Seriously. Check this out.
The Internet is going nuts over a workout posted on the New York Times today, which offers a science-backed, seven-minute, total-body workout that’s apparently so effective it could do the job—and get the results—of a long run and weight-training session combined.
I know, I know—it sounds too good to be true. But the 12-exercise workout is based on an article in the recent issue of the American College of Sports Medicine’s Health & Fitness Journal written by a pair of certified strength and conditioning specialists in Orlando who have a ton of experience working with clients who want big results in very little time. From their article:
To address the limitations of traditional exercise protocols [i.e. that they are too time consuming for "time-conscious adults"] and provide an effective and efficient program for our clients, one of the exercise strategies we use is high-intensity circuit training (HICT) using body weight as resistance. Our approach combines aerobic and resistance training into a single exercise bout lasting approximately 7 minutes. Participants can repeat the 7-minute bout 2 to 3 times, depending on the amount of time they have. As body weight provides the only form of resistance, the program can be done anywhere.
The 12 exercises are as follows. Do each for 30 seconds at the highest intensity you can muster, then take a 10-second rest before moving on to the next exercise:
READ MORE
|
Finally!
• As my blistered, post-Broad Street feet can attest, I have wonky size issues when it comes to running shoes. And believe me, my feet have been worse—much worse. A few years ago, I ran a half marathon and crossed the finish line limping. I had no idea why—my bones and muscles and whatnot felt fine—until I took off my shoe and saw a sock soaked with blood. The shoe had rubbed part of my ankle raw and had created a wicked blood blister on my toe that popped at some point near the finish line. In a nutshell, it was not pretty. While I still get blisters every now and then (like, right now), my feet are far better off than they were a few years ago. Why? Because I finally got better-fitting shoes. As this super useful post on Women’s Health points out, you want shoes that are at least a half-size bigger than your normal, everyday shoes. In fact, I’ve figured out that a full size bigger works best for me. The reason is that your feet swell when you run, so you need extra space to account for it. Head over to WH to find more good-fit tips for running sneaks.
• This may be the mother of all recipe roundups: Greatist’s “400+ Healthy Recipes (That Won’t Break the Bank).” These recipes literally cover all your bases—from breakfasts to dinners to snacks to desserts—and use eight ingredients or fewer. Get them here.
• Have you been wondering what might happen to the make-shift memorials in Boston that cropped up after the marathon bombings? Runner’s World reports that items like posters, running shoes and more will be preserved and made part of a permanent memorial for the victims. More here.
Photo: Shutterstock
|
Results of a new study show how exercise may protect against breast cancer.
• Time to hit the elliptical, ladies—a new study may have finally figured out how exercise reduces your breast-cancer risk. But let me back up for a second: Previous studies already pointed to the cancer-risk-decreasing effect of exercise, but until now, no one had any clue how it happened. Ready for this? It appears to have something to do with estrogen. For the study, 400 healthy, inactive women were divided into two groups. The women in one group did absolutely nothing and continued their inactive lifestyle; those in the other, however, did 30 minutes of moderate-to-intense cardio exercise (on an elliptical, treadmill or stair stepper) five times a week for 16 weeks. All the subjects submitted urine samples at the beginning and end of the study. Researchers found that the women who exercised had higher levels of estrogen metabolites in their urine at the study’s end—molecules known to reduce breast cancer risk. So researchers think that exercise changes the way the body metabolizes estrogen, and that process may help shore you up against breast cancer. Fascinating, yes? Read more here.
READ MORE
|
Find a bench and you're ready to rock with this week's Be Well Workout.
The good news about this week’s workout is that the main piece of equipment you’ll need is a stable bench or surface you can jump on to safely. A plyo-box would work. Or a step. You could even use a bench in a park, or a marble surround of one of Philly’s many (many!) fountains. You get the picture.
The workout will include circuits of the six exercises below, with a set of 50 mountain climbers in between. (Hello, cardio!) You’ll do 20 reps of each exercise for the first circuit, followed by mountain climbers; then you’ll do a round of 16 of everything, followed by mountain climbers; then 12, eight, and finally four of each exercise, always doing 50 mountain climbers between each round. Each exercise utilizes the bench in some way. Meaning? This is a space saving, quick, kick-butt workout. Good luck!
|
Seriously, this event is going to be amaaaaazing. Get tickets while you can!
 Participants at last year's Be Well Boot Camp during a yoga class. Guys, I’m know I’m biased and all, but seriously—have you seen the amazing lineup we have for this year’s Be Well Boot Camp? I mean, we’ve totally outdone ourselves for the June 8th event.
Let me count the ways:
READ MORE
|
Make sure to get these songs on your iPod before hitting the road on Sunday.
 It’s. Finally. Here. That’s right, the largest 10-mile road race in the U.S.A. is this Sunday, and it’s right here in our backyard.
Hopefully, by now, you’ve picked out your red race-day socks, you’ve memorized BSR’s new security measures, you’ve accepted that Cecily Tynan will most definitely leave you in the dust, and you’re looking forward to running side-by-side with a few enthusiastic Bostonians. You good? Good.
Although you may think you’re 150 percent prepared to face the day, having covered all of the above plus some seriously intense training because you’re the bomb dot com, I think you’re missing something: You’re missing the soundtrack.
READ MORE
|
Ponytail, pigtails, baldness—literally anything is better than working out with your hair down.
Ladies, we need to have a serious conversation. I’ve been quiet about this long enough and I just can’t stay silent any more. To all you long-haired women who work out with your hair down, I ask: Whyyyy?
Not that I’m judging or anything. I am genuinely curious as to why you choose to do it and, even more, how you can stand it. Purely from observation (because, really, I could never, ever wear my hear down, even if you paid me to), I’m going to point out a few of the things off the bat that would bother me if I wore my hair down during a work out:
READ MORE
|
Your favorite new running partner has four legs. Here, the top dogs for your preferred distance.
Every runner has his or her favorite accessories, but maybe none so animate and encouraging as the right dog. As an expert on man’s furriest friend, certified master groomer (and Best of Philly 2010 winner) Jennifer Lavelle gave me a run-down of the top dogs for your preferred distance.
READ MORE
|
A new study confirms that sore boobs are as common as you probably always assumed.
• No, ladies, you’re not alone if you’ve ever experienced breast pain when you work out. Problem is, no scientific study has ever proven that you’re not alone in your misery—until now. Researchers at the University of Portsmouth in England used data gleaned from a wide swath of women—representing 56 bra sizes, from an AA cup to an HH and chest-band sizes from 28 to 40 inches—who participated in the London Marathon. They found that “more than a third reported that their breasts were frequently were sore, although not necessarily because of exercise,” according to the New York Times. But exercise aggravated the pain in many of the women and affected the way they exercised; some walked instead of ran, for example, while others opted not to exercise at all when their breasts were sore. And although a majority of larger-breasted women reported experiencing frequent breast pain, fully 25 percent of smaller-breasted women said their girls were sore frequently, too. The point? That lots and lots (and lots) of us experience breast pain when we work out, and that it can really take a toll on our quantity and quality of exercise. Which also means we should probably think seriously about investing in proper underwear, right? And—oh, hey!—I can help with that.
READ MORE
|
An arm-lift procedure called brachioplasty is the hottest thing in plastic surgery right now.
• I guess it was only a matter of time. After all, for years women have been undergoing plastic surgery to get bigger boobs, smaller noses and trimmer tummies. Now, new data from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons shows that more and more women are getting liposuction—on their arms. In 2012, more than 15,000 women—up 4,378% since 2000, the Los Angeles Times reports—spent $61 million on a procedure called brachioplasty, which involves incising the back of the arm, cutting from the armpit to the elbow, and removing extra skin and fat. The procedure often leaves ugly scars, but women are flocking to it anyway in hopes that their arms will appear thinner and more toned. Their reason? They want sexy arms like Jennifer Aniston, Demi Moore and even First Lady Michelle Obama, according to a poll. Oy. Whatever happened to—oh, I don’t know—going to the gym and actually earning it? Read more here.
• You know what would be awesome? Gym clothes you never have to wash but that still don’t stink. We’re one step closer to seeing that dream come true (it’s everybody’s dream, right?), according to Mashable, which reports this week on a New York startup that’s marketing a wool button-down shirt for men that won’t smell, even after being worn for 100 days straight without washing. Can I get that in a wicking tech tank, please? Kthanks. More here.
• Because I’m positive you’ve always wondered (and envied) how celebs like Taylor Swift look so gosh-darn picture perfect when they leave the gym, I give you this: a tutorial for “how to fake Taylor Swift’s post-workout prettiness.” Thanks, New York Mag.
Photo: spirit of america / Shutterstock.com
|
