Have you heard about the Exhale spa in Midtown Manhattan? The spa, which boasts eight locations nationwide, offers classes and training sessions so unique that even Barbara Walters takes advantage of them.

Some fitness professionals have found Exhale’s Core Fusion classes to be very useful, says Fred DeVito, vice president of movement classes and training at Exhale. Those who think they are in great shape often find themselves sweating within the first two minutes of the workout. (more…)

Skipping workouts, whether it’s because of an injury, a hectic work schedule, or just plain exhaustion, may be hazardous to one’s mental as well as physical health.

For a study in Psychosomatic Medicine, people who exercised regularly – about three times a week – were instructed either to stop working out or to continue their usual regimen for two weeks.

Those who were forced to halt their workouts experienced an increase in depressive symptoms, including fatigue. (more…)

The question is not how to get skinny legs, but why would you want to have skinny legs? You probably want to have toned legs, right?

You would not want to be left standing on broom handles while making a hasty escape, would you? You need the king of all lowerbody exercises – the squat. Using discs trains your core as well. (more…)

Do you need to eat before exercise? Do you need to eat after exercise? For the best workout, eat a good size meal three to four hours before you exercise. If you must eat two hours or less before exercising, have a small meal.

What to eat before exercise Choose lean protein, carbohydrates, and a little healthy fat. For example, eat half a sandwich or an apple with 1 tablespoon peanut butter. (more…)

Continued from Fat Burning Workout.

Forget about a fat-burning cardio, some knuckleheads argue that a cardio workout is basically useless for fat loss. Do not listen to them, they will probably tell you to take clenbuterol for fat loss or something even more dangerous.

So what is the deal with cardio? Fat-burning cardio is not a myth, but it is important to understand that you can attain much better results from your cardio sessions if you maximize the efficiency of your cardio workout.

If you just run aimlessly for hours on end in hopes of a midsection miracle, you will be disappointed. (more…)

Body fat increases by enlarging existing fat cells (fat cell hypertrophy) or increasing the number of fat cells (fat cell hyperplasia).

Until recently, scientists thought that the number of fat cells was fixed in adults, but could be influenced by exercise and diet during childhood.

Now, we realize that things aren’t that simple. Scientists discovered that overeating combined with decreased physical inactivity can trigger increased fat cell production.

This makes people more prone to obesity, because they have more places to store fat. (more…)

Continued from Lose 10 Pounds in 2 Weeks.

Is there such a thing as the best way to lose 10 pounds? While some weight-loss methods are certainly better than others, it is hard to nominate just one method as the best way to lose 10 pounds, or any amount of weight for that matter.

Having said that, research shows that a 30-minute interval-training regimen may be just the tool you need.

The bet way to lose 10 pounds

Monday and Friday, Warm-up: Light cardio on the treadmill, bike or elliptical. Five minutes.

Circuit work: Alternate 10 reps each of two strength-training moves (choose from walking lunges, bent-over dumbbell rows, squat to press, plank, hanging leg lifts and back extensions) with one minute of moderate cardio; repeat three times. (more…)