Whether you’re a newbie to your fitness regime or you’ve been immersed in the same training program for years, a common setback for everyone is finding the motivation to keep going.

Whilst it’s often only a short-lived feeling, low motivation can easily throw you off your workout groove meaning you might need to hit the reset button. With a few simple adjustments, workout hacks, and a little fine-tuning though, you can re-find your workout mojo in no time.

Tip 1: Learn a new skill

Doing the same thing over and over again can be boring. Our lack of motivation can stem from repetitiveness of our training routine. Little is more demotivating than knowing you’ll be doing the same exercises you’ve done hundreds of reps in already.

One way around this could be to teach yourself how to do a new exercise or skill. Any new skill must be challenging to be interesting (there’s no point trying an exercise if you can learn it in a day!), but also achievable.

We have a few ideas below:

Pistol Squat: The pistol squat is a great exercise for building quad strength, managing muscle imbalances, and showing off at parties. There are plenty of progressions you can incorporate into your workouts until you can master the full exercise.

Gymnastic Rings: They’re hard, but the exercises and skills you can learn on them are endless. You’ll never get bored training on rings as once you’ve mastered one skill, you can just move on to the next! What’s more, they’re amazing for building upper body strength and training your abs. Here is our beginner’s guide to gymnastic rings.

Handstand Push-ups: Another exercise that requires no equipment and impresses at parties. The handstand push-up is one of the most challenging exercises you can attempt (you’re asking your shoulders to take your body weight, and then press up and down!), so be sure to try some foundation exercises. First to build strength in the shoulders and chest, and then develop control over the scapula and core areas.

Tip 2: Bring a friend on board

Exercising on your own can get tedious, boring, and lonely for some people, especially if you do it regularly. If this sounds like you, it might be time to recruit a friend to exercise alongside you. Studies show that individuals who exercise with a partner are likely to work out more often.

Exercising with someone else also adds some accountability to your exercise regime. You can encourage each other to do what needs to be done. You’ll also be motivated to not let someone else down by skipping a day in the gym.

You could bring them into the gym with you and show off your workouts to each other. Alternatively, you could just keep it simple and go for a run or cycle together. For those of us who like to exercise at home, why not link up with a friend over video call?

Heck, if you’re desperate exercising with a robot might be better than exercising alone.

Tip 3: Set specific goals

It might help to shift your focus to working towards a specific goal, rather than just focussing on vague goals like “getting fitter”, “run further”, or “lose weight”. How much further do you want to run? Do you want to do it within a certain time limit? How much weight do you want to have lost after 6 weeks?

Setting specific goals can help focus your workouts. So long as they are achievable, they can help you stay motivated or even re-motivate you when you reach a slump. They’re also a foolproof method to keep yourself accountable.

Tip 4: Forget perfection

It can often feel like everything in the exercise world has to be perfect for us to see results. This illusion is perpetuated by social media, magazines, celebrities, and mass media, often leaving you thinking I don’t have the time, energy, or willpower to do that.

As it is, social media is just one big highlight reel so what you see on there is far from the reality, often funded by sponsors, and barely a snapshot of the reality of workouts.

The truth is you don’t have to work out like a navy seal every time you step into the gym. Doing something is better than doing nothing, so even a quick 20-minute workout or a short walk can help you reach your fitness goals if you haven’t got the time or motivation for your usual workout.

Tip 5: Remix your soundtrack

Bored of the same old tunes? Ramp up your workout by taking some time to create or find a playlist to exercise to. Keep updating it or add a lot of songs so that you don’t end up with the same songs every workout.

Whether it’s pumping iron on the bench press, or burning calories on the treadmill, adding music to your workout has been shown to improve performance and psychology.

Tip 6: Switch up your environment

If you’ve spent the winter training indoors at a gym or from your living room, the arrival of spring might be the perfect time to bring your mat out to the park or take to the local running track instead of the gym’s treadmill.

Throwing in a new environment every so often can help you stay motivated and give you some new experiences during your workout. Exercising outdoors can not only help you explore even more of your local area, but it can also give you more variation to your routine. A crucial aspect in retaining motivation to exercise.

Just be ready to make a few adjustments if your program is geared to using indoor equipment or reliant on being inside.

Tip 6: Take a new angle

Reframing your workout is an effective method for achieving exercise goals. By thinking about your workout as something you “want to do” rather than something you “have to do”, you might begin to see your workout in a more positive light.

Changing your mindset can be difficult, particularly if it’s a workout that, for whatever reason, you just dread. So here’s our quick guide to change your mindset and hate your workout a little less.

Method 1: Understand your aversion – figure out why you are dreading the workout. Is it a previous bad experience, is it too easy, or just not worthwhile? Once you understand your dread it may be easier to adjust the workout and thus feel differently about it.

Method 2: Adjust your expectations – sometimes you hate the workout because it’s hard and you’re worried you might fail at it. In this situation, it’s ok to tone the workout down a bit. Maybe adjust the reps, slow the pace, or lower the weight. Easing into the workout and managing your expectations might help you reframe your opinion of it.

Method 3: Do it more often – usually we end up doing the workouts we like the least, less. Lack of familiarity with the workout can sometimes be the source of anxiety towards it. Gradually increasing the frequency with which you do the workout can make it less remarkable and reduce the stress it can cause.

Method 4: Reward – everyone loves a reward. Giving yourself a reward at the end of the workout, whatever it may be (hot bath, a nice meal?), might help motivate you to get it done.

Tip 7: Write your objectives down

Sometimes the trick is as simple as jotting a few words on a bit of paper. Whether it’s short-term or long-term objectives, getting them down on paper before you workout can be crucial to re-finding your workout mojo.

Simply by writing your goals down, you increase your chances of achieving them.

Tip 8: Get some new gear

Treating yourself to some new activewear can truly change your approach and reinvigorate you into being more motivated to exercise again. If the clothing or a brand new pair of running shoes doesn’t cut it for you, you could try getting your hands on some new equipment.

Simple and affordable exercise equipments have the same effect, not only on how you work out but brings with it an exciting change to your routine. A cheap pull-up bar or some fancy dumbbells may just give you that extra motivation you need. Plus, they store away easily and do not cost much to buy.

Final Thoughts

So, there we have it.

8 tips, tricks, and hacks you can use if you’re struggling to find the motivation to get back to the gym.

Whether it’s getting back to burning calories on the treadmill or pumping the legs on the squat rack, motivation plays such a key role in kickstarting and maintaining our exercise regime and achieving our workout goals.

If you’re struggling with your motivation to workout, try a few out and see which ones work best for you.

Getting started on gymnastic rings can be a pretty daunting task. For individuals who are thinking of swinging into a new physique for the first time, a small amount of research on ring training can often leave you with more questions than answers.

Many of us have been left scratching our heads as various internet sites throw out contradicting information on what to buy, how to start, where to use them, whether to get tape. The list goes on.

Not to fear though. We’ve saved you the hassle of researching a variety of sites with our complete beginners’ guide to getting started on gymnastic rings.

Why train with rings?

With all the hi-tech and fancy gym equipment on the market today, each with the ability to isolate muscles you didn’t even know you had, the idea of two wooden circles hanging by strap seems rather rudimentary.

Yet, if I was sent to a desert island and only allowed one piece of workout equipment to take with me, it would easily be a set of gymnastic rings. Their versatility, effectiveness, and convenience make them an essential part of any strength athlete’s inventory.

1. Effective

Being suspended in space, gymnastic rings are free to swing and move around making even simple tasks like holding yourself up on them highly taxing. The lack of stability means you’re forced to steady your body when performing movements, thus engaging multiple muscle groups that all have to work together.

As a result, rings can provide a faster way of building strength and muscle mass compared to most other bodyweight equipment. They can provide a demanding yet highly effective workout for your upper body and core.

2. Portable

Rings are incredibly portable meaning they can be taken and used pretty much anywhere you like. As long as you can find somewhere to hang them from, you’ll always be able to carry a mini gym around with you.

3. Versatile

Rings are capable of training a huge range of movements and muscles in just one workout. There aren’t many equipments that can match the complete workout that rings deliver without you having to leave that one spot.

You can build pushing, pulling, and core strength to incredible levels with a set of rings if you’re workout is varied enough.

Any exercise you do on the rings can also be scaled up or down to suit your strength level. So, whether you’re just beginning your fitness journey, or you’re a seasoned strength athlete, you can make significant gains using rings.

4. Enjoyable

The list of movements you can master on the rings is endless. You’ve got your beginner moves such as dips, pull-ups, and push-ups through to your more advanced moves like the muscle-up, in & outs, and forward rolls, right the way up to your herculean strength movements such as the crucifix or Maltese position.

Because of this, ring work is never likely to get boring or mundane. With infinite possibilities, you’ll never run out of exercises to try. Once you’ve completed one movement, you can move straight on and begin the progressions to another.

Which rings do I get?

Rings tend to come in 2 different materials. Wood vs steel. You can get plastic ones but it’s worth writing these off right away. Whilst they’re lightweight and cheap, they lack the wearability of steel, get incredibly slippy, and don’t have the feel that wooden rings provide.

1. Wood rings: Benefits & Disadvantages

Most ring enthusiasts and professional gymnasts will swear by the wooden rings. They have several key advantages over steel rings which make them the ring of choice for many.

A. Used in competition

Wood rings are the only rings used in competition, hence why they’re endorsed and used by Olympians. Of course, this is only really relevant if you’re planning to enter professional gymnastic comps.

B. Better grip

Wooden rings are notable for the improved feel they offer the user. Nothing comes close to the natural feeling of wood rings. The smooth surface allows you to feel your way into the exercises and gives you more control.

They also retain chalk well and provide good grip, thus helping reduce calluses and blisters on your hands.

C. Practical

Wood rings are usually priced at affordable rates, even higher quality rings. Their practicality is enhanced by them being lightweight and easy to carry around.

For all their advantages though, there are a couple of limitations to using wooden rings.

Before buying your rings you should consider where you are going to store them. If the answer is outdoors or a space that is susceptible to extreme temperatures, sunlight, or water, then it might be best to get a material more durable than wood. Wooden rings can quickly warp and deteriorate if not stored indoors.

2. Steel rings: Benefits & Disadvantages

Steel rings aren’t as common in gyms compared to wood rings, but still have their place if you’re looking to primarily workout outdoors or likely to be storing them in unsafe places. Steel rings have a few advantages that lead to some ring users choosing them over wood rings.

A. Resilient and durable

Steel rings cannot be beaten in durability. They’re extremely resilient to the elements so you can store them outdoors indefinitely without worrying about wear and tear.

B. Heavy

The extra weight of steel rings can be an advantage when using them. The extra weight gives them a little more stability making them perfect for those who struggle with performing dips or push-ups.

Unfortunately, steel rings are ridden with a few cons as well. The powder coating used on most is great for protection against the weather but does tend to leave the rings susceptible to chipping and dents.

They don’t grip well either. As soon as you start to sweat they will start to feel very slippy. This is exacerbated by their failure to hold chalk well.

When looking at the bigger picture, the cons of steel rings outweigh the pros. Specifically, if you are using and storing your rings outdoors, you’re better off going with wooden rings. In the long run, you will save yourself money having to replace it.

How do rings compare to other calisthenic equipment?

Calisthenic training encompasses a wide variety of (mostly pretty cool) exercises that rely on bodyweight, control, core strength, and full-body engagement. Rings are just one aspect of a wide range of calisthenic equipment you can buy for your home.

For me, you don’t need anything other than a set of rings to begin your calisthenics journey. They have very few downsides and unlike other calisthenic equipment, there is no limit to which muscles you can train.

Here is how they compare to other equipment in the calisthenic world.

1. Dip bars

If you have the space, dip bars can be a fantastic addition to your home workouts. They work for any fitness level and allow you to work on any push/pull movement easily. A key benefit of them is they offer an easier method of building the necessary core strength and stability for ring dips.

If you are an absolute beginner, dip bars are a perfect way to learn body control. They do however limit the number of exercises you can do, so they would need to be an addition to your home gym rather than the only item in it. They also take up a lot of space so your other equipment won’t have much room to fit anyway!

Rings, on the other hand, whilst harder take up a lot less space and offer a lot more variety of exercises beyond just dips and rows. This can support anyone looking to try their hand at calisthenics without the need to buy loads of specialist equipment.

2. Pull-up bar

Pull-up bars are amongst the most straightforward pieces of equipment you can get for a home gym. On top of that, they can be extremely affordable and fit easily in small spaces.

Using a pull-up bar you can work a wide variety of upper body muscles including back, arms, shoulders, and core. They can even support increased mobility and flexibility.

Rings on the other hand offer all the same exercises and so much more. They’re just as portable and whilst the exercises are more challenging due to the lack of stability, the variety of exercises and progressions you can do means you will never get bored of them.

Honestly, the main use for my pull-up bar these days is as an anchor to hang my rings off during home workouts.

A benefit the pull-up bar does have is its ability to isolate specific muscles. You can change your grip to target certain areas, a feature the rings can’t quite offer. With the rings, you will utilize a variety of muscles on the pull-up, mainly due to the unstable movements of the rings.

Are there any downsides to getting rings?

As with anything, there are a couple of cons to consider with gymnastic rings.

Firstly, they’re seriously hard. You need a high amount of body control and strength to even begin exercising on rings. There are regressions but the difficulty can be a setback for some so be prepared to fight through the hard bits at the start.

Secondly, they lack any serious ability to work the legs. There are a few bodyweight exercises but nothing that will bring about the same results as a squat or deadlift session.

Finally, it can be hard to see or quantify the results of your ring training immediately. Ring training is not as simple as adding an extra plate to the barbell to see if you’ve made progress. It can be frustrating at times and many get stuck on one exercise or progression for a long time. The key to resolving this is perseverance and understanding that ring training is about the long game, not short-term goals.

Should I get rings then?

I’m sure you’ve figured out my answer to this question by now. Yes, I would definitely recommend!

If you’re looking to get fitter through calisthenics, improve your physique, or just need a new fitness challenge to spice up your workouts, rings are without a doubt the way to go.

All the exercises you can perform on other individual calisthenic apparatus can be done in just one piece of equipment. Whether you’re a beginner learning the ways of calisthenic training or you’re a bodyweight training pro, rings are a practical, budget-friendly, and extremely enjoyable addition to your home gym.

Feeling positive about your body and not letting someone fat-shame you is the way to go. Although, if you are really serious about losing belly fat because you just want to be healthier and fitter, then you are in the right place. I won’t lie, it takes time and dedication but once you achieve the results, it will all be worth it.

When it comes to shedding weight there are all the different ways to go about doing it. However, when it comes to losing belly fat in particular, that can be a little trickier. Belly fat is more than just a nuisance. It can actually heighten health risks says Kerry Stewart, Ed.D., director of Clinical and Research Physiology at John Hopkins.

Belly fat or also known as visceral fat has been known to cause type 2 diabetes, heart disease, dementia, high blood pressure, and certain types of cancers like colon cancer or breast cancer.

Even though visceral fat has a purpose in a person’s body; it provides cushioning around a person’s organs but too much of it can be harmful. The fat doesn’t just stay in one place. It plays an active role in a person’s body, making “lots of nasty substances,” says Kristen Hairston, MD, assistant professor of endocrinology and metabolism at Wake Forest School of Medicine.

Lose That Belly Fat in Four Steps

Here are four of the essential ways a person can lose belly fat and lead a healthy and fit life:

1. Strength Training and Cardio

Aerobic exercise (cardio) is an effective way to burn calories and improve your health. It cuts down all of a person’s fat, including visceral fat. This type of exercise includes running/ jogging, high knees, skipping rope, jumping jacks and running on spot. Getting at least half an hour of extensive exercise at least 5 days a week can help improve a person’s health by a wide margin.

It’s also notable to mention that vigorous workouts on elliptical or rowing machines and stationary bikes are also effective, says Duke researcher Cris Slentz, PhD. Moderate activity. He points out that raising one’s heart rate through the aforementioned workouts for 30 minutes at least three times per week also helps.

Another type of exercise one should be looking at is strength training also known as resistance training. The more lean muscle mass you develop, the more calories you’ll burn throughout the day and it tones your body so you’re not left with loose skin. A study involving overweight teenagers suggested that a mix of strength training and aerobic exercise led to the greatest decrease in visceral fat.

2. Nutrition is 70% of the Job

What a person consumes and how much of it they consume plays a major role in losing weight.

For example eating soluble fiber can help decrease the rate at which food is passed through a person’s digestive system.

It also decreases the amount of calories that one’s body can absorb from food.  So making an effort to eat foods high in fiber can help reduce belly fat. Some hints of soluble fiber are found in foods like avocados, flax seeds, blackberries, legumes and Brussels sprouts.

Another way of shedding belly fat is by avoiding foods that have trans-fat. Trans fats are made by depositing hydrogen into unsaturated fats, and are found mostly in fast-food and processed dairy items. They’re notorious for causing heart diseases, inflammation, and insulin resistance.

Moreover, research found that consuming alcohol in large amounts leads to increase in belly fat. An experiment about alcohol use involving more than 1,000 people showed that people who consumed alcohol less frequently but drank more alcohol on the days they consumed had more belly fat than those who drank alcohol everyday but averaged less than one drink per day. So if a person is looking to reduce their waistline it might be a good idea to cut back on alcohol or abstaining from it completely.

Another thing that people might want to be mindful about is the intake of sugar. Excessive sugar intake is a major cause of weight gain in several people. By limiting one’s intake of candy, sugar and processed foods high in added sugar a person is helping their body lose belly fat.

Lastly, protein is an important nutrient if a person is looking to manage their weight. Taking protein in high doses increases the rate at which the fullness hormone PYY is released. This cuts down appetite and engages in fullness.

Protein also increases a person’s metabolism and helps sustain muscle mass during a person’s weight loss journey. Studies indicate that people who consume more protein tend to have very little abdominal fat as compared to those who maintain a lower protein diet. So it is important to ensure that a person is adding the following proteins in their diet: meat, fish, dairy, eggs, beans and whey proteins.

3. Stop Stressing

Stress in general is not a good thing. Nobody wants stress in their lives but it’s an inevitable phenomenon bound to happen to anyone. And when it comes to body weight, it can lead to both weight loss and weight gain. What we’re worried about though in this particular situation is about weight gain.

Stress can trigger the adrenal glands to make cortisol, known as the stress hormone. Research suggests that high cortisol levels lead to an increased appetite and elevated abdominal fat storage.

Another research suggested that in response to stress, women who already have a large waist tend to produce more cortisol. Increased levels of cortisol accumulate fat around the middle. So in order to help cut down belly fat, engaging in activities such as meditation and yoga that alleviate stress is pertinent.

4. Sleep Well

A restful, peaceful sleep is important for many aspects of one’s health, including but not limited to weight loss. Studies suggest that people who don’t get enough sleep tend to gain more weight, this may also include belly fat.

An extensive study involving more than 65000 women found that those who slept less than 5 hours per night were significantly more likely to gain weight than those who slept 7 hours or more per night.

It is also important to note if a person has sleep apnea or not. If they do then they will find themselves with an irregular sleep pattern. This can lead to gains around one’s waist. In such a situation case going to a general physician may be required and recommended if the person wants to reduce belly fat.

Summary

There are four keys to controlling belly fat and leading a healthy balanced life: exercise, diet, sleep, and stress management.

1. A mixture of strength training and aerobic exercise.
2. Looking after what you do and don’t eat. Ensure a high intake of protein-rich foods, such as fish, lean meat, and beans, is mandatory.
3. Stress plays a monumental role in building those pounds. Mitigating stress should be a top priority.
4. Sleep deprivation is increasingly linked to a heightened risk of weight gain. Getting 7-8 hours of sleep is crucial to the weight-loss journey.

Article by Wassay Syed

Mindfulness and wellness are some of the buzz words today. Over the past years, it has become popular ways to deal with stressful lifestyles and mental health concerns. One browse through the web, and you will see yoga teachers and wellness experts talking about the wonders of mindfulness—how it has helped them and why you should try.

It’s quite enticing to drop everything and copy what they are doing. However, one does not have to completely overhaul their busy and stressful life to achieve some sense of peace through mindfulness. There are more practical and more accessible ways to practice mindfulness in one’s day-to-day life.

But First, What is Mindfulness and how is it linked to Yoga?

Jon Kabat-Zinn defines mindfulness as the act of being in the moment – being conscious of what you are doing, where you are, and how you are feeling in the moment without judgment. It’s about not being reactive, neither is it about ignoring and escaping stressful situations.

Few other routines and activities talk about mindfulness, like yoga. As yoga teachers guide students through poses, they encourage students to take long, deep breaths and paying attention to how the body is feeling. Yoga is not like any other performance sports where the body has to look or move a certain way to be able to say that you are doing it well. Instead, yoga counts on the individual to be aware of their breath and body movement and try poses as they see fit. The focus is on what is happening in the present moment (process) rather than the outcome (the pose).

Yoga and mindfulness seem to be intrinsically linked. Although many experts recommend doing these together, there are ways to practice each one without the other. One of the reasons for this attachment is that yoga is the “embodiment” of mindfulness. But there are ways to practice mindfulness within your regular daily activities. Mindfulness can be incorporated into people’s daily activities, while yoga can be a purely athletic exercise. Like any other skill, mindfulness is a skill that can be honed. The more you practice mindfulness, the better you will be at it, and the easier it will be in the future.

How It Works

To put it simply, mindfulness teaches people to be in the moment and make the most out of it. Be in the moment and letting go of judgments, distractions, expectations, and lingering thoughts about the past (whether distant or recent). Instead, focus on your experience—what your mind and body are telling you through your senses.

Mindfulness may require you to slow down more than usual. For beginners, start by doing one mindfulness activity every day for a few minutes (i.e., deep breathing, walking, or running). Incorporating mindfulness into any sort of physical activity can be quite enlightening.

Exercises That Do Not Have To Do With Yoga

When people talk about mindfulness, they usually think about people sitting in a lotus position, meditating for an hour at dawn, or doing a series of yoga poses first thing in the morning. But, unfortunately, this is not all that mindfulness is about.

To incorporate mindfulness into daily life, you don’t need anything other than time. Do it first as part of a morning routine, part of an exercise routine, or even while doing chores. Here are some activities that can be done without having to roll out the yoga mat:

In the morning or on weekends: 

1. Deep breathing exercise.

Sit upright, lengthen your spine and relax the shoulders. Breath in through the nose and into the base of the lungs. Expand the lungs while keeping the shoulders relaxed. Release the breath slowly. Repeat 3 to 5 times. This can be done every hour if needed.

2. A few minutes in nature.

Those who have a balcony or a garden may want to spend a few minutes sitting down. Breathe in, smell the freshly cut grass and the fresh air, and as you exhale, look at the plants and the flowers. Before launching into calls and emails, give yourself those few minutes of peace and quiet. Having something beautiful to look at helps, for sure!

3. Walking outdoors (alone or with a pet).

Have a change of scenery, give the brain a break before diving into the workday. Hit two birds with one stone by taking your pet with you. This can also be your exercise for the day.

4. Meditation.

If there’s limited space to do anything, find a quiet spot at home. Take a seat and close your eyes while taking a deep breath. Focus on the breath and try not to let your to-do lists and schedule for the day take over your mind.

5. Body scan.

This is a form of meditation, but instead of focusing on the breath, the focus is on how the body feels. Get into a meditative position and close your eyes. Take a few deep breaths to prepare. Pay attention to your toes, to your feet, your legs, and work your way up to the head. Take a few breaths at each body part. Try to feel the sensations (Is there pain? Tingling? Numbness?). This process may take up to 30 minutes. If the mind wanders, try to go back to the body part where you stopped, then proceed.

As a part of a fitness and wellness routine: 

6. Hiking.

Head out straight into the wild. Pay attention to the sights, sounds, and smells that you will encounter. Be alert lest you encounter a wild animal while on the trail!

7. Running.

When running mindfully, mind your form and your speed. Pay attention to the body’s response as you go through inclined routes or increase your speed.

When doing chores and errands: 

8. Buying groceries.

Pay attention to what you’re putting in the cart, ask yourself: do you really need it? Are you going to use it? Is it part of your grocery list? It may be repetitive but you are focusing and being mindful of the task at hand.

9. Eating.

Take reasonably-sized bites, chew the food well and appreciate the flavors of the food. Take full advantage of the 30 minutes to 1 hour you have and really enjoy the meal. Stop when your hunger is satiated.

10. Cooking.

Find a recipe you would like to try, prepare the ingredients, and cook a meal for yourself or your family. Taste the dish during each step, and season it well. Avoid instant and ready-made meals. Do this at least once a week to start.

Take advantage of the opportunities to focus on what your senses are picking up on while doing these exercise and tasks. Pay attention to what your senses perceive, and do not distract yourself with music blasting into your ears or taking on the phone with a friend. Ideally, one would devote 30 minutes to 1 hour every day to mindfulness practice. However, even just 5 minutes is enough. The point is to do it every day, even if it’s in small doses.

Why Mindfulness

Mindfulness helps people focus on what is happening to them at the moment. Whether they are doing yoga, doing breathing exercises, or eating mindfully, they become more in tune with what they are doing at that exact moment. People rush through their daily routines and try to work themselves to the ground to achieve some milestones at work or in school. Being busy and productive has led many people to burnout and caused many mental health concerns. Continued practice of mindfulness changes the way one thinks, which can influence their actions.

Mindfulness Does Not Solve Everything

Much has been written about the benefits of practicing mindfulness. However, there are limitations to the benefits of mindfulness. Here are some of the reasons:

1. Expectations.

You have an idea of what a mindful practice should be and what it looks like, and when you don’t achieve that, you get frustrated.

2. Too much, too soon.

You have a hectic lifestyle and are turning to mindfulness because you’re on the brink of burning out. You make a sudden lifestyle change to address that, canceling major appointments and commitments to spend an hour every morning meditating and doing yoga. This is not sustainable and might just exacerbate the current situation.

3. Don’t know where to start.

Beginners should start small. Start with a 5-minute mindfulness exercise and do it every day. Then, slowly work your way up to 30 minutes to an hour if your schedule permits.

4. Unresolved traumas.

If any unresolved issues from the past are causing you distress and anxiety, mindfulness will only help manage the stress and anxiety. The root cause of the problem will have to be resolved separately.

Final Thoughts

Mindfulness helps people become more self-aware by encouraging them to slow down and be in the moment. We’ve talked about how easy it is to incorporate mindfulness into one’s routines, but do keep in mind the mindfulness has to be deliberate. That’s what makes the difference. No mindfulness practice is perfect. If you find yourself getting distracted or wandering at any point, simply stops yourself and pick up where you left off. Take it easy and be kind to yourself. It’s not easy to stay focused.

References:

• https://www.mindful.org/meditation/mindfulness-getting-started/
• https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-courage-be-present/201002/practicing-mindfulness-without-meditating
• https://www.cityscapecounseling.com/post/2017/11/17/8-ways-to-practice-mindfulness-without-meditating
• https://pinnablebeauty.com/can-i-practice-mindfulness-without-yoga/
• https://www.mindful.org/jon-kabat-zinn-defining-mindfulness
• https://www.verywellmind.com/mindfulness-works-but-not-for-everyone-5097158

Article by Patricia Alfonso

Deadlifts are considered to be the king of all exercises. Now that royalty is involved, it’s only fair that we learn the correct techniques to perform this much loved gym exercise. What makes the deadlift stand out is that it puts to test every claim you’ve made about your power-lifting abilities in the gym.

The Common Mistakes When Doing Deadlifts and How to Avoid Them

You can dodge your form while performing a squat, and have someone spot you during a bench press, but with deadlifts, it’s just you against “dead” weight. It’s not just enough to know the correct form (which we will outline too!), but it’s crucial to know what mistakes you need to avoid and why you need to avoid them.

Without any further ado, here are the 6 mistakes you must stop doing when performing deadlifts.

1. Distance From The Bar

For a deadlift to be efficiently executed, the barbell must move in a perfect vertical line. From the point that you lift the barbell, to the finishing point, any horizontal path should be as minimal as possible. You want to lower the barbell right onto the position where you first picked it up off the floor.

You have probably noticed people standing too far away from the barbell and when they pull it up, it ends up being an isometric movement that targets your front deltoid. Not only is that not a deadlift, but you’re not lifting any load that’s worth being lifted.

When you’re at a distance from the bar, different kinds of muscles will contribute to picking that weight up. With these additional forces at work, you’re dispensing more energy than is needed. You want to be able to lift heavier weights and overload with a natural progression.

Remember, the bar must be placed directly over the middle of your feet for an accurate lift-off.

2. Deadlifts Aren’t Squats!

This is a common mistake by beginners especially those trying to pull off their best impression of the deadlift they’ve seen on the Internet. Such a technique engages a low-hip posture with an upright back. The lifter’s body is automatically placed behind the bar and with the distance increased between the barbell and the lifter’s center of mass, the attempt to lift the bar off is imbalanced.

When a heavy deadlift is performed from a squat-like set-up, the body shifts its starting position before the weight is lifted off the floor. Consequently, their position ends up with their shoulders in front of the barbell and the hips higher than the knees.

When a deadlift is properly performed, the lats transfer their power to the hips and the lower back which ultimately assists in lifting the bar. It should be noted that this even distribution can only occur when the shoulders are in front of the barbell and the bar is parallel to the scapulae. A squat set-up is costly and without benefit.

That tiny window where the body re-organizes itself from the incorrect posture does not give the lats enough time to generate the tension needed to support the lumbar spine. It’s an open invitation to a lower-back injury.

Remember, your form should be such that the hips are more elevated than the knees and the bar is parallel to the scapulae and just behind the shoulders.

3. Not Working Against The Resistance

The lifter must be pulling the barbell up in such a way that the rod makes contact with the top curve of the rim in the hole of the plates. If that isn’t what’s happening, there won’t be much resistance and it becomes difficult to generate an isometric contraction in the spine and lats.

When the weight is jerked off the floor without working against the resistance, the lumbar flexion gets more engaged than needed and the lower back stiffness that’s needed for a secure pull against gravity is overlooked. Such a movement ends up with complaints of severe lower back pain.

Now that you know how to set up the bar properly, your last technique before lifting the weight is to pull your chest up high while simultaneously pulling the bar against the weights. You might even hear a “clink” sound if there’s a small gap between the rim hole and bar collar which is an excellent sign that you are ready for lift-off.

4. Back Angle Shifting Before Lift-Off

When the knees straighten before the bar has left the floor, the back angle will naturally change no matter how firmly you’ve maintained it. You end up with a more horizontal angle and an acute angle at the hips.

The issue with having straight knees prior to lift off is that the quads won’t be engaged and this in turn turns the classic deadlift into a Romanian deadlift. Pressure will accumulate on the posterior chain and that will result in one or more of the following 3 problems: lots of back pain, premature fatigue, and a weak lift-off.

The correct technique is when the back angle remains in its initial stance when the bar is lifted away from the floor and that happens when you extend the knees.

5. Unnecessary Lower-Back Hyper Extension

The final part of the deadlift is when the hips thrust forward to a point where the bar won’t let them extend any further. A common mistake among lifters is that they hyper-extend the lumbar spine instead of the hips or in addition to, and this is an extremely unnecessary movement. The lumbar spine must be locked from the get-go all the way to the end.

In some situations, the glutes aren’t strong enough to complete the movement which leads to lifters relying on their lower back. Variations in the technique may seem harmless at first but the continuous stress added to the lumbar will eventually catch up.

6. Too Many Reps

There are tons of talk about how your deadlift form should be, but what about when you actually perfect it? How many reps do you do?

Deadlifts target a lot of muscles and joints and if you keep doing them especially after the fatigue starts to set in, you’re at risk of a spinal column and lower back injury. The recommended rep range is anywhere between 6-13 reps.

A safer and equally effective alternative to when you have reached the rep limit on your deadlift is the barbell hip thrust. It’s primarily for your glutes and hamstrings but it targets nearly the same muscles and joints as a deadlift minus the risky force.

Summary

Now that you know what mistakes you need to avoid, and why you must avoid them, let’s conclude all the things we’ve learnt about how to perfectly and safely perform a deadlift.

1. The bar must be position directly over the middle of the feet and if you set it any further than that, the deadlift becomes a poorly executed front-delt raise.
2. The bar must be parallel to the scapulae and just behind the shoulders.
3. Listen closely to the “clink” for when the bar collides with the rim of the weight plates so that you know you are not adding any slack to the bar before pulling it up.
4. Your lower back angle must be locked into the same position from the pull all the way down to the drop. This happens only by extending the knees.
5. Finish off the deadlift with an active and sturdy hip extension.

Article by Wassay Syed

Lacking the visible gains and beginner-friendly technique of the go-to barbell squats and deadlifts, the Cossack squat is an often overlooked exercise in the fitness world. However, the benefits it can provide convinced me that everyone should be incorporating the Cossack squat into their workout program.

When it comes to flexibility and mobility exercises, there aren’t many that can match the skill, balance, and range of motion required to complete a full Cossack squat.

It offers a plane of motion that’s not found in your standard exercises and can resolve muscle imbalances, reduce injury risk, and improve mobility.

In this article, I’ll take a detailed look at the benefits Cossack squats can provide and why we should all be doing them.

What is the Cossack Squat

There’s no doubt that the Cossack squat can be quite a challenging move, especially for beginners. Essentially a single-leg variation of the popular goblet squat, it works the right and left leg individually, taking the body in a lateral direction.

You’ll often find it likened to a side lunge as the movement is comparable and it does work similar muscles. The form is slightly different though. The Cossack uses a significantly wider starting stance and breaks the parallel plane of your thigh with the floor.

Step-by-Step Guide to the Cossack Squat

Step 1: Stand with feet wider than shoulder-width apart.

Step 2: Keeping the movement slow and controlled, shift your weight over the right leg, bending at the knee, and sitting the hips down. Keep your torso upright and left leg straight.

Step 3: As you squat, point the toes on the left foot upwards so that your resting on the heel.

Step 4: Aim to drop the hips below the knees, breaking the parallel plane with the floor. Failing this, just go as low as your mobility will allow. Once at the bottom, pause, then drive upwards through the right foot and back into the starting position.

Step 5: Repeat for an equal number of reps on both legs.

Muscles Used in the Cossack Squat

Using a much lighter load, the Cossack is unable to build muscle in the same way your typical barbell squat might do. Despite this, it does activate similar muscles, including increased activation in muscles that standard squats may not reach.

1. Glute Medius

The Cossack squat is one of few exercises that can activate and strengthen the glute medius. One of three muscles that make up the glutes, the glute medius plays an important role in stabilizing the body during certain movements, especially single-leg movements.

Therefore, developing this muscle can aid balance and stability on other gym exercises like squats and lunges.

2. Obliques

Acting as a stabilizing muscle here, the obliques kick into action as you get closer to the ground and try to avoid the temptation to twist your torso.

Activation of the obliques supports improved balance, posture, and stability across other gym exercises and even day-to-day activities.

3. Other muscles

Other muscles activated in the Cossack squat include:

• Quads
• Calves
• Hamstrings
• Adductors
• Abdominals

Why Should We Do Cossack Squats

There are plenty of benefits that make the Cossack squat a fantastic addition to your leg days

1. Plane of Motion

Your classic leg days will tend to involve movements that work across just one plane of motion. Exercises like traditional squats, deadlifts, and lunges all have their benefits, but using these and only these exercises to build muscle and train can be detrimental.

In sport and day-to-day life, our body tends to move across 3 planes of motion:

• Sagittal
• Frontal
• Transverse

Most exercises only work the sagittal plane (front to back/up & down), thus leading to many of us neglecting the other two planes leading to injury, poor mobility, and muscular imbalance.

Using lateral movements, Cossack squats introduce the frontal plane of motion, easing the concerns associated with neglecting different planes.

2. Mobility and Flexibility

Increasing mobility and flexibility is essential to better performance in competitive sports, reducing injury risk, and good joint health.

The range of motion in the Cossack squat allows the lifter to push their mobility to the limit. It can increase flexibility and mobility in the hips, knees, and ankles.

3. Improved Muscle Strength

The lateral, single-leg movement means that the Cossack squat can overload, stretch, and stress lesser trained muscles in the legs. This means it overloads the weaker fibers, causing them to tear up and repair as they gain more power to withstand future stress.

The glute medius is a good example of a weaker muscle that is overloaded in the Cossack squat. Building strength in these weaker muscles can improve mobility in these muscles whilst supporting stronger powerlifts such as barbell squats and deadlifts.

4. Identify and Resolve Muscular Imbalances

In normal squats and deadlifts, muscular imbalances between the right and left leg aren’t as obvious as the stronger leg can compensate for weaknesses in the other leg.

Single-leg exercises such as the Cossack squat can immediately identify any weaknesses. Repeated reps can even out any imbalances resulting in improved muscle endurance, better injury resistance, and stronger squats and deadlifts.

5. Variation to Your Workout

At some point in your fitness program, you’ll likely reach a mental and/or physical plateau, limiting your gains and motivation to exercise. A common cause of this is a lack of variation in your workout. Repeating the same exercises over and over can become monotonous and boring.

Introducing the Cossack squat into your workout adds variety including a new range of motion and an additional challenge to keep you motivated and inspired to reach your workout goals.

6. Movement Control

The technical skill required to complete the Cossack squat far outweighs that of a barbell squat or forward lunge.

In the Cossack squat, your legs are on uneven planes thus there is a lot less room for technical error. It’s important to be precise with the movement as any departure from the correct pattern can make the exercise difficult.

This necessity for the correct form will improve your ability to control and direct your body purposefully, supporting better movement control and efficiency on plenty of other exercises and in day-to-day life.

Tips to Perfect Your Cossack Squat

There are a few tips you can use to perfect your form on the Cossack squat and really maximize the benefits the exercise can provide.

1. Turn toes outwards

When in the starting stance, try flaring your toes. Doing this can enhance your balance and stability, along with increasing muscle activation in the glutes and quads.

2 .Engage your core

As you lower into the squat position be sure to lock your core and engage your obliques. This not only ensures the activation of these muscles but also prevents arching and twisting of the torso, helping you get as low as possible and preventing injury.

3. Use a weight

Whilst it’s best to do the Cossack squat without any load at first, it can sometimes be helpful to use a light dumbbell or kettlebell if you struggle to maintain balance. Holding the weight out in front of you can act as a counterbalance which will help you keep your torso upright.

Any weight up to 8/9kg will do the job.

4. Know your limits

Most people won’t be able to go all the way to the ground the first time they try this exercise. I definitely couldn’t. For your first attempt, just go as low as you can whilst trying to go a little lower with every rep.

Of course, the eventual target is to achieve that “ass to grass” Cossack squat but it’s important to work towards this rather than forcing it at the expense of good technique. Only go as low as your mobility will allow and over time as your mobility increases you’ll find you can Cossack squat lower and lower.

5. Keep it slow

Maintaining a slow and controlled pace on the Cossack squat ensures there is constant tension on the muscles as you go through the full range of motion.

By maintaining this level of stress you can maximize the strength and endurance gains for your lower body muscles.

Final Thoughts

If you’re keen to level up your workouts, challenge your mobility, or you’re just looking for that added variation to your program, I’ve no doubt the Cossack squat is the answer.

It comes packed with benefits and offers a great challenge whatever your fitness levels.

It’s a highly technical exercise that requires high levels of proficiency but once you integrate it into your workouts you won’t regret it.

Characterized by burning legs and increased muscular activation, there’s no doubt that squats are the kings of leg workouts. Squats tend to come in a variety of styles and types which can make it difficult to know which the best type is to add to your workout program. We explore four different types of squats, the muscles worked, benefits, videos, variations and tips.

So, I’ve put together my 4 favorite squat variations with details on who should be doing them and why they’re so beneficial.

Benefits of Squats

There are several benefits of squats that make them a staple part of any lifters or athletes leg day.

• Increase lower body muscle mass – particularly quads, glutes, hamstrings
• Activation of stabilizer muscles such as calves and abdominals
• Can improve balance and in some cases mobility and flexibility
• Functional movement which can support daily activities outside of exercise

1. Barbell Squat

The standard, go-to exercise for powerlifters and cross trainers alike. The thought of heavily loaded barbells and grimacing athletes is synonymous with barbell squats, yet they can provide so much more than just big legs.

Activating a variety of stabilizing muscles and putting your range of motion to the test whilst under load, barbell squats can burn calories and build muscle.

Muscles Worked

Barbell squats primarily target:

• Quads
• Hamstrings
• Glutes
• Calves
• Core

They’re great for…

Beginners looking to begin their cross-training or powerlifting journey should consider adding barbell squats to their workout program. They can overload and target a variety of lower body muscles and if you use a low weight (or even just the barbell itself) to begin with, you can get the form just right.

If your fitness goals are to lose weight but you still want some toning on your muscles, the added muscle activation in barbell squats means that you can burn plenty of calories whilst activating and strengthening your leg muscles. For maximum fat-burning effects, go for lower weight and faster reps.

For powerlifting competitors, barbell squats are a must. Not only are they an event themselves, but they can also help provide the foundational strength to support other lifts such as deadlifts and lunges.

Coaching Tips

Use a mirror to check that you are maintaining a straight path as you come up out of the squat. It’s common for lifters to fall forward, arch their back, or for their knees to track outside/inside the feet. All of these can affect muscle development and in many cases cause injury.

When lowering into the squat you should grip the floor with your feet by spreading your toes and forming the “tripod position” so that your weight is evenly distributed across your feet. As you drive upwards, lift the toes to drive through the heel and engage the quads.

Variations

A. Barbell Front Squat

This variation distributes the load slightly differently resting the barbell on the upper chest. It places more demand on the glutes and quads than a traditional barbell squat.

B. Barbell Hack Squat

This variation replicates the movement found in a hack squat machine, just at a different angle. You hold the barbell behind you, so your arms take the weight and not your torso.

2. Goblet Squat (Sumo Stance)

A user-friendly squat variation, the goblet squat is often viewed as a stepping-stone to more advanced squats. I do think it has its place in advanced fitness workouts though.

A wider stance and different weight distribution mean the goblet squat activates the often under-trained glutes more than other squats. By encouraging the lifter to break the parallel plane between their thigh and the floor, it has huge mobility benefits too.

Muscles Worked

The key benefit is the glute activation but like all squats, the goblet squat is a compound exercise so other muscles jump to action too. Muscles targeted include:

• Glutes
• Quads
• Calves
• Hamstrings
• Core
• Lower back

They’re great for…

The full range of motion in a goblet squat means you can increase your mobility and flexibility as you look to get as close to the floor as possible. Each time you perform the exercise you should target getting a little bit lower.

Goblet squats also work well for lifters looking to build glute strength. Most squats activate the glutes as supporting muscles, however, the wide stance on goblet squats means increased activation on these leg muscles.

A big benefit of goblet squats is that they can be done from home or at the gym with no need for specialized equipment such as a barbell or machine. If the barbell is unavailable meaning you can’t do your usual squats, grab a kettlebell or dumbbell (or anything really that is easy to hold) and try the goblet squat as an alternative.

Coaching Tips

Actively keeping the weight close to your chest can increase focus on the working leg muscles as your arms and biceps aren’t called into action. It can also allow for more weight to be lifted as the legs can deal with significantly more weight than the arms.

Bracing the abs before you squat can help with performing a controlled rep on the goblet squat. also, consider tensing the lower back to maintain the correct form and avoid arching of the back.

Variations

A. Goblet Box Squat

Using the same stance and movement as a goblet squat, placing a box to lower yourself onto is great if you struggle with the range of motion on this exercise.

B. Resistance Band Goblet Squat

Using a resistance band instead of weights, this exercise allows for more focus on range of motion and can help strengthen the outer thighs and hips.

3.     Cossack Squat

Packed with benefits and a really good challenge for any fitness enthusiasts looking to test themselves, the Cossack squat is one of my favorite types of squats. It’s an exercise we should all be integrating into our workouts whether we are a powerlifter, fairweather gym-goer, or CrossFit athlete.

You can check out my article as to why we should all be Cossack squatting here.

It’s essentially a single-leg variation of the goblet squat, working the left and right legs independently. Not only does it come with all the benefits single-leg exercises provide, but Cossack squats also have an increased range of motion improving flexibility, mobility, and balance.

Muscles Worked

The Cossack squat is ideal for strengthening the glute medius, a muscle that plays a vital role in stability during leg movements.

Muscles worked in the Cossack squat include:

• Glutes
• Obliques
• Quads
• Calves
• Hamstrings
• Abs

They’re great for…

Cossacks squats are brilliant for increasing your range of motion, flexibility, and mobility. So many exercises we do in the gym use one plane of motion (frontal). Think squats, deadlifts, lunges. Adding the Cossack to your routine can introduce your body to the sagittal plane whilst testing and improving your ankle and hip mobility as you look to get as low as possible.

By focussing on one leg at a time, Cossack squats are ideal if you want to even out muscle imbalances. On a standard squat, it can be hard to spot imbalances as our stronger leg will compensate for lack of strength in the other. Doing Cossacks, you will figure out if you have an imbalance straightaway.

They can also help you build strength in lesser trained muscles, which will support heavier squats, deadlifts, and lunges. There aren’t many exercises that activate the glute medius so much, therefore the Cossack squat is one of a few that can truly improve balance and stability on advanced and heavy lifts.

Coaching Tips

If you are struggling to maintain balance, consider using a counterbalance such as a light kettlebell or dumbbell, holding it at chest height. The loading will offset your bodyweight making it slightly easier to stay upright as you go lower.

Once in the starting stance, try turning your toes outwards. This can support balance and muscular activation as you perform the exercise.

Variations

A. Landmine Cossack Squat

Using a landmine setup to do the Cossack squat can help you perfect the posture and balance on the typical Cossack. Alternatively, it can add some variation to your Cossacks.

B. Hamstring-focussed Cossack Squat

Adding rotation in your torso as you lower yourself towards the ground can place a bit of extra focus on your hamstrings. You’ll really feel it contract and activate as you push through the heel to rise back up.

4.     Pistol Squat

The pistol squat is a highly advanced squat that requires plenty of balance, strength, and skill to complete. But once you can do it, you won’t regret working your way up to performing it perfectly.

It can improve balance, range of motion, and impress your mates (and strangers) at parties. It definitely sits on the throne as the champion of single-leg exercises.

Muscles Worked

Quads, quads, and more quads. The quads are the main movers in the pistol squat due to the knee flexion and extension. There is activation across other lower body muscles too which provide balance and support the quads in completing the exercise.

Muscles used in the pistol squat include:

• Quads
• Glutes
• Abductors
• Adductors
• Calves
• Abs

They’re great for…

Pistol squatting regularly can support increased coordination and balance, particularly on one leg. This is especially useful for athletes who compete in sports which involve lots of jumping and landing on one leg, sprinting, and sharp changes of direction.

The increased amount of ankle, knee, and hip flexion can improve mobility and flexibility. The added range of motion can assist with deeper squats and lunges, providing power and control through the movements.

Like with all single-leg exercises, pistol squats will highlight and even out any muscular imbalances as your stronger leg can no longer compensate for the weaker leg. This is great for injury rehab, injury prevention, and improving muscular imbalances.

Coaching Tips

Before trying the pistol squat for the first time, you should try progression exercises such as box pistol squats to work your way up to performing the exercise with perfect form and maximizing its benefits.

Try to remain slow and controlled as you lower yourself into the squat. Going too fast can lead to you bouncing on the way back up, reducing the work your leg muscles do during the rep as momentum takes you up and back to standing.

Variations

A. Box Pistol Squat

Using a box to squat onto is a great progression exercise that helps you perfect the form and improve your balance ahead of attempting the full pistol squat.

Final Thoughts

There we have it, 4 different types of squats for you to try in the gym or during your next home workout. Add these to your leg workouts and reap the benefits of muscular hypertrophy, increased mobility, and added variation to your fitness program.

Physically demanding, heart pumping, and leg-burning, HIIT is all the rage in the fitness realm at the moment. In a world where many feel they don’t have enough spare time to dedicate to exercising, HIIT offers a time-efficient way of burning calories and shedding fat.

In this article, we’ll take a look at what the benefits of HIIT are and how you can make the most of them whatever level you’re at.

Benefits of HIIT

From burning a ton of calories to being super-cheap and easy to do, HIIT sessions can provide loads of great benefits that make them recommended by personal trainers everywhere.

1. Burns calories (and fat) quick

One of the main reasons people turn to HIIT is because it can help you get fit without taking up loads of your time.

In just 30 minutes you can burn up to 30% more calories in a HIIT session than you can running, biking, or weight training.

Burning loads of calories means you also lose weight. Weight loss in HIIT is much the same as with most endurance exercises, just in less time. Even after your workout, you can still burn calories as your metabolism is elevated for hours after a HIIT session.

2. Improve oxygen consumption

Your muscles’ ability to use oxygen is vital for cardio and muscular health. Endurance training has long been the gold standard for improving oxygen consumption but HIIT may just be about to take the crown.

Not only can HIIT produce the same benefits but it can deliver them in half the time.

3. Doesn’t need equipment

Whilst you can use equipment, there is no necessity for it in a HIIIT workout. This means that it can be done for free and in a location convenient to you.

You just use your bodyweight for resistance and focus on getting your heart-rate up and keeping it there for the full interval. Bodyweight workouts result in optimal muscle building and increased calorie burn compared to a HIIT using dumbbells or barbells.

4. Health Benefits

HIIT can have important health benefits too. It can reduce resting heart rate and blood pressure in overweight individuals. This is particularly noticeable when compared with continuous endurance exercise or moderate-intensity exercise.

Interestingly, HIIT does not affect the blood pressure of individuals with normal blood pressure and weight.

Blood sugar levels can be reduced by HIIT programs too. Its benefits in reducing blood sugar levels and improving insulin resistance. For individuals at risk of type 2 diabetes HIIT exercise may be particularly beneficial.

HIIT for Beginners

HIIT workouts can sometimes be quite intimidating if you are just starting your weight loss journey or haven’t done much high-intensity exercise.

As a beginner, your HIIT exercises should include simple, easy-to-follow exercises. The fun, energetic nature of HIIT makes it perfectly suited to beginners who are looking to keep fit and avoid losing motivation early on in their program.

The recommended work:rest ratio should be 1:1. This means that for every 30 seconds of high-intensity exercise, you should have 30 seconds of rest or low-intensity exercise. 30 seconds is probably a great starting point as it gives you time to acclimatize to workouts that aren’t too long or short.

As you get fitter you can adjust the work:rest ratio. Personally, I like to keep the work and rest within a minute as it makes it easier to track workout length (and is nice for my OCD!). By this logic, you would go for 35:25 seconds (work:rest) as you get fitter, probably up to a max of 45:15.

Check out our recommended HIIT workouts for beginners below.

1. Beginner Leg HIIT

Work:rest ratio of 30:30

• High knees
• Lunges
• Squats
• Reverse lunges

Repeat each round 6 times for a leg blasting HIIT session.

2. Beginner Full-body HIIT

Work:rest ratio of 30:30

• High Knees
• Mountain climbers
• Squats
• Burpees (no press-up)
• Lunges
• Plank

Repeat 4 times for a high-energy 24-minute session.

3. Repetition HIIT workout

Alternatively, try out this workout which doesn’t use a timer but instead each exercise is done for a certain amount of repetitions (reps).

• 10 burpees
• 30 star jumps
• 20 squats
• 20 star jumps
• 30 mountain climbers
• 10 star jumps

Rest for 2 minutes after you have completed the full round, then repeat 4 times.

HIIT for Intermediates

For those who consider themselves an intermediate level of fitness, you may be pondering doing HIIT exercises to change up your workout routine, re-motivate yourself, or because you feel like your current regime isn’t producing the results anymore.

Intermediates should target 35:25 second work:rest intervals and include more advanced exercises in their sessions. You may even want to try out short but fast workouts lasting less than 15 minutes. Great if you’re short on time, right?

Here are our recommended workouts for intermediate level.

1. Intermediate Leg HIIT

35 seconds on, 25 seconds off. Let’s go!

• Squat Jumps
• Reverse lunge with kick
• Squat thrusts
• Drop lunges

Repeat 5 times and then struggle to walk for the next 3 days.

2. Intermediate Full Body HIIT

• High Knees
• Burpees
• Squat jumps
• Press-ups
• Star jumps
• Plank

3. Quick HIIT Blast

Short on time? This workout should take just 10-minutes giving you a good cardio blast in the middle of a busy day.

Each exercise requires you to work a little harder ensuring you maximize the benefits in a short space of time.

35 seconds on 25 seconds off for this one

• Split squat
• Press-up and hold at bottom
• Reverse lunge and kick
• Shoulder taps

Ouch! Repeat 2 times. If you’re feeling fit go for 3 sets.

HIIT for Advanced Level

Consider yourself advanced? Then why not try out our brutal HIIT workouts designed to wreck legs, pump chests, and leave you gasping for air. You’ll hate the workout but love the results!

1. Advanced Leg HIIT

For each exercise, you should go 40 seconds on and 20 seconds rest. Be sure to warm up properly, especially the glutes, hamstrings, and quads.

• High knees
• Split squat
• Reverse lunge and hop
• Star jumps
• Boxing
• Skaters

Repeat 4 times for a ruthless session in less than half an hour.

2. Advanced Full Body HIIT Superset

You should complete this workout in supersets. Some sets are timed, others exercises are a certain number of reps.

Round 1

• 30s High knees
• 30s Burpees (no press-up)
• 30s Split lunges
• 30s Mountain climbers

Round 2

• 10 Heel taps
• 20 Ankle taps
• 10 Reverse crunches
• 20 Bicycle crunches
• 10 V-sits

Round 3

• 5 to 1 Press-ups
• 5 High to low planks
• 30s Plank
• 30s Side plank
• 30s Side plank

Round 4

• 30s Squat hold
• 30s Split squat
• 10 Reverse lunge and kick (5 each side)
• 10 Squat jumps

Repeat twice, this should take less than 30-minutes. If you reckon you can do 3 rounds then go for it!

3. Advanced Dumbbell HIIT

Whilst HIIT can be done with bodyweight, it can be nice to throw a few dumbbell exercises in there every so often. This is great for extra muscle building and adds a different dimension to your HIIT.

For our dumbbell HIIT try 40-seconds on and 40-seconds off.

• High knees*
• Squat to shoulder press
• Press-up to row
• Reverse lunge to bicep curl
• Crunches*
• Rope climbs*
• Squats
• Burpees*
• Knee to stand
• Plank*

*no dumbbell used for this exercise

Final Thoughts

There we are then. 9 different HIIT workouts to suit individuals of all fitness levels, equipment, and time commitments.

Whatever your fitness goals, throwing a HIIT routine into your workout schedule is bound to provide plenty of benefits.

For those new to body weight exercises and HIIT, here is a quick exercise diagram from Darebee introducing the different workouts mentioned above and parts of the body you are focusing on.

If you suffer from depression, be it mild, severe, or anywhere in between, the last thing you will feel like doing is moving your body. However, exercise may be able to play a key role in alleviating and managing your symptoms helping boost your mood and provide you with a necessary distraction from negative thoughts.

Combat Depression with Exercise

In this article, we’ll discuss how exercise can combat depression. Armed with this information, you can use it to manage your own mild depression or to help a friend or family member in their fight against mental health issues.

I want to say from the outset that exercise in isolation is unlikely to lead to full recovery from depression. Many complex factors can cause relapses and worse symptoms. The best things you can do alongside exercise include talking to a professional or friends and family and get support from these networks.

How Does Exercise Combat Depression?

Exercise is especially useful for individuals who suffer from mild to moderate depression. Regular bouts can improve your mood and release a load of positive hormones and feel-good chemicals.

• Endorphins are released during exercise. These are positive chemicals that are associated with feelings such as euphoria, happiness, and bliss. These emotional states contradict the feelings associated with depression allowing endorphins to go some way to alleviating its symptoms. Just 30 minutes on the treadmill can get the endorphins flowing providing mood-boosting effects.
• The chemical norepinephrine is also released during exercise. Stress and anxiety are crucial sources of many people’s mild depression, but the release of norepinephrine has been shown to relieve stress by effectively “training” the brain to be more resilient to it.
• Exercise can help clear your mind too, providing a welcome distraction from the cycle of negative thoughts and emotions that sustain depression. Clearing these thoughts, even if only for a short amount of time, can help fight depression and give you a more positive mindset.
• Self-confidence thanks to improved body shape and meeting exercise goals can combat depression and anxiety. Feeling better about your appearance can displace negative thoughts with constructive thinking.
• Exercise may even increase the amount of social interaction you have. Group sessions like spin classes and Zumba can give you a chance to meet and socialize with others. If group sessions aren’t your thing, even just a smile from a neighbor as you go for a run around the community can lift your mood greatly.
• Exercise is a healthy coping method for symptoms of depression. Rather than dwelling on your feelings or using alcohol as a distraction or to detach yourself from reality, you can do something positive that will benefit you instead of leading to worsening symptoms.

How Do I Get Started and Stay Motivated?

Starting your exercise regime can actually be the hardest part of your health program. There are several tips you can follow to help you motivate yourself to kickstart an exercise regime and to stick to it.

Tip 1 – Do something you enjoy

If you think you will get easily bored by a walk in the park or a run on the treadmill, don’t include it in your exercise regime. There are plenty of other forms of exercise that you might find more enjoyable.

If you enjoy social interaction and meeting new people, joining a spin class, for example, would be a good place to start. If you are looking for a more exhilarating workout rather than a cardio slog you should look at including plenty of HIIT exercises in your workout.

If you include exercises that you hate then your fitness will just become a chore, meaning you’re less likely to be motivated and to stick with your regime.

Tip 2 – Set SMART goals

Setting goals that you can’t achieve can be a huge demotivator to you sticking to your fitness goals. For this reason, you want to make sure you set short-term and long-term goals that are S.M.A.R.T.

Specific: Don’t be vague or unclear with your targets. The goals you set should be clearly set out and easy to understand.

Measurable: Being able to track your progress helps you stay motivated and focused. If you can’t measure your goals, how will you know when you’ve hit them?

Achievable: Realistic and attainable goals are important too. You should look to stretch and challenge yourself but within the realms of possibility. If you set unachievable goals it can be quite demotivating.

Relevant: Set goals that matter to you and align with your long-term target. Setting goals that are related to what you want to achieve will keep you on track and help you stay motivated to accomplish them.

Time-Phased: Every goal should have a target date. This gives you a deadline to work towards keeping you focused and driven to achieve it. It will also prevent less important tasks from getting in the way.

Tip 3: Know your barriers

Everyone has stumbling blocks and obstacles that can hinder their progress. Understanding that this is a common problem and knowing what your barriers are is crucial to keeping up your workout regime.

All barriers can be overcome. For example, if you feel self-conscious you can exercise at home. If you don’t have the money to spend on extra fitness gear, there are plenty of low-cost exercise options such as walking or budget gyms.

For every barrier, there is an alternative solution. Just remember that anyone starting their fitness journey has to overcome barriers, you’re not alone on this and it’s not a reason to give up.

Tip 4: There will be setbacks

Preparing for setbacks and understanding there will be issues that affect your workout is important to staying motivated.

There will be times where you skip a day because you don’t feel up to it. That doesn’t mean you should quit altogether, just jump back on your regime the next day. Any setback can be overcome as long as you are aware they might happen and prepare for them.

Tip 5: Use professional support

Whether it’s a doctor, mental health professional, or a personal trainer, adding professional backing to your support network can provide expert guidance and tips on how to achieve your goals.

Discuss an exercise plan, nutrition plan, and physical activity program with them and let their knowledge and expertise guide you in the right direction.

What About Nutrition?

Alongside exercise, a well-balanced diet can support good mental health and fight depression.

Complex carbs and protein-rich foods can help improve your mood and concentration as well as providing the energy and nutrients needed to fuel your workout.

For a balanced diet, eat a variety of vegetables, fruits, grains, and high proteins. Try to lower your intake of foods high in refined sugar, saturated fats, or salt, and drink alcohol in moderation.

A balanced diet doesn’t necessarily mean eating bland foods. There are tons of ways you can make new and tasty recipes that support a healthy diet. Be sure to experiment with various cooking styles and recipes to find your favorites so that you stick to a good diet.

Best Exercises For Depression

I typed this into Google purely out of interest to see what came up. Many sites suggest a run or hike, some even propose Yoga.

The reality is there is no single exercise that helps alleviate depression in everyone. Personally, I hate running and there is no way I’d stick to a workout program that included loads of it. At the same time, I know lots of people who love it and the opportunity it provides, to get fresh air and clear their mind.

The best advice is to experiment with a range of different exercises and see what works best for you. A few starters could be HIIT, taking up a new sport or gym class, running, swimming, or cycling. Take your pick or search for a few more.

The most important thing is to remember that everyone is different and an exercise form that works for one might not work for you so keep trying different things and see what you enjoy and what gives you the most benefits.

Depression and Exercise: How strong is the link?

It’s really important to remember that depression is a vastly complex mental health issue. Whilst exercising will help reduce and even alleviate symptoms it is not a sure-fire method of preventing relapse and supporting full recovery.

For milder forms of depression exercise can be very effective even without professional help, but for moderate to clinical levels of depression, contacting a mental health professional is recommended alongside regular exercise.

Some great websites have tons of information on depression, who to contact, and how to deal with it. If you are suffering check out the following sites for information and initial steps you can take before contacting a health professional:

MIND: This dedicated mental health site provides loads of research and stories on mental health, helps you to support others, and gives the necessary information and support to help you through your mental health issues.

Healthline: This site provides vital information on everything health-related including mental health. All the information is clear and backed by research.

Mayo Clinic: This site can help guide you in the right direction for any mental health issues and provide reliable and useful information.

We have all been there before. We’re getting ready to work out, and rather than warm up, we choose to jump right into our workout. While this may save about 5-10 minutes, choosing to skip a proper warm up increases the potential to have lasting negative impacts on your fitness goals.

When done correctly, warming up and cooling down provides several benefits by increasing your body’s capacity to perform and significantly reduces your likelihood of injury.

Why You Need to Warm Up

A proper warm up gives your body the time it needs to slowly prepare your muscles for increased activity. The key takeaway here is that your body has literally warmed up in temperature when you complete your warm up.

A warm up will slowly increase your body temperature as you engage your cardiovascular system and increase blood flow throughout your body. This gradual escalation in effort prepares your muscles for activity and may help alleviate muscle soreness and reduce chances of injury.

How to Warm Up

One of the biggest mistakes that we see beginners make when attempting to warm up for a new fitness program is to stretch over a dynamic warm up. Stretching before you exercise can be counterintuitive to your warm up.

The issue with stretching first is that rather than slowly elevating your body temperature and preparing your muscles for activity, the act of stretching forces your muscles to tighten. This can often lead to over-stretching and may increase your chances of injury. A warm up is very different from a stretch and should mimic whatever your activity for your workout is, but at a lower intensity!

Here are two examples of some warm up activities:

1. To warm up for a run, go for a brisk walk for about 5-10 minutes.
2. To begin weightlifting activities, conduct range of motion exercises and foam roll the muscle groups you will train before beginning your activity. You can also conduct the exercise at a much lower weight before executing your actual sets. Redefining Strength has a great video that you can follow along to get started and make sure you are ready to go for your next workout!

Why You Need to Cool Down

We don’t just have to prepare our bodies for activity, we also have to prepare our bodies to recover. Some of the most significant benefits include:

1. Slowing Down our Heart Rate

By reducing our heart rate back to normal, we reduce the stress that we put on our Cardiovascular System. Cooling down allows for us to normalize our heartbeat while preparing our muscles to contract and begin recovering for our next training session.

2. Helps reduce Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS)

DOMS usually occurs between 24 to 48 hours after exercise due to the stress that we put on our muscles while we train. Some soreness is expected regardless of whether we cool down or not; skipping a proper cool down will result in significantly more discomfort. Sometimes the soreness can be so bad that it may hinder your overall day-to-day life. A good cool down allows us to restrict our muscles and increase blood flow to begin flushing excess lactic acid and jump-start our recovery.

3. Injury Prevention

A proper cool down is a great place to include your stretching as a form of injury prevention. After exercising, our muscles are very pliable, kind of like Play-Doh. When muscles are this pliable, stretching consistently allows the muscles to lengthen over time and increase our range of motion, which helps reduce chances of injury that are often correlated with inflexibility.

How to Cool Down

Your cool down will often depend on the type of training you did for your workout. Cool downs also do not have to be very long, but we like to recommend anywhere between 8-10 minutes at a minimum.

A majority of cool downs will include slow movements and stretching. Still, we also want to suggest that you include some yoga or breathing exercises to help regulate your heart rate back to a steady pace to reduce the chances of you feeling dizzy or lightheaded.

Here are two examples of some cool down activities:

1. To cool down from a run, you can slow down to a jog for 5 minutes, and then slow down further to a brisk walk and taper to a slow walk over another 5 minutes. After your 10 minutes of jogging into a walk, you can then conduct some light stretching.
2. Following a weight training session, you can conduct whole-body stretches and then follow it up with about 5 minutes of breathing exercises. If you would like to check out some ideas on stretching routines, check out these 8 Relaxing Total Body Stretches on verywellfit.com.

What to expect if you skip your Warm Up and Cool Down

Here is what you can expect if you do not warm up or cool down after your training.

Increased Risk of Injury

A proper warm up and cool down help reduce the chance of suffering a skeletal muscle injury like shin splints. If you have never suffered them before, Shin splints can be almost debilitating in some cases and can drastically impact your workout routine. If you would like to learn more about shin splints or currently have them and would like to see how to treat them, Canyon Oaks Foot & Ankle has a great article on what shin splints are and how to prevent them. Incorporating an extra 20 minutes into your workout significantly increases your chances of avoiding painful injuries like this.

Blood Pooling

Another risk to skipping a warm up and cool down is what’s called blood pooling. Blood pooling is when your muscles suddenly stop contracting. This sudden stop may make your blood pool in the lower extremities of your body, reducing the pressure your blood has to make its way back to your heart and brain. Blood Pooling may result in you feeling dizzy or lightheaded, and in some cases, you may even faint.

Listen to Your Body!

It is very easy to get caught up and tell ourselves that we don’t have the time to warm up or cool down. Sometimes even getting in a workout, in general, can be a challenge, but we can all most likely find some time to work them in with a bit of flexibility. If we don’t, we run the risk of injury and not working out moving forward. The next time you find yourself debating whether or not you should jump right into your workout, remember the lasting impact it may have on your body!