Fitness

The 1 Heart-Health Habit You Should Start When You’re Young

Published

3 hours ago

August 14, 2024

The 1 Heart-Health Habit You Should Start When You’re Young

In your 20s and 30s, heart disease can seem like a far-off concern. It’s more common among people 75 or older than in any other age group.

But there’s good reason to think about your heart health decades earlier: “While young adults often associate heart disease with people in their parents’ and grandparents’ ages, it’s never too early to start prevention,” says Dr. Nieca Goldberg, a cardiologist, author, and clinical associate professor at NYU Grossman School of Medicine. “In fact, 80% of heart disease is preventable.”

If there’s just one thing you do for your heart when you’re young, it should be increasing your physical activity, experts agree. “Exercise is the foundation of heart-disease prevention, and combining aerobic exercise with resistance training has been shown to have the greatest impact on preventing and managing heart disease,” Goldberg says. That’s because physical activity taxes your heart and lungs, helping them to adapt to the stress and grow stronger over time.

Getting regular exercise is also a step in the American Heart Association’s (AHA) Life’s Essential 8, a list of eight crucial health behaviors for maintaining optimal cardiovascular health. Aside from staying active, the list also includes eating a nutritious diet; managing your blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar; maintaining a healthy weight; quitting tobacco; and getting plenty of sleep.

Starting with physical activity will likely trickle down to these other arenas, says Dr. Keith Churchwell, president of the AHA. “If you stay active, it probably will help your sleep, it’ll probably help you in terms of thinking about your diet appropriately. It’ll help in terms of reducing your blood pressure, controlling your lipid status, your weight…and hopefully keep you away from other issues, like tobacco use.”

How to get (even just a little) more exercise

You don’t have to suddenly become a runner or join a gym if that’s not your style. You can focus on simply moving more throughout the day to start, Churchwell says. Take an extra stroll with your dog, meet a friend for a walk instead of a drink, finally give pickleball a try, or sign up for a dance class. Even just 20 more minutes of activity a day is a great benchmark to aim for, he says.

It’s important not to go too hard, too fast. “The idea here is you want to establish lifestyle changes that are truly going to last you a lifetime,” says Dr. Nishant Shah, a preventive cardiologist and assistant professor at Duke University School of Medicine and the Duke Cardiometabolic Prevention Clinic. “Whatever you decide to do now, don’t do it with the intention of stopping it six months later.”

Read More: How to Get Your Partner to Stop Snoring

Establishing a lifelong fitness plan means identifying forms of exercise you actually like; it’s fine if CrossFit isn’t your thing. “Spend time to find activities that you enjoy so it doesn’t feel like a chore,” Goldberg says.

Gradually build up to at least 150 minutes of moderate or 75 minutes of vigorous cardio activity, plus two strength-training sessions a week. That’s the general AHA recommendation for overall health and wellbeing.

You can modify and tailor your exercise program to your specific needs, abilities, interests, and fitness level, Goldberg says. If you’re not sure how to get started, speak with your doctor or a certified fitness professional who can guide you. “Start small and build from there: Consistency is key, so it’s important to ensure your routine is manageable based on your current lifestyle and commitments,” she says.

It can get harder to start a physical activity routine as you get older, so it may be easier to maintain for your entire life if you make it a habit in your 20s or 30s. “When you maintain a habit of exercising at an earlier age, it’s just normal for you,” Shah says.

Read More: How to Be More Spontaneous As a Busy Adult

Finding the time can be tough, though, he admits. Try blocking off 30 to 60 minutes of your day for exercise just like you would for any other commitment or meeting, and then stick to it, he says.

If you already exercise, keep building up your cardiovascular fitness and strength. There are even greater benefits of getting 300 (or more) minutes a week of physical activity.

Shah offers one caveat to the exercise-first mentality: If you use tobacco, the most important heart-health habit for you, no matter your age, is to stop. While only about 5 to 12% of Americans in their 20s and 30s smoke now, according to a 2023 report in JAMA Health Forum, it’s still the most important habit to quit for your heart and overall health, he says, even before picking up an exercise routine. Smoking is linked to about one-third of heart disease-related deaths.

And whether or not you’re ready to make some heart-healthy changes, talk with your relatives about any heart-health concerns in your family tree—especially your first-degree relatives. “Oftentimes when I see patients in this age range, they are unaware of any conditions that run in the family,” says Dr. Maxim Olivier, a cardiologist at Orlando Health Heart and Vascular Institute. “A good family history is very important to determine if they are at an increased risk for premature coronary artery disease, heart disease, or even sudden cardiac death. Though the ramifications may seem far off, there are patients who can present with heart disease as early as 20s to 30s, and even younger, which is often a reflection of their genetic predisposition and/or lifestyle.”

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Fitness

Tips for returning to exercise after an extended break from working out

Published

10 hours ago

August 14, 2024

Press Room

Tips for returning to exercise after an extended break from working out

Soha Ali Khan sets fitness goals after returning to the gym following a long break

Getting back to your workout routine after an extended time away from the gym can be quite intimidating. Returning actress Soha Ali Khan recently opened up about feeling the nerves as she resumed her fitness journey after a “loooooong break”. However, with determination and focus, she smashed her first session, completing a solid combination of bodyweight exercises and weight training.

Fans were quick to praise Soha’s commitment to her health and fitness, with many commenting on how her strong work ethic serves as an inspiration. If you can relate to the challenge of overcoming inertia and motivation to workout again, an expert provides some valuable tips for easing back into your routine safely and effectively.

Dr. Haricharan G, a respected physician from Gleneagles Hospital in Hyderabad, stressed that it’s important to gradually work your body back up to its previous activity levels. He recommends starting each session with light dynamic stretching and mobility exercises to increase blood flow and prepare joints and muscles. Focusing on low-impact movements while using lighter weights at a lower intensity allows your body to readjust without increased injury risk.

It’s also wise to focus on full-body compound exercises that work multiple muscle groups simultaneously. This helps rebuild overall strength and endurance in an efficient manner. Proper nutrition with a diet full of proteins, carbs and healthy fats, along with adequate hydration, supports recovery on both workout and rest days. Speaking of rest, allowing downtime between sessions allows adaptability without overexerting tired muscles and risking strain.

By listening to your body’s signals and slowly ramping up the challenge week by week, it’s very possible to regain your former fitness levels while minimizing injury – just ask Soha Ali Khan! Consistency and perseverance paid off for her return to the gym, and applying these evidenced-based strategies can help you succeed as well in your journey towards better health and wellness.

Fitness

The 'Coregasm' Is Not a Myth—Here's Why Exercise Can Make You Climax

Published

17 hours ago

August 14, 2024

Press Room

The 'Coregasm' Is Not a Myth—Here's Why Exercise Can Make You Climax

The most common ways to reach orgasm are with your partner or alone with your vibrator, but climax can arrive when you least expect it. In fact, you can accidentally orgasm in a setting that isn’t sexual at all, like at the gym or in the middle of a workout. This phenomenon is called a “coregasm”, which is also known as an exercise-induced orgasm (EIO). It happens while doing exercises like crunches or other movements that engage the lower belly or pelvic muscles. But is it actually a real thing or is it just another myth that sounds too ridiculous to be true?

If you’ve actually experienced a coregasm, you don’t need convincing. You know that a coregasm can feel quite pleasurable, despite the fact that there may be no fantasies or sexual thoughts surrounding its sensation. You may even describe the experience as embarrassing, awkward, and uncomfortable. As you can imagine, not everyone is excited about making their “O face” at the gym.

“Coregasms can range from mild, barely noticeable sensations to pretty powerful and explosive situations,” says Michelle Herzog, AASECT-certified sex therapist. “Each person will experience each coregasm in unique ways, as few people report having coregasms and few people have even ever heard the word.” Nevertheless, it seems more common for women to experience coregasms than men.

Could your exercise bike become better at making you come than your partner? Let’s found out.

What causes a coregasm?

Image Credit: Getty

Exercise and certain forms of intense core physical activity seem to set a coregasm in motion. “Most common exercises include sit-ups or crunches, lower abdominal contractions, weight lifting, cycling, climbing, or yoga,” says Sarah E. Wright, PsyD., a certified sex therapist. “It is unclear whether these are the result of muscle tension alone or due to some movement of the clitoris during exercise which results in orgasm.”
While using an ab roller or ab wheel during her workout, Sarah usually experiences orgasms. To use an ab roller, you get on your knees, hold it in both hands, and roll out while engaging your core and keeping a flat back (means you’re down looking at the floor as you roll out which targets your deep core). The farther you roll out, the more you’ll feel it in your lower abdomen.
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However, according to Isabelle Uren sex expert at Bedbible, “I’ve only experienced a full coregasm once, but during intense core exercises at CrossFit, I can feel the sensation building again. I believe it could happen again, but only if I push through the point of exhaustion.” After that, she just stopped and let the feeling subside because it distracted her in a high-intensity group workout.
How does it feel and how common is coregasm?

Image Credit: Getty

“Most people will say it feels good. After all, orgasms release a host of pleasurable neurochemicals regardless of how they’re summoned,” says Wright. A recent study estimates that about 10% of people have experienced coregasms.
“The first time it happened I was working with a female trainer in NYC and she told me to do 30 rollouts,” Sarah says. “Somewhere between 20-25 rollouts, I started feeling a tingling sensation in between my legs. As she encouraged me to complete the 30 roll-outs, I felt a full orgasm take over my body.” She incorporates 100 ab rollouts into her routine 3-4 days a week. Out of those sessions, she typically experiences a coregasm 1-2 times.
When it comes to the intensity, Isabelle says that it wasn’t super intense and definitely felt different to a clitoral or vaginal orgasm. It felt like a warm wave of pleasant sensation that spread through the front of my lower body. “It also didn’t feel particularly sexual, as I wasn’t turned on, but it did feel quite nice! It also happened pretty quickly, and the feeling didn’t really linger after,” she says.
Who can have a coregasm?

Image Credit: Getty

There’s no rule about who can or can’t orgasm this way. “Many people find improved orgasms with exercise or yoga, so this may be another step in that direction,” says Herzog. “However, many people who have coregasm report experiencing them in childhood during physical education or other physical activities.” Anyone who remembers the classic ‘Wayne’s World’ line about the feeling from climbing the rope in gym class may be able to relate.
Sarah describes coregasms as a seven out of 10 intensity. She notices her pelvic floor muscles contracting and her body might shake a little, after that she definitely feels pleasure, and she likely looks flushed afterward. She can sense it building up as she is rolling out and engaging her core. When she keeps going, it eventually takes over her body.

Sometimes I’ll workout even longer if I feel it coming on, just to experience the pleasure that coregasm brings.
Sarah E. Wright PsyD., certified sex therapist
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“Now that I do 100 rollouts about three to four days a week, I don’t feel the coregasm until closer to the end of my workout,” Sarah says. “Sometimes I’ll workout even longer if I feel it coming on, just to experience the pleasure that coregasm brings.”
How to have a coregasm (and how to avoid it)

Image Credit: Getty

Exercises focused on the pelvic floor seem to be most likely to result in coregasm. “Crunches, sit-ups, or Roman leg lifts (arms braced with legs hanging free and then raised either to a 90 degree angle or tucking the knees up towards the chest) have been the most commonly reported,” says Wright. While it’s unlikely to happen during the first crunch, it might occur around the 50th.
Sarah works out five to six days a week, consisting of lifting and reformer pilates. This means she has a pretty strong core, which is necessary in order to achieve coregasms.
Conversely, Isabelle says that she usually takes two to three CrossFit classes a week and tries to practice a little yoga (asana and pranayama). When she experienced a coregasm, she had just started CrossFit and was also writing a review of the Elvie pelvic floor trainer for work.
“Many people who report having these types of orgasms also report some ability to control them by knowing their limits,” says Herzog. Therefore, If you do not desire a coregasm, simply stop the exercise once any degree of sensation is experienced in the genitals. “Coregasms commonly occur when someone is feeling exhausted and stumble upon the experience accidentally,” she adds.

Fitness

Shakira, 47, is all about this last-minute workout before bed

Published

1 day ago

August 13, 2024

Press Room

Shakira, 47, is all about this last-minute workout before bed

When Shakira played the Super Bowl halftime show in 2020, she spent months rehearsing and ramping up her workout routine. But the singer already had a great fitness foundation to build on.

“(It wasn’t) a short-term fix. We’ve been working together for nine years—this is a commitment to fitness and wellness,” her longtime personal trainer Anna Kaiser told E! News at the time.

The pair first met in 2004 and Kaiser was instantly impressed with Shakira’s dedication to living a healthy lifestyle.

“Well, she’s very smart and she wants to learn about the body and she wants to know why she’s doing what she’s doing and what her goal is, what she’s trying to accomplish… We have a really good time together and she loves the community and she loves to work out,” she previously told W magazine.

Through a combination of diet (mostly whole foods) and exercise (three to four workouts a week or more when she’s prepping for a tour), Shakira has established a solid health and wellness routine that fuels her hectic lifestyle.

Below, we’ve outlined a few of the 47-year-old’s top fitness tips.

She alternates between strength training and cardio to build endurance

To keep Shakira on her toes, Kaiser likes to alternate between strength training and cardio.

“Some days we do just cardio and then strength and some days we start with strength and then do cardio. We like to mix it up,” she told E! News.

The trainer went on to explain how this approach helps prepare the singer for life on the road.

“I want to make sure that she is improving her endurance so that she can go into a two-hour show and also has the strength and stamina to make it through a five-month tour. It’s about making sure she gets a little bit of everything.”

She prioritizes core workouts

Shakira’s toned tummy is iconic, and she puts in the work to maintain it. Per Kaiser, the star “loves core work.”

The trainer previously shared a six-step routine with Shape to give an idea of just how hard Shakira works to shape her core and outlined several moves, including a side cincher, standing march with weighted crunch, lateral teaser, twisted crunches, three-count crunch with Pilates ball and seated C-curve with overhead towel extension.

She digs dance workouts

Shocking, we know, but Shakira also loves to bust a move when she’s not on stage. Together with Kaiser, she often does cardio dance workouts or adds dance intervals to her workout.

“The dance (component) is so important (for Shakira) to stay connected to her movement, her body, and get her mind off of work,” Kaiser told PopSugar. “You can be so present when you’re doing a dance workout. It’s great for creating new neural pathways and mental stamina.”

She incorporates a lot of protein into her diet

Shakira has a pretty hectic schedule, so she consumes a lot of protein to keep up her energy levels. According to Kaiser, the singer has some sort of protein “in every meal” and looks for creative ways to incorporate protein into her diet.

“We did some protein shakes, protein pancakes, and I would peel a couple of oranges and slice them up and top them with turmeric and cinnamon. It is pretty much about making it fun and different and also the presentation,” the trainer told E! News.

She wears a heart monitor while exercising

Who knew that heart monitors could be a workout game changer? Kaiser previously told Delish that Shakira wears one “religiously” when they exercise together.

“A heart rate monitor is very important because every day is different. Sometimes you may have a ton of energy and other days you may not, but you can hold yourself accountable for knowing how hard you’re working by having a very specific goal to work toward,” she told E! News.

Kaiser went on to explain how heart monitors can help you crush your next workout, saying, “Sometimes you’ll think you’re lifting some very heavy weight but you’ll realize your heart isn’t actually working that hard so you can push yourself a little bit harder.”

She eats regularly throughout the day

It’s no secret that eating more regularly can help fend off cravings and impulse snacking. Kaiser previously told E! News that Shakira eats something every two to three hours.

Kaiser also told the publication that her client loves to eat small meals over the course of the day.

“She’s so busy she has to keep her energy up. (She eats) all throughout the day—really healthy clean food so her body can absorbs the nutrition as much as possible,” she said.

When Kaiser was training Shakira for a world tour, she focused on “revving up her metabolism,” as she previously told Us Weekly.

“I bumped up the amount of times she ate every day with small amounts of food that would fill her up — she would snack on a creamy asparagus soup that was lightly salted,” she said.

She keeps her body guessing by switching up her workouts

Doing the same workout over and over again can be both boring and ineffective if you’re hoping to challenge your body and mind. That’s why Kaiser encourages Shakira to switch up her routine regularly.

“We’re always working to give her, you know, a new focus, a new area and exercise that she can bring into her everyday life and work on so she feels comfortable with it,” Kaiser told W. “Shakira does that same exercise set for two to four weeks.”

She eats a balanced diet and believes in treating herself

Per Kaiser, Shakira’s diet consists of a lot of fresh veggies, low glycemic fruit and lots of soups. The trainer told E! News that her client typically eats eggs for breakfast, followed by a smoothie, then fish and veggies or a salad for dinner.

“Afternoon is, I know it gets really busy, but we’ll do a soup. There are some really good artichoke soups, or it could be a leek and eggplant soup, carrot ginger, and sometimes with a side of cucumbers with lemon and salt,” she said.

At dinnertime, Shakira often enjoys fish and veggies again or pork chops occasionally.

The singer has a sweet tooth, so she leaves room for treats in moderation.

“It doesn’t have to be something big it can just be something different every day, for example, we would do a cacao topped rice cake or half of a protein bar, or I got her some chocolate tea which kind of feels like a treat with some dehydrated fruit,” Kaiser told E! News. “So it’s about allowing yourself to have a lot of different things in small quantities and keep it as fresh as possible.”

She loves to swim

Swimming is often touted as one of the lowest-impact workouts around, so it’s no surprise that Shakira is a fan. The singer often goes for a dip in the pool late at night, per Kaiser.

“There isn’t a better way to calm your central nervous system and move your body in a yummy way that almost feels like you’re taking a bath before bed but still getting a really good second workout in by working against the resistance of the water with no impact on your joints. It’s lovely but it was late and I’m really proud of us for doing it!” she told E! News.

“It’s those little things that kick it up a notch. She slept really well after those workouts and felt really good the next day. So, yeah, your body is still sweating and losing the water it’s retaining when you’re swimming.”

She incorporates foam rolling into her stretching routine

Kaiser gets creative with Shakira’s stretching routine since the star is hypermobile. Per the Cleveland Clinic, joint hypermobility syndrome is “a genetic condition that involves extreme flexibility along with pain and other symptoms.”

To make sure Shakira is stretching properly, Kaiser incorporates a foam roller into her client’s routine.

“When you’re hypermobile, it’s easy to think your muscles are flexible but your flexibility is really around your joints and not your muscles,” she told E! News. “Foam rolling is really important and making sure we are rolling out her fascia, her feet, her legs, and upper body to make sure she stays nice and healthy.”