Latest news with #personalTrainer
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Health
- Yahoo
I've been doing this 7-minute Pilates routine for tight hips at the end of the day — and I'm hooked
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. If you spend a lot of time sitting down behind a desk, or you're a runner with tight hip flexors and a stiff lower back, I've found the seven minute Pilates routine you've been looking for. You don't need any fancy equipment, just a comfortable yoga mat, and less than ten minutes at the end of your day to help realign your hips and spine. You can thank me later. This routine is low-impact and suitable for most people, but if you're pregnant, postpartum, or you're recovering from an injury, it's a good idea to check with a doctor or personal trainer before taking on a new routine. The routine, created by Pilates instructor and personal trainer Katy Bath, is seven different exercises, each performed for one minute. The exercises are focused on the lower back and hips, but you'll use your core throughout to keep your body stable. The exercises included are: Hip hinge Arm reaches Half split to hip flexor Reclined pigeon sway Spine rolls Puppy stretch Back extension For exercises like the hip hinge, perform 30 seconds on one side, before switching to the other. You can follow Bath's technique in the video, but if you're new to Pilates, it's always a good idea to check in with an instructor to ensure you're moving with good technique. If at any point you feel pain or discomfort, stop, and consult a medical professional. There are several benefits to practicing Pilates, but if you're looking for a way to stretch your hips and back, Pilates is a great place to start. Pilates follows a sequence of exercises designed to strengthen your core and improve the flexibility and mobility of your spine. As you move through exercises, like those featured in the workout above, you can reduce stiffness in your back and promote a healthier range of motion. As you move through exercises, like those featured in the workout above, you can reduce stiffness in your back and promote a healthier range of motion. Strengthening your abdominal muscles and improving the mobility of your spine can help reduce lower back pain and improve your posture. When it comes to tight hip flexors, if you spend a lot of time sitting down, Pilates can improve joint mobility and strengthen the muscles around the hips to reduce pain. Pilates workouts like this one will address tightness in the hip flexors and hamstrings, helping you avoid injuries. Stiffness in the hips often radiates to the lower back, so stretching and releasing tension in your hip flexors can help reduce back pain. Pilates is also a great way to address imbalances in the body by focusing on your overall alignment. Over time, imbalances can lead to injuries or stiffness in the body. You'll also be building and maintaining strong, toned muscles as you practice Pilates more regularly. When paired with a good diet of healthy food, Pilates can help you lose weight and tone up. Ditch the planks — this exercise improves your balance and spine mobility, all while strengthening your core 9 best Pilates exercises for strengthening your core and boosting posture 8 minutes, no equipment — this 8-move Pilates abs workout works your deep core muscles
Daily Telegraph
5 days ago
- Health
- Daily Telegraph
Woman reveals humiliating moment that led to 40kg weight loss
Don't miss out on the headlines from Fitness. Followed categories will be added to My News. Welcome to You Got This, weekly fitness series featuring stories and ideas from real women who've experienced it all. A young woman has revealed how she struggled with her weight since she was a child — and the one thing that changed her life. Liliana Lerch, from the Gold Coast, struggled with her body image and relationship with food for as long as she could remember. 'I remember I had a personal trainer at 10, and just always struggled with my weight,' she said. 'But when I was 15 it started to snowball and get quite bad. I felt like I was getting bigger, despite living an active lifestyle.' Ms Lerch said she was always 'emotionally connected' to food — eating when she was sad, happy or anxious — and would 'come back to bingeing'. When she got her licence — and had access to a car — she would go out, pick up food and hide the packaging in her car. She said it meant she could 'get away with it more'. Ms Lerch always wanted a 'quick fix' to her weight, and would often give up after two weeks. She felt like she tried every diet, and was even contemplating medical intervention. She had a lot of moments where she knew her life had to change — but it was surprise skydiving tickets that was the catalyst for a life change. 'I remember we were going, and I had to pay extra. I was weighed in front of everyone. It was the most humiliating thing — I was stressed about it the whole week before because I knew,' she said. Liliana Lerch, from the Gold Coast, struggled with her body image and relationship with food for as long as she could remember. Picture: Instagram/@ 'It was a big ego hit. I was like, 'No, you're not even healthy anymore.' I was at risk of getting diabetes. I was puffy and inflamed and they thought I had PCOS. I found my health was starting to deteriorate.' It was at that point, she realised that she needed more than a quick fix. She needed to overhaul her entire lifestyle, she said it started as an accident. She did 75 Hard. She didn't complete it — or lose any weight from it — but it set her up for some better habits with exercise and it helped her stop her bad association with food. 30kg difference between the two images. Picture: Instagram/@ Essentially, she and her partner would go for a daily walk for coffee — but they wouldn't leave until at least mid-morning. It sparked a regimen of intermittent fasting for Ms Lerch. 'The diet was the hardest thing for me — I always loved walking, and living near the beach it's easy to, but I pretty much started intermittent fasting. I then noticed I lost 5kg,' she said. 'I started to focus on it more mindfully, and have some more structure with my meals and food. I found it helped me be more balanced.' At the end of 2024, people started to notice Ms Lerch's then 30kg weight loss. 'At the start, I didn't really believe them. But then I compared photos side-by-side and I was like 'Oh my gosh, I look so different.' Ms Lerch now. Picture: Instagram/@ She said she needed a lifestyle overhaul. Picture: Supplied She then did an eight week challenge, losing another 10kg, and her confidence started to rise. She felt the best she ever had, feeling strong and fit in her own body. 'I feel like we're so critical of ourselves as humans, it's hard to look back and recognise how far we've come,' she said. Ms Lerch, who posts to TikTok under the name @lilslerch, said she has always loved sharing things. Her most viral video was sharing the things she's noticed since losing weight such as feeling temperature changes more and that people are nicer to her. She felt like she'd never seen her body type represented online, so it was nice to be able to be that for other people. 'If I have a message, it's make it into a lifestyle and fall in love with the journey — find things that work for you, and what you enjoy,' she said. 'I hate going to the gym but I like going to pilates and walking, so that's my thing. Incorporate the foods you love into your diet — you need to have balance all around.' Originally published as Woman reveals humiliating moment that led to 40kg weight loss
News.com.au
5 days ago
- Lifestyle
- News.com.au
‘Sh*thole': American expat delivers brutal verdict on major Aussie city
An American expat who moved to Melbourne has reignited an age-old rivalry after sharing his unfiltered thoughts on life in Australia's second-largest city. Drew Mork, a 26-year-old personal trainer and fitness enthusiast, has been living in Melbourne for just seven months – but says the city hasn't lived up to his expectations. 'I wanted to love Melbourne so bad but I'll be honest – it's a sh*thole,' Mork said in a recent social media post. 'A city is only as good as its people and the Melbournians are bitter. No one wants to be happy, it's exhausting,' he added. He went on to describe the average mood in the city, wondering if there was something in the air that made people so unhappy. 'I feel like I'm constantly walking on egg shells – everyone can snap at any second.' 'It's definitely the most easily offended city I've ever been in,' he said. But it's not all bad reviews for the rest of us. 'When I visited Sydney, everyone was so happy and smiling,' Mork said. 'People in Sydney are just happy to be there.' Surprisingly, most Melbourne residents weren't feeling up to defending their city in the comment section. 'As someone from Melbourne I can agree to this,' said one viewer. 'I have to agree about the bitterness from experience,' said another. 'As a Melbournian you're not wrong,' said a third. Undoubtedly chuffed Sydneysiders were more than happy to chime in, praising their 'attractive' city. 'Sydney is the best city on earth!' wrote one proud viewer. 'Come to Sydney, don't waste any time there,' suggested another. 'I've lived in both cities and Sydneysiders are way nicer,' said a third. Despite Mork's less-than-glowing review, Melbourne continues to attract international praise – and plenty of new residents. Just this year, it was ranked the fourth most liveable city in the world, beating out Sydney, which came in sixth. The city is known for its world-class coffee, buzzing night-life, and its sport calendar. Don't be too down, Melbournians. At least you have Revs.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Switch squats for these 4 lunges variations to build a stronger core and impressive lower body strength
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. You're likely familiar with a classic lunge — a lower body exercise that challenges every muscle in the legs and glutes. But, are you taking full advantage of this fundamental move? Rather than just doing forward lunges, several other varieties of lunges will target the lower body, with some focusing more heavily on certain muscles over others. As a personal trainer, I not only include lunge variations into my workouts, but I also make sure the people I'm training do them too. Where do I begin? The lunge is a unilateral move, which means one leg is being worked at a time. Lunges really help to work your balance and stability, which is essential for everyday life, not just in the gym. It's not uncommon to find that the balance on one side of your body is better than the other, and there's no better move than a lunge to help you discover this! Knowing which side is more balanced can encourage you to do the work to correct this. Research in the journal Physical Activity and Nutrition found that lunges helped improve muscle function and balance in middle-aged women. If you are looking to work on your balance, lunges completed on an unstable support surface, such as a Bosu ball, balance board, or even a pillow, for example, were more effective at improving balance. Lunges are also great at helping to build strength in the leg muscles, including your quads, hamstrings, calves, and glutes. They are a compound exercise, which means they work multiple muscles and joints in one go. Some lunges variations will target your glutes a little more than others, which is what we'll get into later. Adding resistance to lunges is the best way to build muscle, and if you're hoping to 'tone up,' then you do need to build muscle while burning the fat that lies on top of the muscle. Your core will also be working hard during lunges to help maintain your balance. While core-specific workouts are great, I do always remind people that you can work your core during other exercises too, including lunges. Working your core also helps to improve your posture and overall balance. Not sure how to lunge? It's best to nail a basic forward lunge before learning the other variations. Start standing tall with your feet hip-width apart. Take a big step forward with your left foot and then bend both knees until they're both at 90 90-degree angle. Your back knee should just tap the floor, and your front knee should be stacked above your foot. Don't let your front knee go past your toes. Then, push up through your front heel to come back to standing. Aim for 10 forward lunges on each leg. Now you know how to lunge, give the below lunges a try. All of them can be done using just your bodyweight, dumbbells, or a barbell. To warm up and prepare your body for the move, I recommend doing a set of 10 bodyweight exercises. Then, add resistance to challenge your muscles further, which will help them grow and get stronger. These tend to be kinder on the knees, so you might find that you can, and they're great at targeting your glutes and hamstrings, on the back of your legs. Aim for 10 to 12 reps on each leg: Start standing tall, feet hip-width apart. If you're holding dumbbells, hold one in each hand, arms down by your side. Step one leg back, then bend both knees so your back knee just touches the floor and your front knee is stacked over your ankle or foot. Keep your chest upright, then push up through your front heel to stand upright. If you want to get into a deeper reverse lunge, try placing your front foot on a step. An ideal lunge for your glutes and inner thighs, this will also test your balance a little more than usual. Aim for 10 to 12 reps on each leg. Stand tall, then step your right leg diagonally behind your left leg, almost as if you were taking a bow Bend both your knees, dropping into a lunge. Make sure your front knee stays aligned over your foot and keep your chest upright. Push back up through your front foot to return to standing. These are a variation of forward lunges, but as you're moving forward, walking lunges add a conditioning element to your workout. Making them wider targets your glutes a little bit more. To remove the glute focus, avoid stepping out wide to the side. Aim for 10 to 12 reps on each leg. Stand tall, making sure you have space ahead of you. Step your right foot forward and out to the side a bit wider than hip-width. Lower into a lunge with your front knee over your ankle and back knee lowered at a 90-degree angle. Push through your front heel to bring your back foot forward and out wide again. Keep repeating, alternating legs as you move forward, until you've hit your rep count. Keep your chest upright throughout. These are static lunges, in that they're still and simply require you to drop up and down. Aim for 10 to 12 reps on each leg. Stand tall with your left foot in front of your right. Your stance should be fairly wide. Staying in this stance, bend both knees until they're both at 90-degree angles. Your front knee shouldn't go past your toes — if it does, simply adjust your stance. Then push up through your front heel to come back to stand before going again. Forget planks — this dumbbell workout tones and strengthens core muscle in just 15 minutes Goodbye sit-ups! This 10-minute workout will help you build a stronger core and strengthen your pelvic floor muscles All you need is 5 minutes to build core strength and stability, according to a certified Pilates instructor
The Sun
24-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Who is Love Island bombshell Will Means?
WILL Means is a super-fit personal trainer who is exploding into the famous villa as part of a quartet of new bombshells. The Sun exclusively revealed that the troop of troublemakers were primed to shake things up on the show. 4 4 Will Means is a 25-year-old personal trainer from Norfolk who entered the Love Island villa as a bombshell on June 23, 2025. He grew up on his family's farm in Terrington St Clement, West Norfolk, where he spent many a summer working the land. His family farming roots run deep — Will's dad Mark Means was named Farmer of the Year at the 2024 Farmers Weekly Awards. Will also gained recognition in the farming community when he was voted the fourth fittest farmer in the UK by Farmers' Weekly in 2023. The competition involved a series of strength and athleticism tests, drawing around 5,000 participants. Will is passionate about fitness — he completed the 2025 Hyrox World Championships, finishing in 35th place, and also completed an Iron Man event earlier in the year. He's active on Instagram, where he shares content focused on keeping fit, training and the endurance competitions he competes in. As of June 24, 2025, Will has more than 3,000 followers, which is sure to shoot up during his stint on Love Island. Before joining the show, Will told ITV: 'I'm excited and looking forward to getting in there and speaking to the girls. 'It's the chance to meet a soulmate, which would be great.' Watch moment 4 bombshells arrive in Love Island villa as Helena makes u-turn He said his usual type is 'up for a laugh' and 'sporty', while his biggest red flag is arrogance. Will explained: 'I like to share the conversation across the room. If it's all about them, they're probably not for me.' He added: 'I'm quite family-oriented, so if they are as well, that would be great. 'Nice to look at helps and someone who is up for a laugh.' 4 Villa drama Things got even more dramatic in the villa when the quartet of new bombshells took four OGs straight for a steamy sleepover in Casa Amor, as exclusively revealed by The Sun on June 23, 2025 In the summer of 2024, the same twist saw Joey Essex and Grace Jackson get together, and the show's producers are hoping for more of the same this season. A source said: 'The saucy sleepover worked brilliantly last year and bosses felt now was the perfect time to deploy the same cheeky twist. 'Dejon and Meg have just made up, Tommy and Megan and Conor and Emily are wavering, and everyone else is scrambling for a connection. Love Island 2025 full lineup Harry Cooksley: A 30-year-old footballer with charm to spare. Shakira Khan: A 22-year-old Manchester-based model, ready to turn heads. Megan Moore: A payroll specialist from Southampton, looking for someone tall and stylish. Alima Gagigo: International business graduate with brains and ambition. Tommy Bradley: A gym enthusiast with a big heart. Helena Ford: A Londoner with celebrity connections, aiming to find someone funny or Northern. Ben Holbrough: A model ready to make waves. Megan Clarke: An Irish actress already drawing comparisons to Maura Higgins. Dejon Noel-Williams: A personal trainer and semi-pro footballer, following in his footballer father's footsteps. Aaron Buckett: A towering 6'5' personal trainer. Conor Phillips: A 25-year-old Irish rugby pro. Antonia Laites: Love Island's first bombshell revealed as sexy Las Vegas pool party waitress. Yasmin Pettet: The 24-year-old bombshell hails from London and works as a commercial banking executive. Malisha Jordan: A teaching assistant from Broxbourne, Hertfordshire, who entered Love Island 2025 as a bombshell. Emily Moran: Bombshell Welsh brunette from the same town as Love Island 2024 alumni Nicole Samuel. Shea Mannings: Works as a scaffolder day-to-day and plays semi-pro football on the side. Remell Mullins: Boasts over 18million likes and 500k followers on TikTok thanks to his sizzling body transformation videos. Harrison Solomon: Pro footballer and model entering Love Island 2025 as a bombshell. Departures: Kyle Ashman: Axed after an arrest over a machete attack emerged. He was released with no further action taken and denies any wrongdoing. Sophie Lee: A model and motivational speaker who has overcome adversity after suffering life-changing burns in an accident. Blu Chegini: A boxer with striking model looks, seeking love in the villa.
