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BY ROBERT J. DAVIS, PH.D. - with Brad Kolowich, Jr. How Much Water Do You Really Need to Drink When You Exercise? https://greatist.com/sites/default/files/styles/article-main-large-752/public/Hydration%20Explainer.jpg?itok=jLgzQa_Z Adapted from the new book Fitter Faster, in which health journalist Robert J. Davis and celebrity fitness trainer Brad Kolowich, Jr., answer your burning fitness questions and show you how it's possible to get in shape in just minutes a day. We're always hearing how important it is to drink enough water. Among other things, we’re told to down at least eight glasses of water per day and "to stay ahead of your thirst” before, during, and after exercise to avoid dehydration, which impairs performance and is harmful to your health. But it turns out, all this advice lacks sound scientific backing. Research shows we usually get enough water through foods (which supply about 20 percent of our water) and beverages (including coffee, soda, and alcoho...

There Are 6 Types of Body Fat – Here’s What You Need to Know About Them Getty Images Despite what fad diets and catchy headlines would lead you to believe, fat is not all the same. And you need to stop treating it that way. So if you operate by a “fat is fat and fat is bad” sort of mentality, it’s worth taking a few minutes to get to know your fat. Here, experts (including a fat researcher!) share what you really need to know about fat on your frame—especially if you’re  trying to lose weight , get healthy, or live longer: 1. ESSENTIAL FAT What It Is:  The fat you need to live. “Essential fats help regulate body temperature, vitamin absorption, cell structure, and hormones such as fertility hormones,” explains Naureen Sajwani, R.D., a clinical dietitian at  Weiss Memorial Hospital  in Chicago. “Essential fat is found in many parts of the body including nerve membranes, bone marrow, and membranes protecting body organs. Essential fat is neither subcutaneo...

3 Breathing Exercises Older Adults Should Do Every Day Getty Images Let’s try a little experiment. Stand with your side facing a mirror, and take a big, deep breath. What moved? Your chest or your stomach? Chances are, your chest. And that’s exactly why you need to incorporate breathing exercises into your daily routine. When you breathe “with your chest,” the muscles of the chest, back, and neck contract to draw air into the lungs. But when you breathe “with your stomach,” the diaphragm—a large muscle between your chest and digestive organs—contracts to accomplish the same thing … only better. “The diaphragm is much stronger than the chest muscles and over two times as efficient at bringing air into the lungs,” explains Ray Casciari, M.D., a pulmonologist at St. Joseph Hospital in Orange, California. After all, if your chest is the only thing moving with each breath, you’re only filling the very top of your lungs with the oxygen your body needs to survive and thrive. Res...

7 Exercises to Improve Core Strength February 28, 2017 Developing core strength is essential for everyday health and well-being, as a strong core protects the spine, reduces back pain, enhances movement patterns, and improves balance, stability and posture. There are many methods for developing core strength, as well as various pieces of equipment that assist in that development. However, there are plenty of exercises that require only body weight or basic equipment. The most important thing to remember when training the core is to avoid using momentum and instead perform each exercise with awareness so that the core is actually braced or engaged. The following seven exercises can be added to your current workout routine. If some of these exercises feel too challenging, try the regressed version given in italics. If the featured equipment is not available, use your own body weight.  BOSU Bird Dog Focus:  Core stability How to Perform:  Set your right k...

Over the past 30 years, stretching has transitioned from a must-do before exercise, to a must-do after exercise to a shunned exercise. Today, however, some are promoting it as an effective injury-prevention practice. So, does stretching prevent injury? A short disclaimer before we delve too deeply into this question: No practice or modality truly  prevents  an injury. All sports and activities have inherent risks and some injuries are unavoidable. But a proper  warm-up before activity  (which may or may not include stretching) is the best way to reduce the risk of injury. To answer the million-dollar question above, we must also define “stretching” because static, dynamic and ballistic stretching each differ from one another. Further, how trainers utilize stretching in training or pre-competition (versus research protocols) also differs. Research over the last 10 or more years suggests that stretching does not positively affect injury risk. Additionally, res...