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Feeling weak when dieting and exercising may signal a health issue. Image Credit: Pixland/Pixland/Getty Images Occasionally everyone feels a random bout of weakness during a diet and exercise regime, because it’s the body’s way of rebooting or adjusting to the workload. But according to the National Federation of Professional Trainers, feeling chronically weak or fatigued during dieting and exercise for a sustained time may signal an infection, illness or other serious health-related condition....

Like caffeine, panax ginseng is sometimes used to provide a mental boost. Image Credit: sommail/iStock/Getty Images Caffeine and ginseng extract are two ingredients that commonly appear in energy drinks. While both compounds have been linked to increased sensations of alertness and mental acuity, the manner in which each one affects the body is considerably different. Talk to your doctor about the possible benefits and contraindications of taking ginseng or caffeine....

When you walk in your home and leave on your shoes, you could track in dirt, dog poop and germs. Image Credit: LIVESTRONG Creative How Bad Is It Really? sets the record straight on all the habits and behaviors you’ve heard might be unhealthy. Most people have pretty strong opinions about wearing shoes at home. If you’re a part of Team Shoes-On, you might think foregoing footwear indoors is uncomfortable or even inconvenient....

After arthroscopic shoulder surgery, following your doctor's orders is key to faster recovery. Image Credit: SDI Productions/E+/GettyImages Nearly every type of shoulder surgery can now be done arthroscopically with small incisions, which is great news for anyone who needs the minimally invasive procedure. Like the surgery itself, recovery from arthroscopic shoulder surgery should be a lot quicker than conventional surgery. Advertisement "Shoulder arthroscopy is a tremendous advance in the way that we do things in that it allows us to gain access to all parts of the shoulder using small incisions and allows us to view parts of the shoulder and work on parts of the shoulder with a camera and specialized instruments," Samuel A....

Dancers are flexible and strong. Image Credit: Digital Vision./Digital Vision/Getty Images Dancers are known for being flexible and in good shape, and it is true that dancing offers a great workout and many health benefits. Not only does it work all major muscle groups, but it also requires coordination, flexibility and strength. Modern dancing or dance aerobics focus on coordination, while other forms of dancing, like ballet, are more focused on form....

Frozen vegetables are a healthy and affordable option for meals. Image Credit: Rena-Marie/iStock/Getty Images In-season vegetables add a garden-fresh flavor and texture to your meals and snacks, but during the off-season prices of fresh produce can put a strain on your wallet. According to the USDA’s ChooseMyPlate website, adults should eat between 2 and 3 cups of vegetables each day. When the cost of fresh vegetables breaks your budget, frozen varieties provide a convenient, affordable and nutritious option to help you meet your daily vegetable recommendations....

Cycling is an aerobic exercise. Image Credit: George Doyle/Stockbyte/Getty Images Cycling is classified as an aerobic exercise. Performing aerobic exercise can support cardiovascular health and improve the circulation of oxygen in the body. Cycling is a calorie-burning exercise that can simultaneously be used as a form of transport. Advertisement Types You can burn calories cycling in several different ways – stationary biking, road biking or mountain biking. The exact amount of calories you burn will depend on your starting weight and the intensity level of the exercise....

An office worker is sitting at her desk. Image Credit: Todd Warnock/Digital Vision/Getty Images For men and women with sedentary jobs, regular exercise is crucial to staying trim and preventing diseases. A sedentary job is defined as one in which you are seated and not moving for the vast majority of the workday. Sedentary people may need to work harder than those with active jobs to get enough exercise and find time for physical activity....

An exercise class lifting weights. Image Credit: Comstock/Stockbyte/Getty Images Lifting weights has many benefits when it comes to building muscle mass, strength and burning calories in a fat loss program. It also puts stress on your body, meaning you need to take breaks. Not only do you need short breaks between individual workouts, longer breaks at more infrequent intervals can also help you avoid injury and maintain your progress. Advertisement Rest Between Sessions A muscle group needs about 48 hours of rest between sessions according to personal trainer Chad Tackett....

A green smoothie in a blender. Image Credit: DragonImages/iStock/Getty Images Though many smoothies contain ice cream, sherbet, chocolate and other fatty and sugary ingredients, the refreshing treat doesn’t need to be a calorie bomb that supplies little in the way of nutrition. Instead, use a smoothie as a way to boost your intake of protein, fiber and essential vitamins and minerals. Incorporate a variety of nutrient-dense foods and vitamin supplements, and discover that it’s simple to prepare a healthy smoothie that also tastes delicious....

The reverse Nordic curl targets all your quad muscles, prevents injury and builds balance and stability. Image Credit: LIVESTRONG.com Creative In This Article Instructions Benefits Tips Modifications Progressions Add It to Your Workouts The reverse Nordic curl might sound like an Olympic winter sport, but it's actually one of the best quad-strengthening exercises you can add to your leg day arsenal. Advertisement While doing variations of squats, lunges and deadlifts is a must, one of the most notable benefits of the reverse Nordic curl is it offers the special benefit of eccentric strengthening....

Running distances can help slim your calves. Image Credit: fatchoi/iStock/Getty Images The best way to reduce the size of your calves depends on whether your calves are large because of fat or muscle. If your calves are fatty, you must reduce your overall weight by reducing the calories you consume and increasing the calories you burn through diet and exercise. If your calves are very muscular, you probably already exercise, so you will need to change your diet and alter your exercise routine....

1 of 12 Overview Watch any sprinter explode off the starting line and you're bound to be impressed by her toned glutes and chiseled legs as she blazes down the track to victory. The key training technique to such explosion, power and speed is plyometrics. A favorite exercise modality of explosive athletes, plyometrics uses forceful eccentric contractions to produce power. These movements train speed, strength and elasticity in the athlete's muscles....

These flavorful and healthy lentil recipes make great weeknight dinners. Image Credit: Alisa Chirva/iStock/GettyImages Sometimes overshadowed by beans and chickpeas, lentils definitely don’t get the credit they deserve. But these little legumes are high in nutrients, low in calories and easy to incorporate into just about any dish. Lentil recipes like lentil soup, lentil curry and lentil chili prove how simple weeknight meals can be. Advertisement At only 230 calories, 15....

The camel yoga pose is a great lumbar multifidus exercise. Image Credit: dusanpetkovic/iStock/GettyImages The multifidus muscle supports the spine and is an essential muscle in the back for providing strength despite its small size. Lumbar pain is a common condition, and multifidus exercises may be able to help provide some relief. Advertisement ​Read more:​ 5 Simple Exercises to Rehabilitate Your Back After an Injury Video of the Day What Is the Multifidus?...

Planks look easy, but they can be surprisingly hard to hold. Image Credit: PeopleImages/E+/GettyImages HIIT circuit, boot camp classes, strength training sessions — planks tend to find their way into almost every workout. And for good reason. Not only do they fire up your core, but your shoulders and legs, too. That’s why, to do them correctly, you need muscular strength and endurance from head to toe. Advertisement But why are planks so hard?...

If you make your granola at home, you can prep a nutritious low-sugar batch. Image Credit: JuliaMikhaylova/iStock/GettyImages Fruit comes with so many nutrients — vitamins, minerals, fiber — that it outweighs the fact that, yes, nature’s candy also contains sugar. Advertisement The sugar in fruit shouldn't be a turnoff — but knowing just how much sugar is in the foods you eat (even the healthy ones) can help make you more mindful of your intake....

Commit to Dry January to hit the reset button on your relationship with alcohol. Image Credit: LeoPatrizi/E+/GettyImages Dry January has been a thing for a while, but it feels like a Herculean effort. After all, if you’re like me, drinking has become a coping mechanism and a habit ingrained in my routine. Kids are in bed? Wine o’clock. It’s 5 p.m. on a Friday? Cheers to the weekend. Sunday morning? Mimosas with brunch....

Eat good protein such as chicken breast on the protein diet. Image Credit: istetiana/Moment/GettyImages Protein builds strong muscles and can help you feel more satisfied on fewer calories — so why wouldn’t you try a one-week protein diet? For those seven days, you won’t eat only protein, but you will eat quite a lot of it. Therefore, it’s important that you choose the healthiest sources. Advertisement Why Try a Protein Diet?...

Thanks to some ingenious recipe tweaking, you don’t have to give up your favorite pumpkin desserts. Image Credit: Sheri Silver While each of us may have different desserts come to mind when we think about autumn, we can all agree that a pumpkin dessert would be somewhere near the top of most everybody’s list — especially pumpkin pie. (What Thanksgiving table would be complete without it?) But if you take a look at the recipe on the back of the pumpkin puree can, one slice of pie serves up a whopping 20 grams of sugar, which will wreck your daily allowance....