naturalnews--2019-07-29--HIIT that belly High intensity workouts reduce belly fat faster than continuous exercise

HIIT that belly: High intensity workouts reduce belly fat faster than continuous exercise

(Natural News) High-intensity interval training or HIIT is one of the most popular ways to burn fat. It involves intense bursts of activity and short recovery periods. A recent study found that this form of exercise is an effective way to reduce belly fat, much more so than moderate-intensity exercise.  The researchers of the study are the first to investigate the effect of HIIT on the body fat of people suffering from cardiovascular disease. They presented the results of their study at the American College of Cardiology’s 68th Annual Scientific Session.  The researchers reviewed the results of two exercise protocols assigned to 120 cardiac rehabilitation patients at the Mayo Clinic. The exercise program included three sessions per week for 12 weeks. During the first week, all the participants performed a continuous moderate-intensity training, which involved walking or biking. Then, the participants were divided into two groups. Ninety people were asked to switch to HIIT, while the remaining 30 continued moderate-intensity training. People from the HIIT programs had to perform four to eight intervals of one-minute high-intensity exercise and three to five minutes of low-intensity exercise.  At the end of 12 weeks, the participants from the HIIT group lost four more pounds of body fat than the moderate-intensity exercise group. The HIIT group also gained more muscle mass and lost about an inch more off their waists. (Related: Burn fat, build muscle, and better your health in less time with HIIT.)  “These findings support the use of HIIT as an essential treatment tool to improve body composition in heart attack patients enrolled in early outpatient cardiac rehabilitation,” said Yaoshan Dun, lead author of the study. “Our data suggest that, compared to moderate-intensity continuous training, supervised HIIT results in greater improvement in these patients. HIIT may contribute to better outcomes for patients with abdominal obesity who have cardiovascular risk factors or established heart disease.”  While the study specifically analyzed the effects of HIIT on heart attack survivors, healthy individuals can also benefit from this form of exercise. Other studies show that HIIT not only aids in weight loss, but also improves heart health in healthy individuals.  HIIT is not only meant for the gym. This form of exercise can also be performed at home. If you have a few minutes to spare, here are some routines that you can do right in your living room:  Making time for your fitness will benefit your health in the long run. To know more about HIIT and other forms of exercise you can do without going to the gym, visit Slender.news.


naturalnews--2019-10-14--Make the most of your workout with Hatha yoga and enjoy its anti-inflammatory benefits

(Natural News) A published study in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine revealed the Hatha yoga may help the body in the maintenance of blood lipids and reduction of inflammation. The researchers from Sweden also considered Hatha yoga’s potential in preventing cardiovascular diseases.  Yoga is a popular fitness exercise and method of relaxation in America. According to the National Center of Complementary and Integrative Health, around 21 million adults and 1.3 million children practice yoga in America. There are various styles of yoga, each with its own practices and philosophies. The most widely used style among practitioners is the Hatha yoga.  Hatha yoga is an old yoga system which incorporates asanas (yoga postures) and pranayama (breathing exercises). The main philosophy of Hatha yoga is the priming of the body and the mind. It is designed to prepare the person for meditation. Practitioners sometimes call it a “dual” type of yoga because one of its beliefs includes the duality of two opposites: the sun (“ha”, in Hindi) and the moon (“tha”).  The term hatha yoga is used in such a broad way that it is sometimes overlap with other styles. For that reason, it is often called the “general category” of yoga. This is because it incorporates practices and poses from all the different styles, letting its practitioners experience a bit of each one. Because of this, Hatha yoga great for beginners or students who prefer a more relaxed style.  Aside from being a form of exercise, Hatha yoga, along with the other styles of yoga, is also considered as complementary treatment alongside traditional Western medicine.  The researchers wanted to examine how practicing high-intensity yoga exercises (HIY), particularly Hatha yoga, affects the body. The researchers’ basis idea was the long list of health benefits associated with yoga, but the studies on the physiological effects of high-intensity yoga were limited.  Using a randomized control trial, the researchers gathered 44 participants (38 women and 6 men) for the study. They all within the 20-40 year range, and all of them reported performing exercise only two hours a week or only one hour at a high intensity. Afterwards, they were randomly assigned into two groups: the HIY group and the control group. The HIY group had home training while the control group had no yoga or home exercises.  The participants were measured at baseline and after the six-week program. Their parameters for measurement were as follows:  The results showed that there was not much difference between the HIY and control group in terms of cardiovascular fitness, HR, HRR, BP, and any of the blood parameters. However, secondary findings revealed that the levels of ApoA1 and adiponectin levels improved significantly in the HIY group.  ApoA1 is a component found in high-density cholesterol (HDL). ApoA1 helps in bringing out the cholesterol and phospolipids from inside the cell and combines with them. This forms HDL. HDL, or the good cholesterol, is responsible for carrying cholesterol and fats called phospolipids to the liver, where they can be broken down. This helps prevent the development of cardiovascular diseases.  On the other hand, adiponectin is derived from the adipose tissue. Some studies have pointed out the inverse relationship of adiponectin and numerous inflammatory markers. Adiponectin modulates the pathways in cells, which can reduce inflammation in response to stimuli. This ability suggests adiponectin’s beneficial effects to cardiovascular and metabolic disorders.  The results showed that performing high-intensity yoga exercises can improve the maintenance of blood lipids and exhibits anti-inflammatory properties. This further affirms the health benefits associated with yoga and its potential in helping prevent heart disease.


newyorkpost--2019-01-03--This fitness guru swears by 12-minute workouts

Krista Stryker was tired of spending too much time at the gym with little to show for it. So in 2010, the personal trainer experimented with High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), which emphasizes short bursts of full-body movement. The result? “The 12 Minute Athlete,” the title of Stryker’s [book](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07L4KH5L5?tag=nypost-20), [blog](https://www.12minuteathlete.com/) and [app](https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/12-minute-athlete/id665678340?mt=8).  “I used to never know how to workout without all the equipment at the gym,” says Stryker, 32, whose compact workouts could be done in her old, small Brooklyn apartment, using little more than a medicine ball, a kettlebell and a chair.  Her 12-minute routine works the whole body while getting up the heart rate.  “Guys will tell me, ‘12 minutes, that’s nothing,’ ” says Stryker, now living in Los Angeles. “But then a lot of them can’t even get through it.”  She says her workouts should be done at least three to four times a week. Results should come in a month, especially if you’re also eating plenty of fruits, veggies and other whole foods.  “You will get stronger. You’ll start to get a little leaner. Your clothes [will] fit a little better,” she says.  ### Krista Stryker’s 12-minute workout  Set your timer for 12 minutes. Do each exercise for 30 seconds, resting for 10 seconds in between rounds, until the timer goes off.  **1\. Burpees:** Start in a plank position, then jump forward so that your feet land near where your hands are. Keep your core engaged and your back as straight as possible. When your feet are planted, jump with your hands in the air. Come back down with your hands on the floor and jump your feet back to a plank. Repeat.  **2\. Body-weight squats:** Start with your feet shoulder-width apart. Keep your core tight and your shoulders pulled back, and squat as far down as possible, keeping your weight on your heels.  **3\. High-knee sprints:** Run in place, driving knees up to about belly- height or higher. Keep your core tight and chest upright, and focus on pumping your arms as if you’re running.  **4\. Pushups:** Keeping your hands shoulder-width apart and elbows close to ribs, dip down until you’re a couple of inches above the ground.  **5\. Jump lunges:** Start in a lunge, with your back knee bent and a few inches above the floor and your front knee bent at 90 degrees — so you can still see your toes when looking over your knee. Jump as high as you can while you switch legs, squatting back down with your legs in opposite positions.  **6\. Russian twists:** Sit on the floor with your feet and upper body up, forming a 45-degree angle. Pull your belly button toward your spine to engage your abs and twist side-to-side, touching the floor next to your hip with your finger tips. When ready, do this with a 10-pound weight in your hands.  Krista Stryker demonstrates Russian twists.  John Chapple


npr--2019-01-13--Get Fit Faster This 22-Minute Workout Has You Covered

Get Fit — Faster: This 22-Minute Workout Has You Covered  Hard to fit exercise into your day? Then, maybe this workout is for you. It covers everything you need — from cardio to strength-training to stretching.  "You can get a fantastic work out in 22 minutes," says Tim Church. He's a physician and researcher who's spent his career studying exercise.  Why 22 minutes? Compared with 1960, Americans today burn about 140 fewer calories, on average, per day due to our sedentary jobs. To offset the damages of sitting, we need to move. The latest recommendations call for at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise per week to maintain good health. If you divide 150 minutes by 7 days a week, that's 22 minutes a day.  With the help of certified fitness trainer Bryant Johnson, whose high-profile clients include Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, we break down this workout into 10 minutes of cardio, 8 minutes of weight training and 4 minutes of stretching. The best part? All the exercises can be done at home — no special equipment needed.  Only 10 minutes of cardio? Yep, I was skeptical, too. But here's the hack: Whether you're on a treadmill, an elliptical, or exercising outside, say goodbye to your steady pace. Instead, think intervals, or high-intensity interval training. You'll start out slow, then build in bursts of intense aerobic activity that push up your heart rate. I like to alternate between one minute of cycling as hard as I can, followed by one minute at a more leisurely pace. Then, I repeat. (You can also try 20- or 30-second sprints.)  Johnson compares interval training to driving a car. Cars burn more fuel with the stop-go, stop-go of city driving. On the highway, cruising at a steady pace, you don't burn as much fuel. So, think of interval training as city miles — you're burning more fuel, or calories.  One study found that, compared with people who worked out at a steady pace, those who did interval training on stationary bikes as part of a four-month study were able to lose more weight from fewer minutes of exercise.  "You're getting more benefit," explains Church. "HIIT [high-intensity interval training] helps you have a very efficient workout. You're stimulating more physiological pathways and you're stimulating more muscles."  Our workout starts with 5 minutes of cardio, then moves on to weight training. Add another 5 minutes of cardio before ending with stretching.  After cardio, weight training is the next essential component of our workout. Bryant Johnson has built in repetitions of three simple exercises. We start with push-ups or planks. Then, we move on to squats, which he demonstrates here.  If you listen to our LifeKit podcast on exercise, you'll hear me struggle through the pistol-squats (squats performed with one leg lifted off the ground) and the push-ups. What I realized is that I've been focusing too much on cardio, and I don't have as much strength as I thought. When I put Morning Edition host Rachel Martin through this same workout, she had a similar realization: The pistol squats were tough for her, too, even though she's an avid runner.  Then, for the upper body and chest, Bryant suggests a rowing-like exercise you, which he also demonstrates here. You can use a towel, belt or resistance band.  We did three weight training exercises in a circuit: 12 repetitions each of squats, rows and push-ups (not pictured). You can do standard push-ups, or if you're just starting out, try standing push-ups against a wall. Repeat this circuit — squats, rows and push-ups — three times.  Weight training becomes even more important the older we get. "From age 40 or 50 on, you lose 1-2 percent of your muscle mass per year," Church says. "Maintaining muscle mass and strength is absolutely critical to quality of life, to healthy aging." He says it's the ultimate use-it or lose-it.  This workout ends with 4 minutes of stretching, which for me is a supplement to a yoga practice. Why is it important to make time to stretch? "It's a way of calming the nervous system down," Johnson says.  To inspire all those who are tempted to skip out on stretching, Johnson says you want to aim to be a bamboo tree, not an oak tree. "Which type [of tree] is the strongest?" he asks. Under pressure, an oak may snap, whereas a bamboo tree will sway and bend. "The more flexible you are, the stronger you are."  Now that you've got the routine, here's our advice: repeat daily.  Church says the benefits of working out are innumerable. Not only does it help fend off disease, it makes our bodies stronger and our minds clearer.  "I've spent my whole career studying exercise, and I'm absolutely convinced that 95 percent of the benefits of exercise are above the shoulders," Church says. Exercise can help reduce anxiety and depression. "There are so many benefits to the brain, and each year we learn more."  Like this article? Listen to it as a podcast. It's part of Life Kit, NPR's new family of podcasts for navigating your life — everything from finances to diet and exercise to raising kids. Sign up for the newsletter to learn more and follow @NPRLifeKit on Twitter. Email us at lifekit@npr.org. Follow NPR's Allison Aubrey at @AubreyNPRFood.


slate--2019-03-16--Rich People Love Pelotons Fancy Workout Services Will You

Rich People Love Peloton’s Fancy Workout Services. Will You?

Very Well is a weekly column by Slate’s Shannon Palus. Each week, she’ll test health and wellness products to help readers figure out what they should try, what they should skip, and why.  Readying yourself to work out can, in 2019, feel like preparing to go on a stage. Blush “makes me feel strong,” model Adriana Lima recently told Glamour, as the face of Puma’s new gym-ready Maybelline collection. Sweat-friendly makeup lines pair perfectly with fashion-friendly gym clothes (leggings with tons of cutouts don’t exactly make thermodynamic sense, but they do look cute). Styled social media selfies are part of a regular routine for many—more than once, I’ve caught myself in the crossfire of a fitness instructor’s Instagram story.  At the Peloton workout studios in New York City’s West Village, working out is done more explicitly for the camera. A sign next to a pile of towels explains that “all classes are streamed live to homes around the country,” and to “please follow the direction of the instructor so as not to distract from the live production.” The workout class I’m about to attend will be streamed out to customers throughout the country—the feature that separates Peloton from your average boutique workout class. Peloton users purchase a Peloton machine for a few thousand dollars, then use the equipment’s glossy Android tablet screens to tune in to instructors teaching from Peloton’s studios in New York. Unlimited access to these classes—which can be “attended” live or watched later—costs $40 a month for equipment owners, or $20 via a recently launched app that streams the classes to a smart phone. Like a comedian with a studio audience, instructors perform each class for a roomful of cyclers or runners, who, as with any fitness studio, pay about $30 a pop for a 45-minute workout. That’s what I’m here for.  Peloton is best known for its spin classes, but as I am fundamentally not a bike-in-place-er, I am checking out one of the brand’s latest offerings, the “Tread.” Since I’m on a press pass, I’m accompanied by a pair of PR minders who will be taking the class alongside me. Our trio agrees it is early for a workout (8 a.m.!). We enter the studio, where all treadmills point to a central machine where an instructor, wearing a shiny sports bra and a Jenny Slate–ish smile, is warming up. A handful of cameras are perched at various angles. I take my place on a machine in the second row, out of frame. A woman wearing black, like a stagehand, counts down the start of the live stream, and we’re off, jogging away.  I am into it. If you are the kind of person who likes running (me) and being included (also me), it is not hard to be into it. The music is loud and clubby, the lighting is soft green-blue. It helps that running involves endorphins (I often marvel at how workout brands just attach logos and price tags to something that, once you muster the resolve to do it, simply feels good.).  The instructor offers playful encouragement (“Are you smiling? You better be!”) and nuggets of affirmation that sound approximately like what my college therapist used to tell me (“sometimes we go faster than other days, somedays we feel on top of the world, somedays not so much”). The treadmills are shinier and bouncier than your average machine, and in addition to buttons, they have knobs that can dial pace and incline up or down with a quick movement, making the experience of breaking into a sprint feel natural and seamless. At various points, the instructor raises her Peloton-branded plastic water bottle (everyone in the studio has one) and says “Cheers!” Throughout the class, she acknowledges runners at home, shouting out their user names, or addresses the whole room with a “go team!” I’m not sure what team we’re on exactly, but I’m happy to be a part of it.  I am into it. If you are the kind of person who likes running (me) and being included (also me), it is not hard to be into it.  The exercise kinship in the room that day—and with runners tuning in from across the country—had been in the works for nearly a century. Peloton is the great-grandbaby of a fitness guru named Jack LaLanne. In 1936, he opened what his estate claims was the “first ever modern gym,” the “Jack LaLanne Physical Culture Studio.” “At the time he was heavily ridiculed and criticized for charging money for people to exercise,” the bio on his website explains. But his vision was clear: Exercise’s fancier pieces of equipment weren’t just for athletes. They could be sold to the average person, too.  When television blossomed as a medium, LaLanne did too. He pioneered what’s credited as the first fitness program, in which he promises to help people watching at home look better and feel better. In his first episode, he extols the virtues of toning one’s face, and explains how to work out while sitting in a chair. Like modern fitness instructors, he ties working out to a higher well-being: “He’s smiling down on you, for making an effort,” he tells viewers. “Our bodies are God’s living temples.” This laid the groundwork for the modern fitness movement, of which LaLanne is widely recognized as the grandfather: “There is not a single person in the world of fitness that does not owe you a salute,” alleges a featured testimonial on his website from Richard Simmons.  Fitness classes gained legitimacy in the late ’70s, when the American College of Sports Medicine recommended that everyone work out three to five times a week, writes Devon Powers, an associate professor of advertising at Temple University, in a paper exploring the phenomenon. Today’s fitness brands follow largely in LaLanne’s footsteps, attempting to bridge charismatic and hot instructors with consumers across a variety of platforms, including studios, books, conventions, apps, and Instagram accounts. “It’s a much more intimate connection now,” Powers said.  Powers first became interested in the phenomenon of niche exercising classes while doing CrossFit and noticing that some participants followed their instructors’ advice on whether to work out post-injury over their own doctors’. She calls the phenomenon “branded fitness.” In this view, each brand sells its own mini-sport with its own idiosyncratic goals, machines, uniforms, and even health advice. CrossFit devotees, for example, work out at special gyms called “boxes” and train to compete in CrossFit games. SoulCycle has a line of clothing that features the brand’s signature yellow and playful skulls; it also sells grapefruit candles so your own home can smell like the studio. Orangetheory has special heart rate monitors, which participants use to try to hit a “science-backed” target called the “Orange Zone.”  These communities are fun. They’re also expensive. When I spent a year as a member of the luxury gym Equinox ($205/month), my workout goal became hitting a certain number of “check-ins” on the Equinox app, which provided a counter and encouragement. I bought a $70 Lycra crop top at the gym gift shop that was in line with the aesthetics of other Equinox-goers. I found myself DM-ing my favorite instructor of a class called “Best Butt Ever” about self-esteem. I watched a budgeting video from my restorative yoga instructor, who had spent part of class telling us how she got out of debt. Equinox successfully creeped into the rest of my identity. (I also loved it—if there were an Equinox near my current apartment, I would still belong.)  Peloton aims to cultivate this microworld, too. In addition to the specialized equipment, Peloton sells clothing bearing their logo, while instructors cultivate personal followings on Instagram, bearing abs alongside motivational quotes and a #TrainPeloton hashtag. In the spring, Peloton will host a “homecoming” in New York for people across the country who Pelotons to work out together in person, a capstone to all those miles (of course, logged in the app, which dispenses virtual badges for hitting milestones).  As I peruse the classes, which range from single miles to hourlong sessions, it strikes me that the point of doing Peloton isn’t to train for something like a marathon (running exclusively indoors is a poor way to prepare your body for road or trail). It’s to be fit enough to participate more fully in Peloton—to confidently snag a machine in the front row, to get shoutouts from the instructor for hitting a milestone in the number of classes you’ve taken, all of which keeps paying for more Peloton. Pricey status is part of the appeal: The slick, angular Peloton Tread is designed to look good on camera. And as a recent viral Twitter thread pointed out, the brand certainly seems comfortable with affiliating itself with luxury:  I cannot fit a Peloton treadmill in my small apartment (though Peloton’s PR team was eager to lend me one), nor could I afford to buy one, anyway. But last June, the company launched an app that features the same content streamed to the pricey machines, including access to the livestreamed classes as they’re happening. I can download this app and use it at my New York Sports Club, which offers a standard collection of Stairmasters, etc., beneath a bunch of florescent lights. After my pleasant experience with the live-streamed workout class, I think that it could be a nice life hack to spruce up my plain gym membership with boutique exercise content for $20 a month.  I envision myself joining the fold. I excitedly sign up for the free trial before heading to the ancient treadmills at my gym. I start watching a recorded class on my tiny, cracked iPhone screen. The app tells me that two other people are also streaming the class, perhaps from their own Pelotons (though maybe from their own budget gyms). But without them next to me, I don’t really feel a connection. The instructor bobbing and shouting no longer feels inspiring or magically peppy. It feels like any other workout video. With no one watching, I turn off the class before it’s over and slink away.


sputnik--2019-01-12--No Pain No Gain Sporty Ladies Boost Guys Workout Performance

No Pain, No Gain: Sporty Ladies Boost Guy's Workout Performance

This exercise helps motivate gym-goers as they are around ladies almost all the time. This particular powerlifter was ingenious enough to use sporty females as weight to enhance his workout.  The video showing the creative workout was uploaded to the Instagram page of one of the girls, Demi Bagby, who was used as a weight on the barbell.


thedailybeast--2019-09-06--My Workout Diary Anne Louise Marquis

My Workout Diary: Anne Louise Marquis

If you go by Instagram alone, the life of a liquor brand ambassador looks like one fabulous party after another. Can someone really get paid to host events and have fun? Yes, but what you don’t see on Insta are the 5 AM flights, the marathon days or the toll the constant drinks, travel and small talk has on a person’s body and mind.  One of the best in the business is Anne Louise Marquis who is the National Portfolio Ambassador for Campari America. (She was, in fact, named Best American Brand Ambassador last year at the Tales of the Cocktail conference.) The secret to her success may just be her commitment to her regular fitness regime, which gives some routine to her anything but routine schedule and provides a bit of balance to all the late nights.  I asked her to keep a diary for one week to understand how she squeezes in a variety of different workouts into her packed calendar.  “Whenever I’m in the Bay Area on a Wednesday or Sunday, I go to Ecstatic Dance in Oakland. The premise is simple: big open room, great music, no substances, respectful boundaries, and freedom to dance your heart out. It’s the most Bay Area thing possible—all ages, all colors, all sizes—and on Sundays there are even babies with those cute hearing protection things dancing in the arms of their free-spirited parents. I dance alone and also occasionally with friends. I studied contact improv throughout high school and college, and there’s nothing I love more than dancing with a partner, so this is very fun for me. If I’m lucky, I’ll find someone skilled who will flip me around in the air and make me feel like I’m flying. Two hours fly by there and I finish sweaty and tired. Active, social, fun. Ten out of ten. Highly recommend it.”  “6:30 AM is really early but this is a long day and I have a train to catch, so I’m up and out as soon as the day is bright enough to be safe. I run three miles around my parents’ neighborhood. Three to four miles is my average. It’s a distance where I can maintain my pace and also do in time to keep my day moving. I often try to talk myself out of it while I’m still in bed, but it’s only 30 minutes, and I can almost always spare 30 minutes I reason, so I get out of bed and do it. I hated running when I started. In fact, I didn’t start running until I was in my thirties. It helped me lose some weight, helped me learn to clear my head, and also trained me how to carve out time for myself in my rather hectic schedule. My body likes it, training my brain was the hard part because running was so boring. So, I listen to podcasts and if I can find a friend to run with I will schedule a date with them. I ran a half marathon this summer with my best friend. This fall, I’m running in the Bourbon Chase, which is a relay though Kentucky. Tonight, I’m hosting Espolon Cocktail Fights, so I pack up at home and take the train to San Francisco for the night.”  “I woke up in denial at 7 AM but that California sunshine starts early. Last night we went for a one and done post Cocktail Fights and I stayed out past midnight, which I try and avoid on nights with an early wakeup. A couple emails demanded attention but I made it to the gym, which can sometimes feel like a victory in itself on weekdays. My workout today is all interval runs on the treadmill and HIIT type exercises with weights. I do three sets of: half mile run/jog/sprint and five minutes of interval exercises on the floor. I use a simple app called Bit Timer to keep me doing different things every 50 seconds with a 10 second reset between exercises. It keeps it fun and confusing for my body. Once the gym is done, I eat breakfast, pack quickly and head to the airport for my flight to NYC.”  “I landed late last night, took a long cab ride home to Brooklyn, unpacked, did laundry, realized I was leaving the next day, repacked and went to bed. Today, I have meetings starting at 9:30 AM and with all that I need to get my apartment ready for guests while I’m out of town. I don’t have time to work out/shower/get to work, so today is my skip day—unless running through Grand Central with a suitcase at the end of the day counts? Train to New Haven, present a seminar at New Haven Cocktail Week, visit an important cocktail bar, Uber to Waterbury and finally get to bed late.”  “The alarm went off too early, I snoozed too late, half in denial I had to be at the airport in Hartford by 5 AM. The Lyft driver I got was a miracle worker and somehow I made it in time for my flight despite my subconscious trying to sabotage my travel plans. I get to Louisville, work from my hotel room, and take a nap because these long days are catching up with me. I wake up in time to do a 20-minute bodyweight workout in my hotel room before dinner. With quick workouts I do the harder plyometric moves like jump squats, burpees, mountain climbers, etc. I know I’ll only have to do this for 20 minutes, so I can push myself a little harder to maximize the time.”  “Today is a long day of hosting bartenders at the Wild Turkey Distillery, but I try and squeeze in a little gym time before I meet the team to drive out there. I do my standard run/HIIT routine while listening to NPR. I like working out to The Politics Podcast because the news makes me a bit mad and I’ll push myself in my workout fueled by that frustration. It also feels like multitasking that I can work out and also catch up on the news. Win, win. Today I do things like: push-ups on an incline, squat jumps, lunges with weights, setups, and a bunch of upper body stuff on the weight tower that I learned in physical therapy. I pick up moves here and there and stitch it together to hit all my muscle groups. I’m not a methodical  ‘arms day’ or  ‘legs day’ person. Maybe I should get a trainer and actually learn how to do this stuff. That might require holding still for a few days and that’s a bit tough with this job.”  “I don’t have the time or money to take classes all the time, but I love them, so I try and do one a week if I can. I use the MindBody app to find classes near me and prepay for them the night before, so I’m sure to get up and go. Today, I do a treadmill/circuit workout at a place called Shred415 or is it 415Shread? I don’t know, but it was great. The class ends up being an hour-long version of my gym workout, which is great, and also tells me I’m on the right track with my routines. I love treadmill classes because they coach me to run harder than I do on my own and show me how hard I can push myself within a safe container. I also like that I learn a bunch of new moves to add to my hotel routine. If a move is awful and unbearable, I know it’s a good one for me to do. If I’m not in a treadmill class, I love going to yoga. I got my 200-hour yoga teacher certification this year and it’s a bit unusual for me not to do any yoga in a week, so maybe I’ll go next week. Tonight, we host the Camp Runamok bartender campers for an Italian Family Dinner with our amaro portfolio (Campari, Aperol, Averna, Cynar, Braulio). I finally head home around 11 PM and wake up at 4 AM for my 6 AM flight to Portland in time to do it all over again.”  My Workout Diary features the fitness regiments of bartenders, chefs, distillers and brand ambassadors.  Interview has been condensed and edited.


thedenverpost--2019-12-25--Jackson Wink MMA Academy to offer fans “travel workouts”

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Jackson Wink MMA Academy, the storied mixed martial arts gym that has trained UFC light heavyweight champion Jon “Bones” Jones, will beginning offering mixed martial arts fans a chance to travel to the American Southwest and train like its fighters.  Gym co-owner Greg Jackson told The Associated Press recently he will start providing personalized packages for fans who want to train as a mixed martial artist in Albuquerque, New Mexico’s high altitude.  Trainees will get a chance to run in the Sandia Mountains, go through specialized exercises along the Rio Grande, and face outdoor routines through desert mesas, Jackson said.  “We want to give people the option to have a little different experience,” Jackson said. “Why not come to a place with a high attitude and train like some of the best fighters in the world? It can be really rewarding.”  Jackson said the gym has previously offered similar outdoor training sessions for celebrities preparing for movie roles, but he declined to give names. He said prices for personalized MMA packages would vary and stays could last a week to two weeks at a time.  Jackson said interested parties have been reaching out to him through his Instagram account.  The move comes amid an increase in tourism across the country around exercise and outdoor recreation.  This year, New Mexico created an outdoor office as part of a push to build on hiking, biking and other recreational offerings across the state’s diverse landscapes.  Jackson Wink MMA Academy is sought out by mixed martial artists in the U.S. and from around the world. In addition to Jones (25-1-0), the gym has trained former UFC women’s bantamweight champion Holly Holm (12-4) and former UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre.  Jackson has been operating a gym for 27 years but teamed up with Mike Winkeljohn in 2007 to form the academy.  The gym has been featured in several sports documentaries and has been called one of the best MMA gyms in the world by various MMA magazines. Fighters come to the gym to train with Jackson and Winkeljohn, who use New Mexico’s high altitude for conditioning and the mountains for seclusion.  Located just off Route 66 in downtown Albuquerque, the gym regularly attracts MMA fans and tourists who take selfies outside the facility. The gym recently opened an MMA-themed cafe.


theguardianuk--2019-01-12--Fit in my 40s F45 gives you all the workouts a person can do in 45 minutes Zoe Williams

Fit in my 40s: F45 gives you  all the workouts a person can do – in 45 minutes | Zoe Williams

The F45 workout schedule looks madly exciting; its website is like an ice-cream counter, tons of different classes with zingy names – Brooklyn, Panthers, Hollywood, Romans. Plus, they all have groovy graphics and you think, “This sounds exactly me. I would like to improve my combat prowess while working on my core strength. I want an infamous, 1,000-calorie-burning cardio workout.” They’re on to something, goddamn them. The idea is quite simple – all the workouts a person could do, boiled into 45 minutes, fancied up with themes – and through some combination of variety and enthusiasm, they lull you into thinking it’s actually something you want to do.  I rejected everything that required a partner (Wingman, which is paired resistance; and 22, which is paired cardio, because I am not here to make friends). Foxtrot is an EPIC (their capitals) cardio workout with two intensity levels: a 45-second set and a 20-second one. The idea is that you are more measured in the longer burst, then go flat out on the shorter one.  Picture the scene: you need to do 10 Russian twists (sitting on the floor with your legs up and your back almost straight, putting an imaginary ball to one side, then to the other) and 10 mountain climbers (in a sort of push-up position, then you make a climb-style motion with your legs). It reminds me a little of British Military Fitness: these exercises feel classic, as though they were devised by the Canadian air force around the time they invented planes. The truly distinctive thing about them is how much easier they look when other people are doing them. The very idea that, after 45 seconds, I would start over and do it more vigorously was fanciful. For the 20-second slot, I was pretending.  Jumping jacks, lateral dips, all manner of evil crunching; the main obstacle you’re working with here – hefting about, buckling under the weight of – is your own body. I will say one thing for the short burst; at least it stops. The relief of a thing, stopping, occurs more than once a minute. But then it starts again, so you know, swings and roundabouts.  Circuits are good for the short-of-concentration-span, but this wasn’t varied enough in arduousness. Some of it needs to be easy. I’d like a nice, gentle bicycle (lying on your back kicking your legs in a horizontal Miss Marple fashion, not a literal bicycle) every once in a while, maybe once every four minutes. Yet this has been crafted with such concerted instrumentalism – not a second wasted, results you could put on a billboard – there were people in the class who’d have probably complained if the nausea had let up.  I’m reminded of the economist Ha-Joon Chang’s critique of productivity: not everything has to be efficient. If someone played a minuet seven times faster, could we call that better? I can’t be sure, but I would have been happier with a foxtrot twice as long and half as hard.  It’s meant to be quasi-social, hence the paired sessions. On Saturdays, there is a DJ.  • Go to f45training.com to find your nearest studio


theindependent--2019-03-01--9 best hand weights for the perfect home workout

If you’re looking to get leaner, stronger and fitter without a gym membership, weights are an essential bit of equipment to add to your home workout. They can be used for isolated lifts but they’re most fun when added into bodyweight exercises.  “They add intensity to any move and help with progression,” says Kira Mahal, personal trainer and CEO at MotivatePT. “For example, mastered your 20 squats? Now try holding dumbbells at chest level or at your sides, and feel the extra burn. For complete beginners, start with a 2kg dumbbell.”  We tested kettlebells too. These build strength by creating momentum, and controlling that momentum with your muscles. The classic kettlebell moves, such as swings and snatches, employ several muscle groups at the same time, making them an excellent functional exercise.  A kettlebell class or session with a personal trainer is advisable for teaching you good technique. “I’d advise starting with dumbbells and building up to kettlebells, as you generally need a better grip-strength with the latter,” says Mahal. Novices should start with around a 6kg-8kg kettlebell for women, and 12kg-14kg for men.  We did strength workouts in a wood-floored living room with each of the products, and here’s what we thought.  If you have floors that don’t take kindly to having iron weights clonked down on them or you’re afraid of dropping them onto yourself, these rubber-coated adjustable dumbbells are what you’re after. The rubber handle provides good grip when you’re lifting, and the whole set is durable and well made. It consists of eight 2.5kg weight plates, four 1.25kg and four 0.5kg. The bars weigh 1.5kg each. The only slight downside is the smell of rubber, but this does lessen once they’re out of the box for a while.  These dark and brooding cast iron adjustable dumbbells look and feel the business. The set includes four 0.5kg weight plates, four 1.25kg and four 2.5kg, all securely held on with cast iron spin locks. Extra discs can be bought to take it up to 35kg. The bar is steel, with easy to grip PVC handles, and each weighs 1.35kg. Just mind your floors when you’re putting them down.  If space is at a premium but you want a rack’s worth of different weights at home, or you dislike the faff of changing the plates on adjustable weights, this selectable weight system is worth considering if you have some cash to splash. It gives you the equivalent of 15 pairs of weights in a single dumbbell. You simply turn the dial at each end to your desired weight – from two to 24kg – and the dumbbell grabs the selected weights and leaves the others behind in the tray. It’s incredibly simple to use, despite being a clever piece of equipment. The dumbbell itself is longer than average, but we quickly adapted to that and the bar is ergonomically designed with good grip. It comes with a free workout DVD of training ideas and you can also download the Bowflex select tech app.  A compact polyurethane bell that’s kind to your floors when you put it down, especially if you drop it (not that we’d advise you to). It will also look stylish if it’s sitting in the corner of your living room, like a rather nice doorstop. We tested the 6kg weight – its smooth chrome handle is designed for easy swinging and snatching as it doesn’t have a seam that can make hands sore, but just take care if your hands get sweaty. We’d say it suits smaller hands best, as the handle width and thickness is smaller than average. Available in 4kg up to 32kg.  These simple padded weights strap around your wrist or ankle and secure with Velcro. They are great for adding weight to resistance exercises on the legs, such as leg lifts, or for arm exercises if you have issues with grip strength or worries about weights being dropped. You may have seen people wearing wrist or ankle weights when out walking or running, but we’d suggest that you shouldn’t do this as it can cause muscle strains and joint/tendon injuries. Available from 0.5kg to 2kg.  If you want a more traditional kettlebell, this is the real deal. Made by specialists Wolverson Fitness, the handle is wide and ergonomically spot on for all the classic kettlebell moves, and the hand-finished 32mm-thick bare metal makes it seam-free and extremely durable. The base is wide and super-stable (beneficial if you’re doing exercises such as bear walks). Available in every weight you could need, from 4kg to 32kg, and colour coded.  This pair of fixed-weight dumbbells have hexagon-shaped weights at each end. Why? It stops them rolling away when you’ve put them down in the middle of a workout (especially annoying when you’re lying down) and it means you can also do moves such as press-ups or planks on them with stability and without damaging your floor. They have ergonomically shaped handles and friction grips, too. Available from 1kg up to 30kg.  A nifty idea for people with delicate floors or who worry about dropping weights on themselves. The weighted discs are soft and wrapped in neoprene – they’re solid enough to hold their shape, but spongy to the touch. You can detach them to use for exercises such as resting them on your abdomen for hip raises or use them like sand weights for arm exercises. We tested the dumbbell, which functions well – although we’d prefer a friction grip on the handle. You can purchase additional bars to use the discs as a barbell or kettlebell.  These little dumbbells are small enough to stick in a cupboard or stylish enough to leave out if you want to. The iron weights are covered in a smooth vinyl that provides good grip and feels pleasing in the hand – smaller hands only though – and they have squared ends to stop them rolling away. Available from 1kg to 5kg.  The Bodymax deluxe 30kg rubber dumbbell set is good value for the amount of weight you get and is the safer bet if you drop them. If a rubber smell bothers you, the Opti Cast set is also an excellent buy. The Wolverson Fitness coloured cast iron kettlebell was our bell of choice, especially for bigger hands.  IndyBest product reviews are unbiased, independent advice you can trust. On some occasions, we earn revenue if you click the links and buy the products, but we never allow this to bias our coverage. The reviews are compiled through a mix of expert opinion and real-world testing.


theindependent--2019-06-26--I tried Beyonceaposs favourite workout SoulCycle for five days hereaposs what happened

I tried Beyoncé's favourite workout, SoulCycle, for five days – here's what happened

I am in a candlelit basement with 60 people and we are chanting. None of us have met before, but I know that half the room support Chelsea FC and the woman next to me likes to whip her towel around in the air and squeal when she gets excited. I’m staring at my very sweaty reflection, and like my comrades, am singing “I look good, I look good, I look good”. I absolutely do not.  This is SoulCycle, the cult spinning class that describes itself as a “sanctuary” rather than a workout, dubs its instructors “rockstars” and claims to benefit the mind, body and soul in just 45 minutes. The American company is perhaps the most famous fitness studio in the world, having made cameo appearances in Hollywood films (notably, I Feel Pretty) and earned itself an unparalleled celebrity following, with Beyoncé, Victoria Beckham and Tom Cruise among its fans.  A few years ago, there was nothing like it outside of the US. But thanks to the advent of boutique spinning studios such as Psycle and Boom Cycle – unmistakably inspired by SoulCycle – similar offerings exist around the UK. But SoulCycle is taking back its crown having opened its first London studio earlier this month. It’s louder, slicker and, it must be said, far more American than any of its counterparts. My earnest Californian instructor even admitted this himself in my first SoulCycle class when he asked us to high five one another mid-way through. “I know you Brits don’t love it,” he confessed, referring to our nation’s signature stiff upper lip, “but I’ve only just moved here, let’s make friends with our neighbours!”  I’ve tried countless boutique exercise class in London, but as one of the first companies to convince us that it’s socially acceptable to pay £24 for a workout, SoulCycle has long been my white whale. I was desperate to find out what all the fuss was about: would I find it physically draining? Would I struggle to swallow the stream of happy-clappy aphorisms? Would I find my inner self and emerge reborn as a transcendent -and very toned – spiritual being? Anything was possible. Here’s what happened when I tried SoulCycle for five days.  I feel like I’ve just walked into Gwyneth Paltrow’s garage. Everything is white, there are inspiring slogans on the walls and everyone looks like they sell kombucha on Instagram. Even the filtered water machines look like something straight out of Kim Kardashian’s private distillery. There’s an expensive smoothie bar in the corner that sells drinks with names like “Soul Life” and “Matcha Love” and the women's changing rooms are packed with preposterously plush toiletries (Le Labo and Drunk Elephant). I smother my face in the free facial oil – it just felt like the right thing to do – and I’m ready for my first class.  My instructor is a blonde-haired muscle man named Mantas who looked like he’s leapt off the front of an Abercrombie & Fitch bag. He begins by taking us through some stretches and asks us to “f***ing inhale” before telling us to “get to know” our bikes as if they’re Tinder dates. Then the lights go out and I suddenly notice there are candles surrounding the central podium Mantas’ bike is on. The music begins – I think it’s Kanye West but I can’t be sure – there’s a heavy beat pounding and a spotlight flashes on and off Mantas in time with the music. This feels like a nightclub. But as Mantas tells us to increase the resistance on our bikes and move our legs faster than is humanly possible, it soon becomes apparent that I am, in fact, exercising.  Similar to dancing, we’re supposed to ride our bikes in time with the beat of the music – I soon realise this isn’t something I’m capable of doing, which makes sense considering I’m an atrocious dancer. Luckily my bike is near the back, so Mantas doesn’t call me out on this like he does with some of the other front-running riders. It’s not long before he’s asking us to fist-bump our neighbour and “be vocal” ie make whooping sounds. Many people oblige while I snigger like a schoolgirl.  There’s a brief weight-lifting segment featuring two 3kg dumbbells, which we use to perform bicep curls and overhead rows among other arm movements. Then a bit more spinning (we're told to spin standing up, return to sit on the bike and stand up again), some bumper sticker aphorisms from Mantas (“when you see the finish line, you don’t slow down, you speed up!”) and it’s over. I’m very sweaty and I scuttle out before the end stretches.  I’ve nearly arrived for my 8.15am class when I receive an email telling me the showers aren’t working this morning at the studio. It’s too late to turn back now, so I accept my fate of spending the day as a smelly person. Despite the message about the showers, the class is full.  I head to my assigned bike and am shocked to find that it’s on the front row in the middle. Nowhere to hide. Did I really choose this one?  Before the class, Mantas introduces himself to me and to the woman next to me, Mackenzie, who is also American and, naturally, a SoulCycle pro. We chat, mostly about spinning and Mantas’ unbridled enthusiasm, until a disgruntled gentleman asks me to please get off his bike.  We do a lot of press-ups on the bike this morning, which I enjoy because it takes the pressure of my aching legs, sore from yesterday’s class. There’s no spotlight action, but Mantas is no less sprightly with his coaching: “find your journey, see it, take it”, and the music motivates me through a rather painful weights session in which he asks us to perform the exercises lifting two weights in one hand – this portion of the class is longer than ones in the likes of Psycle and Boom Cycle.  The class comes to an end with the usual “congratulate your neighbour” encouragement and I am relieved to exit and find that the showers are fixed. I celebrate my unexpected cleanliness by buying a protein shake. It costs £7 and tastes like liquid avocado.  This is when the chanting takes place. It’s during the weights session and Mantas, who I’m beginning to think lives here, has got us all chanting “I look good” with every shoulder press. I mouth the words because I can’t bring myself to actually say them while looking at the ratty, sweaty mess that is my reflection.  This is also the class when I discover how many SoulCyclers support Chelsea FC, because Mantas has written “LONDON” on the misty mirror facing us all and asked us to shout out the names of the football teams we support (not before he asks us to clarify the British translation of “soccer”). It seems that only one woman is passionate enough to yelp out her team of choice (this is the same woman who whips her towel around in the air), prompting the rest of us who are too embarrassed/nervous to contradict her to concur when Mantas asks if we all support Chelsea. Given the ratio, I decide that half of these people are probably actual Chelsea fans.  After the class, I feel like buying a small bottle of hydrating coconut water. It costs £5. The feeling has gone.  Ah, a new instructor. He’s English but I don’t catch his name – I hope Mantas is getting some sleep next door. The music is a bit grungier today – there’s a lot of Papa Roach -  there’s minimal inspirational chit chat and I sweat far more. I soon realise this is probably because I’m hungover. We spend almost the entire class riding on a high resistance, which feels incredibly tough on the legs and makes the whole thing feel a bit like mountain biking.  The tone of the class feels a little less cult-like and a little more British (I don’t speak to anyone around me), and I realise I’m pushing myself harder. The weights segment is shorter today and not as heavy because we stick to 3kg in each hand, all of which I’m grateful for because my shoulders are sore from yesterday. When the class finishes, the woman next to me hops off her bike immediately without so much as a glimmer of eye contact. Normality, at last.  This is the hardest class yet. It’s led by a British woman named Lauren Naomi who is as energetic as a puppy in a playground. We move around the bike more than in previous classes, constantly changing our hand positioning and bopping from side to side in time with the music – ish. I think I’m managing okay until she asks us to do a body roll. Lauren Naomi does this with the elegance of a gazelle and the rhythmic flair of someone in Step-Up. I almost topple over my bike.  “You are your own worst enemy!” she yelps as we enter the final stretch. “I want you to look inside yourself and tell yourself you can do this! You got this!” People are cheering, whooping, clapping. For a brief second, I forget that I’m in indoor cycling studio and picture myself climbing Mount Everest. I cycle faster, harder and finish sweatier than I’ve ever felt. Maybe there’s something to this motivational chat.  SoulCycle truly is like nothing I’ve done before. Yes, it has spawned similar concepts, but nothing quite compares to the high-voltage, primal energy that suffuses every class. I might not have emerged a transcendental being after just five days, but once I let go of my hesitations and embraced SoulCycle’s strange, American idiosyncrasies, there was something meditative about the experience. I felt calmer, cooler and more in touch with my body. I can see myself returning, though the £24 price tag is a little steep for me to become a regular.  But who knows, after a few more inspirational soundbites and group chanting sessions, I might find a way to rationalise the expense. If not for the workout, then at least for the laughs.


theindependent--2019-09-16--Extreme temperature workouts are not as beneficial as you might think

First there were heated fitness studios; now the latest trend is working out in frigid temperatures. Although there are some health benefits associated with each of these regimes, there are also some risks. Here’s what you need to know.  The ideal body temperature is around 37C. When you exercise, your muscles are very inefficient and only 25 per cent of the energy is used for movement. The other 75 per cent of the energy muscles produce is lost as heat, increasing the temperature of your body. If it exceeds 40C, it can be dangerous, so your body tries to keep the temperature at around 37C.  One strategy to prevent body temperature from rising is getting more blood to the skin, which is people’s faces flush during an intense workout. If you exercise in an already hot environment, the difference between body temperature and room temperature is small, and your heart needs to work harder trying to get more blood to the skin.  Another way your body gets rid of excess heat is by warming up sweat to the point at which it evaporates, which then takes heat with it when it evaporates to the air. You can lose up to two litres of water every hour through sweat. As you sweat more during exercise in the heat, it is important to replace the fluid you have lost or your blood can become thicker, which also puts a strain on the heart.  Both ways of keeping the body under 40C add an extra burden on the heart. As a result, cardio workouts are more difficult in hot environments and endurance performance is decreased in hot environments.  But exercising in a hot environment might be good for short activities that need powerful muscle contractions. There is also a school of thought that light-intensity workouts, such as yoga, can benefit because the extra strain on the heart during exercise in the heat can increase the number of calories you burn. But research by Central Michigan University showed that there was no difference in exercise intensity, so the amount of calories burnt doing yoga at 20C and 35C were the same.  Increasing muscle temperature can increase flexibility and reduce the risk of injury. But a hot environment does not necessarily mean increased muscle temperature.  Regularly undertaking workouts in a hot environment can help endurance performance in the heat, but your overall fitness and health may not get anything extra.  In the cold, your body is hotter than the surrounding environment and can easily get rid of the heat produced in the muscles during exercise. This stops the temperature of the body from increasing during prolonged exercise and performance in your cardio session will usually be better on cold days. Researchers from the University of Aberdeen found endurance to be best at around 10C (compared with 4C, 21C and 31C).  When it is really cold, the heat produced by your muscles is not enough to maintain a core temperature at 37C. The body has ways to cope with extreme cold environments, such as shivering. Shivering is essentially muscles contracting to produce heat, not movement. As with any muscle contraction, shivering requires energy and burns calories, so at rest you may burn more calories in the cold than in normal temperatures.  Another strategy to cope with cold is to use fat to produce heat. Researchers in the US have shown repeated workouts in the cold increases the amount of brown fat in your body. Brown fat is known as “good fat” as it burns calories.  Both shivering and burning fat consume calories, and studios that hold workout classes at 7C have begun to appear, with the idea that they can help people lose weight. Researchers from Spain found that exposure to a progressively cold environment can increase energy expenditure by up to 30 per cent, which corresponds to around 500 calories for 24 hours of cold exposure. This means exposure to cold can help you lose weight faster, but the effect would be small for a one-hour workout in the cold. And feeling cold is unpleasant.  If you want to increase your muscle strength, doing workouts in the cold probably won’t help. Muscles work best at hot temperatures. When muscles get cold, the force they can produce decreases. You are also more likely to get injured in the cold, but the extra risk of injury is reduced if you warm up properly.  The small extra amount of calories burnt in extreme environments (hot or cold) may help you lose weight, but it could be outweighed by the increased health risks and reduced performance. Doing 150 minutes of physical activity a week is the key to good health, regardless of the temperature.  Lindsay Bottoms is a principal lecturer and Daniel Muniz is senior lecturer, both in exercise physiology at the University of Hertfordshire. This article first appeared on The Conversation


themanchestereveningnews--2019-12-27--Kate Ferdinand divides Instagram followers with bikini workout video at Christmas

Kate Ferdinand has prompted a split reaction on Instagram after sharing a video of herself working out on the beach this Christmas.  The wife of Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand is on holiday in the Maldives - and she didn't let the holiday stand in her way of her fitness regime.  Kate posted a 'simple workout' for fans to follow on her social media.  "You don’t always need a gym to exercise!! Really simple workout on the beach," she said.  Some fans responded by telling the former The Only Way Is Essex star to have a day off.  "Have a day off will you Kate," grumbled one.  "It’s Xmas relax and have a drink," insisted another follower.  "Now I feel like s***," moaned another.  "Meanwhile I’m in bed eating chocolate," said another fan.  But other followers hailed the video as inspirational after their Christmas indulgence and hailed her as 'body goals.'  "Just love her!! Such a fantastic role model for all women!" said one.  "Some new year inspo for us," said another.  "I'm going to do this Kate," another fan told her.  "We can do work outs on the beach over Christmas!! We’re saved!" cheered another fan.  Kate and Rio are on their annual Christmas holiday with his children Lorenz, Tate, and Tia.  Kate revealed that one of Rio's sons had suffered a broken arm, but they weren't letting it stand in the way of their fun on the beach.  In a family snap, to replicate the one they shared last year of them all on the beach, he could be seen raising his arm in a blue cast.  Kate wrote: "No handstands this year as we have a broken arm.  "Merry Christmas everyone. Hope you have all had a fabulous day, lots of love."  Get breaking news first on the free Manchester Evening News app - download it here for your Apple or Android device. You can also get a round-up of the biggest stories sent direct to your inbox every day with the MEN email newsletter - subscribe here . And you can follow us on Facebook here .


thepoke--2019-04-29--This comedians attempts at recreating gym couples workouts are hilariously inept

This comedian’s attempts at recreating “gym couples” workouts are hilariously inept

Arron Crascall doesn’t mind making a plank of himself in the interest of giving people a laugh on the internet, but judging by his form in this compilation of “gym couples” exercises, he probably couldn’t pull off any other type of plank.  Arron’s hilariously inept physical feats have earned the clip over 1.8m views on Twitter alone. These are a few of the comments it’s picked up along the way.  Athlete Jenny Meadows had this very personal take on gym couples –


thesun--2019-01-03--Ferne McCann makes thinly-veiled dig at Billie Faiers fiance telling him to get in shape with her

Ferne McCann makes thinly-veiled dig at Billie Faiers’ fiance telling him to ‘get in shape’ with her workout DVD after feud

FERNE McCann has hit out at her reality co-star Billie Faiers' fiance Greg Shepherd, saying he needs to improve his fitness by working out to her new DVD.  The television personality, 28, has released an exercise video on disc after transforming her figure in recent months.  And she says Greg needs to follow her programme to make sure he's fighting fit ahead of his wedding to Billie.  Sharing a video of herself holding Ferne's new release on her Instagram Stories, Billie wrote: "Very proud of my darling @fernemccann. Me and @gregory_shep can't wait to do this #weddingprep."  On the front of the DVD's case, Ferne had written: "To Gregory, Merry Xmas. This will get you in shape for wedding. Love, Fit as Ferne."  The apparent dig comes after a rivalry between Ferne and Greg came to light after he hit out at her when she promoted former Geordie Shore star Charlotte Crosby's television show rather than Billie's series The Mummy Diaries which aired at the same time last year.  Taking to Twitter after Ferne's actions, Gregory wrote at the time: "Wow!! #socalledbesties."  And it seems Ferne is still bantering with Gregory after their apparent falling out with her message to him on her DVD.  Just over a year after giving birth to daughter Sunday, Ferne McCann is looking incredible.  The ex-TOWIE star put her impressive figure on display as she soaked up the sun in Dubai this week - and The Sun Online recently revealed her health and fitness secrets.  Ferne - who's gone from a size 12 to an eight - launched her fitness DVD Fit As Ferne this week, which includes seven high-intensity workouts created with her trainer Ellie Hopley.  While Ferne has kept her fans up-to-date with her health and fitness journey on Instagram, this is the first time her followers have had access to her exact workout routines.  She told The Sun Online earlier this month: "Ellie and I have been working together since I had my daughter Sunday last year and it's this workout that has got me into the best shape that I've ever been in."  "Each section is designed to get your heart pumping and your body sweating."  According to snaps on her Instagram page, the DVD will include lots of planking and floor work.  Ferne continues: "There's even a HIIT section which will get you fitter faster and help you burn calories even after you've finished your workout."  The mum-of-one has also revealed that she's overhauled her eating habits and cut down on her alcohol intake, adding: "I eat organic food and cook myself so I know what's in my meals.  "My alcohol intake is drastically smaller. I still have a takeaway and a glass of prosecco - you have to live a little - but I just have these treats in moderation."  Ferne told Lorraine in December 2017 that she hadn't been to the gym since giving birth a month earlier, but was pictured back for the first time in January.  She'd previously said that she enjoys playing team sports, such as badminton and netball.  The mum-of-one also said she'd lost weight by breastfeeding.  In February, she revealed that she'd undertaken the 30 Day Challenge - where you avoid junk and processed foods.  While she's clearly focused on her fitness, Ferne has said that she's "never owned scales" and that her weight loss is "about how I feel not how I look".  She said: "This hasn't come easily. I've worked and trained really hard and I don't have any shame saying that.  "I didn't put too much pressure on myself. I think that was the secret. I always want to run before I can walk and I want everything right now.  "But pregnancy taught me to be more patient, just to relax and go with it. And once you change your mindset, it's definitely more achievable."  Here are 10 tips for getting healthy after Christmas - from eating breakfast to using Instagram.  Emily Ratajkowski and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley join the modelling elite as they strip down to their bikinis for New Year's celebrations.  And Dry January could actually be a BAD idea - but there are still some benefits.  Got a story? email digishowbiz@the-sun.co.uk or call us direct on 02077824220.  We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours.


thesun--2019-01-03--Joe Wicks shares six stress-busting workouts and great veggie recipes to get you feeling your best f

Joe Wicks shares six stress-busting workouts and great veggie recipes to get you feeling your best for 2019

JOE WICKS is on a mission to be remembered as “the guy who made the UK fit again”. And he wants to start his revolution with Sun readers.  In day three of our serialisation of his latest book Veggie Lean in 15, the fitness coach, 32, shares some more of his mouth-watering vegetarian dishes.  There is also an exclusive workout to blitz fat and get you feeling your best for 2019. Joe says: “I’m so excited for Sun readers to try these healthy recipes and get moving with my workouts. You’ll soon notice a big difference in how you look but, most importantly, how you feel.  “My workouts work because they give you no excuses. All you need is yourself — and you’re off. No gym membership, no equipment. It’s high-intensity moves, which mean your heart rate goes through the roof, burning more fat. The best bit is you don’t have to do it for as long to get the same results.”  Father-of-one Joe has made millions from sales of his bestselling series of Lean in 15 books. But exercise, for him, is about a whole lot more than simply staying in great physical shape.  He says: “Working out makes me a better person in so many ways. I’m better to be around, I’m more fun and more motivating for others. When you stop working out it’s easy to be like, ‘I can’t be bothered, I’m just gonna stay in and watch Netflix.’  “Even if you just do ten minutes, it’s better to keep ticking over and keep that motivation.  That’s what I always try and do to motivate people. Start small, don’t stress, and even the smallest amount of effort will pay off. Exercise is still my ultimate stress reliever.”  USING your own bodyweight to improve your fitness is a great way to make exercise fun. Plus, because it is equipment- free, you can do it any time and any place. By utilising your own bodyweight, you can elevate your heart rate, improve your cardio and start to burn body fat. This bodyweight workout takes less than half an hour so is perfect for anyone with time pressures. Simply do each exercise for 40 seconds then rest for 20 seconds and repeat four times. Aim to work out between three and five times a week and, combined with my veggie recipes, you’ll soon be feeling a new you in the New Year.  START with both feet together, then step forward with one foot and bend both knees into a lunge.  Aim to keep your back straight and alternate each leg.    PLACE your feet in a comfortable position that will allow you to squat down while keeping them firmly flat on the ground.  Sit low and drive through the heels to stand up. Repeat fast.    START in a standing position with your tummy muscles pulled in, nice and tight.  Run up and down on the spot as fast as you can.  Lift each knee as high as you can, keeping your back straight, and pump your arms with power to accelerate.  Keep this up for the full 40 seconds.    Look down toward your hands and keep your back flat.  Then drive your knees toward your chest as fast as possible.    Keep hands narrow and elbows close to the body.  Lower yourself down toward the ground and push back up, fully extending your arms.  FROM a standing start, place hands on the floor in front of you.  Quickly kick back your legs into a high plank then lower your chest to the ground.  Push up, jump feet forward and rise up into a standing position. Repeat as fast as you can.


thesun--2019-01-19--Victoria Beckham begins gruelling two hour workout at dawn EVERY day and remains very disciplined

Victoria Beckham begins gruelling two hour workout at dawn EVERY day and remains ‘very disciplined’ about what she eats

VICTORIA Beckham has revealed she works out for two hours every day at home to maintain her slim figure.  The slender star, 44, gets up between 5.30am and 6am every day to get started on her gruelling workout regime before taking a break halfway through for the school run.  The mum-of-four works up a sweat with 7k on the treadmill first thing in the morning.  "A mix of uphill fast walking, jogging, running," she told the Guardian.  But Victoria insists it isn't a slog and really enjoys catching up with her TV in her home gym.  "That’s the only time I watch TV – boxsets, documentaries – so I look forward to that," she said.  "It takes 45 minutes. Then I work out with a trainer – 30 minutes legs, 30 minutes arms, toning and conditioning, then loads of planks and that kind of thing for my core," she continued.  The busy mum does the whole two hours in one go at the weekend but stops during the week to drive the kids to school and then carry on when she gets home.  "I work out every day when I’m at home, and then when I travel I really focus on work so I can get as much done as possible in a short trip and get home," she said.  Victoria says that exercise is "really positive" and a "part of who I am now".  But the slim star doesn't pretend her slender figure is all down to exercise - she also follows a precise diet.  "I am very, very disciplined in the way that I work out, in what I eat," she said.  "That’s how I’m happiest. I expect a lot from my body – I’m 44, I’ve got four kids, I work a lot, I travel. For me to do all that, I have to eat healthily and work out."  Got a story? email digishowbiz@the-sun.co.uk or call us direct on 02077824220.  We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours.


thesun--2019-02-01--Get fit in February with Towie star Lucy Mecklenburghs home workouts and delicious recipes

Get fit in February with Towie star Lucy Mecklenburgh’s home workouts and delicious recipes

FEBRUARY is the perfect month to dedicate to fitness goals – because it is the shortest.  So forget your guilt about letting January go by without fulfilling your New Year’s health resolutions, and get back on track with Fabulous’ Get Fit Feb.  Lucy Mecklenburgh can help you kick the month off in the right way — and is living proof that you can get dream abs without giving up favourite foods or that all-important glass of wine.  The former Towie star, 27, runs a hugely successful online fitness platform, Results With Lucy, and has 1.4million Instagram fans. She says the secret of finding a healthy lifestyle is about balance.  She explains: “When I started I was doing a lot more weights, weighing my food and training six days a week.  “It wasn’t long before I realised I didn’t want that life. I stepped back and found a happy balance.  And Lucy encourages you to find the driving force behind your fitness goals.  She says: “I tell people, no one is born with motivation. A lot of mums do my workouts and I always encourage them to use their children to stay motivated.  “Do you want your kids to be healthy? Do you want to be a good role model for them? Use that as your driving force, make it something really positive.”  Set aside 20 minutes to complete one of Lucy’s home workouts — do each exercise for 30 seconds with a 20-second rest and repeat the circuit three times. Then why not rustle up one of her healthy recipes.  With arms off the floor, by your sides, lift your shoulders, upper back and legs off the lounger, keeping shoulders back and neck in line.  Look down towards your hands and keep your back flat.  Then drive your knees towards your chest as fast as possible.    Sit with back straight, chest up, feet off the ground.  Keeping elbows tight to body, reach to the side of your hip as far as you can, keeping feet still.  Once there, switch to the other side.    Plant hands directly under the shoulders, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, like you’re about to do a push-up.  Keeping your tummy muscles pulled up, and your body in a straight line, hold this position.  Place all the ingredients in a smoothie maker or food processor and blend till smooth.  Mix all ingredients in a big bowl and then serve.  Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over a medium heat and add the red onion.  Once the onions are soft add the chicken thighs, garlic, mushrooms and coconut milk. Crumble in the vegetable stock cube.  Once cooked through pour into a pie dish.  Roughly tear and scrunch the filo pastry and place onto of the mixture in the dish.  Brush the filo pastry with a beaten egg or melted butter to help it brown in the oven.  Place in the oven for around 20-30mins until the pastry is browned and the chicken is cooked through.  Whilst the pie is cooking you can cook any vegetables you wish to accompany the pie.  Serve the pie and vegetables together and enjoy.   For more information or to sign up visit resultswithlucy.com


thesun--2019-02-15--Short spurts of 23 minutes high intensity interval training burn MORE FAT than 41 minutes of a co

Short spurts of 23 minutes’ high intensity interval training ‘burn MORE FAT’ than 41 minutes of a conventional workout

SHORT spurts of sweat-inducing exercise help shed more weight than going for a run or a long gym session, a study suggests.  Researchers found that 23 minutes of high intensity interval training was more effective than 41 minutes of  a conventional workout.  It  led to 29 per cent more weight loss  than traditional gym sessions.  The findings suggest HIIT could be perfect for people too busy to stick to the recommended guidelines of exercising for at least one hour every day.  Steven Ward, CEO of fitness industry body ukactive,  said: “These figures  show the positive impacts of interval training on reducing weight  and, with Britain battling a grave obesity crisis, this research should be welcomed.”  Typically, HIIT involves 30 seconds of intense effort, such as sprinting, cycling or doing burpees, followed by short recovery periods.  The  researchers, from Britain and Brazil, examined 36 studies involving more than 1,000 people. But they warned that HIIT came with increased risk of injury or strain on the heart.  Mr Ward added: “The most important thing is to find an exercise regime that is enjoyable and sustainable.”


thesun--2019-03-23--Inside Carol Vordermans intense full body workout behind her impressively perky bum

Inside Carol Vorderman’s intense full body workout behind her impressively perky bum

CAROL Vorderman has revealed the intense workout regime responsible for her celebrated bum.  The star, 58, shared her gym secrets on Twitter after mesmerising fans with her hourglass figure in recent snaps.  After insisting her body is 100 per cent natural, Carol shared the programme behind her look; alternating lower and upper body days with additional core exercises factored in.  Her lower body workout consists of goblet squats, forward lunges and glute raises with burpees in between exercises if she's feeling up to it.  To craft a strong core she does leg raises, side oblique dumbbell raises with glute raises, reverse crunches and a plank as extras.  The upper body day consists of shoulder press pyramids and frontal deltoid raises.  She added that she also "walks about 7 miles a day and 3 circuits a week."  Today Carol revealed that her libido is sky-high after reaching the age of 58.  The curvy TV legend admits that she has a "number of special friends" that are all younger than her and often gets up to "mischief".  The former Countdown presenter credited the HRT doses that she takes to combat the menopause with putting a spring back in her step.  She is running on double the amount of testosterone and has increased her oestrogen by 50 per cent and doesn't have one boyfriend and is instead enjoying her freedom.  "I get up to a lot of mischief. I have a number of special friends but I’m not doing anything wrong. Everyone’s single," she told the Daily Mail.  "And yes, apart from one, they’re all younger than me. I don’t want to settle down. I’m enjoying my freedom."  But she won't name names, explaining: "I’ll have broken the code. I never mention them, and they don’t talk about me. If I told you who they were, I’d have to kill you!"  Carol raised her two children - Katie, 26, and Cameron , 22, both students - from her second marriage to Patrick King.  She also cared for her mum full-time until she died two years ago.  "I hate the phrase 'me time', but it’s the first time in my life I haven’t been looking after anyone, and I intend to enjoy every minute," she said.  Just days ago, Carol denied having plastic surgery or wearing bum pads to achieve her age-defying curves and insists she's the "same old Vorders".  The TV legend won Rear of the Year award in 2011 and 2014 but has now modestly said that her bum was "not news" as she has "always had a huge a***."  She blamed the  high-waisted jeggings for accentuating her bottom and revealed that as "knickers dig into my big bum" she often goes "commando".  "I promise I haven’t had bottom implants... I’ve been working out for decades, so the shape of mine is down to years of keeping fit," she told the Mail Online.  Got a story? email digishowbiz@the-sun.co.uk or call us direct on 02077824220.  We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours.


thesun--2019-04-19--Exercising after work is better for weight loss than a morning workout

DOES the thought of getting up before work to exercise fill you with horror?  If so, you're in luck - because exercising in the evening may actually be better for burning body fat than morning workouts.  A review of two studies looking into body clocks and physical activity has concluded that exercising in the evening may be more productive.  "It's quite well known that almost every aspect of our physiology and metabolism is dictated by the circadian clock," said senior author of one of the studies, Gad Asher of the Department of Biomolecular Sciences at the Weizmann Institute of Science.  "This is true not only in humans but in every organism that is sensitive to light. We decided to ask whether there is a connection between the time of day and exercise performance."  The studies looked at the association between time of day and exercise performance primarily in mice.    Because mice are nocturnal, scientists first had to translate mouse hours into human ones.  One study saw the little rodents being put on treadmills at different times of day within their active hours.  Scientists then examined the exercise capacity of mice on different exercise intensities and regimes and found that overall exercise performance was significantly better in the "mouse evening" compared to morning hours.  They also found that in the "mouse evening", the critters had higher levels of a metabolite called ZMP, which is responsible for metabolic regulation.  It's actually a compound that some athletes use for doping, and scientists concluded that the increased production of ZMP may explain why they performed better later on in the day.  Scientists also looked at 12 humans and found similar results.    People tended to exercise more effectively in the evening compared to the morning thanks to the fact that they had lower oxygen consumption.  The second study also involved mice being on treadmills but this time, scientists also recorded the changes that happened to their muscle tissue in response to exercise.  They found that a protein known as HIF-1a played an important role and was activated by exercise in different ways depending on the time of day.  Interestingly, that let them to conclude that exercise seems to have a more beneficial impact on metabolism in the late morning rather than in the evening.  But neither study found that working out first thing was the optimum choice.  It's important to stress that this is just the start of working out when the best time of day to exercise is, and that these studies were actually conducted in a lab - meaning that external lifestyle factors weren't present.    If you enjoy working out before work, carry on.  But if you really struggle in the mornings, don't force yourself to go against your body clock - evenings are just as good and perhaps even better.  "There is lots of contradicting research into the benefits of training in the morning vs. the evening and think it is really important to look at this very individually and not get too stressed about the detail," Melissa Weldon, PT at Sweat It, told The Sun.  "There have been studies to suggest that training in the morning is more beneficial for fat-loss, but I really do think it depends on personal preference, in regards to when an individual is able to both commit to consistently and work the hardest.  "In contradiction to the claims, someone working in a fasted state, could struggle with their energy levels and get less from their workout than if they trained, for example, after breakfast or at lunchtime."  Melissa told us that unless you're an elite athlete, timing probably doesn't matter too much.  "The most important thing is to find a time that works for you, that you can commit to regularly and that you are mentally prepared for.  "I personally find I perform at my best between 9 and 3pm, when I feel optimally fuelled and mentally prepared to go to the level I need for my goals."  We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at tips@the-sun.co.uk or call 0207 782 4368. You can WhatsApp us on 07810 791 502. We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours


thesun--2019-05-04--Why its time to give fast HIIT workouts a miss and embrace your inner tortoise

Why it’s time to give fast HIIT workouts a miss and embrace your inner tortoise

FOR years, our exercise mantra has been “go hard or go home”, with intense spin classes and HIIT workouts promising we could get fitter in just 20 minutes or less.  But now things are slowing up on the gym floor, with an increasing number of experts recommending we take it down a gear.  HIIT – AKA high-intensity interval training – mixes bursts of hard, fast moves that aim to take your heart rate up to 90% of its maximum, with short recovery periods in which you rest.  “By working out this way, you get a huge spike in the level of the stress hormone cortisol, which helps the body to adapt and grow,” says Bryce Hastings, head of research for gym Les Mills.  During a rest period, your cortisol level should fall, but the gym’s research scientists found that didn’t happen for those who do HIIT. “We found their recovery was compromised and it was causing problems such as injuries, mood swings, fatigue and disrupted sleep,” explains Bryce.  Now the Les Mills team advise that people only do two 20-minute HIIT sessions a week, with at least two days’ rest in between.  And they aren’t the only ones suggesting a limit. Research by universities in Brazil found that two days of back-to-back HIIT exercise compromised the immune system, leading them to recommend at least one rest day between workouts.  It takes almost that long for our bright-red faces to return to normal, anyway.    LISS – low-intensity steady state, to give it its full name – cardio sees you swapping the short, sharp bursts of HIIT for longer steady runs or cycles where your heart rate reaches 60-80% of its maximum.  “There are years of research showing that this works – we just seem to have forgotten it in our excitement over HIIT,” says Niko Algieri, co-founder of London gym Equilibrium Total Balance.  “A couple of sessions of 45-60 minutes steady cardio a week will burn fat and work your heart and lungs to raise fitness.”  Sadly, strolling around the shops won’t quite cut it. Aim for a pace where you’re breathing hard enough to just about keep up a conversation while you move.  If you’re super-fit, MISS – moderate-intensity steady state – might be more your style. “A common mistake when people don’t find LISS challenging is to extend the time for which they work out, but that can lead to injury,” says Bryce.  Instead, he suggests you step up the pace to “where you can say a sentence, but not have a proper chat.” So, for example, MISS would be a medium setting on the rower or a fast jog.  Remember, this isn’t going all out. “During HIIT you should barely be able to say your name,” says Bryce. “That’s not what you’re aiming for here.”  Weight training the HIIT way gets you cranking out maximum reps in the shortest possible time (search #AMRAP on Insta for thousands of humblebrags). But it turns out this method might not be the most effective for building strength.  “The problem is it doesn’t allow you to focus on form at all – rarely do I see anyone doing a HIIT strength workout extending their muscles to their full range of motion,” explains Niko.  “That means you’re not recruiting all the muscle fibres and won’t be getting the optimum challenge your muscles need.”  Instead, try the weight version of slow exercise, LIRT – that’s low-intensity resistance training.  Aim for three sets of 10-15 reps per move, using a weight that’s heavy enough to make your last two or three reps feel hard. Make sure you push the weight out steadily and control it coming back. Then rest for 60-90 seconds between sets to let your muscles recover – a perfect window for a quick swipe right.  Before trying LIRT, it could be worth booking a session with a personal trainer. “Good form is key to getting results from slow training – and we have had to correct a lot of people who’ve fallen into bad habits doing HIIT,” says Niko.    If your favourite part of any exercise class is the bit where you lie down on a mat and stretch, you’re in for a treat.  Slow and purposeful stretching is on the timetable at cool gyms such as Frame and Barrecore, and the LA trend for specialist “stretch studios” is set to hit the UK soon. But it’s more involved than just a bit of lying down.  Next-gen slow stretch classes focus deep into muscles to work a layer of connective tissue called fascia, and also push your muscles slightly further than normal, which helps to improve flexibility.  “The normal type of stretching you do after a workout releases tension created during exercise and brings levels of adrenalin and cortisol back to normal,” says Jayne Robinson from Frame. “Stretching classes do more than this, restoring a range of motion you may have lost.”  These stretches are best done in a class as there are rules to follow. “Work into the stretch gradually and avoid jerking or sharp movements. It’s OK to feel some discomfort, but if the pain becomes sharp, or your breath shortens, you’re going too far. The motto is ‘bend, not break’,” explains Jayne.  So is this it for HIIT? Well, you don’t have to wave goodbye to that hot CrossFit trainer if you don’t want to – just balance out fast workouts with plenty of slow.  “Think of your body like a car, but with a few different petrol tanks,” says Niko. “You need to keep each tank full with a different type of workout to perform well. Do some exercises that challenge you, but add in some slower ones to restore.”  More and more research shows you get results working out slower, but smarter. One 2016 study by the University of Bath found similar levels of slimming success in a group doing HIIT five times a week as a group doing fire training sessions at a moderate pace.  On top of this, if you’re a new or less enthusiastic exerciser, a 2017 study from Iowa State University found it’s likely you’ll also enjoy your slower session more than an exhausting HIIT one.  And all trainers agree the best exercise for your body is the one you keep doing. Ready, set, slow!


thesun--2019-05-21--Britney Spears shows off her incredible figure during gym workout following court showdown with her

Britney Spears shows off her incredible figure during gym workout following court showdown with her dad

BRITNEY Spears has showed off her incredible figure during gym workout following a court showdown with her dad.  The Work B**ch singer posted a sped up video of her exercising on her Instagram on Tuesday, captioning it: "Getting ready for summer."  In the footage, the 37-year-old revealed her toned abs and legs in a bright orange bra top and tiny check shorts.  She wore a pair of brightly coloured Adidas trainers as well as white sports socks as she worked her way through her routine.  This included twists with a pole across her shoulders, squats with a workout ball and weight exercises for her biceps and triceps.  Her post comes just days after shared a throwback clip of herself dancing to Michael Jackson's anthem Scream amid her court drama with father Jamie.  She captioned the post: "Me and Michael", and her boyfriend, Sam Asghari, swiftly took to the site to praise her. He commented: "Moves better than MJ."  The opening lyrics to the 1995 featuring Janet Jackson track are: "Tired of injustice, tired of schemes, Your lies are disgusting, What does it mean." The chorus chimes: "Stop pressurin' me."  The 2018 upload has sparked speculation Britney is addressing her current legal battle over the conservatorship of her affairs, which her father Jamie Spears and attorney have control over.  One commented: "This is from March 2018. Britney dropping some major hints with the song and Michael on her current situation or her team posting again as though it’s current. Just saying."  Another added: "The song she has chosen. Maybe she wants to scream?"  Last week, the mother-of-two reassured fans she would return to the stage and perform.  Her manager Larry Rudolph exclusively revealed to The Sun her Las Vegas residency is officially off and said the star has no upcoming commitments.  But when asked by TMZ on Friday if she'd perform in the future, as she headed out with boyfriend Sam Asghari, Britney replied: "Of course."  Speaking for the first time about Britney’s wellbeing, Larry admitted he was concerned for the star, who this week claimed her dad had forced her into a mental health unit in March.  Larry said: “I don’t want her to work again until she’s ready, physically, mentally and passionately.  “If that time never comes again it will never come again.  “I have no desire or ability to make her work again. I am only here for her when she wants to work.  Got a story? email digishowbiz@the-sun.co.uk or call us direct on 02077824220.  We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours.


thesun--2019-05-30--How to boost your brain power with regular exercise and workout challenges

WANT to be brainier? According to studies, one of the best ways is to take regular exercise or learn a new skill.  Exercise can increase the number of new brain cells and learning a skill in middle age can stave off dementia and reduce stress. We look at ways to boost your brain power by getting fit, and also try out natural body washes.  Be Military Fit is one of the most effective outdoor programmes – a 60-minute workout done in a specific order so you get the best calorie burn.  It sounds terrifying but I gave this a go and the instructor was motivating without making me feel very unfit.  It makes a difference having the support of a group of all ages.  Although the London Marathon is inspiring, the thought of it can be daunting if you are not in your early 20s – but I was pleased to find many people who run marathons are older.  Mo Farah is 36 and recently won his second London half marathon.  Think small to begin with and sign up for a 5k. You will get the cardio workout and it is great for mental toughness.  More people are changing jobs in their 50s.  Health and Fitness Education found a fifth of their students who sign up to become yoga teachers, personal trainers and massage therapists were over 55.  It costs from £545 to retrain at hfe.co.uk.  Eco-friendly body wash with 93 per cent natural or low-processed ingredients.  Made with natural plant extracts and neutral pH, and Yope promises it will not cause irritation or dryness to even the most sensitive skin.  Comes in three scents – I tried geranium, which smelled gorgeous.    Contains sulphur and sodium to work as natural cleansers as well as magnesium to help restore and moisturise skin to peak condition.  Has a fresh scent, not as sweet as the other two, but it did leave my skin feeling clean and soft.  A gentle body wash containing vitamin E to help moisturise and protect the skin.  It also has hydrolysed wheat protein which is high in amino acids to improve moisture levels. Smells divine and is packaged beautifully – my favourite.


thesun--2019-07-03--Nude workout sessions among the most surprising requests personal trainers get from clients

PERSONAL trainers shared the strangest things their clients ask them to do — including naked workouts and oiled up wrestling.  Over 2,000 fitness experts were asked about the weirdest requests they've got as part of their job, which frequently included having sex with the client.  Online local services marketplace Bark.com compiled the bizarre results of the survey of personal trainers' experiences.  Trainers were asked if they'd ever experienced any inappropriate behaviour while on the job, as well as if the people they worked with had strange fitness goals.  They were also quizzed about if they'd ever had requests to hold training sessions in strange locations.  It turned out one of the trainers in the survey had been asked to hold a client's face during their workout.  And another said they'd been approached by a man who wanted to have exercise sessions "in his bedroom".  One respondent even said their client and stripped naked in front of them before a session.  Others had been smacked on the bottom and been told the intimate details of an affair one of their clients was having.  Speaking about the survey, Kai Feller, Bark.com co-founder, said: "There's no doubt personal trainers see the best and worst in people when putting them through their paces, but after hearing from our fitness experts, it sounds like tired and time-poor clients are the least of their worries."  The news of PT's confessions comes after Sun Men revealed that women are more attracted to blokes with dad bobs than guys with abs.


thesun--2019-10-10--Kate Wright refused to marry Rio Ferdinand until after a gruelling workout to keep her ‘focused and

Kate Wright refused to marry Rio Ferdinand until after a gruelling workout to keep her ‘focused and happy’ on her wedding day

KATE Wright refused to marry new husband Rio Ferdinand until she had done a gruelling workout to keep her "focused and happy" on her wedding day.  The 28-year-old reality star shared a video of her “wedding morning workout”, which showed her pumping weights and running on a treadmill before she walked down the aisle.  In the video she turns and tells the camera before starting the exercise: “Can’t get married before I get this done”.  She then told her one million Instagram followers in the caption: “Lots of people asking did I train the morning of the wedding .... of course I bloody DID.  “It’s not just about the body it’s about the mind ... going into the best day of my life feeling focused and happy.”  Kate then gave a shout out to her former rugby union player personal trainer Mel Deane.  She said: “Thank you @meldeane12 for the wedding morning workout #itsalifestyle.” [sic]  Kate and Rio, 40, tied the knot at the five star hotel D Maris Bay in Marmaris, Turkey in front of family and friends on 27th September.  She looked spectacular in a plunging lace bodice dress that displayed her cleavage and was made in just seven days after her original outfit wasn't made the way she wanted.  And Rio previously admitted that the water works started when his daughter Tia walked down the aisle first, followed by Kate.  He told OK! Magazine: “I cried as soon as the day started. Seeing Tia walk up the aisle before Kate set me off. It was just so emotional."  The sports star went on to say he felt like Kate was "sent to them" and it was "fate" they met after first wife Rebecca Ellison died in May 2015 after a short battle with breast cancer.  Got a story? email digishowbiz@the-sun.co.uk or call us direct on 02077824220.  We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours.


thetelegraph--2019-01-23--3 new surprising ways to workout from as little as 5

3 new surprising ways to workout from as little as £5

Just like new year's resolutions, the new year marks a time for trainers, gyms and fitness enthusiasts to set the gym-scene for the year ahead with more effective ways to workout.  2018 saw the rise of low impact workouts such as body barre, reformer pilates and dancing , taking over from high, fat-burning exercises such as spinning and boxing.  The movement allowed those who dread the gym and intimidating workouts feel more welcome in the world of fitness, proving it to be a place for everyone - not just the super fit.  As we look ahead to 2019, here are the new surprising, ways to workout that will help you sculpt and tone like no other.