Nigel Barker
- Celebrity fitness trainer Emily Samuel works as a trainer at New York City’s star-studded Dogpound gym.
- She doesn’t like to put her clients on lots of complicated machines. Instead, she prefers getting their heart rates up with "functional movement."
- Whatever your age, these are the moves Samuel recommends to get you fit to live a healthy life.
Celebrity fitness trainer Emily Samuel believes firmly that working out should not be a chore.
"Move your body in ways that you like to do," she told Business Insider.
Samuel, who trains supermodel clients at the elite Dogpound gym in New York (where stars like Karlie Kloss and Hugh Jackman work out), said she doesn’t like using many fitness machines. Instead, she prefers to teach people fun, "functional movements" — actions that get hearts pumping, but still mirror the physical challenges it takes to get through a day.
Rather than plopping mindlessly onto an elliptical trainer or step mill at the gym, Samuel says, it’s better to practice moves that "apply to real life" wherever and whenever you have the time.
"There’s 24 hours a day to move your body," she said.
Here are the critical total-body moves that Samuel recommends everyone should do regularly, at any age.
Jump ropes are not just for kids. Samuel said they’re some of the best "portable, affordable equipment to take anywhere."
Jessica Rinaldi for The Boston Globe via Getty Images
Try jumping rope for just 30 seconds and you’ll notice it’s one of the best ways to get your heart rate soaring in a hurry.
Jumping rope is a low injury-risk activity, and once you’ve mastered a basic hop, you can start speeding up and getting creative with new moves: jumping on one foot, adding high knee kicks, playing double dutch with friends, or criss-crossing the rope.
Regularly using a jump rope has been shown to improve balance and coordination in kids, help obese teens reduce belly fat, and improve heart health in adults.
Squats are a great way to build strength you’ll actually use.
Shutterstock
Once you’ve mastered the basic squat, you can go for a high-intensity jump squat, bending down into an imaginary chair, and then bursting up into the air. Samuel said it’s important to master the proper form for your basic squat before you try out the jumping version.
But once you’re ready, jump squats are a great toning move that can boost your power.
Trainer and exercise physiologist Tony Maloney at the National Institute for Fitness and Sport previously told Business Insider that when doing squats, "you’re also expending the energy that you need to actually lose the body fat that may be surrounding the dormant muscles."
Learning how to squat well is a practical skill we can use every day. "Functional movements that apply to real life are obviously the most important to do," Samuel said.
Kristopher McKay
"When you get up off the toilet and sit down on the toilet, that’s a squat," she added.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
See Also:
- Photos reveal what it looks like to get the measles when there are no vaccines
- A celebrity fitness trainer reveals her go-to power breakfast: These chilled balls that take 5 minutes to make
- Anthem is prepping to roll out its pharmacy benefit manager after a strong Q1
SEE ALSO: Fitness experts agree that sit-ups are worthless — here are 9 moves they recommend instead
Source: Business Insider – hbrueck@businessinsider.com (Hilary Brueck)