Lindsay Arnold using The Everything Band.
Ambit Creative
When most of us think about exercise, our minds usually conjure up images of running as fast as we can or sweating it out in a gym class.
But slower forms of movement – like walking and stretching – can be just as beneficial, especially when we’re overwhelmed.
High-intensity exercise benefits our overall health, but it causes a steep increase in cortisol levels – the hormones responsible for stress.
It’s undoubtedly good for us, and countless studies have proved that regular movement results in better sleep, lower blood pressure and improved mood, as well as helping to combat health conditions and diseases.
But, when you’re already going a million miles an hour, adding in an early morning gym class could be doing more harm than good. Low-intensity exercise, on the other hand, has the opposite effect. It reduces cortisol levels.
“If you are already fatigued and embark on a workout when your body’s energy reserves are low, exercise can further deplete your energy,” explains naturopath, nutritionist and founder of Edible Beauty, Anna Mitsios.
“Getting up early can be counterproductive as it can induce a stress response, especially if we haven’t had enough sleep to begin with. It can spark a rise in cortisol, which can increase blood sugar levels and, in turn, imbalance hormones.”
When you’re exhausted and put your body under additional stress, you’re only adding to your likely already elevated cortisol levels.
Pushing through an intense exercise session can increase cortisol, negatively impacting your immune system, metabolism and mood. And instead of boosting your energy, it could have the reverse effect.
“Rather than getting the benefits of an endorphin rush, exercising while exhausted can further deplete reserves, leading to increased fatigue, which in the end makes you feel more tired,” explains Anna.
What’s more, increased stress and fatigue can impact our immune system, and adding more stress can leave you prone to illness and infection, which is the last thing we need when we’re already drained.
Once upon a time, cortisol gave us a boost of energy to outrun an enemy or animal. Today, however, our cortisol spikes whenever someone cuts us off in traffic or we run late for an appointment. This triggers a stress response that constantly tells our brain that we’re in danger, even when that ‘danger’ is just the relentless pace of everyday life.
Slowing down and focusing on our breath through gentler exercise soothes our nervous system, which is exactly what we need when frazzled.
“You should walk away from exercise feeling good. You want to nourish your body rather than deplete it,” explains Ali Handley, founder of Sydney’s Bodylove Pilates.
She’s an advocate for Pilates, which has soared in popularity in recent years. Using a variety of props to challenge, strengthen and lengthen, it serves as a full-body workout, just at a more controlled pace.
“Women think they need to do a lot of cardio, but that’s just not the case. We often need a slower burn to support our bodies, activate our muscles and connect to our breathing. All those things help to make exercise an experience rather than a punishment.”
Lydia O’Donnell, a running coach and co-founder of the Femmi app, which provides training plans personalized to your menstrual cycle, echoes this sentiment.
“We’ve been fed this narrative of ‘no pain, no gain’, and it’s very masculine. It can be a slow jog around the block. It can be a walk. You can still move in a healthy, sustainable way that isn’t about trying to reach a marathon finishing line.”
If you love running, you don’t have to give it up. Instead, just aim to slow down the pace. Running slower can help build your aerobic base, which is good for covering longer distances without leaving you feeling zapped.
“No matter what exercise you do, you should enjoy moving and do what feels right for you,” says Lydia.
For many of us, walking is a great option to help lower cortisol levels. Not only can it increase cardiovascular fitness, lower blood pressure and help maintain a healthy weight without pushing your body beyond its limits, but you also receive mood-boosting endorphins, which can help counter feelings of overwhelm and exhaustion. Plus, it’s free and can be done practically anywhere.
“Walking is a form of stress relief,” says Anna. “It activates the parasympathetic nervous system, reducing the body’s stress response without the extra exertion of a gym session. If you need one or two cups of coffee to help you function at a 6am gym class, your body isn’t ready for the assault. You are better off sleeping in and calmly starting the day, waking with the sunlight and avoiding the harsh sound of the alarm.”
Permission to sleep in? Granted.
“Dancing With the Stars” alum Lindsay Arnold is expanding her digital fitness universe with the launch of a home exercise tool, The Everything Band.
Out now, the all-in-one, multiloop resistance band is a first-of-its-kind product designed to replace clunky gym equipment such as reformers, leg machines, rowers, kettlebells and more. With 11 loops (five “levels” on each side of the center loop), the portable tool, $35, can assist more than 100 movements, all of which are modeled in Arnold’s four-week, low-impact Tone Program, available on The Movement Club app.
Lindsay Arnold using The Everything Band.
Ambit Creative
Speaking with WWD, Arnold described the band as a physical manifestation of her need to multitask. “I like to get things done. I like to be efficient with my time. And anything I create is going to be kind of a physical version of that,” she said. “The Movement Club is our digital version of that. It’s accessible movement that people can truly do anywhere. So when we decided to go into the physical product space, I knew I wanted something that’s multifunctional, that is versatile, that is innovative.”
Arnold founded the membership platform in 2020, after her 10-year run as a coach on “Dancing With the Stars.” The idea was born out of a sudden change in her own fitness regimen that occurred when she was pregnant with her first baby. “My body was my tool to perform, but when I stepped away from that career and became a mom, life looked a lot busier. I didn’t have as much time to get back to myself,” she recalled.
“I started looking at fitness in a different way,” she continued. “I felt like there was a missing space in the fitness industry for a program that’s for everyone, not a program that’s only for pregnant women or only for people in the best shape of their life, but truly a program that meets people exactly where they are at in their fitness journey.”
The Everything Band in the four-week Tone Program.
Ambit Creative
In 2025, The Movement Club saw a 190 percent increase in revenue, a 226 percent increase in new subscribers and 151 percent growth spike in returning subscribers.
With 12 programs including Full Body, Bridal, Postpartum, Pilates Strength and Self Care, the membership-based platform is, indeed, suitable for beginners, experts and every exercise level in between. Most workouts range from 18 to 30 minutes, with elements of dance woven throughout. “A lot a lot of my classes incorporate ballet, bar movements and also the stretching that I do feel like is a lot more targeted for dancers, which is really, really cool, because it’s all about lengthening and strengthening your muscles while also stretching and keeping your body safe,” Arnold explained.
The Tone Program, which is five days on and two days off, targets arms, glutes, legs and core, with short, high-intensity intervals and three-to-four reps of each exercise. The format, Arnold said, allows members to familiarize themselves with the band, and hopefully, inspire them to use it in their own regimen. “I will continue to add new videos with the band, like I always do, but first, I really wanted to launch with a good program for people to follow along with and track their progress,” she said.
The weekend workout trend is taking over the internet, and people are obsessing over it. But with most of us leading sedentary lives, is it too good to be true? HT Lifestyle spoke with Sumit Dubey, fitness expert and the founder of Sumit Dubey Fitness (SDF) centre to understand whether weekend exercise actually works or it is just another passing fad.
Also read | Woman who lost 27 kg shares exactly what to eat before and after a workout for fat loss: ‘Aim for 15-25 g of protein…’
Sumit Dubey said, “These days, life moves quickly. Folks find it tough sticking to regular workouts through the week. So they shift everything to Saturday and Sunday instead.” “Squeezing sweat into just a couple of days has become common lately,” he added.
“When Monday hits, and the chairs stay full again. Two long pushes each weekend. Can those really balance out five lazy ones after? The body keeps score differently, maybe,” said Sumit.
According to Sumit, weekend movement counts more than you might think. Scientists see gains when people hit 150 weekly minutes of solid effort, even if it’s just two days. Hearts respond well, so do blood sugar levels. Long-term illness risks dip slightly, and doing something beats doing nothing – no perfect routine needed.
Still, some key limits need attention. Sumit highlighted that often moving keeps things running smoother. When you stay seated all day, circulation slows, posture slips, body parts weaken – little by little, they lose their edge. Five inactive days dull the gains from two active ones. A weekly rhythm matters more than weekend effort alone.
Here’s another thing to think about: getting hurt more easily. When exercise gets squeezed into just a few minutes, people tend to go too hard – especially if they haven’t moved much lately, highlighted Sumit. Pushing fast without building up slowly can pull muscles or strain joints. Tiredness shows up quicker when effort spikes out of nowhere. Bodies unprepared for sudden bursts react with soreness or discomfort most times.
“Still, working out on weekends might actually help, as long as it’s done with some thought,” said Sumit. Ease counts more than effort. You can try running, sometimes swimming instead; pair either with strength drills along with quick footwork. Wait until movement feels smooth before adding speed, ease off gradually once finished.
Mornings aren’t the only time motion matters. Getting up to stroll, reach, or shift positions through workdays cuts down the health downsides of too much stillness.
“Just twice a week, moving your body? That still misses what everyday motion offers. Showing up – any way you can – is more crucial than how hard you push. Consistency wins easily when matched against sporadic bursts. Skip perfect routines; choose ones that fit smoothly into life. Progress forms slowly, built by tiny actions done again and again,” said Sumit.
Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.
Photo: File photo
Vernon’s favourite senior’s personal trainer is on the move. For more than 25 years, Don MacLeod has been leading weight-resistance exercise classes for seniors.
Vernon’s favourite senior’s personal trainer is on the move.
For more than 25 years, Don MacLeod has been leading weight-resistance exercise classes for seniors.
And for the past eight years, MacLeod had taught classes five days a week at Snap Fitness in the Landing Plaza, but on March 31 that gym closed its doors, so MacLeod needed a new venue for his popular classes.
Enter Anytime Fitness in the Anderson Subdivision.
MacLeod said he is grateful to have reached a deal with the fitness club to carry on his morning exercise classes, and many seniors have already signed up.
While there are other gyms in Vernon that have seniors exercise classes, the certified personal trainer uses weight-resistance training to target all major muscle groups.
He will lead seven classes from Monday to Friday.
“It’s basic strength training,” MacLeod said of the exercises that geared towards the older crowd.
“We do everything that the bodybuilders and powerlifters do, but in a reasonable manner where we are just going to get our bones, our muscles, our tendons and ligaments stronger.”
MacLeod, 71, has also taken special courses geared specifically towards working with seniors.
Some seniors may feel too intimidated to go to a gym on their own, but MacLeod said seniors can find a common bond when they exercise in a group.
MacLeod said he has heard a few people say “what a waste of space” to hold senior’s classes.
“They really make life difficult for us. They think old people shouldn’t be in the gym, why are they lifting weights: to stay strong and to stay healthy,” MacLeod said. “One day, these guys are going to be old too.”
MacLeod said he started lifting weights in 1972 and continues to reap the benefits of regular exercise as he enters his 70s.
For more information, contact MacLeod at 250-260-1001.
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