The 10-Minute Wall Workout That Helps Remove Flab From Your Arms, Abs, and Legs

This total body wall workout is perfect for sneaking in a quick routine at home, in the office, or even when you’re on the road. All you need is a wall, a workout mat or towel, and 10 minutes.

Shorter, high-intensity workouts like HIIT and circuit training are proven to burn more fat and to increase fitness levels. So to get the full benefits of a cardio circuit, complete each exercise back to back with no resting between. At the end, take a quick breather for 30 seconds, and repeat the circuit. In just 10 minutes, this wall workout will sculpt your glutes, thighs, abs, shoulders, and arms while getting your heart rate up to give you a quick cardio blast. If you have extra time and want to kick it up a notch, this circuit can be repeated up to 5 times.

10-Minute HIIT Wall Workout

• Repeat circuit 1X
• 30 seconds rest between rounds

Wall Sit | 60 sec

1. Stand with your back against the wall and feet hip-width distance apart.
2. Walk your feet out about a foot and a half. Keeping your back on the wall, slide down into a squat position. Make sure you keep a 90-degree bend in the knees, with the knees stacked above the ankles.
3. Bend your elbows and place your hands behind your head. Keep your belly engaged and your torso upright. Hold this position for one minute.

Tip: Make sure to keep the core engaged and to keep the knees in line with the toes for the entire minute. If you have light dumbbells handy, you can hold them in each hand to make this exercise even more challenging.

Leg Curls | 15 reps

1. Kneel down on your hands and knees, facing away from the wall. Place both of your feet against the bottom of the wall so that your toes are still touching the ground.
2. Keeping your hands on the floor, walk them slightly wider than shoulder-width distance. Bend your elbow to bring your upper body into a pushup position.Then, with your hands on the floor, bend your elbows, landing your upper body in a push-up position.
3. On an exhale, use the strength of your upper body to push the ground away, using your hamstrings and core to pull you upright, lifting your upper body.
4. Keep your shoulders in line with your hips as you use your hamstrings and core to slowly drop back into the starting position, catching yourself back in that push-up position.

Booty Bridge | 15 reps per side

1. Lie face up on a mat or towel, bend your right knee at a 90-degree angle, and place your foot on the wall.
2. Extend your left leg straight towards the ceiling and place your hands down alongside the body, with your palms pressing into the mat.
3. Take a deep breath in and as you exhale, press down through your hands and lift your hips high, reaching your left foot up towards the ceiling.
4. Pause for a moment to contract your glutes, then inhale and lower your hips back down to the starting position. Continue to lift your hips up and down for 15 reps. Switch sides.

Tricep Push-ups | 15 reps

1. Place your hands and forearms on the wall a few inches lower than shoulder height. Forearms should be parallel to one another.
2. Walk your feet away from the wall until your body forms a straight line. On an exhale, press through both hands to lift your forearms off the wall and to straighten your arms.
3. Inhale to slowly lower yourself back to down to your forearms. Make sure to keep your abs and glutes engaged the entire time to keep from hinging at the hips as you press up and down. Repeat for 15 reps.

Tip: To modify this exercise, walk the hands higher up the wall. To make it more challenging, lower your hand position closer to the floor and walk your feet back.

Mountain Climbers | 60 sec

1. Start in a high plank position with your feet at the base of the wall.
2. Begin to walk your feet up the wall until they are in line with your shoulders. Draw the right knee in towards your chest as you keep your left foot pressing firmly into the wall.
3. Pause for a second to draw your belly up and in, and then place the right foot back on the wall.
4. Pressing your right foot firmly into the wall, begin to draw the left knee into your chest. Pause for a second to draw the belly up and in and then place the left foot back on the wall. Continue alternating for 60 seconds.

Tip: Make sure to keep the shoulders stacked over the wrists. If you begin to feel low back strain, modify by walking your feet back down the wall and keeping your toes on the floor.

Remember to keep each exercise nice and controlled, and complete each exercise back to back for maximum cardiovascular effort. After you finish the entire circuit, take a short water break for 30 seconds, then repeat whole circuit one more time for a 10-minute wall workout.

Stretch Ring Finger With Your Thumb For A Few Seconds – Surprising Benefits

How is it possible to reach a state of peace and harmony just with our hands?

The positions of hands or ” mudras ” develop a very important role in the practice of yoga, so much so that they are known as “producers of joy.”

The explanation for this strange practice it is in the huge amount of nerve endings containing our fingers and that when pressed in a specific way, help us connect channels that allow energy circulating through the body.

The good thing is that these exercises can be done anywhere and at any time of day. Simply spend a few minutes and put forward to reach a state of absolute relaxation.

1. GYAN MUDRA FOR HEALING (MUDRA OF KNOWLEDGE) :

How To Do :

Peacefully sit in a lotus posture and keep your hand on knee then touch thumb tip with your index finger tip and keep the remaining three fingers free like straight or close.

Benefits :

• This gyan hand mudra helps to relax your mind and improves the ability to concentrate better.
• It keeps brain power sharp and smart.
• It can cure insomnia (inability to sleep)
• Regular practice can keep you stress relief and depression.

2. VAYU MUDRA (MUDRA OF AIR) :

How To Do :

Fold Your index finger towards palm show like above image and the press with the base of thumb. And rest of the three fingers keep extend as much as possible.

Benefits :

• This yoga mudra eliminates excessive gas from your body
• It can gives relief in problems associated with the air element such as: Flatulence, constipation, cervical spondylitis, arthritis etc.

3. PRITHVI MUDRA FOR HEALING (MUDRA OF EARTH):

How To Do :

First you bend your little finger and ring finger then touch these two fingers tips to tip of thumb.

Benefits :

• It makes you feel more energetic and helps boost the body’s immunity, too.
• This can prevent tiredness
• Cure the eye problems and increase eye power.

Run Faster With These Resisted Running Gear Tips

No matter the distance we're training for, we all want to be faster. 

Sprint intervals, hill repeats and Fartlek runs are a step in the right direction, but to really put your speed training into overdrive, you may need to use some advanced apparatus.

The Key Benefits of Resisted Running

In the past, resisted running has been mostly limited to the world of short distance sprinting. Research shows that lightweight sled pulls and parachute sprints can effectively improve early-phase acceleration over the first 20 meters of an all-out sprint.  

But there is plenty of research demonstrating that sprint training can be beneficial for long-distance runners as well, largely due to the boost in VO2Max that high-intensity sprint intervals can elicit. Sports scientists have also found that resisted running is actually gentler on runners' joints than all-out sprints and other forms of strength training. The additional load slows the pace and reduces the number of steps without significantly increasing joint strain. Is it possible, then, that resisted pulling or pushing at max effort can net even greater benefits? 

A 2007 study that had a group ofthat required "strong man" Strongman athletes to push a 4,000-plus-pound 4,000+ lb vehicle found that resisted pulling or pushing elicited incredibly high metabolic workloads. Luckily, you don't have to push or pull the family car around to reap the benefits of resisted running--most studies have found that sprinting while towing a weight equal to around 10 percent of your body weight is ideal for improving acceleration and power, while moderately heavier resistance levels may provide other significant performance benefits.

Which Tools Are Best?

For developing early-phase acceleration, sleds and parachutes are both effective training tools. Each device should be attached to a harness more than 30 feet long, in order to allow for unrestricted movement. 

If your aim is to pile on the weight and build strength and aerobic power, then the sled has a clear advantage. That's because the only way to increase the load with a parachute system is to use a larger parachute, or to hook up a complicated network of multiple parachutes. With a sled, all you have to do is add another weight or two. 

If you want to be able to change the resistance level at various points throughout a single repetition--to train yourself to push hard at the end of a race, for example--you'll want to use a heavy-duty bungee and harness system. This option is lightweight, portable, and relatively cost effective--but it will require a workout partner or training coach. 

Gradual Progression, Workout Timing and Recovery

Sprinting of any kind is metabolically taxing, both to the muscles and the central nervous system, and resisted running is no exception. For this reason, it's imperative that you start slow and gradually increase total training volume: load x sets x speed. It's also important to allow your body to fully recover after loaded training days. Even though you may not experience the muscle soreness that a heavy weight workout or plyometric training can produce, you'll only be hurting your performance if you follow up a resisted running day with another demanding workout. 

Because of the high metabolic demands, it's best to incorporate these workouts early in the training season or during the off-season. 

Kyle Williams, an Australian high-altitude endurance athlete and coach, says that he uses sled training in the early, base-building phase of training and sticks with "tried and tested long runs and challenging tempo or interval sessions" later in the training season. He also recommends that runners limit resisted running to one session per week in order to allow for adequate recovery.

While little research has been done on the benefits of resisted running for endurance performance to date, this hot training trend has runners, coaches and exercise physiologists taking a closer look. By starting off slow and testing different training loads, resisted running could kick your speed into the next gear.

Bonus: A Resisted Workout Sample to Get You Started

Australian coach Kyle Williams uses a heavier weighted sled workout to boost strength and power as well as to stimulate the acidosis threshold response. He recommends that runners pull about 40 percent of their bodyweight forward, backward, and laterally right and left in an all-out effort for 15 seconds with a two-minute rest between each direction. For pure acceleration work, however, he unloads the sled and drags it empty for 60-second sprint repeats with two minutes of rest in between.

This Is What A Single Gym Session Can Do For Your Brain, According To Science

Up until college, I had never stepped foot in a gym.

If someone told my high school friends that I would become someone who works out on a regular basis, they probably would’ve lost it.

Although, I have to wonder if high-school-me would have hopped on the elliptical if I knew that just one gym sesh could promise amazing things for my brain.

Despite what our own president has said about the benefits of exercise (or lack-there-of, in his mind), a new review discussing the impact of acute exercise on brain functions effectively bursts Trump’s uninformed bubble.

The investigators involved in this review, which was published in the journal Brain Plasticity, summarized extensive research on the vast cognitive, behavioral, neurophysiological, and neurochemical changes that can come from just a single bout of physical exercise.

Wendy A. Suzuki, PhD, a principal researcher on the study and a professor of neural science and psychology in the Center for Neural Science at New York University, told EurekAlert! Science News,

Exercise interventions are currently being used to help address everything from cognitive impairments in normal aging, minimal cognitive impairment (MCI), and Alzheimer’s disease to motor deficits in Parkinson’s disease and mood states in depression.

Our review highlights the neural mechanisms and pathways by which exercise might produce these clinically relevant effects.

After examining a large body of research involving both animals and humans, the study authors found that acute exercise was consistently correlated with improved executive function (meaning the mental processes that allow you to plan, focus, and multitask), better mood, and lower stress levels.

So, even if you can only manage to fit in a simple StairMaster sesh once a week, that’s still better than nothing.

However, understanding the positive outcomes that can come from just one workout is the first step in recognizing how a long-term fitness lifestyle can literally change how your brain functions over time, and thus how it can change your life for the better.

According to the review, future research plans to bridge the gap between neurological and behavioral changes that can be seen post-exercise, and how these changes differ in humans versus animals.

But, for now, you have no excuse to not squeeze just one workout into your day, your week, your month, or even your year (yes, I do need to stop watching Friends so much, but you also need to stop judging my life).

How to Eat 30 Carbs Per Day

Low-carbohydrate diets have taken center stage in the health and fitness industry in the last decade and are based around the idea that the human body works better without difficult grains and sugars to digest. Eating under 30 grams of carbohydrates per day can be difficult. Grains and sugars are a large part of the modern diet because they are widely produced, accessible and inexpensive. You can still eat under 30 grams of carbohydrates a day by focusing on vegetables and lean proteins while avoiding Western staples like bread, pasta, high-sugar fruits and dairy products.

Things You'll Need

• Pan
• Olive oil
• Mixed vegetables (your preference of mushrooms, bell peppers, broccoli, carrots, tomatoes, olives, cucumbers and green beans) washed and chopped into quarter-sized pieces
• 2 bowls
• Spatula
• Fresh green lettuce or spinach
• Grilled chicken breast or canned chicken, salmon or tuna
• Lean protein like chicken breast, beef, lamb or pork

Breakfast

Cook a low-carbohydrate omelet for breakfast by lightly sautéing vegetables before incorporating them in the omelet. For the vegetables, heat up half a tablespoon of olive oil in the pan, add your washed and chopped vegetables and cook on medium heat until the vegetables are slightly soft and very lightly browned. Put the vegetables in the bowl and put the pan back on the stove with another half tablespoon of olive oil for the eggs.

Scramble the eggs in another bowl and make sure the pan is hot when you pour the eggs in. Sprinkle your vegetables in the pan with the eggs and allow to cook until the eggs near the edges of the pan begin to look dry. Use your spatula to fold the omelet in half and gently transfer to a plate. Pair your breakfast with black coffee or tea and water.

Build your lunch salad by tossing the lettuce with your mixed vegetables, another half tablespoon of olive oil, and some salt and pepper. Sprinkle your grilled chicken breast or canned chicken, salmon or tuna on top of your salad.

Cook your lean protein by heating half a tablespoon of olive oil in your pan on medium-low heat, adding the meat and cooking until browned on both sides. Adding spices like salt, pepper, sage and/or basil will add dimension and flavor to the fillet.

Finish cooking your dinner by cooking a heaping pile of vegetables just like in step one. The key to keeping your carbohydrate intake below 30 grams of carbohydrates is larger volumes of vegetables and regular amounts of protein and fiber to keep you feeling full and energized.

Measure out 1/4 cup of almonds, cashews or Brazil nuts for a mid-morning or mid-afternoon snack if you feel hungry. Be careful not to eat more nuts than this, as it is very easy to go over 30 grams of carbohydrates as well as your recommended amount of daily calories with snacks like nuts.

Measure out half a cup of a lower carbohydrate fruit like blueberries or raspberries if you have consumed less than 30 grams of carbohydrates and feel like eating something sweet after dinner. Again, be careful not to eat too much, as fruit tends to be much higher in sugar than vegetables or lean proteins.

Tips & Warnings

• When making your lunch salad, adding cheese, balsamic vinegar or typical salad dressing might push you over 30 grams of carbohydrates for the day, but these ingredients are good for adding flavor.
• Low-carbohydrate diets often leave people feeling tired if they are not used to getting most of their energy from lean proteins and healthy fats. Eating less than 30 grams of carbohydrates per day is not recommended in general, and particularly not for athletes or people who live very active lifestyles, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

4 Reasons You Should Be Stretching

While stretching is often not technically viewed as an exercise in and of itself, it's a crucial component of any active lifestyle, and its health benefits are often underestimated. With dozens of different stretches available to you, from the full-body movements of yoga to muscle-specific sports stretches, take a moment today to explore the many ways that stretching can enhance your health. But remember, before changing your exercise lifestyle, consult your doctor first to ensure that stretching is right for you.

Enhanced Muscle Growth

Stretching is one of the top ways to boost your muscle fitness, reports "Men's Health" magazine, which recommends stretching between sets of weight lifting. Stretching may enhance muscle growth in several ways. For example, it boosts blood flow to the area, providing the muscle with oxygen and nutrients such as glycogen and protein. Additionally, stretching lengthens the muscle fibers, thus helping to enhance muscle size and strength. Side health benefits of enhanced muscle development include increased capabilities in everyday lifting and pushing, and a higher metabolism rate.

Improved Range of Motion

Stretching boosts your muscles' and tendons' range of motion and elevates your level of flexibility. This has numerous potential health benefits. For example, more flexibility in your tendons helps reduce the risk of experiencing microtrauma during exercise. Additionally, helping your body boost its range of motion helps to enhance your physical performance and may guard against injuries related to movement, such as in sports.

Increased Circulation

Stretching helps improve the circulation and flow of blood throughout your body, which helps with overall well-being and may even help to improve your general mood. Improving your body's circulation through stretching may also help to lower your risks of circulatory diseases, such as diabetes and heart disease.

Enhanced Joint Health

Stiffness and weakness in your joints is one of the biggest contributors to loss of independence as you get older and your body ages. Regular stretching can help enhance joint health and reduce the speed of joint degeneration. Stretching can also help reduce arthritis-related problems, such as stiffness and pain, in commonly affected areas such as your wrists, elbows, knees and lower areas of your spine.

5 Crunches Alternatives to Get Your Abs Ready For The Beach

If your weight room sessions these days consist of you plodding through the exact same regimen that consists of the exact same sequence of exercises that you cooked up way back in high school, here is your chance to incorporate some badly-needed variety in your life. Today: CRUNCHES. Here's how to get the abs of your dreams, according to a few of our favorite trainers.

Idalis Velazquez: Hollow body crunch

The hollow body position involves bracing your abs and creating total-body tension, which is a more effective way and functional way of training your abs than traditional crunches. Start by laying out flat on the mat, and, while keeping your lower back on the floor, tuck in your ribs and raise your shoulders and legs off the exercise mat at the same time. Imagine pulling your belly button into your spine. Hold for one second, and then bring your knees and elbows together, holding that position for an additional second. Aim to complete 3 sets of 10-20 repetitions.

Ben Booker: Hanging knee raises.

Hanging on a pull-up bar, arms straight, and raise your knees high as you can towards your chin. Don’t swing—controlling the motion like this recruits the obliques and other stabilizer muscles, which demands tremendous core strength. For additional variety, add a twist at the top of the motion, or if you dare, try to get your toes all the day to the bar.

Jay Cardiello: Knee presses.

Try an isometric exercise for a change of pace in your core routine. Lay flat on floor with your knees bent at a 90-degree angle and your shins off the ground and parallel to floor. Place your palms on top of knees, and press into your knees as hard as possible, while also driving your knees upwards toward your chin. Keep your lower back flat on floor, and imagine pressing your stomach up towards the ceiling. Maintain the position for 30 seconds, and then release.

Gideon Akande: Reverse crunch.

Most people mentally check out after just a few crunches, but reversing the motion is a great way to refocus your attention. Start on your back with your knees bent in a sit-up position. Glue your heels to your butt and lift your hips over your head. The challenge, though, is returning to the starting position as slowly as you can. The only way that happens is to engage the lower abs and maintaining control throughout the movement, like so.

Alexia Clark: Medicine ball engaged crunch.

Lay on your back and squeeze a medicine ball between your forearm and your thigh. Use your core to hold the ball in place while keeping your leg at a 90 degree angle, as demonstrated here. Raise the opposite leg up and down, performing 15-20 reps on each side. This exercise requires your core to do multiple things at once, maximizing calorie burn and promoting extreme muscle confusion.

Why Exercising Outdors Is Betters For You Than The Gym

Spring is full of endless sunny days and weather that’s just warm enough to work up a sweat outdoors without feeling like you’re going to suffer from a heat stroke.

Not only does it feel great to work out outside, but there are also tons of other health benefits.

Here’s why you should take your workout outside for the next few months:

1. We work harder.

When we work out indoors, we set our own pace, and we only work out for a limited amount of time.

However, according to one study, people who took their work out outdoors did at least 30 minutes more of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity per week than those who only did it inside.

This allows you to burn more calories throughout the week, which leads to weight loss and muscle building.

The participants who exercised outdoors also reported feeling healthier overall.

By allowing our body to experience various terrains, hills and locations, this strengthens our muscles and joints, causing them to be less susceptible to injuries and keeping them in top-notch shape.

2. Being outside lowers depression.

According to a recent study, people who frequented the park had lower rates of depression and high blood pressure and were more social, compared to those who visited green spaces less frequently.

Being outdoors and interacting with nature can be calming for a lot of people, and exercising in a park could benefit you in more ways than one.

3. It could prevent cancer.

According to the Department of Environmental Conservation, when we breathe in fresh air, we breathe in phytoncides, airborne chemicals that plants give off to protect themselves from insects.

Phytoncides have antibacterial and antifungal qualities that help plants fight disease.

When people breathe in these chemicals, our bodies respond by increasing the number of white blood cells in our bodies.

These white blood cells kill tumor and virus infected cells.

So, just being outside and simply breathing for a few minutes each day can help protect ourselves against cancer.

4. Nature helps us focus.

Throughout the day, we often have a million things going on that need our attention. Focusing on any one task can be difficult.

However, spending time in nature allows our mind to wander, as we explore plants, water, birds, trees and wildlife.

Doing this allows us to give the cognitive portion of our brain a break, allowing us to focus better when we need to, and it also helps renew our patience.

5. It saves us money.

Spending time outside is free.

All we need is a good pair of shoes, and we’re ready to go.

Step outside your door and go for a run. Head to the nearest park and go for a walk.

Why use precious gas money and drive to an expensive gym just to work out on a treadmill or ride a stationary bike?

Save money by utilizing the great outdoors as your gym. That way, you won’t convince yourself working out can’t fit into your budget.

6. It’s more fun.

Once we take our workout outdoors, the possibilities are endless!

We can go running, road biking, golfing, hiking, mountain biking, swimming and more.

Soaking up beautiful views and refreshing air simply isn’t possible when you’re cooped up inside of a gym.

Not only that, but working out outside is both mentally and physically challenging. So, it utilizes both your mind and body, the ultimate type of workout.

So whether we’re biking, running or taking that workout video to the park, the benefits are astounding.

Utilize the best resource we all have access to: nature. Soak up some Vitamin D to feel happier, healthier and more focused.

What more could we ask for? I don’t know about you, but I’m going to be spending less time inside and more time outside this season.

Why Coffee Can Actually Make Your Workout Better

If you’re a Starbucks lover who needs a little motivation to get back to that Zumba class, we are here to provide good news that’s just as sweet as your latte.

It turns out coffee can boost your workouts, so the next time you head to Planet Fitness, make sure you have a nice cup of Joe beforehand.

Look at science gifting us with fantastic findings! This is totally a practice we can all get behind. Let’s be honest — does the treadmill really seem that inviting sans coffee?

Not that you’d need any further convincing before trying out this method for yourself, but, just in case, we’re here to provide.

According to The New York Times, caffeine makes it easier for your muscles to burn fat (score!). It increases alertness, which in turn makes that round on the elliptical seem less grueling.

As delighted as scientists were to discover this, some used to believe there is a catch — it only works if you give up coffee some time beforehand.

OK, OK, stop hyperventilating and listen to what Dr. Bruno Gualano, a professor of physiology and nutrition at the University of São Paulo, has to say. He identifies himself as a “good Brazilian” who loves a cup of Joe, so he is totally in the know.

To see if this frightening theory was true, Dr. Gualano gathered a group of 40 male cyclists for a study. After extensive questioning, riders were divided into groups — low, moderate, and high caffeine consumers. They all received caffeine pills that boosted their performance.

Dr. Gualano concluded that the workout results were the same for all consumers — light, moderate, or heavy.

He provided The Times with very promising news and said, “No matter the habitual caffeine intake in the diet, acute caffeine supplementation can improve performance.”

However, he did mention that results might vary for women.

In honor of Dr. Gualano’s findings, I’ll go treat myself to a cappuccino… but Planet Fitness is kind of far away from my apartment, and it’s raining out, so I’ll save that whole pesky exercise thing for another day and just stick to getting my coffee.

6 Triceps Exercises to Tone Your Arms For Beach Season

Yes, biceps curls are great for making you feel like a low-level action hero, but you're a wily gym veteran, so you know that the key to super-swole arms is the triceps. In honor of the suns-out-guns-out season that is nearly upon us, we asked some fitness pros for a few new triceps exercises to try instead of the old, reliable EZ bar skullcrusher. The names may not be as cool, but the workout will be just as good.

Idalis Velazquez: Dumbbell skullcrusher. Stick with the same exercise, but use dumbbells instead. This variation requires each arm to work independently of the other. The fact that dumbbells are harder to control than an EZ bar provides an additional challenge to your muscles (so yes, this means you should use less weight!). You can also experiment with different grips on the dumbbell, which affects how the triceps are recruited.

Robin Arzon: Incline single-arm dumbbell skullcrusher. Using an incline bench recruits core muscles to help develop balance, while focusing on single-arm movements addresses any imbalances that may have arisen on either side.

Jay Cardiello: Crisscross push-ups. Begin in a push-up position, but with your arms crisscrossed. Your right hand should be directly under your left shoulder, with your left hand slightly behind your right shoulder. To check your positioning, lower yourself to the floor until your forearms rest flat on the ground — your right hand will be in front of your left elbow, and your left hand will be behind your right elbow. Press through your palms and raise your body back into a push-up position. Repeat as many times as possible for 30 seconds.

Ben Booker: Single-arm cable push-downs and pull-downs. Skullcrushers are great for working the triceps, but I see many people performing them incorrectly due to shoddy elbow placement or poor shoulder mobility. Try single-arm cable push-downs and pull-downs instead. Switching up the positioning of your grip during cable work targets a different part of that magical triceps horseshoe.

Gideon Akande: Bear plank push-up. It’s as nasty as it sounds. Assume a bear hold position, with your hands under your shoulders and your knees under your hips, like so. Lift your knees one inch off of the ground, and then perform a push-up in that position. Keeping the elbows close to the body will smoke the shoulders and ignite the triceps. Besides, this looks way cooler than regular skull crushers.

Alexia Clark: Standing rotation triceps extension. Start with your arms bent at a 90-degree angle and your palms facing each other, holding dumbbells. Keeping your arms at that degree angle, rotate your arms so that your elbows are pointing straight up to the air and your biceps are by your ears. From this position, straighten your arms to perform a tricep extension, as shown here. Rotate your arms back down to a 90-degree angle at chest level and repeat. The rotation helps develop shoulder mobility, and standing while doing the extension engages the deeper end of your triceps.

The Workout You Need to Do If You Sit All Day

It’s no surprise that sitting all day does some undesirable things to our bodies. Research has linked excessive sitting with an elevated risk for health conditions such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Of course that doesn’t mean you’ll get heart disease just because you have a desk job—but sitting isn’t doing your body any favors.

Sitting all day can also impact us physically. Sitting for long periods of time, especially with poor posture, makes your hip flexors tight, which causes the glutes (butt muscles) to lengthen to compensate. Over time, this compromises the ability of the gluteal muscles to activate properly, leading to a condition called gluteal amnesia, AKA dead butt syndrome. When your glutes can't do their job, other muscles in your body have to work harder, which ultimately can overwork them, leading to poor body alignment and aches. Tight hip flexors also make it harder for your pelvis to rotate properly—inhibited mobility in this area can cause compression and pain in the lower back, physical therapist Dan Giordano, D.P.T., C.S.C.S., and co-founder of Bespoke Treatments Physical Therapy in New York City, tells SELF.

If you spend most of your time sitting, there is some good news. While it is true that sitting for most of the day isn’t healthy, there are some ways you can help undo the damage, Noam Tamir, C.S.C.S., founder of TS Fitness in New York City, tells SELF. For starters, Tamir recommends standing up for at least 30 to 40 minutes a day. “A standing desk is also a good option as it will help you become more aware of your posture and engage your core muscles,” he says.

In addition, doing certain exercises when you’re off the clock can also make a huge difference, especially ones that focus on strengthening the posterior (back) part of your body—like your back, glutes, and hamstrings—while stretching the anterior (front) muscles such as your hip flexors, pelvis, and chest. This helps counteract the tightness that ensues when you're in a seated position, plus strengthens the muscles that we need for good posture (read: to be strong enough to simply sit upright and stand up straight).

We asked Tamir to put together a great workout that can help undo some of the negative effects of sitting all day. “These exercises are designed to strengthen the core, work the posterior muscles of the body, engage the legs, and help with proper pelvic and spinal alignment,” he says. “Together, these moves help to offset the imbalances associated with long periods of sitting.”

So what are you waiting for? Hop up off your butt and try this routine STAT.

Repeat the below circuit three times.

1. Dead Bug — 20 reps, alternating

“This exercise focuses on the stabilizer muscles of the core such as the transverse abdominus,” explains Tamir. “So much of posture starts with the core and this move gives you feedback from the floor” on how to use these muscles properly so your body is aligned.

• Lie on your back with your arms at shoulder level raised toward the ceiling. Bring your legs up into tabletop position (knees bent 90 degrees and stacked over your hips).
• Slowly extend your right leg out straight, while simultaneously dropping your left arm overhead. Keep both a few inches from the ground.
• Bring your arm and leg back to the starting position.
• Repeat on the other side, extending your left leg and your right arm. That's one rep. Continue alternating for 20 reps total.

2. Plank — 30 seconds

“Here you’re working the full body, especially the core muscles,” says Tamir. “It’s important to focus on having good pelvic alignment and not rounding the back," he notes. Planks can help to both strengthen the core and improve pelvic orientation.

• Get on all fours with your toes on the ground shoulder-width apart. Place your forearms flat on the floor in front of you with your elbows directly below your shoulders.
• Keep your core tight so your body is in a straight line from head to toe.
• Squeeze your thighs and butt.
• Keep your neck and spine in a comfortable, neutral position. (Tip: Try aiming your chin about six inches in front of your body.)
• Hold for 30 seconds.

3. Single-Leg Bridges — 12 reps each leg

“Single-leg bridges are great to help engage the gluteus maximus (the largest glute muscle) plus the core and hamstrings,” says Tamir. Keep these bridges slow and controlled. Focus on really using your glutes to do the movement.

• Lie flat on your back. Bend your knees and place your feet flat on the floor about a foot or so away from your butt. Rest your arms at your sides on the floor.
• Lift your right leg in the air toward the ceiling, keeping your foot flexed.
• Push through your left foot to lift your glutes, hips, and back off the ground.
• Slowly lower back down, keeping your right leg in the air.
• Repeat for 12 reps, then switch legs.

4. Kettlebell Deadlifts — 15 reps

"Deadlifts primarily work the glutes, hamstrings, core, lats, and traps,” says Tamir. Strengthening these posterior muscles helps to reverse the poor posture that tends to befall those of us who sit all day. “When performed correctly, without too much weight and keeping the back in a safe position, deadlifts are one of the most useful exercises to improve posture.”

• Stand with a kettlebell on the floor between your legs. (If you don't have a kettlebell, try one of these deadlift variations using dumbbells.)
• Keeping your back flat the entire time, hinge at your hips to push your butt back and bend slightly at the knees to pick up the kettlebell.
• Straighten your legs as you pull the kettlebell up to hip level, locking your hips out at top.
• Slowly lower the kettlebell back down to tap the floor, reversing the hip-hinge movement you used to pick up the kettlebell, then immediately repeat.
• Perform 15 reps.

5. Bent-Over Row — 15 reps each arm

“With this exercise, you’re working back and shoulder muscles including the rhomboids, traps, lats, and rear deltoids. You're even working the core because of the bent-over position,” explains Tamir. “A lot of posture flaws can be attributed to an imbalance of strength between the chest and the back, with the chest being more dominant. Rows can help balance that out.”

• Hold a dumbbell in your right hand. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Bend your knees and hinge slightly at your hips so that your torso is leaning forward.
• Keeping your body in this position, row the dumbbell up to chest level, keeping your elbow toward your side.
• In a controlled motion, lower the dumbbell back down to the starting position.
• Repeat for 15 reps, then switch arms.

6. Goblet Squats — 15 reps

“This exercise primarily works the glutes, quads, hamstrings, and core muscles,” explains Tamir. “When sitting for long periods of time, our hips tend to get tight because they are in a shortened position. Doing squats gets us to sit back in our hips, past the range of motion that we’re used to when sitting at a desk."

• Stand with your feet slightly wider than hip-width apart. Holding a kettlebell with both hands at your chest (you can also use a dumbbell).
• Bend at your knees and hips to lower your butt toward the ground, as if you're sitting in a chair.
• Go as low as you can, then push through heels to stand back up. Make sure your knees don't go past your ankles.
• Repeat for 15 reps.

Secret Health Tips Celeb Trainers Swear By

From Instagram to the red carpet, celebrities like Heidi Klum are totally nailing it in the hot bod department. We're sure this supermodel learned a thing or two about striking the perfect pose on the catwalk of countless Victoria's Secret Fashion Shows, but the real secret comes from working with A-list personal trainers that know all the ingredients for achieving a flawless physique. 

While I won't be walking down a runway any time soon, I'm always looking for ways to improve my fitness, and what better place to go for advice than the experts themselves! 

Here are 5 health secrets some of Hollywood's top personal trainers swear by.

Water is king

We've all heard that drinking eight glasses of water can help us prevent dehydration and flush unnecessary toxins from our systems. But according to FitFusion trainer Andrea Orbeck, who's worked with celebs like Heidi Klum, water is also crucial for keeping our bodies in prime shape. In fact, Orbeck told me she downs "at least half a gallon of water" every single day. 

H20 is also on the list of daily essentials for celebrity trainer Reggie Chambers, whose A-list clientele includes stars like Christina Ricci and Allison Williams  of HBO's Girls. "I drink tons of water," Reggie told me in an interview. "Most people don't realize how much water the body needs."

Sip some green tea

When he's not drinking water, Chambers says he'll often enjoy some green tea on most days. "Green tea increases your metabolism and the caffeine improves your endurance and helps you work out longer," he told me. 

Green tea can also be a great option for anyone actively trying to reduce their daily caffeine intake. While green tea isn't completely caffeine free, it does contain less caffeine than your average cup of coffee or espresso, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Abs are made in the kitchen

While planks and V-ups are certainly great ways to tone your midsection, Orbeck says that eating poorly will almost always sabotage the work you put in at the gym. When I asked her if the average person needed to spend hours at the gym to achieve a fit body, she said, "It depends on how much time they spend in the kitchen eating horribly." 

She explains that when you eat healthy, there's no need to kill yourself at the gym for hours every day. "If you eat 80% of your meals with clean and lean in mind, you can spend less than an hour [exercising], 3 to 4 days a week, as long as you train hard, smart and efficient."

Some food just isn't worth the calories

With a hot body comes great responsibility. Sure, we'd all like to think that it's possible to have six-pack abs and eat whatever we want, but unfortunately, that's just not the way it works. The truth is that there are certain foods super-fit celebs — and their trainers — just won't touch, no matter how yummy and tempting them may seem.

Chambers, for example, told me he avoids milkshakes at all costs. "Too many calories, not enough nutrients," he told me. For Orbeck, it's fast food. "Anything prepared by the restaurant with the golden arches sign: never!"

Hello, plyo

From Yoga to kickboxing, there are no shortage of options when it comes to getting our sweat on. And while any physical activity is better than nothing, Orbeck explains that certain exercises are more effective than others, especially when you're short on time.

"Quick combinations of weighted squats with anything plyometric or high intensity heart rate work," she told me, when I asked about her favorite quick workout routines. "It's astonishing how you can end up in a pool of sweat in less than 10 minutes when you ask your legs to perform heavy and fast movements."

5 Best Bodyweight Training Exercises

You'll be surprised how effective these bodyweight exercises can be for maintaining your muscle and fitness.

Many people don’t realize the benefits of bodyweight training because in every magazine you see, there are dudes in the gym hitting weights. But, with all training, there is a regression and progression to every exercise. For example a regression for hanging leg lifts is performing a plank. The progression would be performing the movement with a medicine ball between your feet.

Another example would be a bench press. Many people can’t do a conventional bench press because of existing shoulder issues, their form is bad or they just don’t have access to the equipment.

Pushups are a great alternative. Not only can you perform push-ups with various hand positions but you can also do them from an elevated surface extending the range of motion for the shoulders and engage more muscle fibers.

BODYWEIGHT TRAINING BENEFITS

1. Free
2. Versatile, many different variations
3. Can be done anywhere
4. Improves movement
5. Improves relative strength
6. Can improve reactive strength

Here are my top 5 bodyweight movements

1. PUSHUPS

Not only builds up the chest, shoulders and triceps, but is a great stabilizer of the torso and lower back.

Can be done with various hand, feet and elevated positions. Pushups variations such as EQI’s, hindus and push-up plus are incredible rehabilitative exercises.

2. BODYWEIGHT SQUATS

This basic movement has huge benefits! It can be an indicator for ankle, hip and thoracic mobility, or it can be an incredible conditioning tool.

Perform them against the wall to drill proficiency and technique, or perform linked in a bodyweight circuit.

You can also create a complex linking with a plyometric movement like sprints, jumping or zig zag hops.

3. PULLUPS

One of the biggest mass builders for the back, pullups are also one of the most versatile.

How to Modify the Pullup:

• Varying grip element (towel, thick rope, offset grip)
• Modifying linear movement; you can perform side to side movement, you can perform a leg lift or L-sit with each rep
• Overload the movement with a bookbag between your feet.

Remember if you can’t do a pullup, inverted rows are an excellent choice!

4. BULGARIAN SPLIT SQUATS

I really like this movement because it not only builds muscle and leg strength, but it also improves hip mobility and knee stability. If you have a bookbag with some books in it, you can hold it during this movement overhead, in a zercher or bear hug at the chest or out in front of you.

Don’t forget, elevating your front leg on a box will extend the range of motion for this exercise. Also, an EQI in this position is amazing for rehabbing hip and knee issues.

5. AB ROLL-OUTS

A more advanced modification to a plank, this movement forces torso rigidity for better movement and increased strength potential for compound, ground-based exercises.

The difference between this movement and a plank is that movement of the upper body is engaged while the torso remain rigid (resisting extension).  Many of you know that there are some pretty innovative modifications to this exercise in Combat Core. I suggest an ab roller, but you can also use blast straps or gymnastic rings to mimic the movement.

Fitness Trackers 'Poor at Measuring Calories Burned'

Most fitness trackers are good at measuring heart rate but poor at measuring calories burned, a study suggests.

As a result, people should be cautious about using them to judge what to eat, Stanford University scientists said.

The study recommended that companies release data showing how their devices work out measurements.

The accuracy of seven wrist devices were tested while 60 volunteers were asked to walk, run and cycle.

Researchers found that six out of seven of the fitness devices were good at estimating the heart rate of the person wearing it, with an error rate under 5%.

They were the Apple Watch, Fitbit Surge, Basis Peak, Microsoft Band, PulseOn and Mio Alpha 2 - but the Samsung Gear S2 had the highest error rate of 6.8%.

'Rough estimates'

However, when it came to keeping track of energy used during exercise, the five devices that performed this function were all a long way out.

Not one of the devices had an error rate below 20% - and some, such as the PulseOn, were much more inaccurate, the US research team found.

Dr Euan Ashley, co-author of the study from the department of cardiovascular medicine at Stanford University, said the public should be aware of the strengths and limitations of fitness devices worn on the wrist.

"People need to know that on energy expenditure they give rough estimates.

"If you go to the gym, and you think you've lost 400 calories, then you might feel you've got 400 calories to play with," he said.

That could be an issue if people were basing their diet on what they thought they had burnt off, he said.

Technology for measuring heart rate had moved on quickly over the past five or six years, but on energy expenditure "it's not quite there yet", he added.

It may be that companies are not using heart rates in their calculations. There is also a very wide difference in calories burnt between one person and another.

For example, 10,000 steps could equate to anything from 400 kilocalories to 800 kilocalories lost, depending on a person's height and weight alone, the study said.

Sharing plea

Dr David Ellis, lecturer in computation social science at Lancaster University, said working out the number of calories burnt was a tricky business and relied on many different factors such as height, weight, percentage of body fat, heart rate and more.

"However, because manufactures do not share the algorithms [which are constantly updated] used to determine calories burned, it is almost impossible to know the exact source of error at this stage," he said.

Fitness trackers can have a very positive effect on people's activity levels, so complete 100% accuracy may not be vital if the devices are encouraging more exercise.

But recent trials have suggested that wearing them doesn't always result in a positive outcome, or improve the chances of losing weight.

The researchers urged companies to be more transparent and publish the results of their own accuracy tests.

They said this would ensure the public and clinicians were aware of the devices' limitations.

The Stanford team has set up their own website to share this kind of data with others.