HEALTH & FITNESS

  Work your quads, booty, and calves with this 10-minute Tone It Up leg workout inspired by my workout at the Kohl’s x Studio Tone It Up event!  This past weekend, I had the opportunity to sweat it out with two women who have inspired me for years — Karena and Katrina of Tone It Up. These dynamic ladies were two of the first fitness bloggers I followed and a large part my inspiration for starting a health and fitness blog in the first place. I was a little nervous initially, as I’m five months pregnant now and often unsure if I’ll be able to keep up in certain exercises classes. Luckily, most of the moves were pregnancy-friendly. I was able to get a great burn alongside about 700 other sweat-loving gals, including several of my favorite fitness friends. I wanted to share some of the moves we did with you guys, so I created this 10-minute Tone It Up leg workout that you can do at-home. This circuit works the entire leg and can be repeated two to three times for an ext...

  Curious which yoga poses are safe during pregnancy? Here are six yoga poses to avoid during pregnancy and some easy prenatal yoga modifications. It’s pretty obvious — yoga is my favorite type of exercise. It’s a total mind-body workout that leaves me feeling clear-headed, open-minded, and good all over. It’s also really great for pregnancy. Studies show  that moms-to-be who participate in prenatal yoga have a lower incidence of prenatal disorders, low birth weight babies, and lower pain and stress. So I was really excited to continue my practice throughout my pregnancy. I didn’t want to move straight into traditional prenatal yoga classes, and I assumed that since yoga is so low-impact and modifiable for different levels of fitness, I wouldn’t need to change too much to keep up with my regular classes. When the class was doing ab exercises or anything belly-down, I would look around awkwardly then sit back into child’s pose. When everyone would twist...

  Y7 Yoga Founder Sarah Levey Demonstrates 3 Gentle Yoga Modifications for Pregnant Women These easy on the body modifications will keep moms-to-be safe during their yoga flow. Is there any workout as perfect for new moms as yoga? With strength-building sequences and poses that improve flexibility, this low-impact activity is a safe way to feel strong and energized through all the body changes pregnancy brings. Plus, poses can be modified to accommodate extra weight around the middle and protect tender joints and swollen body areas from injury. Y7 Studio founder Sarah Levey shows  Health  three gentle yoga modifications for expecting moms who want the mind-body benefits of yoga without overextending themselves. Malasana Squat Pose The first pose Levey demonstrates is the malasana squat, which can help relax and open the hips in anticipation of childbirth. Start by standing with your feet slightly wider than your hips, toes turned out and all four corners of your feet on t...

  Yoga is like an ancient almighty booster for treating an array of diseases. And diabetes is no different. There are many different yoga poses, which are known to enhance the function of pancreas and liver, along with regular blood sugar levels. They help in releasing enzymes in the body, which help you maintain better health, lose weight and also keep your diabetes in check. Here are some yoga poses you should do combined with 30 minutes of walking a day to control your sugar levels- 1. Vajrasana This is one o f  the simpler poses that anyone can do. Not only will it help you manage your sugar, it aids digestion and controls post meal sugar spike too. For this posture, you should fold your right leg and place the right heel below the butts. The same with your left leg too. Now straighten your back and keep both hands flat on the thighs. It is best to sit in posture post meals — although you can do it as a relaxing posture. This posture is known to relax the Kanda, which as p...

Type 1 Diabetes and a History of Disordered Eating Didn’t Stop This Woman From Becoming a Health Coach Lauren Bongiorno, a type 1 diabetic since she was 7, overcame a "horrible" relationship with food to become a holistic health coach helping others manage the disease. While home for college over Christmas break, Lauren Bongiorno went for an endocrinologist appointment. At the time, she was a 21-year-old  type 1 diabetic . Diagnosed with the condition at age seven, she was no stranger to these appointments: the tests, the anxiety of waiting to find out her A1C result, the potential feelings of disappointment. So when her doctor said that her A1C was 5.7, the lowest it had been since she was diagnosed, Bongiorno should have been thrilled. (An A1C blood test monitors diabetes over time; 5.7 is in the  range between "normal" and prediabetes .) Her mom was elated, as was her doctor, who labeled her a “star patient.” She had done everything right, and the numbers were pr...