How much exercise should you do to protect your heart | The Jerusalem Post

Published

1 month ago

November 9, 2025

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How much exercise should you do to protect your heart | The Jerusalem Post

Physical activity saves lives, but now it turns out there’s a “precise dosage” at which it becomes especially effective in preventing heart disease.

A man doing push-ups

(photo credit: SHUTTERSTOCK)

ByWALLA! HEALTH

NOVEMBER 9, 2025 14:00

Related Topics:Exercise health physical activity

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Taylor Swift’s fitness strategy that made 632 days long Eras Tour possible: Her exercise routine to stay energized

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10 hours ago

December 22, 2025

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Taylor Swift’s fitness strategy that made 632 days long Eras Tour possible: Her exercise routine to stay energized

Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour was a feat few artists could imagine. Spanning 632 days from March 2023 to December 2024, the tour included 149 shows across five continents and became the highest-grossing tour in history. Behind the glittering performances, Swift relied on an intense and meticulously planned exercise routine to sustain the stamina required for her marathon three-and-a-half-hour concerts.

Preparing for a Physical Marathon

Before the tour began, Swift recognized the physical challenge she was about to face. “I never would’ve believed you if you told me we were doing a three-and-a-half-hour show. Saying it is one thing, doing it is another,” she admitted in the Disney+ docuseries The End of an Era. For comparison, her longest previous show had lasted just two hours and 15 minutes.

To meet these demands, Swift began training six months ahead of her first rehearsal. Her daily treadmill sessions mirrored the tempo of the songs she would perform live, with faster tracks prompting running and slower songs calling for brisk walks or light jogging. “You just don’t want them to see you panting,” she explained to TIME.

Strength and Conditioning Regimen

While cardio built endurance, strength training ensured she could perform high-energy choreography without fatigue. Under the guidance of longtime trainer Kirk Myers, Swift tackled exercises such as battle ropes, medicine ball throws, assisted pull-ups, sledgehammer workouts, leg raises, and Russian twists. Myers described her as “the most resilient person I have ever met,” highlighting her ability to persevere through challenging workouts.

— swifferupdates (@swifferupdates)

Swift’s humor surfaced even during difficult exercises. “In no way do I ever apply this … at any point in the show, I just want to flag that as I do every time I have to do pull-ups. Strong dislike. Two thumbs down,” she said, referring to resistance band-assisted pull-ups. She jokingly attributed her increasing strength to “all the pent-up rage and resentment” she felt toward the moves.

Dance Training and On-Stage Precision

Beyond the gym, Swift committed three months to dance rehearsals with choreographer Mandy Moore to ensure every move was second nature. “I wanted to be so over-rehearsed that I could be silly with the fans, and not lose my train of thought,” she shared with TIME. The precision extended to rapid costume changes, often completed in under 1 minute and 15 seconds, with the fastest taking just 39 seconds.

Swift ran an estimated eight miles per show while performing over 40 songs that spanned her musical eras. High-cardio sections, including the 1989 and Reputation sets, were particularly demanding. Yet she described the physical challenge as secondary to the personal purpose the tour provided, especially during a period marked by two breakups.

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Fitness

I’ve been doing this standing exercise for six months and it’s transformed my core strength

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23 hours ago

December 21, 2025

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I’ve been doing this standing exercise for six months and it’s transformed my core strength

I’ve been working out for years and I can do sit-ups in my sleep—but I still struggle to activate my core.

I’ve always found it difficult to build strength in this area, until a trainer recommended trying a standing exercise called the Pallof press.

The move primarily targets your core muscles, but trainer Monty Simmons says it’s a full-body exercise.

“You’re actually integrating your arms and shoulders—along with your hips and your legs, because you’re standing on them—so it becomes a full-body exercise,” Simmons explains.

“It’s training your body to resist something that’s trying to pull you off balance and make you unstable. The benefit is that it trains your core to be able to resist rotational force.”

Simmons explains that building this kind of rotational strength will translate to everyday movements, such as lifting things and turning to put them on a counter.

How to do a Pallof press

How To Do A Pallof Press – YouTube

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Sets: 2-4 Reps: 8-15 each side

Loop a resistance band around a fixed point and stand side on to it.
Hold the resistance band in both hands in front of your chest with your elbows bent and pressed into the sides of your ribs, then sidestep away from the anchor point until there’s tension in the band.
Press your hands forward until your arms are fully extended.
Do all your reps on one side, then switch sides.

My experience doing the Pallof press for six months

I added the Pallof press to my workouts in the summer and I’ve noticed huge improvements in my core strength and my ability to engage these muscles.

At first, I couldn’t feel my core switch on when doing the Pallof press, because I was allowing my upper body to move too much.

When I focused on keeping my torso strong and steady, I felt this move immediately in my abs and obliques.

I mainly do this movement at the gym using the cable machine, but I’ve found it can be done at home with a long resistance band looped around a fixed point, too.

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I perform it as slowly as possible to increase the time my core muscles are under tension.

It doesn’t feel as challenging as crunches, but it has helped me learn how to recruit my core muscles, which has helped me perform other moves like squats and deadlifts.

Having done the move for six months, I can confidently say my core strength has also improved. I can do more repetitions of the Pallof press now and I find other core moves like the plank easier.

I’d recommend it to anyone who wants to learn how to engage and strengthen their core.

Fitness

Body awareness is fundamental to longevity, according to an expert trainer—here’s how to improve yours

Published

1 day ago

December 21, 2025

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Body awareness is fundamental to longevity, according to an expert trainer—here’s how to improve yours

For most of us, the way to increase your chances of living for longer in good health is pretty straightforward.

Strength training, cardio work and flexibility routines can all improve your longevity, but according to trainer Eloise Skinner, there’s something else that’s fundamental to aging well: body awareness.

“A big part of longevity—living well for a long time—is the ability to be connected to your body and to be present within your body, because that can help you spot when something is wrong,” says Skinner, who is also a Pilates and yoga instructor.

“If you’re getting sick or you’re getting an injury, it’s the people who can stay checked in with their body that can respond to that, adjust things and take care of themselves.”

That’s why she prioritizes doing exercises that encourage mind-muscle connection, like the three moves below.

According to Skinner, working through these moves with intention and aligning your breath to the movement is best for boosting mind-body awareness.

This might mean just being conscious of your breathing during the move, or connecting your exhale and inhale to specific parts of the exercise.

1. Roll-down

Pilates Spinal flexion Roll down – YouTube

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Stand with your feet hip-distance apart, knees slightly bent and arms relaxed by your sides.
Slowly nod your chin toward your chest, then roll your spine down one vertebra at a time.
Let your shoulders, arms and head hang down as you continue rolling toward the floor.
Stop when you’ve rolled down as far as you can, take a breath, then slowly roll back up.

2. Plank

Start on your hands and knees, with your hands directly under your shoulders and fingers spread apart.
Step your feet back so that your body forms a straight line from your head to your heels.
Engage your core by pulling your belly button gently toward your spine.
Hold for 20 seconds or longer if possible, while maintaining a steady breath.

3. Cat-cow

Cat Cow – Exercise Library – YouTube
Cat Cow - Exercise Library - YouTube

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Start on your hands and knees, with your hands directly under your shoulders and your knees directly under your hips.
Inhale as you drop your belly, and lift your tailbone, chest and head.
Exhale as you round your spine, tuck your tailbone and bring your chin toward your chest.