10 Best Beginner-Friendly Yoga Poses to Build Strength and Flexibility
Yoga can look intimidating when you see people effortlessly twisting into impressive poses, but you really don’t need to be flexible or experienced to get started. Some of the most useful yoga poses are simple enough for beginners and can be practiced at home with little more than a comfortable surface. Yoga combines movement, breathing, balance, and mindful attention. As you move through each pose, try to breathe slowly and avoid rushing from one position to the next. For many beginner poses, starting with around 10 seconds is a comfortable goal. As you become more familiar with the movements,...
How Strong Are You at 50? Try These Five Simple Strength Challenges
It’s actually the ideal time to concentrate on strength training, so turning 50 doesn’t mean slowing down. Building and maintaining muscle becomes even more important as we age, even though cardio receives the majority of the attention. “Strengthening muscles helps fight age-related muscle and bone loss, making everyday activities easier and reducing your risk of injury,” says Dr. Melissa Leber, an associate professor of orthopedics and emergency medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. You can test your body with these five easy exercises to find out how fit you are right now. These tests are...