Category Archives: Health

This Yoga Flow Will Calm Holiday Stress and Keep you Centered

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From increased social commitments to the start of gift shopping, this time of year can really cause anxiety levels to skyrocket. But it doesn’t have to! By consciously scheduling in moments to rest, recharge, and rejuvenate, you can keep your chill and genuinely appreciate all the joy this season has to offer. One way to do just that? With our easy to-follow yoga routine. “This is the perfect flow to open your heart and find your center,” says Chelsea Jackson Roberts, PhD, a certified yoga instructor and founder of the Yoga, Literature, and Art Camp for Teen Girls at Spelman College Museum of Fine Art, who created the following series exclusively for Health. Now go ahead and get your namaste on.

RELATED: 9 Easy Yoga Poses to Help You Survive Work, Stress and Travel

Mountain Pose

Stand tall with shoulders down and back, and palms together at heart’s center. Ground down into all four corners of feet and, with eyes closed, inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth.

RELATED: Hilaria Baldwin Breaks Down 3 Yoga Moves You Might Be Getting Wrong

Upward Salute

Inhale and bring arms up while reaching through fingertips (A). Exhale and extend arms around back of body while outwardly rotating shoulders to stretch and open your heart. Interlock fingers behind lower back; inhale while lifting heart’s center and pressing knuckles toward the ground (B).

RELATED: 3 Yoga Lengthening Poses You Might Be Doing Wrong and How to Fix Them

Forward Fold with Clasped Hands

Keeping hands behind you and fingers interlaced, exhale as you bow forward. Bending knees slightly, allow belly to be supported by quads while actively pressing all four corners of feet into the ground.

RELATED: Take 10 Minutes to Try This Beginner Yoga Routine

Chair Pose

On your next inhale, release your hands, sweeping them up as you lower hips back and down. Allow arms to lift; power up the quads and press through all four corners of feet. Draw shoulder blades into your upper back as you reach elbows toward ears. Draw tailbone down to the floor, keeping your lower back nice and long.

RELATED: 3 Common Yoga Poses You’re Probably Doing Wrong—And How to Fix Them

Forward Fold

Exhale, bowing forward with hands down. Release quads, allowing a gentle stretch in your hamstrings.

RELATED: I Tried a Naked Yoga Class—and Actually Loved How It Made Me Feel

Root to Rise

On your next inhale, ground down into feet. Make your way back into Upward Salute with arms extended up as you reach through fingertips. Standing tall, draw hands back to heart’s center, and bring your shoulders down and back.

RELATED: 5 Ways to Become More Flexible

Try this post-flow:

Sitali Breath

This breathing pattern is known to ease anxiety. Close your eyes and begin to bring awareness to how you are breathing. Relax your jaw and curl your tongue like a taco (no worries if your tongue won’t cooperate—just leave it!). Inhale one long breath like your are inhaling through a straw. On the exhale, allow the breath to travel out through the nose with ease. Continue this pattern for at least 10 rounds.

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A Doctor Told This Woman She Was ‘Too Fat To Run’—Here’s How She Proved Him Wrong

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What would you do if you were out for a Saturday morning run, training hard for your next race, and all of a sudden a car drives by and throws a McDonald’s cup at you? What about if a group of young boys comes up behind you and smacks your butt, giggling as they run away?

Believe it or not, both of these examples of supreme body shaming have happened to competitive runner Julie Creffield, author of The Fat Girls' Guide to Marathon Running ($9; amazon.com)

Creffield, who’s from the United Kingdom, considers herself a plus-size runner. But anyone who thinks her weight holds her back is seriously mistaken. She’s been running for about 15 years and has completed marathons, ultramarathons, and triathlons around the world. Now, she’s taking on what she calls her “bucket list” race: Sunday’s New York City Marathon.

RELATED: Everything You Need to Know to Train for a Half Marathon

For Creffield, 15 years of running has also meant 15 years of body shaming, exclusion, and misguided stereotypes. “People automatically think you run to lose weight, and then when you don’t lose weight, they’re like ‘Why are you still fat?’” she tells Health. “There’s this assumption that we only exercise for slimness, and for me that’s not the reason.”

Running is like therapy for Creffield. She used to struggle with depression, she says, and she credits exercise with pulling her out of it.

Another misconception Creffield can’t seem to escape: people thinking she’s a beginner. “They give you unsolicited advice about how to improve, and they say things like, ‘Once you’ve been doing it for a while, it’ll be easier.’ And I’m like, ‘Well, I’ve been running for 15 years.’”

RELATED: 6 Food Rules for Marathon Success

After years of putting up with body-shaming comments and actions, Creffield says she realized she couldn't be the only runner who had to deal with this kind of abuse. So in 2010, she started her blog, The Fat Girls' Guide to Running. In 2013, she turned it into a business, Too Fat to Run?

The name was inspired by one of Creffield’s most notable body-shaming experiences, when she went to the doctor with a pulled back muscle. As soon as she started complaining of pain, the doctor suggested she exercise more. “I was like, ‘Well actually, I’m training for a marathon,’ and he said, ‘Oh no, you’re too fat to run a marathon.’” Cue her determination to prove him wrong.

She calls her business a “virtual running club,” or an online resource runners can go to find carefully tailored workouts and training programs. It's also a platform for connecting with other women in the program. 

Creffield says she’s always felt excluded from the running community. She’s found traditional running clubs to be all about competition as opposed to community; they’re typically only worried about being better than other clubs. That meant whenever she tried to join one, the members assumed she would just slow them down.

That experience gave her the idea for her own business: a running club that’s based on inclusion and support.

RELATED: How to Harness Your Mental Strength, According to Marathon Record Holder Deena Kastor

By founding the Too Fat to Run? community, Creffield has had the opportunity to connect with women who face the same body shaming and cruelty as she did, something she never thought would have been possible when she first started running. She helps her clients on their self-love journeys, and she says they’ve inspired her to overcome self-doubt and other obstacles along the way.

“I know this is really cheesy, but I think marathons and long-distance running are a metaphor for life,” Creffield says. “You don’t have to know how it’s going to end, you just have to take the first step.”

They key to Creffield’s success? Setting “big, fat, stupid goals,” she says. Without something to work toward, it can be hard to motivate yourself. But when there’s a light at the end of the tunnel, it makes it easier to push through during tough times. This applies to both running and life, she adds.

Seeing her hard work pay off and accomplishing her wildest goals is the greatest confidence builder, Creffield says, and she tries to carry that feeling with her at all times. “Sometimes things happen in life and I think ‘This is so tough,’ but then I think, ‘Is it really as tough as running a marathon?’”

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High Vitamin D Levels Are Linked to Better Exercise Capacity

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You already know that vitamin D is good for your bones, your brain, and your heart. Now, new research suggests that it may also give your workout routine a boost. According to a study published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, people with higher levels of vitamin D tend to be more physically fit.

Specifically, the study looked at cardiorespiratory fitness, a measure of how efficiently the heart and lungs supply oxygen to the muscles during exercise. People with higher cardiorespiratory fitness can exercise longer and harder, and they also tend to live longer and healthier lives.

For the study, researchers compared the vitamin D levels and cardiorespiratory fitness levels—measured by a treadmill test—of nearly 2,000 U.S. adults ages 20 to 49 who took part in a nationwide study from 2001 to 2004.

They found that people in the top quartile of vitamin D had cardiorespiratory fitness levels that were 4.3 times higher than those in the bottom quartile. Each 10-point increase in vitamin D was associated with a 0.78-point increase in VO2 max, the measurement for cardiorespiratory fitness.

RELATED: 12 Ways to Get Your Daily Vitamin D

Even after adjusting for participants’ age, sex, race, body mass index, and health history, fitness levels for those with the highest vitamin D levels were still 2.9 times higher than those with the lowest. The link held true for both men and women, and for all of the age groups and ethnicities in the study. It was also true regardless of whether participants were smokers or had hypertension or diabetes.

The study was observational, so it could not show a cause-and-effect relationship. But the association was “strong, incremental, and consistent across groups,” said lead author Amr Marawan, MD, assistant professor of internal medicine at Virginia Commonwealth University, in a news release from the European Society of Cardiology (ESC).

“This suggests that there is a robust connection and provides further impetus for having adequate vitamin D levels,” Dr. Marawan said, “which is particularly challenging in cold, cloudy places where people are less exposed to the sun.”

Vitamin D is known as the sunshine vitamin because the human body makes vitamin D in response to sun exposure. People can also get it from supplements or from fortified foods. (The study did not take into account how much vitamin D participants got from sun, supplements, or food.)

The study notes that vitamin D could potentially affect cardiorespiratory fitness in several ways. For starters, the nutrient has been shown to boost the production of muscle protein and aid in calcium and phosphorus transport on a cellular level. It may also affect the body’s makeup of fast-twitch muscle fibers, “suggesting that vitamin D may improve aerobic fitness,” the authors wrote.

RELATED: 27 Health Problems Linked to Low Vitamin D

This isn’t the first study to suggest a link between vitamin D and athletic performance: Previous research has noted that vitamin D-deficient ballet dancers jump higher and have fewer injuries—and pro athletes have better sprint times—when they take supplements. Vitamin D levels have also been linked to levels of inflammation, pain, and weakness.

In the ESC news release, Dr. Marawan said the study is another good reason for people to make sure they’re getting enough vitamin D—which can be done through diet, supplements, and “a sensible amount of sun exposure.”

Stella Volpe, PhD, professor of nutrition sciences at Drexel University, agrees with Dr. Marawan. “The study was very well done,” she says, “and given what we know about vitamin D’s role in protein synthesis of muscle, these findings are really not a stretch at all.” (Volpe was not involved in the current study, but she has conducted other research on vitamin D and physical fitness.)

Volpe does point out, however, that the study only found a relationship between vitamin D and cardiorespiratory fitness at a single point in time and can’t show whether one is driving the other. It’s possible that having high vitamin D levels improves fitness levels, she says, but it’s also possible that someone with high fitness levels spends a lot of time exercising outdoors—and has higher vitamin D levels as a result.

RELATED: This Is How Much Vitamin D You Need for a Healthy Heart

“Sitting around and simply taking more vitamin D isn’t going to increase your VO2 max,” Volpe says. “You still have to exercise, and maybe if you also have high vitamin D levels your cardiorespiratory fitness may be greater.”

But higher levels aren’t always better, either. Both Volpe and Dr. Marawan caution against taking too many vitamin D supplements, which can lead to excess calcium in the blood and cause nausea, vomiting, and weakness.

Doctors don’t know yet what the ideal dose of vitamin D is for heart health or for fitness, and Dr. Marawan says more research is needed. Until then, he says, making sure your vitamin D levels are “normal or high” is your best bet for overall health. (What’s considered a normal vitamin D level is also up for debate: Some doctors say patients’ levels should be 30 nanograms per milliliter or higher, while others say levels as low as 10 or 15 can still be healthy.)

Many people get enough vitamin D through sun exposure and a healthy diet, says Volpe. But if you’re concerned about your levels, she says, ask your doctor for a test. “If your levels are fine, my advice is to maintain a healthy level of exercise and a healthy diet,” she says. “And if you’re deficient, you can work with your doctor to bring those concentrations back up with a supplement.”

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What It Really Feels Like to Get Bit by a Rattlesnake

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Janette Sherman, 38, a recent transplant to Colorado, recalls how a casual walk with her dog last month turned into a frantic trip to the ER—and the mistakes she made along the way.

On one of the first warm days of April here in Denver, I set off on my lunch break for a hike in nearby Bear Creek Lake Park. I work for a cycling company where most people ride for an hour in the afternoons, but I had my dog with me that day and he needed a good walk.

I moved to Colorado last year from California, and my boss had warned me about rattlesnakes on the trail—especially in the spring, when the ground starts to warm up and the cold-blooded critters look for places to soak up some sun. Still, I’ve encountered snakes before and wasn’t overly concerned: I was wearing shorts (instead of pants and snake gaiters, like some experts recommend), and certainly wasn’t watching the ground every step of the way.

Almost a mile into my hike, I felt a sharp, sudden pain on my ankle, like I’d been stung by a wasp. I looked up, expecting to see a bug flying away. Then I looked down and saw the obvious puncture wounds.

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I glanced behind me and saw the snake, coiled up, ready to strike again. It wasn’t particularly large—its coil was maybe 6 inches across—and it hadn’t rattled, the warning sign that often alerts people to back away. I wasn’t sure what kind of a snake it was, but I knew I should call 911 just to be safe.

The dispatcher asked me if my bite looked like a horseshoe; I learned later that horseshoe-shaped wounds come from nonvenomous snakes with tiny teeth all the way around their mouths. When I told her no, there were three distinct holes (which indicates the fangs of a venomous snake), she calmly told me I should get to a hospital.

But at that point I still felt OK, and was embarrassed to make a big deal about things. Even though the dispatcher wanted to send an ambulance, I told her I’d walk back to my car—the long way, since I refused to backtrack past where the snake had been—and drive myself to a fire station down the road.

RELATED: 50 Day Hikes You Must Add to Your Bucket List

As I walked, my foot began to swell and hurt badly. A driver on the road saw me limping and gave me a ride to my car, and I managed to get myself to the fire station. I was sweating a lot more than normal, and my lips and face had started to go numb. Now I know that overexertion can speed up a person’s reaction to snake venom and make symptoms worse. Looking back, I should have waited for help to arrive.

At the fire station, the EMTs took my shoe off and used a Sharpie to mark how far the swelling had spread—up my leg and across my foot—in the 30 minutes since my bite. This would help the doctors determine how serious my case was, they explained. (They also told me that commercial “snake bite” kits are worthless, but that hiking with a permanent marker is a good idea for this very reason.)

I asked if I could go to an urgent care center, but the EMTs told me that only major hospitals would have antivenin, the technical name for what's also known as anti-venom. About two out of five rattlesnake bites are what’s known as a “dry bite”—not venomous—but with my swelling and facial numbness, that didn’t seem to be the case.

An ambulance took me to Saint Anthony’s Hospital in Denver, where the paramedics' suspicions were confirmed. But the antivenin had to be mixed in the pharmacy—it’s not always stored in a ready-to-use formula—which would take a while. I was seriously starting to regret not agreeing to an ambulance right away.

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In the meantime, the doctors performed an EKG to check my heart rhythm, and gave me anti-nausea medication to keep me from throwing up (a common symptom of snake bites). Then, about two hours from when I was bitten, I started seeing double and my vision began fading to black. In the nick of time, the antivenin was ready, and the doctors administered six vials.

Over the next few hours, I received six more vials as the hospital staff monitored my vital signs, making sure I didn’t have a bad reaction to the drug. Snake venom can interfere with blood cells’ ability to clot, so my doctors also had to take frequent blood draws and pay close attention to that, as well.

The pain from the swelling in my leg was excruciating, and I had to be monitored closely to make sure I didn’t develop compartment syndrome, when pressure builds up and causes tissue and blood vessel damage. But I got really lucky: Because I’d been treated quickly enough, I didn’t have any permanent injury.

RELATED: How to Treat 8 Common Injuries at Home

I spent about three days in the hospital, and was discharged with crutches and some strong pain meds. I was cleared for exercise, and went back to the office, a week after the bite happened. I’d tried to answer work emails while recovering at home, but I felt really out of it those first few days—like my brain wasn’t working at full speed.

Then came several follow-up appointments, with an orthopedist and my primary care doctor, to make sure there were no lasting complications. My liver enzymes tested a little high, so I was told not to drink alcohol or take acetaminophen for a month.

It’s now been about three weeks since I was bitten, and I still have tenderness and swelling in my leg—especially if I spend a lot of time on my feet. But the bruising has faded and you can barely see the puncture marks. Also thankfully, I have health insurance: I haven’t gotten a bill yet, but I’ve read that antivenin can cost $2,500 a vial, and that it’s not unusual for snake-bite treatment to total $100,000 or more.

The most lasting effect of all this, honestly, is that it’s made me a little freaked out to go back out on the trail. I finally went for a bike ride at Bear Creek Lake this past weekend, and I screamed a few times when things brushed my leg. Luckily, I was able to calm myself down with some deep breaths and logical thinking.

RELATED: How to Stock a Smart First Aid Kit

I did learn a lot from my experience— that rattlesnakes don’t always rattle, how to recognize a venomous bite, how important it is to get to a hospital ASAP, and what not to do: Experts agree that you shouldn’t apply ice, cut into the wound, raise the affected limb above your heart, or apply a tourniquet.

I do plan to buy some snake gaiters, especially for when I’m exploring on foot, and I’m sure I will be more cautious from now on when I do get back out there. I know I’ll get my confidence back soon, though, because hiking and biking is what keeps me happy and healthy—rattlesnakes and all.

As told to Amanda MacMillan

I Lost a Leg After My Helicopter Crashed in Afghanistan. Sports Helped Me Get My Life Back

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At age 21, Kirstie Ennis was living the life of her dreams. The daughter of two Marines, she had enlisted at 17 and was flying combat and rescue missions in Afghanistan as an aerial observer and gunner. “I was the eyes and ears for the pilot, letting him know what’s going on behind and around him,” she says. “I’m small—5’4” and 115 pounds—and as a woman I had to fight tooth and nail to prove that I could do the job. But it was worth it. I loved everything about it.”

June 23, 2012, started like any other day. She and her team had already completed one mission and were en route to pick up Marines who were pinned down in an active combat zone in Helmand Province, when their helicopter suddenly went nose down, then rolled to the left and crashed. “I just watched the ground come towards me and hoped I would open my eyes afterward,” she recalls.

Rebuilding a life

Kirstie suffered a traumatic brain injury as well as severe damage to her face, spine, shoulders and left leg. “When you're recovering from a traumatic injury, you don't just lose yourself physically but mentally and emotionally,” she says now. “You wonder if you'll ever be the same person again. For me that was a pretty huge internal battle.”

One year after the accident, on her “Alive Day,” as critically injured vets call their traumatic anniversaries, she tried to take her own life. “It was a very dark time, and I thought I didn't want to be here anymore,” she says. “After my suicide attempt, my dad was the one who talked some sense into me. He said, ‘The enemy didn't kill you. Why would you try to do it yourself? You’re tougher than that.’ It was just what I needed to hear.”

RELATED: How to Spot the Warning Signs of Suicide

Afterward, Kirstie stopped dwelling on what she couldn't do and began thinking about what she could do. Several months before, a group called Disabled Sports USA had taught her to snowboard, and she loved it. “During the following season, I trained hard, and that became my lifeline,” she says. “Snowboarding restored my confidence and gave me joy. It literally got me up on my own two feet again.”

Seeking new summits

In the years after the crash, Kristie endured dozens of surgeries to reconstruct her face and attempt to save her left leg. Then in 2015, doctors had to amputate the leg—first below the knee, then, after an infection set in, above the knee. “With an above-the-knee amputation you’re basically starting from scratch in learning how to use your leg again,” she says.

Instead of losing hope, she got hungry. She threw herself into mountain climbing, and set herself the goal of summiting the Seven Summits—the highest peaks on all seven continents, including Everest.

In March this year she summited Kilimanjaro, then in July topped Indonesia’s technical and treacherous Carstensz Pyramid—the first combat-wounded female amputee to achieve both peaks. “Carstensz was brutal,” she says. “We were climbing in blizzards, but I proved to myself I could do it.” Now she has her sights set on snowboarding in the 2018 Paralympics in South Korea.

“After my accident, I did lots of psychotherapy, but talking to someone who had no idea what I’d been through didn't help,” she says. “Being physical did. It gave me a sense of purpose, made me believe in myself and showed me how resilient my body is. It gave me goals, led me to a career and gave me the courage and strength I needed to move past my injury and into the future.”

11 Secrets of Women Who Actually Work Out at Lunch

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You’ve probably heard that sitting all day isn’t great for your body, so getting up and moving midday (even if it’s just to go refill your water bottle) is a no-brainer.

But there’s an emerging body of research that suggests that a midday workout can actually lead to better performance, more enthusiasm, and increased creativity in the work place. And another bonus? The gym is usually emptiest in the middle of the day, so you won’t have to fight for a locker or share your favorite equipment.

If you’re sitting at your desk and thinking I'd like to or I should but you’re not sure how to get started, below, 11 women who exercise during their lunch break share how they do it… without returning to work with that post-workout stank.

RELATED: The Best 10-Minute Online Workouts You Can Do Anywhere

Pick one piece of equipment

“I choose workouts that maximize the little time I have, while still giving me the results I’m after. I like to opt for circuit-style training, especially with kettlebells. This allows me to stay in one part of the gym with minimal equipment and not waste my time running all over the place or waiting on machines. It’s amazing the kind of workout you can get in with one piece of equipment and as little as 10 to 20 minutes.” —Rachel Turner, 24

Wear your workout clothes all morning

“I love working out midday. I feel like it increases my efficiency and focus, which means I’m a more engaged employee at work. When I am going to work, work out, and then go back to work, I wear my workout clothing to my morning meetings (if I can)—that way I don't feel like I’m changing 100 times. For after the workout, I keep extra undies and socks in my bag and bring a change of 'nicer' clothes. I also keep some essentials like mascara and lip balm with me, which I’ll reapply after the workout for a 'fresh' look.” —Gabriela Morbitzer, 28

Put the gym's shower supplies to good use

“I know that I like to work out in the middle of the day, so I specifically chose a gym with a locker room and shower. That way I can rinse my body after the workout and head back to work. While my gym provides shampoo, conditioner, and body wash, I always carry a little beauty bag with deodorant, mascara, dry shampoo, and a hairbrush. I don’t wear a ton of makeup, so that’s all I really need!” —Samantha Moeller, 25

Consider wearing a panty-liner

“I work from home, so I can usually clean up and shower at home. But on days when I have meetings after my go-to Orangetheory class, I’ll wear a liner to help keep my undies fresher. After the workout, I can simply take the liner off, do a quick swipe with wet wipes under my armpits, and I’m ready to roll.” —Donna, 60

Keep an eye on the clock

“If you're anything like me, you tend to waste your time in the gym on your phone (scrolling through social media, texting your friends, finding a song, taking a belfie), which means your workout takes way longer than you need. When I’m fitting in a workout during lunch, I have to get in and get it done, which means I’m forced to focus. To help keep me on track, I grab a set of dumbbells, pick three or four exercises, and set a timer to help limit my rest and distraction!” —Devon Day Moretti, 23

Pack at least these two essentials

“I work at a gym, so it’s definitely easier for me. But I train most of my clients in the morning and afternoon, which means I usually work out during lunchtime. After I work out, I rinse off in the shower (I don’t wash my hair because I’m oil-training it), put on a different bra, underwear, and pair of socks, and then put my work outfit back on. As long as I pack two things–clean bra and clean socks–I feel and smell clean.” —Nika, 25

Make every minute count

“I only get a one-hour lunch break, so I have to use those 60 minutes wisely so that I’ll have time to work out and eat before getting back to work. Thirty minutes before my lunch break, I eat either a banana or a granola bar so that I’ll have the energy to get right into the workout when I get to the gym. Then, when I get there (it's a five-minute drive from my office), I’ll put on deodorant to help keep the smell at bay. For my workout, I usually cut my rest time in half between sets when I’m strength-training, so instead of one minute between sets, I rest 30 seconds. After my workout, I’ll spray myself with perfume, brush up my makeup if needed, eat one of my meal-prepped meals in the car, and then get back to work just in time.” —Rachel, 23

Mask those tell-tale gym smells

“I wear both antiperspirant and deodorant both before and after class, I always carry deodorizers for my sneakers, and I also use perfume. That way, when I leave the gym, I’m not musty or carrying a sweaty odor. I’m all about smell-patrol, but I never overdo it. My tip: Instead of spraying your perfume onto your skin directly, spray it five feet ahead of you and walk through it.” —Monica, 33

Take a cold shower

“I’m fairly light-skinned, which means if I take a hot shower after my workout, my face gets even more flushed. So when I rinse off after my workout before heading back to work, I take a cool shower, use the hair dryer on cold, and then put on some deodorant.” —Isabella Sofia, 23

Accept that you may be a little stinky

“I’m a cop, and we have a gym at work, which makes it easy to change, work out, and put my uniform back on before going back to work. I put on deodorant before and after working out, but because I wear a thick uniform to work I’ve given up on smelling like flowers all day. For me, being a little stinky is worth it because there’s way more equipment at my work gym than I have at home.” —AJ, 25

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Talk to your boss

“Where I work, work-life balance is really important. My boss knows that three days a week I won’t be in the office from 11:45 a.m. until 1:15 p.m. because that’s when I do CrossFit. Sure, I’ve been at my company for eight years now, which makes this kind of arrangement possible, but I’ve also shown my boss that on the days I leave for a midday workout, I’ll either come in a little early or stay late. My tip is to ask your boss whether or not they’d be OK with you coming in early and popping out during your lunch break on days when you don’t have conflicting meetings. Because my boss knows where I am, he’s more understanding on the days when I’m a little late coming back.” —Maggie, 39

Hilaria Baldwin Demonstrates a ‘Life Changing’ Exercise For ‘Better Sex’ in Her Underwear

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Hilaria Baldwin daily workouts are not just about getting her post-baby body in shape — she is also getting her bedroom moves in order too!

The 34-year-old, who welcomed her fourth child with husband Alec Baldwin, 60, in May, posted a video to Instagram Thursday of a workout “EVERYONE MUST DO.”

In the clip, Hilaria can be seen lying on the ground with her legs in the air while wearing a T-shirt and underpants.

“This is life changing. Pelvic floor and lower abs. Reasons to work the pelvic floor: better sex, better control over bladder and  , fitter body (particularly abs), more youthful body, more stamina… for women: easier childbirth and recovery… the list goes on,” Hilaria captioned the post.

“In class, I explain the sensation of exercising the pelvic floor as having to pee and holding it. Learning to release the muscles slowly it is vital,” the yoga instructor wrote.

“So contract, then slowly release. You will see that my lower belly puffs up. This will happen with you too… think about pulling it in with the muscles, as this happens.”

“You will get extra out of the workout! 3 sets of 10 and you can bend the knees if you want. I know it’s a ton of info… but SO IMPORTANT #wegotthis2018,” Hilaria added.

Since giving birth to son Romeo, Hilaria has shared her postpartum journey with her followers on Instagram.

On July 27, Hilaria posted a photo of her body after baby.

“10 weeks, one day… it’s been a while since I posted an update photo like this. I do it to inspire feeding and exercising your body right. If not, think of it as a bikini and scroll past ️ #wegotthis2018,” Hilaria captioned the photo of herself posing from the side in a black lingerie set.

Hilaria has four children: Romeo, Leonardo, 1, Rafael, 3, and daughter Carmen, 5, however, she isn’t ruling out the idea of having more kids.

“I have a daughter and then I have three boys,” Hilaria said on the Today show in last month.

“And my daughter is very sure that she is going to have a sister.”

RELATED ARTICLE: Hilaria Baldwin Poses in the Same Dress During and After Pregnancy: ‘Life Is Amazing’

“She does have a sister — she has Ireland, and Ireland is so wonderful and they have a great relationship,” Hilaria said in reference to Alec’s daughter with Kim Basinger.

“But there’s something about a little sister that she really wants,” Hilaria explained on the show. “I think it’s possible. Not [for sure].”

“Alec thinks it’s very possible. He comes from a big family.”

Need Motivation? Try This Ultimate 80’s Cardio Playlist

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What's harder than getting motivated to workout? Well, sometimes, nothing really. But, if you have something to look forward to during your workout, like a rocking playlist, it will definitely help spark some motivation.

Here's a fun, 30-minute '80s playlist, which is guaranteed to get you moving (who can resist those pop-inspired, synthesizer classics?) and feeling great while you work out!

Read Tina’s daily food and fitness blog, Carrots ‘N’ Cake.

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Game On! The Sweet 16 HIIT Workout

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Put on your game face. It’s time for March Madness! Whether you’re rooting for the top seeded teams or cheering on the underdogs, it’s hard not to get pumped for the NCAA’s top hoops stars making history with double overtimes and buzzer beater shots. (And if you’re following our March Madness Workout Challenge, a buzzer beater is equal to five star jumps.)

What makes these athletes unbeatable? Exceptional agility. We’re talking fast feet, quick reflexes, flawless footwork and straight-up explosiveness. Agility is an incredibly important factor for every athlete because it allows the body to move quickly and easily while adapting to constantly changing circumstances, says Anja Garcia, former NCAA Division I athlete and DailyBurn 365 trainer.

RELATED: Daily Burn 365: New Workouts, 7 Days a Week

And luckily, you don’t need to be All-Conference material to reap the benefits of training like an athlete. We asked Garcia to design a workout to help anyone jump higher, run faster and move more efficiently. She’s bringing the burn, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) style.

By alternating between high-intensity, all-out efforts and brief rest periods, “the body’s demand for oxygen rises, creating a deficit and making the body ask for more during recovery,” says Garcia. Translation: Your body will continue to burn calories even after your sweat session in order to help regain its store of oxygen.

 

 

The March Madness Sweet 16 HIIT Workout

Ready to play? Just because this workout is only 16 minutes doesn’t mean it’s going to be easy. Before you begin, warm up by alternating between jump rope, jumping jacks, and lateral lunges for five minutes. Then grab a basketball (or any lightweight ball) and follow along with the GIFs below. Perform each exercise for one minute, then take a 30-second rest after you’ve done all five. Repeat for two more rounds (that’s three rounds total). Ball’s in your court—so go bust a move!

Image: Life by Daily Burn

1. Squat, Shoot and Press
Targets: Quads, glutes, rotational movement, and core
How to: Stand in a neutral position with your feet hip-width apart, holding a basketball in front of your stomach. Lower into a squat position, making sure your core is engaged and your chest remains upright. Send your hips and bottom back (a). Explode through your heels, jumping straight up and bringing your arms and the basketball directly overhead (b). Land on the balls of your feet and bring the basketball back in front of your chest (c). Step your right foot out to the side, then rotate your upper and lower body so you are in a forward lunge with your right foot in front. Make sure both legs are at 90-degree angles, and quickly press the basketball out in front of you (c). Return to the starting position and repeat movement on the other side.

RELATED: The 5-Minute Ab Workout to Strengthen Your Core

Image: Life by Daily Burn

2. Basketball Push-Ups
Targets: Chest, shoulders, and core
How to: Start in a basic plank position with the ball under your left hand. Make sure your wrists are under your shoulders and your body is in a straight line from head to toe (a). Bend your elbows so your upper body descends to the ground. Then, press upwards back to the plank position (b). After completing the first push-up, roll the basketball under your body to your right hand (c). Perform another push-up with your right hand on the ball (d).

Image: Life by Daily Burn

3. Lunge Layup
Targets: Quads, glutes, and core
How to: Begin standing with your feet hip-width apart while holding the basketball in front of your stomach. Lunge back with your left leg, keeping your right shin perpendicular to the ground. At the same time, tap the basketball to the ground next to the inside of your front foot (a). Then, spring off your right foot while driving your left knee up. Pretend to do a layup with the ball as you jump up (b). Repeat as fast as you can for 30 seconds, then switch sides.

RELATED: The Barre Workout You Can Do at Home

4. Lateral Shuffle Shot
Targets: Quads, glutes, outer thigh, calves, shoulders, and core
How to: Balanced on the balls of your feet, start in a half-squat position. Hold the ball in front of your upper body (a). Quickly shuffle four steps to the right, keeping your upper body facing front, with the back straight and core engaged (b). Jump up and raise your arms and the basketball above your head (c). Shuffle to the left and take a shot (d). Repeat as fast as you can.

Image: Life by Daily Burn

5. Plyometric Lunges with Figure 8s
Targets: Quads, glutes, core and endurance
How to: Start with your right leg forward in a lunge position, with both knees at 90-degree angles. Your shoulders should be pulled back with your chest up, and hips facing forward. Hold the ball in front of your chest (a). With your left hand, pass the ball under your right thigh and transfer it to your right hand (b). Next, explode off the balls of your feet and launch yourself upwards. Midair, bring your right leg back and your left leg forward. Transfer the ball to your left hand, and keep your upper body relatively stable (c). Land in a lunge, with your left foot forward. Weave the ball under your left thigh and transfer it to your left hand (d). Repeat as fast as you can.

Want a full, no-equipment workout? Head to DailyBurn.com/365, free for 30 days.

Note to reader: The content in this article relates to the core service offered by Daily Burn. In the interest of editorial disclosure and integrity, the reader should know that this site is owned and operated by Daily Burn.

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This article originally appeared on Life by Daily Burn.