Athletes tend to be great at planning and are often ritualistic about their training regimens, so actually, they do well on a plant-based or vegan diet. Any athlete, whether a marathoner, a yoga devotee, or an exercise-class junkie, knows that an important component of reaching one’s physical goals is sticking to a clean, nutrient-dense diet plan. So, we put together this handy diet and exercise plan for vegan athletes.

If you’ve been thinking about your nutritional needs with respect to your training for the next several months and you want to bring your fitness and health to the next level, you could be ready to take the leap to a vegan diet. It just takes some strategic planning. Plant-based diets are known to help with recovery time, prevent injury (through nutrient-dense food that helps repair body tissue and boost healthy cell generation), and even promote weight loss if that’s a goal.

Fitness Plan for Vegan Athletes

So many athletes have watched The Game Changers, the documentary about pro and elite athletes who are plant-based, from Novak Djokovic to Olympians, Strongman Champions, and Venus Williams, all of whom attest to the fact that plant-based eating helps them recover faster and play at the top of their game.

Sports dietitian Torey Armul, MS, RDN, a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, has counseled pro athletes, weekend warriors, and marathoners on how to reach their goals with the help of sound sports nutrition. “I’ve always been very interested in the performance side of nutrition, as an athlete in college and later as a marathoner,” she says. She has found that plant-based eating and training effectively go hand in hand.

“I think people who are vegetarian or vegan tend to be somewhat more health-conscious and they’ve done some research — so they often have a leg up on understanding nutrition,” Armul says. “For vegan athletes, [training hard and eating healthfuly] can certainly be accomplished but the program and diet have to be done well, to optimize performance and keep that person healthy as an athlete and an individual.”

It’s less about skipping animal protein and more about choosing the healthies whole foods that are part of a performance plant-based diet: Vegetables, legumes, grains, nuts, seeds, and fruit. Here are the so-called challenges that vegan athletes face, and the tools to overcome them

Making a Vegan Diet and Exercise Plan is Important

Being a vegan athlete can feel challenging at first since it requires some rethinking and planning as you get used to eating this new way. Armul recommends working with a registered dietician, especially at the beginning of your program, just to get yourself set up properly.

“You’ll have to focus on your diet as an important part of the training,” she says. But once you get the hang of it, eating legumes, grains, vegetables and nuts and seeds and getting your protein from tofu, tempeh, soybeans, and other plant-based sources, becomes as natural as lacing up your sneakers in the morning. It’s helpful to plan your meals in advance, shop for proteins, and build meals around your training schedule.

In addition to training meals, you’ll need to plan out your pre-race nutrition and post-race meals, especially during events that offer fuel you have never tried before. (Once events are back on the schedule since most events are on hold for the foreseeable future.) Now is the time to try out vegan protein powders, refuel options, and training gels or blocks.

You won’t want to just grab any old electrolyte gel or sports beans mid-run to replace your electrolytes and energy. The Beet has found several great sources of race energy that are vegan. Check the labels to make sure they’re vegan and don’t contain gelatin or honey (which vegans avoid).

Read More: Vegan Marathon Training: How to Fuel Up on a Plant-Based Diet

“When you’re exercising, you want a simple carb because that’s what your muscles are utilizing,” says Armul. Make sure you have that readily available throughout your training. Stick with your own plant-based snacks like fruit, pretzels, crackers, and even almond butter, and carry your own fuel the race so you can eat what you’re familiar with throughout the event.

Choose Plant Protein

A vegetarian athlete can take in dairy products and eggs as sources of protein to fuel their workouts. Vegans need to pick plant-based sources like beans, legumes and nut butter. “Look to grains,” says Armul. “People are surprised that rice, grains, and flour have protein.” You can also rely on nuts, peas, amaranth, quinoa, seeds, and soy products for protein. And while you can supplement with plant-based protein powders, which contain vitamins and minerals, keep in mind when it comes to food versus supplementation, food is always better, says Armul. Don’t let supplementation be your crutch when you don’t feel like making healthy vegan meals.

Consider a B12 Supplement

This important vitamin is often found in meat and animal products and is also added to many foods that we may not be eating, so it’s one supplement that vegan athletes need to consider adding to their diet. Vitamin B12 is vital in making red blood cells, which transport oxygen throughout the body, as well as DNA synthesis and helping with neurological functions.

“It’s very important for runners especially, (who are more likely to have borderline anemia) to have enough vitamin B12 in their system in order to help replenish their cellular health,” says Armul. You can find vitamin B12 supplements in foods like soymilk, grains, and some cereals. “If you’re not seeing supplementation in your foods, then I’d recommend a vitamin B12 supplement to help reach the recommended daily allowance of 2.4mcg,” Armul says.

As always, consult your primary care doctor before adding a supplement to your routine.

Consider a Vitamin D Supplement

You’ve probably heard of vitamin D referred to as the sunshine vitamin, as we synthesize vitamin D after exposure to sunlight. But vitamin D is also found in animal products and fortified foods. It’s an important vitamin for calcium absorption in the body and bone health.

Research published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition found that vitamin D combined with vitamin K may help exercisers with recovery. Vegans can find vitamin D in fortified cereals and orange juice. If you’re concerned that you’re not getting enough D in your diet, consult your doctor about adding a daily supplement. It’s recommended adults get 600 IU of vitamin D daily.

Read More: Guide to Supplements to Consider When Starting a Plan-Based Diet. 

If You Want to Build Muscle, Consider Creatine

Creatine is an amino acid found in foods such as meat, fish, and poultry. Your body converts this amino acid into something called phosphocreatine, which is stored in the muscles and used for energy, Amul explains.

“It’s clear in research that people who eat vegan and vegetarian diets tend to be low in creatine,” says Armul. “We also know that creatine has performance-enhancing benefits. It can help with short-term, high-intensity exercise, with strength, and it helps with muscle rebuilding and repair.” So if you have performance goals as a vegan athlete, it may make sense to look into creatine supplementation.

“If you’re a serious athlete, you’re working hard, and you’re an otherwise healthy vegan, it doesn’t hurt to add a supplement to make sure you have that safety net available since creatine is so important for exercise,” says Armul. Creatine supplements can be taken as pills or powders, just read the label carefully to make sure it’s a vegan creatine source.

When it comes to fueling up before, during, and after their training, vegan athletes can never just assume it’ll work out with respect to finding quality food options. Just as you would never train without planning, Armul says, you need to think about your diet. “Being a vegan athlete requires preparation and planning ahead, but it is totally doable.” And, we’d add, worth it.

For more on plant-based fitness, visit The Beet’s Wellbeing and Fitness articles. 

The post How to Workout and Train Effectively on a Plant-Based Diet appeared first on The Beet.

The journey to better fitness and health comes with one caveat: you must be consistent about your efforts, which take some discipline, and you need to be willing to put in the work. Many people are guilty of wishful thinking, as in “I wish I were fitter!” but without the follow-through of actually doing the daily things required to make it happen.

To actually see results – build muscle, lose fat and improve your cardiovascular fitness – commit to a time period every day, whether you want to do at-home moves while watching a fitness video, meet a friend for cardio such as a run, walk, bike class or swim (to be accountable to someone other than yourself) or a combination.

First, we need to say: Congratulations on deciding to get in shape, feel incredible, and inject new life into your workouts. Now, here are the best diet and fitness tips you need, based on scientific research, that will help you get the most out of whichever workout you choose.

5 Expert Diet and Fitness Tips

1. Have a Healthy Pre-Workout Snack to Fuel Your Session

People often wonder what the best pre-workout fuel is to get lean and build muscle. No matter how long you’re training or the time of day, the principles remain the same, which is that you don’t want to eat more fuel than your body needs, and you want to give yourself energy (in the form of carbs) and help repair muscles that get broken down during a workout, so add some plant-based protein.

The longer your workout, the more important it is to take in some carbs for fuel as well as some form of clean protein for muscle growth and repair. If you’re planning to eat within 1 to 2 hours of a workout, consume a smaller meal (still focusing on carbs and protein) since your body needs to work to digest food, and you’d rather spend that energy on the workout rather than on digestion.

Great examples of a pre-workout snack: One piece of peanut butter on whole wheat toast with slices of banana. Or a plant-based protein shake or half a cup of quinoa with mixed berries and a handful of nuts.

“It’s generally a good idea to consume a high-carb, moderate-protein, and fairly low-fat breakfast if you’re training within the next 2 to 3 hours,” suggests Mike Matthews, CPT, celebrity trainer and author of Muscle For Life. “This ensures you have an abundance of glycogen stored in your muscles, which is your body’s primary fuel source during exercise.”

Read More: How to Choose Healthy Carbs and Lose Weight, from Experts

2. Get your Protein Within 2 Hours of Training

The old school mentality around protein intake was that if you didn’t slam a protein shake the second you set foot outside the gym, your workout was a waste. Fortunately, that’s not how it works. This idea was based on the concept of an “anabolic window” of 30 to 60-minutes post-exercise when your muscles are hyperresponsive to protein synthesis.

Current research shows that by consuming protein within three hours of starting your workout (ideally 30 grams from whole plant-based foods sources), your body will have all the amino acids it needs to build and repair muscle.

“If you haven’t consumed protein for three or more hours before your workout, eating some after you train is sensible,” says Matthews. “Doing so increases insulin levels, which suppresses muscle breakdown and delivers nutrients to your cells, and stimulates muscle protein synthesis, the process your body uses to repair, grow, and strengthen muscle fibers.”

Read More: The Top Sources of Protein on a Plant-Based Diet

3. Focus on Anti-Inflammatory Foods

To get the most out of your workouts, it’s essential to fight inflammation and help recovery after exercise by eating a diet that consists primarily of nutritious, whole, minimally-processed foods. Whole plant-based foods are highly anti-inflammatory by nature.

Anti-inflammatory foods such as avocados, berries, cocoa, extra virgin olive oil, green tea, peppers, and turmeric are fantastic foods to eat the day after a workout. These will help promote recovery, reduce delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS), and get you training again sooner. “Instead of getting wrapped up in eating a particular group of “anti-inflammatory foods,” focus on eating a healthful diet, which will beat back unhealthy levels of inflammation over time,” Matthews advises.

Pro Tip: Combine turmeric and black pepper for a supercharged anti-inflammatory effect. The compounds curcumin (found in turmeric) and piperine (black pepper) are highly anti-inflammatory and have potent antioxidative properties.

Read More: The 10 Anti-Inflammatory Foods You Should Be Eating Right Now

4. Do Static Stretching After Workouts and Dynamic Stretching to Warm Up

Before a workout, many people think all you need to do is a few stretches, five minutes on the treadmill, and you’re good to go. Unfortunately, that’s not the case. Static stretching (where you hold a certain stretch for 10 to 20 seconds), while great for relaxing muscles and cooling down after a training session, can hinder performance and weaken you while working out.

Also, static stretching before training can negatively affect sprint performance in runners, according to a 2021 systematic review published in The International Journal of Exercise Science. A better approach is to warm up before a workout with dynamic stretching—active stretches that move your joints and muscles through a full range of motion — then end a workout with static stretching to reduce muscle soreness and improve flexibility.

Read More: Start Your Morning With Stretches to Boost Circulation and Focus

5. Recovery is as Important as Exercise for Injury Prevention and Long-Term Fitness

A common mistake that both new and experienced exercisers make is not allowing optimal recovery between workouts. Steps you can take before, during, after, and between training sessions to get the most out of your workouts and optimize recovery include having a carb and protein-rich snack after a workout, eating anti-inflammatory foods in abundance, getting adequate sleep, stretching, doing mobility exercises, foam rolling, and allowing for rest days.

Taking scheduled breaks from training at least once a week can help produce quicker results because your muscles experience microscopic tears during exercise. Giving your body time to recover with a rest day allows muscle tissue to rebuild and repair, thereby increasing in size and strength. In addition, rest days help reduce the risk of injury or burnout caused by too much exercise. Rest days, however, don’t mean lounging on the couch binging on Netflix all day. Instead, make sure you’re still engaging in some form of activity. An active rest day can include yoga, hiking, swimming, biking, and walking.

Read More: 10 Plant-Based Foods That Can Help You Sleep Better at Night

Workout Plans to Shape Up Fast

If you’re looking for some quick workouts to do at the gym or in the comfort of your home, check out these beginner workout plans that will help you get in shape fast and stay in shape.

• Easy 5-Minute Arm Workout
• Easy 5-Minute Core Workout
• The Best 5-Minute Home Leg Workout
• 5-Minute Full Body Exercise

Bottom Line: Be Consistent and Commit to Getting in Shape and Feeling Great.

Whether you’re new to working out or looking to breathe new life into your exercise routine, these workout and diet tips will improve your fitness and help get you in the shape you want. Eating a whole food plant-based diet is your best bet for getting healthier, enhancing performance, and feeling your best.

For more helpful info and resources, check out What I Eat In A Day as a Vegan Nutritionist and Athlete

The post 5 Diet and Fitness Tips to Get in Shape Fast, From a Nutritionist Trainer appeared first on The Beet.

Without stressing about dumbbells, heavy lifting, gym equipment, or performing drill sergeant push-ups, The Beet’s fitness guru Berto Calkins takes you through a five-minute step-by-step workout to help you reach your goals. The best part? Each move can be done anywhere – kitchen, park, living room, or office.

Fitness instructor Berto Calkins is often recognized for his Instagram handle, @whatsgoodberto. The New York City-based influencer is an expert on vegan fitness, nutrition, and mental health. Berto designed a five-minute leg workout exclusively for The Beet and is back with another quick, efficient workout, this time, focusing on exercises to help strengthen your arms.

The five-minute arm routine can be done anywhere, at any time. Berto performs these moves in his living room and uses a kitchen chair and side table as weights and fitness equipment. If you’re at a park, benches work great for this workout, and if you’re at the office, paperweights will do the trick. Have fun with this workout and break a sweat!

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Here is Your Easy 5-Minute Arm Workout with Berto Calkins

First Move: One Minute Push-Ups. In a high plank position on all fours, your hands should be slightly wider than your shoulders with your legs and arms completely straight. Then, bend at the elbow and lower your chest down but without touching the mat. Youll will perform push-ups for one minute and focus on healthy form.

Second Move: Supine Row. This move is a reverse push-up and requires a bench, table, or chair, something you can lay under and hold onto, Berto uses a long table to pull himself up. Laying on your back with your heels on the floor, the structure of your choice will stand above you and you will grip your hands onto the sides while lifting your chest towards the object. Then, lower back down towards the mat so your arms are fully extended but your body will never touch the mat. Lift yourself back up and repeat.

Third Move: Chair Dips. Grab a chair or a high enough surface where you can dip low enough. If you’re at a park or field, benches work well for this exercise. Berto uses a kitchen chair for this movement. Facing away from the chair, place your hands on the edges, lower your body down until your elbows reach a 90-degree angle then lift up. Your heels should be touching the mat the entire time.

Fourth Move: Bicep Curls. You will want to use dumbells or weight of your choice for this exercise, Berto uses a chair. Let your elbows rest at your sides and your forearms will extend out in front of your body. Then, bring the weight up to your shoulder bending at your elbows. Once, your forearm is at your shoulders, reverse the curl and repeat.

Fifth Move: Push Up Pank. Start in a high plank position with your hands directly under your shoulders, forearms fully extended, and toes touching the mat. Lower one forearm on the mat and the other one will follow, you will be in a low plank position. After lift up your forearm so your entire arm is fully extended, and the other arm will follow, you are in a high plank position. Repeat this movement.

The post Easy 5-Minute Arm Workout for Strong, Lean Muscles with Berto Calkins appeared first on The Beet.

Here’s how it works: You can now combine different workout ingredients (walking and boot camp or HIIT and running, or gardening and strength training) to achieve the same amount of health benefits as if you worked out hard, straight up, for 30 minutes to an hour and didn’t add in those “softer” activities throughout the day. Or to put it another way: If all you do is crush it at the gym and sit all day, you are not going to see the results that you would if you also added in some light activity during the other hours.

Getting all the benefits of this type of mix and max training does involve being active outside the gym, engaging in light activity throughout the day, since your 30 minutes in the gym is such a small sliver of your overall waking hours, the study found. So, to get the best results from the intense training you’re doing, add in walking, playing golf (pulling clubs as opposed to riding in a cart), gardening, swimming, or hiking–anything but sitting for long stretches, to get that perfect “cocktail” mix of easy, medium and hard exertion that will help you reach your optimal health and fitness goals.

“For decades, we’ve been telling people that the way to stay healthy is to get at least 30 minutes of exercise five days a week,” says Keith Diaz, Ph.D., assistant professor of behavioral medicine and director of the exercise testing lab at the Center for Behavioral Cardiovascular Health at Columbia University’s Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons.

The post Different Workout “Cocktails” Achieve the Same Health and Fitness Benefits appeared first on The Beet.

New research has found that there appears to be a connection between motivation and the color of our sports beverages. For athletes who would do anything to improve their running distance and times, or train longer in each session (to ramp up for a marathon or other event), this could be an easy way to boost performance.  Plus the study reveals other potential ways we can better rehydrate post-exercise.

It all comes down to the color of your drink

A recent study published in Frontiers of Nutrition found that a pink sports beverage increased exercise performance in participants–more than any other color. The study asked the participants to run on a treadmill at a speed they could maintain for 30 minutes. As they ran, they were asked to rinse their mouths with either a pink artificially sweetened drink that was low in calories, or a clear artificially sweetened drink that was equally low in calories.

The only difference between the two beverages was the color since researchers used food dye to create a pink hue in the “pink drink.” According to researchers, they went with pink because it’s often associated with being sweet and makes individuals believe they are getting a beverage that is sugary and carb-filled.

The end result of the study found that those who received the “pink drink” ran 212 meters further (or approximately 0.13 miles) and boosted their average speed by 4.4%. The same group also had increased feelings of pleasure, which indicates they enjoyed the workout and it seemed easier than the clear drink group.

“The influence of color on athletic performance has received interest previously, from its effect on a sportsperson’s kit to its impact on testosterone and muscular power,” states corresponding author, Dr. Sanjoy Deb, in an interview. “Similarly, the role of color in gastronomy has received widespread interest, with research published on how visual cues or color can affect subsequent flavor perception when eating and drinking.” Deb went on to add, “The findings from our study combine the art of gastronomy with performance nutrition, as adding a pink colorant to an artificially sweetened solution not only enhanced the perception of sweetness but also enhanced feelings of pleasure, self-selected running speed and distance covered during a run.”

How does your gastronomy affect sports performance?

Gastronomy is the study of food and culture, and it helps us understand how tasting, experiencing food impact our sensory responses to nutrition, or how our brain reacts to certain foods and beverages. If you have two plates of food in front of you—one with all neutral colored food (mashed potatoes, brown rice, and mushrooms) and another that contains bright vibrant colors like green beans, red peppers, and blueberries—chances are you’re reaching for the colorful plate. It leads the brain to think that certain colors have more flavor.

In this case, it’s believed the pink color of the sports drink made the brain believe it was getting energy from carbohydrates, which allowed the participants to run faster and longer. Other research has been conducted with a similar outcome.

A 2014 study published in Nutrients found that participants given a carbohydrate mouth rinse had increased performance during moderate to high-intensity exercise. In doing this, researchers believe the activation of oral receptors and the brain “reward” areas gave participants that extra boost. This outcome seemed to be accentuated when participants had lower amounts of glycogen stores, which indicates that the body is looking for more fuel from carbohydrate-rich foods.

Don’t overlook your post-workout beverage

Hydration is important, especially when you’re exercising and losing fluids from your sweat. The American Council on Exercise recommends you consume 7 to 10 ounces of fluid every 10 to 20 minutes during exercise and rehydrate by drinking 16 to 24 ounces for every pound of body weight lost post-exercise. They also indicate that rehydration occurs faster when you sip on a beverage that contains sodium.

Our body contains electrolytes that keep our fluids balanced, maintain muscle contraction, and keep our neural activity going. They include essential minerals such as sodium, calcium, and potassium. Our kidneys aim to keep our electrolytes balanced by conserving or excreting them. The water in our body follows the locations where electrolyte concentration is high, which is why they can get lost when we excessively sweat via exercise.

The two key electrolytes that are lost in high concentrations during a sweat session include sodium and chlorides. The other electrolytes—potassium, magnesium, and calcium—are lost as well but in lower concentrations. Research has indicated that an electrolyte-rich beverage should be considered for avid exercisers to reduce muscle cramps and avoid dehydration. Not to mention a severe imbalance in electrolytes can lead to some serious side effects.

Symptoms of loss of electrolytes may include:

• Fast or irregular heartbeat
• Nausea and vomiting
• Fatigue and muscle weakness
• Muscle cramping
• Headaches
• Irritability

Before stocking up on these mineral-rich fluids, be sure to take into consideration how much you get through the food you eat. Many of us already consume above the recommended amount of sodium needed per day, and a healthy balanced diet would include foods rich in potassium, calcium, and magnesium.

Bottom Line: When you think you can’t go further and faster, use any means possible to tell yourself you can, since your brain is in charge of your workout. Find your “pink drink” that tells you “I can push further, I can go faster. I got this!” Stay hydrated, but know that you can always push yourself to do more, and to work harder to achieve your fitness foals.

The post Can the Color of Your Sports Drink Make You Run Faster and Farther? appeared first on The Beet.

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Strong Glutes Are Especially Important If You WFH or Sit For Long Hours

Looking back, it’s been over a year since many of our living rooms or kitchen tables became home offices and home gyms. That means we end up sitting for too long, but the upside is you can get up from your desk and do some stretches and strength moves any time, without having to go to the gym (or change, shower, commute, all of which cuts into your workout time).  When we sit for long hours we weaken our core, shorten our hip flexors and tighten muscles that then respond by cramping, aching, and leading to less movement in our day. If you’re suffering from back, shoulder, neck, or hip aches you need to start building strong muscles in your glutes and abs, to help stabilize your body, tighten your core, and prevent the issues before they crop up and lead to more serious problems.

Weak glutes cause hip pain, lower back pain, and even knee pain in some of the worst cases. It’s important to stabilize your pelvis and protect your hip joints from becoming off-centered with the specific glute and hip work Caroline Deisler performs in this video. In addition, if you’re looking for a healthy solution to help alleviate these pain points, the moves also increase flexibility and can help reduce pressure on your muscles and joints. It’s almost like taking a yoga and weight lifting class at once.

Many of these moves require holding a tabletop or reverse tabletop position with a flat back and your hands and knees directly on the floor or in the air. This position is one of the best ways to engage your core and hamstring muscles when you squeeze and tighten your abs and legs during every move. The key is to focus on perfecting your form and take each step slowly so reap all the benefits of strengthening your muscles, improving definition with a deep burn, increasing flexibility and balance, and burning more calories.

Working Out with a Resistance Band Has Added Benefits of Getting Results Faster

For every move, Caroline uses a resistance band, similar to weight, for a harder workout. Just like using weighted ankle bands, resistance bands also contract your muscles and tear the micro-fibers so you essentially re-build stronger muscle. The difference is, resistance bands, promote better form, help you have better control and focus over the angle of your position, and overall improve the quality of your workout since your muscles are rarely in a ‘resting’ phase. Even though the band is optional, it’s highly recommended for this compound workout.

For More 5-Minute Workouts by Caroline Deisler, Try These

• Best 5-Minute Total Butt Workout
• Caroline’s HIIT workout to Burn Fat Faster
• Best 5-Minute Ab Moves
• Best 5-Minute Butt Moves
• Best 5-Minute Lean Legs Exercises
• Your Best 5-Minute Toned Arm Workout
• Your Best Total Body Workout 

Here Are Your Five Workout Moves For Strong a Stronger Core and Glutes

First Move: On your mat, get into a reverse tabletop position with your hands and feet on the floor and your chest and pelvis are raised facing the sky. Holding this position so your body is flat and your glutes are tight, move your thighs out to the side then back in the starting position. During the move, you can wear an optional resistance band to help build strong muscle.

Second Move: Your next move is in the same reverse tabletop position put you will extend one leg out front and hold it in the air. Slowly raise that one leg up to the sky and down to the ground, keeping your body in a straight line with a tight core and squeezed glutes. Switch legs after 30 seconds and repeat this movement. The optional resistance band will be placed around your tighs.

Third Move: In the same reverse tabletop position, drop your hips so they are hovering over the mat/floor but not touching the ground. In this move, you will thrust your hips to the sky then slowly lowering your hips back to the starting position. Try to get your hips as low as you can without touching the ground. In this case, act like the floor is lava. Remember to keep your core, hamstrings, and glutes tight so you can feel the workout in all three muscle groups.

Fourth Move:  In a standard tabletop position with your hands and knees touching the floor and your gaze looking downwards at the ground, you will kick your bent leg straight up to the sky and as you lower it back down to the starting position, kick your inner thigh outwards, this is called a fire hydrant move. These are two moves that flow into one.

Fifth Move: Repeat the first move and you’re finished. Well done!

The post Want to Tone Up Fast? Try This 5 Minute Workout to Get Stronger Abs and Glutes appeared first on The Beet.

Strength and resistance workouts are extremely important now, to feel your strongest, most mobile, and stay injury-free. When one muscle group is stronger than another, you’re likely to have an imbalance that leads to pain or possibly more serious injury, especially in the stronger areas that try to compensate for the weaker ones. For instance, your back may be stronger than your abs, so your back muscles will over-perform the stabilizing, pulling, bending or lifting job that your abs should be helping with, and to protect your spine you’ll pull a muscle or even herniate a disc.

To avoid back and hip pain, work your abs and strengthen the opposing muscles

Pain in your back, neck, hips, or psoas muscles (which help stabilize the spine and open the hips) means that if you strengthen your abs and core, it can help avoid injuries in those areas that are over-compensating. To avoid these problems, strengthen all your muscles so they can perform all the right jobs, and put less pressure on the painful or over-used areas.

In this easy, 5-minute, total body workout, you will start by strengthening your hamstrings and glutes then work your way to ab exercises which will strengthen both your lower and upper abs, then work your chest and biceps with one quick round of push-ups. At the end you’ll finish the workout with a movement to help strengthen up your back and shoulders.

For more quick workouts with Berto Calkins, try these 5-minute exercises:

• The Best 5-Minute Leg Workout to Do At-Home 
• Easy 5-Minute Arm Workout for Strong, Lean Muscles
• Easy 5-Minute Core Workout For Strong, Toned Abs 

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Here Are Your 5 Most Effective Moves For Stronger Arms, Abs, and Legs

First Move: Wall Sit with Half Floss

In a squat position against the wall, put your arms out straight from your chest and hold a lightly weighted bar (Berto uses a golf club). Hold the squat position for one minute while raising the bar, keeping straight arms, until it is above your head, then lower it back down to parallel with your chest. The bar should never go below chest level.

Second Move: 1-Minute Bear Plank

In a tabletop position with hands and knees on the floor and feet straight out behind you, lift your knees from the mat and hold this position for one minute. This is called a bear plank and it focuses on strengthening your lower abdominals.

Third Move: Pike Push-Up

Starting in a push-up position, raise your hips up towards the sky and hold this position (butt in the air) while you bend at the elbow, lowering your chest to the floor, then push back up so the chest is in the push-up position. Your butt will remain in the air the entire time and your body will be in a mountain-like position, which looks wrong but is correct.

Fourth Move: Narrow Stance Squat + Towel Pull-apart

In a squat position, move your feet closer together so your stance is narrow (the insides of your toes are a foot apart or less). Grab a small towel or dishrag to hold in front of your chest (similar to the first wall sit with golf club). Squat down in perfect form, with your heels staying firmly planted on the floor, chest staying high and open. Squat until you are lower than 90 degrees at the knees, then return up to standing and repeat this movement for one minute.

Fifth Move: Back Widow 

Lie on your mat or the floor, placing your arms out to the sides and keeping your upper arms, above your elbows, on the mat, lift your forearms so your bicep muscles (back of arms) are the only part of your arms touching the mat. Then, lift your chest, upper back and shoulders off the mat, raising up as far as you can but pushing u from your elbows. Then slowly lower upper body back down to mat, and repeat this movement for one minute.

The post Try This 5-Minute Full-Body Exercise with Fitness Expert Berto Calkins appeared first on The Beet.

Here she shares her best strategies for getting and staying fit and healthy this year and reaching your short and long-term goals. She gave The Beet an exclusive 7-minute workout, so you can start to get fit and strong right now, today, at home. The workout is designed to do anywhere, no equipment necessary, just a desire to be your healthiest self, starting right now.

For a dose of major motivation from the guru herself, here are Jillian’s answers to our burning questions. We needed this!

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Q: How do you make yourself start? If not feeling like doing it? What’s the thing you tell yourself or someone to get them to get going?

Jillian Michaels: There are a couple of ways to approach this… How do you make yourself begin with a health goal in general… like the very first step… you have to do two VERY important things:

The post Try This Jillian Michaels’ Workout for Strong, Sleek Muscles in 7 Minutes a Day appeared first on The Beet.

Berto Calkins, professionally known as @whatsgoodberto, is your workout guru who makes exercise safe, fun, and enjoyable. Berto, a New York City resident, performs these moves in the living room of his apartment, proving you don’t need a whole lot of space or a home gym to do this.

So before the new year sneaks up on you, start taking baby steps to a healthy, proactive life with this workout, and plenty of other 5-minute exercises you can find under our Easy Workout Column.

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Here Are Your Five Best Workout Moves For Strong and Tone Abs

First Move: Sliding Mountain Climbers. In a high plank position, with your forearms fully extended and toes touching the floor, slide one leg towards your hands and your knee will come close to your chest. Alternate each leg in a fast motion and repeat so it almost feels like you are running in place.

Second Move: Side Plank Knee Drive. In a low side plank with your forearm placed on the mat, bend your top leg (which is stacked on top of your other leg) reach upwards towards your chest then fully extend. Repeat this movement on each side for thirty seconds.

Third Move: Bird Dog + Elbow to Knee. In tabletop position, extend one arm and your opposite leg, then crunch together by touching your elbow to your knee and extend back out. Repeat this movement for thirty seconds then switch sides.

Fourth Move: Front + Cross Body Mountain Climbers. In a high plank position with your forearms fully extended, bring one leg forward to the outside of your elbow, then extend back to the high plank. From there using the same leg, cross your knee over to your opposite side elbow then fully extend back to plank. Switch legs after thirty seconds.

Fifth Move: Plank. For one minute, hold a high plank with your forearms fully extended and your toes touching the floor/mat. Focus on keeping your butt low, core engaged, and don’t ut any pressure on your neck. Your hands should be directly under your shoulders.

The post Easy 5-Minute Core Workout For Strong, Toned Abs with Berto Calkins appeared first on The Beet.

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Nina started classes on her app but also opened up an outdoor studio in Amagansett, NY, in a beautiful, distance-friendly space. Personally, I love Nina’s classes and I’ve attended a handful, feeling nothing but a healthy burn and sense of accomplishment while grooving to her bubbly personality and expert-driven workout moves. After a class, I asked Nina if she would create a workout video for The Beet readers to work up a sweat, feel healthy, and get a glimpse of The Agdal Method. This video is ten-minutes long, targets your entire body, focusing on steady posture and repetition to build muscle in the hardest places to tone, like your booty and abs.

Like Nina mentions in the video, all you need is a yoga mat or flat surface where you can perform each move. If you want, add ankle weights to enhance the workout, but they’re not necessary. Turn up the volume as Nina queues up her music, and feel better than you did before you started this workout, all in just 10 minutes.

The post Your Workout: 10-Minute Full Body Toners with Supermodel Nina Agdal appeared first on The Beet.