All posts tagged: Workout

A trainer wants you to try this five-minute glute workout to build lower-body strength

A trainer wants you to try this five-minute glute workout to build lower-body strength

Published by Jenni Sidey

If you spend most of your day sitting down, your glutes are probably paying the price, says Maddy Paupert, head trainer at Xceleration Fitness. “We all need stronger glutes and hips because we all spend too much time sitting, whether that’s at work, at home, or driving,” she explains. The importance of strong glutes can’t be overstated. They help support the lower back, knees and hips, and generally make moving around day-to-day easier. Latest Videos From You may like That’s why Paupert has created a five-minute glute routine that can easily be done from home without the need for gym equipment. How to do the five-minute glute workout Paupert’s workout consists of five exercises, each done for a set number of reps, which should take around one minute per exercise. Paupert recommends doing this workout twice a week alongside your other strength training. The five exercises are: Start your week with achievable workout ideas, health tips and wellbeing advice in your inbox. Lying glute bridge x 15 Side-lying hip abduction x 15 each side Lateral …

This equipment-free workout is designed to be done at your desk to build strength and muscle

This equipment-free workout is designed to be done at your desk to build strength and muscle

Published by Jenni Sidey

If you were interested in joining the military, there are some fitness tests you would need to pass in order to qualify. But not all military roles are physical. In fact, many military workers are desk-based and experience the same challenges as regular office workers, That’s where Lt. Col. Jason Barber, PA-C comes in. He is a U.S. Army Reserve soldier, strength and conditioning coach and a leader in the Army’s Holistic Health and Fitness (H2F) system. Latest Videos From You may like As part of Barber’s role, he supports desk-based military personnel to stay fit and ready for action, using a system inspired by special forces training methods. This may sound like Barber builds intimidating, difficult workouts, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. He has shared his go-to exercises to improve strength and fitness—and you can do them at your desk, while at work. He says that the full workout can be done “right at your desk, in 10 minutes, or less”. Start your week with achievable workout ideas, health tips and …

I asked a certified instructor if it was possible to do a reformer Pilates workout without a reformer—here’s what she suggests

I asked a certified instructor if it was possible to do a reformer Pilates workout without a reformer—here’s what she suggests

Published by Jenni Sidey

To the uninitiated, the Pilates reformer’s combination of sliding carriage, slings, handles, bars and pulleys looks like the most complicated fitness contraption ever designed. To the initiated, it’s an incredibly effective way to develop strength and control, which explains its popularity. But unless you have the money and space to install one in your house, you’ll have to pay to visit a Pilates studio to use one. But Brittni Johnson, an NCPT Pilates instructor for wellness app BetterMe, says that you can replicate a reformer workout at home. Latest Videos From You may like She designed this short workout as an easy, at-home alternative, replacing the Reformer with sliders and resistance bands to mimic the reformer movements. “By introducing external tension, you move beyond basic mat exercises to engage the deep stabilizing muscles, improve joint decompression, and create the functional resistance needed to sculpt a lean, resilient physique,” says Johnson. If you don’t have any sliders available, you can use a towel on hard floors, or a paper plate on carpet. 1. Sliding reverse lunge …

The longevity workout an 85-year-old swears by to build strength and live young

The longevity workout an 85-year-old swears by to build strength and live young

Published by Jenni Sidey

Nearing retirement age is a time to slow down for most people. Not for Jim Owen. At 70, the former Wall Street executive with a sedentary lifestyle challenged himself to shed 35lb, resolve excruciating lower back pain, and get fit. Then he went one step further. Latest Videos From You may like He entered the San Diego Senior Games, an annual event for over-50s. The fitness category Owen entered featured 10 tests of strength and endurance, like hanging from a bar, hurling a heavy ball and skipping with a jump rope. Owen won all 10. (Image credit: Courtesy Jim Owen) “I found my inner athlete when I was about 75,” he tells Fit&Well, reflecting on this transformation. In the jump rope category, Owen completed 49 jumps in 60 seconds. He threw the heavy ball 20 feet. He hung from the bar for an astonishing two-and-a-half minutes. Start your week with achievable workout ideas, health tips and wellbeing advice in your inbox. He beat his training personal bests in nine of the 10 events. “Practice, practice, …

“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

Published by Jenni Sidey

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 …

Why King Charles’ ‘royal hip hop lesson’ is the ultimate anti-ageing workout at 77

Why King Charles’ ‘royal hip hop lesson’ is the ultimate anti-ageing workout at 77

Published by Daniella Wilson

Little is known about King Charles’ daily fitness regimen behind palace doors, aside from his reported love of an 11-minute Royal Canadian Air Force exercise plan known as the 5BX. However, he has hinted that he hasn’t ruled out dance as a way to keep fit. During celebrations to mark the 50th anniversary of The King’s Trust in Belfast, the monarch watched an impressive hip hop performance from students at Urban Motion, which Jamie Fagan founded through the enterprise programme six years ago. Inspired by the dance, Charles told Jamie he’d love “a royal hip-hop lesson.” The King’s Trust ambassador added: “He wants us to teach him how to do hip-hop.” At the age of 77, Charles might be wrongfully assumed to be aged out of trying the notoriously youthful dance style, but qualified personal trainer Nicole Chapman explained to HELLO! why it is actually a powerhouse for promoting “healthy ageing.” When asked if you are ever “too old” to start trying hip hop, she exclusively told us: “Absolutely not. One of the most powerful …

Get stronger with this beginner-friendly resistance band workout for full-body fitness

Get stronger with this beginner-friendly resistance band workout for full-body fitness

Published by Jenni Sidey

Resistance bands are an underrated piece of fitness equipment in my opinion. They can build strength just as well as free weights, but are easier to store and less expensive. But one downside of bands, compared with free weights, is that you don’t know precisely how much more resistance you’re working against when you change your hand position. At least that was the case until I discovered Strong Band from Cyan Koay and Matt Van Mol, two personal trainers who have added numbered markers to their bands to help track progress. Latest Videos From You may like Cyan Koay and Matt Van Mol (Image credit: Strong Band) “Most resistance bands leave people guessing,” Van Mol tells Fit&Well. “How to set them up, how much resistance they’re using, and whether they’re actually progressing. We found this limits people from actually building strength with bands. We started Strong Band to remove that guesswork so people can get effective results. “Strong Band turns resistance bands from a general tool you gauge with feeling into something more clear and …

Protect your spine and build real-world stability with this 15-minute standing abs workout

Protect your spine and build real-world stability with this 15-minute standing abs workout

Published by Jenni Sidey

You might not notice it, but you twist (and resist twisting) your body all the time in everyday life. When you drive and reach behind you (in my case, to pass snacks to my kids in the back), carry groceries or change direction while walking, you are performing spinal rotation. This movement helps to protect your spine and keep your muscles flexible and resilient, reducing stiffness often linked to back pain. Adding intentional and controlled twisting into your fitness routine through rotational and anti-rotational exercises is a fantastic way to strengthen your core and protect your spine for the long term. Latest Videos From You may like In the workout below, the woodchop squat trains your core to generate power through rotation, while the dumbbell press-out works the opposite way—teaching your body to resist movement (anti-rotation) and remain as stable as possible. Master both movement patterns and you won’t just build strength, you’ll boost stability, balance and resilience in your core. Rotation and anti-rotational exercises also target the deep core—often overlooked abdominal muscles that support …

So THAT'S Why Your Muscles Feel Like Jelly After A Workout

So THAT'S Why Your Muscles Feel Like Jelly After A Workout

Published by Sam Flores

!function(n){if(!window.cnx){window.cnx={},window.cnx.cmd=[];var t=n.createElement(‘iframe’);t.display=’none’,t.onload=function(){var n=t.contentWindow.document,c=n.createElement(‘script’);c.src=”//cd.connatix.com/connatix.player.js”,c.setAttribute(‘async’,’1′),c.setAttribute(‘type’,’text/javascript’),n.body.appendChild(c)},n.head.appendChild(t)}}(document);(new Image()).src=”https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=ff7fdddc-5441-4253-abc4-f12a33fad58b”;cnx.cmd.push(function(){cnx({“playerId”:”ff7fdddc-5441-4253-abc4-f12a33fad58b”,”mediaId”:”83926584-688b-4dc5-855a-80afd4103076″}).render(“6a049426e4b0cdaf88dc9ebb”);}); There’s a rite of passage when you start a new exercise routine or sport: following your workout, parts of your body may wobble like jelly. While this experience can happen even with pros,Andrew Jagim, an exercise physiologist at the University of Wisconsin, said that “jelly legs” are especially common with beginners who are not used to working out. “Even doing body-weight squats for five minutes could be enough to make their legs start shaking and quivering,” he said.  Even though this is a natural physiological reaction, it’s still something you’ll want to watch. Unsteady muscles after you use your maximum effort are part of your body’s cry for some rest. From an athletic trainer’s perspective, the signal means: “Hey, it’s time to sit down. Don’t go hurt yourself,” said Patrick Maloney, the lead athletic trainer at Tulane Institute of Sports Medicine in New Orleans.  When this physical shakiness occurs, it means your nerves are short-circuiting and are having trouble communicating with your muscles, Jagim said, because of the rapid onset of …

A trainer says this is the strengthening resistance band workout you should do if you only have 20 minutes to spare

A trainer says this is the strengthening resistance band workout you should do if you only have 20 minutes to spare

Published by Jenni Sidey

When you only have 20 minutes to work out, the last thing you want to do is waste any time traveling to the gym. But training at home doesn’t mean you can’t get in a good strength session. Resistance bands offer the perfect solution for those who don’t have the space for a home gym, or even dumbbells, but want to perform traditional strength training moves. Latest Videos From You may like Bands use tension—instead of weight—to create the resistance needed to put stress on your muscles. They offer a compact but effective solution. Personal trainer Logan Herlihy designed this workout for those days when you’re looking forward to the endorphin boost of a workout, but find yourself pressed for time. All you need is a set of bands—of different levels of resistance—and a door anchor to perform this workout. You will also need a bench or a chair for the seated exercises. Follow the order of the exercises as set out below for the best results, and aim for one set of each exercise …