Going for a jog, a short yoga session, or a 12-minute quick bodyweight workout perks up my mood and puts a pep in my step. The sense of accomplishment and the mood-boosting endorphins are just some of the many benefits of moving your muscles. Does exercise also improve mental health for adolescents? Recently, Planet Fitness decided to find out.

New survey

“Summer slide” refers to the decline in learning that kids experience over the summer months when they’re off school. Planet Fitness pointed out another decline that occurs over the summer — fewer opportunities and less motivation to exercise. Instead of having fun in the sun, playing outdoors, running around, and engaging in sports, parents are voicing concerns that many teens are becoming less active when school is out.

Planet Fitness conducted the survey to learn more about the well-being and exercise habits of young people during these warmer months. The survey involved 1,000 parents of teens aged 14-19 and the teens.

The survey results

The results revealed the following:

• 50% of teens report their fitness levels drop during the summer holidays.
• 90% of teens say exercise helps them to feel happy.
• 93% of adolescents believe regular exercise is beneficial for handling life challenges.
• 66% of parents are concerned about the well-being and stress levels of their teens.
• Three out of five adolescents say their anxiety and stress aren’t getting better; instead, it’s all getting worse over time.
• 72% of parents think regular exercise could improve their teen’s mental health.
• 81% of teens say that screen time and social media take up a lot of time during their day, and most also agree that avoiding social media is helpful.

Concluding thoughts

When school’s out, it seems many teens tend to slow down in more ways than one. They don’t have the same structure, schedule, and activities, and they might be more tired from the busy school year. Additionally, some might not have access to a fitness center or the transportation to get there. Many teens are also busy with other goings on in life, so they aren’t thinking about whether or not they’re getting enough physical activity.

This survey indicates that most teens believe exercise makes them feel happier and they’re aware of many of the benefits. There also seems to be some awareness surrounding the overuse or excessive use of screens, which results in teens being less active while getting dopamine hits scrolling through social media. Stanford Medicine confirms that these social media apps work on the brain’s reward pathway and prompt the release of dopamine, just like heroin, meth, or alcohol. Amplifying these feel-good properties is addictive for teens and adults alike. On top of their addictive nature, when we’re scrolling through these apps, we aren’t moving our bodies and getting the physical and mental benefits of exercise. 

Planet Fitness Free High School Summer Pass Program

The good news is that this survey also shows us that exercise could be a useful tool in improving mental health for teens, especially during the summer break. There are plenty of ways for teens to get more active, from playing sports or going hiking and doing activities with their friends and family to walking the dog, doing yard work, swimming, and dancing. Teens ages 14-19 can also check out the High School Summer Pass program at Planet Fitness, where they can work out for free at any PF gym nationwide.

At 50, Malaika Arora continues to set fitness standards! Whether she’s doing yoga or sweating it out at the gym, her commitment to staying fit reflects in her strong physique and glowing skin. With over a million followers on social media, the Bollywood diva regularly shares glimpses of her workout routines, often giving fitness motivation to those who follow her. In a latest post, she revealed one of her favourite lower body exercises to tone her glutes and lose thigh fat. So, do you want to know what exercises Malaika Arora swears by for strong hips and thighs? Read on!

In an Instagram reel, Malaika Arora is seen performing dumbbell half squats, holding a dumbbell in each hand on either side of her body. She says in the video, “Just do 3 sets of 15.” The exercise targets the quadriceps and glutes, and according to the visual breakdown in her reel, it helps reduce thigh fat and sculpt ‘apple hips’—a term used to describe round and toned buttocks.

Towards the end of the video, Malaika Arora leaves her fans with a powerful message: “Stronger every day, fitter every moment.” She captioned her post, “Sculpted simplicity 🏋🏻‍♀️ #LeanHips #HIIT #fitnessmotivation #healthandhappiness #healthandwellness #yogabliss #yogafitness #fitnesslove #mallamotivation #malaikasmondaymotivation.”

Benefits of dumbbell half squats

Half squats are a variation of the traditional squat, where you lower your body to about halfway down instead of going full-depth. When combined with dumbbells, this move becomes even more effective. It strengthens the quadriceps, glutes, and hamstrings, helping tone your lower body. This exercise is also great for those who want to reduce thigh fat and build muscle strength without putting too much pressure on the knees.

How to perform dumbbell half squats

• Stand straight with your feet shoulder-width apart.
• Hold a dumbbell in each hand and let your arms hang naturally by your sides. Keep your chest up, core tight, and shoulders relaxed.
• Slowly lower your body by bending your knees and pushing your hips back, just until your thighs are about parallel to the ground (half squat position).
• Hold the position for a second and push through your heels to return to the starting position.
• Repeat for 15 reps and complete 3 sets as recommended by Malaika Arora.

Mistakes to avoid with dumbbell half squats

• Make sure knees are not going beyond toes to prevent knee strain.
• Avoid leaning forward and maintain a straight back and upright posture to avoid back injuries
• Do not swing your arms; keep dumbbells steady beside your thighs.
• Tighten your core throughout the movement for better balance and control. Otherwise, it will be difficult to perform it.
• Avoid going too deep and stick to the half-squat level to target the intended muscles.
• Avoid lifting heels off the floor to maintain stability while performing this dumbbell exercise.

So next time you hit the gym, try this Malaika Arora-approved move for stronger, toned hips!

Disclaimer: At Health Shots, we are committed to providing accurate, reliable, and authentic information to support your health and well-being. However, the content on this website is intended solely for informational purposes and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider for personalised advice regarding your specific medical condition or concerns. Read More

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If you’ve been putting in the work-counting steps, cutting calories and sweating through cardio, and the scale still isn’t budging, you’re not alone. The truth is, weight loss isn’t always about moving more. It’s about moving smarter. And one of the smartest moves you can make? Picking up a set of weights.

Strength training isn’t just for bodybuilders or gym rats. It’s one of the most effective ways to burn fat, speed up your metabolism, and build muscle that works for you even after you leave the gym. Plus, it’s lower impact than many cardio workouts, making it easier on your joints and more sustainable long term. If you’ve been overlooking resistance training, this might be the missing link in your summer fitness routine.

Looking for more fitness tips? Check out how many calories you need to burn to lose weight, simple ways to shed body fat at home and how to achieve that elusive balance of losing weight while gaining lean muscle.

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Cardio versus strength training

There’s a constant back-and-forth argument about which is more efficient in reaching your ideal physique: cardio or strength training. According to New York City-based personal trainer Oscar Colon IV, cardio is ideal for burning more calories during a workout session — and it’s key to keeping your heart strong — but strength training affects your body differently. “Strength training has a two-pronged effect because you burn calories during the workout and during the recovery and restoration of muscle groups you worked,” he says. As a result, you get more results for your effort.

It’s still a good idea to incorporate cardio and strength training into a well-balanced fitness plan, so you can reap all the benefits. How much you do of one or the other may also depend on your current goals. If you’re training for your first marathon, cardio will be your main focus as you build endurance, whereas strength training will be a priority when you’re trying to get stronger or build muscle.

How muscles affect your ability to burn fat

As mentioned, strength training can help you burn more calories during and after your workout. This is thanks to the lean muscle you gain as a result of strength training. If your goal is to lose weight, having more lean muscle can help the process.

This also means that the more lean muscle you have, the higher your resting metabolic rate will be. Your resting metabolic rate, or RMR, refers to the total number of calories your body burns when it’s at rest. Biologically speaking, resting metabolism aids your organ functions, neurological functions, breathing and blood circulation. Rachel MacPherson, an American Council of Exercise-certified personal trainer, performance specialist and Garage Gym Reviews expert, explains that muscle is metabolically active, meaning it burns calories even at rest. Although the effect is small, it’s significant and does add up over time. “This also helps to counteract the decline of metabolism and muscle mass as you age, which can contribute to middle-age weight gain,” she says.

Strength training also has fat-burning benefits when you’re fresh off a workout. “Excess post-exercise oxygen consumption is the process of your body regulating itself back to homeostasis after a strenuous workout,” Colon explains. In other words, you’re still burning calories as you recover, because your body stays warm for a while as it cools down.

How long it takes to put on muscle

Now that you know that lean muscle is the key component in fat burning, you’re probably wondering how long it takes to build muscle. This will vary from person to person, as genetics, hormones, gender, diet and other factors play a role in how much muscle you put on and how quickly. “If you consistently train three to four times a week for 30 minutes each session, you should realistically start to see results in three to four weeks,” Colon says.

MacPherson says you can put on muscle mass each week, and doing a 12- to 16-week hypertrophy training program is ideal for seeing a significant amount of muscle gain. “You can expect upwards of five to 10 pounds of muscle gain during this time,” she says, adding, “As you become more advanced you will need to work harder for less gain but you will still see results.”

That’s another interesting aspect of strength training: If you’re a beginner, you tend to have an advantage over someone more experienced when building muscle. This is what some people refer to as “newbie gains,” which refers to your body’s muscle-building response to lifting weights because it’s not used to this kind of stimulus. Research has shown that untrained individuals (those with minimal to no strength training experience) can put on muscle faster than someone who’s already experienced with strength training. 

Generally speaking, men and women also have different results when building muscle mass. “Men can build muscle mass much easier and faster than women due to testosterone, while women can still build substantial amounts of muscle but will never look as large or full as men unless they use anabolic steroids,” says MacPherson. “It’s vital that women lift enough volume and weight while also eating enough to support muscle gain.” This means letting go of the old-school mentality of dieting and shrinking yourself, otherwise it’ll inhibit your ability to build muscle.

Besides a well-regimented workout plan, a diet that supports muscle-building is key too. “In order to build muscle, you need to eat in a calorie surplus with plenty of protein,” MacPherson says. She explains that eating in a surplus will lead you to gain some body fat, which is normal and necessary to gain muscle. “You can lose it afterward and it will be easier since your body has become better at burning calories due to increased muscle mass.”

Other benefits to lifting weights

Besides helping you metabolize and get stronger, strength training has other benefits. Colon says it’s also important for bone development and density. “Weight-bearing exercises put temporary stress on your bones, sending a message to bone-building cells to take action and rebuild bones stronger,” he says.

Another benefit tied to strength training is reducing your risk of injury by improving the strength, range of motion and mobility of your muscles, ligaments and tendons. “This can reinforce strength around major joints like your knees, hips and ankles to provide additional protection against injury,” Colon says.

Another plus is for your heart, because strength training is shown to help decrease blood pressure. You can also reduce the chances of type 2 diabetes, improve blood circulation and lower LDL (bad) cholesterol. Exercise has been shown to even have a positive effect on your mental health and resistance training has been found to ease anxiety as well.

Bottom line

It’s helpful to know the unique effects strength training has on your body as you establish a consistent exercise routine. Not only will you naturally burn more fat by having more muscle but you’ll maintain strength as you age and improve other functions of your life as well. If you don’t have access to a gym, you can start your exercise regimen at home and still get the same results, as long as you have the proper equipment.

Even if your goal isn’t weight loss or body recomposition, strength training provides many benefits that make it worth adding to your lifestyle, and it’ll only improve your well-being in the long run.