The Case for Hot Girl Walks To Save the Planet

Swapping even some of our short drives for a self-care stroll could majorly cut down on carbon emissions.

In the court of public opinion (aka the internet), if I had to plead my case for hot girl walks being good for not just you, but the environment, I’d feel as confident doing so as Gwyneth Paltrow sitting in front of a jury of her peers.

For starters, there are the many physical benefits associated with the practice, like helping you live longer and reducing your risk of developing chronic diseases, NBD. But did you know that swapping your short commutes in the car for these self-care strolls could not just help save your sanity, but also help save the planet? Let’s just say that all the pretty* girls walk like this. 

Despite the name, you do not, in fact, need to identify as any particular gender in order to enjoy walking like a hot girl. All you need is to embody the energy as described by hot girl walk creator Mia Lind: “The hot girl walk is a four-mile, outdoor walk that builds confidence through movement, serving as a dedicated time for you,” she says, emphasizing the you. “During a hot girl walk, you focus on three things: gratitude, goals, and confidence.” 

“

During a hot girl walk, you focus on three things: gratitude, goals, and confidence.

—Mia Lind

It may seem hyperbolic to declare that these TikTok trendy hot girl walks could “save the planet.” But when you consider that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) names transportation as the number-one generator of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S., I don’t sound like I’m so full of hot, carbon-dioxide-filled air, do I? 

Right now, Americans take an average of four car trips daily, totaling a whopping collective 1.1 billion rides every 24 hours. But here’s the thing: According to the Federal Highway Administration, almost a quarter of those trips are less than a mile long, and 45 percent are under three miles, putting them in prime hot girl walking territory. 

Opting to hoof it more and drive less can reduce your carbon footprint significantly. Sure, you will burn calories that need to be replaced by eating more food, which itself takes greenhouse gasses to produce and transport. But a study conducted by the environmental research organization Pacific Institute found that walking 1.5 miles created less than a quarter of the carbon emissions as driving the same distance—and that’s taking into account your post-walk snack. 

Researchers found that driving that far would generate 1,000 grams of CO2, while walking the same distance generates 230 grams. To put that into perspective, the average cup of coffee has a carbon footprint of about 50 grams of CO2, so you could theoretically consume about 17 more cups for the same amount of carbon if you opted to walk that mile and a half instead of take a car.   

What’s more, the EPA says Americans could collectively save $900 million in car costs (including $575 million in fuel alone)—and the CO2 equivalent of taking 400,000 cars off the road—by swapping just half of our short drives (the ones that are less than a mile) for walks. 

Even though she wasn’t initially considering the environmental impact when she created the hot girl walk, Lind, who lives in Los Angeles (arguably one of the least walkable cities in the country) says she’s noticed her own car usage has dropped for little errands she’d normally drive for. Another unexpected side effect? “Spending more time outside also made me more aware of the effects of carbon emissions on our planet,” she says. Lind recently teamed up with the fitness app Strava to start turning hot girl walks into a global challenge to raise money for charity; she hopes to do more to support climate activism in the future, and this April Strava is collectively asking its community to divert enough vehicle trips to circle the globe 100 times by walking, running, or cycling instead.

I realize that there are some limits to the argument I’m making here that would certainly come up in a cross examination. Walking isn’t an option for everyone (though you could reap the same environmental benefits from riding a bike, or making the trip in a wheelchair, if those are options available to you). Not all places even have sidewalks or streetscapes that are conducive to walking. And unless you are a member of the postal service, you’re unlikely to hoof it in inclement weather—understandable. 

These are all valid, but I would conjecture that the reason most people who are able to walk don’t is because they think taking a car will be faster. Fight me. A lot of times, though, driving isn’t all that much faster. How often have you hopped in the car to head to the pharmacy because Google Maps tells you it’ll only take six minutes to get there, compared to 12 minutes walking, only to spend another 10 minutes driving around looking for a parking spot? You do the math. I rest my case. 

* Read: eco-conscious 

Fortunately, there are stretches and exercises you can do to alleviate these telltale signs of sciatic nerve compression. In particular, physical therapist, Jacob VanDenMeerendonk, DPT, suggests doing sciatic nerve glides, which he recently demonstrated on his Instagram feed.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Dr. Jacob the Mobility Mamba (@drjacob)

Why sciatic nerve glides are good for pain relief

Compression of the sciatic nerve, which starts in the lower back and runs down both legs, is what causes the pain associated with sciatica. “The sciatic nerve is suppose to move and glide with the rest of the body, but sometimes it can get trapped or compressed somewhere along its pathway,” says Dr. VanDenMeerendonk.

So if someone is experiencing sciatic pain because of a nerve entrapment, freeing up this nerve will bring about relief—in some cases, instantly, he says.

How to tell if sciatic nerve glides are a good exercise for you

There are many paths to sciatica pain relief, but Dr. VanDenMeerendonk says sciatic nerve glides should be a go-to for anyone experiencing numbness and tingling into the back or side portions of the thigh down into the calf and outside of the foot. “Or, if someone feels pain into the low back/gluteal region that shoots down the back of the leg,” he says.

It’s not always easy to tell where pain is originating, so if you’re unsure, it’s best to seek professional attention. “There are tests that we can do externally in physical therapy that can identify the origin of the symptoms in order to prescribe the correct exercises,” says Dr. VanDenMeerendonk.

How to do sciatic nerve glides

Dr. VanDenMeerendonk says, “Doing this movement will begin to free up the nerve from its entrapment anywhere along its pathway.” What that means: oh so sweet relief.

1. Start lying on your back with you knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
2. Grab the backside of the thigh of the leg you feel sciatic pain in and gently pull it into tabletop, so that your knee is over your hip.
3. Alternate between flexing your foot as you lower your heel toward your glute, and then pointing your toe as you extend your leg up toward the ceiling.

As a general rule, Dr. VanDenMeerendonk says to aim to do around 10 to 20 reps for two to three sets, twice daily. But how often you need to do it may change depending on the severity of your symptoms.

While Dr. VanDenMeerendonk says this exercise isn’t a “magic bullet” when it comes to alleviating sciatica, he does believe it’s something everyone who experiences the symptoms should know how to do, as it can often help (and fast).

But bear in mind: “There are also instances where this exercise will not improve the symptoms at all because the origin of the symptoms would require a different treatment,” he says. “It is always a good idea to get evaluated by a skilled physical therapist in person to properly diagnose the issue.“

But that’s exactly what happened when Atkins admitted she‘s not a fan burpees, a full-body jump-to-push-up HIIT move that trainers seem to love programming despite the audible groan they tend to elicit from exercisers. “I never include them in any of my workouts,” Atkins said at the time. “It is a recipe for injury for a lot of people.”

When I followed up with her, Atkins pointed out that this is because a burpee is actually three technical and challenging exercises combined into one very quick movement: a squat or jump squat, push-up, and plank. “If an exerciser is lacking the strength, stability, or range of motion to do any one of the exercises, then the wrong movement or placement of a limb can lead to an injury,” she says.

What makes burpees too challenging for most people to do correctly

According to Atkins, burpees take mobility in your shoulders, hips, ankles, and wrists. Being able to take these joints through pretty big ranges of motion is a pre-req to pulling them off without pain or injury.

While mobility training is becoming increasingly more popular, it’s still not mainstream enough to ensure that the average person is capable of accessing the range of motion required to perform a burpee properly. At last report, one in two Americans had some type of musculoskeletal condition, one of the most common symptoms of having a reduced joint range of motion, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.

Why burpees aren’t necessary for building strength

Remember, burpees are a combination of three different exercises (squat, push-up, and plank), and Atkins says they’d only truly be functional and necessary for someone who is using these three movements regularly in their day-to-day life or in a sport they play. “Which for most, they are not,” she says. “However, burpees are mostly programmed in group fitness classes with what we categorize as the ‘gen pop,’ or general population exercisers.”

Based on all the research, she says, general population exercisers want to move more and move better, so burpees aren’t getting them closer to their bottom line. “There are far superior exercises that can be done that will develop total-body strength and stability than a burpee,” says Atkins.

What to do instead of burpees

“For starters, you can focus on the core movements of the burpee—squat, push-up, plank—and master those body weight movements,” says Atkins, who likes to teach what she calls a “deconstructed burpee.”

“I will take my clients through a five- to 10-minute circuit of squats, push-ups, planks, and some form of agility exercise like lateral bounds, single-leg hops, etc. Instead of doing a burpee for 90 seconds straight, we’ll focus on each bodyweight exercises for 30 to 45 seconds, rest, and move to the next, completing two to four rounds, depending on time.”

How to do burpees safely if you really can’t quit them

Still, burpees remain popular in group fitness classes. So what should you do if they’re given and you’re afraid of possibly injuring yourself? Modify the move to just do the core movements individually. Or, Atkins suggests, reduce the number of reps you do in a row in order to increase your chances of executing each with proper form.

“Do five or six reps, move to another exercise, go back to five to six burpees, another exercise, and repeat,” she says. “You will still get the same volume of burpees in your workout, but breaking them up into fewer reps sandwiched with other exercises, will hopefully keep the wear and tear to a minimum.”

Not only does walking after eating dinner increase production of the neurotransmitter serotonin (a precursor to the sleep hormone melatonin), but it can also help lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol and regulate the sympathetic nervous system, both of which can improve your mood, according to functional medicine doctor Jill Carnahan, MD. “Many people feel movement is a powerful way to mobilize and decrease stress and anxiety,” she says.

To get the most relaxation-boosting benefits out of a pre-bedtime walk, there are a few best practices Dr. Carnahan says to keep in mind.

1. If you’re walking outside, what you wear matters

“Dress appropriate for weather so there is no excessive heat or cold, which may increase cortisol and counter the stress-relieving effects of walking after your evening meal,” Dr. Carnahan says.

2. Wait to walk until 20 to 30 minutes after you eat dinner

“[This] may improve digestion and lower blood sugar, two additional benefits,” Dr. Carnahan says. “It’s best to consume a moderate intake of food and avoid alcohol or overindulgence prior to walking.”

3. Skip the power walk pace

While there is a time and place to pick up the pace while walking, before going to sleep is not it. Working out too intensely in the evening can elevate your body temperature and spike cortisol, both of which will make it harder to fall asleep. “Low to moderate intensity is ideal to lower stress levels and avoid raising cortisol levels before bed,” Dr. Carnahan says. Being able to talk comfortably while you walk is one way to tell that you’re moving at a good pace. She says to aim for 30 to 60 minutes of strolling at this intensity.

4. Make it a feel-good stroll

If you want to prime your body even more before bedtime, Dr. Carnahan says there are a few things you can do that’ll further boost your feel-good hormones and mood. “Adding calming or positive music to headphones can enhance the experience, or specifically using binaural beats may add additional benefit by increasing parasympathetic system and vagal tone,” she says. “These things counter the sympathetic ‘fight or flight’ system.”

And if you can bring along a walking buddy (two- or four-legged is fine), even better. “Walking with pet, friend, or loved one offers additional benefit of social connection, which has been shown as one of the factors to increase longevity,” Dr. Carnahan says. The more the merrier.  

“The benefits of lifting weights don’t necessarily change as you get older, but there are some that become more relevant and important as you age,” says Sharon Gam, PhD, CSCS, an exercise physiologist and certified strength and conditioning specialist. “Most people lose muscle mass, a condition known as sarcopenia. When you lose muscle mass and strength, it becomes harder to complete daily activities, and people can lose their ability to function and be independent.”

Strength training helps mitigate that loss, she says, which can increase your chances of living a longer, healthier life, however you see fit. “Loss of muscle and strength also contributes to the risk of falling, but weight lifting can help improve coordination and decrease that risk,” Dr. Gam says. “One study, for example, found that fall risk in older women was reduced by 57 percent after a six-month strength training program.”

It’s not just about your muscles

Our bones are also important to pay attention to as we age. As we grow older, we start to lose bone density, which can lead to osteopenia and osteoporosis, two bone-loss related conditions that are more common after age 50. “Weight lifting directly stimulates bones to get stronger and denser,” Dr. Gam says.

Brain function can also start to decrease, and the risk of dementia increases. “Strength training has incredible effects on the brain, releasing chemicals like neurotrophic factors that protect brain cells and build connections between brain areas,” Dr. Gam says. “Strength training reduces the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia.”

Throughout the body, the effects of strength training are seriously powerful, according to Dr. Gam. “For example, a study in 2019 found that resistance training was associated with a 40 to 70 percent decreased risk of cardiovascular events (like heart attacks or strokes), and a similar decreased risk of death from cardiovascular disease and death from any cause,” she says. “Studies have also found that strength training can reduce blood pressure and improve blood cholesterol, and it’s associated with improvements in brain function, self-confidence and self-esteem, sleep, mood, and energy.”

TL;DR: “It really can make every aspect of your life better!” she says. Hard to argue with that.

The safest way to start lifting weights at any age

As a certified strength and conditioning coach, Dr. Gam specializes in helping people begin resistance training. “If you’re just getting started, weight machines can provide some support so you don’t have to worry about losing your balance or dropping a weight,” she says. “Resistance bands are another safe and relatively easy way to start building some strength and muscle.” The key is just to start with very light weights or bands, and work your way up.

Once you build some baseline strength and confidence with machines and resistance bands, Dr. Gam recommends learning how to use free weights like dumbbells. “At that point it’s a good idea to meet with a personal trainer, even just for a few sessions, so they can teach you how to perform the exercises that are appropriate for you with proper form,” she says.

Regardless of your age, the American College of Sports Medicine and the Centers for Disease Control recommend every adult strength train at least two times per week. “Work all of your major muscle groups in each session,” Dr. Gam says. “That includes legs, chest, back, shoulders, arms, calves, and core. More is better, but two times per week is a good start.”

This full-body resistance band workout is a great starting point if you’re new to strength training:

“It’s an instinctive response that happens automatically,” says exercise physiologist Sharon Gam, PhD, CSCS. “The theory is that pandiculation is the body’s way of shifting from a resting state into an active state by increasing nervous system arousal and focusing attention. It’s thought that the brain activates a cascade of reactions that prepare the body for action, including redirecting blood flow to the muscles, increasing heart rate and breathing, and shifting attention to the outside world.”

Pandiculation also seems to work as a reset for good posture. It activates the myofascial system that connects all the muscles in the body, according to Dr. Gam. “Neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin are released, which makes the stretch feel good as a way to reinforce the action,” she says.

What it means if your body never does this

Even though pandiculation is an involuntary response, it’s possible to become so sedentary that your body doesn’t get the signals to do this type of stretching as well as it would if you were more active. “The instinct to pandiculate is probably our body’s [way of] nudging us to move after we’ve been still for too long to protect our health,” Dr. Gam says. “The more we sit still, the more tension builds up. I think it makes sense that eventually our bodies would become desensitized to the increase in tension and those other physiological changes, and the pandiculation response would decrease.”

Why you should give in and stretch (even in a meeting)

When you get the signal to yawn and stretch, don’t ignore it. “Being mindful and intentional about movement and paying attention to the way your body feels is an important skill,” Dr. Gam says. “It’s good for many aspects of your physical, mental, and emotional health, including making sure that your body’s instinctive correction responses, like pandiculation, keep working properly and can kick in when your brain senses that your body needs some help.”

Pandiculation doesn’t just happen first thing when you wake up either, and Dr. Gam says it’s important to not suppress the sensation, which, she admits can be awkward in some social settings. “Stretching and yawning during a meeting, for example, might not be considered appropriate, so we might consciously stop ourselves from doing it,” she says. But she recommends following through with pandiculation as often as you can, and it’s possible “with a good mind-to-body connection, you might be more likely to sense the urge to pandiculate,” she says, giving you enough time turn off your camera just long enough to get in a good stretch.

At the time, Silveira was a personal trainer, but he didn’t do the workouts he was giving his clients. “I would only ride my bike,” he says. “I would never do any resistance training. In fact, I thought that that might bulk me up too much and negatively impact my cycling.”

While his goal was to become a better cyclist, Silveira says he didn’t have any clear plan for how to go about it. “I would do a lot of just trial and error,” he says. “I would take what I thought were expert opinions for granted, and just kind of hope that whatever I did would work.”

That all changed though about seven years ago when Silveira went back to school to become a registered clinical exercise physiologist. (He now works at the Center for Health & Wellbeing at the Four Seasons Hotel Westlake Village in California.) Once he learned more of the science behind how our bodies respond to movement, his approach to working out significantly shifted. Here’s how.

1. He now cross-trains

Gone are the days when cycling was Silveira’s only workout. “I have more variety in my exercise plan,” he says. That now includes strength training, which Silveira has since come to realize only helps improve his cycling performance. “I like foundational moves like deadlifts, reverse lunges, incorporating things where I’ll do in internal and external shoulder rotation or even rows to help protect my shoulders and maintain good back posture,” he says.

2. He balances hard days with easy ones

He also makes sure to vary the intensity of his workouts now, so that there are highs and lows (something that’s better for brain health, BTW). “I pepper in really-high intensity workouts strategically—I don’t give ’em to myself all the time,” he says. “I might only do like one or two a week.”

3. He’s more intentional with his movements

At one point during the pandemic, I seriously considered getting rid of my couch to make room for one so that I could continue the almost daily reformer practice I’ve had for the past seven years. A six-month wait list for the model I wanted stopped me, fortunately—turns out, I kinda like having something soft to sit on.

Even after my studio reopened and I was able to go back to taking reformer lessons in person, I still found the idea of having a machine at home appealing so that I could test and develop new routines, since I teach group reformer classes a couple days a week.

So when my editor asked if I’d be interested in trying out LIT Axis, a smart resistance band system designed to offer a Pilates reformer-esque experience at home—minus the large footprint, and for a fraction of the cost—I was intrigued… and a little bit skeptical. There are so many moving parts to a Pilates reformer (which was originally developed by Joseph Pilates in the 1910s) that I couldn’t really wrap my mind around how you could replicate it without all the pulleys and springs.

Unboxing the LIT Axis system

When I got the tracking update that my LIT Axis system ($199) was out for delivery, I made sure to be home to receive it because I assumed the box would be big enough to block the entryway in my building. After buzzing in my FedEx guy, I opened my door and was surprised to be handed a package that wasn’t much bigger than a shoebox and light enough to hold in my palm.

Inside was a white, soft-shell case that contained two sets of smart resistance bands (15 and 30 pounds), a pair of ankle cuffs, two handles, and an anchor strap, which you could either wrap around a heavy, stationary object in your home or wedge into the hinge side of your doorframe.

To activate my system, I downloaded the LIT Method app to my iPad (there’s only an iOS version) and logged into the membership I’d be given as part of my trial. Normally, in addition to the one-time cost for purchasing the system, you’d also need a membership, which costs $10 a month or $80 a year.

LIT Axis — $199.00

Plus $10 a month or $80 a year for the membership

Shop Now

The resistance bands are bluetooth-enabled so they can track your reps. There are instructional videos in the app, as well as a pamphlet inside the box to help walk you through the setup process, which took me less than 10 minutes.

From there, all that was left to do was fire up one of the videos. There are dozens of follow-along workouts to choose from, ranging from 10 to 30 minutes and organized by experience level: beginner, intermediate, or advanced.

Anchors away

Depending on what workout you choose, you’ll need to either anchor the system at about floor level (like around the leg of a table) or hip height. The first video I queue up is a 10-minute, lower-body Pilates class that requires a floor anchor that I attach to the base of my lululemon Studio mirror since it’s the heaviest thing in my house.

After a quick dynamic warm-up, we attach our ankle cuffs, which I’ve connected to the 15-pound resistance bands, and get down on all fours for some glute work. We cycle through kickbacks (bending and extending our legs behind us), followed by leg lifts, and then finish with some pulses before moving to the second side. It’s a series I’ve done and taught several times, and feels the same as it does on the reformer, with one exception: Because I’m performing the exercises on the floor instead of a moving carriage, I don’t find that it challenges my stability or core as much.

Next, I try a 10-minute, total-body Pilates class that requires a hip-height anchor, so I move over to my front door (the only one I have in my apartment with a hinge). I feel a little weird about having half the anchor, which looks like a black security strap, hanging out into the hallway, but it feels way more secure to me than when it was around the base of my mirror.

This time, we start with leg circles, an exercise anyone who practices reformer Pilates will be familiar with. After looping the ankle cuffs around the arches of my feet, I start to draw large circles with my legs in one direction, followed by the other.

Next, it’s on to double leg extensions. Starting with my legs in tabletop, I extend them to straight on a 45-degree angle pressing against the resistance of the bands. I opted to stick with the 15-pound bands for this workout as well because, while I feel like I could have used the 30-pound ones for the lower-body portion, I knew they’d be too heavy to perform arm work with, which we move on to next.

Popping up on my knees and facing away from the door, I slip my hands into each ankle cuff, flip my palms up toward the ceiling, and begin to bend and extend my elbows, reaching my arms in front of me as if I’m serving someone something on a platter. Again, this is the exact type of move I’d do on the reformer, and the only difference is the lack of instability afforded by the machine, which makes it harder to keep your balance as you move back and forth.

Once I’m finished, I pack all the equipment back into its case, move my furniture back into place, and have my living room in one piece again in less than five minutes.

How the LIT Axis system compares to a reformer

I’ve only taken a couple classes, but I can already tell that once I figure out a good anchor system, I’m going to be using the LIT Axis a lot at home to practice my reformer technique. I would not go so far as to say that it’s a perfect substitute for the real thing, but it’s definitely a great complement.

Much of the formatting for LIT’s Pilates classes is similar to what I’d teach on a reformer. In some ways though, I’d say it’s more similar to a Pilates cadillac than a reformer you’d find in group classes since it doesn’t have a moving carriage.

On a reformer, resistance is determined by spring choice: light, medium, and heavy, or a combo thereof, which aren’t translated into weight measurements. By comparison, the LIT system only has two resistance options, which feel to me like medium and heavy springs. The average person will probably be fine with just these two levels of resistance, but a lighter resistance option may be necessary for people who are new to Pilates and don’t have the strength to move as much load yet. A lighter option is also nice for core work and single-arm movements that focus more on smaller stabilizer muscles like our rotator cuffs, for example, or mobility moves that require a large range of motion (like arm circles).

Even at a point where it’s now possible to get your hands on Pilates reformers for home use, I feel like I would opt to go with the LIT Axis system since you can also use it as a cable system or suspension trainer, so it really feels like you’re getting a lot out of something that takes up about as much space as a pair of dumbbells. Plus, it doesn’t require me getting rid of any furniture to make room for it.

Too often, we humans make the mistake of not changing the way we walk in relationship to the surface that they’re walking on, Deboo says. Normally we walk with our center of gravity slightly behind us, and our heel lands first before rolling onto the forefoot. “The challenging part about walking on ice is that the moment you land with heel strike, your weight is still behind you,” he says. “That’s when you slip, and then boom, you land on your bottom or off to your side.”

Most people believe navigating icy patches is just a matter of not moving too fast, but that’s not true, according to Deboo. “All that means is that you just slip and land slower and you fall slower,” he says. “But you still will slip on the ice because of the heel strike and your center of mass being a little bit further back.”

Learning to walk (or rather waddle) like a penguin can help prevent this from happening.

The keys to walking on ice like a penguin

Other ice safety essentials

Besides adjusting your walking pattern, Deboo says it’s also important to pay attention to your footwear. “Obviously anything with a smooth sole is not ideal,” he says. “You wanna have something with a little bit of traction on it.”

He tells his patients to consider buying Yaktrax, a type of crampon that hooks on the bottom of your shoe to give you more grip on slippery surfaces. “Basically, it’s like putting cables on your tires, but for the bottom of your shoes,” he says, adding that trekking poles are also a helpful winter accessory to keep on hand if you can.

Investing in a good pair of winter boots is also a good idea. “Bring your work shoes with you, and then once you get to work, go ahead and change them out,” Deboo says. “Sometimes people don’t wanna take that extra step, and they get themselves into trouble.”

Lastly, whenever possible, walk around ice instead of over it. And although this might sound obvious, it’s worth repeating: Keep an eye on the weather report and try to avoid going out during dangerous conditions.

If you do fall, try this to stay safe

Accidents happen, and if you do wind up losing your footing while walking on ice, Deboo says there are a few things you can do to reduce your risk of serious injury. Thinking about them in advance of treading on any frozen surfaces can help you mentally prepare (and hopefully react faster) if you take a tumble.

Most people fall backward on ice because of the way they walk, and their instinct is to stick out their arms in order to brace for impact, but doing so will most likely result in a broken wrist, according to Deboo. “Ideally you resist that pattern of wanting to reach out with your arms,” he says. Instead, “tuck your arms in and land on the side of your shoulder. If you can think about it, cradle your head.” So consider the penguin walk as your first resort and the fetal position as your last.

“In the very beginning, my parents put me in the sport because I was just really shy, and I think they could tell that I needed something,” says Vallandingham, who lives and trains in Los Angeles. “Immediately, I just loved it. I felt at home, and every single day, instead of watching Dora, I wanted to go to the dojo.”

“Instead of watching Dora, I wanted to go to the dojo.”

Vallandingham credits her success, in large part, to her consistency over the years, and that includes regularly hitting the gym. “It is a way of life,” she says. “It’s not only teaching your body movements and being in synchronicity with your body, but also just like the mental aspect of it.”

Mastering the art of taekwondo, which involves the ability to perform head-high kicks, as well as spinning jump kicks, plus punches, in order to take down an opponent, is not easy. (Understatement.) It takes a tremendous amount of strength, flexibility, and power. “Of the three, I think strength and flexibility are the top two,” Vallandingham says.

Unfortunately, she learned the hard way that there is no fast track to the type of leg muscle extensibility (or elongation) required to excel at her sport. She recalls a time, early in her training when, similar to ballet dancers, the school of thought was that you could force flexibility by pushing past your end range of motion. “We used to have people stand on my legs and force my knees to come down in butterfly stretch,” she says. “I have permanent damage to my body—I have tendonitis [because of this].”

She now has a much more sustainable approach to her training that helps her stay on top of her game, while avoiding injury.

How a taekwondo world champion builds leg strength and flexibility

Before Vallandingham even thinks about picking up a weight, she takes time to stretch by doing a dynamic warm up, a type of stretching that helps raise her body temp and elevate her heart rate, increasing blood flow to her muscles, so that they’re prepared to fire up once she gets moving.

When she’s strength training, Vallandingham says she likes to focus on supersets, which involves performing two moves back-to-back that target the same muscle groups in order to double down on their gains. First, she’ll do a mobility exercise to take all the joints she plans to load up through their full ranges of motion. (FYI, mobility is product of flexibility and strength.) Then she’s ready to lift.

One of her favorite exercises for strong legs is a goblet squat. To prepare for it, Vallandingham will stand with her feet shoulder-width apart, fold forward until she can slide her palms underneath her soles (you could also hold your ankles or calves), then bends her knees, lowering her butt toward the floor while lifting her chest, coming into a deep squat. She’ll bend and extend her legs several times in this position. Then, it’s on to the main event, holding a weight in her hands while bending down into a deep squat.

How to perform a goblet squat:

Another way Vallandingham likes to train for flexibility, mobility, and strength simultaneously is by performing exercises on an unstable surface. “I love utilizing a Bosu ball—they’re pretty much in every single gym,” she says. She likes to stand on one while executing lower-body movements like squats or deadlifts (as well as kicks) since the shakiness they create causes her muscles to activate more than if she did the same things while standing on the floor.

The secret to Vallandingham’s explosive kicks

Power is a product of strength and speed. So when Vallandingham is training for lower-body power, she switches up her tempo when performing exercises, so that she’s moving faster on the effort and slower while resetting for the next rep. Say she’s doing goblet squats, for example: This could look like lowering down in a count of three, then snapping back up in a count of one.

“If I’m building power, I’m also maintaining control of my movements,” she says. “That’s the thing I feel like a lot of people who are learning how to generate power forget—maintaining control during it is so important.”

Why Vallandingham saves flexibility training for after her workouts

If you took a frozen spear of asparagus and tried to bend it in half, it’d break—but if you allowed it to thaw out first, you could fold it over, no problem. This same rule applies to your body and flexibility training—research shows that holding stretches (the best way to work on flexibility) is the worst thing you can do when your muscles are cold. “Any time you start to stretch [cold muscles], that causes a stretch reflex that gets your muscle tissue to activate a protective mechanism to not over-stretch,” Eric Owens, musculoskeletal expert and co-founder of Delos Therapy, previously told Well+Good.

This is why Vallandingham saves static stretching for after the rest of her workout when her body is already warmed up. One of her favorite ways to work on lower-body flexibility is by lying on the floor with her legs up the wall and then allowing them to open out into a side split. “I let gravity do its work because that’s my body telling me, okay, this is where we’re at,” she says. “My hips are opening on their own, and I’m not having to force anything.”

Above all else, if you’re looking to lengthen and strengthen your leg muscles, Vallandingham says there’s one thing you have to practice diligently: perseverance. “Consistency is so much more important than intensity for attaining maximum gains,” she says. “Enjoy the journey. Don’t be overly hard on yourself; don’t apply too much pressure.” And not just to your joints.

Never heard of it? That’s not entirely surprising, since its numbers pale in comparison to more popular pastimes like tennis, soccer, or swimming. Stats are hard to come by, but about 36,000 people participate in orienteering each year in England (the sport is most popular in Europe). And there have been organized orienteering events in the U.S. since the early ’70s.

The concept is quite simple: Participants are given a compass and map of an unfamiliar landscape, in which they are then tasked to find specific landmarks as quickly as possible, making it a combination of high-intensity interval training and navigation. (Kinda like The Amazing Race.) This could be done on foot, or require the use of equipment like skis, mountain bikes, and canoes.

As the Plus One study points out, orienteering closely resembles the hunter-gatherer lifestyle our ancestors were accustomed to, and it found that those who excel at the sport have greater spatial navigation skills and memory recall.

This is likely not coincidental. “My take on this is that prehistoric humans needed to navigate through their environment to find food, shelter, and safety,” says neurophysiologist Louisa Nicola, a brain coach to elite athletes. “The ability to navigate effectively was crucial for survival and reproduction; therefore, the  connection suggests that the cognitive and neural processes that support spatial navigation and memory may have evolved to work optimally with the types of physical and cognitive challenges that prehistoric humans encountered during their daily lives.”

Why having strong spatial navigation skills and memory recall is so important

A lot of sports we play today don’t have much in common with our everyday lives, much less our survival. Orienteering, on the other hand, does. Its skills, specifically spatial navigation, are highly transferrable to our day to day. “Spatial navigation refers to the ability to move around and orient oneself in a physical space,” Nicola says. “It includes understanding and remembering the layout of an environment, and being able to navigate to a specific location within it. In layman’s terms, it’s like being able to find your way around without getting lost—it’s also very important for everyday activities such as driving.”

Another example of spatial navigation in action is making your way through an unfamiliar city while traveling. “You need to be able to navigate your way back to the hotel, or to see a landmark that you like, you may want to determine the best route to take, and with spatial navigation, you can find your way there,” Nicola says. “This is actually, in effect, good for the brain.”

How orienteering improves brain health

The brain has a specialized region just for navigating the spatial environment, according to Nicola. “This structure is called the hippocampus, also known as the map reader of the brain,” she says. The combination of high-intensity exercise and navigation training required for orienteering can lead to an increase in the volume of the hippocampus, which is associated with better spatial memory.

“It turns out that as we age, the volume of our hippocampus decreases, but with regular exercise—especially high-intensity interval exercise—we can get a robust release of a molecule called BDNF, a growth factor for the brain which primarily helps grow new neurons in the hippocampus,” Nicola says. And that is huge for anyone trying to support brain health, stave off cognitive decline, and balance their moods.

Even if you aren’t ready to swap your tennis matches for navigating your way through the woods, you can still benefit from incorporating orienteering’s basic principles in to your daily life—like figuring out how to get somewhere without an assist from your maps app.

“Muscles tighten up just from the repetitive stress of twisting and turning and bending day after day after day,” says chiropractor Jeffrey Klein, DC, founder of Broadway Chiropractic & Wellness Center in New York City. Releasing this tension regularly is an important part of making sure that your muscles can function optimally so that you can avoid pain and injury. But what’s the best the best way to go about this? How do you decide between a massage vs. stretch to address muscle aches?

The first thing you have to do is determine the source of your soreness, according to Dr. Klein. Is it being caused by a general tightness of your muscle or a specific knot or trigger point? “Because it’s two totally different things,” he says. While stretching is your best bet for tightness, a knot needs to be, well, kneaded.

How to tell if you’ve got general tightness

One way to determine if you’re dealing with muscle tightness and are in need of a good stretch is to look at yourself in a mirror, according to Dr. Klein. “You want your hips and shoulders to be level,” he says. If, for example, your right shoulder is lower than your left, it could be an indicator that the muscles on the right side of your back are tighter, and you need to spend some time stretching to elongate them. Imbalances like this can put more pressure on some muscles than others, which can lead to tension.

Another test that Dr. Klein recommends is to lie on your back with your legs out long. Try to lift one leg up toward the ceiling. “If you can’t bring your leg up to 90 degrees, then you know you have a loss range of motion in the hip,” he says. Stretching the hip and lower body muscles can help to restore mobility through that joint. Similarly, not being able to fold forward and touch your toes can be a sign of tight hamstrings.

Starting a daily stretch routine is a great way to minimize muscle tightness: 

How to determine if you have a knot

That doesn’t just mean doing cardio and strength training. The Centers for Disease Control recommends seniors do activities to improve balance and flexibility every week as well. This means spending more time stretching as you get older. “Flexibility and stretching are key parts of your health that will keep you doing the things you love,” Dr. Reagan says.

When it comes to the best stretches to do and how to get the max benefits out of them, Dr. Reagan says the research varies. “There are conflicting suggestions on when to use them, and mismatched information on the duration to which you need to hold/perform them,” she says. “However, the benefits seem to be agreed upon and the purpose and goal remains consistent: It will help your joints move through their full range of motion, increase muscle blood flow, and enable your muscles to work most effectively.”

As you get older, the benefits of stretching stay the same, but the importance of it changes, according to Dr. Reagan. “There are physiological changes that occur—some specific to our muscles,” she says. “They lose strength and power, decrease in mass, decline in endurance, and flexibility becomes more limited.” Taken together, these changes can end up limiting our functional abilities in day-to-day life, and increasing our risk of falling, getting injured, or simply being in pain.

She says stretching is an excellent way to combat these natural effects of aging and improve our general health and wellness. “What you should focus on are stretches that will help you obtain the proper range, postures, and positions necessary for your desired activities,” Dr. Reagan says. “So, depending on what you want to be able to do, your stretches may vary. But a nonspecific full-body stretching routine can also be very beneficial for your general health.”

What tweaks to make to your stretching as you get older

There are different types of stretches (six major ones, in fact), but the most common are static and dynamic stretching. Both are effective ways of increasing flexibility, Dr. Reagan says. “Static is when you stretch a muscle near its end point for an extended period of time, usually around 30 seconds. Dynamic stretches are more active where the muscle and joints go through their range of motion,” she explains. For the latter, you may perform the same stretch multiple times, but only hold it for two or three seconds each rep.

This cool-down routine is a great example of dynamic stretches in action: 

In general, the American College of Sports Medicine recommends most adults perform static stretches at least two to three days per week, holding each for 15–30 seconds and repeating two to four times.

This may not be enough time for older adults, though. “They may need upwards of 40 to 60 seconds to hold each stretch to get the same effect,” Dr. Reagan says. “It has also been recommended for older adults to be doing these stretches more frequently throughout the week than the recommended two to three days.”

There’s no right or wrong time to stretch, so finding ways to work it into your day-to-day habits is the move, whether you set aside dedicated time after dinner every night, or always do a few moves while waiting for your coffee to brew.

A great place to start? Incorporate quick stretches, like this 8-minute video, into your morning routine:

“Positive self-talk is one of the simplest principles of sports psychology, yet it’s one of the toughest to master,” says clinical health and performance psychologist Leah Lagos, PsyD, BCB, author of Heart Breath Mind. “Studies have shown that those who adopt positive self-talk strategies and motivational self-talk programs can perform better in physical activities, particularly endurance ones.” Other studies have shown that athletes who used positive affirmations for fitness motivation scored higher on strength and endurance tests, she adds.

Conversely, negative self-talk can hinder your performance. “On a physiological level, negative self-talk can raise your heart rate, cause perspiration, and increase muscle tension,” Dr. Lagos says. “It’s one of the most toxic things we can do.”

Why positive self-talk while working out makes it feel less hard

Stress of any kind can activate your sympathetic nervous system (SNS), better known as your “fight-or-flight” response, and danger or physical activity (like working out) intensifies its response. In some ways, this is beneficial: It increases your blood flow and ability to breathe, both of which can help improve your performance.

Too much SNS activation can feel overwhelming, however, which is why being able to help your nervous system regulate itself is essential, especially during situations that cause it to upregulate, like an intense workout. Enter: positive self-talk. “Self-talk may primarily act by reducing performance-related anxiety among athletes,” Dr. Lagos says. “Moreover, self-talk has been linked to greater enjoyment, self-confidence, and higher perceived self-competence.”

The effectiveness of self-talk on performance depends on situational factors, the athlete, and the features of self-talk itself, according to Dr. Lagos. “For instance, some researchers suggest that instructional self-talk may be more beneficial during training because it helps the athlete finesse their skill, whereas motivational self-talk may boost performance in a competitive setting,” she says.

How to practice positive self-talk while working out

There’s a lot of room for personalization when it comes to positive self-talk. What works for one person may not work for another, but the general rule is to focus on what you should be doing rather than what you shouldn’t, says Dr. Lagos. Think: “‘You’ve got a great pace,’” she says. “Or, ‘you’ve got this,’ rather than ‘don’t slow down,’ or ‘this is too hard; I want to quit.’”

Dr. Lagos says the first step to improving your self-talk is identifying negative thinking, and according to her, this generally falls into one of the four categories below:

1. Magnifying

You focus on the worst parts of a situation and ignore the positive parts. This could look like achieving a new PR but only talking about the part of the run where you didn’t hit your split.

2. Polarizing

You see things as either good or bad, black or white. “There’s no room for a middle ground,” Dr. Lagos says. For example, you think you have to be perfect—if you make mistakes, you’re a failure.

3. Catastrophizing

You expect the worst. For instance, you don’t have a good first set and assume the rest of the workout will be a disaster.

4. Personalizing

You blame yourself when bad things happen. Say your workout buddy is in a bad mood, you automatically assume it’s because of you.

Being able to name negative thought patterns can elevate your awareness of them, which, in turn, can help you flip the script when you find it happening. This process is simple, in theory, but as Dr. Lagos notes, it’s tough to master, so take it easy on yourself. “Don’t put too much pressure on yourself to nail this on day one,” she says. “Building new habits takes time.”

Dr. Rolnick’s job is to help people experience the joy of pain-free movement. He says the majority of his clients are desk workers, many of whom have back issues. But regardless of what you do for a living, what causes back pain is almost always the same: repetitive movements, specifically, spending too much time in flexion (rounded forward).

“It’s not that flexion or activities involving flexion, like bending over, are necessarily bad,” Dr. Rolnick says. “It’s just that we’re, as a society, very flexion-based, so much of what we do involves our backs bending forward.”

To a degree, this is totally normal. “Our spines are designed to bend, twist, and extend,” Dr. Rolnick says. We just happen to spend way more time in flexion and not enough time in extension (back bending), which can create imbalances between the all the various parts of your body responsible for both movement patterns and positions.

“When we are constantly putting our spine in any one position, that could increase sensitivity to that position and begin to cause us issues,” Dr. Rolnick says. “It just so happens that because our society involves a lot of sitting—which is flexion—our back and the structures surrounding our back that get tensioned in flexion get more loading than the structures that tension during extension.”

3 everyday habits that may lead to back pain

1. Not using some sort of lower back support while sitting

“The majority of us have desk jobs, so we’re constantly in this sitting position, which is what we call end-range flexion,” Dr. Rolnick says. “This means that our lower back is doing the same type of movement as if we are reaching over to touch our toes.”

Creating a little more extension in this position, in the form of lower back support, is key. In particular, Dr. Rolnick likes and recommends the Mackenzie Lumbar Roll ($25). But, he says, you need to make sure you’re using it correctly in order for it to be effective.

“Where your back curves, that’s where you’re gonna be positioning that,” he says. To find the right placement, scoot your glutes all the way to the back of the chair and then position the roller in the small of your back. “That is gonna provide a little bit more support for your lower back and prevent you from going into that end range.”

2. Staying in any one position for too long

Varying your positions throughout the day is the most important thing you can do for your back (and body in general). Just like that notification on your smartwatch tells you, Dr. Rolnick says you should get up every hour for at least one to two minutes if you’re sitting down.

Even if you’re standing, you still want to mix things up. “For example, vacuuming; that could just be, all right, we’re gonna vacuum for five minutes in whatever position we want and then we’re just gonna spend another minute—doesn’t have to be a lot—varying up the position in a little bit more extension.”

3. Poor workplace arrangement

Regardless of what you do for a living, it’s important the take note of anywhere in your environment that’s causing you to be in flexion unnecessarily. If you work on a computer, the second most important thing after proper lower-back support is the position of your screen. “The good rule of thumb I tell my patients is like two inches below eye level,” Dr. Rolnick says. Your keyboard should also be close enough that you don’t have to lean forward to reach it.

The real culprit when it comes to back pain or injuries is repetitive movements, so take stock of anything you do over and over again on the job and see if there are ways to break up the routine, especially if those movement patterns require a lot of bending or flexing at the hips or knees, as well as twisting—especially while moving heavy loads. You can apply this same logic at home as well. (Two areas to keep in mind are cleaning and doing chores like unloading the dishwasher.)

Why your daily habits aren’t really what causes back pain

Dr. Rolnick stresses that it’s not the activities that require flexion, like sitting or vacuuming, themselves that cause back pain or injuries. “In essence, we don’t get injured by bending over,” he says. Rather, he explains, “When we’re constantly in this flex position, certain tissues are getting stressed or compressed, and they accumulate microtraumas over time.”

Your body naturally heals or repairs these microtears on its own while you’re sleeping, but the more time you spend in any one position, the more microtraumas you’re creating, and if you’re not giving yourself adequate time to recover, you’re at an increased risk for injury.

Once you surpass your body’s ability to manage the stress you’re putting it under, that’s when injuries occur, according to Dr. Rolnick. “It is important that we accommodate for this in our everyday life and try to get more movement variability,” he says. “This can be anything, really. I was told this once a long time ago and it is so true: ‘Our best posture is our next posture.'”

It’s also vital to get good sleep, manage your stress, eat nutritious foods, and exercise, since all of those contribute to your overall health and ability to recover properly. “Back pain is viewed more and more like a common cold, like 90 percent-plus of the time, it’s going to get better by itself in six weeks,” Dr. Rolnick says. If it doesn’t, or you’re in acute pain, consider seeing a specialist who can help get your back back on track.

This Pilates workout is a great way to show your low back a little extra love. 

If your goal is simply staying fit, both experts and science say that the best time to exercise is whatever hour allows you to do so consistently, regardless of where it falls on the clock. For certain goals, however, when you work out is a factor to consider.

The benefits of morning workouts

We know from research that people who exercise in the a.m. tend to get more movement in overall. Your naturally higher cortisol levels in the morning make it easier to recruit energy reserves early on than later in the day. Studies also show links between morning workouts and lower blood pressure in people with hypertension.

If you have a hard time getting motivated to work out, doing it first thing may help you get over the hump. “Morning is the time of day where our dopamine is at its highest, and there’s a lot of cognitive reserve built up throughout the night that enables us to want to push further at the gym rather than at night,” says Louisa Nicola, a neurophysiologist and female human performance expert for Momentous.

Another great benefit of working out in the morning, rather than the evening, is that it helps you sleep better, according to Nicola. “It helps prime your circadian clock,” she says.

But, if evenings are the only time you can exercise, that’s all right. “There is always a benefit to working out, so if you have to do it in the evening, that is okay,” Nicola says. The key is understanding how to tweak your p.m. routine so that it doesn’t mess with your sleep.

How to optimize evening workouts

Firstly, it’s important to understand why evening workouts can work against you. “When you work out, your body releases many hormones and you activate your sympathetic ‘fight or flight’ nervous system, which can interfere with a wind-down routine, which then interferes with sleep,” Nicola says. “The entire circadian rhythm may be disrupted as well, depending on the time you eat dinner.” This primarily happens because both eating and exercising elevate your body temperature, which would otherwise be lowering as your body prepares for bed.

The best way around this is timing your workouts so that you’re able to finish eating dinner at least 1.5 to two hours before going to sleep, Nicola says. “You don’t want to be working out at 9 p.m., whether it’s cardio or weights. That will disrupt sleep and throw you off the following day,” she says—unless you are a serious night owl.

So what does this mean for the majority of American exercisers? “If you can get the workout in at 6 p.m., that provides ample time to rest, recover, eat dinner, and prepare for sleep.”

By the end, I was convinced that what trainers have been saying for years is true: Stairmills like the StairMaster are the most effective (and most underrated) cardio machine. But my time at Bünda also made me curious about how the benefits of getting your steps in on a StairMaster compare to doing the same thing during an incline treadmill workout like 12-3-30, since the two forms of cardio seem so similar.

Climbing on a StairMaster and walking on an incline treadmill work the same muscles

No matter which machine you choose, you’re going to primarily work your lower body. “Walking with incline…strengthens the muscles in your posterior chain, aka the muscles from your calves up to your back,” Aaptiv master trainer John Thornhill previously told Well+Good. And Katie Lunger, CSCS, creator and co-founder of Bünda confirms the StairMaster is going to do the same.

In both cases, if you opt to not hold onto the handrails, you’ll also work your core and stabilizer muscles as well since they’ll need to fire to help you keep your balance.

The metabolic burn potential on a StairMaster is higher

Even though both workouts are high intensity, if you were to be moving at the same pace on both machines, you’re going to use more energy on a StairMaster because it requires more effort to climb stairs than it does to walk up an incline. This remains true even after your workout is over as your body comes back to baseline. It’s kinda the difference between climbing a mountain vs. a hill.

“Walking on an incline would be the next best thing to compare to the stairs, but in reality, the intensity is gonna be lower—it’s not enough of an incline,” Lunger says. You’re not getting as much of a metabolic effect. “The more intense and the more effort you put into a workout, the more your metabolism is gonna rise after.”

A StairMaster offers less impact

Both cardio machines are considered low impact, but Seth Maynard, former director of fitness Switch Playground in New York City, previously told Well+Good that the StairMaster “is easier on the knees,” and Lunger agrees. It’s a big part of why she created Bünda’s workouts with a StairMaster vs. an incline treadmill. “The main reason why I love the StairMaster more so than a treadmill is because the StairMaster, while it is really metabolic, it’s less impact on the joints,” she says. When climbing stairs, you’re putting weight into a bent leg, and then straightening up, whereas on a treadmill you’re more likely to step onto a straightened knee, which puts more pressure through the joint.

Climbing on a StairMaster is a more functional movement

Unless you live somewhere hilly like San Francisco or Seattle, the StairMaster is going to better mimic an everyday movement pattern most people use more regularly—stepping up stairs—which makes the workout more functional than walking on an incline treadmill.

So who wins in the StairMaster vs. incline treadmill debate?

In terms of offering a lower-impact, higher-intensity workout that’s more functional—with a bigger metabolic bang for your buck—the StairMaster comes out on top. But, as Lunger says, incline walking is a close second. And ultimately, which cardio machine is the best choice for you will come down to your fitness goals and which piece of equipment is most accessible.

But these movements aren’t just essential to your early childhood development—doing them daily is also an indicator of longevity. In fact, the number-one thing the longest-living people on the planet all have in common is natural, aka primal, movement practices.

“As we age, we tend to fall into dysfunctional movement patterns that cause injury over time—how we pick things up, bend over, or perform any seemingly normal function in our daily life,” Slane says. “Usually, we blame this on aging, but in fact, it tends to be caused by bad habits and not paying attention to how we perform a task.”

He gives the example of lifting a basket of laundry: “Do you properly hinge at your hips with a neutral spine and no twist or torque in your neck, or do you just bend with a rounded back? Now, imagine how that has taken a toll over decades,” he says. “Working primal movement patterns properly, and making sure these movements stay harmonious and fluid over time, is key to continue moving efficiently and without pain.”

More often than not, you’ll hear trainers talk about primal movements as “functional movements,” meaning that they mimic the way you use your body in everyday life. Yet everyone’s day-to-day looks different. What’s “functional” for a pro athlete is going to be different than a mail delivery person, or desk worker. Primal movements, however, go back to the basics for all of us.

“Primal movement often involves play, which can be fun and a welcome change from traditional exercises that can feel monotonous,” he says. Again, think about a toddler. Their idea of fun is squatting low to play with toys, throwing a ball, or pushing themselves up off the floor. “They can also be adaptable and modified to suit a wide range of fitness levels,” Slane adds.

The benefits of primal movement patterns

Although exactly what you get out of practicing primal movements depends on your own fitness and goals, Slane says that there are three universal perks most people can expect to gain.

Increased strength

Because primal movement exercises involve using the body in natural and functional ways, they often help improve overall strength, according to Slane.

Enhanced mobility and flexibility

Primal movement exercises can increase the range of motion of both muscles (increasing flexibility) and joints (increasing mobility).

Improved coordination

“Primal movement exercises often involve using multiple muscle groups at once, which can help to improve overall coordination,” Slane says.

The best way to incorporate primal movement into your fitness routine

Slane says there are several good ways to go about this. Here, he offers are a few sample primal movement exercises to try adding in your next workout:

Russian twist

Start sitting on the floor with slightly bent knees, lean back to engage your torso. From there, rotate your torso from side to side. Do three sets of 8 to 12 reps.

Superman

Start lying face down on the floor with arms and legs extended, keeping your neck neutral by gazing down. While keeping your arms and legs straight, engage your core muscles, then lift your arms and legs toward the ceiling just a couple of inches using your glutes rather than your lower back. For a less advanced version, only lift your arms. Hold for a few seconds and lower back down with control for one rep. Do three sets of 8 to12 reps.

Squat

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and lower your body as if sitting back in a chair. Make sure to keep your chest up and your weight on your heels. Do three sets of 8 to 12 reps.

Push-up

Start in a plank position with your hands shoulder-width apart and lower your body in one piece. Make sure to keep your core engaged. Do three sets of 8 to 12 reps.

Plank

Start in a high push-up position with your hands shoulder-width apart, engage your core, and hold for 30 seconds. Do three sets.

Good Mornings

Start standing up straight with feet hip-distance apart, hands behind head, elbows wide. Next, hinge forward, pushing your hips back, with your knees slightly bent. Slowly lower your torso until your spine is almost parallel to the floor, maintaining a flat back from your head to hips. Then return to the starting position, keeping your core engaged. Do three sets of 8 to 12 reps.

Lunges

Start standing up straight with feet hip-distance apart. Step forward with one leg and lower your body until your front thigh is parallel to the ground. Push off the front heel to step back to your start position. Make sure to keep your torso upright. Do three sets of 8 to 12 reps on each leg.

Best practices for beginners

If you are new to primal movements, start slowly and progressively to build up the intensity and complexity of the workout as you become more proficient and comfortable, Slane says. “It’s also critical to listen to your body, take breaks when necessary, and use the proper form and posture to get the most out of the workout and avoid possible injuries,” he adds. “When getting started, it’s also important to consult a qualified fitness professional who can help you determine the best workout plan for you and help you learn the proper technique.”

As you get stronger, continue to progress your practice by adding load to the exercises—but only after you’ve nailed good form.

Why primal movement is more than a passing fad

Searches for primal movement were up 120 percent on Pinterest last year, so you can potentially expect to start hearing more about it. But it’s far from a new concept.

“To some, primal movement may seem like a specialized form of exercise, or a fad—it is not,” Slane says. “It is functional training to help anyone better the activities of their daily life, which is at the center of the main goal in fitness: Keep people healthy and moving properly. In truth, it doesn’t get much more old-school than this.”

“Basically, progressive overload is when you are going to gradually increase your weight, your frequency, and/or your reps in a strength routine,” says personal trainer Bianca Vesco. If you don’t continually kick things up a notch, your muscles will get used to exerting a certain amount of strength or force, but no more than that. “Over time, our muscles are gonna adapt to whatever stress we put them under, and we must once again increase the weight or the intensity,” Vesco says, “and that is the marker of progress.”

Progressive overload will look different for everyone, depending on their fitness level and goals. “Strength training is never gonna be a one size fits all, which is an awesome thing,” Vesco says. But there are some universal signs that it’s time to start lifting heavier weights.

How to tell when the load you’re lifting is too light

If you’re new to lifting weights, the best way to figure out how to progress your practice is by working with a trainer, who can assess your form and help you figure out what a realistic next step is for you. But if you’re flying solo, Vesco recently shared a few weight lifting for beginners tips to tell whether it’s time to start lifting heavier weights on her Instagram.

1. You can get through all of your reps pretty easily.
2. You’ve been using the same weights for months.
3. You have no problem zoning out during your sets.
4. You’re never sore or fatigued.

What the right weights will feel like

No matter where you are on your weight-lifting journey, the way trainers are taught to recommend weight is by suggesting something that feels challenging by your last two to three reps of a set. “If you’re, like, really rocking on progressive overload, that last rep, you struggle a little bit,” Vesco says.

Settling on the right weight takes some guesswork, and often, when you’re figuring it out, you may incrementally go up from one set to the next if the weight you used the first go-round felt too easy toward the end. Generally speaking though, the higher the reps, the lower the weight, and vice versa—but it should always feel challenging toward the end of your set regardless.

Keep in mind that progress isn’t linear

As a personal trainer, Vesco says she gives about 30 sessions per week and 80 percent of her clients are females. Every one of them is on their own, personalized training program following the principle of progressive overload. But that doesn’t mean that every time she sees them, they’re necessarily adding more weight or reps to their workouts.

Before each session, Vesco says she checks with her client to see how they’re feeling and takes that intel into account when making their training plan for that day. “It’s based on their energy levels,” she says. “Do they feel like they have the energy to push through three to five really, really heavy reps, or do they wanna stay in the six to 12 rep range and push a little bit lighter.”

She uses this feedback to tweak their fitness routines to what’s going to be most effective, and suggests you do the same. It’s always important to go into a workout with a plan, but it’s equally important to understand that plans can change—and to adapt accordingly. There are so many ways to get better, faster, stronger. By listening to your body, you’re more likely to achieve those goals, without overdoing it.

In a nutshell: “We need a stable platform to come back to as our home base,” says physical therapist Emily Tomlinson, DPT, co-founder of Threes Physiyoga, a fitness platform that combines yoga with physical therapy principles. “Our ankles play a really important role in taking our whole body and stacking it above that stable platform. They’re also really important in our feedback about where our body is in the space. They help us adapt.”

So I decided to just go hiking in sneakers, and I was certainly not the only one—most of the people I passed heading up and down the trail were wearing them, too. And for an intermittent hiker, that’s totally fine, says board-certified podiatrist Mark Mendeszoon, DPM, a hiker and spokesperson for the American Podiatric Medical Association. “Long-term, sneakers are not truly recommended for serious hikers,” he says. But for the occasional out-and-back, you can get by, especially if your sneakers have some of the key features all good hiking boots have in common.

5 features to keep in mind when hiking in sneakers

1. Look for larger lugs

“Most hiking shoes will have a significant grip on their outer sole to adapt to different surfaces, and to provide stability and traction,” Dr. Mendeszoon says. So if you’re opting for sneakers, go with the pair that has the biggest lugs (the teeth-like protrusions on the bottoms of the soles). If the base of the shoe is completely smooth, it’s not going to provide much support to grasp the various surfaces you’ll be walking on.

2. Foam is your friend

When hiking in sneakers, Dr. Mendeszoon doesn’t recommend lacing up a minimalist pair of shoes. You want some extra padding underfoot to make treading over rocky surfaces less of a pain. “The footbeds generally should have enough room and good insulation for cushioning, comfort, and support,” he says. If you don’t already have a pair that fits this bill, Dr. Mendeszoon says an insert that’ll add a little more plushness to your soles is another option.

3. Opt for an airy upper

A traditional hiking boot typically has a breathable upper to allow for ventilation, according to Dr. Mendeszoon. You can mimic this by opting for a sneaker with a mesh or knit upper rather than, say, leather or the types of synthetic materials you see more often on lifestyle sneakers.

4. Consider a cross-trainer

Dr. Mendeszoon says that what separates hiking boots from average walking or running shoes is their great lateral support and stability, both on the sides and the back of the shoe in the form of a solid heel counter. Since walking and running shoes are made for forward motion, not side to side, you may be better off pulling on a pair of sneakers you’d wear for HIIT workouts—as long as the soles aren’t too smooth—since they’re designed to move in multiple planes of motion: forward/back, side-to-side, and rotationally.

5. Skip the shorter laces

“Most trail shoes or hiking boots will have ample length of laces so that they can be properly tied and even double knotted to protect the foot and ankle during long hikes, especially as people start to get on uneven surfaces or start to descend,” Dr. Mendeszoon says. Consider threading in a longer pair of laces if the ones that come with your sneakers are too short.

Take the terrain into consideration

Terrain plays a significant role in deciding what would be the best shoe for hitting the trails. “Hiking on flat trails and surfaces is generally easier and less stressful,” Dr. Mendeszoon says. In that case, it’s okay to wear shoes that aren’t specifically designed for hiking.

“But as people start getting into higher hills or if they start doing mountain hikes, then hiking boots will generally be more durable, a little heavier, more insulated, and more secure of a fitting around your foot and ankle,” he says. “Most hiking injuries that I see as a foot and ankle specialist and surgeon are when people are descending a hill or mountain top—they may lose balance and lose grip on the ground, causing falls.”

Are trail runners an okay alternative to hiking boots?

Once you become more than an occasional hiker, Dr. Mendeszoon says that it’s time to invest in shoes specifically designed for the activity. But if the added bulk and weight of a hiking boot feels like a deterrent, a trail running shoe may be your best bet since they’re designed with all the features Dr. Mendeszoon lays out above.

This could also be an especially good option depending on your foot type, because Dr. Mendeszoon says hiking boots aren’t made with flat feet or high arches in mind, so you could get a bit more of a custom fit by going with a trail runner.

Best practices for buying hiking shoes

Even though we live in the era of online shopping, when you become enough of a regular on the trails to stop wearing sneakers, Dr. Mendeszoon says your first stop should be a hiking specialty store to have a proper fitting. Knowing what to look for in a hiking shoe is not a replacement for getting professional help purchasing a pair. “Once people get into trail shoes,” Dr. Mendeszoon says, “typically they don’t go back to sneakers.”

What you may not realize, though, is that the structure of your shoes can affect parts of your body farther up, too, especially joints like your knees and hips. That’s because they’re all connected, forming a kinetic chain that makes movement happen—something to keep in mind when shopping for the best sneakers for your knees.

Every time you take a step, many things are happening in your body to propel you forward, says Jensen Henry, MD, an orthopedic foot and ankle surgeon at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City. “Throughout the step, your hip muscles contract to stabilize your hip, your quads and hamstrings fire at specific times, and muscles in your lower leg activate in a chain of events,” Dr. Henry explains. Meanwhile, your knee mobility works to stabilize your center of gravity, decrease your energy expenditure, and absorb the shock of your heel striking the ground.

Sitting in the middle of this kinetic chain, your knee is impacted by the health and function of the muscles and joints that live both above and below it. So tight hips or hamstrings, for example, could impact knee stability. So can the sneakers you wear. “A simple change in footwear, and the position of the foot, can completely change the gait pattern and compromise your performance and balance,” Dr. Henry says.

What the best sneakers for your knees all have in common

“I typically recommend a sneaker with a stable, supportive sole and a design that cradles the foot,” Dr. Henry says. “Ideally, this maintains ankle motion and absorbs the shock when your heel hits the ground, which are both factors that are important to minimize excess force across the knee.”

To check for this, Dr. Henry recommends performing the following test: “If you can take the sneaker in your hands and curl it into a ball, it’s often too flexible for patients with foot/ankle or lower extremity problems,” she says.

Other factors to consider when shopping for the best sneakers for your knees

Because fit is so important, Dr. Henry suggests looking into sneakers designed specifically for either male or female feet. “Some footwear brands make gender-specific shoes, which account for differences in the width of the heel or the forefoot, and may be better tolerated by some people,” she says.

Furthermore, while finding your Cinderella sneaker is certainly a happy ending, it won’t last forever, especially if you’re someone who loves to regularly take hot girl walks or otherwise stay active. “It’s important to routinely replace old shoes that have worn out,” Dr. Henry says. “Running experts typically recommend every 300 to 500 miles, or about every six months.

Finally, before you replace your worn-out sneakers, take a moment to inspect them. “If you’re noticing that your shoes are wearing unevenly, it may be time to see a professional—we can identify if there’s an alignment or gait issue that can be addressed,” Dr. Henry says.

With all of this in mind, below are options that all include the features Dr. Henry says the best sneakers for your knees should have.

Lululemon Blissfeel — $146.00

Lululemon used scans of millions of women’s feet to inform the research and development of its first running shoe. The result is a pair of sneakers that can go the distance without undo strain on your knees.

Shop Now

Hoka Clifton 8 — $140.00

A perennial favorite of editors and hot girl walkers alike, these ultra-cush sneakers will keep your legs feeling fresh for 10,000 steps and beyond.

Shop Now

Nike Metcon 8 — $130.00

There’s a reason so many trainers and podiatrists recommend these sneakers for lifting weights. Among them is a flat base that doesn’t place too much pressure on your forefoot effecting your balance, stability, and ultimately, your gait.

Shop Now

Adidas Terrex Free Hiker 2 — $200.00

The instability of unfamiliar, oft-changing terrain underfoot can be hard on your knees and other joints, but the shock-absorbing soles on this trail sneaker helps mitigate that impact. The high-top design offers extra support for your ankles, something that’ll help your knees and hips, too.

Shop Now

And if you need further proof that the walking workouts trend is gaining traction, boutique fitness studios like SLT in New York City, digital platforms like Peloton, and luxury gyms like Equinox all now offer treadmill classes dedicated to the activity.

Since walking is so familiar for most people, it’d be easy to assume that there isn’t much room for individualization within this niche. But after connecting with trainers from different fitness brands now offering walking workouts, it’s clear that no two classes are exactly the same.

What to expect from a group walking class

Every treadmill walking workout will be unique, so it’s worth reading the description of the class you plan to drop into. But one thing they all seem to have in common is an emphasis on high-intensity, low-impact training (aka HILIT).

“The focus is to provide low-impact cardio that gets your heart rate elevated and works your muscles,” says Pamela Trujillo, CPT, an instructor at SLT. “Taking a HIIT Walk class at SLT Tread will consist of 25 minutes of strength training on a Megaformer and 25 minutes of cardio on a Woodway treadmill. Our walking classes are designed just like our running classes, except with walking.” Think: intervals of different speeds, inclines and distances.

At Equinox, you can expect a lot of hill drills. “Precision Walk: Elevate is a climbing workout focused on the use of treadmill inclines to create a low-impact, high-intensity alternative to running,” says Taylor Spearnak, a group fitness manager and instructor at Equinox in NYC.

And while Equinox and SLT are offering in-person classes, Peloton’s providing an online walking workout option. Peloton instructor Kirsten Ferguson says the platform offers four different types of walking content: fun, music-based walks (“for the member who likes to move to specific music genres with some challenging surprises in the workout”), Power Walk (“for the walker who likes to push their pace while keeping both feet on the ground”), Hikes (“which I think surprises most members at how challenging they can be”), and Walk + Run (“the perfect progression for a walker who wants to dip their toe into running. It’s a 1:1 work to rest ratio meaning that whatever interval length you do walking, you will also do the same running.”).

How treadmill walking workouts compare to walking outside

The health perks of treadmill walking are the same as any type of walking: It can improve cardiorespiratory fitness, build strength and muscular endurance, reduce the risk of chronic diseases, and increase energy levels.

The added bonus of getting your steps in on a treadmill is that you can add more variability into your workout, which is great for people who get bored easily while doing steady state cardio. “You can control the incline and speed with such creativity,” Spearnak says.

Tread workouts also offer a greater level of predictability and safety. Environmental factors like air quality and weather conditions aren’t an issue, and the indoor class setting offers a secure place to run or walk. “For many of our members, [the class] finally allowed them to get a run or walk in at night, or during a time they would not normally feel comfortable being outside alone,” says Spearnak. “You are never alone—that’s the beauty of the group fitness experience.”

How to get the most out of a treadmill walking workout

Because you’re not moving as fast as you might if you were running, it’s common to think that treadmill walking workouts are easier. But that’s a misconception. Your rate of perceived exertion (RPE) should still be high during push efforts.

“Even though it’s low-impact, those inclines combined with speed walking can really get your heart rate elevated and make you sweat,” Trujillo says. And don’t forget proper walking form: “Stand up straight, relax your shoulders, engage your core, and use your arms to help give you power versus holding onto the handrails,” adds Trujillo. “On inclines, lean your body forward from your ankles versus your waist, so you always have a straight line from your head to your heels, which will keep you out of your lower back.”

In addition to proper form and energy output, Ferguson says there are two more things to keep in mind—one technical and one mental: “Come with comfortable shoes and an open heart to see where the journey can take you,” she says.

If this is true, however, then why are so many fitness brands offering heated classes for everything from Pilates (a favorite of Selena Gomez) to yoga to HIIT these days? What is actually the best temp to work out in?

The answer, according to Brittany Masteller, PhD, a research scientist for Orangetheory Fitness, is surprisingly similar to the ideal range for getting a good night’s sleep. “It’s safest to perform high-intensity workouts in a temperature-controlled space of approximately 68 to 72 degrees Farenheit,” says Dr. Masteller. (Approximately 68°F is the chef’s kiss for sleep, according to experts.) This is particularly true for certain populations like pregnant women and people with respiratory conditions like asthma, she says.

Of course, however, there are exceptions to every rule, including this one.

How temperature affects your workout performance

At its essence, exercise is a stressor on the body, and different workouts are designed to stress your body in different ways in order to get it to adapt. For example, when you lift heavy weights, you’re taxing your fast-twitch muscle fibers, which in turn helps them to get stronger. Or, when you perform vigorous aerobic exercise, like sprinting or HIIT, you’re causing your heart, lungs, and circulatory system (aka the cardiorespiratory system) to work harder, which increases your peak oxygen intake or Vo2 max. Both of these are beneficial to your overall health.

Similarly, tweaking the temperature of your workout above or below 68 to 72 degrees Farenheit can cause your body to adapt in positive ways, as long as you are properly hydrated, fueled, and fit to do so according to your doctor. The primary benefit to both hot and cold workouts is that they increase the cardio factor for the exercise that you’re doing because they force your brain and heart to work harder to keep your body in homeostasis. “The human body has ways of doing this, such as sweating when hot, or shivering when cold,” Dr. Masteller says.

“Fitness classes that are mostly low impact don’t tend to elevate the heart rate as much due to the nature of the workout,” she continues, “so adding heat to a lower-intensity workout adds another level of difficulty without changing the exercise prescription.” This tacks on a heart-healthy element to a workout that might otherwise not be considered aerobic.

FYI: It takes the average person 10 to 14 days to acclimate to working out in hot and humid conditions. But once you do, it comes with a few perks: “In people who are acclimated to exercising in hot and humid conditions, research shows improved heat transfer from the body’s core to the environment, improved cardiovascular function, more effective sweating, and improved exercise performance and heat tolerance,” Dr. Masteller says.

On the flip side, like in the heat, exercising in the cold makes your heart work harder to pump blood, which elevates your heart rate and can lead to improved cardiorespiratory fitness over time—even if you’re just going for a hot (cool?) girl walk in winter. Just be sure to dress appropriately, Dr. Masteller says, to keep warm without overheating because there is nothing cool about hypothermia.

But although it’s very clear why you should walk, there’s still a big question regarding the best way to go about it: Are short or long walks better for you?

For example, how does getting up from your desk every hour to take a quick stroll around the block compare to carving out one chunk of time at the beginning or end of your day to walk a few miles?

In general, all walking is good for you, so there’s really no right or wrong answer. “The most important thing here is to move,” says Tamanna Singh, MD, FACC, co-director of the Sports Cardiology Center at Cleveland Clinic. “Movement—whether it be short or long—will inherently precipitate a cascade effect of cardiovascular benefit: blood pressure control, blood sugar management, cholesterol reduction, weight management, reduction in cardiovascular risk overall, and importantly, improved mental health.”

But short and long walks each offer different benefits. Before choosing one or the other, it helps to consider your general fitness level and goals.

If you’re primary focus is meeting your physical activity goals

For adults whose main reason for walking is to hit their aerobic exercise minimums for the week—“the American Heart Association currently recommends 150 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes of high-intensity aerobic exercise per week, or a combination,” Dr. Singh says—one of the simplest ways to figure out whether short or long walks are better for you is by using what Dr. Singh calls the exercise dose equation: exercise duration x frequency x intensity.

“Changing any of the variables may lead to the same exercise dose, so short, more frequent walks can be as beneficial as one longer walk,” she says. “For instance, three short walks that are 15 minutes in duration, may give you the same benefit as one 45-minute walk [at the same intensity]. You could also walk at a higher intensity for 15 minutes and have a comparable benefit to a slower 30 minute walk.”

If you’re trying to build endurance

Endurance is important to your overall cardiorespiratory fitness—meaning the health of your heart, lungs, and circulatory system. What’s more, having good endurance can help reduce your risk of chronic illnesses like heart disease and diabetes. The good news is, if this is your goal, you’ve got options.

“If you’re looking to improve aerobic fitness (aka endurance), then lower intensity, longer duration aerobic efforts will help by increasing mitochondrial density and subsequently energy for your working muscles,” Dr. Singh says. Mitochondria are essentially the battery packs of your cells. Science shows that their density almost perfectly mirrors maximum oxygen uptake (Vo2 max), meaning the more dense your mitochondria, the more energy you have to power your muscles for longer.

But long-distance walking isn’t the only way to supercharge your mitochondria. Recent research finds that quick doses of high-intensity cardio can also accomplish this by giving your mitochondria an immediate boost, while also helping them stay more fully charged long-term, as well as increasing your Vo2 max. Plus, you can increase your cardiorespiratory fitness with as little as 17 minutes of power walking per day, according to another recent study.

For those who choose to take the shorter, more-intense route, Noel Bairey Merz, MD, director of the Barbra Streisand Women’s Heart Center in the Smidt Heart Institute at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles, recommends interval training. “Short, two-minute, more intense walking interspersed with short, two-minute, less intense walking for five to 10 cycles can provide aerobic fitness conditioning similar to jogging for longer,” she says.

The intense intervals should be fast enough to raise your heart rate (you can gauge this with the heart rate monitor on your smart watch or by using the talk test), while the slower, recovery rounds should be closer to your baseline heart rate. Just be extra mindful of your movements as you increase your speed. “If you’re doing short bursts of effort at high intensity, there is greater risk of musculoskeletal injury so be cognizant of ensuring dynamic warmups and cooldowns to reduce risk,” Dr. Singh says. 

A bonus: This strategy can be easier on your body than long, sustained strolls. “Shorter walks with rest in between can be better for your joints,” Dr. Bairey Merz says.

If you’re trying to create a new exercise habit

Walking is a great gateway workout when you’re trying to start (or become consistent with) a fitness routine because it’s relatively accessible and requires minimal equipment—really just a pair of walking shoes. While Dr. Singh says you should consult with a doctor before starting any new physical activity, once you have the green light, she recommends opting for shorter, more frequent walks to help reinforce the new behavior.

“Oftentimes, it is easier to carve out a shorter amount of time more frequently in a week than one much longer period of exercise,” she says. “In fact, you may find that the more frequently you exercise, the easier it is to build a habit—you may also find that your muscles feel less stiff due to increased frequency.”

That is the long (and short) of it, but the main takeaway is to move your body in whatever way works for you and your schedule.

Sound familiar? Well, sometimes the best way to get motivated to get moving is by harnessing the power of, well, a little movement.

That’s where Erica Hornthal, LCPC, BC-DMT, a board-certified dance/movement therapist and licensed clinical professional counselor, can help. She recently shared a handful of her go-to movements that help her when she finds herself stuck in a fitness rut on her Instagram account.

“These strategies come in handy when we are emotionally and cognitively feeling stuck, unmotivated, or out of options—also when we are in a state of hypo- or hyper-arousal and out of our ‘window of tolerance,’” she says. “These interventions work because of the mind-body connection.” Here, she shares how to use movement to get motivated when you want to work out but just aren’t feeling it.

1. Find a rhythm or beat and move to it

Simply swaying to music can potentially increase mindfulness, decrease psychological stress in the body by calming your nervous system, and enhance quality of life, according to a recent meta-analysis of the benefits of dance. So if you’re feeling too overwhelmed to exercise, a dance break may be just what you need.

2. Swing, sway, or rock a part of your body

If you’re in your head and feeling emotionally overwhelmed, this is a good way to drop into your body—by bringing your awareness to your physical form. It could be as small as tapping your toe. “Physical momentum influences cognitive motivation,” Hornthal says. “There is no ‘right’ way to move. It’s all about micro-movements because small movements lead to big changes.”

3. Shift your posture

It’s understandable that you don’t feel ready or inspired to move if you’re rounded, hunched, or otherwise holding your body in a way that makes movement feel inaccessible. But the opposite is equally as true, according to Hornthal. “Movement in the body influences connection and activity in the brain, which can create opportunity for new ideas, new perspective, focus, attention, and thoughts,” she says, so roll those shoulders back, stack your spine, and see if that doesn’t do something to your mood.

4. Pivot or change direction

“How we move influences how we think,” Hornthal says, “so when we are looking to change our thoughts, this is a simple way to create momentum which leads to motivation.” If you’re used to moving in one way all the time, consider trying activities that require you to move in different planes of motion. For instance, rather than always moving forwards, like when you’re walking, try an activity like tennis that forces you to lunge to the side. Not only can that change your perspective, but it can also help you avoid injuries and boost longevity.

5. Bring attention to your breath

“Allow it to guide your next move,” Hornthal says of your breath. This is one of the simplest forms of meditation. Just drawing your awareness to your inhalations and exhalations can silence whatever thoughts may be stifling your motivation, while at the same time calming your nervous system so you can bypass whatever motivational roadblocks get in your way.

“Bodies at rest stay at rest,” Hornthal says. “So the goal is to create momentum, which physiologically and psychologically leads to motivation. Movement in simple, small ways is the easiest way to create momentum.” Remember that next time you need a little extra oomph, and want to use movement to get motivated.

But while on the one hand, spending quality time with loved ones has its benefits, on the other, it can be challenging—and not just for folks navigating dysfunctional family dynamics, either. Even in healthy relationships, it can be hard to maintain your emotional equilibrium with so much extra stuff going on. Suddenly, things that’d normally not bother you—like your sister borrowing your sweater (without asking) or your mom commenting on your hair (again)—are enough to put you on edge… or tip you right over it.

This is super common. Fortunately, there are lots of ways to help calm down your nervous system when the holiday madness knocks it out of whack. Take breathing exercises, for example.

But in the heat of the moment, one of the best ways to reset is by taking what Erica Hornthal, LCPC, BC-DMT, a board-certified dance/movement therapist and licensed clinical professional counselor, calls a “bottoms up” approach through self-regulating exercises to calm down. “When our nervous system is stuck in a stress response, we can’t reason our way out of it—we have to feel our way,” she previously told Well+Good.

To that end, here are three simple self-regulating exercises Hornthal uses to calm down when she’s feeling fired up. And now, you can too.

1. Step away

“It is really important for me to get personal space, to breathe, to think, and to just be,” Hornthal says. “This entails taking a few minutes in my bedroom, office, closet, or even bathroom alone without any interruptions.”

2. Find your feet

Rather than adhere to the old adage of “putting your feet up” when she’s feeling stressed, Hornthal does the opposite in order to get grounded. “I make sure to put my feet firmly on the floor or a firm surface to maintain connection to myself, especially when others are demanding or expecting things from me,” she says. “It is important to ‘stand my ground’ and ‘stand on my own two feet.’”

3. Stretch out

As much fun as being surrounded by loved ones can be, being in such close proximity to so many people can also feel overwhelming to your body. In which case, it’s important to allow yourself to take up space.

“When I am surrounded by a lot of people, it’s easy for my body to become more confined and constricted,” Hornthal says. “Stretching, yawning, and reaching allows me to maintain expansion in my body, which translates to an open mind. This also helps me respond rather than react to my family.”

Try this stretch routine one Well+Good writer says feels like drinking a cup of chamomile tea: 

One challenge: Whether you’re using a rowing machine at home (like the Hydrow, Aviron or Ergatta), the gym, or a studio dedicated to rowing workouts, it’s common to experience wrist pain from rowing at some point, especially when you’re still getting the hang of your stroke.

“If people are feeling pain in their wrist, it is likely a technique issue—gripping the handle too hard, starting the stroke with a ‘pull’ of the arms first rather than a push of the legs, or finishing with the handle too high and flexing through the wrist,” says Michelle Parolini, CPT, a senior master coach for Row House. So working on your form is key.

“Step one: Check your grip,” Parolini says. “The handle should always be hanging in your fingertips with your arms hanging like cables.” By this she means they should be long, but with a bit of tension in them.

“Step two: Check the stroke sequence,” she says. “Pushing with the legs, opening the hips, and then finally pulling with the arms—arms should only be about 10 percent of the stroke.”

“Step three: Ensure that you’re bracing through your core and engaging the lats all the way through the finish. Your wrist should be in line with the forearm, elbows back and the handle stops at the sternum—not pulling too high, causing a bend through the wrists.” Parolini says to think about balancing a bottle of water on your wrist at the finish.

Want to row at home?

Hydrow Wave Rower — $1,545.00

Originally $1,695, now on sale for $1,545

Shop Now

Aside from form, Parolini has two more tips for addressing wrist pain from rowing

1. Strengthen your core and back muscles

Part of rowing with proper form involves making sure you’re engaging the correct muscle groups and not letting your wrists bear the brunt of all that force as you pull. “Strengthening through the core, including the lats, will help with core engagement on the drive,” Parolini says. “Bracing through the core will allow someone to hang from the handle rather than muscle it.”

Any core and back workouts will help you build strength in these areas, but Parolini particularly recommends band pull aparts to strengthen the lats. “They also allow for strengthening through the shoulder joint,” she adds. “And forearm planks will help train stabilization in the torso, something that’s critical for a strong drive.”

Here’s how to do a forearm plank with proper form: 

2. Stretch before and after workouts

Stretching is one of the best ways to make sure that your wrist joints—as well as the muscles and tendons surrounding them—maintain their proper length-tension relationships, meaning they’re all in their optimal positions and no part of the group is working harder than it should. There are three stretches that Parolini particularly likes for rowers.

1. Wrist extensor stretch: Bring the palms of the hands together in a prayer position. Slowly lift your elbows while lowering your hands toward your waist to stretch the underside of your wrist.
2. Figure-eights: Interlace your fingers. Keeping your elbows tucked into your sides, move your hands in a figure-8 pattern in both directions.
3. Finger stretches: Make a fist with both hands and squeeze as tight as possible, then open and spread your fingers as far apart as possible.

Aim to do at least 30 seconds of each stretch as part of a dynamic warm-up prior to hopping on your rower, and consider spending some dedicated time to stretching your wrists regularly.

This wrist workout is a good place to start: 

Another thing to add to your list? Exergaming.

Never head of it? No worries. “Exergaming is active gaming, or gaming that requires physical movement in order to play,” says Ryan Glatt, MS, CPT, NBC-HWC, a brain health coach and the director of the FitBrain program at the Pacific Neuroscience Institute. “Common historical examples include Dance Dance Revolution and the Nintendo Wii, while more modern examples include virtual reality exergames and those on platforms like the Nintendo Switch.”

The benefits of exergaming

Exergames can have a broad array of benefits depending on the population in question, according to Glatt. “For older adults with or without neurological conditions like Parkinson’s disease or cognitive impairment like dementia or mild cognitive impairment, exergames have been found to benefit cognition, mood, and motor functions like balance,” he says.

In 2019, a systematic review showed that open-skill exercise—any kind of exercise that’s unpredictable, like exergaming—can improve certain cognitive functions compared to closed-skill exercise, such as predictable machines, he adds.

Exergaming is also a way to improve your dual-task performance. “Dual-tasking is the simultaneous execution of two tasks that can be performed and measured separately,” Glatt explains. “Dual-tasking appears in more skill-based exercise modalities like sports, dance, martial arts, and mind-body exercise.” These can have a host of brain and body benefits, he says.

Anyone can benefit from better dual-task capabilities, but research shows that it’s particularly helpful for older adults and people with attention deficits.

How often you need to exergame for better brain health

While brain health becomes more of a concern as you get older, the earlier you start strengthening your neural and cognitive functions—and the more consistently you do so over your lifetime—the better chance you have of keeping your mental faculties intact. Ideally, Glatt says he’d like to see more research on the benefits of exergaming in healthy populations.

Still, it’s clear that consistency is key when it comes to making any meaningful changes to your mind or body. The more regularly you play exergames over a long period of time, the better chance you have of reaping their benefits.

“There was a systematic review in 2017 that found that a minimum of 12 weeks, with 60 minutes per week of exergaming was required to sustain cognitive benefits in attention, executive functions, and visuospatial skills,” Glatt says. “More research is needed to understand of what combination of exergames is needed to obtain certain goals, and for whom, and how long these benefits last.”

Why training your brain while you train your body could be the future of fitness

One of the easiest, most effective ways to change your behavior is by habit stacking, meaning pairing a new routine with one you already do. So a potentially simple way to get more people exergaming is by combining this type of mental training with the physical training they’re already doing. To this end, the American Council on Exercise, one of the largest personal trainer certification programs in the country, tapped Glatt to create a brain health trainer course for its members.

“There was no other sound information on brain health and exercise that was really applicable,” Glatt says. “I hope that by trainers learning about how the brain ages, the fundamentals of neuroscience, the effects of exercise on the brain and how this informs programming, they can be a crucial force in fighting the epidemic of neurodegenerative diseases from a prevention standpoint.” Certainly something to think about.