All posts tagged: routine

ChatGPT’s decline is real — I tested it against Claude on 3 routine tasks and lost every time

ChatGPT’s decline is real — I tested it against Claude on 3 routine tasks and lost every time

I’d be lying if I said I was a Claude user from the beginning. For the longest time, ChatGPT was my go-to AI tool for everything, whether it was automating tasks, brainstorming ideas, or simply handling work I didn’t want to spend hours doing myself. So much so that I have also used ChatGPT on CarPlay, and I absolutely love it. But after using the paid versions of both Claude and ChatGPT extensively, I’ve slowly come to one conclusion: ChatGPT’s decline feels very real. And no, I’m not saying that for the sake of it — I tested both tools across my everyday workflow, and more often than not, Claude came out ahead. ChatGPT still has the bigger name and more features, but it no longer feels as consistent or as reliable as it once did. The responses often feel repetitive, less thoughtful, and sometimes oddly disconnected from the actual context. Meanwhile, Claude simply feels more natural, focused, and better at understanding nuance. Before moving on to the tasks, I think it’s worth knowing that …

“It took me two or three years before I picked up a weight”—a trainer shares the exact weekly workout routine that helped her fall in love with strength training

“It took me two or three years before I picked up a weight”—a trainer shares the exact weekly workout routine that helped her fall in love with strength training

Welcome to Workout Diaries, a series where we ask expert trainers to talk us through what a week of exercise looks like for them, helping you figure out how to develop and maintain an effective workout routine. Cassidy Kmetz is a certified personal trainer based in Miami, Florida. She’s renowned for her strength training programmes for women, with a following of more than half a million across Instagram and TikTok. But Kmetz hasn’t always been confident in the weights room. “It took me two or three years [of training] until I actually picked up a weight,” she tells Fit&Well. Latest Videos From You may like “I started out with resistance band workouts and I was afraid of lifting. I was afraid of being bulky and I had no idea how to use the machines. All of that was really intimidating and there was a lot of fear around it.” Now, she’s not only got a solid strength training routine for herself, but she’s developed a programme that women all over America are using to build …

A midlife fitness expert recommends this 10-minute routine for women in their 60s who want to improve their core strength, posture and mobility

A midlife fitness expert recommends this 10-minute routine for women in their 60s who want to improve their core strength, posture and mobility

As you get older, you may well find stiffness creeping into parts of your body. Stretching can help, but strength work is also necessary if you want to get back to moving with ease. To help you get started, I turned to Heike Yates, a certified Pilates coach, personal trainer and midlife fitness expert, who specializes in helping women in their 50s, 60s and beyond build strength, stability and confidence in their body. With more than 40 years of experience, she uses realistic, joint-friendly movement to support people in everyday life. Latest Videos From You may like Her 10-minute routine below works on your core strength, posture and overall mobility. “This routine focuses on gentle core activation, back support, and functional strength to reduce stiffness and support everyday movement,” Yates explains. “This workout is ideal for women who feel weaker, stiff, or unsure where to start, and can be done three to four times per week to build consistency without strain.” Each move comes with a modification, making it totally beginner-friendly. Start your week with …

“I fully expect to be at least as strong and healthy in my 90s as I am now, if not stronger”—a 72-year-old trainer shares the weekly routine she follows for strength and longevity

“I fully expect to be at least as strong and healthy in my 90s as I am now, if not stronger”—a 72-year-old trainer shares the weekly routine she follows for strength and longevity

Liz Hilliard is a STOTT-certified personal and group Pilates fitness trainer with decades of experience in the industry. She created the Hilliard Studio Method (HSM) in 2008, based on her experience. It combines Pilates and strength training for balanced, full-body training. She has also written Be Powerful: Find Your Strength at Any Age and co-hosts the Be Powerful Podcast. Latest Videos From You may like At 72, she says she’s fitter than she was in her 40s and has no intention of slowing down. “I fully expect to be at least as strong and healthy in my 90s as I am now, if not stronger,” she says. “My aim is longevity and joie de vivre through strength training, a healthy diet and strong, rewarding relationships.” I asked Hilliard what she most wants to get out of her workouts and she told me her number one priority is to increase muscle mass. Everyone should have this as a priority, because age-related muscle loss reduces independence, increases risk of falls, and impacts strength and mobility. Start your …

A kinesiologist and yoga therapist recommends this 10-minute routine for people in their 50s, 60s and 70s who want to feel more confident with exercise

A kinesiologist and yoga therapist recommends this 10-minute routine for people in their 50s, 60s and 70s who want to feel more confident with exercise

As you get older, you may understandably feel wary of throwing yourself into high-intensity workouts in case you damage your body, and this nervousness may mean you end up avoiding exercise altogether. If that sounds familiar, kinesiologist and certified yoga therapist Bobbi Lalach recommends building confidence and body awareness. “I work with people who have often been told they are fine or cleared [to exercise by their doctor], but still don’t feel confident, strong or comfortable in their body,” she tells Fit&Well. “I help them rebuild trust in their body through simple, structured and doable movement.” Latest Videos From You may like Lalach has put together a 10-minute routine for people in their 50s, 60s and 70s who are feeling hesitant about exercise. Perhaps you’re stiff, achy or hesitant to move after injury or long periods of inactivity. “Rather than focusing on intensity or pushing through discomfort, this routine helps people reconnect with their body through small, manageable movements that build awareness, confidence and ease,” Lalach explains. “The exercises are beginner-friendly, require minimal equipment and …

A doctor of physical therapy says this low-intensity routine will build strength and boost mobility

A doctor of physical therapy says this low-intensity routine will build strength and boost mobility

Convenience and consistency are the essential ingredients in this gentle home workout. Designed by Dr Christynne Helfrich, a doctor of physical therapy at Hinge Health who specializes in working with beginners and older adults, it is centered around simple, familiar movements that people are already doing in their day-to-day lives. For example, it combines functional exercises—like going from seated to standing to replicate the action of getting in or out of a chair—with single-leg movements that will improve your ability to avoid falls. Latest Videos From You may like “By practicing these moves with a bit more control and intention, you can build strength, improve balance and support mobility in ways that are practical and sustainable,” says Helfrich. With repetition and gradual progression, she believes it is possible to foster “movement optimism” in people who are new or unfamiliar with exercise. “What matters here is creating a routine that leads to better movement, more confidence, and greater independence over time rather than pushing for intensity,” she tells Fit&Well. How to do the workout Helfrich says …

The Hidden Religion in Your Self-Care Routine + Liz Bucar

The Hidden Religion in Your Self-Care Routine + Liz Bucar

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Product overload! Has your skincare routine gone too far? | Skincare

Product overload! Has your skincare routine gone too far? | Skincare

It often starts innocuously: a small cluster of spots around the mouth, easily dismissed as a hormonal breakout or a reaction to something you have eaten. But this is how perioral dermatitis shows up – quietly, persistently and seemingly more frequently. The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more. “It’s quickly become one of the most common inflammatory conditions I treat,” says Dr Anjali Mahto, a consultant dermatologist and founder of the Self London clinic. Reddit threads on the subject run to thousands of posts, TikTok is awash with people documenting flare-ups, and actor Amanda Seyfried has spoken publicly about dealing with it. A recent report in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology confirmed the condition is on the rise. Meanwhile, the global market for perioral dermatitis treatments is growing. I realised it is becoming increasingly common the slow way. What I assumed was a fleeting breakout lingered for weeks, resisting every serum, cream and mask I threw at it. In trying …

“I wanted more women to feel the same way that I do”—a Pilates instructor shares the exact weekly routine she uses to boost energy, improve strength and move pain-free

“I wanted more women to feel the same way that I do”—a Pilates instructor shares the exact weekly routine she uses to boost energy, improve strength and move pain-free

Welcome to Workout Diaries, a series where we ask expert trainers to talk us through what a week of exercise looks like for them, helping you figure out how to develop and maintain an effective workout routine. Evia Valeniece freely admits that she came late to the Pilates party. Now an in-demand BetterMe instructor with a dedicated following on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, she says she didn’t catch the exercise bug growing up in Latvia. Article continues below You may like “I never really went to the gym or did team sports,” she tells Fit&Well. “That was never my thing. Then COVID and lockdown hit and everything started feeling a bit negative and low.” A lack of energy and willpower to cook at home, plus a demanding work-from-home office job, was having a detrimental effect on her health. “Then my now husband proposed,” Valeniece says, which gave her the push she needed to exercise. “I came to Pilates by accident. I started with some YouTube workouts and it really felt nice. It’s low impact. It’s …

My chronic pain was keeping me awake until I started doing this gentle mobility routine before bed

My chronic pain was keeping me awake until I started doing this gentle mobility routine before bed

I live with chronic pain and sometimes discomfort in my hips, neck and lower back can stop me from falling asleep, or the discomfort I experience from shifting position when I am asleep wakes me up. In an attempt to ease some soreness for a better night’s sleep, I began doing a short stretching and mobility routine after brushing my teeth. It was my usual post-workout stretches—frog pose, pigeon, figure-four and kneeling lunge—but rather than doing them after exercise, I did them right before bed. Article continues below You may like After a couple of days, the results were remarkable. I went to bed feeling more relaxed Releasing tension in my body meant that I went to bed feeling like I had just had a hot bath. As I was falling asleep, my muscles felt less stiff and sore and I had less nagging pain in my lower back and hips. I slept better Unsurprisingly, not waking up every time I moved meant I had a better quality of sleep. Start your week with achievable …