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Strengthening your calves can improve your performance at physical activities like running or walking. Image Credit: Panuwat Dangsungnoen/iStock/GettyImages The calves have a reputation for being the hardest muscles to grow. But dedicated training can help you build strong, powerful calf muscles. Advertisement ​What Are Seated Calf Raises?​ They’re heel-lift exercises where you sit down and raise a weight using your calves. ​Calf Raise Muscles Worked:​ Your calves contain two separate muscles: the soleus and gastrocnemius (“gastroc” for short)....

Strengthening your core can help you recover after a hernia surgery and also keep future hernias at bay. Image Credit: FangXiaNuo/E+/GettyImages In This Article What Is an Inguinal Hernia? How to Exercise Core Exercises Exercises to Avoid If fitness is an important part of your life, chances are, you're wondering what your doctor will say about inguinal hernia surgery recovery time and exercise. While individual recovery time varies, you can expect to be up and moving around within a few weeks after surgery....

From a creamy squash soup to Instant Pot pho, you'll want to put your pressure cooker to the test on these. Image Credit: luchezar/E+/GettyImages Homemade soups are an easy way to serve a meal when time and ingredients are limited. The problem is, most soups require at least an hour of cook time for flavors to really develop. That’s where the Instant Pot comes into play. Advertisement The Instant Pot, or any pressure cooker, makes a soup taste like it's been simmering for 10 hours (when it's really just been an hour....

Build foundational strength at home with this upper-body workout. Image Credit: Shestock/Tetra images/GettyImages When you think “upper-body workouts,” you likely picture doing bench presses, biceps curls and shoulder presses in the weight room at the gym. But for beginners, stepping into the weight room for the first time can be a bit intimidating. Advertisement So if you're just starting out on your fitness journey and want to work out from the comfort of your own home (it's cheaper that way too!...

1 of 18 Overview It's tempting to hit the snooze button when your alarm goes off for your morning run. What will it take to get you to jump out of bed, throw on running shoes and head out the door? Different people are motivated by different things — from competition and commitment to a race to the physical and mental health benefits running provides. If you struggle with motivation — whether it's in the morning or at night — keep moving forward with your training program and find out what our experts suggest to keep you lunging toward the finish line....

Mix and match upper-body, lower-body and core exercises to create the perfect, 20-minute HIIT workout for you. Image Credit: FreshSplash/E+/GettyImages Next time you’re uninspired by your regularly scheduled workout, swap it out for a short-and-sweet HIIT circuit. To get you going, Mark Schneider, personal trainer at The Movement Minneapolis, offers this “choose your own adventure” workout plan. Advertisement Any combination of the following exercises will force you to engage your core and move outside your normal patterns, Schneider says....

Ninety-six percent of trainers offer balance training as a session option, according to a 2008 survey by the IDEA Health and Fitness Association. In other words, these fitness professionals are putting balance aids like the Bosu trainer to work, helping their clients coordinate muscles and nerves to balance on the type of unstable surface you can easily encounter in real life, but that’s not the only benefit Bosu trainers offer....

references Cleveland Clinic: "Chronic Pain" The Clinical Journal of Pain: "Association of pain and depression in those with chronic low back pain: the mediation effect of patient sexual functioning" Mayo Clinic: "Chronic pain can interfere with sexuality" Disability Studies Quarterly: "Chronic Pain as Fluid, BDSM as Control" Is this an emergency? If you are experiencing serious medical symptoms, please see the National Library of Medicine’s list of signs you need emergency medical attention or call 911....

There are many lesser-known foods with caffeine, including chocolate ice cream. Image Credit: tacar/iStock/GettyImages In This Article Coffee and Tea Soda and Other Soft Drinks Energy Drinks Chocolate (and Chocolate Products) Dessert Foods Caffeine-Fortified Foods Considerations Healthier Choices If you don't drink caffeine or just want to have less of it in the afternoon to ensure a good night's sleep, it's helpful to be able to identify foods with caffeine. Advertisement While some sources are obvious, others might surprise you....

Coenzyme Q10 (or CoQ10) is a popular supplement on pharmacy shelves, but the nutrient is also produced in your body and can be found in plenty of foods. Coenzyme Q10 helps produce energy and acts as an antioxidant by neutralizing harmful free radicals, protecting your body’s cells, per the Linus Pauling Institute. Video of the Day As you age, your body produces less and less of this vital compound — that's just one reason why some people choose to take supplements or make sure they're getting enough in their diets....

Peanut butter and jelly combine for a kid-friendly, nutritious sandwich that provides good nutrients along with good taste. Image Credit: KirbyIng/iStock/GettyImages Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches have a lot of upsides. Cheap, full of protein and easy to make, this all-American staple has health benefits galore to go along with its other positives. Advertisement Tip Peanut butter is an easy way to get protein and fiber into your kids. While jelly, jam and preserves contain sugar, they've also got fruit....

Energy drinks can be a quick fix, but it may be wiser to consider some healthier alternatives. Image Credit: Getty/Extreme Photographer Take a stroll through a college library during final exam week and what do you see? Most often, it’s sleep-deprived students battling endless pages of notes. And what’s powering their all-nighters? A giant energy drink can. Advertisement While college library vending machines are often stocked with a variety of energy drinks, they aren't the only consumers....

Treading water burns calories, builds endurance and strengthens your heart health. Image Credit: SolStock/E+/GettyImages In This Article Calories Burned Benefits Weight Loss Depending on your weight, fitness level and workout duration and intensity, you can burn roughly 300 to 450 calories (or even more!) treading water for 30 minutes. Ever get back from the beach or pool completely exhausted? A day in the sun can have that effect on you, but your time in the water is another major reason you’re so tired....

Some varieties of cherries contain more carbs per serving than others. Image Credit: Maria ?eras?menko/Hemera/Getty Images Keeping your blood sugar within target range remains a cornerstone of diabetes treatment. This involves monitoring and managing your carbohydrate intake. The American Diabetes Association encourages fruits, vegetables, beans and whole-grain foods as healthful sources of dietary carbohydrates. Cherries are a flavorful, versatile, healthful option for people living with diabetes. As with any carbohydrate-rich food, it’s important to take into account portion size when incorporating cherries into your diet to avoid a blood sugar spike....

If you don’t have access to any indoor space for your boxing workout, or if you would just prefer to train outside, there are options for outdoor punching bags. Because of the potential for weather damage from rain and snow, some types of punching bags work better outside than others. Materials Punching bags can be made of leather, vinyl or canvas. Leather is often a preferred choice for a heavy bag due to its durability and the way it feels when you punch it, but it isn’t the best choice for an outdoor bag....

Carb free diet for a week is not long enough to see results. Image Credit: Elena_Danileiko/iStock/GettyImages It’s pretty hard to exist in mainstream culture these days without hearing people extolling the virtues of a low-carb or carb-free diet. Naturally, you want to see what the buzz is about. No carbs for a week is about enough time to get your feet wet, but probably not enough to see any lasting results....

Close-up of a sprig of parsley on a dinner plate. Image Credit: sodapix sodapix/F1online/Getty Images Starvation is an extreme form of malnutrition. If your body doesn’t get the nutrients it needs, it won’t be able to maintain itself, grow properly and fend off disease. If you don’t eat, your body will deteriorate. First, your mental and physical performance start to suffer. Eventually, your body’s systems begin to shut down to conserve energy....

The caffeine in coffee can affect your muscles. Image Credit: momnoi/iStock/GettyImages Some people think that caffeine stunts muscle growth or that a negative relationship exists between coffee and muscles. The authors of a May 2015 report from ​Brigham Young University​ tested laboratory animals and showed that this ​catabolic​ (tearing-down) effect of caffeine soon disappears. You can also use the performance-enhancing properties of caffeine to create an ​anabolic​ (building-up) effect. Advertisement Tip Caffeine has many performance-enhancing effects, according to a January 2019 paper in ​Sports Medicine​....

If you experience symptoms after eating beef, you may have a food allergy or food poisoning. Image Credit: evrim ertik/iStock/GettyImages If you feel sick to your stomach after eating beef, several potential factors could be to blame. Symptoms including nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach cramps and indigestion could be caused by anything from food poisoning to a new allergy or food intolerance. Advertisement At some point in life, most people will experience an upset stomach or other gastrointestinal discomfort after eating....

Not enough research has been done on Plexus diet supplements to prove that they are effective for weight loss. Image Credit: Zing Images/DigitalVision/GettyImages It may seem like weight loss products and programs are everywhere, each one more enticing than the next. There’s a good reason for that: The weight loss and weight management market is a $100 billion industry and is projected to surpass $200 billion by 2023, Reuters reported....