Author: BodyAndShapes.com

A: I think setting achievable goals is the most crucial first step. Too often I talk to riders who want to “win” every group ride or move from a Cat 5 to a Cat 2 in a few weeks. I’m not suggesting it’s not possible, but group rides aren’t races, and the category system in racing is to help riders transition up when they are ready, keeping everything safe.In reality, training and building fitness come down to hard work, consistency and, the most overlooked aspect, recovery. A good coach can set you on the right path and help you build…

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When Natalie Hollabaugh tested positive for Covid-19 in March 2020, her recovery felt extremely slow. Eighteen months later, she was still suffering from a litany of symptoms, including fatigue, shortness of breath, headaches and joint pain. She saw a cardiologist and a pulmonologist, who both ruled out other health problems, she said. And they advised her to start exercising, suggesting that some of her symptoms may have been a result of being out of shape. So Ms. Hollabaugh dutifully began using an exercise bike, speed walking on a treadmill and walking her dogs several miles a day. But instead of…

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As we come to the end of February, some seven weeks since we first started working on our New Year’s resolutions, many people may feel they’ve ‘lost’ the motivation that was so easy to muster on January 1.Losing motivation is normal and you shouldn’t get down on yourself for experiencing it. Nobody is motivated all the time — even professional athletes struggle with motivation.If you are struggling with motivation, I recommend giving yourself a couple of days to rest before starting back with some light exercise that you find enjoyable, whether yoga, pilates, swimming or maybe a light run. Exercise…

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Our body is so capable of multitasking that it can lose fat and build muscle at the same time. When it comes to weight loss, what you are looking for is fat loss. When you lose weight, you should be losing fat while maintaining your body’s muscle mass or gaining more muscles. The key to burning fat and building muscle simultaneously lies in tracking your calorie & macronutrient intake for the day. Understanding your macronutrients and learning how to consume them can help you achieve your body goals effectively. Fitness expert, Miten Kakaiya, tells us all about macronutrients and the…

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Hello and welcome to this week’s Lounge fitness roundup. Every Saturday, we pick some of the best stories of the week that you may have missed, so you can broaden your fitness knowledge and make your workouts better. As always, remember, that no matter how good your workouts are, with a little help and guidance, they can always improve. This week, we have three great stories that focus on different aspects of the fitness journey. While one story looks at new scientific findings on how our bodies work, a second story looks at the importance of building up your glutes.…

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Eriksen signed for the Bees on deadline day. The Denmark international had become a free agent after Inter agreed to terminate his contract, as he could not play in Italy after having an internal defibrillator fitted. Those rules do not apply in England and Eriksen is looking to get his career back up and running at the Community Stadium this season. He has been shining in Brentford’s friendly fixtures recently and is now in line to feature in the Premier League for the first time since January 2020. During an interview with the Evening Standard, Eriksen revealed he was feeling…

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The Bone Health & Osteoporosis Foundation estimates that about 54 million Americans have low bone mass, placing them at increased risk for osteoporosis. Genetics, hormone levels, and lifestyle all play a role in the development and progression of osteoporosis, and if you want to reduce your own risk, diet and the right kind of physical activity are the best places to start. But what is the right kind? Bone responds to the stress we put on it, and we need enough stress from physical activity to promote bone growth — but not too much stress, as can happen with overexercising.…

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On a daily basis, Peloton members around the world get a dose of her good-natured, optimistic encouragement to hit those fitness and personal health benchmarks as they cycle their way through her at-home spin classes. She says the takeaway she gets from her class participants is to “dream big” and that she’s inspired by their determination to push forward, no matter what. However, Lovewell herself admits she is not a “long-term goal person” and doesn’t like to spend too much time worrying about a goal that will take “10 years” to achieve. Instead, she prefers to focus on more short-term…

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That most deceptive of body types, the beanpole-fatty boasts a naturally slender frame, but like an iceberg, most of his bulk is hidden. It’s this visceral fat around the midriff that makes him critically unfit, with worrying long-term health implications. It’s time to stop hiding and redress the balance. Often found hiding in plain sight, the Skinny Fat man is unlikely to ’fess up to the appellation – mainly because he’s unaware of it. Sure, he looks OK in a T-shirt, but underneath he’s a not-so-hot mess, with visceral fat suffocating his internal organs, drastically increasing his risk of type…

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Unexplained weight gain is a problem that many people face these days. Exercise and a healthy diet might be enough… Unexplained weight gain is a problem that many people face these days. Exercise and a healthy diet might be enough to burn calories and lose a few pounds, but for many, it may be difficult. So they add a weight loss supplement to their everyday intake just to burn body fat faster. Also, if you are the one going to the gym or fitness classes, your trainer will probably advise you to start taking a dietary supplement to boost your…

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Among the many numbers that sum up Lance Armstrong’s illustrious, controversial career, there’s one that feels even more mythic than his seven Tour de France titles. At the peak of his powers, the cyclist reportedly had a resting heart rate of 32 beats per minute. Is it true? That’s slightly unclear — the stat appears to have been listed on his website at one point, detailing a range of 32-34 beats per minute. Other once-in-a-generation talents have had similar BPM buzz over the years; Usain Bolt apparently averaged 33 BPM when he was setting world records in the 100 and 200…

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Lots of us — 86%, according to one survey — take multivitamins or supplements. And only 24% of those who take them have a documented nutritional deficiency. The rest of us, presumably, are looking for a little insurance that we’re getting the micronutrients we need. But do these supplements make a difference? Or are we wasting our money? Manish Paranjpe, a student at Harvard Medical School in Boston, wanted to find out. He led a team of researchers who analyzed CDC data for 20,000 people. The study results were published in BMJ Open in early November 2020, and the findings…

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The Smart Scale utilizes bio-electrical impedance analysis technology which measures body composition by the rate at which a painless, low-level electrical current can travel through the body. The eight different sensors imbedded in the scale gather fourteen body composition metrics including weight, water, protein levels, bone mass, body fat, skeletal muscle, muscle mass, BMI, BMR, metabolic age, subcutaneous fat, fat-free body weight, visceral fat, and lean body mass. The scale also captures segmental lean analysis which can be as precise as the muscle percentage of a single limb. Based on a user’s personal profile, the health report also provides an…

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While others were mimicking Stephen Curry or LeBron James on the playground, Lucas wanted to be like McCutcheon Mavericks star guards Tre’Shon Heard, Robert Phinisee or Eddy Collins. On Friday night, with his father now on the coaching staff at Harrison, and with Heard on the bench with McCutcheon’s coaching staff, Lucas had the best offensive performance of his high school career. The junior guard scored 17 points and carried the Raiders with his outside shooting when nothing else could go right, then drained two key shots in the fourth to propel Harrison to a 52-49 win over McCutcheon at…

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This copy is for your personal non-commercial use only. To order presentation-ready copies of Toronto Star content for distribution to colleagues, clients or customers, or inquire about permissions/licensing, please go to: If your children aren’t consistently eating three balanced meals loaded with fruits and veggies every day, you might be tempted to supplement their diet with vitamins. But Joanna Benec, a clinical dietitian with The Hospital for Sick Children, asks you to think twice before using vitamins or supplements as a dietary safeguard. Here’s what she would like parents to know about kids and vitamins. My preschooler doesn’t eat a…

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“Master Phil” has operated Golden Sunrise Martial Arts out of one of the rooms of the Warwood Town Centre since 2018. There, around 40 students of all ages and abilities come to hone their bodies and technique in the “old school” way, as Lewellen says.While some other taekwondo organizations have become more focused on sport and competition. Lewellen said he preferred to keep his dojo “old school,” allowing pupils to learn for self-defense, for sport, or for fitness purposes.“(World Taekwondo) doesn’t teach punches to the head or things like that, they just teach sport style,” he said. “… I teach…

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“Everyone has busy, stress-filled, hectic lives; you barely have time to grab a cup of coffee in the morning, so you think there’s no way you have time to set a daily intention each morning, and that’s precisely why you need to,” says Melissa Maxx, a certified mindfulness coach. “If you don’t set an intention, you let the day determine your mood, rather than taking control and determining how you want the day to be.” Put simply, an intention is an aim or purpose, something you plan to do or achieve — and paying more attention to your intentions can…

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We are committed to bringing you researched, expert-driven content to help you make more informed decisions around food, health, and wellness. We know how important making choices about your overall health is, and we strive to provide you with the best information possible. According to one study, 86% of Americans take either a vitamin or a supplement. However, just 24% of those who are taking one have received test results confirming they have a nutritional deficiency. The question is, do these multivitamins and supplements actually offer health benefits? According to one new study, published in BMJ Open, the benefits may…

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