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I’ll be honest—when someone mentions a new “health hack,” I get a little nauseous. I’m not into hacks or quick fixes that promise big results with almost no effort.What I do believe in, though, are simple daily practices that help us build a stronger foundation for health—habits that, over time, move us from just surviving to thriving.That belief has only deepened since I became a mom. My time for self-care shrank dramatically, so I had to learn how to work smarter, not harder. When I find something that’s quick, simple, and actually effective—I share it.This one comes from Dr. Perry…

The first-ever Olympia Women’s Physique champion, Dana Linn Bailey still looks stage ready thanks to her love of finding new ways to keep her body buff. And, in a recent Instagram post, Bailey, who won her Olympia prize back in 2013, shows that she’s still using fresh training techniques to build her body better. “Want bigger rear delts? Try this,” enthused your dream personal trainer. “Rear delts, one of those muscles that everyone, I feel like, needs to work on a little bit more,” said Bailey in an instructional video for her 2.2 million IG followers. What Are the Rear…

Once you hit 45, strength training becomes one of the best things you can do for long-term health and wellness. While many tend to focus on cardio or general physical activity, resistance training is what keeps you “strong, mobile, and independent” with age, says Clif Marshall, senior director of coaching and pro training at D1 Training. So, we’ve rounded up the best strength exercises to start this week after 45. Here’s why strength training really matters after 45. “Once we reach our mid-40s, the body naturally begins to lose muscle mass and strength, which happens faster if someone remains inactive,”…

In less than a year, our client Matt lost 31.5 pounds and shrunk his waist by over 20 cm (nearly 8 inches).  But it wasn’t magic. Sometimes it takes seeing yourself through a different lens to spark real change.  For Matt, that moment came during a Bali vacation in May. Looking at his photos, he knew something had to shift. With his 40th birthday on the horizon, he set an ambitious goal: to get into the best shape of his life. “I’ve always been the guy who was in the gym,” Matt reflects. “Lifting with no real purpose and doing…

If you thought the bodybuilding world would pause for breath following the 2025 Olympia, you better think again, because the EVLS Prague Pro has made a huge impact on the road to becoming the industry’s best bodybuilder. From emerging contenders to emotional roads to redemption, here’s five things we learned over the weekend. Martin Fitzwater is On a Mission to Become the 2026 Mr Olympia “The Martian” lived up to his name at the Prague Pro by bringing an out of this world physique that presented muscle fullness, combined with the much-coveted conditioning that legends of the past have been…

My relationship with sneakers changed when my sister gifted me the New Balance 574 Core shoes. Previously, my athletic shoe collection had been limited to, well, shoes that exude a purely sporty look and feel, including Nike and Asics running shoes. While my preferred sneakers were perfect for sweat sessions, they weren’t really as stylish as the walking sneakers I’d spotted on various fashion-forward people and celebrities.  My sister, a runner, HIIT aficionado, and also quite literally the most on-trend person I know, spent “multiple hours” researching the best walking sneakers to gift me. Her mission was fueled by the…

In this episode of A Productive Conversation, I sit down with Anthony Verdino — a licensed clinical social worker and author of CBT Simplified. Drawing from both his professional expertise and personal story of resilience, Anthony shares how cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can be applied beyond the therapy room — into the way we think, act, and feel in our everyday lives. We explore how small shifts in thought and behavior can create profound changes in productivity and well-being, especially in a world that often mistakes busyness for progress. Anthony offers practical ways to align mindset with action and shows how reframing,…

While lifting weights to build muscle is a proven method for maintaining longevity, joint limitations as we age threaten to derail our progress. In fact, almost a third of people over 45 show signs of knee osteoarthritis on x-rays, with half of this group displaying acute symptoms. Fortunately, a new study has revealed that aerobic exercise, and three specific activities could be key to improving your knees. The study, published by The BMJ, recognized that while exercise is a long-lauded method for improving knee mobility, the advice around exactly which exercises to engage with can be quite limited. “Therapeutic exercise…

You don’t need machines or heavy weights to stay strong after 60. In fact, the smartest training comes from using your own body. Bodyweight exercises activate multiple muscle groups at once, challenging strength, balance, and mobility in ways that machines rarely match. They keep your joints healthy, your coordination sharp, and your strength practical, ready for real life. The key lies in control. When you move with intention, your muscles fire together, stabilizers engage, and you build the kind of total-body strength that supports everything from climbing stairs to carrying groceries. Bodyweight training builds not just muscle mass, but also…

Part of my role as SELF’s fitness and nutrition writer is to try recipes and food products that spark buzz online and IRL. Fluffy yogurt? Check. Protein Diet Coke? Check. But a pickle sandwich? Well, that was new territory even for me.Later this month, the sandwich chain Jimmy John’s will be serving exactly that for a limited time. And by “pickle sandwich,” I’m not talking about a sandwich that contains pickles, to be clear. Rather, I’m referring to the Picklewich, a bread-free spinoff that substitutes Jimmy John’s standard French roll for hollowed-out dill pickles. When the Picklewich first debuted in…