Hi, I am Dollie Gary, from Rochelle Park. I am a housewife as well as a nutrition specialist by profession. I love to spend free time reading articles about health and fitness.
This chicken bruschetta dish is the perfect weeknight crowd-pleaser. It’s incredibly easy to put together and clean up is done faster than you can say, “bruschetta chicken!” You’ll love this tender baked chicken topped with the classic and fresh bruschetta ingredients—crusty sourdough, tomatoes, basil, balsamic, and mozzarella. Talk about delicious!
INGREDIENTS:
4 skinless chicken breasts, pounded until even
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Salt and freshly ground pepper
½ red onion, finely chopped
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 cup (4 oz/125 g) shredded mozzarella cheese
Fresh basil, for garnish
4 slices sourdough bread
INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat oven to 375℉ (190℃).
Combine red wine vinegar, olive oil, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper to taste, in a bowl. Then add chicken breasts and marinate for 18 to 20 minutes.
Add onion, tomatoes, and balsamic vinegar into a 9 by 13-inch (23 by 33-centimeter) baking dish and stir to combine. Place the chicken in the center of the dish and then place into the oven to bake for 20 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Top the chicken with shredded mozzarella and broil for two minutes until bubbling, then add fresh basil.
Lastly, top a slice of sourdough bread with these ingredients, and enjoy!
It’s next to impossible to get through winter without being exposed to the flu, which is why so many people do everything they can to avoid getting sick. Normally that includes smart actions like getting the flu shot and washing your hands as often as possible, but there’s another important step to take: Keep your immune system as strong as possible. Don’t get overwhelmed thinking this is yet another thing you have to do!
The healthy habits you already try to add into your days happen to also strengthen your immune system. How’s that for a win-win? Here are the key ones to focus on:
Getting a solid night’s sleep. It seems like everyone skimps on getting seven-to-nine hours a night, but that doesn’t do your immune system any favors. “There is a lot of research out there showing that if you interrupt people’s sleep, their body has an inflammatory response,” says Tim Mainardi, MD. “That inflammation activates your immune system, wasting its energy and making it less capable when it needs to fight a real virus.”
Keeping up with your workouts. Here’s another reason to make good use of your gym membership: Research shows exercise can help reduce your risk for getting sick. That half hour on the treadmill is anti-inflammatory, which improves how well your immune system functions.
Reducing stress (for real!) Whether it’s caused by work, family, or some other worry, being stressed out sets you up to get sick. You can thank the high cortisol levels it brings on. “This leads to chronic inflammation, which wastes your immune system’s energy,” says Mainardi.
Eating colorful fruits and veggies. It’s always a good idea to pack your plate with all the antioxidants you can, but this is especially true during cold and flu season. “Vitamin C is the antioxidant everyone thinks of, but cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and kale are also full of them,” says Mainardi.
Taking care of your gut. “Eighty percent of your immune system lives in your GI tract, and the type of bacteria there has a big influence on it,” says Mainardi. Feed your immune cells the good stuff: probiotics (in yogurt, kombucha, and sauerkraut) and prebiotics, which are in lots of fiber-rich foods.
Do you find yourself longing for the days when cutting out a couple treats or going to the gym a few extra times helped you drop a few pesky pounds? If so, you’re not alone. In fact, the average adult gains one to two pounds a year—and as you age, it can feel like more and more of a struggle to lose them. “Even if you’ve never had a problem maintaining your weight, the gradual creep of extra pounds becomes harder to manage the older you get,” says nutritionist Julie Stefanski, RDN.
So what’s going on? There are a few different factors at play. For one, fat is likely sticking around longer on your body. According to new research, a process called lipid turnover (a.k.a. how quickly your body removes fat) gets slower as you age. The result: Stubborn body fat that just won’t budge as quickly as it used to.
“Hormones also play a role,” says Tom Holland, an exercise physiologist. “Women have a drop in estrogen and men have lower levels of testosterone—two things that can make it harder to lose weight and can lead to more abdominal fat, especially in women.” That shift can also cause a loss of lean muscle. On average, people lose between three and eight percent of their muscle mass every decade after they turn 30. And that impacts how many calories your body burns throughout the day. “Muscle is more metabolically active than fat, so loss of muscle can lower your metabolism and cause the gradual weight gain,” says Stefanski. “Unless physical activity increases or you cut back on the amount of food you’re eating, weight gain usually happens.”
Now for some good news: Just because it’s a little harder to lose weight doesn’t mean it’s impossible. “Strength training really is the best thing to do since it helps you maintain your muscle mass,” says Holland. “It’s never too late to start and you can see results pretty quickly.” If you’ve never tried it, think about getting a few sessions with a personal trainer or by using Fitbit Coach. You’ll learn the best moves and how to make sure your form is correct (helping you avoid injuries).
And don’t forget about rethinking how much you’re putting on your plate. “Be aware of your current portion sizes and really ask yourself if you need to serve yourself the same amount of food you’re used to,” says Stefanski. “Sometimes we eat a certain amount based on habit and not because it’s what your body needs.” Pay attention to how you feel after you eat. If it’s more than a comfortable level of fullness, dial back on the amount.
When the sun is shining and the weather is warm, it’s much easier to get outside for a run, hit up a yoga class, or stop by the gym to get in a workout. But when winter hits, chances are there are going to be more than a few days that are just going to be too cold, too snowy, too dreary, or even too dangerous to travel too far for your fitness routine.
Luckily, you don’t need to go to the gym, to a fitness class, or even outside to get a great winter workout. In fact, you already have everything you need to take care of your fitness all winter long—and you don’t even have to leave the house.
Let’s take a look at a few at-home exercise tips for days when winter weather keeps you away from your regular workouts:
Start on the stairs
If you already own fitness equipment (like kettlebells or hand weights), you can definitely incorporate them into your at-home exercise routine. But if you don’t, that’s not a problem! There are plenty of things in your house that can help you get a great workout—starting with your stairs.
Stairs are great for both cardio and resistance training. For cardio, try sprint intervals up and down the stairs. For resistance training, “You can do push-ups [on the stairs] if you cannot do them on the floor. That is a great way to progress on that exercise,” says Courtney Ross CFMP, CPT and founder of Moxie Fitness. “In that same position, you can do push-up planks—or you can do hand steps.”
Create space and eliminate distractions
One of the biggest challenges of working out at home? The sheer number of distractions. When you’re at home, it’s easy to get distracted by your to-do list, household chores, or Netflix—which is why having a dedicated space for workouts is so important.
Choose an area of your house that’s easily accessible but as far removed from your typical distractions as possible; ideally, it will be a place that’s visible but that you don’t associate with binge-watching TV, snacking, or any of the other at-home distractions that might keep you from a workout (like a spare bedroom).
“Keeping [your workout area] in plain sight…reduces barriers when you need to get a workout in and always has training on the top of your mind,” says Marco Walker-Ng, BHSc, PTS Co-founder of Outlift, Bony to Beastly, and Bony to Bombshell.
…or, make the distractions part of your workout
If the pull of household distractions is just too strong, like the old saying goes—if you can’t beat them, join them. “Instead of trying to separate chores and working out, combine them,” says Robert Lemus, editor of SimpleFitnessHub.com.
For example, is your laundry basket distractingly full? “When you do laundry, use the machine to do standing push-ups to tone your back, chest, and arms,” says Lemus. “Place your hands on the washer and bend towards it until your chest touches the machine. Repeat this 15-20 times.”
And it’s not just your chores you can transform into workouts; you can apply the same principle to any at-home distraction. Do sit-ups while you catch up on your Netflix queue. Do a quick circuit while your dinner is in the oven. Read your emails while doing a wall-sit in your office.
The point is, if you find there’s too many distractions at home to workout, you can actually turn those distractions into an opportunity for fitness.
Find the sweet spot between having a plan and switching things up
“For people who train at home, it is imperative to understand the value of following a plan and building a weekly routine that progresses over time. Simply doing the same 3 sets of 10 repetitions for weeks on end will get stale and boring,” says Jace Derwin, RSCC, CSCS, Head of Performance Training at Volt Athletics. “On the flip side, trying to randomly create a new workout each day is an exhausting experience- for both body and mind.”
If you want to be successful with your at-home workouts, it’s important to find the “sweet spot” between having a plan (for consistency) and switching things up (for novelty).
Derwin recommends having three set workouts (“Hard workouts with high intensity, using progressively heavier weights to increase strength; longer duration workouts with moderate intensity [where you] aim to use higher repetitions with lighter weights for more sets; [and]
easy workouts that are short and simple [where you] back off to a comfortable effort level and break a slight sweat,” says Derwin)—and then rotating between those workouts each day. Then, once you complete a cycle of all three workouts, go back to the beginning—but add more weight or reps to make it more challenging.
“This system keeps things varied but not at the expense of consistently developing more capacity and focused intention,” says Derwin.
Rock your at-home workouts all winter long
Winter weather can make it hard (or impossible!) to get out of the house for exercise. But with these at-home workout tips, you have everything you need to maintain your fitness and rock your workouts—no matter what kind of weather winter throws at you.
When you have nights where you experience trouble falling asleep, you might be racking your brain on what’s causing your sleep troubles. Is it stress? Noisy neighbors? That evening workout? A number of these factors could have been at play for the 27 percent of 4,023 U.S. adults in the 2016 Consumer Reports survey who said they experience trouble falling asleep or staying asleep most nights.
Nevertheless, if you can’t pinpoint the reason you’re struggling to fall asleep even though you’re tired, look to what you ate and drank that day. Stealth sources of caffeine may be the culprit. We talked to Carlene Thomas, R.D.N. in the Washington D.C. area to help identify some beverages and foods that could be keeping you up at night.
An afternoon coffee or tea. “It takes approximately five or six hours for half of a cup of coffee’s caffeine to leave your system,” says Thomas. That means the caffeinated beverage you drank at 4 p.m. to help you make it through the afternoon energy slump could still be in your system around 10 or 11 PM. That said, try to make your afternoon java fix a small size and finish it before 2 PM. if you plan to be in bed before midnight.
A post-dinner decaf coffee. This innocent-sounding beverage seems like it wouldn’t keep you up at night, but there are still low doses of caffeine in decaf coffee, decaf green tea, and decaf black tea. For example, a tall decaf coffee at Starbucks contains 20 milligrams of caffeine and an average cup of home-brewed decaf coffee contains about 7 mg caffeine. So, if you’re sensitive to caffeine, skip the decaf after dinner.
Sodas. While you’re probably aware that cola sodas have caffeine, you should know that root beer, and some light-colored drinks like cream soda and Mountain Dew (54 mg per 12 oz) also contain caffeine. Sure, you might blame the sugar content for keeping you up at night, but be sure to check the labels before you crack a can and chug.
Wellness beverages. If you’re looking for a natural beverage that claims it’s energy-promoting, read the label beforehand to be conscious of caffeine consumption. “It may contain ‘stimulating’ ingredients like matcha or guarana,” says Thomas. Both plants contain caffeine and are used in energy supplements.
Pre-workout supplements or energy bars. Relying on a pre-workout to give you a boost for your evening workout? That supplement could contain as much caffeine as three cups of coffee! Even if you engage in a long, hard workout, chances are that some of that stimulant will still be in your system when you’re trying to fall asleep. “Be aware that some ‘energy’ or ‘protein’ bars (including energy blocks, goos, gels, and chews) contain stimulating ingredients—like coffee or green tea—or are made from chocolate, which can add caffeine,” says Thomas. Have an energizing snack before your evening workout, like a piece of fruit, instead.
Chocolate. Before you tell yourself that having some dark chocolate after dinner is doing your heart favors with antioxidants, know that chocolate naturally contains caffeine. “I think the rule of thumb is, the darker the chocolate, the higher the caffeine content,” says Thomas. For example, a 1 oz serving of Hershey’s Special Dark Chocolate bar has about 20 milligrams of caffeine, more than twice that of their milk chocolate version. Remember, even a cup of hot chocolate that you might be tempted to sip on a cold winter’s night also contains about 5 mg caffeine. Try substituting for a caffeine-free herbal tea instead.
If you’re reading this during an afternoon slump and wondering how you’ll make it through the next hours without caffeine, Thomas suggests getting up and moving. “When I’m feeling tired or stuck, the best thing I can do for mental clarity and to refresh my body is to get up and move around,” she suggests. Set your Fitbit reminder to nudge you to get moving every hour and feed your device some steps!
If you’re like most people, you could probably use a bit of a mood lift this time of year. The shorter days and colder temperatures seem to be here to stay while the festive holidays are in the rearview mirror. The good news: Adding a few healthy foods to your day can be a tasty way to brighten up your spirits. (That said, if you are experiencing a more serious seasonal depression, be sure to see your doctor who can help come up with the best treatment plan for you.)
The food-mood connection all comes down to what’s going on in your body during the winter. “Two things happen as you have less daylight: Your melatonin production increases, which can leave you feeling sluggish, and you have lower levels of serotonin, which is a feel-good chemical,” says Carolyn Williams, PhD, RD, a dietician in Alabama and author of Meals That Heal. “That’s one reason why people crave sugary carbs so much. They give you a quick fix for both sluggishness and mood.” Unfortunately, reaching for a doughnut every time you want to turn a frown upside down probably isn’t going to help you hit your health goals. A better idea? Include more of these happiness-inducing foods.
Whole Grains. “Complex carbohydrates give you the same mood lift as sugary treats, but they are higher in fiber, so they won’t spike your blood sugar, then drop it way down,” says Williams. “The fiber will also help you feel fuller, which will lessen cravings.” Whole wheat bread isn’t the only way to get your grains—snack on popcorn, start your day with oatmeal, and add barley or wild rice to your soups.
Foods High in Omega-3 Fatty Acids. Research shows that people with major depressive disorder tend to have lower levels of these fatty acids in their blood. Look for omega-3s in fatty fish, flax seed, and walnuts.
Foods with Vitamin D. “People usually just associate vitamin D with bone health, but it does a lot for mental health, too,” says Williams. “And even if you aren’t deficient in vitamin D, you probably aren’t getting as much as you need—especially when you don’t get a lot of sunlight in the winter.” Find vitamin D in fatty fish, fortified dairy, and eggs.
Lots of Fruits and Veggies. Saddle up to the salad bar! Researchers followed a group of people from 2010 to 2017 and found that those who ate the most produce (both in amount and frequency) reported higher levels of mental wellbeing. While winter isn’t nearly as exciting for produce as summer, now is the perfect time to experiment with citrus fruits (ever had a blood orange?) Alternatively, you can try making smoothies with frozen-at-their-freshest berries, or even try sprinkling in some pomegranate seeds!
If there was one simple thing you could do each and every day to make yourself happier, and improve your health at the same time, wouldn’t you do it? Well, it’s a good thing there is—and it’s as easy as having a laugh.
Giggle, snort, snicker, chuckle, guffaw . . . there are so many ways your mirth can manifest itself. If you’re anything like us, the words themselves might bring a smile to your face. That’s because laughter is contagious. Isn’t it true that when your friend used to giggle behind her hands in class, you couldn’t help but laugh along with her, to the chagrin of your teacher? Even if it sometimes got us into trouble in grade school, laughter has been proven time and time again to benefit our health. That goes for “self-initiated” laughter, too! (Laughter yoga, anyone?)
Whether it provides stress relief, perspective to counterbalance life’s hardships, or simply functions as the joyful, contagious social behavior it is, there are so many reasons why laughter is good for your health. Some of the benefits of laughing include:
Stress management. Quite literally, laughing is natural stress relief; it decreases levels of stress hormones like cortisol, adrenaline, dopamine, and growth hormone. Laughter therapy—a kind of cognitive-behavioral therapy that helps to make physical, psychological, and social relationships healthy—also has great physical and mental benefits.
It provides perspective. It sounds simplistic, but if you change your perspective, you may be able to change your life—one positive thought at a time. And what easier way is there to do so when you’re having a bad day, in an off mood, or dealing with some kind of setback than to make yourself laugh? So it’s not always that easy, but sometimes it can be as simple as watching a funny video clip online or calling that friend who’s always able to cheer you up with a quippy remark or two.
It brings people together. Speaking of calling up a friend, laughing is a contagious social activity; not only does a good side-splitting guffaw bring people together, some even view that as its main function. After all, a collective giggle can ripple through a room full of strangers, transforming it from a new and uncertain social setting to one of hearty, welcome comfort—all through the power of laughter.
Better yet? Getting your giggle on with your close friends, of course! In fact, “social laughter” is borderline addictive. This 2017 study showed that 30 minutes spent watching hilarious comedy clips with their good friends caused the release of endorphins via opioid receptors in subjects’ brains. You’ve likely heard that eating chocolate releases dopamine in the brain, but did you know that laughter could produce a similar experience?
The physical benefits are comparable to those of exercise. According to a literature review quoted by The Gerontologist, “the physical act of laughter shares many common benefits associated with exercise.” These include exercising and relaxing muscles; improving respiration; stimulating circulation; and more. That’s right, laughing until your stomach hurts is definitively good for your physical wellbeing. If you ask us, that’s reason enough for us to enjoy our laughter medicine even more than we normally do.
Let’s be real—no matter how much willpower you might have, getting (and staying!) motivated to hit your goals can be challenging. And that can be especially true when it comes to hitting your health and fitness goals.
Tackle one goal at a time
Trying to tackle too many goals at once is a recipe for overwhelm—and nothing kills motivation quicker than overwhelm. That’s why, if you want to get, and stay, motivated for your fitness goals in 2020, it’s important to take it one step at a time.
“Come January 2020, intend to make small changes over time, and (almost) never break the pattern of action again,” says Bart Wolbers, researcher and chief science writer at Alexfergus.com, a site that investigates the scientific validity of different health interventions. “So instead of thinking you can go eat vegetables for 3 meals a day, cut out all soda, exercise 4 times a week, go to bed early, and more, it’s better to focus just on the soda for January.”
Narrow your focus to a single, manageable goal—and keep working at it until it becomes a habit. When you successfully hit your first goal, it’ll give you a nice motivational boost, which you can then use to tackle the next goal on your list.
“Through this method, your life might not change much in a one- to two-month period—but it will be totally different in a one- to two-year period,” says Wolbers.
Use accountability to up your motivation
You might have all the motivation to hit your AM workout when your head hits the pillow at night—but when your alarm goes off at 6 AM, you might find it lacking. That’s where accountability comes in. It can feel a lot easier to stay motivated if you have something or someone to hold you accountable for hitting your fitness goals.
“A fitness buddy or group can help keep you accountable and stay motivated,” says Danielle Allen, RD, LDN who runs nutritional consulting company Lunch Box Nutrition.
Having trouble getting up for your AM workouts? Make plans to meet a friend at the gym; it’ll be much easier to muster up the motivation to get out of bed in the morning if you know there’s someone waiting for you. Do you tell yourself that you’ll hit a fitness class on the way home from work—only to drive straight past the studio and directly to your couch? Use a fitness app like ClassPass that charges you if you cancel a class late; knowing that you’d be losing your hard-earned cash can be just the motivational kick you need to make fitness classes a regular part of your after-work commute.
The point is, having some external accountability can help keep your motivation high—and help you continue to hit your fitness goals throughout 2020.
Step outside of your fitness comfort zone—and stay there
When you do the same workout day in and day out, you’re likely going to get bored, which can tank your motivation. That’s why, if you want to stay motivated in 2020, you need to step outside of your fitness comfort zone. Are you a runner, but have been dying to try a salsa class? Switch out your running shoes for some dancing shoes. Are you a CrossFit regular, but have been thinking about trying something a little more low-key? Dial down the intensity and check out a slow flow yoga class.
Just remember, it takes time to really get the swing of a new fitness routine—so make sure to give yourself the time and space to really start to enjoy your new activity.
“Try something new, and try it more than once,” says Terri Dreger, trainer and director of brand development for women’s-only boxing and kickboxing gym 30 Minute Hit. “The first time you try out any new endeavor can be awkward and foreign . . . but often you need more than just one attempt to gain the full experience. Give it another shot! Commit to a week or [at least a few] sessions of a new workout.”
If you try it a few times and discover it’s not for you, no harm done; at least the novelty acted as a temporary motivation to get you working out and trying new things. And if you end up having an amazing time? Then you’ve got a new workout to keep you motivated all year long!
Streaming services have officially taken over. As such, there’s so much content out there these days! But among all the offerings on Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime, you may be less aware of the great health and wellness content wedged between reruns of Parks and Rec and The Good Place or new episodes of The Crown.
Whether you’re looking for a little workout inspo, or want to be inspired by real-life stories, there’s certainly a subject matter that will appeal to you. From food-sourcing ethics to unexplained illnesses, here’s our short list of top content to watch on all your favorite streaming services.
Diagnosison Netflix. Based on the long-running New York Times Magazine column of the same name, Diagnosis follows the complex, unsolved mystery patients that populate modern medicine. The first season introduces seven cases of severe, unexplained illness; it follows Dr. Lisa Sanders, who attempts to crowdsource information from doctors, researchers, and ordinary people who have experience with an array of rare, bizarre symptoms.
It’s incredible to see how many people offer their genuine desire to help, and it’s just another reminder of how many people suffer from chronic, unexplained illnesses without a diagnosis. (The real column continues biweekly, and has been running since 2002.)
Rottenon Netflix. This documentary series on Netflix deals with the sources of our food. Is it ethical? Who is responsible for growing the food, or making it? Why are food allergies on the rise, especially among kids? Some revelations—from the fact that Chinese prisoners peel some of the country’s most inexpensive garlic, to a massive scheme to sell illegal honey in the U.S.—are downright shocking, but each episode will make you care a little bit more about where your food comes from. Season Two just debuted in early October.
Get Sweaty with Emily Obergon Hulu. Get Sweaty originally debuted on Complex, but has now found a home on Hulu. The series is comprised of super-short episodes—five, seven or ten minutes a piece—where Oberg takes celebrities through different workout regimens while asking them personal and career questions. The interview format is a good distraction from the intensity of the workouts—which you can either do at home as you watch, or use as inspo the next time you hit the gym.
Healon Netflix. There is an intricate link between the power of the mind and the ability to overcome physical ailments, not completely understood within medicine—the exception, though, not the rule. But what if it could be the rule? There’s a huge link between stress and chronic illnesses, one that’s explored in the film.
There’s also evidence that belief can go a long way, in addition to spirituality, social support, and embracing positive emotions while expelling the negative. The film will inspire you to seek mental wellness. In doing so, you might become physically stronger as a result.
The Brain with David Eaglemanon Amazon Prime. Have you ever thought about what makes you, you? The Brain docu-series originally ran on PBS to critical acclaim, but now you can catch the groundbreaking show on Amazon Prime. Each episode explores a common occurrence that we rarely think about—like how our brain makes unconscious decisions or conscious decisions, how our brain relies on outside support, and how our personalities and emotions are cultivated.
After you binge-watch the entire series, you’ll have a better understanding of just how complex human beings are, as well as the biologic processes that create the mind—even though there’s so much left to learn, scientifically.
Ask Dr. Ruthon Hulu. Dr. Ruth Westheimer, 90, is a pioneer in the sexual health space. She was able to discuss sex in an honest, open, and nonjudgmental way, whether it was the female orgasm, contraception, HIV, or abortion rights. She was always, it seems now, on the forefront of change.
This documentary is a journey through her (sometimes tragic) life, but ultimately a celebration of her triumphant career. She’s been one of the most famous sex educators and therapists in the world, dating back to 1980. She had a successful radio show, several talk shows, and countless bestselling books, teaching everyday people to embrace their sexuality and grow their relationships in the most approachable way possible.
2019: What a year. As we prepare to launch ourselves into a whole new chapter (and decade), it’s important to look back and take time to reflect. Then, position yourself to conquer your New Year’s resolutions with a different mindset this time around.
Consider this our way of reflecting. Fitbit researchers crunched the numbers and counted the steps of millions of Fitbit users all over the globe. Here are the stats that stood out most to us:
Who Stepped It Up In 2019?
This year, Fitbit users in Hong Kong took the lead in stepping, followed by Spain and Ireland in second and third place, respectively. Rounding out the top five places nabbing the most steps taken in 2019 were Italy and Singapore. Talk about hitting your step goals!
Who Got the Best Rest in 2019?
For the second year in a row, Fitbit users in Finland remembered to turn off the lights, unplug and hit the pillow longer than any other country. Other top snoozers who joined the ranks were in Ireland, New Zealand, Belgium, and the Netherlands.
U.S. Cities With the Healthiest Hearts in 2019
In the U.S., the average adult resting heart rate is 60 to 100 beats per minute, but lower heart rates may be a measure of good cardio fitness. Fitbit users in Bend, Oregon are the returning champions of heart health in 2019 with the lowest resting heart rates in the U.S. Other cities that topped the list were Juneau, Alaska; Missoula, Montana; Santa Barbara; Santa Maria; San Luis Obispo; Monterey; and Salinas, all in California.
The U.S. Fitbit Community Raised the Bar in 2019
Clearly, the power of steps is alive and well—after all, U.S.-based Fitbit users took a total of 27 trillion (!) in the past year. More lofty stats? The U.S. Fitbit community slept a total of 12 billion hours, and kicked their butts into gear with 119 billion total active minutes. Let’s just say getting the recommended 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week was a cinch.
The Best Days of 2019 in the U.S.
In the U.S., the best day for steps occurred in that glorious space between spring and summertime, just before Memorial Day weekend. Fitbit users in the United States logged no less than 91.6 billion steps on that day.
Best night of blissful ZZZ’s? Fitbit users wasted no time in getting maximal shuteye on January 12. Next, the days of maximum hydration—and beautiful warm weather bike rides—both took place during the dog days of summer: the balmy, carefree dates of August 27 and July 9, respectively. Here’s to the highlights of the year!
Disclaimer: The 2019 Fitbit Year in Review is based on aggregated and anonymized data of Fitbit users from January 1, 2019 – December 31, 2019.
When January rolls around, many people are tempted to make big, sweeping changes to their routines. Run 25 miles a week. Hit the gym for an hour every day. Follow a 100% plant-based diet. Those major lifestyle changes definitely work for some. But if you’re like most people, trying to change your entire routine (and trying to change it all at once) can feel overwhelming—and can quickly lead to burnout.
Luckily, you don’t need to completely overhaul your routine in order to see serious progress. Making small changes can drive big results for your diet and exercise routine—not to mention your health, happiness, and overall well-being. But what, exactly, are those changes?
Take advantage of opportunities to move
An intense sweat sesh is great, but any opportunity you have to move throughout the day can help you move the needle on your health and fitness goals.
Look for small ways to incorporate more movement throughout the day, because all those “small” opportunities to get up and go? They add up—in a big way. “Park further away at the store, take the stairs, pace around the office when you are on a call,” says Ali Greenman, NASM Certified Personal Trainer and founder of Final Straw Fitness. “Every bit of movement counts and will add to your overall caloric deficit.”
Change your environment, change your habits
Obviously, making changes to your diet and exercise routine will help drive results. But what’s maybe not so obvious? Making changes to your environment can be just as effective.
“Most people try to use willpower and discipline when it comes to making changes to their food and health routines—but switching up things in your environment [is a small change that] can help immensely,” says Clinical Exercise Physiologist and health coach Jennifer Powter.
Want to start eating more whole foods? Keep your fruit and veggies in a bowl on the counter so you see them every time you walk into the kitchen—and clean out your pantry of any processed foods you’re trying to avoid. Want to get motivated to run every morning? Lay out your workout gear and running shoes the night before, so all you have to do is grab them and go.
The point is, your environment influences your behavior. So, by making small changes to your environment, you can set yourself up for success in hitting your healthy eating and exercise goals—and drive serious results.
Schedule stretch breaks
Too much sitting is seriously bad for your health. And it’s also bad for your energy levels. Sitting at your desk for four, five, or eight hours at a time can leave you feeling tired, drained, and unmotivated—which can make it harder to follow through with your diet and fitness goals.
Luckily, there’s a simple solution to kick that tired feeling to the curb—and that’s breaking up your sitting time with movement time. “Start to incorporate a two-minute ‘get up from your desk’ moment for every hour at work,” says fitness trainer and former Olympic athlete Samantha Clayton. “Just a simple walk, stretch or a few squats will work wonders to improve your energy levels.”
You can even use your Fitbit device as a reminder. It’ll tell you how many steps you have remaining to reach 250 steps each hour, on the hour. Why not take a little stroll around the office while you’re at it?
Have a bedtime routine
A huge percentage of people don’t get a good night’s sleep on a regular basis—which can wreak havoc on your body’s ability to function. “The stress hormone hormone—cortisol—is directly impacted by sleep and holds the key to mental health, weight loss or gain, sex drive, memory, energy levels, appetite and more,” says Angel V. Shannon, MS, CRNP, and founder of Sēva Health.
But there’s one small change that can have a big impact on your sleep—which, in turn, can make a big impact your overall health. Create a consistent bedtime routine.
When you do the same routine before bed each night (for example, taking a hot bath, having a cup of tea, climbing into bed with a good book, or all of the above), eventually, your brain will start to associate that routine with winding down, which will make it easier to fall and stay asleep. Just make sure the activities you include in your bedtime routine help you wind down (instead of winding you up).
“While some people enjoy watching TV…or catching up on their social media at night, the truth is, those activities often activate the sympathetic nervous system—that part of the brain that tells the body it’s time to get to work,” says Shannon. “Heavy exercise, social media, texting, and any other activity that engages the brain or body into action rather than relaxation should be avoided.”
If you’ve resolved to exercise more, eat healthily, or lose weight in the New Year, approaching these common resolutions with a different mindset than usual may give you the edge to succeed, especially if you haven’t always managed to keep your New Year’s resolutions in the past. Rethinking the way that you frame the goal in your mind may help.
Here are three techniques which may work:
Consider your habits
If you’re hoping to adopt healthier eating habits, analyzing your attitude toward eating and your behavior around food may help you better control what you eat, because you may gain insights into what works and doesn’t work for you. Some research has shown that when people can determine which habits, behaviors, or emotions inspire them to snack, they’re better at avoiding the unhealthy foods that they would normally eat in those situations.
“It helps if you take time to identify the cues that trigger the unwanted habits that you wish to eliminate,” says study author Marieke Adriaanse, PhD, associate professor of social and health psychology at Utrecht University in the Netherlands. She notes that study participants were asked to reflect upon where they were and what they were doing when they ate unhealthy snacks to try to determine their reasons for eating.
Once you identify a trigger, it’s easier to create an if-then plan to help you crush your goals. For example: “If I’m feeling lonely and bored in the evening, then I’ll pick up the phone and call a friend.”
Be kind to yourself
Do you strive for perfection, then berate yourself when things don’t go according to plan? Changing your inner dialogue may help you to improve your chances of achieving your goal this year.
Some research has shown that self-critical perfectionists who used if-then strategies to help them honor their New Year’s resolutions made less progress on their goals than other people. When they didn’t succeed, they were left feeling lousy about themselves and their efforts.
Adjusting your inner dialogue to encompass more patience, self-kindness, understanding, and self-compassion may help you improve your chances to succeed with New Year’s resolutions, especially if you identify as a self-critical perfectionist.
“This shift is essential and forms the basis for moving beyond the grip of the inner self-critic,” says study author Ted Powers, PhD, professor of psychology at the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth. “It can free people to make autonomous choices; to act, rather than procrastinate; and to take risks, rather than be immobilized by the fear of failure.”
Rethink your time frame
Immediate gratification may be getting in the way of your long-term goals. You may do a better job with your New Year’s resolution if you’re able to notice results right away.
A study published in the journal Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin found that people tend to choose New Year’s resolutions with delayed rewards (like losing weight, for instance), but they’re more likely to work toward achieving resolutions that offer immediate rewards. Other research has shown that having fun can be an immediate reward. People who chose enjoyable workouts completed a greater number of sets of weightlifting exercises than people who chose workouts based on the long-term benefits of the exercises.
You may be more successful with a long-term goal if you enjoy yourself throughout the process. Choose a workout class that you can’t wait to attend. Only listen to your favorite podcast while you’re on the treadmill. Meet a friend at a salad bar for lunch. Or, treat yourself to a splurge food in the produce aisle at the supermarket to make meal prep more exciting.
“Think about what types of activities you actually like the most, and try to do those,” says Kaitlin Woolley, PhD, assistant professor of marketing at Cornell University’s SC Johnson College of Business, who authored both studies. “Gritting our teeth and bearing it through hard, uninspiring workouts—or salads!—may work for a day or two, but to get the behavior to really stick, it needs to be something we find some degree of pleasure in.”
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No matter your fitness level, you’re sure to find a session that works for you. And with videos ranging from as short as five minutes to a full half-hour or longer, we have workouts to fit your busy schedule.
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*Audio workouts for running and elliptical are only available on Fitbit Coach, not the Fitbit app.
If you have a standing desk, you probably chose it as a way to fight all the negatives that come from sitting for eight hours a day (you know, like gaining weight and having a higher risk for cardiovascular disease). But just standing isn’t going to get you too far. Research shows going from sitting to standing doesn’t crank up how many calories you’re burning. Plus, it can make your legs and joints hurt! “Staying in one position for too long isn’t great for your body, so you have to make sure you move around,” says Sarah Jane Parker, a certified personal trainer in Wyoming.
Luckily, sneaking a workout in at your standing desk is easy to do. Try the following routine Parker came up with, which combines strength moves and stretching. They are easy enough that you can do them while reading emails or on a conference call and are so subtle you won’t have to worry about coworkers staring at you.
Standing Calf Raises: Rise up onto your toes, lifting your heels off the floor. Go slowly—take two counts going up and two counts coming back down. Do 15 to 25 reps (you can do both legs together or just do one leg at a time to make it more challenging).
Standing Leg Extensions: Engage your core—this prevents your lower back from arching too much—then extend one of your legs straight behind you, engaging your glutes as you go. Do 12 to 25 reps.
Standing Hamstring Curl: Bend one knee and bring your foot toward your glute, then release back down. Do 12 to 25 reps on each side.
Standing Calf Stretch: Move closer to one leg of your desk, lift the ball of one foot off the floor, and place it against the leg (you keep your heel on the floor). Lean your body into the desk and feel the stretch in your calf. Hold for 20 to 30 seconds and repeat on the other side.
Standing Chest Stretch: Clasp your hands together behind your back, straighten your arms, and lift them up while drawing your shoulder blades down. You’ll feel your chest open, which should feel great after hunching forward at your desk. Hold for 20 to 30 seconds and repeat.
Standing Twist/Back Stretch: Bend your right knee and lift it up to hip height, so that you’re balancing on your left leg. Place left hand on your right knee and twist your torso toward the right. Hold for 10 seconds, then repeat on the other side.
Without exception, January 1st marks the yearly anniversary of people sending me hundreds of excited and desperate emails asking if some new exotic exercise or diet plan will work for them. Usually these plans involve removing one or more food groups, over exercising, or purchasing very expensive pieces of useless equipment. It’s really important to remember that the more drastic of a change we make in our lives, the shorter that change will last. The key to success is to make small, sustainable changes one at a time. Hold these four principles in the front of your mind whenever you consider making changes this year, and you’ll thank yourself.
Step First, The Run
Rather than going from being sedentary to trying to train for a marathon, try adding 1,000 steps to your daily step goal per week until you hit 10,000 steps a day. How can you do this? Park your car one block away from your destination, take a morning coffee walk to your local cafe instead of brewing a cup at home, or go for an after-dinner walk. You’ll be surprised how quickly the steps add up.
Cut Out Calorie Bombs, Not Entire Food Groups
Instead of drastically cutting your caloric intake from 5,000 calories a day to 1,000 calories a day, you might want to consider a more gradual approach. Take small steps, like shrinking your daily giant caramel latte to a medium size and then a small before dropping the habit altogether. You could save around 170 calories every day, 1,190 calories per week. Rather than digging into a morning yogurt parfait with granola at 290 calories, opt for plain yogurt with berries. You could save 100 calories. Also think about swapping your glass of morning juice for real fruit. You’ll pack in more fiber and consume close to half the calories.
Find Your Fit, Don’t Go Cookie Cutter
One important thing to keep in mind: only make lifestyle changes that are enjoyable. If you hate spinach, forcing yourself to eat keeping multiple servings of spinach every day will not last. Instead, focus on the few veggies you do like. For example, I love cucumbers and broccoli. I add cucumbers to my sandwiches and salads for that extra crunch and blend up broccoli for a delicious, creamy soup. The same goes for fitness; there is no “one size fits all” prescription. If you’re like me and don’t love running, forcing yourself to do sprints every day until you’re nauseous won’t last. Instead, go for walks with friends to get a coffee, go dancing, or play sports that you enjoy.
Focus on The Big Picture, Not Just Small Wins
I’m sure you’ve heard the saying, “there is strength in numbers.” That adage is an important principle when it comes to improving your health. Rather than making one giant change in your life, make a few gradual small changes over time. Remember, improving your health is not a sprint; rather it’s a marathon that never ends. Make 2019 the year you finally understand the words moderate, sustainable, and enjoyment.
With every new year comes a rush of New Year’s Resolutions. When the clock strikes midnight on January 1, people across the world make resolutions for everything from their health (eat healthier, exercise more, stress less) to their relationships (be more present, practice forgiveness and compassion, stay in touch—and not just on social media) to their career and productivity (stop wasting time online, get started on that book project, find a new job).
But while most resolutions start with the best intentions, follow through can be a real challenge; according to U.S. News and World Report, somewhere around 80 percent of resolutions fail by the second week of February.
If you’re the kind of person who can make and stick to their New Year’s Resolutions, that’s great! By all means, stick with what works for you. But if you struggle with keeping your resolutions and want to try something new this year, here are a few strategies to transform your life in 2020:
Use habit stacking to make better habits stick
A huge percentage of resolutions focus on creating new and better habits, whether that’s hitting the gym before work (instead of hitting the snooze button), eating more veggies, or spending more time screen-free.
But creating new habits is really, really hard. So, if you want to transform your life in 2020 by creating better habits, why not build off the habits you already have?
Habit stacking is a habit-building strategy outlined by productivity expert James Clear in his bestselling book Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones. The concept of habit stacking is simple; instead of trying to implement a new habit from scratch, you pair your new habit with an existing habit. So, every time you do X (your current habit), you also do Y (the new habit you’re trying to create).
For example, do you want to start running every day? Habit stack it onto something that’s already a cornerstone of your morning routine (Every time I drink my morning cup of coffee, I will lace up my shoes and run one mile). Do you want to start calling your family more (instead of just checking in on social media)? Attach the habit to your evening commute (Every time I get in the car to drive home from work, I will call my brother/sister/mother/father to say hello).
By building on habits that are already ingrained in your brain and behavior, it becomes easier to implement new habits into your routine—habits you can use to transform your life in 2020.
Choose a word for 2020
For many people, setting specific resolutions—like transition to a new career by X date, run a marathon, or meditate for 30 minutes each day—is a great way to hit their goals. But for others, those kinds of structured goals can feel overwhelming. So a great alternative? Choosing a word for the year.
Choosing a one-word theme for the year (a go-toresolution alternative for happiness expert Gretchen Rubin) is a great way to set the tone for the 12 months ahead—and give you a framework for evaluating your actions and making sure the steps you take on a daily basis are taking you in the right direction.
Maybe your word is “growth.” Maybe it’s “change.” Maybe it’s “power” or “peace” or “unwind.” Whatever it is, write it down, put it somewhere where you’ll see it every day (like on your desk), and use it as a daily reminder of what you’re striving for. When you make decisions, ask yourself if it fits with your word.
It seems simple, but this one-word strategy can make for major transformation.
Plan to fail
There’s an old saying that says “failing to plan is planning to fail.” And there’s certainly truth to that. But perhaps a more empowering way to look at failure—and transform your life in the process? Planning to fail is planning to succeed.
No matter how committed you are to transforming your life, you’re going to run into challenges, obstacles, and roadblocks. So why not anticipate those challenges, plan for them, and come up with solutions before they even happen?
So, for example, let’s say you’re spending hours a day glued to your phone and want to dramatically cut down on the time you spend on social media. When you make a big change like that, chances are, you’re going to have a slip-up from time to time (and find yourself scrolling through Instagram). Planning for those slip-ups ahead of time (like “if I find myself scrolling through Instagram, I’ll let myself look for five minutes and then go outside for a walk”) will give you a plan of attack—and stop those slip-ups from derailing your progress.
Don’t forget to make self-compassion a part of your plan! Everyone slips up sometimes. It’s not about beating yourself up when you “fail”—it’s about continuing to move in the right direction despite that failure. As author Ryan Holiday says in his book The Obstacle Is the Way: The Timeless Art of Turning Adversity to Advantage, “think progress, not perfection.”
Without exception, January 1st marks the yearly anniversary of people sending me hundreds of excited and desperate emails asking if some new exotic exercise or diet plan will work for them. Usually these plans involve removing one or more food groups, over exercising, or purchasing very expensive pieces of useless equipment. It’s really important to remember that the more drastic of a change we make in our lives, the shorter that change will last. The key to success is to make small, sustainable changes one at a time. Hold these four principles in the front of your mind whenever you consider making changes this year, and you’ll thank yourself.
