Fitness

Why You Should Do The Clamshell Exercise?

Published

2 years ago

January 23, 2023

Why You Should Do The Clamshell Exercise?

You are most likely conversant in the clamshell train, however are you conversant in its many advantages?

The clamshell is a good train to assist enhance decrease physique muscle groups, and it will possibly additionally assist stop damage. On this article, we are going to discover why you ought to be doing clamshell workout routines repeatedly and the way you are able to do it accurately at house or in a gymnasium. Let’s get began.

What Is Clamshell Train?

Clamshell train is an easy train that targets the glutes and hamstrings. It may be finished wherever, and it’s an incredible warm-up or cool-down train. You are able to do it at house or within the gymnasium.

Clamshells are additionally an effective way to get your blood flowing, which helps preserve the muscle groups unfastened and cozy all through the day.

The way to Do Clamshell Train?

Reduces risk of injury. (Image via Pexels/Darina Belonogova) — Reduces danger of damage. (Picture by way of Pexels/Darina Belonogova)

To carry out a clamshell:

Lie down in your again along with your knees bent and ft flat on the ground.
Raise one foot up in order that each knees level straight up in the direction of the ceiling (like an open clam).
Maintain for 5 seconds, and decrease down slowly to the beginning place earlier than repeating with the other leg as if closing a clam shell over its meaty prey inside.

ClamShell Train Advantages

To profit from a clamshell train, that you must know extra than simply what it’s. You must understand how essential it’s to incorporate train in your exercise routine and why. Listed here are the highest advantages of clamshell workout routines:

1) Reduces danger of damage

To forestall and deal with accidents, do that easy train: the sofa stretch. The gluteus medius muscle performs an outsized function in stabilizing the pelvis and hips throughout every kind of workout routines and purposeful actions. When it is too weak, it will possibly’t do its job.

2) Strengthens hamstring muscle groups

Runners, specifically, ought to concentrate on the significance of the gluteus medius muscle. It stabilizes the hips throughout operating and may make or break your race.

Clamshell workout routines strengthen the gluteus and hip muscle groups, which will help a runner keep away from ache and damage. They’re good for runners, as they are often finished nearly wherever and require little or no gear.

3) Relieves Decrease Again Ache

Strengthens the hamstring muscles. (Image via Pexels/Shvets Production) — Strengthens the hamstring muscle groups. (Picture by way of Pexels/Shvets Manufacturing)

Again ache is widespread, particularly for individuals who sit at their desk all day. Weak glutes and tight hip flexors make it tough for the decrease again to assist the burden of your torso while you’re sitting, resulting in aches and pains.

You’ll be able to relieve decrease again ache introduced on by sitting with the clamshell train. It strengthens hip muscle groups that take strain off the decrease again.

Clamshells Variations to Attempt at House

To maintain your exercise fascinating, strive doing the clamshell train on completely different surfaces. You are able to do it on a stability ball, bench, chair or the ground.

1) With a resistance band

By including resistance bands to the clam shell train, you’ll be able to flip it right into a difficult leg train. Including resistance will goal the glutes and core.

As a newbie, begin with a lighter band, and transfer as much as a heavier resistance band. To forestall knee ache, don’t wrap the band round your knees; wrap it simply above them.

2) Reverse clamshell

You can different variations of this workout. (Image via Pexels/Maksim Goncharenok) — You’ll be able to completely different variations of this exercise. (Picture by way of Pexels/Maksim Goncharenok)

The reverse clamshell is a modified model of the clamshell train that targets the internal thighs, which are sometimes ignored in conventional exercises. This glute train additionally strengthens the outer thighs, tones the glutes, and helps stabilize the pelvic muscle groups.

3) Excessive Clamshell

Excessive clamshells are superior variations of the essential clam. They require severe coordination to carry out correctly and are finest finished after you have warmed up with common clamshells and added resistance with a band above your knees.

The clamshell train is an effective way to strengthen the glutes and abs. It is also simple to do at house with minimal gear wanted. If you’d like an much more difficult variation, strive doing clamshells with one leg raised within the air as an alternative of each legs flat on the bottom.

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Fitness

Frustrated on not losing weight despite workout and diet? Fitness coach shares 5 hidden signs you are becoming more fit

Published

2 hours ago

December 17, 2024

Press Room

Frustrated on not losing weight despite workout and diet? Fitness coach shares 5 hidden signs you are becoming more fit

The weight loss journey is all about consistency and patience. However, moments of disheartening frustration can creep in, leading many to assume it’s not working and even give up in despair. But often, it’s not about big changes, small changes can speak volumes.

Even if you don’t see changes in the mirror or scale, your body sends subtle signs. (Shutterstock)

Vimal, a nutritionist and fitness coach as per her Instagram bio, shared subtle signs that are actually show your efforts. Even if the scale isn’t showing substantial progress yet, these signs can encourage you to keep going.

Not out of breath after going upstairs

Going breathless after climbing a long flight of stairs is common. But when you see improvement, it means your fitness regime is actually working. She wrote, “This improvement hints at better cardiovascular endurance. As you lose weight and get fitter, your heart and lungs work more efficiently, delivering oxygen to your muscles with less effort. With lower body fat, your body needs less energy to move so activities feel easier.”

More energy

One of the other noticeable benefits of weight loss is how it impacts your overall wellbeing, including your energy levels and mental clarity throughout the day. The fitness coach explained, “Losing weight often means your body is processing food more efficiently, leading to steady blood sugar levels and more stable energy. Improved diet and exercise can boost brain health by improving blood flow which enhances focus and memory.”

ALSO READ: Man who lost 50 kg reveals ‘the most underrated weight loss hack’

Clothes start to fit better

Even if there isn’t a stark visible change in body toning, you might notice that your clothes fit better. The usual tightness is gone, making the clothes more comfortable. She said, “This is a sign of body composition change. Even if the scale isn’t dropping, you may be losing fat while maintaining or gaining lean muscle. Muscles take up less space than fat, so your measurements can change even if your weight stays the same.”

Mental health improvements

Weight loss is not just about physical transformation, it often brings significant emotional and mental health benefits as well. She added, “Exercise and weight loss can increase endorphins also known as “feel good “ hormones which lift mood and reduce stress. Better physical health can also boost self confidence and mental clarity which may lead to improved emotional health.”

Better sleep quality:

The sleep quality improves significantly with the help of a consistent exercise routine and diet. Vimal explained, “Regular exercise and balance diet helps help regulate circadian rhythms making easier to fall asleep and wake up refreshed. Weight loss also reduces sleep apneas risk especially for those with extra body weight around the neck and chest.”

She concluded by emphasizing that the scale is not the sole measure of progress in a weight loss journey, as there are numerous other signs that reflect success beyond just the numbers.

ALSO READ: Say goodbye to your dream body if all you do is walk on a treadmill. Here’s why it gives no ‘real results’

Disclaimer: 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.

Fitness

Step Up! Here's How to Start a Healthy Walking Habit

Published

10 hours ago

December 16, 2024

Press Room

Step Up! Here's How to Start a Healthy Walking Habit

Breaking up a longer workout into shorter “bouts” of activity can be helpful for beginners, Paluch suggested.

Think about where you are physically, and then progressively increase your walking time from there, Paluch advised.

You might wear a step-counting device for a few days to figure out your baseline steps. Say, it’s about 4,000, which is common, then add about 500 more steps per day for the next week, she suggested.

“Just think about trying to make each increase a habit, right? So, we don’t want to just jump into it and say, we’re going to go out and walk five miles,” Paluch said. “Our goals become more achievable when we think about those in bite-size pieces and, also, we prevent injury.”

Walking at a moderate-to-vigorous intensity is more helpful for someone wanting to incorporate walking into a weight-loss plan, she added.

A 150-pound person who walks briskly will burn about 297 calories per hour, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS).

How many calories can you burn during a 40-minute walk? According to Livestrong, you can burn between 160 calories and 296 calories, depending on your weight and walking speed.

Walking more is best, the ACS suggested, citing a recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. That study found more steps were linked to lower death rates from heart disease and cancer.

Mayo Clinic offers tips on starting a 12-week walking schedule, suggesting five minutes of slower-paced walking at the beginning and again at the end of a walking workout to warm up and cool down. It recommends five walking days per week.

A brisk walk means you’re breathing hard, but can still talk, the Mayo Clinic noted. A moderate intensity walk means you can walk, but can’t sing, Paluch said.

A faster pace appears to be important for good health. Harvard Health noted that regular walking reduced risk of heart disease and early death, especially for those who walked at a pace of 3 miles an hour or faster.

Fitness

Scientists Find This Type of Exercise Cuts Heart Disease Risk in Half

Published

18 hours ago

December 16, 2024

Press Room

Scientists Find This Type of Exercise Cuts Heart Disease Risk in Half

A few short bursts of exercise throughout the day may reduce heart disease risk by 50%, according to new research.
Women specifically showed the most pronounced effects of short bursts of activity.
Experts explain the findings.

If you struggle to get your steps in or to find enough time in the day to hit the gym, you’re in luck. New research finds that even a few short bursts of exercise may cut your heart disease risk in half.

A study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine used data from more than 22,000 people between 40 and 79 years old from the UK. These participants wore physical activity trackers for nearly 24 hours a day between 2013 and 2015. Data from hospital and death records were also used to keep track of the participants’ heart health to look for major cardiovascular events, such as heart attack, heart failure, and stroke.

Women, in particular, showed more obvious effects from the short bursts of activity. That is, women who did at least 3.4 minutes of short bursts of vigorous activity per day were found to be 45% less likely to have a major cardiovascular event. When exercising between 1.5 and four minutes a day (with bursts lasting up to one minute), researchers saw an association of a 51% reduced risk for heart attack and a 67% reduced risk for heart failure, compared to those who did not perform this type of exercise.

While women saw the most impact on their heart health, the male participants also saw some benefits of this activity. With a minimum of 2.3 minutes of activity per day, researchers found that men lowered their risk for major cardiovascular events by 11%; performing 5.6 minutes a day of this type of movement saw that men were 16% less likely to experience a major cardiovascular event.

“Making short bursts of vigorous physical activity a lifestyle habit could be a promising option for women who are not keen on structured exercise or are unable to do it for any reason,” study author Emmanuel Stamatakis, Ph.D, director of the Mackenzie Wearable Hub at the Charles Perkins Centre and the Faculty of Medicine and Health at the University of Sydney, said in a statement.

Exercise helps the heart work better, says David Sagbir, M.D., board-certified cardiologist and spokesperson for Avocados-Love One Today. “Regular physical activity strengthens the heart muscle and improves blood flow which can help reduce risk factors for developing heart disease such as lowering blood pressure, managing cholesterol levels, helping regulate blood sugar, and impacting visceral adipose tissue—the type of body fat that surrounds organs and can increase our risk of heart disease,” he explains.

So if you want to focus on boosting heart health, Dr. Sagbir says that the best exercise for reducing heart disease risk is aerobic—the kind that increases your heart rate and gets you breathing more heavily. “I am a big fan of getting your heart pumping and circulation going with a daily walk,” he advises. And, as Dr. Sagbir points out, every micro-walk counts.

Walking is a proven means of reducing many of the major risk factors of heart disease, including blood sugar, blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and a high body mass index, Dr. Sagbir continues. “In addition to the cardiovascular benefits, improvements in cognitive function and memory, mood and stress, as well as longevity have all been documented,” he says (and recent research shows that walking could even add over a decade to your life!). Walking calls for no equipment, does not require a gym membership, and is adaptable to busy lifestyles, which is why Dr. Sagbir highly recommends getting your steps in.

In addition to walking, Cheng-Han Chen, M.D., board-certified interventional cardiologist and medical director of the Structural Heart Program at MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center, recommends jogging, taking the stairs, biking, and swimming/water aerobics. “It is also helpful to incorporate some strength training, as this also helps to improve the function of blood vessels,” he advises.

The bottom line

This study shows that even small amounts of higher-intensity exercise, just a few minutes at a time, can potentially provide a significant benefit to heart health, says Dr. Chen. “These are activities that can be incorporated into even a busy schedule. One can take brisk one-to-two-minute walks up and down the stairs, or get exercise through normal daily activities such as carrying heavy groceries,” he explains.

These findings are also compelling because of changes that take place during the menopause transition and how exercise may be particularly beneficial to women in this life stage, notes Dr. Sagbir. “Women experience changes during the menopausal transition that put them at greater risk for heart disease,” he says. For example, high blood pressure, a major risk factor for heart disease, significantly increases after menopause, he explains.

To reduce heart disease risk, Dr. Chen recommends engaging in regular physical activity, eating a nutritious balanced diet, getting an adequate amount of quality sleep, maintaining a healthy weight, avoiding tobacco and alcohol, and managing blood pressure and cholesterol numbers.