http://chriskresser.com/

We’ve made amazing strides in technology and communication in recent decades. Most of us have either drastically increased our internet usage over the last 20 years, or we have simply never known a world without it. Forty percent of the global population has access to the internet today, compared to less than 1 percent in 1995 (1), and Facebook’s founder, Mark Zuckerberg, has a plan to make sure that 100 percent of the world is connected to this resource (2, 3).

The internet has opened up the entire world of data and research to us, making the very resource that you are now reading not only possible, but a source of credible information for you in a place where literally anyone can write and share anything. The internet provides the means to become self-educated, to gather information, to shop, to build businesses, to market services, to communicate with others via social media, to find mates, to seek entertainment, to make money, to manage money, and to share data, including personal information.

At the dawn of widespread internet usage in the mid-1990s, researchers were already beginning to examine the effects of internet usage on our mental health. The concept of “internet addiction” was first studied in 1996 (4). Since then, there have been many studies linking problematic internet usage to various psychological issues, including anxiety, ADHD, autism, depression, hostility, schizophrenia, social anxiety disorder, loneliness, and stress (5).

Has the rapid expansion of internet access created a new environment that is detrimental to our health? Let’s take a closer look at the environmental loads and pressures that characterize internet use today.

Screen-time

The experience of internet use includes screen-time, and the number of hours spent staring at screens these days is ever-increasing. Researchers at Childwise, a UK organization that specializes in research with children, estimate that there has been a recent shift in what our children are consuming online (6). Of their three to nearly five hours a day online, children are spending more time on social media and playing games than watching television shows. In fact, a new documentary called Screenagers by director and physician Dr. Delaney Ruston (7) addresses the new problems that have risen in family dynamics, social dynamics, physical brain development, parental influences and controls, and emotional changes as a result of our children being constantly stimulated by a screen.

Looking at an artificially illuminated screen has an influence on the human body’s circadian rhythm (8, 9, 10, 11). In particular, the isolated blue light that emanates from electronic devices is shown to be disruptive to the natural hormonal fluctuations that we experience in concert with the day and night cycles. Unnatural light can delay melatonin secretion (the hormone that primes you for sleep) in the evening, which can lead to any of the associated chronic and acute health consequences of insufficient sleep, including weight gain, reduced immunity, cardiovascular health, metabolic disease, cancer, and reduced motor skill function (12).

The environmental input from screen use goes beyond its artificial lighting and attention-grabbing nature. Screen-time creates a very near, static focal length for our eyes. The ciliary muscle in the eye relaxes when distance vision is engaged, and it contracts at shorter focal lengths (13). Gazing at a screen for hours on end is effectively practicing constant contraction of the ciliary muscle. Near “work” in the absence of mid-range and distance “work” influences the progression of myopia (14).

Sedentary behavior

Prolonged internet use is closely associated with prolonged sedentary behavior and all of the associated health consequences (15). There are numerous studies supporting the connection between sedentary behavior and cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, obesity, type 2 diabetes, and all-cause mortality (16, 17, 18, 19).

Sitting for excessive periods has been shown to reduce the natural glucose and insulin response in the body (18). Recent studies demonstrate that prolonged sitting is a risk factor for hospitalization, diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and all-cause mortality independent of the amount of exercise one gets (19, 20).

Has the rapid expansion of internet access created a new environment that is detrimental to our health?

The cardiovascular system changes in response to sedentary behavior. Capillary growth (called capillarization) occurs only in moving body parts for the purposes of nourishing the cells that are in use. This is made possible by the presence of a protein called VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor) (21). In non-moving body parts, VEGF is reduced and the capillaries retreat from those areas. The more non-moving parts we have, the less capillarized we are, and the less nourished our bodies will be. Studies have shown that this process can happen even if your body is moved passively (22).

Hypertension is a possible health consequence of excessive internet use. The less we move, the less capillarized we will be, and the higher our blood pressure is adapted to be (23). The model, explained nicely by Katy Bowman in her podcast called “Cardio & Natural Movement,” describes your cardiovascular system as a container. All other things being equal, when that container gets smaller, your blood pressure must rise in response.

Social isolation

The internet was designed to connect us with others. It has certainly done this, but it’s also true that the internet can be a cause of disconnection in our lives. For example, a common scene in the modern household is for all family members to be present, with each person staring into their own screen, co-existing without sharing the experience of life. Likewise, it’s not unusual to go out to a café and see nearly every person there completely immersed in their digital device, or to go to a restaurant and see couples or groups of people at a table all staring at their phones.

Electronic communication has revolutionized the way we work and play and provided important social benefits. But when it comes at the expense of interacting with people in person (or even over the phone), there are consequences. Genuine social interaction has been part of the human experience for as long as we’ve been human, and it’s as necessary for health as a nutrient-dense diet, appropriate physical activity, and adequate sleep.

So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that there have been many studies linking excessive internet use to increased social isolation. One study (24) discovered a relationship between the amount of time that adolescents spent online and the ability to connect with others. It was found that kids who self-reported as “low” internet users (less than one hour per day) had better relationships with friends and family than those who reported “moderate” (one to two hours per day) and “high” (more than two hours per day). The authors concluded that excessive internet use can interfere with face-to-face relationships.

Caplan (2003) studied a person’s preference for online interaction as a factor in the development of problematic internet usage and the psychological health consequences that can develop as a result. He found that those who preferred to connect with others online would tend to become lonelier and more depressed over time and that people who identified as lonelier and more depressed would have a stronger preference for online interaction rather than face-to-face interaction (25).

Researchers are finding that persistent loneliness and social isolation should be given the same attention as chronic illness with respect to mortality. They have discovered that one of the most important predictors of longevity is a feeling of social connectedness (26). Importantly, this feeling of connectedness can be actual or perceived, highlighting the effect of mindset on overall health. Ultimately, the isolating influence of excessive internet use may do more than distract a person from “real life”—it could potentially rob one of years of life.

The built environment

Although we can access the internet from almost any environment, it is generally associated with the indoors. When this is the case, the health effects of excessive internet use can be extended to include excessive exposure to indoor environments and deficiencies in the nutrients provided by outdoor environments.

Exposure to an indoor environment is a burden on health when that environment contains inadequate ventilation. High concentrations of particulates from smoke, burning wood, cooking emissions, or overexposure to biotoxins such as mold are some of the most problematic factors with respect to indoor air quality; these factors have been related to the study of “sick building syndrome,” (27, 28) a non-specific condition that describes the poor health of a population of residents in a building (29). Typical symptoms includes headaches and dizziness, flu-like symptoms, eye, nose, and throat irritation, cough, itching skin, asthma, allergies, fatigue, poor concentration, and even personality changes.

Excessive internet users may have a deficiency in outdoor nutrients, such as fresh air, sunlight, beneficial microbes, and a feeling of some sort of connection to nature. Studies are demonstrating positive physical, cognitive, social, spiritual, and psychological health benefits for those who spend time in nature (30). It has been suggested that “nature contact” should be considered to reduce work-day stress and overall health complaints in the workplace (31).

What can you do?

Awareness is key, and if you interact with the internet on a daily basis, you might consider the following opportunities:

• Recognize that there is a difference between “internet use” and “problematic internet use.”
• Make a point of looking away from your screen routinely to focus on mid-range and far distances.
• Make a point of standing up from your desk routinely to move your body.
• Crowd out unnecessary screen time to do things that bring you joy.
• Schedule face-to-face meetings with friends, family, and coworkers to cultivate community.
• Head outdoors to experience movement and natural environments.
• Question your indoor air quality and work to improve it (32).
• Turn off screens at a certain time each night; install a program like F.lux on your computer to eliminate blue light in the evening.
• To limit blue light on mobile devices at night, try an app like Twilight for Android or Apple’s Night Shift feature that is new with iOS 9.3.
• Put your wireless router on a timer so that the internet is “shut off” each night.

Despite all of these warnings, the internet may in fact be making you healthier. The internet was immensely helpful for me in my own recovery, and I know that’s the case for many of you reading this article.

Since I am absolutely positive that some people will misinterpret my intentions with this article, let me be crystal clear: I am not suggesting that you stop using the internet or that it’s inherently unhelpful. I am merely pointing out that excessive use carries proven and significant risks.

In this respect, the internet is not unlike alcohol and coffee. When used in moderation, they have health benefits, but when they’re abused … watch out!

Now I’d like to hear from you. Have you experienced any negative effects from too much internet use? Is it easy for you to get sucked into too much time on the computer? What strategies have you found to be helpful? Let us know in the comments section.

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/

Getting organized used to be a whole lot easier.

As nomadic hunter-gatherers, we only had to keep track of the things we could carry because that was all we owned. As members of a tribe of extended family members, we could lean upon others for assistance with day-to-day tasks and trust they had equal skin in the game. We didn’t have to shoulder everything ourselves, and the responsibilities necessary for survival were simpler. The accessible world was much smaller, the breadth of available knowledge limited by location. You knew all about the lives and goings-on of your immediate community members and which plants were edible in a 20-mile radius and where to get water and when the antelope grazed and the leopard prowled. But what happened 50 miles away was a total mystery, and a thousand miles away might well have been infinitely vast. Important info was recorded through oral traditions—stories and songs. Anecdote and analogy and parable carry weight to this day because for millennia, they were all we had to go on.

Then agriculture happened, followed by urbanization and markets and trade routes and, suddenly, we had a lot more information to process. So we created a system for organizing and externalizing information: writing. Physical writing soon gave way to telecommunication traveling along physical wires and, later, invisible data streams shooting and bouncing across the atmosphere.

Today, we are roving islands of responsibilities, duties, obligations, tasks, schedules, and information hyperconsumers. We have more “freedom” and everything’s amazing and there’s an app for that and that and that. But that just means we have more things to squeeze in and organize our lives around. It used to be if you wanted to go to Hawaii, you told a travel agent and they booked the plane, the hotel, and the rental car. Now we have the freedom to hunt for the best deal ourselves and travel-hack our way into credit rewards for extra miles and scour AirBNB for an amazing pad on the beach. There are benefits, clearly. We have more opportunities and more options, but we’re busier than ever before with fewer people to help shoulder the load. And unless you turn off notifications, your phone’s always alerting you to the existence of something else to cram into your brain.

That’s the rub: on top of the physical world we’ve laid an entirely novel world of digital information that demands even more of our attention. All those tweets, status updates, texts, emails, and snapchats need to be organized alongside our houses, spouses, closets, jobs, bills, cars, and yards. How can our pre-industrial brains stay organized and focus on the things that matter? Here are a few tips to help.

Don’t multitask

You’re answering emails. You’re checking your phone. You’re pinging colleagues. You’re working an Excel spreadsheet. You’re reading MDA. You’re bouncing around from website to app to Twitter feed to phone call to text message. You’re on top the world and optimizing your performance. After all, doing three tasks at once instead of one must be more efficient. Right? Or maybe not, since the evidence clearly shows that multitasking doesn’t work very well.

A 2009 study out of Stanford found that heavy multitaskers—people who reported being frequent multitaskers and felt they were more efficient because of it—were worse at multitasking than people who reported being light multitaskers. When the multitaskers actually tried to multitask, they had trouble switching from task to task, were more easily distracted, and had trouble organizing their thoughts. In a more recent study, performance on a single task was 83%, while trying to do two tasks at once dropped performance to 17%.  Multitasking is a lie. Unless the tasks are completely automatic, like breathing and walking, performance of the primary task suffers.

If you insist on multitasking, try passive multitasking, like starting a pot of bone broth or a pot roast in the slow cooker before work. Dinner will be cooking as you work without you having to do any extra work. I also find that integrating exercise into the workday improves my ability to focus and create without disrupting my work flow. This could mean using a treadmill desk, keeping a kettlebell at your desk for occasional sets of swings, or taking pushup/squat breaks every 3o minutes. At home, I usually hop on the slack line for a few minutes when my writing hits a lull.

Take stock of your digital sensory organs

Phones, apps, and social media are sensory organs for our extended digital brains. They provide streams of data and information, and this information either helps or hinders us. Unfortunately, our brain can’t really distinguish between useful and useless information before we see it; it all gets processed simply by virtue of our viewing it, taking up valuable brain resources in the process.

On a free day, take the time to sit down and analyze the data streams in your life. Go through your Twitter feed and survey your “followed” list. Are the accounts you follow making you happy, improving your life, inspiring you, or making you money? Stop following the ones who you answer “no” to. Now do the same for the apps on your phone. If they aren’t improving your existence or are sucking your time away without anything to show for it, delete them. Do this for every digital outlet you maintain.

Avoid anger porn

Between liberals rage-watching Fox News, conservatives gnashing teeth over Obama dancing tango in Cuba, and anyone with a pulse reading Youtube comment sections, people are drawn to opinions and news that enrage them. I call this anger porn, and I’m not sure why we insist on consuming it. At least with regular porn, there’s a pay-off. With anger porn, we just get angry and frustrated. We can’t affect the world events being reported on. We can’t change that other guy’s disgusting opinion (nor can he change your horrendous one); we can reply to comments, but that just turns into a flame war without victors.

Anger consumes you. It depletes you. It’s a huge waste of time and attention.

Take notes

Our memories are fluid—more written in sand than etched in stone. Even our recollections of significant events morph over time until we’re not even sure we’re remembering them correctly. And sometimes they just disappear. How many times have you had a great idea, think “I should write this down,” don’t, and forget all about it? You’d never know because you’ve forgotten all about it!

Keep a notepad handy or download an app like Evernote for your phone. I don’t use Evernote myself, instead preferring to jot stuff down on paper or in my phone’s default notepad, but I’ve got friends and colleagues who swear by it.

Remove temptations

Humans are voracious data hounds. We just love information snacks, little bits of news and gossip that flit across our brains and prevent us from doing what we know we should be doing. And willpower is cool and all, and it’s easy to tell someone “just don’t visit that website,” but in reality? You’re gonna slip up and give in. Don’t rely on willpower. Use one or some of the dozens of tools and apps that block distractions. I’m a big fan of Self Control, which lets you choose which websites to “blacklist,” and for how long. Once a site is blacklisted, you won’t be able to access it for up to 24 hours. Delete it, restart the computer, it’s all in vain. Any and all attempts to bypass the blacklist will fail. For PC and smartphones, Freedom is a similar app.

Say “HELL YEAH” or “no”

Time and attention are finite. We only have so much, and it’s all we have in this life. After that, it’s gone. If we reject this fundamental truth and attempt to take on more tasks than we can complete, we’ll have no time for any of the stuff we care about and our lives will descend into stressed-out ruin. Derek Sivers has an ingenious way of deciding how to allocate his time and energy. If a potential opportunity doesn’t excite him, he doesn’t take it. If it “sounds kinda cool,” that’s not good enough. He’ll only agree to things if they make him say “hell yeah!”

Let your mind wander

Mind wandering is our natural state: where we aren’t engaged and focused on a task, we daydream. And it’s not frivolous. It’s essential. This is when our brain recharges and we stumble upon new avenues of thought. Next time you’re in line at the DMV or strolling along the beach at sunset, resist the urge to pull out your phone and occupy your mind. Let it wander. You need the break.

Don’t respect arbitrary commitments and rules

We all have to pay taxes and die someday. Beyond that, rules descend into varying degrees of arbitrariness. Self-imposed rules are the most arbitrary, like finishing every book you start. What if the book is terrible?

If the book doesn’t grab you in the first 40 pages, stop reading it. This isn’t school. You don’t have to suffer through boring (im)material.

If you “want” to meditate every morning for 20 minutes but can’t seem to do it, stop beating yourself up. You don’t want to meditate, actually, or else you would. That’s okay. There are alternatives. Worrying about not meditating is worse than not meditating.

Avoid decision fatigue

I’ve written on decision fatigue before. It’s a pernicious first-world problem that can sap us of willpower and resolve to do the tasks that matter. Read the post and consider what it says.

Consciously focus

I don’t care what the task is. Entertainment, writing copy, doing spreadsheets, TPS reports, welding, dog walking. Just focus. You could be watching the Walking Dead; actually watch it. Don’t have your phone out. Give yourself fully to the task at hand.

Tidy up

You’ve heard about the rich and measurable benefits of reducing wanton consumption and getting rid of unwanted, unused items cluttering your home. There’s less to worry about, it’s easier to keep clean, you’re more mobile when you don’t have lug hundreds of heavy boxes around, and you spend less money. And as far as organization goes, tidying offers obvious benefits; you actually know where things are kept! But there’s even evidence that your physical space mirrors your mental space and makes it easier to organize your thoughts and complete tasks. Research shows that trying to complete a task in a messy environment is harder than completing it in a clean, neat one. Physical clutter literally inhibits the brain’s ability to focus, process information, and avoid distractions.

Rank your to-do list

Get all your  to-do lists out. First, throw out the items that aren’t really important. If they ever become important, they’ll resurface later.

Next, separate them into two groups: big jobs and easy jobs. A big job is something that takes planning, time, devotion, and probably money. An easy job is something you can crank out in an afternoon.

Then, rank each item in each group in order of importance.

Finally, start cranking them out. Go down the line of easy jobs and do them as quickly as you can. Go down the list of big jobs and take the first step to actually start.  Never have more than two (one from each list) going at once.

There are of course times where you might have multiple things going on. That’s fine. Using the to-do rankings helps you focus, though. It’s a good rubric for getting things done, far superior to a big floating list of things you kinda have to do, sometime, somewhere.

Realize that “bits” count, too

Allowing large items and responsibilities to pile up is an obvious impediment to organization. Remodeling that bathroom, painting that kitchen, applying to that job, and deciding what you’re going to do about school for your toddler weigh heavily. We acknowledge as such. Everyone does. But what about digital “bits,” like unanswered emails and articles you’ve bookmarked to read later but never do? Because they’re digital, we tend to discount their effect on our focus, but they occupy real space in our lives.

Because our brains are set up to deal with physical things, and the impact of the digital realm isn’t obvious, a big part of getting organized and focused in the modern world is recognizing and acknowledging the obstacles. Now, it may take months or years for this to become second nature. It may be a constant battle. And perhaps several generations down the line, when human biology interfaces directly with tech, we’ll have adapted. Not yet, though.

Thanks for reading, everyone. Take care, and I’d love to hear how you stay organized and focused amidst all the distractions and temptations. What tips would you add?

http://www.thekitchn.com/feedburnermain

Pin it

Open Slideshow

Feeding is often one of the most stressful parts of new motherhood. Being able to easily nourish your newborn is essential to the physical health of your new babe, and to your own mental sanity as you enter into life together with your baby.

We knew that as part of DIY Mama (our month of homemade luxuries for mama and baby) we needed a homemade version of the Mothers’ Milk tea that many new moms love to sip for relaxation and to encourage a sustained milk supply.

READ MORE »

http://www.thekitchn.com/feedburnermain

@sobeautifullyraw

Pin it

So far, the most “American” sushi I’ve seen featured BBQ sauce and chicken tenders. But this … this tops that.

READ MORE »

http://www.thekitchn.com/feedburnermain

Pin it

In some ways this creamy pasta dish is reminiscent of a familiar Reuben sandwich or German-style mashed potatoes, but it’s also so much more. When I was dreaming of new ways to use sauerkraut — perhaps the most ubiquitous fermented food there is — I kept circling back to potatoes.

READ MORE »

http://www.thekitchn.com/feedburnermain

Pin it

Q: Are boneless pork chops just as good as bone-in chops when put in a brine?

Sent by Sharon

READ MORE »

http://www.thekitchn.com/feedburnermain

Pin it

From Apartment Therapy → Savings Stretchers: 8 Times Inexpensive Materials Looked Really Great in the Kitchen

READ MORE »

http://www.thekitchn.com/feedburnermain

Pin it

I always order spring rolls when they’re on the menu, but I can never quite get them to roll up into those perfectly neat little packages when I make them at home. If you also struggle to build restaurant-quality spring rolls in your own kitchen, just ditch the rice paper wrap and make spring roll bowls instead!

READ MORE »

http://www.thekitchn.com/feedburnermain

Pin it

Maille Collection Les Jardins Secrets des Chefs

• $45

Despite the cold snap we felt over the weekend in the Northeast, spring is finally here. To celebrate, we’re adding our favorite spring veggies to everything — including our condiments — which is one reason we love these new spring flavors from Maille, the French mustard company.

READ MORE »

https://www.girlsgonestrong.com/

You know what’s not cool? Workouts that don’t work. That aren’t fun. That don’t make you excited to hit the gym, the trail, or the yoga mat.

Trust me, I know. I’ve totally been there, competing in figure competitions, dabbling in powerlifting, and grinding away doing hours of cardio every week, just trying to find something that worked for me.

And I know I’m not the only one. At Girls Gone Strong, we regularly get emails from frustrated women complaining about how much they hate their training and aren’t getting the results they want. No wonder it feels so hard for them to stay consistent with their training!

In order for your training to be effective over the long-haul it needs to meet these 4 criteria:

• appropriate for your ability level
• effective for helping you reach your goals
• fun and enjoyable for you
• fit your unique schedule

Trying to find something that meets these criteria can be a huge source of frustration.

It has taken me years to figure out how to design a training program that is all-encompassing, but, even though it took a while, I did figure it out. I got there.

You can get there, too, and I want to help you. Here are three must-follow tips when it comes to crafting a program that will truly work for you:

1. Be Honest About Your Ability Level

First and foremost, you must choose both exercises and a workout protocol that match your ability level. If it’s your first day in the gym, you don’t need to be doing Reverse Band 2-Board Bench Presses with Chains and a 2-second pause, ya know??

Even if it’s not your first day in the gym, you need to respect your individual capabilities and choose exercises accordingly.  Choosing an exercise that’s too advanced for you is like putting a first grader in a calculus class and expecting them to benefit.

If you want to deadlift, there are countless deadlift variations from which to choose, and I promise you it’s possible to find one that you find both appropriately challenging and fun. You’ve got Kettlebell Deadlifts, Romanian Deadlifts, Trap Bar Deadlifts, Conventional Deadlifts, Sumo Deadlifts, Single-Leg Deadlifts…the options are endless.

It’s also important to keep in mind that every day will be slightly different for you depending on what’s going on in your life and with your body. Some days I rock out 20 reps of the dumbbell bench press with the 50-pound dumbbells, and other days I feel like eight reps might crush me.  Keep in mind that life stressors, nutrition, and sleep all have an effect on your gym performance.

Listen to your body and if you notice that something in your workout isn’t feeling right, or you just “don’t have it in you” today, it’s OK. Give it a rest and choose something else. Live to fight (and get stronger) another day.

2. Pick a Goal

This one sounds pretty obvious, right? But you’d be surprised how often I see women whose main goals are looking better, feeling better, and feeling healthy and strong—and they are grinding themselves to a pulp with two-a-day workout sessions every day, intense WODs six days a week, or ultra-marathon training.

To be perfectly clear: If that is what you want to do for your training, then by all means, do not let me stop you.

However, if that is you, it’s important that you are honest with yourself and acknowledge that your main priority is running that ultramarathon—not necessarily to feeling and looking your strongest and healthiest.  Different types of training lead to different physical and performance results.  Training for a figure competition looks vastly different than simply training to look better, feel better, improve your health, and feel strong and capable.

So what does that type of balanced training look like? Here you go:

• Strength training two to four times a week, generally lasting 45 to 50 minutes
• High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)/Metabolic Conditioning one to two times a week, generally lasting five to 20 minutes
• Moderate Intensity Cardio (MIC) one to two times a week, generally lasting about 30 minutes, with your heart rate at 120 to 140 bpm.
• Low Intensity Steady State (LISS) Cardio, whenever possible. This is any kind of leisure movement you enjoy—from yoga to hiking to biking to walking—and should be restorative, not strenuous. Your heart rate should remain below 120 bpm, and this activity should be relaxing, and not stressful to your body. This also includes general human movement like taking the stairs, standing instead of sitting, etc.

Keep in mind that some of these days can be combined to allow for two to three full days off each week. Of course, nutrition, sleep, and stress management also play a huge role.

Additionally, it’s important to remember that those strength workouts, HIIT workouts, and MIC workouts won’t look the same for everyone because you must take into your account ability level (see above!), and our next consideration, which is making sure it’s fun and enjoyable for you.

3. Mix Things Up to Make It Fun

At GGS, we believe training should be fun. Seriously—how likely is it that you’ll keep training over a long period of time if you hate what you’re doing?

Not very!

While your training program should follow sound training principles with smart exercise selection, intelligent set-and-rep schemes, and an effective overall layout to help you get the best results, you should always have options to choose from to ensure that you enjoy what you’re doing. You can do this by:

• having options to sub exercises in and out of your strength training program in case you’re “not feeling” a particular exercise that day or you’re missing the necessary equipment
• taking advantage of all of the different options you can use for your HIIT and MIC. You can use the track, the treadmill, the bike, the pool, a dumbbell circuit, a sled…whatever you enjoy. The options are endless.
• designing your overall program so it contains more of what you like, and less of what you don’t. Don’t love strength training? Then don’t plan to do it four days a week. Two is sufficient to build and maintain lean mass, improve your insulin sensitivity, and improve your bone density if you do it right. Hate cardio? Just throw in a short HIIT session and a MIC session 1 day a week instead of planning to do it more often (because you won’t stick with it, and you’re just setting yourself up for failure), and try to get in more movement throughout the day. Don’t stress yourself out thinking you have to do it four days a week if you hate it.

This will ensure that you’re consistent over months and years, which we all know is the key to long-term success.

4. Be Realistic About Your Schedule

Telling yourself you have to workout six days a week when you know you only have two hours a week to devote to exercise is a recipe for feeling like an utter failure. Why would you do that to yourself, when you can plan to train two hours a week and feel like you’re nailing your goals?

If you’re not sure how to set up your workouts based on your schedule, use this template as a guide (while keeping in mind your goals and what you think is fun, of course). This is a template for someone who wants a balanced training program to look good, feel good, and improve their health, who also enjoys a mix of strength training and cardio.

What’s Next?

Obviously you can see that I am extremely passionate about building training programs that fit my client’s ability levels, match their goals, and keep them having fun in the gym – all while getting them the exact results they want with minimal time and effort, which is precisely why I created The Modern Woman’s Guide To Strength Training Program.

This program has been sold to thousands of women in over in over 60 countries and has received rave reviews!

This resource has everything you’ve ever wanted to know about strength training, and more!

It includes:

• A 90-minute, high-definition Video Library of me (Molly Galbraith) coaching Alli McKee through over 70 exercises
• A Training Manual
• An Exercise Glossary
• A Progress Tracker
• THREE, yes THREE, 16-week Training Programs (yeah, that’s a whole year’s worth!)

The best thing about this program?  OK, it’s too hard to decide what the best thing is, but there are three different levels to suit every ability level, with 2-4 substitutions for each exercise, so you have options, and can completely customize it if you’d like. The program meets you where you are.

Grab yours here ===> The Modern Woman’s Guide To Strength Training