Jigish Modi

T: The next time you go to the gym, take a look around: you’ll probably see all kinds of exercises, some good and some not-so-good. The unfortunate truth is that not all exercises are created equal. Some are incredibly effective at building muscle and melting fat; others are ineffective and can even do more harm than good. (Worse, the bad ones are sometimes very popular.) Read on for our list of the worst exercises — the ones you should avoid at all costs. If you currently have them in your exercise routine, try our alternatives, which are far more effective and take your body to the next level. 1. SITUPS AND CRUNCHES Situps and crunches are as old-school as it gets: You see them in PE class, boot camps and military training around the world. But get ready for some big news because these tummy exercises aren’t effective  or  good for you. Your core — which consists of your rectus abdominis, external and internal obliques, transverse abdominis, pelvic floor, ...

When you’re crawling under the covers tonight, should you think twice about putting on your favorite pajamas? A National Sleep Foundation  poll  reports that 12% of Americans sleep  au naturel  and studies are mixed on whether what you wear to bed matters. We waded through the research to provide some answers on the supposed benefits of sleeping in the buff. SLEEPING NAKED COULD … … Improve Your Relationship For couples, sleeping naked could increase relationship satisfaction. A  survey  of more than 1,000 adults found 57% of those who slept naked felt happy in their relationships (compared with 48% who wore pajamas). “If you and partner both sleep naked, the skin-to-skin contact will release the feel-good hormone [oxytocin],” says Fran Walfish, PsyD, a Beverly Hills, California-based relationship psychotherapist. Research   shows even non-sexual contact with the skin boosts levels of oxytocin. The hormone, also released duri...

You know  smoking has serious side effects , including increased risk of heart attack and stroke, lung cancer and chronic bronchitis. However, the side effects of low levels of physical activity haven’t been investigated as fully until now. New  research  published in JAMA Network Open found the health consequences of skipping exercise could be just as serious. HARDENING ARTERIES Researcher Dr. Kyle Mandsager, cardiologist at the Cleveland Clinic, tracked stress test data from 122,000 patients over almost two decades. While he wasn’t surprised that greater aerobic fitness was associated with a lower risk of death during the study period, a second finding was more startling: Those with the lowest levels of physical fitness had an increased risk of death comparable to or greater than more traditional risk factors like smoking. “While it may be a bit shocking to compare the risk of poor fitness with smoking, based on not just our study, but many years of...

Elite and professional athletes know habits off the court (road/track/rink/field/etc…) are just as important as the actual training. This is because secondary lifestyle habits such as stretching, diet, stress and sleep can heavily influence performance outcomes. Sleep is one habit elite athletes take very seriously; many go to sleep clinics, track sleep, have naps integrated into training schedules, and aim for 10–12 hours a day of shut eye. This attention is paid to sleep quality and quantity due to the known health, performance and body composition benefits good sleep provides and the harmful effects of poor sleep. Being in a chronically fatigued state is known to impair skill-based tasks as well as hinder endurance activities and increase risk of illness and injury. Acute fatigue can ramp up the inflammatory stress hormone cortisol, responsible for abdominal fat storage, hinders fuel utilization and impairs appetite control. This type of tiredness is also responsible fo...

When it comes to  weight loss , alcohol is an easy target since it’s full of so-called ‘empty calories’ — calories that come from food or drink sources with little-to-no nutrition. “The problem with alcohol is it supplies calories but doesn’t make you feel full — and can result in more mindless eating because it lowers your inhibitions,” explains Dr. Charlie Seltzer, a weight-loss specialist based in Philadelphia. Over time, a  150-calorie drink  can add up. That could be, in part, why every New Year many people swear off drinking for a month. The thinking goes that without  alcohol , you can ‘reset’ your body from a season of indulgence and even lose a few pounds in the process. But while #DryJanuary might look nice on paper, it isn’t completely necessary for weight loss — and going alcohol-free for a month doesn’t always unfold seamlessly in the real world, Seltzer says. Often, it can actually lead to overindulgence (and weight gain from poorer fo...

High-intensity interval training, kettlebells, CrossFit and other more extreme forms of exercise seem to get all the attention these days. But if you’re new to working out or are looking for something a little less intense, you may wonder: What’s wrong with a good, old-fashioned walking program? The answer: Nothing! Walking is an excellent form of exercise that can help you build fitness and help you lose weight (so long as you are  creating a calorie deficit , as with any form of exercise). In fact, it’s so beneficial that it’s worth adding to a healthy lifestyle even if you are already a regular, more advanced exerciser. Walking is free and easy on the joints, and there’s no special equipment or skills needed to do it. It offers so many incredible  health and fitness benefits , including boosting your immunity, strengthening your bones and even improving your sleep quality. READ MORE >  50 WAYS TO WALK MORE Walking is also a simple way to get...