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workout

Brown fat: What is it and how to activate it for weight loss?

by qalfit October 16, 2020

written by qalfit

When it comes to fitness and weight loss, fat is often the most discussed part of the conversation. Healthy fitness progress involves either adding good fat into a diet to lose weight or burning the bad fat to decrease your overall body fat percentage. However, it’s easy to round up ‘fat’ into a single category, but, by now, you must know that NOT all fat is created equal. There is another good kind of body fat, a much less discussed one, that you must know – Brown fat. Here are a few ways in which you can activate brown fat for weight loss.

What is brown fat?

Brown Fat or brown adipose tissue (BAT) is a special type of body fat that produces heat to help maintain your body temperature in cold conditions. It mainly lies in the neck and shoulder region and only makes up a few grams of body weight. Everyone is born with a large amount of brown fat in the body but as we age, these big stores of brown fat decrease, and by the time we are adults, only a small portion of it is left in our body. This is because, babies are more susceptible to cold as they have immature nervous system development, less body hair, and less muscular development, so they can’t shiver to warm up their body. This way, brown fat regulates heat to keep the babies warm.

How does brown fat help to lose weight?

Brown fat is packed with iron-rich mitochondria- the powerhouse of the cell. When brown fat burns it creates heat without shivering. This process is called thermogenesis. During this process of creating heat, the brown fat also burns calories. Thus, experts believe that if we activate the brown fat in adults, it can possibly be a treatment for obesity and weight loss.

How to activate brown fat for weight loss?

1. Cold treatment

Since brown fat is activated by cold, exposure to cold is the best way to activate brown fat for weight loss. This way, if you expose yourself to cold, your body may switch from burning brown fat to white fat which helps to reduce excess fat in the body. This doesn’t mean that you have to lock yourself in a freezer or bury yourself in snow. Spending just a few minutes outside on cold weather or taking a cold shower would do.

2. Take a balanced meal

According to research by German and Finland scientists, the brown fat in your body works with a certain hormone in the gut to control hunger signals, and eating a balanced meal might help activate brown fat for weight loss. Brown can be created when your body reaches a saturation point when eating. So, eat well until you’re satisfied and feel full. This might just be enough to activate your brown fat for weight loss.

Read more: 10 foods to burn fat faster

3. An Apple a day

A chemical compound called ursolic acid has been found to increase the brown fat composition in the body along with the muscle mass strength. This ursolic acid is abundantly found in Apple peel. Thus, an apple a day helps increase muscle mass and activate brown fat to burn calories at a faster rate.

4. The secret is with Secretin

A research paper on cells published on 2019 found that secretin, a hormone released after a meal acts as an appetite suppressant to increase the amount of heat brown fat produces. Thus, consuming secretin-boosting foods like olive oil, meat, cheese, and nuts helps activate brown fat for weight loss.

5. Physical activity

Exercise not only helps to improve your mood and reduce your risk of chronic conditions; it also helps to create and activate brown fat in the body. Yes. Physical activity is an excellent brown fat creator. When you exercise, your body releases an enzyme called irisin that has been proven to convert white fat cells to brown fat cells.

While most people know about white fat, not many people know about the importance of brown fat in the body and weight loss. If you can successfully activate brown fat in the body, you can add ‘activating brown fat for weight loss’ to your weight loss techniques list. Thus, following these tips can help you improve and activate brown fat composition in the body.

October 16, 2020 0 comment

Fitness Home Remedies

Hamstrings Stretch: Why are your hamstrings tight and how to treat them?

by qalfit October 15, 2020

written by qalfit

If you’ve ever played any sports you might be familiar with the unpleasant, painful sensation in the back of your legs- That’s right, tight hamstrings. Hamstrings are a group of muscles that run up the back of your thigh. You must know all the hamstrings stretch to improve the overall strength and to avoid hamstrings tight. Sports and activities that involve a lot of stop-and-start movement or sprinting like football, dancing, and running may cause tightness in your hamstrings. Keeping these muscles loose with hamstrings stretch is important because tight hamstrings are more prone to strain and tearing.

However, there are various reasons why your hamstrings are tight, and sometimes hamstrings stretching is the least you need to do if you suffer from tight hamstrings. Here are a few reasons why your hamstrings are tight and how to treat them.

Read more: Stretching exercises for flexibility

Reason #1: Your Hamstrings are constantly in a shortened position

This is one of the most common causes of tight hamstrings. If your hamstring muscles are constantly in a shortened position like sitting for a long period of time. This might make your hamstrings tight. Technically, your hamstrings are made up of three muscles. They start from the bottom of your pelvis at your sit bones and run down the back of each thigh and cross the knee joints to attach to the lower leg. These muscles enable you to bend the knee and move your leg freely. If you sit for long periods with your knees bent, you are putting your hamstring in a shortened position and this causes tight hamstrings. With proper hamstrings stretch, you can release the pain from all these three muscles.

How to treat it?

Try to periodically straighten your legs while you sit at your desk. Even simple leg stretches while sitting on a chair would do.

Reason #2: You overstretched your hamstrings

Your hamstrings can also feel tight if they’re constantly overstretched. Hamstrings stretch is good after doing any leg workout, but overstretching it may lead to sore pain in your legs. This is more common in athletes and runners who are particularly strong and tight in their quads. A tight quad means that the hamstrings are stretched more than usual constantly. Tight quads cause too much tension on the other side (Hamstrings) and stretch the other side. So, if your quads are tighter, it is going to pull the hamstring into a stretched position.

How to treat it?

In this case, stretching wouldn’t solve the problem. If you stretch your legs, you’ll only make them tighter. So, you may need to strengthen your hamstring by working with a physical therapist.

Reason #3: Your hamstrings are weak

This is another reason why you have tight hamstrings. If you’re a regular runner or if you play intense sport regularly, this may be the reason for tight hamstrings. These kinds of activities call for a ton of hamstring strength. But, if your hamstrings are naturally too weak to handle the demands of your heavy activities, it may tighten up as a protective reflex to guard them against strains and tears.

How to treat it?

If you have weak hamstrings, you need to strengthen them first. A great way to strengthen your hamstring is by performing deadlifts of any variation. This helps relieve tension and strengthens your hamstrings.

Reason #4: The problem might be in your nerves

If the above-mentioned reasons don’t seem to fit your context, the cause of your tight hamstrings might be your nerves. This is not a common reason and only a few people suffer from it. If the nerves that command your hamstrings to contract and relax at the right time aren’t working normally, this may cause your hamstrings to tighten.

How to treat it?

If you feel any sign of numbness, tingling, burning or any weird sensations in your body and particularly in the hamstring area, you might have a never problem. In such cases, you must consult a physical therapist immediately.

Read more: What is an active recovery workout?

Tight hamstrings not only hamper your ability to perform well in sports but also impacts your daily activities like the way you stand, walk, or sit. This might cause pain and injuries in other areas of your body. So, keep these in mind and identify the right cause of your tight hamstrings and treat them accordingly.

October 15, 2020 0 comment

Best practices to safeguard your joints and ligaments during any workout.

Fitness Home Remedies

Best practices to protect knees and ligaments during any workout.

by qalfit October 12, 2020

written by qalfit

While joint pain and stiffness are usually considered as a sign of old age, it is a common problem that can arise in anyone regardless of age. According to research by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 54 million adults suffer from arthritis in the US. This can be a major issue when you’re working out or playing any sports. Here are some of the best practices to protect knees and ligaments during any workout.

Why is it important to protect knees and ligaments?

Joints and ligaments are the links that connect your bones together and they must stay strong and healthy if you want to stay active. But due to repetitive stress, sudden injury, lack of regular exercise, and chronic health conditions, these key structures get damaged and break down over time. This causes chronic pain and immobility that puts a stop to your favourite workout and sports. So, if you want to stay pain-free and active for the long-haul, you need to know these best practices to protect knees and ligaments during any workout.

Best practices to protect knees and ligaments during any workout

1. Keep moving

Staying inactive with no regular workout is as bad as overworking and overstressing your joints and ligaments. Staying active is one of the best practices to protect knees and ligaments during any workout. Your joints and ligaments are designed to stay active. Moving and challenging your joints and ligaments through regular exercise helps circulate blood and synovial fluid- A fluid found in joints that helps reduce friction. This strengthens the muscles and ligaments that support these joints. Workouts like strength training and cardiovascular exercise are important for total-body health including heart, brain, muscles, and joints.

2. Warm up before workouts

We can’t stress this enough. As much as exercise is important for keeping joints and ligaments healthy, so is preparing your joints and ligaments for that exercise. A simple warm-up routine prepares your joints for high-intensity movements that you have planned in your workout. This gets your joints moving through a greater range of motion and lubricates your joints. If you don’t do this routine before your workout and try to exercise while your muscles and joints are stiff, you’ll face a greater risk of injury.

3. Strengthen your muscles

protect your ligaments during any workout

A strong joint needs strong muscles to function efficiently. This is why it is important to keep the muscles that support your joints to be as strong as possible. If you run with muscle weakness or bad mechanics, you may cause joint damage and pain. You need to work on improving your muscle strength by strengthening exercises like weight training. With a good blend of strength training into your regular workout routine, you’ll increase the strength and functioning of your muscles and joints. But make sure that you’re not overdoing it.

4. Modify your workout routine

On contrary to popular belief, a high-impact form of exercises like running and jumping are not bad for your joints and ligaments. In fact, they protect your knees from damage. As you run or jump, your articular cartilage squishes the synovial fluid. This movement sweeps away the metabolic waste and brings nutrients back to your joints. However, if you’re already suffering from joint pain, try low-impact forms of exercises like swimming, rowing, and cycling. Thus, modifying your workout routine is a great practice to protect knees and ligaments during any workout.

5. Anti-inflammatory diet plan

Reducing inflammation in the joints is one of the best practices to protect knees and ligaments during any workout. A well-balanced diet with anti-inflammatory foods can lower inflammation and improve your overall joint health. Consuming adequate amounts of nutrients such as vitamin D, calcium and protein are extremely beneficial for your joints. Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats are all good food options to maintain your joint health.

Joint health is the key to improve your performance in any sport or workouts. A healthy and painless joint helps you get the full benefits of your physical activities. So, make sure you follow these best practices to protect knees and ligaments during any workout and have an injury-free and pain-free workout.

October 12, 2020 0 comment

Fitness

Exercise to gain weight: Beginners guide for bulking up

by qalfit October 3, 2020

written by qalfit

With most of the global population obsessed with weight loss and fat trimming, we often fail to look at the other end of weight management- people who struggle to gain weight. People with a skinny body or fast metabolism can find it extremely difficult to gain weight. They mostly focus on increasing their calorie intake to gain weight. But just like weight loss, healthy weight gain only happens with a balanced combination of healthy diet and exercise to gain weight.

We associate exercise with weight loss. But most of us don’t realize that we can also do exercise to gain weight. Here are a few simple exercises to gain weight.

How does exercise help in gaining weight?

Gaining weight can be just as difficult as losing weight. You need to have an exercise routine to gain weight and should follow a diet plan that involves a lot of calories (in a healthy way). The secret behind exercise to gain weight is by building lean muscles.

Muscle growth or hypertrophy refers to an increase in the volume of myofibrils, the proteins that make up muscle cells. Intense anaerobic exercises can trigger the growth of these muscles. The science behind this is that exercising with weights damages muscle fibers. To repair this damage, our body sends white blood cells to the injured muscles to reduce inflammation. Our body also releases cytokines, a special kind of signaling proteins that further stimulates the healing process and triggers the production of muscle stem cells. These muscle stem cells fuse with the existing muscle fibers, thus facilitating muscle repair and growth. This is the science behind gaining weight while working out.

Exercises to gain weight: Beginners guide for bulking up.

Push-ups

Target muscles: Arm and shoulder muscles

How to do push-ups exercise to gain weight:

Lie down on your stomach.
Put your palms on the ground with your arms out at your sides.
Push your body up until your arms are fully extended.
Keep your back and legs straight.
Slowly lower your body until your nose nearly touches the ground.
Do 15 reps.

Squats

Target muscles: Leg muscles.

How to do squats exercise to gain weight:

Stand tall with your back straight and keep your feet a little more than hip-width apart.
Look straight, keep your back straight and bend your knees.
Sit down with your body weight on your heels.
Hold this pose for 3 seconds and get up.
Repeat the same and do 2 sets of 15 squats.

Bench press

Target muscles: Shoulder, triceps, and chest muscles.

How to do Bench press exercise to gain weight:

You need a flat bench to lie on and a weighted bar for Bench press.
Lie on your back on the bench.
Grab the bar with both hands and extend your arm to take it out of the rack.
Slowly lower your arms to bring the bar down to your chest.
Now straighten your arms and raise the bar back toward the rack.
Repeat as many times as you feel comfortable.

Bench dips

Target muscles: Triceps

How to do Bench dips exercise to gain weight:

Place a wide and stable bench behind your back, perpendicular to your body.
Grip the bench firmly with your palms and extend your legs forward.
Make sure you are bent at the waist and your legs are perpendicular to your torso.
Push yourself down in that position until your forearms are perpendicular to the floor.
Now straighten your arms and lift your torso back to the starting position.
Repeat as many times as you feel comfortable.

Thus, these exercises can help you gain weight and bulk up. The important thing you need to remember is that you need to support your exercise for weight gain with healthy food. Because muscle gain is only possible if your body uses the food you eat to recover your muscles and build new ones.

October 3, 2020 0 comment

Fitness Lifestyle

Inch worm exercise benefits for a full-body workout – All the steps

by qalfit August 26, 2020

written by qalfit

Not all full-body workouts are designed to make you sweat crazy and shake your muscles through every rep. There are a few exercises that work your entire body effectively without draining much of your energy. One such efficient exercise is the inchworm exercise. While it may sound like a funky dance move, trainers absolutely love the inch worm exercise benefits as it provides a hard and effective full-body workout!

Here is the step-to-step guide of the simple yet effective inchworm exercise.

The inch worm exercise:

Basically, this exercise is a low-impact warm-up exercise that hits all of your major muscle groups and helps prep the body for more intense exercises or athletic activities. Its called ‘the inchworm exercise’ because it exactly mimics the rhythmic movements of inchworms.

It might sound silly, but it is one of the best full-body exercises to increase your flexibility, strength, and mobility. It strengthens the muscles of the front half of your body while stretching the muscles of the back half of your body. Thus, it targets the entire body including shoulders, glutes, and hamstrings. The inchworm exercise is also an excellent exercise to sculpt your core. Additionally, the best thing about the exercise is that it can be modified easily to make it more challenging and interesting. As a result, you’ll never get bored with this workout! Let us breakdown the various steps of this exercise to maximize inch worm exercise benefits.

Inch worm exercise benefits:

1. Inch worm exercise benefits the whole body:

A perfect inchworm workout uses just your body weight. This is because it targets almost all the muscle groups including your shoulders, triceps, chest, and abdominals. Working all your muscles groups in one of the many inch worm exercise benefits.

Two millennial women bending over with both legs and palms on the floor

2. Inch worm exercise benefits as it is a great addition for HIIT routine:

The inch worm exercise benefits any workout routine as it is a great low-impact exercise. Since it strengthens and stretches the different muscle groups, it can be easily included as a part of a high-intensity interval training routine.

3. The inch worm exercise benefits as an effective cardio move:

This move requires you to transition from a standing position to a plant position that requires multiple muscles working at the same time. This fast-paced movement, as a result, elevates your heart rate and makes it an effective cardio move.

Man running on road with mountains in the distance — Running isn’t the only form of Cardio… the inchworm exercise is also an effective cardio move

4. The inchworm exercise benefits as a great warm-up for any type of workout:

Since the exercise is a whole-body exercise, it is a great warm-up for any type of workout. Whether it might be cardio, strength, or flexibility routine, you can add it to the beginning of your pre-existing routine for a more effective workout.

How to do the inchworm exercise:

Several shots of a millennial woman doing six different inch worm exercise steps — The inchworm exercise sequence has several steps

Step 1:

This first step on the inchworm exercise is simple. Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart and your arms at your sides.

Step 2:

Then check your posture and make sure that your abdominals are engaged and back is flat. You will begin to engage your muscle groups to enjoy inch worm exercise benefits.

Step 3:

Take a deep breath in and then as you exhale, look down and hinge forward at your hips, and place both palms on the floor.

Step 4:

Now, with your hands on the floor in front of your feet, inhale and walk your hands forward, one at a time.

Step 5:

You will now find yourself in a full plank position with your body forming a straight line from heels to head.

Step 6:

Now, begin walking your feet forward, one at a time towards your hands. Exhale as you step forward.

Step 7:

As your feet reach close to your hands, stop and return to the standing position slowly. Inhale as you get up.

Step 8:

This is one rep. Do 2 sets of 10-12 reps. With this, you will have completed a robust inchworm exercise.

The inchworm exercise is simple and effective as a warm-up. As a result, the inch worm exercise benefits your entire body. Moreover, it is a solid movement that you can incorporate into just about any routine. If you feel that this exercise is too easy for you, feel free to add on a few squats and push-ups when you’re in the standing position.

August 26, 2020 0 comment

Fitness

Active recovery workout – What is it? is it better than a rest day?

by qalfit August 22, 2020

written by qalfit

Recovery is a must when it comes to workouts. Whether you choose a calisthenic workout or simply like to get a simple walking workout in your home, it is essential that you rest. This is because all your workout gains are derived from the recovery period post-workout. It is clear, therefore, to see how not taking the appropriate time to rest may be detrimental. Passive rest is a popular form of recovery, where individuals often take a ‘rest day’. However, you may be surprised to know that your body bounces back better if you do an active recovery workout.

Here is everything you need to know about active recovery.

What is active recovery?

There are two types of recovery when it comes to fitness. These are passive recovery and active recovery. Passive recovery is a total rest without any physical activity. An active recovery workout, on the other hand, involves engaging in low-intensity exercises after completing a heavy workout routine. These exercises include walking, swimming, and yoga.

How does active recovery work?

Contrary to popular belief, you don’t build muscle when you work out. Working out actually tears them down. Recovery is actually responsible for muscle growth. This is because recovery helps you re-build muscles through the repair of micro-fissures. This is why rest days and recoveries are crucial to any fitness plan. But rest days doesn’t mean that you need to be completely sedentary and stay on your couch all day.

This is where active recovery comes in. In addition to giving your muscles a rest, active recovery keeps blood flowing and helps muscles recover and rebuild faster after intense physical activity. The trick lies in to be active enough to increase blood flow, but gentle enough to let your muscles heal.

Benefits of active recovery workout

Active recovery after workout provides a wealth of advantages for your body. Some of the benefits of doing active recovery workout include:

Increase blood flow to joints and muscles
Increase muscle flexibility
Eliminate toxins
Improve mood and mental health
Reduce soreness and post-workout stiffness
Develop a healthier lifestyle on rest days.
Increase endurance and cardiovascular fitness
Reduce lactic acid build-up in the muscles.

Low-intensity exercises to try on your active recovery workout

1. Soft tissue release

According to research published at the Journal of Athletic Training, simple self-myofascial release therapies such as foam rolling, massage stick, massage ball, and vibration therapy decrease muscle soreness after exercise. The exercises also reduce the risk of injury and improve flexibility. For better results, hit each of the large muscle groups for a minute each. This active recovery workout will get you refreshed in no time.

Massage stick and massage ball for active recovery workout

2. Swimming

Swimming is one of the best low-intensity exercises. This is because swimming is easy on your joints and muscles. In fact, a study published in the National Library of Medicine showed that swim-based active recovery sessions enhanced exercise performance for runners. So for better results, opt for slow and easy laps instead of intense sprints to get the most out of this active recovery workout.

Swimming for active recovery workout — Swim-based active recovery sessions enhance exercise performance

3. Yoga

Yoga is an excellent form of active recovery workout. It helps keep the blood flowing from head to toe without overtaxing your system. Yoga also helps stretch sore muscles and increases flexibility. The exercise is also relaxing and stress-relieving. Yoga can, therefore, be the perfect tonic you need on an active recovery day!

Woman doing yoga by touching toes on one side while looking upwards — Yoga is an excellent active recovery workout

4. Pilates

Pilates involves both stretching and low-intensity strength exercises. It is intense enough to pump your blood, yet simple enough not to rev your heart rate. This active recovery helps you recover faster from an intense workout routine.

Millennial Asian woman doing pilates on mat

5. Steady-state cardio

Steady-state cardio is a low-intensity cardio session on a treadmill or stationary bike. During this workout, you must aim to keep your heart rate between 120-140bpm. This workout not only promotes active muscle recovery but also promotes burning fat as fuel.

Man running on treadmill for active recovery workout — Steady-state cardio promotes active muscle recovery and helps burn fat as fuel

So, yes, an active recovery workout is better than taking a rest day. It gives you the chance to dial back and reset. With this workout, you get to stay on track with your fitness. So, from now on, incorporate active recovery into your mix and add extra time onto your cooldown days to get the full benefit of your workout.

August 22, 2020 0 comment

Fitness

Stretch marks after weight loss: How do you tackle them?

by qalfit July 27, 2020

written by qalfit

Weight loss is an amazing journey. Deciding to lose weight and rounding up all your will power for the process is not an easy task. After putting in the work, there is a chance you may develop stretch marks after weight loss. Weight loss leads you to a healthier lifestyle and has a lot of benefits that we can talk about all day long. But that may not be enough to prevent the eventual stretch marks that can develop.

Receiving stretch marks after weight loss can be frustrating, as it is something we do not desire. Whether they are stretch marks on thighs or just stretch marks on back, stretch marks are certainly not pleasant to the eye. Although we don’t suffer any medical harm from stretch marks, we still don’t want them. Here are a few ways to avoid stretch marks after weight loss.

Why do we get stretch marks?

Stretch marks are commonly caused due to significant, rapid weight gain. Our skin has only a certain level of stretchability and elasticity. There is a protein called collagen in our skin that keeps our skin healthy. When you gain weight at a fast phase, your skin stretches or pulls apart quickly and is forced to overstretch to match your growing body. This then disrupts the collagen production in your skin and causes stretch marks. These stretch marks will look like discolored streaks and overtime, they take on a scar-like appearance. So one may ask the question: do stretch marks go away if you lose weight? Not exactly. Stretch marks after weight loss only go away by adopting several measures, which we will break down in this article.

How to deal with stretch marks after weight loss?

1. Drink lots of water.

One of the first steps to deal with getting stretch marks while losing weight is to drink plenty of water. Staying hydrated is one of the best things you can do to deal with stretch marks after weight loss. This is because drinking water keeps your skin hydrated and soft. And soft skin doesn’t develop as many stretch marks as dry skin does. But drinking caffeinated beverages like coffee increases your risk of developing stretch marks. So, make sure you stay hydrated all the time.

A glass of water on a wooden table — Frequent hydration is key to getting rid of wooden table

2. Eat a nutrient-rich diet.

You can easily get rid of stretch marks after weight loss if you include a sufficient amount of Vitamin C, Vitamin D, and Zinc-rich foods in your diet. Vitamin C is an important nutrient for the development of collagen that keeps your skin healthy. Thus, maintaining healthy levels of Vitamin D can reduce your risk of stretch marks. Zinc plays an important role in healing your skin. Thus, a nutrient-rich diet can help you resolve this problem.

Oranges, an important vitamin C source — Oranges, a prime source of Vitamin C

3. Moisturize your skin regularly to prevent stretch marks after weight loss

Our skin needs moisture to remain hydrated and healthy. But our skin can’t always remain moisturized by itself. This increases the risk of developing stretch marks. Moisturizing your skin regularly with creams or oils can reduce cracking and flaking in the skin. This gets rid of stretch marks and further makes it difficult for new ones to form.

Moisturizing hands for stretch marks with cream — Moisturize your skin regularly

4. Workout and stretch to prevent stretch marks after weight loss

Just because you have lost weight and reached your weight loss goal, it doesn’t mean that you can just stop working out. Consistent and regular workouts can also reduce your stretch marks. Even simple stretching and workout for 15 minutes a day can improve blood circulation and skin elasticity.

Silhouette of woman running with sunset in background — Harness the power of consistent and regular workouts

5. Consult your dermatologist for persistent stretch marks

If you can’t get rid of your stretch marks after weight loss, you can make an appointment with your dermatologist and discuss your options to get rid of it. Your dermatologist can help determine the cause of stretch marks and may be able to suggest treatment options that work best.

Woman in white dress sitting on bed getting assistance from woman in blue scrubs — A dermatologist is always a handy last resort

Stretch marks can be a frustrating by-product of losing weight. Stretch marks are just frustrating, whether they are stretch marks on thighs or stretch marks on back. If you are worried about your stretch marks after weight loss, these tips can help you get rid of it.

July 27, 2020 0 comment

Fitness

Best stretching exercises for flexibility and injury-free workouts

by qalfit July 24, 2020

written by qalfit

Whether you are a beginner or whether you’ve been working out regularly for years, you simply cannot avoid flexibility exercises. Unfortunately, stretching is one of the most overlooked elements of a workout routine. As a result, we tend to skip stretching exercises easily, not knowing that incorporating regular stretches for flexibility into our routine can help us perform well.

Want to know how to stretch properly? We got you covered. Check out our list of best stretching exercises for flexibility.

Importance of stretching and flexibility:

Stretching and exercises to increase flexibility play more important roles in our overall health than we may realize. Pre-workout stretching makes your body more flexible. This is because stretching reduces muscle tension and makes the body feel relaxed. Stretching thus decreases your risk for injuries such as muscle strains and sore muscles. Regularly practicing stretching exercises for flexibility increases your range of motion and helps coordination by allowing easier movement. Good flexibility in the body also improves blood circulation and may even prevent some serious health problems like diabetes and kidney problems. Stretching exercises for flexibility are therefore a vital part of any fitness routine. In this article, we will run you through some of the best flexibility exercises.

Best stretching exercises for flexibility

1. Quad stretch exercise for flexibility

Leg flexibility exercises like the stretch will help set the tone for your stretching routine. So get started with one of the more popular leg stretches for flexibility, the quad stretch.

Stand straight on a leveled surface that offers more balance.
Next, fold your left knee fully and grab the top of your left foot.
You should then feel a stretch right down the front of your leg. Squeeze your hip forward for a deeper stretch.
Hold the position for 15 seconds and switch legs.
Repeat 3 times.

Black haired woman in red top doing quad stretch — Quad Stretch Exercise

2. Shoulder stretch exercise for flexibility

Shoulder mobility stretches and shoulder flexibility exercises like this one are a part and parcel of any basic stretching routine.

Stand straight on a leveled surface that offers more balance.
Then, take your right arm straight across your chest and bring your left hand around your elbow.
Next, gently pull your right arm with your left arm to stretch your shoulders.
Hold the position for 15 seconds and switch sides.
Then repeat 3 times.

Brown haired man in dark T shirt doing shoulder stretch exercise — Shoulder Stretch Exercise

3. Side stretch exercise for flexibility

This is one of the important hip flexibility exercises, and a key stretching routine for flexibility.

Sit straight in a table or chair without leaning on a support.
Then, clasp your hands straight up overhead with your palms facing the ceiling.
Now stretch over to the right. You should feel a stretch down your left side.
Hold the position for 15 seconds and switch sides.
Then repeat 3 times.

Smiling woman doing side stretch at home — Side Stretch Exercise

4. Cat cow stretch exercise for flexibility

This is a full-body stretch routine and is one of the key stretching exercises for flexibility. Whole-body stretches are a nice way to end a basic stretching routine.

Get on your hands and knees.
Arch your back slowly in such a way that your stomach drops to the floor.
Then, raise your head up and hold this position for 15 seconds.
Slowly return back to the starting position.
Then repeat 10 times.

Blonde woman doing cat cow stretch on blue mat — Cat Cow Stretch Exercise

5. Hurdler hamstring stretch exercise for flexibility

Hamstring flexibility exercises are nice ways to round off your stretching routine. So go ahead and end your workout with the hurdler hamstring stretch, a powerful technique to increase hamstring flexibility.

Sit on the floor with both legs stretched out.
Bend the left leg at the knee and place its foot near the opposite inner thigh.
Then extend your arms and lean forward over the straightened leg.
Hold the position for 15 seconds and switch sides.
Then repeat 3 times.

Woman in purple top sitting down doing hurdler hamstring stretch — Hurdler Hamstring Stretch

These are some of the best stretching exercises for flexibility. These stretching exercises result in improving overall fitness along with mobility, power, strength, and endurance. Regularly practicing stretching exercises for flexibility can ensure that you remain injury-free during your other workouts.

July 24, 2020 0 comment

Lifestyle

5 tips to do outdoor workouts safely right now

by qalfit July 14, 2020

written by qalfit

Let’s be honest. You’ve had your fun working out at home with your creative at-home workouts. But deep down you always missed the burst of fresh air, sunshine, and thrill of outdoor workouts. Now, as some cities begin to reopen parks and allow outdoor exercise, you might be all excited to workout outside. Here are a few tips to do outdoor workouts safely right now.

1. Maintain safe distance

Much like you’ve been advised to do outdoors, maintain at least 6 feet of space between you and the nearest person. Even if others don’t respect the social distance you’re trying to create, you need to be extra careful. If you find yourself in a workout spot with packed people, find a new spot, and remember that maintaining a safe distance is important all the time!

2. Disinfect your gear

Your workout gears might be carrying more germs than you think. So, even if you are not coming in contact with other people or touching anything outside, regularly disinfect your gears. Always carry a sanitizer and use it on your shoes, gloves, helmets, glasses, and bags. This safeguards you and your family safe when you return home after your outdoor workouts.

3. Create your own space

Health experts recommend working out at home because home is a safe place that you always keep clean. So, while working out outdoors, if you can create your own space and keep it clean, you are adding another layer of protection from catching any infection. You can bring a yoga mat and create your own workout space. This way you can maintain a better and cleaner space overall.

4. Keep your workout groups small

Working out with your friends or workout buddies is fine as long as the workout group is small and you keep social distancing in mind. Working out in large groups increases the risk of catching an infection, especially if you’re doing an activity where you’re getting sweaty or breathing heavily.

5. Wear a mask

Whether you’re working out at your home or outdoors, one of the biggest questions is whether you need to wear a face mask. We know that wearing a mask during a workout can be uncomfortable especially during intense exercise, but if you want to workout safely outdoors, wear a mask all the time!

Read more: The perfect playlist for workout

Everyone wants to go outside and exercise, but it is important that you do it safely. So, use these tips to do outdoor workouts safely and enjoy the outdoors during these trying times.

July 14, 2020 0 comment

Fitness

Weight loss and body recomposition: Lose fat and gain muscles at the same time

by qalfit July 9, 2020

written by qalfit

Weight loss and body recomposition: Lose fat and gain muscles at the same time.

Traditional weight loss programs focus on cutting body fat and hitting a lower number on the scale. Stepping on the scales and looking at trends can help you determine if you’re making progress and shedding fat. However, even if you don’t see the numbers on the scale going down, you might still be making progress due to body recomposition.

What is body recomposition or ‘recomp’?

While weight loss concentrates on losing fat, body recomposition refers to changes in the body’s ratio of fat to muscle. It focuses on body composition rather than weight. In simple terms, body recomposition is an approach to weight loss that not only focuses on losing fat but also gaining muscle at the same time.

How does body recomposition work?

Body recomposition is a phenomenon of simultaneously gaining muscle and losing fat. Although weight loss and muscle gain may seem to be in opposition to one another, they’re not impossible to achieve during the same period of time.

Basically, losing fat is a catabolic process (Breaking down) where the body breaks down stored fat for energy. This requires a caloric deficit through nutrition or exercise or ideally both. Gaining muscle is an anabolic process (Building up) that requires both exercise and adequate macronutrient proportions. By incorporating these two processes, one can easily lose fat and gain muscle at the same time.

What is healthy body composition?

According to the American Council on Exercise, healthy body composition depends on the amount of fat in the body.

Essential body fat for men: 2%-5%
Essential body fat for women: 10%-13%
Acceptable body fat for men: 18%-24%
Acceptable body fat for women: 25%-31%
Overweight body fat for men: Over 25%
Overweight body fat for women: Over 30%

Body recomposition basics:

In general, body recomposition is more of a lifestyle than a diet. Whether your goal is weight loss or body recomposition, a healthy diet and regular exercise must be on your to-do list.

Role of Macros:

If you want to gain muscles and lose fat, you need to be counting macros. If your goal is to lose weight, you need to lower your carbohydrate intake by 10%. If your goal is to build muscle, you need to improve your protein intake by 20% while lowering your carbohydrate and fat ratios by 10%.

Role of regular exercise:

Health experts recommend 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity for weight loss. If you’re focusing on body recomposition, you need to prioritize strength training to build muscle. You might encounter weight-loss plateaus initially, but you need to keep up with the momentum you had when you first started working towards your goal. If you’re not seeing any results try changing your strength-training routine or follow a high-intensity interval training plan.

If you want to lose fat and gain muscles at the same time, body recomposition is a great technique that you could follow. Try to find out your body composition and nourish your body proactively for better performance and function, add more protein to your diet, and focus on strength training.

July 9, 2020 0 comment

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