The Boxing Circuit That’ll Get You a Knockout Body Like J.Lo’s

Photo: Getty Images

Have you been watching the new NBC cop drama Shades of Blue? I am kind of obsessed, and not just with all of the plot twists, but also with J.Lo’s boxing skills (Click here and fast-forward to the 8-minute mark—you won’t be sorry!). This isn’t the first time we’ve seen Jennifer Lopez in the ring though. Remember Enough and Money Train? Throwing punches is clearly one of the 46-year-old’s secrets to staying in shape.

“Boxing not only shreds calories, but you’re actually learning a skill which engages your mind and keeps your workouts from ever getting monotonous,” explains Christa DiPaolo, creator of The Cut, a new boxing-inspired workout at Equinox. “It also reduces stress, builds confidence, is extremely empowering, and will leaving you feeling like a total badass.”

I think I speak for all of us when I say, we too want to box our way to a beautiful body! So DiPaolo created this 15-minute, 5-round circuit to help us get into knockout shape. Do this total body blast 3-4 times a week and you’ll start to see results—we’re talking tight core and strong, lean glutes and legs—in just a couple of weeks. (If you’re a newbie, check out the boxing lingo crib sheet below.)

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Round 1

*Perform all moves with 2- to 3-lb weights

For 1 minute
Orthodox Stance: Jab, Cross, Slip right, Slip left

For 1 minute
South Paw Stance: Jab, Cross, Slip left, Slip right

For 1 minute
Weighted Jump Rope: With a weight in each hand, jump up and down alternating feet back and forth as you circle wrists; continue for 30 seconds. Without stopping, transition legs into high knees for another 30 seconds.

Round 2

*Perform all moves with 2- to 3-lb weights

For 1 minute
Orthodox Stance: Jab, Cross, Left Hook, Bob & Weave Right

For 1 minute
South Paw Stance: Jab, Cross, Right Hook, Bob & Weave Left

For 1 minute
Sit up with 1-2 punch: Lie with knees bent, feet on floor, and arms hinged at elbows and lowered back toward ears; a weight in each hand. Engage core and round up slowly as you contract triceps, bringing weights to front of chest. At top, jab left arm out, retract, and then throw a left cross. Roll back down and repeat motion.

Round 3

*Perform all moves with 2- to 3-lb weights except the Front Push Kick

For 1 minute
Orthodox stance: Jab, Cross, Left Upper Cut, Right Upper Cut, Duck

For 1 minute
South Paw stance: Jab, Cross, Right Upper Cut, Left Upper Cut, Duck

For 1 minute
Front Push Kick: Get into reverse table top and driving with left heel and hip, kick left foot out. Return it to floor and then repeat motion with right foot. Continue alternating. Make it harder: Add an alternating punch.

RELATED: Mix-and-Match Boxing Moves for a Better Body

Round 4

*Perform all moves with 2- to 3-lb weights

For 1 minute
Orthodox stance: Jab, Cross, Left Hook Body, Snap Kick

For 1 minute
South Paw stance: Jab, Cross, Right Hook, Snap Kick

For 1 minute
Reverse Plyo Lunges: Start with feet hip-width apart, step right foot back, coming into a lunge and then swing your right leg forward, bringing knee up as you hop up onto your left foot. Repeat for 30 seconds and then switch sides.

Round 5

*Perform all moves with 2- to 3-lb weights except the Push-up with Elbow Strike

For 1 minute
Orthodox stance: Double Jab, Cross, Front Push Kick, Back Push Kick

For 1 minute
South Paw Stance: Double Jab, Cross, Front Push Kick, Back Push Kick

For 1 minute
Push-up with Elbow Strike: Get into triceps push-up position, with elbows tight to body and feet wide; perform one push-up. Lift right foot, rotating entire body to the left until you are faceup, and then throw elbow back as if punching someone behind you. Reverse motion to start and repeat on other side. Too hard? Do the push-up on your knees.

RELATED: 11 Exercises That Build Muscle Without Bulk

Your boxing lingo crib sheet

Orthodox stance: Start with feet staggered and a little wider than shoulder-width apart, left in front of right. Bend knees slightly and hold hands at cheek level, turning palms slightly toward face. Hands should mirror feet, with the left slightly in front of the right.

Southpaw stance: Start with feet staggered and a little wider than shoulder-width apart, right in front of left. Bend knees slightly and hold hands at cheek level, turning palms slightly toward face. Hands should mirror feet, with the right slightly in front of the left.

Jab: Hold hands at face level; with power, quickly extend your right/left fist, twisting arm so that you land the punch with your palm facing down. Quickly pull fist back in.

Cross: Punch your right/left hand straight out, turning palm towards floor as you pivot the right/left side of your body— foot, knee and hip— into punch. Return to start.

Slip: Pivot clockwise/counterclockwise, bending knees and ducking head to the right/left.

Hook: Raise left/right elbow to shoulder height and out to the side. Keeping forearm parallel to floor, pivot left/right heel up as left/right hip rotates forward, and punch sideways.

Bob & Weave: Pretend you are standing to the left/right of an invisible rope that is chin level. Lower into a squat as you circle body under the rope and to the right/left of it; stand back up.

Upper Cut: Bend right/left elbow into body, rotating right/left hip and heel, then immediately punch up (think up and under your foe’s chin).

Duck: Bend knees and lower into a half squat.

Snap Kick: Lift the right/left knee at least waist high, extend leg straight out, kicking with ball of foot, and then recoil leg back in.

Front Push Kick: Lift left/right foot, bend knee, bringing thigh parallel to floor. Driving with heel and hip, kick left/right leg straight out in front of you. Return to start.

Back Push Kick: Lift left/right foot, bend knee, bringing thigh parallel to floor. Look over left/right shoulder. Hinge forward, and driving with heel and hip, kick left/right leg straight back. Return to start.

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The Flat Iron That’s Meant to Be Stored in Your Freezer

Photo: Inverse Hair

First, there was the age-old tactic of rinsing your hair with cold water after cleansing to lock in moisture and boost shine. Then came the “cool shot,” a function on your blow dryer that blasts cold air through the nozzle to hold your style of choice in place. Today, a hairstylist from New Zealand takes the concept of cold conditioning to a new level with an innovative tool that uses sub-zero temperatures to seal the hair cuticle, delivering hydration and a glossy finish.

RELATED: This Genius Hair Tool Creates a Perfect Blowout in 20 Minutes Flat

As effective as traditional methods of cold conditioning are, each has its downside. No one enjoys the feeling of freezing water trickling down their back in the shower, and the last thing you want is to blow a hairstyle that’s taken hours to perfect out of place with a wave of cold air from the cool shot.

Instead, the Inverse Hair Conditioning System is more precise. Modeled after a small, cordless flat iron, the tool clamps sections of your hair between two frozen plates to infuse your strands with moisture. “During scientific investigations, it was observed that subzero temperatures lock in moisture, which is the basis of healthy, more manageable hair,” says David Roe, founder of Inverse. “Inverse helps balance the effects of external elements and locks in moisture to keep it strong and healthy. It will also make the hair less susceptible to damage and breakage.”

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Here’s how it works. Store the Conditioning System or just the Ice Cores (the system’s plates), in the freezer for at least two hours before using it. Unlike a general flat iron, Roe recommends using the Conditioning System on wet hair. For best results, towel-dry hair after cleansing, and spritz it with Inverse Ice Mist, a leave-in conditioner that preps hair for the treatment. “Now, we can’t give away all our secrets!” said Roe when asked to divulge the key ingredients in the Ice Mist. “Essentially, it’s a special formulation that has specific pH levels that will help close the cuticles of your hair, resulting in a softer, smoother finish.” Next, pass your hair through the system’s Ice Cores in sections from roots to tips. (The plates will stay cold for about 30 minutes.) Finish by styling as usual, but if possible, resist the urge to reach for your blow-dryer. “Try to stay away from heat,” says Roe. “It causes the most damage.”

RELATED: Hyaluronic, Glycolic, Salicylic: Which Acid Is Right for Your Skin Type?

What if you’ve got curly hair? Roe proclaims that the tool was conceived with curly hair in mind. “My wife experimented with an ice rinse after being told that cold water was beneficial to hair. After one rinse, she experienced reduced frizz and increased shine. Her curls held together and clumped in a way I’d never noticed before. The result was stunning and prompted further investigation. It wasn’t until we began developing the product that we found that all textures and lengths benefit from Inverse conditioning.” Roe says Inverse will not disrupt the hair’s curl pattern or hamper volume, and shares that his users find that their curls have better definition, bounce, and less frizz.

Inverse products can only be purchased in New Zealand and Australia at the moment, so here’s hoping that they land Stateside, stat.

This article originally appeared on InStyle. For more stories like this, visit InStyle.com.

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Aspirin Is Linked to Lower Risk of Some Cancers

Photo: Getty Images

A new study released Thursday finds that aspirin, taken regularly in low doses, is linked to a lower risk for cancer.

In the research, published in JAMA Oncology, researchers examined the correlation between aspirin and cancer in about 136,000 people. The men and women analyzed were part of the Nurses’ Health Study and Health Professionals Follow-up Study, and their data was collected for up to 32 years.

The researchers found that taking aspirin regularly—defined twice a week or more—for at least six years was associated with a 19% drop in risk for colon and rectum cancers, a 15% lower risk for gastrointestinal tract cancers and a 3% lower risk for cancers in general. They didn’t see a link between regular aspirin use and risk reduction for some other cancers, including cancers of the breast, prostate and lung.

The benefits for GI cancers seemed to manifest even with a lower dose of aspirin, starting with half a standard aspirin tablet weekly. It’s not yet clear exactly why the effect appears to be so strong on cancers of the GI region. But the authors speculate that aspirin might be working in a way that’s critical to fighting the early production of tumors. Taking aspirin regularly could prevent anywhere from 8-17% of colorectal cancers in people older than 50, the authors conclude.

However, other research shows that daily aspirin brings with it the risk of internal bleeding (see our earlier piece on who should and who shouldn’t take a daily aspirin). There is also not enough evidence that the risks outweigh the benefits when it comes to preventing a first heart attacks and stroke. People should weight the latest evidence with their doctors.

This article originally appeared on Time.com.

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This Is the Easiest Way to Slash 200 Calories From Your Daily Diet

Photo: Getty Images

No matter where you’re at in your health journey, you probably wouldn’t mind nixing 200 calories from your everyday diet, particularly if it meant you weren’t sacrificing delicious food, right? A new study found that doing one seriously simple thing each day slashes an average of 205 calories on a daily basis.

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So what is the magical, mystery tip? Drink more water! Now don’t roll your eyes, we’re serious. While we get the drink more water lecture on the regular, a study published in the Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics surveyed the eating and drinking habits of over 18,000. As it turns out, those who drank an extra three cups of agua daily ended up eating 205 less calories, on average, than those who drank less.

Listen, 205 calories is nothing to sneeze at. Think about the extra mileage you’ll get out of that SoulCycle class if you consumed just 205 calories less than normal. It makes a big difference.

RELATED: Where You Work Out Says a Heck of A Lot About You

Not only that, but the study found that the heavier water drinkers also consumed less sugar, fat, sodium, and cholesterol–everything that we’re supposed to either avoid or consume in moderation.

BRB, time to refill my water bottle.

This article originally appeared on MIMIchatter.com.

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This Gym Bag Doesn’t Look Like a Gym Bag, and We Love It

Photo: saksfifthavenue.com

When Health moved offices in November, my commute went from a reasonable half hour to a borderline ridiculous hour and 5 minutes each way. That means I now have a total of five fewer hours per week to take care of my life outside of work—including exercising. As an editor who covers health, fitness, and wellness, I knew that scaling back my sweat sessions would mean a serious decline in my physical and mental wellbeing. My solution: I switched gyms, and now belong to the Equinox that’s in our building so I can sneak in workouts before work and during lunch.

Here’s something I didn’t expect to need when I made this change: a stylish, spacious bag that could transition from gym to work to a night out. The first few weeks, I carried my gear in my old Dakine backpack, which while functional was nothing close to fashionable or office-appropriate. Plus, it’s embarrassing to walk into a bar for happy hour wearing a neon backpack.

I set out to find a new bag, and did a ton of research. I wanted one that would be large enough to fit a change of clothes, my makeup pouch, a pair of shoes, my laptop, and my hair products. I also wanted it to be simultaneously durable and lightweight—and to look nothing like a gym bag. And as it turns out, it’s ridiculously hard to find a tote that meets all those requirements. Everything was either too small, too heavy, or too sporty-looking for my taste.

Then I came across the MZ Wallace Metro Tote ($225; saksfifthavenue.com). Large enough to carry all my stuff? Check. Lightweight? Check. Cute? Check! At $225, it was more than I wanted to spend, but I made it the only item on my Christmas list and hoped my husband would get the hint.

Luckily, he did, and I have been using the Metro Tote obsessively ever since. And I love it so much that if I had to do it all over again, I wouldn’t balk at the price. At first, I was worried that the featherweight nylon fabric would snag—it’s so light and flexible that the bag can be folded down and packed away at a fraction of its actual size—but after 10 weeks of heavy use, it looks good as new. Leather on the straps and feet on the bottom add stability and durability, and three included pouches are perfect for storing dirty shoes and sweaty clothes until I get home. I get compliments on the tote all the time, both at the gym and while out and about, since it pairs as well with workout leggings as it does with a shift dress or sweater and jeans.

So, see ya, neon backpack—you’ve been retired for good.

To buy: $225; saksfifthavenue.com

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These Cauliflower “Tater Tots” Will Be Your New Favorite Recipe

OK, cauliflower, we know.

We know it’s your year.

We know you are one of the most nutritious vegetables a person can eat.

We know how versatile you are—that you’re delicious roasted, mashed or made into soup, and that you can even turn into pizza crust and rice.

But cauliflower “tater tots”? Come on, cauliflower, now you’re just showing off.

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First U.S. Uterus Transplant Patient Grateful for Chance to Have Children

By Steven Reinberg
HealthDay Reporter

MONDAY, March 7, 2016 (HealthDay News) — The first American woman to receive a uterus transplant said Monday that she is grateful for the chance to try to have a child.

Speaking at a morning news conference two weeks after her surgery, the 26-year-old woman — identified only as Lindsey — said that although she and her husband have adopted three kids, she has still longed to give birth to her own child.

“At 16, I was told I would never have children. From that moment on, I prayed that God would allow me the opportunity to experience pregnancy,” she said.

The Cleveland Clinic doctors who performed the transplant said they plan to do nine more such transplants as part of a research study. The uteruses will come from deceased organ donors. In Lindsey’s case, the uterus came from a woman in her 30s who died suddenly.

“Our first transplant took place on Feb. 24, and our patient is doing very well,” Dr. Andreas Tzakis, program director of the Transplant Center at Cleveland Clinic, said during the news conference.

But the doctors added that Lindsey’s journey is just beginning.

“Uterine transplant is not just about moving a uterus from here to there. It’s about having a healthy baby,” Dr. Rebecca Flyckt, an ob/gyn surgeon at Cleveland Clinic, said at the news conference. “That goal is still a couple of years away.”

Before the transplant, Lindsey had six to 10 of her eggs harvested, fertilized with her husband’s sperm, and frozen. After a year, these embryos will be implanted in her transplanted uterus, and she hopes to give birth by cesarean delivery nine months later.

After that, she can wait a year and try to have another child. After two pregnancies, the transplanted uterus will be removed or allowed to wither and disappear on its own, her doctors said.

Embryo transplants are used in this process because the fallopian tubes, which carry a fertilized egg to the uterus, are missing.

The doctors said they are putting a limit on how long the uterus remains in the body because women have to take powerful drugs to prevent the body from rejecting the uterus, and they do not want women to have to take these drugs their entire life.

Although this is the first U.S. uterus transplant, the technique was pioneered in Sweden. As of last September, nine transplants have been performed, resulting in five pregnancies and four births. The children born to these women are all doing well, the Cleveland Clinic researchers said during the news conference.

In Sweden, the transplanted uteruses were all from live donors.

About one in 5,000 women is born without a uterus.

The hope is that uterus transplants will give women without a uterus another option beyond adoption or surrogacy, Dr. Ruth Farrell, a bioethicist at Cleveland Clinic, said during the news conference.

“Despite the name uterine transplant, the focus is not on the uterus, it’s on women and children and families,” she said.

More information

For more on uterus transplants, visit the Cleveland Clinic.

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Low Prenatal Vitamin D Linked to Later MS in Offspring

MONDAY, March 7, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Children of mothers with too little vitamin D during their pregnancy may have a higher risk of developing multiple sclerosis when they reach adulthood, a new study suggests.

One expert in the United States said that the findings need to be interpreted with caution, however.

“We cannot say from this study that low vitamin D levels cause MS in women’s offspring,” said Dr. Daniel Skupski, chair of obstetrics and gynecology at NewYork-Presbyterian/Queens hospital in New York City. All the study points to is an association between the two, he stressed.

What the research does do, Skupski said, is “set the stage” for further research to see if getting more vitamin D in pregnancy might lower people’s lifetime risk for multiple sclerosis.

Multiple sclerosis affects a person’s brain and spinal cord by damaging the myelin sheath, the insulating layer that surrounds and protects nerve cells, according to the U.S. National Institutes of Health. This leads to symptoms such as muscle weakness, lack of coordination and balance, vision problems, and trouble with thinking and memory.

In the new study, researchers led by Kassandra Munger, of the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, reviewed information from hundreds of adults in Finland.

The investigators found that people whose mothers hadn’t had enough vitamin D in early pregnancy were 90 percent more likely to develop MS compared to people whose mothers had adequate vitamin D levels during pregnancy.

This suggests that vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy may increase a child’s risk of MS later in life, the research team said. However, the study authors pointed out that two previous studies had not found a link between early vitamin D levels and later MS, so the jury may still be out on this issue.

Skupski agreed. The results of the latest study “do not tell us if providing vitamin D during pregnancy will improve the outcomes or lower the risk of offspring developing MS,” he said.

Dr. Paul Wright is chair of neurology at North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset, N.Y. He also agreed that there have been conflicting results from various prior studies on the issue, and “additional studies” may be needed.

The new study was published online March 7 in the journal JAMA Neurology.

More information

The U.S. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke has more about multiple sclerosis.

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Poverty Linked to Asthma, Allergy Treatment Failure

MONDAY, March 7, 2016 (HealthDay News) — People with asthma or food allergies who are poor have worse treatment outcomes, two new studies suggest.

“We found that patients who have asthma and come from lower income households — making less than $50,000 every year — are one and a half times more likely to see treatment fail. They are also almost twice as likely to have an asthma exacerbation,” study co-author Dr. Juan Carlos Cardet said in a news release from the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI).

Cardet, who is from Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, and his research team surveyed nearly 400 people with asthma. They found that lower income was strongly linked with poor treatment outcomes, regardless of race, stress and education levels.

“Income is an independent risk factor for worse asthma outcomes,” Cardet said.

But the study did not show a cause-and-effect relationship between income and asthma and allergy treatment failure.

A second study, led by Dr. Ruchi Gupta from Northwestern Medicine and Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago, looked at families with food allergies. Families of children with food allergies in the poorest households spent two and a half times more on costs related to ER visits and hospitalizations, the study showed.

The researchers found families with lower incomes spend less money on specialists. But, these families end up paying a lot more in out-of-pocket medication expenses.

“The first line of treatment for anaphylaxis [a life-threatneing allergic reaction] is epinephrine, but costs can be a barrier for many families,” Gupta said. “Some patients may keep expired autoinjectors or cannot afford to fill their prescription in the first place.”

Gupta said mandates are needed to ensure life-saving medications for anaphylaxis are more accessible and available, particularly in public places.

The findings are to be presented Monday at the AAAAI annual meeting in Los Angeles. Research presented at the meeting will be published in an online supplement to The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

More information

The U.S. National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute provides more information on reducing asthma disparities.

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Most Pediatricians Don’t Ask About Mom’s Depression

MONDAY, March 7, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Fewer than half of pediatricians in the United States ask mothers about depression, even though the condition affects many women with young children, a new study reveals.

“Maternal depression is often overlooked and untreated because women with mental health issues do not routinely access health care for themselves,” study co-author Dr. Ruth Stein, an attending physician at the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore in New York City, said in a hospital news release.

“The pediatrician’s office is a frequently visited venue for mothers, offering invaluable opportunities for pediatricians to identify the condition and connect moms with services that can help families thrive,” she added.

For the study, researchers reviewed surveys conducted by the American Academy of Pediatrics. More than 450 pediatricians responded in 2004, and more than 300 participated in 2013.

The percentage of pediatricians who asked mothers about depression rose between those surveys, from 33 percent to 44 percent, the study found.

Despite the approximately 30 percent increase, the rate is still too low and means many women go undiagnosed and untreated, the researchers said.

Depression affects about 40 percent of mothers with young children, and can have many harmful effects on youngsters in areas such as feeding, relationship building and mental development, the study authors explained.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recently issued new guidelines recommending that pregnant women and new mothers be screened for depression.

Study lead author Bonnie Kerker pointed out in the new release: “Our study demonstrates that screening by pediatricians has increased over the years, which is promising.” Kerker is an associate professor in the department of child and adolescent psychiatry at NYU Langone Medical Center’s Child Study Center in New York City.

“Not all pediatricians, however, think mental health or family health is within the scope of their practice. Given how much we know about parent characteristics as risk factors for poor child development, we need to place more emphasis on understanding the entire family context, so pediatricians can provide appropriate care for their patients,” Kerker concluded.

The study is published in the February/March issue of the Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics.

More information

The U.S. National Institute of Mental Health has more on depression in women.

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