominal surgery can attest, our abs assist us more than we realize on a daily basis. While striving for a six-pack might be your ultimate goal, don’t forget to appreciate all that your abs do for you all day long, too.

4. Your heart is beating, and your lungs keep you breathing.

Did you know that you take an average of 23,000 breaths per day? Or that your heart will beat over 3 billion times in your lifetime? When you take a moment to think about all the constant processes that are occurring in your body at any given moment to keep you alive and well, it’s really quite astounding. Your body is an incredible machine that needs your compassion, love and care.

No matter where you are in your weight-loss and wellness journey, remember that we don’t truly know what we have until it’s gone. Don’t wait until you are faced with a serious illness or injury to appreciate all of the amazing things your body does for you on a daily basis. Let’s be grateful for our bodies just as they are today, not just as we wish they would be tomorrow.

from Hello Healthy http://ift.tt/1T7wW39
via

13 Unexpected Ways to Fit In Cardio

Exercise is a key contributor to health and happiness. Beyond triggering that runner’s high, it’s associated with a higher quality of life, improved health, and a better mood. But missing a few gym sessions doesn’t mean staying active has to fall by the wayside.

Sneaking cardio into daily life can save time and improve fitness, sometimes on par with the benefits of a scheduled sweat session. And more time getting moving in our daily lives means less time sitting, which can lower the risk for heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and early death. While intense exercise is good for us, it doesn’t completely erase the effects of a sedentary lifestyle, so making an effort to get moving throughout the day can have some serious long-term benefits.

So how much cardio is enough, and what are some ways to fit it in? The Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommends 150 minutes per week of moderate aerobic exercise, plus two days per week of strength training.

Whether it’s 30 continuous minutes of activity or three 10-minute sessions, we’ve got 13 simple ways to get more active for even the busiest person, whether at home, work, or play. Just keep in mind calories burned varies depending on age, build, gender, and weight.

AT THE OFFICE
1. Be a stair master: But consider taking them one at a time, not two.Researchers found that while the rate of caloric expenditure is higher when taking two at a time, the burn over an entire flight is more when taking one at a time. In one study, participants climbed a 15-meter stairway five times a day with an average of 302 calories burned per week using one step and 266 calories per week using the double step.

2. Walk and talk: Hold walking meetings with co-workers. While moderate walking uses almost two-and-a-half times the energy of sitting in a meeting, mobile meetings can also strengthen work relationships, improve health, and boost creativity.

3. Please stand up: Think of your ring tone as an alarm to get up out of the chair. Throw in a few bodyweight exercises before sitting back down (and check out this list for some great ideas).

4. Hydrate often: Getting lots of H2O means more trips to the bathroom (drinking water might also help ramp up metabolism). Pick a bathroom on a different floor, and visit it often.

ON THE GO
5. No more lazy layovers: Stuck in the airport because of a delayed flight? Don’t just sit there. Do terminal laps — but skip the moving sidewalks!

6. Ditch the drive: Bike or walk to work instead. In addition to adding stress, commuting via public transportation or car can rack up sitting time and lead to weight gain. Just make sure to follow some basic safety precautions and rules of the road!

CHORES GALORE
7. Clean machine: Chores — they have to get done, so why not make them into a workout? Vacuuming can burn about 75 calories per half-hour, while washing the car uses more than double that.

8. Made in the shade: While running errands, park in the shadiest spot, not the closest, to log more steps and keep the car cool.

9. Take a lap (or three!): Browsing the perimeter of a grocery store can do more than just promote healthy food choices. Take a couple of laps to compare prices and rack up some steps! Pushing a cart around the grocery store uses 105 to 155 calories in a half-hour. Bonus points for lugging home the groceries.

WEEKEND FUN
10. Hit the dance floor: Shake it to your favorite beat. Just 30 minutes — or about seven or eight songs — of fast dancing can use up 180 to 266 calories.

11. Take an active date: Challenge your date to a game of tennis. In addition to burning 210 to 311 calories in 30 minutes, tennis may improve bone health, reduce risk for cardiovascular disease, and lower body fat. Looking for more options to give dates a fitness twist? We’ve got plenty of ideas for any season.

12. “Shopping is my cardio”: Words of wisdom from Carrie Bradshaw. Except that a two-hour shopping expedition uses almost 300 calories, or 75 per half-hour. Enough said.

13. Game night: So-called “exergames” — such as on the Kinect or Wii Fit Plus— have been shown to increase energy expenditure up to three times more than just sitting. But while these games are better than parking on the couch, energy burn can vary quite a bit depending on the game.

THE TAKEAWAY
Exercise doesn’t have to be done at the gym, on a track, or even in workout clothes. Little bits of exercise throughout the day can add up — just get creative! Pair some of these sneaky cardio boosters with unexpected strength training to vary the routine and meet the weekly recommendations for exercise.

—by Emily Shoemaker for Greatist

More links we love from our friends at Greatist:

• 9 Ways to Strength Train Outside of the Gym
• Does the “Runners High” Really Exist?
• Hiking & Walking to Boost Creativity 

from Hello Healthy http://ift.tt/1TfdX7v
via

Egg & Bacon Mini Casseroles

Make a grab-and-go breakfast using egg, spinach, bacon, cheddar cheese and leftover bread. These mini casseroles bake up as complete meals that you can quickly reheat for breakfast.

Egg & Bacon Mini Casseroles

Ingredients

• 1 (10-ounce or 280-gram) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed
• 4 slices (35 grams per slice) 100% whole-wheat bread, cubed
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup (110 grams) shredded cheddar cheese
• 3 green onion stalks (35 grams), chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Black pepper, to taste
• 4 slices (110 grams) cooked bacon, chopped
• 5 large (50 grams each) eggs
• 1 1/4 cups (305 grams) low-fat milk

Directions

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Spray one 12-well muffin tin (or two 6-well muffin tins) with cooking oil spray, and set aside.

Put thawed spinach into a mesh strainer, and squeeze out as much excess water as possible. Set spinach aside.

In a large mixing bowl, coat cubed bread with olive oil. Add spinach, cheese, green onions, garlic powder, salt, pepper and bacon. Toss the bread mixture until well combined. Divide the mixture evenly among the 12 muffin-tin wells.

In the same bowl, beat the eggs and stir in the milk. Pour the mixture over the bread in the muffin tin, trying your best to evenly divide the egg-and-milk mixture into each muffin well.

Bake the casseroles for 30–40 minutes, or until the bread on top is golden and crispy and the centers are set. Test by poking a skewer into one of the casseroles, and see if it comes out clean.

Allow casseroles to cool before serving.

Nutrition Information

Serves: 6 |  Serving Size: 2 mini casseroles (70 grams each)

Per serving: Calories: 300; Total Fat: 20g; Saturated Fat: 7g; Monounsaturated Fat: 8g; Cholesterol: 206mg; Sodium: 538mg; Carbohydrate: 14g; Dietary Fiber: 2g; Sugar: 4g; Protein: 17g

Nutrition Bonus: Potassium: 369mg; Iron: 11%; Vitamin A: 123%; Vitamin C: 22%; Calcium: 32% 

from Hello Healthy http://ift.tt/1SkBiUB
via