Almost everyone feels a little&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sharecare.com/health/back-pain/article/signs-back-pain-more-serious" style="color:#0563c1; text-decoration:underline">back pain</a>&nbsp;every now and then. Sometimes it&rsquo;s just a nuisance, but often, the ache can impact your day-to-day activities. The good news is that by doing conditioning exercises that strengthen your core muscles, you can minimize the severity of that pain.

Your core muscles are those that make up your abdominal midsection and include your abs, glutes,&nbsp;obliques, and lower back. In addition to helping prevent back pain, building a solid core can encourage weight loss, improve posture, and increase flexibility.&nbsp;

There are many ways to achieve a strong core, including doing popular abdominal exercises like crunches, reverse crunches, and leg raises. But one of the most beneficial moves that engages many parts of the body, as well as your core, is also one of the easiest to do: the plank.

How planking helps your back&hellip; 
Not only does planking strengthen your core and back muscles, it can also help you reach and maintain certain&nbsp;yoga poses&nbsp;that further strengthen your body. In fact, the exercise is used in many spine conditioning programs because it helps keep back muscles stable, thereby preventing pain and strain.

This simple workout also strengthens and helps pull your shoulder blades up and back, improving your posture. Ultimately, engaging the shoulder muscles also improves your flexibility and range of motion.

&hellip;And the rest of your body 
Since the diaphragm is activated while doing exercises that work the abdominal muscles, planking can improve your respiratory system and breathing patterns, as well. Additionally, this exercise, as with almost any <a href="https://www.sharecare.com/health/types-exercise/article/health-experts-urge-move-more-sit-less" style="color:#0563c1; text-decoration:underline">physical activity</a>, can reduce fatigue, anxiety, and stress, all while improving alertness and concentration.&nbsp;

Proper planking form 
The simple plank does not require any fancy equipment, and it&rsquo;s easy to do.

Start by lying face down on a mat. Keeping your back straight, lift your body off the mat into a position similar to the &ldquo;up&rdquo; part of a pushup, supporting your weight on your toes and your forearms (instead of your hands). The key is to keep your body in a straight line from your head to your toes. Maintain this position without movement&mdash;and without your butt and hips sagging to the mat&mdash;for 30 seconds. Then rest for another minute. Repeat this up to 5 times throughout the course of the day.

As with any exercise, sometimes you need to make your repetitions less intense, particularly when you&rsquo;re starting out. So if 30 seconds isn&#39;t sustainable, don&#39;t strain yourself. Instead, try holding a plank for 15 seconds. When you&#39;re comfortable with that, gradually increase the time you hold the position. In this way, you can build the strength and endurance you need to handle tougher sessions down the road.

You may see challenges or contests on social media calling for people to hold their plank pose for as long as they possibly can. A word to the wise: Holding a plank longer isn&rsquo;t always better.

Planking for an extended period could cause your form to deteriorate, which can put pressure on your back instead of strengthening it. Stick with intervals that are 30 seconds long. For an added challenge, try lifting your legs, one at a time, off the ground and holding them suspended for a few seconds each.

This 30-Second Exercise Could Save Your Back

In Rush Hour 3, Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker race&mdash;and stumble&mdash;across Paris trying to protect a French woman from the menace of The Triad (a criminal organization out of Hong Kong). But the danger they fear from The Triad is nothing compared to the dangers of what the Journal of the American College of Orthopedic Surgeons identifies as the <a href="https://www.sharecare.com/health/fitness-exercise/medical-conditions-make-up-female-athletic-triad">Female Athlete Triad</a>.

Symptoms include low energy availability or too few calories, menstrual cycle abnormalities (40% of female athletes have irregular periods) and low bone mineral density, setting up young female athletes for bone loss, stress injuries and fractures.&nbsp;

If you have one symptom, the likelihood that you&rsquo;ll sustain a bone injury rises 15-21%; two symptoms boost it to 21-30%; and with all three it&rsquo;s a whopping 29-50%. Girls and women participating in athletics that demand intense weight control, such as gymnastics and ice skating, are particularly vulnerable.

When Serena Williams trained her way to her sixth Wimbledon championship you can bet she didn&rsquo;t risk low energy or brittle bones! And neither should you.

<ul>
	<li>Eat sufficient calories so your body fat never goes below 22-12%.</li>
	<li>Get fuel from bone-building foods rich in calcium, magnesium and vitamin D: green, leafy veggies, D-enriched whole grain cereal, low-fat dairy, almonds, salmon and tuna.</li>
	<li>Have your vitamin D level checked and ask about taking a vitamin D3 supplement to help your body absorb calcium. Take half a multivitamin morning and night.</li>
</ul>

Now go play hard&mdash;try 40 jumps a day to build hip bone strength.&nbsp;

Medically reviewed in December 2019.

The Female Athlete Triad: Who Is At Risk?

What do football Hall-of-Fame running back Jim Brown, baseball Hall-of-Fame pitcher Sandy Kofax and NBA championship player and coach Pat Riley have in common? They all played multiple sports. Jim Brown played lacrosse, basketball and ran track at Syracuse University; Sandy Kofax played basketball and baseball at the University of Cincinnati; and basketballer Pat Riley was drafted as a wide receiver by the Dallas Cowboys. These elite athletes are living proof that playing multiple sports in your youth can keep you in your chosen game longer and in better health.

And that&rsquo;s confirmed by a study titled &ldquo;The Effects of Playing Multiple High School Sports on National Basketball Association Players&rsquo; Propensity for Injury and Athletic Performance&rdquo; that focused on 237 athletes. Researchers from UCSF found those players who participated in several sports before turning pro were <a href="https://www.sharecare.com/health/sports-injuries/can-kids-overuse-injuries-sport">less likely to have major injuries</a> (25 percent versus 43 percent) and were able to play more years than even the best of their single-sport peers.

For parents of high school athletes, the message is loud and clear:

<ul>
	<li>Encourage your child to play multiple sports.</li>
	<li>Follow the advice of the American Academy of Pediatrics and avoid single-sport specialization until your teen is 15 to 16.</li>
	<li>In addition, encourage your young athletes to take at least three one-month breaks from their sport during the year. They can remain active in other activities during this time.</li>
	<li>Encourage young athletes to take one to two days off per week to <a href="https://www.sharecare.com/health/sports-injuries/what-types-sports-injuries-children">decrease chances of injury</a>.</li>
</ul>

Medically reviewed in January 2020.

Ways to Prevent Sports Injuries in Kids and Teens

Sometimes it&#39;s hard to know how much weight is enough when you&#39;re a beginner trying to start a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sharecare.com/health/strength-training/article/reasons-why-women-weight-train">strength-training program</a>.&nbsp;

Rule of thumb: Don&#39;t start with anything higher than 5 lbs. But are 5-lb weights enough to make a difference? The answer is yes. Starting with lighter weights will help protect you from injury. Ultimately, you want a weight you can lift at least 8 times, but no more than 12. Adjust the weight as you get stronger.&nbsp;

Train to threshold&nbsp; 
Here&#39;s the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sharecare.com/static/realage">RealAge</a>&nbsp;approach to strength training: Do two sets of 8 to 12 repetitions, resting for about 45 seconds between sets. The muscles worked should feel pretty tired at the end of the set, as if they can&#39;t lift the weight one more time. This is called training to threshold, and it makes your&nbsp;RealAge&nbsp;younger!&nbsp;

Prime your posture&nbsp; 
Form, too, is important for beginners starting weight training. Your head should be in line with your spine, and you should have a natural arch in your lower back. Don&#39;t lock your knees. Keep your wrists straight and firm. Pull your shoulder blades slightly toward each other and down. Lift your chest up and out. You should be able to steadily lift the weight while keeping your form. And remember to breathe! This helps keep your blood pressure in check.&nbsp;

Medically reviewed in January 2020. Updated in February 2021.&nbsp;

Strength Training Tips for Beginners

With beach weather just around the corner, who isn&#39;t thinking about shedding a few pounds and tackling that muffin top?&nbsp;So we hit the floor and bang out some crunches, but our pants still fit a bit snugger than we would like. What gives?&nbsp;According to <a href="https://www.sharecare.com/user/obi-obadike">Obi Obadike</a>, a celebrity trainer named by Sharecare as one of the Top 10 Social Healthmakers in Fitness, it takes more than a few crunches to make a difference.&nbsp;

&quot;Interval training is a great way to slim down and build fitness,&quot; Obadike says. &quot;It gives you bursts of high-intensity exercise followed by a recovery period. And research shows that you continue burning calories for up to 48 hours after a workout.&quot; Obadike credits sprinting (going back to his days as a top sprinter at Cal State Fullerton, no less)&nbsp;as one of the exercises that&#39;s given him the six-pack abs for which he is famous, gracing the cover of many a fitness magazine. But even if you&#39;re not a sprinter (most of us aren&#39;t!) it doesn&#39;t mean you can&#39;t burn off some of that belly fat. Here are his top three must-dos for working those abs:

1. Cardio:&nbsp;Do a combination of fast walking/running outside or on a treadmill. First, do a fast walk at a speed of 3.0 mph for 30 seconds, then pick up the pace and run at a speed of 6.0 to 7.0 mph for 30 seconds. When you&#39;re walking for 30 seconds, that is your recovery and rest period.&nbsp;

Success secret:&nbsp;Do the walk/run combination for 20 to 25 minutes <a href="https://www.sharecare.com/health/fitness-exercise/is-minimum-exercise-remain-fit">four times per week</a> to see results.

2. Leg Lifts: Lie on your back with your arms next to you. Your head remains on the ground.&nbsp;Raise your legs about 6 to 12 inches off the ground. Your legs should be slightly bent to help keep your lower back from arching up. If your back still arches, bend your legs more. Hold this position for at least 30 seconds. Do three or four Leg Lifts twice a week. If this is too challenging, hold the position for 10 to 15 seconds and do two Leg Lifts per week. But remember, the only way to get stronger and <a href="https://www.sharecare.com/health/belly-fat/article/why-your-belly-fat-wont-budge">flatten your tummy</a> is to challenge yourself to increase the time and number.&nbsp;

Success secret: Keep breathing! Holding your breath while doing this exercise only makes it harder to maintain good form.

3. Sit-ups: Lie on the floor with knees bent, feet flat. Cross your arms over your chest so that each hand rests on the opposite shoulder. Slowly raise your torso off the ground until your elbows touch your thighs. Your back should be straight at a 90-degree angle to the floor; your head should be in line with your back (don&rsquo;t let it flop backward or forward). This is the end position of the sit-up. Slowly roll back to the starting position, arms still crossed. If you have trouble keeping your feet on the floor, try hooking them under something stable, like a couch, or ask a workout buddy to hold your feet down. Start with one to two sets of 10 reps each, twice a week, and work up to three to four sets of 20 reps twice a week. As your core muscles strengthen, you&#39;ll be able to increase your reps and keep your feet flat without assistance.&nbsp;

Success secret: When performing this exercise, be sure you pull your ab muscles in tightly and don&rsquo;t hold your breath. Exhale as you come up, inhale as you roll down.

&ldquo;Anybody can obtain the body they desire, they just need to be willing to put in the work and have the discipline to do what is necessary to reach their goal,&rdquo; says Obadike. &ldquo;Some people have to work harder than others due to body type, age and genetics, but it can be done.&rdquo;

3 Exercises for a Flatter Belly

Lace 'em up and enjoy the many benefits of walking, including less stress, a lower risk of heart problems and much more.

The Simple (and Free!) Way You Can Immediately Improve Your Health

Lose weight—and go easy on your joints—with these aerobic exercises.

7 Low-Impact Workouts That Torch Major Calories

Are you getting the nutrients you need to power through your exercise routine? Or do you sometimes feel like you&#39;re running on empty? Just like an automobile, your body will perform more smoothly and efficiently given the right type of fuel and the proper fluid levels.

So, if you find yourself huffing and puffing to make it through the final mile of your run, or if you simply want to feel better when you exercise, take a closer look at what you&#39;re offering your body as sustenance. Are you giving yourself the high-octane, performance-enhancing fuel it deserves?

The following quiz can clue you in to whether your diet is making exercise more difficult and, if so, what changes you need to make to power yourself up.

1. To help you maintain an active lifestyle, where should most of your daily calories come from? 
a. Carbohydrates 
b. Proteins 
c. Fats

The correct answer is: 
Carbohydrates. Carbs are the body&#39;s main source of energy and an important part of a healthful diet. They help keep you energized by maintaining blood sugar levels, and play a key role in helping your body recover after exercise. Try to get 50 to 65 percent of your calories from carbohydrates.

Most people get enough carbs from their regular diet, but they may not be the best kind. For healthy amounts of <a href="https://www.sharecare.com/health/diabetes/article/good-bad-carb-know-difference">beneficial carbohydrates</a>, choose fresh fruits, root vegetables (carrots, beets, sweet potatoes, etc.), and whole-grain products, such as brown rice, barley and whole wheat bread.

2. True or false? To stay healthy and physically fit, it&#39;s best to eat a strict low-fat diet. 
a. True 
b. False

The correct answer is: 
False. Your body needs fat. And research suggests there&#39;s no health or fitness benefit to restricting your fat intake to less than 15 percent of your daily calories.

In addition, fats provide essential fatty acids and vitamins. So, aim to get 25 percent to 35 percent of your calories from healthy fats&mdash;preferably the heart-healthy unsaturated fats that come from fish, olive oil, nuts and avocados.

3. It&#39;s the end of the workday and half an hour before your 45-minute circuit-training class. Which snack should you grab to help get you through? 
a. That&#39;s easy&mdash;a protein bar 
b. The candy bar I keep in the glove compartment for emergencies 
c. A handful of trail mix or a granola bar 
d. A meatball sub from the corner deli

The correct answer is: 
Trail mix or a granola bar. A good source of healthy, energy-boosting carbohydrates, trail mixes and granola bars also are typically easily digested. And they have a little bit of fat and <a href="https://www.sharecare.com/health/diet-nutrition/article/how-much-protein-you-need">protein for slow-release energy</a>, making them the perfect snack to sustain you through a medium-length, high-intensity workout.

The bottom line 
You know that what you eat affects your overall health, and that some foods are better for you than others. It&#39;s really no different when you&#39;re eating for exercise. In fact, if you focus on a balanced diet and keep your blood sugar levels steady by having healthful meals and nutritious snacks throughout the day, you probably already have a good energy store for your workout.

Your main goal is to get the right amount of energy&mdash;quick release, slow release or both&mdash;to power you through your routine. It&rsquo;s also important to get enough water to replace what you lose through sweating. And last but not least, you&rsquo;ll need to <a href="https://www.sharecare.com/health/healthy-recipes-healthy-meals/slideshow/fuel-for-fitness-recipe-center#slide-9">refuel after your workout</a>.

Medically reviewed in December 2019. Updated in August 2020.

Eat Your Way to a Better Workout

When we think of muscles, we think of Popeye, not twiggy Olive Oyl. But building and maintaining muscle mass is even more important for women. We all normally lose some muscle each year as we age. Aerobic exercise, yoga and dance help to increase strength, but they don&rsquo;t challenge the muscles enough to fight this natural muscle loss.

You might think that women need a different approach to strength training, but in fact, the same exercises work for both men and women, according to research at Maastricht University in the Netherlands, published in the July 2013 issue of the Journals of Gerontology: Biological Sciences. Following a small group of 70-year olds, who trained over six months, the team found that a standard program did just as much good for both men and women. You can build strength and improve your balance in as little as two 15-20 minute sessions a week.

There are six reasons to make strength-training part of your routine:

1. Strength training prevents falls 
Strength training can improve your balance, and therefore help you avoid slips and falls.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that one out-of-four older people fall each year, and one out-of-five of these falls causes a serious injury&mdash;including not just broken bones but head trauma.

A serious fall and its aftermath, which can include surgery and a stay in rehab, can often be a trigger for needing to move out of your home. Even if you&rsquo;re not hurt, a tumble may discourage you from being active, setting off a bad cycle in which your muscles get weaker and therefore put you at risk for another fall.

You may feel too young to worry about falling, but it&rsquo;s never too soon to rebuild or maintain your strength.

2. Builds your bones 
If you do fall, strength training will build up your muscles so that it will be less likely that you break a bone. As we age, our bones become more likely to break. Working out with resistance bands, weights or doing resistance exercises with your own bodyweight will make your bones denser and therefore stronger. A study from a Norwegian team published in the October 2013 issue of the Journal of Strength &amp; Conditioning Research found that squats built bone mass in a group of post-menopausal women with deteriorating bones.

3. Improves your overall health 
Strength training can reduce the symptoms of arthritis, diabetes, osteoporosis, back pain and depression, according to the CDC. Leaner, more muscular bodies are healthier all around.

4. Supports heart health 
The American Heart Association recommends strength training as therapy for patients who have had a heart attack or stroke. The Dutch study found that muscle-building improved blood sugar and cholesterol numbers dramatically. It can also reduce your resting heart rate and work off stress and tension.

5. Makes movement more enjoyable 
The stronger you are, the more fun and easier it is to move. As you grow stronger, you&rsquo;ll find that you can hike or swim longer or faster, or participate in activities that once seemed out of reach. Running around after grandkids is easier when you feel confident about your balance and know your legs can handle a variety of movements and activities because you did squats the day before.

6. Builds confidence 
You won&rsquo;t look like Popeye, but I bet strength-training will feel like a grand dose of spinach. It is one of the most foolproof efficient ways to build confidence. Stick with your program for at least four to six weeks and I predict you&rsquo;ll be surprised by how much better and stronger you feel.

Strength training important, but it doesn&rsquo;t have to be time-consuming.&nbsp;

This content was originally published on <a href="https://www.ornish.com/zine/women-six-reasons-why-weight-training-supports-your-health/" target="_blank">Ornish Living</a>.

Medically reviewed in January 2019.

6 Reasons Why Women Should Weight Train

Sure, strength training and aerobic exercise can help you work off those extra calories. But does being active and lifting weights increase hunger? Well, it might help you say no to those extra calories in the first place.&nbsp;

That&#39;s just what a small 2008 study showed. People who lifted weights for 90 minutes&mdash;or ran on a treadmill for 60&mdash;felt less hungry than those who didn&#39;t work out.&nbsp;

When your heart is pumping&nbsp; 
In fact, a good workout could suppress your appetite for as long as two&nbsp;hours afterward. Researchers speculate that the effect could have something to do with ghrelin&mdash;an appetite-stimulating hormone. Exercise seems to suppress it. But to see the benefits of strength training and appetite reduction you may have to do both strength training and cardio. &nbsp;

Other hunger hitters&nbsp; 
Give cravings the heave-ho with these two other I-feel-full, mind-over-matter tricks: &nbsp;

<ul>
	<li>Drink a glass of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sharecare.com/health/wellness-healthy-living/slideshow/ways-drink-more-water">water</a>. Really! Some people find it helps them eat less. &nbsp;</li>
	<li>Eat an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sharecare.com/health/nutrition-diet/article/news-eggs-risk-heart-disease-death">egg</a>&nbsp;for breakfast. It could help you bypass junk-food cravings later in the day. &nbsp;</li>
</ul>

Medically reviewed in December 2019. Updated in February 2021.&nbsp;

Is Weight Lifting a Natural Appetite Suppressant?

Is winter weather disrupting your walking or running routine? Try snowshoeing or cross-country skiing. Both offer all-body and aerobic workouts with many benefits.

Inexpensive and convenient 
Most communities that enjoy regular snow have ski and snowshoe trails. Once you know the sport well, you can take your own equipment to any nearby golf course or park&mdash;both snowshoes and cross-country skis are lightweight and inexpensive compared to downhill skis.

In many regions, you can drive to a cross-country ski and snowshoe center, or to downhill ski resorts or state parks. A full-service center, however, will offer lessons, groomed trails and equipment, all for much less than you would spend at a downhill resort.

Nature enhances your health 
Many snowshoe or cross-country trails are hiking trails that will bring you up close to trees, and frozen ponds and streams. Being outdoors in a natural setting enhances the mental lift you get from exercising, according to a&nbsp;study&nbsp;by Stanford researchers published in the June, 2015 issue of&nbsp;Landscape and Urban Planning.

Get a full-body workout 
Snowshoeing and cross-country skiing will help you work your muscles in a different way. Snowshoeing is easier to learn than cross-country skiing, but both are gentle on the knees, while strengthening your legs, and helping to improve your balance. Using your poles makes it a full body workout and increases your calorie burn per hour.

Follow these common sense principles to stay safe and comfortable:

Get a lesson. Both sports are relatively easy to learn, but do require that you move differently than you would on a city street. Downhill skiers, keep in mind: Cross-country skiing will require that your body unlearn some of its habits, so you might have a harder time on your first day than someone who has never skied before.

Get properly fitted. As a beginner, try different styles of boots when you rent and see what you prefer before you invest. Every time you go out, take the time to be sure your equipment is adjusted to your needs.

Start slow!&nbsp;Don&rsquo;t blaze your own path on a golf course until you really know what you&rsquo;re doing. Even if you&rsquo;re an ace hiker, don&rsquo;t assume you can spend as much time on snowshoes or skis as you would spend hiking in the summer. You&rsquo;ll be using your muscles differently.

Maintain your temperature. On cold days, always bring a buddy. You&rsquo;ll need a synthetic layer close to the skin to draw sweat away, then a layer of warm fleece or wool. Put a waterproof windbreaker on last. Stay away from cotton, even socks, because it can get wet.

If you have asthma, it might be triggered in cold weather. Wear a facemask, scarf or balaclava to cover your mouth; exhaling will moisten the air you breathe in.

While you&rsquo;re moving, notice if you&rsquo;re getting hot. Take off your hat first; a large percentage of body heat is lost through your scalp

Bring water and energy boosts.&nbsp;Drink before you&rsquo;re thirsty. Dehydration from sweat can cause fatigue. Nuts and dark chocolate are good choices for on-the-go snacks.

Keep track of the time and nightfall. Unlike downhill ski centers, most snowshoe and cross-country centers don&rsquo;t light the trails at night.

Want more? Have new articles from Ornish-certified clinical team members sent <a href="https://www.ornish.com/ornish-living/subscribe-to-ornish-living/" target="_blank">straight to your inbox</a>!

Medically reviewed in July 2018.

Winter Fitness Alternative for Walkers and Runners

The key to a longer, healthier life may be just a few steps away.

Walk Your Way to Better Health

Dr. Mike was walking through his Wellness Center one afternoon when he heard someone comment, &ldquo;I love exercising early in the morning, but it makes me late for work sometimes.&rdquo; Feel the same way? Don&rsquo;t give up your morning routine just yet. Here are some of the benefits of early rise workouts and ways you can take advantage of them.

Physical activity in the morning helps reduce <a href="https://www.sharecare.com/health/high-blood-pressure" target="_blank">blood pressure</a> during the day and boosts brain power (cognitive function and mental acuity) for 4 to 10 hours. You also rev up your metabolism, so you burn more calories all day and you&rsquo;ll have a sounder, deeper sleep that night. In addition, getting active in the morning makes it easier to stick with your workout schedule; several studies show more than 90 percent of the most consistent exercisers do it in the morning.

One of Dr. Mike&rsquo;s favorite early morning routines is <a href="https://www.sharecare.com/health/types-of-exercise-programs/what-is-interval-training" target="_blank">interval training</a>, especially when you are pressed for time. It&rsquo;s a great way to make sure you burn calories, increase cardio fitness and reap all the other benefits&mdash;and still make it to work on time. In a walking routine, he suggests, you walk fast enough for four minutes to start sweating; return to a slower pace for three minutes. Repeat the cycle for 30 minutes. And if you were thinking about doing something else aerobic for a little cardio-action in the morning, that&rsquo;s good for body and soul, too.

Medically reviewed in December 2019.

Why You Should Work Out in the Morning

Q: I&rsquo;m going to have hip replacement surgery next month and my doctor says I should exercise for a better recovery. How am I supposed to do that when I can barely take the stairs? &mdash;Cheryl W., Austin, TX

A: Good question. Smart doctor. Study after study has shown that exercise before surgery reduces complication rates, shortens hospital stays, eases post-op pain and improves recovery times. The best approach: physical therapy (PT).

Have your primary doc or orthopedic surgeon write you a prescription for PT. The therapist will check your current range-of-motion, strength and <a href="https://www.sharecare.com/health/live-to-one-hundred/slideshow/science-backed-reasons-stretch">flexibility</a> and give you exercises that will make noticeable improvements where needed (including leg, arm and core strength). You may discover that you can pedal a bike for 20 minutes when it&rsquo;s difficult to walk down the street! These workouts will also reduce pre-operative pain and anxiety.

If, for any reason, you cannot get to a physical therapist, you can still get the exercise you need to improve your surgical outcome. A 2016 study from the University of Michigan showed that one &ldquo;home-based, preoperative training program decreased hospital duration of stay, lowered costs of care, and was well accepted by patients.&rdquo; So ask your docs to recommend a video or audio program or to design a workout for you to do at home.

In addition to working out, making upgrades to your lifestyle habits can improve your outcome. The American College of Surgeons has implemented the Strong for Surgery (S4S) program, which focuses on helping with smoking cessation and improving nutrition for people with type 2 diabetes so they attain better glucose control. The result: reduction of postoperative complications and improved healing and <a href="https://www.sharecare.com/health/bone-joint-injuries/article/proven-ways-control-pain-surgery">postoperative recovery</a>.

So, Cheryl, anything you can do to improve your health pre-surgery will make your recovery post-surgery better and easier. And the benefits are not limited to orthopedic operations, they apply to a whole range of surgeries, even some cancer surgeries.

Q: Every year about this time I head back to the gym and every year about this time I get sick. Then I can&rsquo;t&mdash;and don&rsquo;t want to&mdash;go back to the gym. I need to be working out, so what&rsquo;s your best advice? &mdash;Greg C., Allentown, PA

A: Not an uncommon problem, Greg, and more than a few companies capitalize on it by selling their gym-quality products into homes. However, instead of turning your living room into a gym, there are several things you can do at your gym.

<ol>
	<li>Wipe down your equipment with an alcohol-based cleaner before and after you use it. Most good quality gyms have folks that wipe down equipment on a regular basis, but take this extra measure to be safe.</li>
	<li>Keep your hands clean. Most gyms have hand sanitizers around. Any shared gym equipment from bike handlebars to treadmill keypads (don&rsquo;t forget the keypads!), free weights and weight machines can harbor germs.</li>
	<li><a href="https://www.sharecare.com/health/cold-and-flu/article/can-flu-shot-save-life">Get your flu shot</a>. Even if it doesn&rsquo;t guard against the common cold it will bolster your immune system.</li>
	<li>Make sure any cuts or scrapes you have are 100 percent covered.</li>
	<li>Take a fresh towel from home with you to sit on if you&rsquo;re doing floor exercises or on machine seats. And bring your own yoga mat. Gym-issued yoga mats can harbor lots of unhealthy microbes.</li>
	<li>If you shower at the gym make sure you have your own shower slippers/flip-flops, and have another fresh-from-home towel to use.</li>
	<li>All your workout clothes go into the washing machine when you get home.</li>
</ol>

These precautions will protect you from most of the flu and cold viruses (staph, strep, etc.) and fungus that commonly travel through gyms in the winter.

Lastly, if you do get sick, stay away from the gym for a while. People get sick from the gym because infected people go to the gym. Just like school or work, if you can stay home, just do it.

Medically reviewed in December 2019.

Ask Oz and Roizen: Working Out Before Surgery and Staying Germ-Free at the Gym

After a heart attack, it can be hard to regain trust in your heart, and for that matter, your entire body. Even though you may have&nbsp;overlooked the care of your body in the past and feel afraid of the future, it&rsquo;s important to focus on rebuilding a trusting, compassionate and healthy relationship with your heart.

<a href="https://www.ornish.com/undo-it/" target="_blank">Ornish Lifestyle Medicine</a>&nbsp;gives you the tools to do just that. It&rsquo;s a process of befriending and rebuilding trust and compassion for your body.&nbsp;Paying attention to our nutrition, fitness and relationships all play an important role in finding our way back to health. There are also important stress management techniques that offer us powerful tools for trusting our bodies and mending and befriending our hearts.

Foster Deep Listening 
When we step onto our yoga mat, we also step into a relationship with our body that is focused on deep listening and conscious responding. We start to pay attention to our body&rsquo;s language and we become an advocate for that voice by honoring what it&rsquo;s telling us about ourselves.

Tools For Listening:

Move More Slowly in Your Postures 
This is so you can hear and feel what the body is saying. If we move too quickly, we can get lost in letting our mind overpower, or even bully, our body into a position. When we slow down we are better able to listen to that first small signal that tells us we are nearing <a href="https://www.ornish.com/zine/dancing-edges/" target="_blank">our edge of discomfort</a>. When we notice that edge, we can pause to see if we can maintain our breathing and balance. Then we can ask ourselves these questions:

<ul>
	<li>&ldquo;Should I pull back a little or is there room for me to soften right where I am?&rdquo;</li>
	<li>&ldquo;Is there anything I am willing to let go of (physical or emotional) that isn&rsquo;t necessary for the maintenance of this pose?&rdquo;</li>
	<li>&ldquo;Could I stay here and breathe or does it feel better to come out just a little?&rdquo;</li>
	<li>&ldquo;If there is a way to let go, does it allow me to move in just a little deeper to the next edge, or is staying here on this edge enough?&rdquo;</li>
</ul>

We must ask and we must listen. As we develop the conversation with our own bodies, we start to trust what it is telling us and we begin to honor the intelligence and wisdom it offers. We not only honor our body, but we may even expand our capacities in a gentle way. We move on the mat with this awareness and wisdom, and we can then bring these methods to our lives off the mat by learning to respect and honor our limits and capacities.

Talk to Your Heart 
We can do this anytime and anywhere, but it may be most effective when we are lying down or sitting quietly with our eyes closed. This is when our body can relax and our mind rests in our heart. In our gentlest internal voice, we can start to befriend our heart. We might start the conversation by saying.

<ul>
	<li>&ldquo;You are such a wise and loving heart. I am so grateful for you.&rdquo;</li>
	<li>&ldquo;What is it that you need from me to be healthy and whole? What can I do to help you heal?&rdquo;</li>
	<li>&ldquo;Is there anything you want me to pay attention to that I may be missing or overlooking?&rdquo;</li>
</ul>

These questions can be followed with a moment of silence and deep listening. The heart may not answer in words, but it may send a feeling or image, or sense of knowingness. Sometimes it doesn&rsquo;t respond at all, but you may get an answer later. What matters most is the process of asking and listening. This is what strengthens your relationship to your own heart and your inner healer. In time it allows you to begin to trust the wisdom of your own heart.

Foster A Grateful Heart 
The more we look to the positive qualities of our own hearts, the more focus and attention we bring to those qualities, and the more trust we gain in our heart. A 2015 study published by the American Psychological Association found that that a more grateful heart was indeed a healthier heart. Researchers at the University of California said that patients with asymptomatic heart failure who recognized and were grateful for the positive aspects of their life displayed better mood, better sleep, less fatigue and lower levels of inflammatory biomarkers related to cardiac health.

In addition, researchers at the University of Connecticut found that gratitude can have a protective effect against heart attacks. Studying people who had experienced one heart attack, the researchers found that those patients who saw benefits and gains from their heart attack&mdash;such as becoming more appreciative of life&mdash;experienced a lower risk of having another heart attack.

I have seen this often in participants in Ornish Lifestyle Medicine. They begin to reflect with gratitude on the brilliance of their own hearts and soon they see the light not only in themselves but shining brightly in the hearts of others.

These practices quietly transform the heart that once seemed as if it was our enemy into a loving and faithful friend.

This article was originally published in <a href="https://www.ornish.com/zine/stress-management-after-a-heart-attack-3-tools-for-re-building-trust-in-your-body/" target="_blank">Ornish Living</a>.

Medically reviewed in February 2019.

Yoga for Rebuilding Trust in Your Body

Skipping a regular workout can put you at risk for serious health problems, including cancer and Alzheimer’s disease. Learn how exercise protects your health.

Your Exercise Wake-Up Call

Around the time Alan Menken&nbsp;won an Oscar for the sound track to Beauty and The Beast&nbsp;(1991), you and millions of others found yourselves repeatedly humming the melody to &ldquo;Belle.&rdquo; And in 2009, Lady Gaga&rsquo;s Bad Romance may have bounced around inside your brain for a while. These persistent tunes, which researches call earworms, drill their way into your mind because they&rsquo;re simple, upbeat and catchy.

Well, while those earworms can be darn irksome, the power of music can put a smile on your face. Researchers from McMaster University have found that if you use <a href="https://www.sharecare.com/health/music-therapy/is-music-good-for-me">music</a> to power your workout during intense intervals, you&rsquo;ll end up more likely to stick with it and enjoy it!

<a href="https://www.sharecare.com/health/types-of-exercise-programs/what-is-interval-training">Interval training</a> (whether it&rsquo;s during a spin class or your daily walking routine) increases endurance and aerobic capacity&mdash;great for the heart and self-esteem&mdash;and it can help increase calorie burn and decrease your risk for obesity, type 2 diabetes and dementia. So, consider downloading your favorite, up-tempo music to power you through times of increased workout intensity.

We like listening to music during an <a href="https://www.sharecare.com/health/types-of-exercise-programs/article/want-to-lose-weight-interval-training-workouts">interval routine</a> on the treadmill: Start with a 2-minute warm-up at a pace that&rsquo;s right for your fitness level&mdash;say an intensity of 4-5 on a scale of 1-10. Then increase your intensity each minute so you hit 6, 7, maybe higher. With music cranking, hold your most intense pace (walking or jogging) for 1 minute. Then cool down to your warm-up level. You&rsquo;ll be singing a whole new tune about your health!

Medically reviewed in August 2018.

Exercise and Fitness