March is Women’s History Month here in the U.S., so that seems like a good time to focus on women’s exercise needs. Historically, most medical research was conducted on men and if you read any exercise tips or studies about the best ways to exercise, those tips will apply to men. Not all of those…
There are lots of different reasons that people work out and build muscles. For me, I want to easily carry my groceries, work in my garden, and scoop my baby daughter off the floor. Those types of everyday movements are the focus of functional strength training. Functional strength training turns the types of moments you…
Where do you like to go when you’re not at home or at work? The term “third place” refers to a location other than the home (“first place”) or work location (“second place”) where people can gather and spend time. Libraries, parks, churches, and restaurants are all examples. More and more often now in the…
What’s hot in fitness is always changing. While none of us can predict the future, experts can look at new technology and emerging movements in fitness and predict what could be the hottest trends coming up in the new year. The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recently published its 2025 ACSM Worldwide Fitness Trends….
Whether or not you set New Year’s resolutions, having a goal is important if you plan to work out and stay fit. You need something to aim for that will help keep you motivated and let you track the progress you’re making. Then, the challenge is to stick with your goals. 1) Be Specific You…
Losing fat and gaining muscle are two of the main reasons why many people start exercising. What if you want to do both at the same time? This is called body recomposition. Basically, you’re trying to change the “composition” of your body in terms of how much fat and muscle you have. It can be…
Often when you’re exercising, you’ll read or hear about people doing upper-body workouts (or “arm day”) and lower-body workouts (a.k.a. “leg day). Workouts where you split upper and lower body workouts between different days let you focus on one set of muscles while the others rest. Today, we’ll focus on lower-body workouts (we covered upper-body…
What Upper-body Workouts Should You Try? Often when you’re exercising, you’ll read or hear about people doing upper-body workouts (or “arm day”) and lower-body workouts (a.k.a. “leg day). Upper-lower split workouts let you focus on one part of the body while the other muscles rest. Today, we’ll focus on upper-body workouts (and save lower-body ones…
What Is the Difference Between High-Impact and Low-Impact Exercise? What comes to mind when you think about high-impact and low-impact exercise? Maybe you think that high-impact exercise is intense and exhausting. Perhaps you think that low-impact exercise is just for people with injuries or health concerns. Or maybe you’re not sure what the difference is….
I’ve dealt with low back pain since I was young enough that anyone who found out about it said, “You’re too young to have back pain!” It’s gotten better over the years, aside from some occasional flare-ups, and I think I have yoga to thank for that. Back pain is a common problem. It’s estimated…
