Ask the nutritionist: âI am healthy but on the skinny side. How do I gain weight?â
Reading Time: 2 minutes If you have a low body weight and wish to gain weight for health or sports-related reasons, hereâs how to do it.
Reading Time: 2 minutes If you have a low body weight and wish to gain weight for health or sports-related reasons, hereâs how to do it.
Reading Time: < 1 minute Deadlifts are a great way to strengthen your upper and lower body, and they can prevent back pain when performed correctly. This video demonstrates proper deadlift form and variations for different fitness levels.
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We tend to anticipate summer as if itâs a magical stress-free season in which we finally get to do all the things. In a recent CampusWell survey, nine out of ten students who responded said they plan or hope to be routinely physically active through the warmer months. But reality happens (even in this fantasy season), and unless you look out for your fitness, it may accidentally fall off your to-do list.
Behavioral research shows that when we make a plan, weâre more likely to meet our goals. What else helps? Doing what we enjoy. Involving friends or accountability partners. Anticipating obstacles and how weâll get around them. Setting realistic goals. Hereâs how to get into a summer fitness mindset that sticks:
Print the potent, powerful, practical plan for an actively awesome summer
Think about your summer surroundings and how you can use them to be physically active:
Will you have lots of time, some time, or basically no time at all? Even if you have just a few minutes each day, youâll still benefit from making a plan. Always put your fitness plans onto your calendar to protect that time.
My summer isâĶ
What do you actually like doing? Which physical activity has given you a smidgen of pleasure in the past?
Is there an activity that youâve wanted to try? Can you give it a go this summer? (Yes, you probably can.)
For example:
Think about how much money youâll realistically be able to spend on fitness this summer.
What has helped you be active in the past? What or who could help you this summer?
What do you want to achieve this summer?
And what can you realistically achieve this summer?
Which moderate goals will help you get into a groove you can maintain in the fall?
For example:
What demands or inconveniences could get in the way of your summer fitness plan? How can you keep moving anyway?
Activity + % of students who expect to do this frequently or regularly in summer
Source: Student Health 101 survey, February 2016. 1,500 students answered this question. Not representative of students nationally.
âI picked up archery a couple of summers back and have returned every summer since. This year, I already have plans to pick up paintball/airsoft, and the way Iâve been introduced to that was very physical. Iâm excited!â
âMax S., fourth-year undergraduate, Minneapolis College of Art and Design, Minnesota
âI had a summer internship near campus. I started rock climbing at the indoor gym, and I loved it! It was physically demanding but really fun, and that kept me going back. For the first time, I started to see my muscles grow, and I felt good about myself and about my physical wellbeing. I got to know a lot of people. That summer was so important to me because I finally found a physical activity that I loved and that helped me learn to love and take care of myself.â
âNicole H., first-year graduate student, Rochester Institute of Technology, New York
âI want to learn to surf, but Iâll also be stacking hay bales for work as well as going for a family run, playing some pickup sports with friends, working out with my old football team, or finding a trampoline park or gym to mess around in.â
âBryson S., first-year undergraduate, Old Dominion University, Virginia
âI have tried hiking more, and I incorporated fishing. Instead of getting in a boat, I decided to hike to a stream or river into the woods, stopping to fish now and then. The breaks give me downtime that is positive. I really lose track of time and distance that I have gone.â
âEmily L., third-year undergraduate, University of New England, Maine
âFreeletics [individualized high-intensity training via an app] has been an awesome thing. It helps me work out in my lab. It just needs 2×2 meters of space and youâre good to go! It is quite literally a community and we help each other out.â
âRishabh T., second-year graduate student, Creighton University, Nebraska
âObstacle course races! I do quite a few of them over the summer now, after [getting] hooked two summers ago!â
âRachel S., fourth-year undergraduate, Oregon Institute of Technology
âIâd like to get back into the routine of doing outdoor boot camp workouts. Being around other people really keeps you motivated. Running events are fun, whether a 5k or half marathon with friends and family.â
âBen G., fourth-year undergraduate, Harrisburg University of Science and Technology, Pennsylvania
âI have joined a Bikram yoga studio. I began commuting [by bike] to work last summer (6-mile round trip). I even joined a CrossFit studio. Iâm training for a half marathon, and this summer I would like to focus on building muscle.â
âVikas B., third-year undergraduate, Johns Hopkins University, Maryland
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Article sourcesStudent Health 101 survey, June 2016.
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For all of us in the western hemisphere, itâs winter. For some of us, that means cold. With most of our holidays behind us and a new semester in front of us, it can be hard to dig up the motivation to get moving. While we canât guarantee a workout thatâs as comfortable as your couch cushions, we can promise you a small-space, highly effective cardio routine for those days when leaving your home is just too much to bear. So whether youâre lucking out on some sun-soaked coast this January or curled up under a foot of snow, this workout will get your heart rate up and your sweat onâno travel time required.
This month, our trainer gives you part one of a two-part series on creating indoor cardio magic. Weâre building the basics with a beginner routine that works for everyone, even if youâre just getting started.* Run through it at least once a week and come back for part two to see just how far youâve come. Youâll be back to relaxing soon, we promise.
*Disclaimer: We love exercise, but weâre not so into injuries. You probably feel that way too. To lower your chances of getting hurt, focus on form over rep count and modify as needed. Youâve got this.
Whether youâre all about the fit life or just starting to get active, this warm-up will gently get your heart rate up so you can safely move on to the workout.
This routine will help you build up your fitness base while getting your sweat on, and it works for all levels. Remember that itâs OK to take breaks, modify moves, and lower your rep counts.
You did it! Take the sweat sesh down a notch and stretch everything out. This will slow your heart rate and help prevent muscle soreness.
Video content by Roger Allcroft, Certified Personal Trainer
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September means fresh starts, you feel me? Suddenly, your superhuman dreams are no longer unattainable. Master time management? Check. Balance your cheese curl consumption with carrots? Got it. Train for a 10K while perfecting your push-ups? Already doneâĶor is it?
Look, weâve all got big ideas about what weâll accomplish this year, and we want to help you get there. But research shows that small, measurable goals are easier to reach, set you up for success, and lead to big change over timeâwithout the sacrifice or burnout. Itâs science.
So scale it back to make it work. With our mini workouts, you can fit in fitness at any time and in any space. Our trainer takes you through three five-minute routines that serve up a quick sweat and build your fitness base. Do them on nonconsecutive days for a week of workouts that get you closer to superhuman status. Keep making those moves, people.
Time to enhance your upper half. This five-minute upper-body workout focuses on compound movements. That means you get more done in less time.
It all comes down to a strong and controlled core. Watch on to work on your abs, obliques, and lower back for 360-degree strength.
Finish the week strong with this quick lower-body routine. And yup, there are squats. Get ready.
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