Thirst isn't always a reliable signal. Learn why proactive hydration matters more before a hard workout.

Rest days do real, measurable recovery work. Learn what's happening in your body and how often you actually need one.

A few slow breaths before you train can shift your body out of stress mode and into a better state for training.

Meet the nine iFIT Pilates instructors and find the one whose approach fits where you are in your practice right now.

Get transformed in paradise with iFIT Trainer Tommy Rivs in the latest installment of his Road to Recovery Series, this time in Guatemala! In Road to Recovery Part 5: Guatemala, Rivs takes you through 20 invigorating walks, introducing gentle inclines and declines. Each walk is under 35 minutes, making it perfect for anyone, regardless of fitness level. Whether you’re stepping back into fitness, overcoming an injury, or building your running foundation, these workouts are designed with you in mind. Experience Guatemala’s breathtaking vistas, from serene lakes to majestic mountains, while Tommy teaches the art of rebuilding fitness with grace and mindfulness. Read about the special bond between Rivs and Ick, a stray dog turned unexpected workout partner, while filming Road to Recovery Part 5: Guatemala. Join Road to Recovery Part 5: Guatemala Road to Recovery Part 5: Guatemala About the workouts Rivs guides you on 20 revitalizing walks featuring gentle inclines and declines tailored for all fitness levels. Each walk lasts under 35 minutes, so whether you’re returning to fitness, recovering from an injury, or laying the groundwork for your running journey, these workouts are thoughtfully crafted for your personal progression. About Guatemala Explore Guatemala’s rich tapestry: a land where ancient Mayan ruins, vibrant indigenous cultures, lush rainforests, and towering volcanoes converge. Dive into its history and marvel at the colorful textiles in bustling markets. Workout highlights Beginner workouts20 workoutsAverage workout duration: Under 35 minutesAvailable on treadmills and ellipticals Join Road to Recovery Part 5: Guatemala Road to Recovery Collection Here’s your chance to experience the complete Road to Recovery adventure with the Road to Recovery Collection! Join Rivs on Parts 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 from Mexico to Mallorca, Menorca, Italy, Australia, and (of course) Guatemala. Find what moves you and feel inspired with motivating walking workouts and Tommy alongside you in these breathtaking locales. Disclaimer: Opinions of iFIT Trainers are not necessarily the opinions of iFIT. This blog post is not intended to replace the advice of a medical professional. The above information should not be used to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or medical condition. Please consult your doctor before making any changes to your diet, sleep methods, daily activity, or fitness routine. iFIT assumes no responsibility for any personal injury or damage sustained by any recommendations, opinions, or advice given in this article. Always follow the safety precautions included in the owner’s manual of your fitness equipment.

The iFIT app offers a variety of workout series for every piece of equipment: skiing in Colorado on the elliptical, hiking or running in Hawaii on the treadmill, cycling in Turkey on the bike, rowing across the English Channel, and much more. For those seeking an equipment-free workout experience, there are several activities that can be accomplished without iFIT-enabled equipment! Best of all, these workouts give you the freedom to venture elsewhere, whether that's across the world or into a different room. Here's how to get started off of your equipment with the iFIT app: Strength training If you want to tone your body or build some strength, then you can focus on high-intensity interval training (HIIT) or strength circuits that can be divided between upper-body, lower-body, full-body, or core workouts—depending on your interests and goals. You'll learn the fundamentals of lifting while getting in a good burn. If you’d like to give it a try, bring your mat and dumbbells and follow iFIT Trainer Kelsey Sheahan in her Foundations of Strength Training Series! Yoga and active recovery Taking days to recover is crucial to preventing injury and keeping your body healthy. There are many series on the iFIT app that teach you how to stretch and mobilize certain muscle groups and also enhance your flexibility and mind. Try dedicating 5–10 minutes to recover with stretches after running or strength training. You can try out the Mindful Stretching Series with iFIT Trainer Nicole Meline. You can also spend recovery days in Asia with iFIT Trainer Briohny Smyth in her Thailand Yoga & Strength Series. Audio Workouts These listening-only workouts allow you to focus on your surroundings instead of the screen. With a mix between endurance runs and intervals, mindful workouts, and strength training, there are endless options for you to get your activity in throughout the day. Try the Intro to Endurance Jogging Outdoor Series through the city with iFIT Trainer Casey Gilbert or meditate on a summit with iFIT Guide Kevin Courtney in his Strengthen the Mind Meditation Outdoor Series. Mindfulness and mental health Strengthening your mind is just as important as strengthening your body. The iFIT app offers a variety of mindful workouts, such as meditation and mental training. You can learn about topics like finding happiness, overcoming personal challenges, and how to get better sleep. Practicing mindfulness has been shown to offer several health benefits that can have a long-lasting, positive impact on your life. If you haven't already, zen out with iFIT Trainer Nicole Meline in her Montana Meditation Series. At iFIT, improving your health and wellness is our goal, so we’re always releasing new workout series for you to try—both on and off your equipment! Disclaimer: This blog post is not intended to replace the advice of a medical professional. The above information should not be used to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or medical condition. Please consult your doctor before making any changes to your diet, sleep methods, daily activity, or fitness routine. iFIT assumes no responsibility for any personal injury or damage sustained by any recommendations, opinions, or advice given in this article. Always follow the safety precautions included in the owner’s manual of your fitness equipment.

Fitness enthusiasts focus on bettering themselves by staying active, whether that is running to lose weight, lifting to build muscle strength, conditioning to advance athletic skills, etc. Another great way to stay active is by practicing mindfulness. This includes activities such as yoga, meditation, and stretching. With full-time work schedules, workout routines, social lives, and all other responsibilities, the average person only really gets to relax for about 43 minutes a day. By being able to incorporate mindful activities into your workout routine, not only will you improve your physical health and abilities, but you will also see an improvement in your psychological health. According to the American Institute of Stress, 77 percent of people suffer from physical health issues, and 73 percent suffer from mental health issues, due to stress. Physical problems, such as headaches, high blood pressure, and muscle tension or pain can stem from stress and decrease your desire to exercise. In addition, high levels of stress can lead to anxiety and depression. By making time for active recovery, both your body and mind will be significantly healthier. To start becoming more mindful, join iFit’s Mindfulness & Self-Compassion Series with iFit Guide Dr. Shauna Shapiro, who will provide tips on how to sleep better, manage stress, and stay positive! Practicing meditation is the best way to calm the mind and bring your awareness fully into the present. Try iFit’s audio Strengthen the Mind Meditation Series with iFit Guide Kevin Courtney for more tips on how to start. Meditation can reduce feelings of negativity, like anger and sadness. As a fitness advocate, you can also benefit from an improvement in focus and an increase in motivation! You can start with as little as one minute of practice daily, and the long-term benefits make it worthwhile. Having a healthier mindset will boost your immune system, increase your pain tolerance, and decrease your chances of developing cardiovascular disease. You can also participate in physical activity during meditation when doing yoga. Yoga is a combination of physical postures, breathing control, and mindful-based meditation. The practice not only brings your mind into full consciousness, which can decrease mental health issues, like panic disorder, it also improves flexibility and mobility, enhances strength, and betters heart and lung function. The constant stretching allows your body to become more elastic, which can decrease your overall pain level. You can practice yoga in places such as the studio, your backyard, at the summit of a mountain, or even at the beach! To start your yoga journey, try iFit’s Heartward Yoga Series to get started! Yoga is an active way to stretch out your muscles, which is important to do after any workout. Taking time to stretch reduces your risk of injury, as well as improving your performance and the range of motion of your joints. You know you have a solid lower-body workout when you can barely walk afterward, but it is crucial to spend 5 to 10 minutes to stretch and relieve your sore muscles. To improve your mind, body, and soul, participate in iFit’s September Challenge, which includes a mix of audio workouts to get you started on your journey to mindfulness!

The September Challenge is here! We’re changing things up a little this month, and we’re excited for you to get in on the action. This month is all about our audio workouts! We’re challenging you to complete one of five audio series in the iFit app. You'll have from September 8–30 to choose your audio series and conquer this challenge! Choose from the following series: Heartward Yoga Series with Nicole Meline Intro to Endurance Jogging Outdoor Series with Phil Catudal Power Walking Interval Outdoor Series with Nicky Holender Outdoor HIIT Strength Series with Kelsey Sheahan Strengthen The Mind Meditation Series with Kevin Courtney Simply choose the series that interests you the most, then complete all SIX workouts to receive your magnet in the mail! If you want, you can participate in all five series, but you’ll only receive a reward for completing one of them. Grab your headphones and make sure you’ve downloaded the iFit app to your phone, then log in to your iFit account. Remember, you can complete these workouts outside, at home, or on your equipment (you’ll just need to adjust your machine's settings manually). Our trainers will give you audio cues every step of the way. You've got this!

If you've done iFit Trainer John Peel's workouts, you know he loves to push his (and your) physical limits, but he also values and respects the importance of recovery days. Recovery is an essential part of training.For most fitness enthusiasts, the mindset around exercise is that pushing the limits helps us reach our fitness goals. Whether it's to shed minutes on your race time, build muscle, or increase overall endurance, we often think that more is better. However, science tells us that without proper recovery time, we can actually expect to see sub-par results. In basic weight training, we learn that when you lift weights, you tear your muscle fibers. When the muscle fibers repair themselves, the muscle gets bigger and more defined. Without adequate rest, your immune system is unable to repair the muscle, and you won't see the results you are working so hard to achieve.If the idea of sitting on your couch and binge-watching Netflix is unappealing, don't worry—taking it easy doesn't mean doing nothing. A recovery day can incorporate some self-myofascial release, a yoga class, stretching at home, a sauna or jacuzzi visit, or even a brisk walk.If you take the time to let your body recover, you can expect to see improved performance, feel better physically and mentally, and actually enjoy your workouts instead of struggling through them. Here are some of John Peel's favorite ways to recover. Sleep As John mentions, adequate sleep is essential for optimal performance. Sleep deprivation can increase the levels of cortisol, a stress hormone that, at elevated levels, can cause anxiety, depression, digestive problems, heart disease, weight gain, and concentration impairment—all counterproductive to the health benefits that exercise should provide.Additionally, studies suggest that sleep deprivation may also decrease the production of glycogen and carbohydrates, which are energy sources for physical activity. If you have decreased amounts of this stored energy, your workouts will be harder and less impactful. Make sure you get a solid eight hours of sleep for optimal focus, performance, and results during your workouts. Self-myofascial release (foam rolling) Foam rolling, also known as self-myofascial release (SMR), should be an essential component of your recovery routine.Fascia is the body’s outermost layer of muscles. SMR is a technique that specifically targets the fascial systems that have been negatively impacted through repetitive motions, poor posture, and improper exercise techniques. This cycle starts out with inflammation, which then leads to the development of soft tissue adhesions—those pesky knots or trigger points that are both uncomfortable and limit your range of motion.Benefits include: Improved range of motionDecreased effects of stress on the human movement systemCorrected muscle imbalancesIncreased blood flow to help overall recoveryReduced soreness For specific moves that you can incorporate into your daily recovery routine, check out our blog post on SMR. Hydration According to The American Heart Association, proper hydration makes it easier for your body to pump blood through your blood vessels to your muscles. Drinking adequate amounts of water will allow your muscles to work more efficiently, which will, in turn, improve your physical performance.The amount of water your body needs depends on climate, exercise intensity and duration, along with various other factors. A good rule of thumb when determining whether you are adequately hydrated is to check the color of your urine. Clear to pale in color means you are well hydrated. If it's dark yellow or amber, go chug some water.Make sure you stay on top of your water drinking game. If you are experiencing feelings of thirst, it means you are already dehydrated! Buy yourself a fun, reusable water bottle to keep with you at all times. Having it by your side will serve as a reminder to drink regularly. Plus, by using a reusable water bottle, you'll be helping the environment and reducing plastic waste!Taking care of your physical health goes beyond exercise and nutrition. To reach optimal health, proper hydration, adequate sleep, mental health care, and adequate recovery time are imperative. After you do an intense John Peel workout program, consider incorporating his three tips for recovery into your post-workout routine—your body will thank you!