For active first-time moms-to-be, one of the first of a long list of questions is: Can I still work out? The short answer is yes. For the most part, with approval from a healthcare provider, a woman can continue doing her normal routine, modifying according to her comfort, energy levels, and growing belly. This movement can help decrease discomfort during pregnancy, ease delivery, and boost mood, says Aimee Nicotera, an ACSM-certified exercise physiologist and AFAA- and ACE-certified group fitness instructor.  If you’re not sure where to start, try this home workout from certified traine ..read more

Most of us complain about working too much, but these days we’re complaining about being home too much. As we sit in our dining room chairs, lounge on our couches, and slumber in our beds, Americans are moving less now than we normally do. In fact, recent research shows that Americans are moving 24 percent less than this time last year, while our European friends are moving 38 percent less. That said, it’s time we kick it up a notch and do some great at-home workouts. The following workout requires no equipment and will work just as well for a beginner as it would for an advanced athlete ..read more

When many people think of abdominal muscles, they think of the six pack at the front of their midsection, and that it consists of just six small muscles. In reality, it’s actually much more than that. Our core, which is made up of 35 muscles, is what helps connect the upper body to the lower body and allows us to bend forward, backward, side to side, and round and round. A common mistake people make when working out is overdoing the front of the room abdominis, otherwise known as the rectus abdominis. If you only focus on these and neglect the other muscles, you end up creating a bent forwa ..read more

Halloween is upon us, which means many of us have ghosts, ghouls, witches, and mummies on our minds during this scary holiday. However, I think I have an even scarier concept—my seven scary fast workout moves! These exercises all target different parts of the body and can be done in a nonstop circuit. Try doing each for 15 to 20 repetitions.  This workout is extremely efficient as it requires very little equipment and, if done back to back without much rest, your heart rate will be through the roof. The only thing scary about this workout is how great you’ll look when you’re done. Skater ..read more

When you scan the pages of popular fitness magazines or scroll through the feeds of fitness influencers on Instagram, you’ll quickly figure out that two of the most popular movements promoted for fitness programs are often push-ups and crunches. The push-up is designed to primarily train your pectoralis muscles, and indirectly your shoulders, rectus abs, and triceps, while the crunch is designed to strengthen your rectus abdominis—or the ab muscles that are located between the bottom of your ribcage, at the top of your pelvis. These are otherwise known as the six pack muscles. While push-u ..read more

These days, it seems like more and more workouts claim to be especially good at burning fat. On the surface, that probably sounds pretty good! After all, while the main goal of working out should be improving your overall health and feeling great, many people certainly don’t mind the impact it can have on body composition. But just because something is labeled as being a “fat burner” doesn’t necessarily mean it’s going to whittle your middle—or that burning fat should be your goal at all.    What Does It Mean to Burn Fat? To make sense of all of this, you first need to understand that yo ..read more

When it comes to lower-body training, targeting your hamstrings is key. The hamstring is a two-muscle joint, starting at the bottom of the hip bone, crossing the knee, and attaching at the tibia and fibula in the lower leg. From helping you explode on the starting line to aiding you in declaration when you need to come to a quick stop, the muscles in the back of your legs are essential to optimal performance. They’re key to daily activity, too. “Hamstrings are important for any activity that involves sitting, standing, walking, and running (both for knee flexion and hip extension),” says Adria ..read more