mercredi 25 novembre 2015

24 Fat-Burning Ab Exercises (No Crunches!)

Abdominal exercises to burn fat, flatten your belly, and strengthen your core.

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mardi 24 novembre 2015

21 Worthless Foods a Nutritionist Will Immediately Cut From Your Diet

Want to start eating healthier and lose weight? Four nutrition experts share the red-flag foods you should avoid as part of a healthy diet.

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5 Slim Secrets You Learned in Kindergarten

Flashback to the days of enjoying peanut butter power snacks at the kitchen table and hitting the monkey bars on the playground until Mom reeled you in for an early bedtime. Doesn't your 5-year-old self sound like the ultimate health coach? Turns out, she is. “Children are inherently self-regulating. They listen to their hunger cues, they indulge without guilt and they're incapable of sitting still,” says Keri Gans, RDN, author of The Small Change Diet. “These are all healthy lifestyle practices that would serve us well in adulthood, if we implemented them.” With that in mind, we pinned down which kiddie habits are surefire ways to stay in shape, and how to make them work in your grown-up life.

RELATED: 25 Surprising Ways to Lose Weight

Listen to your stomach
When kids are hungry, they eat. When they're full, they stop. “We're born wired to obey our appetite, but somewhere along the way, those wires get crossed,” says Gans. Introduce stress, hormones—even boredom— and most of us end up able to list “professional plate cleaner” on our résumés.
The Adult Spin: Reprogram how you gauge your appetite. “For a day or two, dont pay attention to the clock and eat only when you truly feel hungry, not when you think you should eat or just want to,” says Jennifer McDaniel, RD, owner of McDaniel Nutrition Therapy in Clayton, Mo. “Eat slowly, really chewing each bite, so you're able to hear your body tell you when its getting full.”

Play with your food
As every mom knows, kids bring the mess to the dinner table. But there are benefits to getting hands-on with food: One study out of Eastern Illinois University found that when eating pistachios, people who shelled the nuts themselves ate roughly 86 fewer calories' worth than those who gobbled up ones that were already shelled. “When you eat with your hands, you're more aware of everything you put in your mouth. It's more of an engaged, sensory experience than just absentmindedly bringing your fork to your lips over and over,” says Wendy Bazilian, DrPH, author of Eat Clean, Stay Lean.
The Adult Spin: Have a laborintensive (in a good way) side dish or snack every day, suggests Bazilian. Get in there with pods, shrimp in shells, roasted shishito peppers and pomegranates.

Make a meal of dessert
The more children are cut off from sweets, the more they want them, studies show. The same goes for adults, points out Libby Mills, RDN, spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. “That feeling of deprivation can deflate motivation, making it harder to stick to your diet,” she says. And ignoring sugar cravings can lead you to eat more, she adds: “You have one treat, and then you can't stop because it's such a rarity and has become too important.”
The Adult Spin: Candycoat parts of your meals, so to speak, in order to satisfy your sweet tooth in moderation. Try a Greek yogurt parfait for lunch, layered with fruit and some granola, or indulge in a thin slice of carrot cake with fat-free vanilla Greek yogurt instead of frosting. For a snack, toss sliced strawberries in balsamic vinegar, with a shave of Parmesan cheese.

RELATED: 9 Healthier Dessert Recipes for Fall

Refuse to sit still
Desks, cars and commuter trains have interrupted that childhood state of perpetual motion. “Kids are always on the move,” says Gans. “They're constant calorie burners.” Those active habits help more than just your gut: Sitting for too many hours during the day increases your risk of heart disease, cancer and other illnesses.
The Adult Spin: Invest in a fitness tracker, says Los Angeles celebrity trainer Harley Pasternak. “A FitBit can help you get moving more because it becomes like a game,” he explains. “You can even compete against friends.” Urge each other to move every hour, and compare steps later on.

Have breakfast for dinner
You used to love when Mom and Dad broke the rules by serving eggs and bacon in the p.m.—and it's still a savvy idea. Studies show that eating a high-protein meal helps you stay full longer, and that those who include eggs in their diets consume less overall. “Eggs are protein-packed and filling, and they're a great way to use up leftovers,” says McDaniel.
The Adult Spin: Whip up an omelet with cottage cheese, herbs, fresh or frozen vegetables and deli turkey or chicken for dinner to keep you full until morning, advises McDaniel. The best part? Making breakfast for dinner is a time-saver: You often need just one pan, so there's minimal cleanup required!

RELATED: The 20 Best Foods to Eat for Breakfast



10-MINUTE RECESS
Set up indoors or head to the playground for this fun circuit from Carrie Underwood's trainer, Erin Oprea. (Stay warm while you're at it with the Asics Lite-Show Glove, $30; asicsamerica.com.)

Frog Jumps
Get into a wide sumo squat with your palms on the ground between your legs. Then take a big jump forward. Next, take three small hops backward to your starting mark. Repeat for 30 seconds.

Crab Walk
Sit on the ground with your legs bent and your hands behind you, fingers facing feet. Thrust your hips up and hold yourself in a tabletop position. With your core and tush engaged, crawl backward for 30 seconds.
Extra Credit: Do 20 push-ups once you finish.

Hopscotch
Use sidewalk chalk or masking tape to set up a hopscotch board. (Or imagine one in your head.) Begin hopping through it— alternating one foot, two feet, one foot, two feet—leading with a single hop on your left leg. Use your right leg for the single hops on the way back. Keep it up for one minute.
Extra Credit: At the end of each lap, do 20 alternating plyometric lunges.

One-Woman Keep-Away
Hold a medicine or slam ball at your chest with both hands and lower into a squat. As you stand, launch the ball from your chest as far as you can throw it. Sprint to the ball, squat to pick it up and throw it back toward the starting mark. Continue for 30 seconds.

Bear Crawl
Put your palms flat on the ground and lower your knees so they're hovering just above the floor. Abs engaged and bum low, move one arm and the opposite leg forward, then switch. Crawl for 30 seconds. Extra Credit Tack on 20 burpees when youre done.

High-Knee Skipping
Add power to a traditional skip by bringing your knees as high as you can toward your chest and swinging your arms to get more momentum. Skip for one minute.

Jump-Rope
Grab a light speed rope (or mimic the arm motion) and jump for 30 seconds with both feet. Then jump for 15 seconds on your right foot and 15 seconds on your left. For the final 30, jump with high knees.

RELATED: Strength Moves to Burn Fat



WHY NOT SPICE UP YOUR SNACK BREAK?
Try these nutritionist-approved noshes that are kid favorites fit for grown-ups.

Apple “Panini”
Thinly slice an apple, then put peanut butter or low-fat cheese (Swiss and Cheddar are tasty options) between two slices to create healthy little sandwiches.

Fruit Snacks
These DIY chews are free of preservatives and added sugars: Slice up some fruit and evenly spread out the pieces on baking sheets. (Smaller fruits, like cherries and cranberries, can be used whole.) Set your oven to the lowest possible temperature and bake anywhere from six to eight hours.

Ants on a Log
Fill endive spears with a bit of low-fat cream cheese; chopped, toasted pecans; and dried cranberries.

Rainbow Fruit Skewers
Cut up your favorite fruits and skewer them on bamboo sticks. Dip in nonfat Greek yogurt.

RELATED: 20 Snacks That Burn Fat



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How to Do Windshield Wipers

Do a round of this yoga-inspired move to strengthen your obliques. In this video, Kristin McGee shows us how to execute Windshield Wipers, which will tone and strengthen your whole core.

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How to Do a Tone-It V Hold

Build strength in your core with this challenging ab exercise. In this video, fitness expert Kristin McGee demonstrates the belly fat-burning Tone-It V Hold. Your abs will thank you!

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How to Do a Teaser Exercise

This advanced Pilates-inspired move can help you get a stronger core in no time. In this video, fitness expert Kristin McGee demonstrates how to do a Teaser for an intense and effective ab workout.

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How to Do the Swan Dive Exercise

Here's a great way to build your core while lying down (and without crunches). In this video, fitness expert Kristin McGee demonstrates the Swan Dive exercise, which strengthens your back and abs.

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How to Do a Supine Twist

Stretch and strengthen your abs at the same time with a Supine Twist. In this video, fitness expert Kristin McGee demonstrates the proper way to get into this relaxing and powerful pose.

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How to Do a Straight-Arm Plank

The plank pose is a great workout for your whole body, from your arms and back to your core. Watch this video to see Kristin McGee demonstrate the perfect plank form and give tips on how to add it to your routine.

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How to Do a Standing Side Crunch

Need a killer ab exercise? Try doing the Standing Side Crunch. In this video, fitness expert Kristin McGee demonstrates how to use a stability ball to build a stronger core.

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How to Do a Side Incline with a Twist

Work your abs, waist, and arms with this exercise. Watch this video to see Kristin McGee demonstrate how to do a Side Incline With a Twist. Your whole body will thank you!

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How to Achieve a Scale Pose

A scale pose can be a challenging move to master. In this video, Kristin McGee demonstrates the best way for both beginners and experts to practice this pose, which is amazing for your core.

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How to Plank on a Stability Ball

Combine two ab-strengthening workouts into one by doing planks on a stability ball. Fitness expert Kristin McGee shows us how to plank on a stability ball for sculpted abs. Watch this video to see how it's done.

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How to Do Plank Hip Dips

Planks are already a powerful exercise for your core. Make them even more effective by adding oblique-strengthening moves to the pose. In this video, fitness expert Kristin McGee demonstrates how to do Plank Hip Dips.

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vendredi 20 novembre 2015

How to Do the Jumping Jack Reach Move

Adding a stability ball makes an ab workout even more challenging. In this video, fitness expert Kristin McGee demonstrates how you can do the Jumping Jack Reach move on a stability ball to tighten your core and boost your energy.

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Tone Your Abs With the Low-Belly Leg Reach Move

This is a great move for targeting your abs. In this video, fitness expert Kristin McGee shows us how to do the Low-Belly Leg Reach, which strengthens your ab muscles and tightens your core.

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How to Do Medicine Ball Russian Twists

Tighten your core and sculpt your obliques with this calorie-torching exercise. In this video, fitness expert Kristin McGee demonstrates how to do Medicine Ball Russian Twists to tone your abs.

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How to Do an Oblique Driving-Knee Crunch

Here's a great way to strengthen your obliques for a tighter core. In this video, fitness expert Kristin McGee shows you how to use a stability ball to do the Oblique Driving-Knee Crunch. Your abs will thank you!

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57 Ways to Lose Weight Forever, According to Science

The ultimate list of research-backed weight loss tips that will keep the pounds off for good.

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How to Do the Hula Hoop Pump Ab Exercise

Who knew an ab workout could be so much fun? In this video, fitness expert Kristin McGee shows us how to use a Hula Hoop (yes, really!) to tighten your core.

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How to Do Cross-Leg Diagonal Crunches

This exercise is particularly good for targeting your obliques, the ab muscles at the sides of your body. In this video, fitness expert Kristin McGee shows us how to do the Cross-Leg Diagonal Crunch, which helps tighten your core and cinch in your waist.

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How to Tone Your Abs with Donkey Kickbacks

This is the ultimate calorie-torching move. In this video, fitness expert Kristin McGee demonstrates how to do Donkey Kickbacks, which tighten your core and tone your glutes at the same time.

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How to Do a Body-Weight Squat

You might not think of squats as being an ab exercise, but surprise—they also work your core. In this video, fitness expert Kristin McGee demonstrates the best way to do Body-Weight Squats to tighten your glutes and flatten your belly at the same time.

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How to Do Bridge Opposite Arm-Leg Reach

Not only will this move tighten your core, but it can also help improve your focus. In this video, fitness expert Kristin McGee demonstrates how to do the Bridge Opposite Arm-Leg Reach exercise.

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How to Do the Circles in the Sky Exercise

This easy ab exercise can help tighten your core as well as strengthen your inner thighs. In this video, fitness expert Kristin McGee demonstrates the best way to do the Circles in the Sky move.

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jeudi 19 novembre 2015

17 Great Gifts for the Runners on Your List

Find a practical and fun gift that the runner in your life is sure to appreciate—on and off the trail.

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mercredi 18 novembre 2015

17 No-Diet Tricks to Keep Off Holiday Weight

Don't be a victim of holiday weight gain. Take charge of your waistline with these easy ideas to keep the pounds off all season long.

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mardi 17 novembre 2015

Tone Your Core With Boat Pose

In this video, fitness expert Kristin McGee demonstrates how to do the Boat Pose for stronger abs. While it requires a bit of balance, this yoga-inspired move is terrific for sculpting and strengthening your core.

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How to Do the Belly Blaster

Ready to get flat, sculpted abs in no time? In this video, fitness expert Kristin McGee demonstrates how to do the Belly Blaster move to tone your abs and obliques.

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How to Do Advanced Leg Crunches

Here's how you can take your leg crunches up a notch: Add a weight. In this video, fitness expert Kristin McGee demonstrates how to perform Advanced Leg Crunches, which use a 3- to 10-pound weight to better target your lower abs.

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vendredi 13 novembre 2015

9 Superfood Upgrades That Will Make Your Meals Even Healthier

Give every meal an upgrade with these hot superfood add-ins—all it takes is a sprinkle or scoop.

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16 Perfect Gifts for the Yoga Lover in Your Life

The ultimate yoga gift guide for anyone who loves to say om.

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lundi 9 novembre 2015

Train Like an Olympian With Lindsey Vonn's Lower-Body Workout

Lindsey's lower-body workout torches calories and builds muscle in all the right places.

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Turning 40 Inspired Me to Lose 75 Pounds

Jennifer Lasher
41, 5'6"
Hauppauge, N.Y.
Before: 210 lb.
Dress size: 16
After: 135 lb.
Dress size: 6
Total pounds lost: 75 lb.
Sizes lost: 5

Growing up Italian, I had carb-heavy meals as the usual dinner fare. And while I exercised at times in high school and college, my weight would continually flip-flop: down a few pounds one month, then back up two months later. Once I married and had kids, any interest in going to the gym was gone; the baby weight never went away. By March 2013, I was 210 pounds, my highest ever, and it struck me that I would soon be 40, overweight and unhappy. So I decided it was time to drop the weight for good.

RELATED: 16 Ways to Lose Weight Fast

Real food = real energy
Using all the healthy lifestyle tips I'd learned from magazines and my girlfriends, I cleaned up my diet, swapping deli sandwiches with high-sodium meat and mayo for Tupperware containers of big butter-lettuce salads topped with carrots, walnuts, feta and homemade dressing. Tracking everything I ate held me accountable, and I found that ditching processed foods left me with more energy, a clear head and better skin, too.

Couch to 26.2
Next, I tackled a longtime goal: running. I had wanted to start my entire life, but I never had the confidence to lace up my sneakers. With a friend, I slowly moved from power walking to hitting the trails for 10-milers. It was overwhelming at first—I was often out of breath—but I quickly gained strength. Thanks also to my healthy eating, I dropped 35 pounds in four months. I reached my goal weight of 140 in September 2014, and now I'm happily at 135 pounds! I'm even running my first marathon next May. I'm not out there to break any records, just to run and love it.

RELATED: 15 Eating Habits That Make You Live Longer

Jennifer's Weight-Loss Journal
To lose big, Jennifer got advice from friends. Now she's sharing her own hard-won secrets. Find even more tips at http://ift.tt/1EzX92l.

Set scary goals
My goal is to run 100 miles in a month. I finally hit it (and then some) this past August, with 104.

Spiralize it!
As an Italian-American, I find it tough to cut out pasta, but I use zucchini linguine or spaghetti squash instead. It's just as delicious!

RELATED: 7 Ways to Eat More Veggies

Carry a Mary Poppins purse
My bag is always packed with nuts, apples and hard-boiled eggs. It stops me from getting so hungry that I overeat.

Become an early bird
My old excuse: I have no time to exercise with two kids and a full-time job. Now I fit in a two-mile run and strength training at 5 a.m., long before my children get up and I head to work.

Share your transformation
Did you reshape your body? Tell us about it at health.com/i-did-it and let us know what diet and fitness strategies worked for you.

What Jennifer is wearing
GapFit gFast Print-Panel 21" Capris ($60; gap.com); Space-Dye Running Pullover (gap.com for similar styles); and Interlace-Back Tank ($40; gap.com)

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mercredi 4 novembre 2015

25 Genius Ways Fitness Trainers Stay Motivated to Exercise

The smart tricks personal trainers and fitness instructors use to drag themselves to the gym—because even your perky Pilates instructor needs a pick-me-up once in a while.

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mardi 3 novembre 2015