Today we’ll be talking about the best post-running stretches. How do you stretch your quads while standing? Which stretch relaxes both your arms and abs at the same time? How do you do lunges with a stretching modification? We’ll talk all about this AND more…

Stretching Your Quads While Standing

This stretch will help your front thigh muscles, while giving more flexibility to your hip flexors. This standing quad stretch works on the large fleshy muscle group covering the front and sides of your thigh. 

For this, you will need to start with your feet apart as wide as your hips. Once in position, bring your right heel up to your butt by bending your leg.

Now grab your foot and pull it as close to your butt as you can. You will feel a stretch, but make sure you don’t pull too much. It will start to hurt if you do. If you want to get a much deeper stretch, you can push your hip forward.

You need to make sure you remain standing straight throughout the exercise. Hold your position for 30 seconds and move to the other leg.

Stretching Your Arms And Abs At The Same Time

It’s important to stretch your abs after a good running session. The abdominal muscles require some relief. At the same time, you can work on your arms and shoulders as well. To start the stretch, you need to keep your feet apart as wide as your hip, and put your left foot across your right.

Now put your arms over your head and grab your left hand’s fingertips or the wrist with your right hand. Bring your shoulders down and lean towards your right as much as you can without forcing any pain. Stay that way for about 30 seconds and repeat on the other side.

The Classic Lunge But With A Modification

This variation on the lunge will help you with your quads, calves and hip flexors. Once again, stand with your feet apart as wide as your hips, but bend your knees a bit. Lean forward and put the palms of your hands against the floor on either side of your feet.

Now, bend your right knee while you stretch the left foot behind you. Make sure your foot remains on the floor. Once in position, bring your hips down slowly while feeling the stretch. You can do this for 30 seconds, then switch to the other side.

Stretching Like A Butterfly

This stretch can open up your hip and also help your gait. For this, you will be sitting on the floor. Bring the ends of your feet together so that your knees are now spread to the sides. You will essentially be like a butterfly.

Now bring the heels as close as you can while ensuring your back remains straight. Bend forward as much as you can until you can get a stretch.

Stretching Your Calf While Standing

Your calf and shins need as much stretching after a running session as the rest of the body. This exercise can help with that. You’ll need the support of a wall to do this one. Stand in front of the wall and place your hands on it. This will be at the same height as your eye level.

Keep your left foot slightly in front of your right in a relaxed manner. Your feet need to be firmly against the floor. Now bend your left knee and lean forward. Make sure you’re bending your elbows to the wall. Push into the wall with all your strength in order to feel the stretch. Pause the stretch for 30 seconds and repeat with the other leg.

Stretching Your Iliotibial (IT) Band

This particular stretch can help with the IT band, the tissue that goes from your thigh to knee. It’s one area that’s always injured among runners. For this, you will need to stand straight and cross your legs, with your right foot in front of your left.

Raise your arm towards the sky while keeping your left by your side. Now try to reach over with your right arm over your head, and to the left. Essentially, your left arm would end up much lower on your leg. You can stop when you feel a stretch. Remain in that position for 30 seconds and change sides.

Stretching Your Hamstring

A tight hamstring can lead to a serious injury, so it’s important to stretch them out. For this, you will need to lie down on your back. Bend your right leg and put your hands behind the thigh. Slowly straighten your leg and pull it in your direction.

Flex the heel while you do that. You’ll be able to feel a stretch in your thigh, especially in the back side. You can stay in this position for 30 seconds before switching to the other leg.

Stretching Your Spine

When you run on a regular basis, it can have an impact on your posture. You can do this stretch to help straighten your back muscles so you can remain vertical. To begin this stretch, sit on the floor while keeping your legs crossed.

Put your right hand on the floor behind your right hip. While making sure your foot remains on the floor in front of you, bend the right knee until it reaches your chest. Once in position, get your left arm straight and on to your side while pushing yourself forward.

Twist the body to look behind you. In this position, your left elbow would be on top of your right knee. Hold this position for about 30 seconds and then switch sides.

Stretching Your Triceps While Standing Up

Even though running is mostly about the legs, your upper body also plays an important role. For instance, your triceps need to be stretched too, as you would also be using your arms while running.

For this stretch, stand up and bring your right arm over your left shoulder, putting it across the chest. Use your left hand to pull the right elbow towards your shoulder. Make sure you’re not doing this too hard. Once you reach the shoulder, hold the position for about 30 seconds and switch sides.

Downward Dog

When you use the downward dog stretch, you’ll be able to work on a number of muscles such as your delts, glutes, hamstring, triceps and even your back. To do this, you will need to get on all fours while ensuring the hands are under the wrists.

Once in position, push towards the floor using the hands while getting your legs straight. At the same time, lift your butt towards the ceiling. Arch your hips and push into your hands. Do this while lengthening your spine as well as the tailbone.

You will need to spread your weight equally on both sides, while making sure there’s a bit of a gap between your arms and ears. Hold this position for around 60 seconds.

Lying-Down Stretch

With this stretch, you’ll work on your glutes as well as your outer hips. To do this, lay with your back on the floor. Bend your right knee and put the knee on your left thigh. It should be placed just above the knee.

Now grab your left thigh by interlacing your fingers and pull the thigh towards your chest. Your legs will end up looking like the number four. Hold this position for about 60 seconds before switching sides.

Inner Thigh Stretch

The inner thigh stretch is good for stabilizing your hip and knee joints. Inner thigh stretches also tone and strengthen your legs. For this very simple stretch, you first need to stand with a very wide stance. 

Next, bend your right knee as you shift your entire body right until you feel a stretch in your left inner thigh. Hold this position for an entire cycle of relaxation breathing. Next, shift your weight to the other side. Repeat the stretch with the left leg. 

The post 12 Best Post-Running Stretches first appeared on Bestie.

After years of being confined to martial arts gyms and football training rooms, weighted battle ropes are finally entering the mainstream. And that means it’s time to add them to your fitness routine. Today we will tell you the best battle rope exercises and the benefits of doing it regularly. From exercises like inside circle, jumping power slams, battle ropes fly whip to benefits like improved balance, better heart health and increased mental toughness and more, read till the end to learn about all of them. 

Battle Rope Waves

The battle rope wave is the most classic battle rope exercise. It’s great for blasting fat, getting lean, and building muscle particularly in the biceps, forearms, shoulders and core.

Grab the battle ropes with a neutral grip and position your body so there is some slack in the ropes. Get into an athletic stance and bring your arms out in front of you like you are driving a horse and buggy.

Bring your right arm up and flick your wrist like you are throwing the rope up and away and then bring your arm down. As your right arm is coming down, bring your left arm up and do the same motion. Keep alternating right and left as you create undulating waves down the rope. Be sure to keep your elbows in to keep the movement at the biceps. This will allow you to not burn out as quickly. Do this for 5 sets of 30 seconds each.

Inside Circle

This exercise is great for your arms, shoulders, upper chest, lats, traps, and all the scapula stabilizer muscles. It promotes strengthening of your postural muscles, helping to combat society’s ever present tech neck and rounded shoulder issue.

Of course, it is also great for your legs, glutes and abs, as they need to work in an isometric fashion to keep your upper body stable.

Grab the battle ropes with a neutral grip and position your body so there is some slack in the ropes. Get into an athletic stance and bring your arms slightly out in front of you.

From here, create a big inward circle motion with both hands simultaneously. Your arms will move outward and then inward to create the circle counterclockwise. When both hands reach the middle, they will be about a hand width away from each other, they should not come in contact. Continue this circular motion with your arms for 2 sets of 30 seconds each.

Jumping Power Slams

Jumping power slams offer a total-body plyometric burn that tires your muscles out fast.

Stand with feet shoulder-width apart in a quarter squat, facing the anchor. Hold one side of the rope in each hand, then lower the battle ropes down to your sides with your arms extended. Lower into a squat, tighten your core, and then explode into the air, jumping high, while raising both hands overhead. As you land softly back down into a squat, forcefully slam the ropes onto the ground in a wave motion. Repeat 30 seconds, then rest for 30 seconds. Do 3-4 sets.

Squat To Shoulder Press

Strengthen your shoulders as you work your lower body and core, too. This movement is especially beneficial for barbell athletes because it uses the same muscles as the thruster or clean and jerk. Instead of going for HIIT-style for this movement, focus on form. When your form starts to break, it’s time to stop.

Start with your feet slightly wider than hip-width apart. Hold the ropes on your shoulders, making sure that there is very little slack in the rope itself. Lower down into a squat. As you stand back up, simultaneously press the ropes overhead to straighten your arms. Then, in one fluid motion lower the ropes back to the tops of your shoulders as you sink back into a squat. Repeat for 10-20 reps, rest for 60 seconds, then repeat for 3-4 sets.

Alternating Jump Wave

Finish up arm day with a little full-body workout action that requires solid coordination and power. You’ll feel it in your shoulders, arms and back, while the squats target your glutes and legs, too.

Stand with your feet hip-width apart and grab one side of the rope with each hand. Place both hands to the right side of your hips and drop down into a squat. Explode off the ground as you swing the ropes up and over to the outside of your left hip, landing softly back into a squat. Continue alternating swings as you do jump squats for 30 seconds, then rest for 30 seconds. Do 3-4 sets.

Battle Ropes Fly Whip

The whip is another popular movement for battle ropes. The whipping movement is sort of like an explosive rear delt fly to chest fly. As such, your arms, shoulders, chest, traps, and rhomboids will be emphasized the most. With the Whip, you will essentially be creating horizontal waves.

Grab the battle ropes with a neutral grip and position your body so there is some slack in the ropes. Get into an athletic stance and extend your arms up to about sternum level with a slight bend in your elbow. Whip the ropes in a horizontal outward motion away from each other while keeping your elbows fixed. When your elbows are about in line with your shoulders, whip the ropes back inward towards each other through the same path of motion.

As your arms come to your centerline, don’t bang your hands together, whip them back out immediately. Keep your arms up at about upper ab level as you continue this horizontal outward and inward motion for the duration of the set. Do 3-4 sets of 60 seconds each in one go.

Single Arm Plank Waves

The plank exercise by itself already does a great job of targeting your core, particularly the deep, supporting muscles of your transverse abdominis. The single-arm plank waves take the challenge up a notch by requiring you to maintain a plank position while balancing on one arm and controlling a lateral wave with the battle rope with your opposite arm. Remember, you’ll need to perform the exercise to each side, so complete a set with your right arm, then switch to your left side.

Set up in a high plank position with your palms under your shoulders, your legs fully extended, and your body forming a straight line from your head to your heels. Shift your weight slightly to the left side and grab the right end of the rope with your right hand. WIth your hips square to the ground and feet out wide, begin whipping your right arm outward, then inward, creating a lateral, snake-like wave along the right half of the rope. Your hand should remain lifted, but it’s fine if the rope itself touches the ground. Perform a full set of 10 reps before switching sides.

A Few Benefits Of Doing Battle Rope Exercises Regularly:

Explosive Full Body Workout

By nature of design, the exercises you perform with battle ropes work your entire body in a dynamic, explosive manner. Not every piece of fitness equipment can say that.

Battle ropes are revered for their strength and conditioning ability. It’s a total body workout for strength, hypertrophy, endurance, power, and cardiovascular health all in one long, thick rope.

Great For Burning Fat And Building Muscles

Cardio exercises like biking or running have long been surefire methods for fat burning. However, battle ropes can be strenuous enough to increase your heart rate and shed some fat.

Additionally, the ropes are amazing for building muscle since they are typically heavy enough to provide substantial resistance. Both an elevated heart rate and the building of muscle will aid in fat loss.

Improve Balance

Since the ropes are great at building your core and legs, you’re likely to see an improvement in balance in your everyday life. Furthermore, since this workout is a total-body movement, you might even see some refinement and correction in the symmetry of your body.

It is common for our bodies to favor muscle building on one side or in a particular group. However, battle ropes can help fix these balance-inhibiting occurrences, such as a larger right bicep.

Increases Mental Toughness

We all go through it but hate to admit it: there are gym sessions in which we find ourselves out of focus and feeling mentally weak. Any workout that requires a strong body also requires a strong mind. Especially when used to build endurance, battle ropes may strengthen your mental toughness.

If you find yourself tiring out in your gym sessions even though you feel like you could go harder, this mental boost may be what you need. Furthermore, successfully using the battle ropes can be very empowering. This feeling of empowerment and strength can be incredibly helpful for giving each gym session your absolute all, resulting in huge gains.

Battle Rope Exercises Are Quick, Efficient Workouts

Battle rope exercises target multiple muscle groups at once. As such, you burn a lot of calories and work many muscles in a short period of time. Rather than spending a lot of time focusing on isolation exercises or single muscle groups, you can do intense total body exercises with battle ropes and get a more effective all-round workout in a fraction of the time. This is how you get into fantastic shape.

Of course, if you want to grow specific muscles, do what you must with dumbbells and the like, there’s nothing wrong with that. However, if you want a quick and effective workout, then battle ropes are one of the best training tools that exist for that. After a 20-30 minute battle rope workout, you will be toast.

Better Heart Health

Battle rope workouts are cardio times resistance training. It’s like doing a run and a weightlifting session at the same time. As long as you keep your rest time as it should, then your heart rate will stay elevated for the length of your battle rope workout. This will boost your cardiovascular health and your endurance, which will translate to better performance both with weightlifting and sports.

People with knee, hip and low back issues should use battle ropes for cardio as running puts stress on their joints. Whereas battle ropes are low impact and they still give you the same heart health benefits.

The post 7 Best Battle Rope Exercises And Their Health Benefits first appeared on Bestie.

And any exercise regimen that makes your body feel worse is probably not worth your time and energy. But you can’t write off Cardio from your workout routine completely as it’s very important for keeping you healthy. Luckily there are many good alternatives to running that can suffice your need for cardio. And today we will tell you what they are. From jumping jacks, swimming, boxing, hiking to jump rope and more, watch till the end to learn about all of them.

Cycling

Cycling is a great way to boost your cardio fitness and strengthen your quads, hamstrings, and glutes. You get all of these benefits, without putting a lot of pressure on your joints. You can do it indoors as well as outdoors, and the benefits will be the same. It’s an ideal workout because it’s not exactly a weight-bearing exercise, unless you’re riding out of the saddle. And it still works your leg muscles and core.

Rowing

This seated, pushing-and-pulling exercise works up a serious sweat. Plus, it also strengthens areas of the body that are often weak in runners, such as glutes, hamstrings, and both upper and lower back muscles. Incorporating rowing into your routine can build the backs of your legs, which can help prevent injuries in the future.

To start, sit with your feet in the stirrups and your knees bent about 90-degrees. Reach forward to grab the handle, then drive your legs back until they’re almost straight but not locked. Keep your back and abs tight as you lean your torso back. At this point, pull the handle to your ribcage by bending at the elbows. Finally, straighten your arms while you slide back into the starting position.

Tabata

The whole point of high intensity interval training is to push yourself so hard that your heart rate goes sky high instantly. Just try a few tabata rounds and see if you don’t notice a faster pulse. With tabata, you go at maximum effort for 20 seconds, rest for 10 seconds, and do eight cycles.

The key is pushing yourself hard in those 20 seconds. If you’re willing to put yourself through the ringer, your heart is going to be pumping a ton of blood through it and you’ll stay in the zone of an elevated heart rate the whole time, even during the rests. An example of this routine would be Push-ups for 4 minutes, Bodyweight Squats for 4 minutes, Burpees for 4 minutes and Mountain Climbers for 4 minutes.

Jumping Jacks

Jumping jacks don’t require any equipment, you can do them anywhere, and they are so simple they do them in elementary school gyms. Do them the standard way with arms going overhead, or cross your arms over your chest to improve shoulder flexibility.

It gets your upper as well as the lower body involved. Whereas something like cycling only uses your leg muscles. Do quick bursts of jumping jacks throughout a workout to spike up your heart rate.

Weighted Step-Ups

This isn’t as awful as it sounds. Okay, maybe it is, but at least we’re not making you carry a ton of weight. Grab some 5 or 10 pounds dumbbells and a sturdy box to step on. You will start to feel this burn fast.

Place your right foot on the box, then push yourself up using only your right foot so it’s straight and your left foot is off the ground. Then, pull your left knee up in the air for a high knee before lowering to the ground with your left foot first, followed by your right foot. Keep alternating sides.

Swimming

When you swim, you end up using every bit of energy you have to get from point A to point B. You also kind of trick your brain because you’re tiring out your body, but the water makes it tough to feel sweaty.

Plus the pool keeps your core temperature down, which means you might be able to last longer. Try doing alternate laps of easy paces and sprint paces to get your heart rate up while allowing you to stick it out in the pool.

Mountain Climbers

Mountain climbers are very effective and only require 30-second intervals of work. Start in a push-up position with your body in a straight line, then lift your right knee and pull it into your abs. Now, put your leg back down in the starting position. Then, lift your left knee into your abs. Repeat this motion as fast as you can for 30 seconds. Then take a well deserved break before you go again. And yes, you have to do this again for it to work.

Jump Rope

Probably the best cardio workout in town, jumping rope looks so simple — until you try it. It’s all about rhythm, so keep practicing until you find your groove. Start with one minute of double-hopping which is two bounces for every one rope swing, then progress to one-for-one style. Your goal: Build up to five straight minutes without stopping.

High-Intensity Training or HIIT

HIIT involves drills like sprints, lunges, and speed skaters with brief periods of rest in between. It keeps your engine revved after exercising, so you burn more calories than a workout at a steady, moderate pace.

But make sure you’re giving your body its deserved rest periods. You can’t push yourself hard enough if you’re not recovering fully between rounds. Plus, insufficient recovery results in overuse injuries and diminished results. What’s the right amount of rest? Catch your breath for at least half as long as you just worked.

Boxing

You don’t have to get in the ring against an opponent to knock out calories with boxing-style workouts. Hit a heavy bag, work with a partner, or just perform punch combos on air to smash through calories. Did you know that you can burn up to 800 calories per hour by doing it?

Stairs Climbing

Climb stairs from your basement to your attic, or up and down the apartment building stairwell, any place you can find at least 10 steps to scale, you’re golden. Do them speedy like a basketball player drill, do them every-other-step, or get crazy and try to hop up on one leg and back. Do it for five minutes, catch your breath, and then five more.

Rock Climbing

Sometimes, the best way to get your cardio is by going up. Indoor rock climbing is a unique way to get your sweat on, requiring as much strength as it does agility. You’re constantly moving and straining here, much like running.

But unlike running, your upper body doesn’t get even the slightest bit of rest. Your hands, forearm and grip muscles get taxed to the max while grasping handholds. And your back must constantly pull your torso towards the wall.

Hiking

If you have a few hours, hit a trail and go for a hike. You won’t move as fast as you might if you were running, but you’ll still burn plenty of calories. Even better, you’ll be training your ankles, knees and hips to be resilient as they move across diverse, unpredictable terrain. You’ll also hone your balance and coordination more than you think.

Kettle Swings

There may not be a single weight exercise that blasts fat as effectively as the kettlebell swing. Each and every swing requires your body to be explosive, and has you alternately hinging at the hips and dropping your chest, then powering out of that position and working to exhale forcefully.

It’s an explosive act that can be repeated quickly and easily and done in a variety of different formats. Try doing kettlebell swings for 30 seconds on, 30 off, for 6 minutes. Or work for 45 on, 15 off for 6 minutes. Expect to be drenched in sweat — all without ever leaving your living room.

Lunge Jumps

This is just what it sounds like and it will get your heart racing in no time. Start with your feet together, then jump into a lunge with one foot in front of you and the other behind you. Make sure that your knee doesn’t go over the front of your toes. Then jump, switching your legs in the air and landing back in a lunge position. It’s a simple exercise but it does the trick as long as you’re not cheating by not getting low enough.

Walking On An Incline

Pump the treadmill up as high as it can go — some get all the way to 30 degrees — and start walking on it to get your heart rate soaring instantly. It pushes your legs and lungs without the pounding of running.

That means this is a great form of cardio if you need to save your knees or hips. Don’t hold on to the side bars and when you start to get tired, make sure you don’t slouch over. Start out at a 3.2 to 4.0 speed, which will be plenty, and see if you can make it 15 minutes.

While these exercises are a great way to burn fat without necessarily running, what you eat and how you live your life also contributes towards your weight loss goals. 

The post 16 Cardio Exercises You Can Do If You Hate Running first appeared on Bestie.

Can it increase your strength? How about helping you sleep? Wait a second, can running help you get better results? We’re talking about all that and more…

That’s right, a good night run can help your workout as a whole.

There’s just something about running under the stars on a nice evening. It’s so peaceful. You don’t have to worry about all the ruckus from traffic or other forms of noise. You can just enjoy your run. 

The best atmosphere for working out is one that’s quiet. It allows you to concentrate. There’s sometimes nothing more annoying than having to exercise in an area that is cluttered with people. It’s so distracting, you’ll often feel like you can’t get anything done. 

Believe it or not, there are actually scientific benefits to running at night. After the sun goes down, it gets cooler. Running in cooler temperatures gets your organs working. Since your body is working harder to keep you warm, you break a sweat much easier and burn more calories. 

There are also studies that show muscular function and strength peak in the late hours of your day. This means your body will give the maximum amount of effort during physical performance, giving you the best possible results for your workout. 

Night running can keep you well-nourished.

Morning runs can give you an energy boost to kick your day off. The only problem is you may not be properly nourished. A lot of people have trouble eating the right amount of food before their morning workout. Some people don’t even eat breakfast. This is a different situation if you run at night. 

By this time in the day, you’ve probably had your lunch and dinner. This should supply your body with enough fuel to get you through your run. If you’ve eaten a fatty meal, your body will be able to use that for energy. 

Not a morning person? A good night run can make your mornings better.

Like I said, running in the morning has its own benefits, but you have to be in the right frame of mind to carry through with it. A rough morning can set the tone for your entire day. Running at night can help make your morning less stressful. 

A lot of people get their morning run in before they have to go to work. This leaves you rushing to meet your schedule on time. If you feel like you’re falling behind, you’re going to be stressed out. If you take care of your run at night rather than the morning, you’ll feel a lot better throughout the day.

You earn that late night snack.

Many of us rummage through the fridge late at night with zero reason. We’re just hungry and need something to tide us over until morning. The problem is you’re eating just before going to bed, which means you’re packing on extra pounds. Laying there, with 500 extra calories in your stomach won’t do a whole lot of good for your body. This is one of the main causes of obesity. 

If you’re one of those late night eaters, what you want to do is go for a run beforehand. This gives you an excuse to have a snack later in the evening. When we workout, our body needs time for muscle recovery. This recovery is improved when we get the right nutrition. 

This doesn’t mean you can eat just anything. I mean, it’s probably not good to eat an entire pizza by yourself before hitting the sack. Dietitians recommend a person eats a good mix of both carbohydrates and protein. This should happen within an hour of their workout. This way, your muscles get the proper recovery. 

If you want something simple, you should go for a bowl of carrots. There’s also a mix of yogurt and granola. In the mood for some fruit? Have a banana or a pear. Something light will keep your stomach satisfied overnight. 

Running at night makes you more social.

A cool late night jog doesn’t just benefit your physical health, it also does wonders for you mentally. A lot of us are coming out of this pandemic not having seen our family or friends in a couple years. This has left so many people lonely.

A healthy run at night allows people to gather. Most folks are way too busy during the day to exercise, or spend quality time with their friends. Running at night lets you kill two birds with one stone. You get to work out together all while catching up. 

Not only will you have a chance to socialize, you will also have someone who can push you to your limit. If you don’t feel like running that night, this person might be able to talk you into it. This way, you get the most out of your workout. 

You will run faster at night.

Now this one might sound a little weird, but just go along with it for a second. People generally run faster at nighttime. This is because you’re way more alert when out at night time than during the day. Just hearing the trees rustle can have you alarmed. Have you ever been out at night and wondered, “Am I being chased right now?” Just the thought is enough to make you pick up the pace. 

Once the idea of something being behind you has been planted in your head, you’ll run like the wind. Researchers have found that people who run when it’s dark out tend to run faster over a 10km length. 

The faster you run, the quicker your heart has to work to keep up. This allows you to burn more calories, and lose weight.

Night running is a form of meditation.

Like I said, night running can assist your mental health just like it can with your physical health. It’s a peaceful way to unwind after a rough day. Think about it, there’s fewer cars and pedestrians traveling around, especially if you’re living in a suburban or rural area. 

When you run at night, it’s quiet enough for you to organize your thoughts. This is something a lot of us can’t do during the day. Our schedules are just too hectic. 

The most important aspect of meditation is breathing. When you run, your breathing is obviously different from when you’re sitting quietly in your home. But breathing can still benefit you while running. All you need to do is follow a specific rhythm while you process your thoughts. 

Even if you’re not the meditating type, a good run in the late hours of the night is the perfect distraction from all your worries. 

Night running allows you to run more consistently.

The quality of your run is actually improved when you do it at night. Think about it, you’ve already been up the entire day. You’ve had hours to prepare for your run. This isn’t like the early morning, where you’re still stuck in bed, and just getting yourself up is a struggle. 

If you’re prepared to run, it’s much easier to stick to a workout schedule. This way, you’ll be able to run on a nightly basis, and at a more consistent time. If you’re super disciplined, you’ll get so consistent that you’ll be running at the same hour every night. 

Night running can help you sleep better.

This is the big one for all you non-sleepers out there. In fact, it’s important for most adults to hear this. Running at night, even if it’s just a light jog, can help you sleep better. 

Experts say that a person usually needs between 7 to 9 hours of sleep a night. Research has shown that close to 1 in 3 American adults are not getting the proper rest they need. Most are falling asleep for a little less than 6 hours. This is enough to have you nodding off in the middle of day. 

Now the idea of running at a later hour might spook a few people. I mean wouldn’t your endorphins shoot through the roof? Wouldn’t your adrenaline be pumping? When you exercise at night time, you’re actually preparing your body to rest. Have you ever finished a run and felt really tired? This is the effect it’s supposed to have on you. You’re wearing your body out for the day. 

Sleeping is especially good after a run if you take a hot shower after your exercise. It helps with the winding down process and relaxes the body. 

Say goodbye to your stiff muscles.

Remember when I said that night running can help your muscles recover. Well this isn’t just post workout. If you’ve had a good sleep, your muscles and joints will feel so much more flexible. 

Another reason why so many people can’t run in the morning is because they’re joints feel stiff. This happens more as you get older. Sometimes, your are so sore, you’ll question whether you even want to get out of bed. 

If you wait until nighttime for your daily run, you’ve given your muscles enough time to recover. This makes it a lot easier to move your body. It’s almost like a cycle. As a result of running at night, your muscles won’t be in as much pain, allowing you to continue running at night and working your muscles.

Whether you’re doing it at night or during the day, exercise is crucial. Not just cardio, but strength training too.

The post 10 Hidden Benefits Of Night Running Every Day first appeared on Bestie.

If you fall into the second category, this article if just for you. What if a small pill the size of a button on your pants did all the hard work of physical exercise while you sat on the couch enjoying a pizza?

Today we’ll talk about the possibility of an “exercise pill,” which researchers think could make a big difference in the lives of people who can’t exercise because they are either obese or have trouble physically moving.

Time To Break The News To The Exercise Haters.

Regular physical activity or exercise can help you live a healthier, happier life regardless of age. Studies have found that regular exercise lowers the risk of long-term diseases like heart problems, pulmonary issues, diabetes, and cancer.

A daily walk to the park or garden for a few minutes might do wonders for your health, and you don’t even need to hit the gym. However, for those who despise the gym, dislike exercise, or are too lazy to go for a morning walk, a wonder pill may just do all the hard work for you.

Scientists have made significant progress towards pillizing the advantages of exercise. Researchers have found mice produce chemicals in the blood when they work out that help them eat less and lose weight, and there is a possibility of reproducing this in humans.

Let’s See If There Is A Need For An Exercise Pill.

Exercise pills could be the solution for people unable to exercise for whatever reason. For them, it is nothing but a matter of popping a tablet into their mouth—no more spending hours at the gym or the need for a trainer. 

While the idea of an “exercise pill” may appeal to couch potatoes, long-distance truck drivers, and stressed-out office workers, researchers believe it can potentially transform the lives of people unable to exercise due to obesity or physical disabilities.

Now Let Us Understand How The Concept Of The Wonder Pill Started.

For the scientists working on the pill, the molecular mechanisms of exercisers have long been a mystery, so a team of researchers set out to learn and discover more about them.

A modified amino acid called Lac-Phe turned out to be the most strongly stimulated molecule in the blood plasma of mice after intense treadmill exercise. To make this molecule, the scientists, after conducting a series of experimental studies, combined lactate (a waste product of a strenuous activity that causes muscles to burn) and phenylalanine (an amino acid that is one of the building blocks of proteins).

Let’s Take A Look At What The Researchers Inferred From The Study.

The modified amino acid known as Lac-Phe is the most strongly stimulated molecule. When they administered the molecule to experimental mice, researchers discovered that mice with diet-induced obesity consumed less food on average. 

The study ran for over 12 hours by the time the mice received a high dose of Lac-Phe compared to normal mice. Their energy and mobility remained unaltered throughout this time. After being administered for 10 days, Lac-Phe significantly reduced total food consumption to about 50 %, lowering the body weight while improving glucose tolerance.

They also discovered an enzyme known as CNDP2 that contributes to the synthesis of Lac-Phe. They found that the normal mice lacking this enzyme did not lose as much weight during exercise as the control group did.

Who Would Gain The Most From An Exercise-Benefiting Pill?

Interestingly, researchers discovered that racehorses and humans significantly increased their plasma Lac-Phe levels after engaging in strenuous physical activity. According to the findings of a human exercise cohort study, the most dramatic increase of plasma Lac-Phe was through sprint exercise, followed by resistance training, and then endurance training. 

Meaning Lac-Phe is a system maintained over time. It regulates food and connects with physical activity in various animal species.

The next step for the researchers will be to investigate the mechanism by which Lac-Phe mediates its effects throughout the body, particularly in the brain. This exercise pathway is currently undergoing studies to see if scientists can adjust it for therapeutic purposes.

Researchers believe that a pill that provides the benefits of exercise can aid the elderly or those unable to exercise enough to lower their risk of osteoporosis, heart disease, and other conditions.

Physical exercise is nature’s way of staying fit and healthy. Yet, We need to understand that some cannot exercise due to physical limitations.

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