training

Getty Imagesdenizya Many write off yoga as an “easy” workout. After all, stretching might put you into a relaxing, meditative mindset, but it’s not exactly going to get your heart rate up—or is it? The truth may surprise you.“Yoga is equal parts strength, flexibility, balance, and endurance,” says Mandy Ingber, celebrity yoga instructor, author of Yogalosophy for Inner Strength. She estimates that yoga can torch anywhere from 180 to 600 calories per hour, noting that there’s a large range because there are so many different types of yoga that vary from constant movement to a slower, more restorative pace. While you’ll generally get your heart rate up more in a Bikram or Vinyasa than you would in a restorative one, the specific yoga poses that you (or your instructor) select matter a lot, too. Want to take your yoga game to the next level? Make sure these seven poses are a regular part of your practice.[Looking to start cross training … [Read more...] about 7 Yoga Poses That Will Definitely Get Your Heart Rate Up

This article has been excerpted and adapted from Run Fast: How to Beat Your Best Time — Every Time, by Hal Higdon.Not everybody runs at the same level year after year after year. We move from peaks to valleys, gearing up for a road race and gearing down when other interests take precedence. Sometimes, we become injured. Sometimes, we become bored. Sometimes, we quit running (or run less) rather than fight the winds of winter or the dog days of summer. When we return back to the 5K or marathon, sometimes we encounter troubles. Scientists now can describe the effects of detraining, or how quickly we go out of shape. At the University of Texas at Austin, Edward Coyle, Ph.D., convinced a group of highly trained runners (who ran 80 miles a week) and cyclists (who rode 250 miles a week) to quit training. Their measured oxygen uptake scores declined rapidly at first, then less so. Ironically, the best-trained lost the most. Those less-trained had less to lose. Coyle determined that … [Read more...] about 10 Keys to Getting Back in Running Shape

Getty Imagespraetorianphoto If you’ve ever followed a training plan—or really if you’ve just read through one, then chances are you’ve come across terms like “interval run” or “tempo workout.” And if you were left scratching your head, then you’re not alone. These terms can be baffling, and some people mistakenly use them interchangeably, which leads to further confusion. To clear it up, we created a brief breakdown to these different types of runs below. Interval WorkoutsIntervals are short, intense efforts followed by equal or slightly longer recovery time. You can perform intervals in a variety of modalities, but here, we’ll focus on running. For example, after a warmup, run two minutes at a hard effort, followed by two to three minutes of easy jogging or walking to catch your breath. The interval should be performed at an effort in which you’re in the red (think: reaching hard for air, unable to hold a … [Read more...] about What’s the Difference Between Fartlek, Tempo, and Interval Runs?

If you’re looking for a new way to spice up your at-home ab workouts, just pull up a chair. SoulCycle Master Instructor Charlee Atkins, C.S.C.S. is a big proponent of using the whatever is available to improve your workouts, no matter how unlikely that “equipment” might be. Part of that resourcefulness comes from creativity, but it’s mostly due to necessity and her clients’ needs. “A lot of my clients do their workouts from home with limited gym equipment, so I was tasked with finding new ways to add intensity to workouts,” she says. “Cue using furniture.”[Looking to start cross training but don’t know where to start? The Beginner’s Guide to Strength Training will teach you all the fundamentals to get the most out of your weight session, priming you for stronger miles in the saddle.] One of Atkins’ favorite modifications for her workouts is to add height or introduce an uneven surface to make basic exercises more … [Read more...] about The At-Home Ab Workout You Can Do With Just One Chair

We all have our own reasons for why we put in our miles. Running helps us cope with our personal woes. It keeps our hearts, minds, and bodies strong and healthy. It allows us to challenge ourselves, gives our days purpose, and connects us with the larger running community.These motivations push us through workouts and finish lines, whether they are 5Ks or ultramarathons. But do the reasons pushing us differ depending on which distances we run? Researchers from Switzerland sought to answer just that—and it turns out, there are some pretty obvious differences.In the study, which was recently published in Psychology Research and Behavior Management, researchers asked 1,539 volunteer Polish runners to complete an online questionnaire about their motivations to run. They divided the motivations into four categories: psychological (life meaning, self-esteem), achievement (personal goal achievement, competition), social (affiliation, recognition), and physical (health orientation, … [Read more...] about What Really Drives Runners to Go Really, Really Long?