Jenn's Losing It

As if you needed another reason to dread the first day of the workweek, women tend to feel their least attractive on Mondays , according to a new study from PHD, a global media and communications agency. The company surveyed 684 women about what days and times of the week they felt least sexy, and more than half of the participants said they felt their worst on Mondays. Sundays, meanwhile, came in second with 39 percent of respondents saying their confidence was at an all-time low on that day. So why are women feeling not-so-hot on Mondays? According to the survey results, it’s tied to the start of the workweek: There’s a ton of stress affecting women’s appearances and often a lack of motivation to even try to look good. 4 Ways to Love the Skin You're In: http://www.womenshealthmag.com/beauty/beauty-tips-and-tricks Silence Your Inner Critic  http://www.womenshealthmag.com/life/self-criticism Beat Your Bad Mood in 30 Seconds or Less: http://www.womenshealthmag.com/life/how-to-be-hap...

Yoga Strong "How did you get those arms? Do you lift weights?" Yogis hear these questions all the time and smile knowingly as they respond, "Nope. Just yoga." Yoga requires nothing but ourselves—no weights, no machines, just the ability to lift and hold our own body weight. If the gym feels like a prison, then yoga is a playground. Yoga is composed of endless postures; you never have to do the same practice twice. There is a variation for every pose, and just when you've mastered a pose, you'll learn a new transition that takes it to the next level. This kind of training creates a long, lean body that shows strength without bulk. Do these four poses as a sequence two to five times a week.   1. Plank Begin on all fours with your arms straight and shoulders stacked over your wrists. Have your palms flat and shoulder-width apart. Curl your toes under and step both feet back until your legs are straight and your feet are hip-width apart. Bring your shoulders, hi...

A workout that  builds muscle  and counts as cardio? That's serious multitasking. One that blasts calories and increases strength using just your body weight? That's seriously genius. Rev your heart rate and your hot-body results with this 24-minute  no-equipment workout  created by Brynn Jinnett, founder of Refine Method. Perform the following four exercises in order as prescribed. Complete four total rounds. MOVE   1 Squat Jump Kagan McLeod Stand with your feet hip-width apart, then bend your knees to lower your body into a squat (a). Pressing through your heels, straighten your legs as you jump off the floor (b). Land softly and immediately lower into another rep, and continue for 30 seconds. Rest 15 seconds, then continue to the next move. Quick Tip:  Make it easier by skipping the jump every other rep (and just performing a regular squat) MOVE  2 Bear Crawl Kagan McLeod Start on all fours, back flat and core tight, then slightly lift your hips to ...

TWO RUNNERS WALK INTO A BAR... No, this isn't the beginning of a tired joke, it's an increasingly common real-life occurrence. And research shows that, once inside, those avid runners—and other frequent exercisers—tend to accrue bigger tabs than the average bar patron. Picture the Cheers gang clad in head-to-toe sweat-wicking spandex. A 2009 study from the University of Miami found that the more people exercise, the more they drink—with the most active women consuming the highest amounts every month. It's a peculiar phenomenon that has had scientists scratching their heads since 1990, when research first pinpointed the alcohol-exercise connection. But they expected that, at some point, the script would be flipped—that the biggest boozers would exercise less. Never happened. Instead, this landmark 2009 analysis of more than 230,000 men and women revealed that, on average, drinkers of both genders and all ages (not just wild twentysomethings) were 10 percent more likely...

1. Motivation Mistake: Setting the Bar Too Low "I'll do my best" sounds like a worthy vow to make, but it can actually suck the motivation right out of you. "This type of vow is vague, making you more likely to procrastinate," says Gary Latham, Ph.D., a professor of organizational effectiveness at the University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management. The result? A mediocre or disappointing performance. Solution: To step up your game, set attainable goals that are clear and challenging and give yourself a deadline. "Specific goals help focus your attention and increase your effort, which helps you persist longer," says Latham. And since you have a plan of action and a time frame, you're less apt to put things off. Another important point: Concentrate on three to five big goals at a time. "Any more and your eyes glaze over and you burn out," says Latham. 2. Motivation Mistake: Testing Your Willpower We spend three to four hour...

Many mind-body classes are known for their steady rhythm and focused poses—but some today are amping up their classic methods. Whether it's yoga, Pilates, or barre, there are plenty of ways to score cardio points during your practice, in the classroom or at home. If you're looking for a yoga cardio workout,  choose a  vinyasa -based or "flow" yoga class, says Chrissy Carter, star of  Beginning Yoga with Chrissy Carter . Practicing on your own? String together several reps of standing poses—like side angle to warrior two to triangle pose—moving with your breath without losing form. If you're looking for cardiovascular benefits from Pilates or barre , search for classes that are cardio-specific or for ones with keywords such as  dynamic, athletic, calorie-torching,  or  metabolic  in the name or description; and keep yourself moving during breaks with light aerobic activitylike pushups or jump rope. PUBLISHED: SEPTEMBER 19, 2013  |  B...

Get a full cardio workout in just 20 minutes with this interval routine.  When you're short on time, your best bet for an efficient and  effective workout  is amping up the intensity of your slow-and-steady pace, which will burn more total calories each minute during your workout—and, some speculate, may also suppress your appetite. Whether you prefer to swim, run, bike, hike, or walk, this cardio intervals workout, created by Todd A. Astorino, Ph.D, an associal professor of kinesiology at California State University at San Marcos, will make sure you get the biggest  calorie burn out of 20 minutes. 0:00-5:00 Warm up, moving at a slow pace. 5:00-6:00 Go all out, pushing yourself as hard and fast as possible. 6:00-7:00 Active recovery: Catch your breath. 7:15-18:30 Repeat minutes 5:00 to 7:15 five times. 18:30-20:00 Cool down. PUBLISHED: SEPTEMBER 20, 2013  |  BY JESSICA CASSITY, PHOTOGRAPH BY TURE LILLEGRAVEN Women's Health Magazine