• Resistance bands are simple pieces of elastic that create constant tension to stimulate muscle growth and increase the value of your workout.
• The best resistance bands come in a variety of tensions, allowing for a wide range of exercises and uses whether you're at the gym or your home. 
• Our top pick, from TheraBand, is a set of durable, easy-to-use, and effective resistance bands perfect for any home gym setup. 

If it's had for you to find the motivation to hit your local 24-Hour Fitness, you may want to invest in a home gym solution. Because, let's be honest, being forced to actually leave your home to work out is often a tall order.

Luckily, you don't have to spend thousands of dollars outfitting your home with all the latest exercise equipment and weight loss machines. Really, all you need is your body and a couple of resistance bands to make a real difference in your routine.

I was first introduced to resistance bands in 2014 after joining in on the burgeoning barre trend. Although I've since traded those ballet-based classes for other workouts, I've remained a fan of resistance bands.

Despite the fact they're just simple pieces of elastic, resistance bands create constant tension which effectively stimulates muscle growth. To make things even better, they don't add strain onto your joints in the same way a set of dumbbells might. They're also incredibly lightweight and highly portable, allowing you to take your workout wherever you go.

How to choose a set of resistance bands

When shopping for resistance bands, you'll want to ask yourself a few questions. First and foremost, what type of workout are you most interested in pursuing? A pilates-based workout requires something different from a HIIT workout, though both can be equally effective in upping your fitness levels.

Next, think about what parts of your body you're most interested in working. While some resistance bands are best suited for your lower body, others are great for pullup training. There are some designed for full-body workouts, too.

Then, consider the level of resistance you're looking for. If you're already quite advanced in your fitness journey, you may be fine with a set of seriously tight bands. If you're just getting started, however, you might want a set that's a bit more elastic.

Finally, like any purchase, you'll want to keep the price point of your resistance bands in mind. Granted, not many of these sets cost more than roughly $40, but if you're looking to keep a tight budget, this could be an important point to consider.

We tested a handful of the best resistance bands currently offered to find the sets best-suited to a wide range of users and exercises. 

Here are the best resistance bands you can buy:

• Best resistance bands overall: TheraBand
• Best resistance bands for a total-body workout: Bodylastics Stackable Tube Resistance Band set
• Best resistance bands to travel with: Perform Better Mini Resistance Band set
• Best versatile resistance bands: Serious Steel Resistance Band set
• Best resistance band for squats: RIMSport Elite Hip Sling Resistance Band

Updated 3/9/2020 by Rick Stella: Rewrote the introduction to take out references to New Years' resolutions and to include information that was more general to at-home workouts and resistance band training, included the header and subsequent information about how to choose a set of resistance bands, checked availability of each pick, and updated the links, prices, and formatting.

The best resistance bands overall

Whether you're a beginner or an experienced athlete, TheraBand resistance bands can provide you with a killer workout and are thin and lightweight enough to take anywhere.

My first experience with resistance bands was with TheraBands, and I've never looked back. Incredibly thin and lightweight, while somehow maintaining their strength and durability, these non-latex bands do an excellent job helping you develop muscle strength.

I've used them around my thighs during squats, and between my arms while working my triceps, but the possibilities (and potential muscle groups) are virtually endless.

Compared to other bands, the TheraBands offer slightly lighter resistance, starting at 2.4 pounds and ranging up to 21.3 pounds. As such, I like these bands for a wide range of exercises. Whether you're making your barre workout just a bit harder or using them for some quick HIIT moves, the TheraBands will do the trick. That said, if you're looking for serious resistance, you may need something a bit heftier.

I've also been impressed by just how durable these bands really are. While they look as though they might snap at any given moment, I've had mine for years without issue. My old gym also kept these around, and despite their constant usage by hundreds of clients, the TheraBands withstood the test of time. If they do break, their lack of any metal or plastic parts will help keep you safe.

Thanks to the latex-free construction of these bands, folks with allergies or sensitivities won't have to worry. While other bands may have handles or thick, cord-like composition, these supremely portable bands are easily compacted, making them a breeze to throw in your gym bag or your suitcase.

Pros: Latex-free, lightweight, extremely versatile in function, inexpensive

Cons: If you're looking for more resistance, this may not be quite enough for you

The best resistance bands for a total-body workout

If you're looking for a comprehensive workout with your new favorite accessories, the Bodylastics Stackable Tube Resistance Bands may be the way to go.

For a full workout in a bag, turn to the Bodylastics Stackable Tube Resistance Band set. I love this set because it not only comes with five bands of varying resistance — from three to 19 pounds — but also includes two handles, two ankle straps, one door anchor, a carrying bag, and an instructional book.

Key to the popularity of this set is its patented anti-snap safety design, which involves a Snap Guard inner safety cord to prevent any unfortunate mishaps. While some similar offerings have a nasty habit of snapping, sending metal or plastic pieces into your wall or, worse yet, your face, this set is designed to avoid these situations.

While each individual band doesn't have huge amounts of resistance, the stackable design of this set allows you to add or subtract resistance as needed for various muscle groups, all the way up to 96 pounds.

The set also comes with an exercise book that contains exercises designed to target biceps, triceps, chest, upper/lower back, abs/core, and legs. If you're a beginner in the world of fitness, using this guidebook can be an excellent starting point. Alternatively, if you're well-versed in your workouts, you can modify these suggestions to create a customized workout that is as safe as it is tough.

Pros: Wide range of resistance, comes with exercise book and accessories, effectively a mini-gym in a bag, extremely safe

Cons: Pricier than others

The best resistance bands to travel with

The Professional Mini Exercise Bands are small yet mighty, making them ideal for taking on the road.

This resistance band set from Perform Better is intended to help with physical therapy and rehabilitation exercises, but can also be put to work on a wide range of other uses. I love that these mini bands are, as the name suggests, small and portable, which makes them super convenient to take to hotel gyms or other temporary workout locations.

Happy customers have noted that the four bands included in this set really do offer varying levels of intensity for your workout.

Thanks to these bands' relatively small size, they're especially effective for more petite users. All four of the bands are 9 inches by 2 inches and can be used around the ankles, the legs, thighs, and wrists.

Pros: Offers a great workout due to small size, lightweight, portable

Cons: Because these bands are smaller, your workout starts immediately, which may be a bit intense for some

The best versatile resistance bands

With resistance up to 120 pounds and a considerable variation in lengths and widths, the Serious Steel Resistance Bands are our favorites for diverse exercises.

Serious Steel Assisted Pull-Up, Resistance, and Stretch Bands are sold both as individuals and as sets, which means that you can easily choose your own adventure. And for the most adventurous, you can get pretty steep resistance.

The most serious of the Serious bands clocks resistances of up to 150 pounds, but don't worry — if you want something less intimidating, the brand also sells bands with resistances of just two pounds.

Thanks to this wide range, this set is particularly useful for developing strength over time or working up to exercises like pullups. They're also great for stretching and building overall strength. Because the finish on the Serious set is more of a powder than the classic slick rubber feel, you won't lose your grip on these bands as you work up a sweat.

These bands are made of fused latex sheets, which makes them particularly durable. That said, if you have a latex allergy or sensitivity, you'll want to stay far away from these guys. If not, however, you'll be able to enjoy the smooth stretch of these bands, and an odd but not at all upsetting vanilla-esque scent.

Pros: Wide range of resistance, length, and width; extremely durable; great for stretching and assisted strength exercises

Cons: Much more expensive than others

The best resistance band for squats

For folks working specifically on their squat form, one of the best bands on the market is the RIMSports Elite Hip Sling Resistance.

You won't be overwhelmed by optionality when it comes to the RIMSports Elite Hip Sling Resistance Band. Rather than giving you multiple bands with varying resistance levels to choose from, this singular circle hip band does a great job all on its lonesome.

In particular, the RIMSports offering is intended to help you achieve perfect form when squatting. It works well for both men and women and doesn't slip as you squat, deadlift, or lunge — all exercises that require excellent lower-body form.

On its own, the band offers relatively high resistance, and you can make adjustments as needed by spreading your legs further apart or bringing them closer together. The band comes in just two sizes — Small/Medium for folks under 150 pounds, and Medium/Large for folks who have surpassed that threshold. Regardless of which suits you best, the abductor resistance band will help you strengthen your glutes and hips, or provide a great stretch pre or post-workout.

I also appreciate the soft and durable material used in the RIMSport band, which makes it comfortable to wear around your thighs even for longer periods of time. Plus, these bands promise to be snap, stretch, and sweat resistant.

If you've been looking for a way to ensure that your knees are pointing in the same direction of your toes, or that your back remains straight while squatting, this may be the resistance band for you.

Pros: Encourages great form, straightforward to use, non-slip, comfortable material

Cons: Comparatively limited in function

Gone are the days of traditional gym memberships, as Americans enter the era of the virtual, at-home fitness movement buoyed by the pandemic.

On-demand fitness platforms have never been so popular, nor so ubiquitous. Though digital fitness has been on the rise in recent years, the coronavirus outbreak has put fledgling virtual companies on the map while prompting the rise of a slew of new platforms designed to help Americans stay fit while cooped up at home. 

These programs vary in price and types of workouts, but most are designed to bring streaming fitness classes directly into living rooms, with little to no additional equipment required. And while past decades have brought the likes of Jane Fonda, Richard Simmons, and Billy Blanks into our homes, today there are more options and different types of classes at consumers' disposal than ever before. 

The breadth of new options, however, hasn't stopped Peloton from dominating the virtual fitness market, with sales skyrocketing by 172% year-over-year and overwhelming demand for its stationary bikes causing mass delivery delays.

Companies ranging from tech giant Apple to StretchIt — an emerging app dedicated entirely to stretching — are vying for a piece of the at-home fitness market. We took a closer look at 11 virtual fitness membership programs looking to cash in on the at-home fitness boom.

SEE ALSO: These 5 fitness and sporting goods companies have filed for bankruptcy in 2020, as the coronavirus continues to dramatically change how Americans exercise

Aaptiv

Aaptiv — which calls itself "the world's first audio fitness brand"— currently boasts more than 200,000 members. Each has access to unlimited monthly workouts ranging from strength training to yoga.

Unlike most of its digital fitness competitors, Aaptiv operates using audio only, with trainers that provide oral instruction across its 2,500 guided workouts. While it may not be for the more visually inclined, the company was designed to give harried Americans a break from staring at screens all day. 

"Aaptiv's audio-based instruction and musical inspiration lets you move freely, focus on your form, and enjoy your surroundings," the company says on its website. 

The company offers a 7-day free trial with memberships retailing for either $15 a month, or $100 a year. 

StretchIt

Billed as a "low-intensity fitness app," StretchIt features video-based classes designed entirely for stretching. According to the company — which currently has more than 370,000 members — its workouts are open to all levels, "from stretching newbie to expert." 

Though StretchIt was founded in 2016, it just launched a beginners training program in September as part of an effort to help users increase energy and relieve "work from home aches and pains." Its classes blend techniques from yoga, pilates, rhythmic gymnastics, bodyweight training, and dance, according to its website. 

After a 7-day free trial, StretchIt has a $19.99 a month mobile-app only program, as well as a $25.99 membership that includes access to its desktop website. 

Apple Fitness Plus

In September, Apple announced a new subscription fitness program that would feature streaming workouts instructed by "the world's best trainers" set to Apple Music playlists, according to the company. Apple Fitness Plus is slated to launch later this year, and will allow for up to five family members to use the program on a variety of Apple products including the iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch. 

The service will cost $9.99 a month or $79.99 a year, the tech giant said during its most recent product launch presentation. 

ClassPass

ClassPass — best known for its flat-rate subscription program that gave users access to a variety of partnering studios and group classes — has managed to evolve into a digital fitness hub amid the pandemic 

Quickly after the onset of the pandemic began shuttering gyms and fitness studios across the country, the company developed a live-streaming platform and cut a deal with its partners to virtually host classes while temporarily being spared the commission fee. Within just one month, ClassPass had 50,000 classes from 4,000 global studios available to its members. 

"The ability to take a boot camp class with an instructor in Singapore or a yoga class with an instructor in LA whether you're in New York City or Missoula, Montana proved to be a really effective model," ClassPass CEO Fritz Lanman told Business Insider in September. 

Glo

Previously known as YogaGlo, Glo is a personalized virtual yoga app with more than 4,000 classes for users off all skill levels. Since the company was first founded in 2008, it has amassed widespread popularity among fitness-enthusiasts  thanks to its variety of yoga, meditation, and Pilates classes and its global network of instructors.

The connected app works across Apple and Android products, as well as connected TV devices like Roku and Amazon Fire TV. Glo offers a 15-day free trial and then a monthly membership for $18.

Obé

With an extensive catalog of on-demand classes as well as a robust live schedule of instructor-led fitness programs, Obé is designed for its users to "get fit, not bored," according to the company. The app includes a wide variety of categories including high intensity interval training, cardio boxing, barre, sculpt, and yoga, among others. 

The app includes features like a personalized calendar for scheduling weekly workouts and long-term record tracking. After a 7-day free trial, the service is available for $27 a month, $65 every three months, or $199 annually. 

FitGrid Class App

Launched just this Monday, the FitGrid Class App describes itself as a "social fitness" program that aims to merge social media with exercise. For FitGrid, a New York City-based tech startup that powers virtual workout classes on the backend, the effort is a way to monetize the curation streaming classes from its partners around the world.

According to FitGrid data, many Americans have stayed loyal to their favorite classes and instructors during the pandemic, even virtually, finding that studio loyalty has increased by 25%. 

"Community has always been the holy grail of fitness. Now it is more important than ever before," Nt Etuk, FitGrid's founder and CEO said in a statement. "FitGrid is connecting everyone —the studios, the staff, the instructors and classmates — in one space." 

Studio Sweat OnDemand

Studio Sweat OnDemand is a Netflix-like hub for virtual fitness, where users can search by category for exercises ranging from core workouts and strength training to yoga and cycling for those with stationary bicycles. In addition to its comprehensive fitness library, the app also features live workouts for users that want to break a sweat with an instructor in real-time. 

Studio Sweat OnDemand offers different tiered plans that are cheaper depending on how long you commit. A monthly membership goes for $19.88 a month, while the annual plan retails at $99 for the year.  

Tone It Up

Tone It Up, best known among the influencer and social media set, has a loyal following of young millennial women in favor of the company's comprehensive lifestyle content. The company was founded by Katrina Scott and Karena Dawn in 2009 as "the first fitness community that embraced positivity and empowered women."

In addition to its nutrition programs and wide array of merch, a Tone It Up membership — which is available for $14.99 a month, or $5 per month with an annual commitment — also features streaming fitness classes created by the company. 

FitOn

Developed by former FitBit executive Lindsay Cook, FitOn was designed to connect Americans with highly coveted celebrity trainers for free or at low-cost. The company offers an extensive array of free classes, as well as a premium membership starting at $19.99 that unlocks additional workouts, meal planning, and data tracking. 

"Riding a Peloton bike is an amazing experience, but it costs over $2,000, and not everyone can afford that,"Cook told Forbes in 2019."So, what we really wanted to do was to democratize the fitness experience and make it so that any woman, no matter what real estate or workout equipment they have, could afford some fantastic workouts that they could do anytime, anywhere."

Keep

For the more advanced fitness buff, Keep offers personalized high-intensity training programs that integrate a full warm-up, workout, and cool-down session. The data-oriented company maintains detailed performance metrics tailored to specific goals so users can view progress in real-time. 

While many workouts are available for free on Keep's mobile app, users can also opt for a premium monthly subscription that offers additional models and a yearly membership that features a personal coach. 

• An exercise ball is a highly beneficial piece of home gym equipment that improves balance, flexibility, and core strength, and can be used in a variety of exercises and workouts.
• The best exercise balls are made of durable materials, offer enough resistance and flexibility no matter the exercise, and don't require you to reinflate them between uses. 
• Our top pick, the TheraBand Exercise and Stability Ball, features a thick-walled design and continues to hold air even in the event it's punctured. 
  

Exercise balls might seem like a boring piece of workout equipment but their benefits far outweigh any perceived dullness. In fact, as a part of a home gym setup, an exercise ball has the ability to greatly improve one's core strength while also helping hone balance and flexibility.

Whether it accompanies a daily workout routine or becomes the central focal point, an exercise ball can be an important part of anyone's plan to keep fit and healthy — they even make for a suitable office chair substitute. 

Exercise balls are an important part of any home gym

Despite their inherent value, exercise balls aren't typically the first piece of gear you think of when piecing together a home gym. The truth is in the application, however, as they work for a host of exercises requiring flexible support. Even though an exercise ball is round, it gives you a base that's more solid than you might think and provides impressive stability.  

The balls compress when weight is put on them to create a flatter, more stable edge. It won't be as stable as a normal chair but it's far more solid than you'd expect — which is what makes them great for everything from active seating to working out.

To find the best exercise balls worth using, I tested an assortment of models from brands like TheraBand, DynaPro, and Wacces. The goal was to find exercise balls that fit a variety of use cases, like being able to be taken on the road, or those that are constructed of a thicker material that increases its durability.

After spending the last several months using exercise balls as both my office chair and main workout partner, I narrowed the list down to my four favorites listed below. At the end of this guide, you'll find insight into the benefits an exercise ball provides as well as some important features to look for when shopping.

If you're a first time user or just want to improve some of your workouts, be sure to check out our list of sample exercises and various tips for using an exercise ball. 

Here are the best exercise balls:

• Best exercise ball overall: TheraBand Exercise and Stability Ball
• Best portable exercise ball: DynaPro Exercise Ball
• Best durable exercise ball: Live Infinitely Exercise Ball
• Best budget exercise ball: Wacces Fitness and Exercise Ball

Updated on 10/30/2020 by Rick Stella: Updated the section on why exercise balls are important in a home gym, checked the availability of each recommended exercise ball, and updated the prices and links where necessary.

The best overall

The TheraBand Exercise and Stability Ball holds air better than most exercise balls — even if it's punctured.

One common complaint among exercise ball fans is the inability of the ball to hold air over time. As air ekes out of the ball, it loses its firmness and becomes difficult to use. Luckily, the TheraBand Exercise and Stability Ball is one of the thickest-walled balls you can buy, and it holds air longer than most of the competition.

Even if it's punctured, the ball will deflate very slowly, allowing you to finish your exercise session. Because the Theraband Exercise Ball retains air so well, you won't have to reinflate it that often, which is a very good thing because this ball does take quite a bit of time to inflate in the first place.

The exercise ball is available in four sizes from 45 cm to 75 cm and it comes in a few colors.

Pros: Maintains its shape and holds air better than other exercise balls, includes a slow deflate technology if the ball is punctured, extremely firm, has a good surface for just the right amount of grip, offered in four sizes

Cons: Takes a long time to inflate, no inflation pump included, only one color per size

The best portable ball

The DynaPro Exercise Ball is extremely durable and will hold its air pressure nicely, but it's also portable, thanks to its easy-to-carry hand pump.

When you're looking for an exercise ball you can take with you anywhere, the DynaPro Exercise Ball is a good idea. It ships with a hand pump and inflates faster than many other balls, so you can be ready to use it within several minutes.

The ball is available in four sizes, ranging from 45 cm to 75 cm, and it features slight ribs around the circumference of the ball to ensure a steady grip. You can get it in a few fun colors, including pink, blue, silver, gray, and black.

Like many exercise balls, you can also use it for active seating in your office. Unlike most exercise balls, it's available in gray or black, which fits in better with an office setting than a brightly colored ball. 

This is a tough, durable exercise ball, featuring a 2,000-pound burst rating. The ball also slowly deflates if it ever suffers a puncture, allowing you to finish your workout safely.

However, the ball cannot be inflated fully the first time you use it. You'll have to inflate it fully after it's had 2-3 days to stretch out.

Pros: Good price point, easy to fill while on the go because of an included hand pump, very durable material in the ball, prevents fast leaks when it suffers a puncture, available in four sizes and four different colors

Cons: Cannot fully inflate the ball the first time you use it, firmness level of the ball seems below average

The best durable ball

The Live Infinitely Exercise Ball receives high marks for its durability and ability to stand up to tough workouts.

We don't expect anyone to routinely put 2,200 pounds of pressure on the Live Infinitely Exercise Ball, but if you do, you can feel comfortable that this tough exercise ball can stand up to the pressure.

If you're looking for a tough exercise ball that's also really large, the Live Infinitely model is one of the few that comes in five sizes ranging from 55 cm to 95 cm. You can also choose between five colors, including blue, green, gray, purple, and silver.

Pros: Excellent price point, durable and tough exercise ball that can withstand 2,200 pounds of weight, available in a diameter as large as 95 cm, five color and five size options, includes a large library of online exercise guides

Cons: There is no 45 cm diameter size option in this model, difficult to fully inflate this ball

The best budget ball

If you want an affordable exercise ball that's also durable, the Wacces Fitness and Exercise ball is a great option.

With some low priced exercise balls, you may feel leery about placing your full weight on them for fear of an exploding ball that leaves you crashing onto the floor. But the durability of the Wacces Fitness and Exercise Ball gives you the peace of mind you'll need to use this inexpensive ball to its fullest.

Even though it's less expensive than other options, this ball is still quite durable and has a good grippy surface. The biggest downside is that it doesn't support as much weight as more high-end exercise balls.

You can pick between three different sizes, ranging from 55 cm to 75 cm. It's also available in eight colors, including black, blue, gray, green, pink, purple, red, or yellow.

Pros: Extremely low price point, good build quality versus similarly priced exercise balls, surface has just enough grip to prevent slippage, ribs around circumference of ball provide extra grip, offered in eight colors

Cons: Only available in three sizes, difficult to fully inflate it first time you use it, doesn't hold air pressure as well as some models

Exercise ball benefits

Here are some of the primary benefits exercise balls provide:

• Improved balance: You'll naturally strengthen your abs and back muscles while using an exercise ball because you must subtly shift your weight to remain balanced. As these muscles strengthen, your overall balance improves.
• Core strength: Athletes constantly talk about the importance of having core strength in the body, as it gives you great balance and coordination. Using an exercise ball increases core strength.
• Muscle work: Because you have to continually adjust your weight slightly to maintain your balance on the ball, you'll be using different muscle groups, which benefits your whole body.
• Rehabilitation and flexibility: You'll stretch muscles and joints while moving around. Physical therapists sometimes assign a set of exercises using an exercise ball for people to follow as part of rehabilitating a specific joint or muscle group to gain more range of motion.
• Specific exercises: If you enjoy exercises like Pilates or yoga, you'll gain some additional benefits by incorporating an exercise ball into the routine.
• Spinal support: The way the body and exercise ball interact relieves pressure on the spine when you are sitting on the ball. To use the ball properly, you will need good posture, which also will help your spine and will alleviate back pain.

Exercise ball features

Yes, an exercise ball is a simple, large round ball that looks like every other exercise ball at first glance. There are still several key differences you can pay attention to when looking to find the right exercise ball to meet your needs.

• Adding air: Some exercise balls include an air pump, however, most of these pumps work very slowly. If you want a faster option, you should be able to use almost any type of pump to inflate your exercise ball, such as an air mattress pump, a bicycle tire pump, or even an air compressor. To determine when the ball is properly filled with air, measure its diameter.
• Extras: Depending on the model of exercise ball you pick, you may find the ball ships with an air pump, exercise bands, a stability ring, stability legs, a measuring tape, an exercise tip guide, or handles built into the ball. 
• Size: The size of a stability ball is determined by its diameter. Common sizes of exercise balls range from 45 cm to 85 cm in 10 cm intervals. (Ten centimeters is roughly 4 inches.) People shorter than 5 feet will have the best results with sitting on a 45 cm ball, 6-feet-tall people will want a 65 cm ball, and those 6-foot-8 and taller will want an 85 cm ball. 
• Supported weight: Exercise balls should offer supported weight limits for static weight and body weight. Static weight refers to the weight the ball supports without bursting when the user is not moving. Bodyweight refers to the weight it can support when the user is exercising. High-end balls may support static weight limits of 2,200 pounds and body weights of 500 pounds. A stability ball placed under too much weight or stress could burst.

Nordstrom is adding mini shops for Tonal, the fitness brand, to some of its stores, with the first opening later this month.

Tonal sells just one product – an at-home workout machine for strength training, retailing at $3,000.

The 40 Tonal shops will be added to Nordstrom stores in 21 states, including Nordstrom's flagship stores in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, and Dallas.

The move will massively expand Tonal's brick-and-mortar presence, more than tripling its number of shops, and bring the company to 12 new states. The fitness company has six of its own stores, as well as 10 located inside larger stores.

The Tonal machine mounts to your wall and lets you perform more than 200 exercises, such as deadlifts, bicep curls, and overhead presses. It also gives you on-demand coaching through a digital display, Tonal said in a press release.

The new mini shops will be 50-square-foot and will be staffed by Tonal employees, who can talk customers through the product and help them try the machine, Tonal said.

CNBC first reported on the news.

Talks between the two companies began in November, Lori Marten, a merchandise manager at Nordstrom, told CNBC.

Tonal spoke to other potential partners before deciding on Nordstrom because of the similarities between Nordstrom shoppers and Tonal's target market in areas such as age, income, and employment type, Christopher Stadler, Tonal's chief marketing officer, told CNBC.

The connected-fitness market has boomed during the pandemic as people have invested in more expensive at-home fitness equipment. Tonal told Insider its sales tripled in just one week in March.

Other companies including Peloton, Ergatta, and Strava have also seen their sales soar – and Ergatta's CEO told Insider the at-home fitness trend is likely here to stay.

SEE ALSO: In the age of COVID-19, gym-goers are looking for safer ways to work out. KleenWraps says its microbial wraps are the solution

Join the conversation about this story »

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Apple Fitness Plus, Apple's subscription exercise program, integrates pre-recorded workouts in a wide range of categories with your Apple Watch and iPhone, iPad, or Apple TV. Apple Fitness Plus costs $9.99 per month or $79.99 per year, and there is an option for a free trial when you sign up.

The app allows you to choose workouts like high-intensity interval training (HIIT), yoga, strength, treadmill, cycling, rowing, and more. Here's how to make sure you have everything you need to get started with Apple Fitness Plus.

Devices that work with Apple Fitness Plus

You need an Apple Watch Series 3 or later, plus an iPhone, iPad, or Apple TV to follow Fitness Plus exercises. Any of these devices must be running OS version 14.3 or higher.

Exercise equipment you might need

Apple Fitness Plus offers a lot of workout options, many of which don't require any equipment other than your body. Some workouts have unique equipment requirements, though.

The good news is that you can use any generic equipment to do the workout — Fitness Plus doesn't require you to have a particular brand or model of workout equipment. You can also do these workouts at home or at a gym.

Each workout indicates what equipment you need at the top of the screen, under the introductory image. If there's no equipment listed, you won't need any gear (except, of course, for the obvious treadmill if you've chosen a treadmill workout, for example).

However, if you want to explore a wide range of Fitness Plus exercises, you may want access to at least some of this equipment.

SEE ALSO: The best Apple Watch bands

Join the conversation about this story »

Frequently using an at-home exercise bike is one of the best ways to keep fit no matter the time of year. Be it poor weather, unrideable terrain, or any other hurdle keeping you from taking your bike outside, it's nice to have a fallback plan to keep the wheels spinning — and an exercise bike is exactly that. 

One of the companies at the forefront of the industry is NordicTrack. For years, the brand's designed and manufactured quality at-home treadmills, rowing machines, and, of course, exercise bikes. 

Its latest, the NordicTrack Commercial S22i Studio Cycle, is the company's flagship. A modern at-home bike offering a suite of streaming workouts and a high-quality ride, the S22i imagines the at-home spin class differently than industry competitors like Peloton. There are still plenty of coaches powering you through on-demand workouts, but there's also a more at-your-own-pace selection of rides, as well. 

To get a true sense of how it's attempting to distance itself from the pack, I took the Studio Cycle for an at-home spin. Not only did I enjoy the high-quality ride it delivered but I was constantly drawn back to the digital rides it offers in locales around the globe. Because, who wouldn't want to instantly transport to a sunny, tropical setting, right in the comfort of their own home?

Though this sounds like some cheesy, too-good-to-be-true infomercial, it's exactly the experience the NordicTrack S22i delivered. And though it's a steep initial investment at $1,999, I think it's well worth the price. Here's why. 

What you get

The bike arrives at your door ready to be assembled and you can either put it together yourself or have an expert do the work for you for an extra $89.

The instructions were fairly easy to understand, and the assembly only takes roughly an hour or two. It's doable with one person, although two does make it easier — especially since the bike itself weighs around 200 pounds. 

The iFit experience

What truly sets this NordicTrack bike apart is that it comes with a complimentary one-year subscription to iFit, a fitness streaming service that offers more than 1,500 on-demand workouts to choose from. After the first year, there's a $15-per-month subscription fee. If you find yourself using it often, it's well worth the investment.

The iFit streaming service is impressive for several reasons. First, if you find the thought of cycling to nowhere in a small room with a bunch of sweaty people torturous, iFit's global workouts will be a breath of fresh air — literally. There's an extensive library of workouts filmed all around the world, from Austria to Australia. 

Don't worry about them looking like Google Maps-style workouts, either (although iFit does have those). The global workouts are incredibly high-quality, filmed by iFit staffers whose sole job is to travel the world following both professional athletes and certified trainers with a camera — talk about a dream job. 

What this means is that iFit lets you trail world-class athletes as they ride on the famous Slick Rock trails of Moab, Utah, or through the winding streets of San Francisco. They also go international, with rides in the Swiss Alps, along the beaches in Thailand, and through the streets of Rome. The levels vary from beginner rides to more intense trails for experienced cyclists. Plus, iFit regularly adds new videos to their library, so there's always something new.

The trainers are also friendly and motivating, offering technical tips, encouraging words, and even snippets about their personal lives as you ride. On one ride I did, the trainer shared sage advice about the importance of rest in between workouts, explaining that stress plus rest equals growth. I also appreciated that they tell you exactly where your cadence should be, so there's no guesswork as to whether you're pacing properly. 

Your bike even automatically adjusts the resistance according to the trainer's cues and the actual terrain, so there's no need to mess with the knob yourself. Of course, if you don't want to go as hard as they suggest (or want to go harder) you can make adjustments yourself by overriding the trainer's instructions. 

While you'll get plenty of cardio on the bike, iFit also makes it easy to achieve a full-body workout with cross-training sessions such as yoga classes and total-body strength training. Some classes even take you on and off the bike for a HIIT-style workout. The 22-inch screen swivels 360 degrees, allowing you to still see the trainer from your mat. 

The overall goal of iFit, whether you're biking up Mt. Fuji or doing one of its in-studio classes, is to push you to hit certain goals. Most classes are set up in a series of workouts that hope to accomplish a few different things. The first, of course, is to make it through the series. Along the way, however, the series challenges the rider to progress every aspect of their riding ability. Speed, stamina, power, all of it. The iFit dashboard does well to present your weekly stats, too, so you can see that progress in action. 

A few extra perks

The NordicTrack bike provides lots of easy-to-view tracking metrics, including heart rate, elevation, intensity, and more. There's also a new leaderboard option you can toggle on or off which shows how your ride stacks up against other riders. 

The bike also comes with two three-pound weights, a fully adjustable seat and handlebars, an ergonomic saddle, and a built-in fan. Each of the add-ons improves its overall value and helps make it a well-rounded at-home workout option that's more than just a stationary bike. 

The drawbacks

I did experience a bit of wobbling from the screen but I didn't find it to be too bothersome. Some people may miss the high-octane nature of competitors like Peloton but I prefer not to be yelled at by an instructor and go at my own pace. Plus, iFit has recently released a leaderboard element, so you can see how your stats stack up against others who have ridden the same trail. 

It's also unfortunate you aren't able to change the background music. You can, however, adjust the volume on the music and the trainer's voice separately, so you could turn it down if you hated it and just stream your own elsewhere.

Should you buy it? 

Yes. If you can afford the initial investment (and recurring iFit subscription after the included one-year free trial), then NordicTrack's S22i is a great at-home workout option. The diversity of its workouts mixed with the deep well of content offered by iFit give it plenty of reusability, making it an attractive option as your go-to daily workout routine. 

What are your alternatives? 

Any conversation about at-home stationary bikes has to include Peloton and for good reason. Peloton's bike costs slightly more money than NordicTrack's S22i and also has a slightly different approach to its workouts. Instead of iFit's location-based rides, Peloton offers a wide range of instructor-led workouts conducted in one of its workout studios. 

The bottom line

Overall, this is a top-of-the-line bike for your home that's both incredibly well made and brilliantly designed. The iFit subscription brings a ton of interesting and interactive workouts, both in-studio and around the world, ensuring you'll never get bored cycling solo. Finally, the top-notch trainers and automatic adjustments make it a pleasant riding experience.

Pros: Bike automatically adjusts resistance based on terrain and instructor cues, iFit library offers a deep well of diverse riding content, 22-inch HD screen swivels to allow for workouts off the bike, and the package comes with two three-pound weights

Cons: Expensive at $1,999 and the screen can be wobbly at times

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The day after his second dose of the Pfizer and BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, Dr. Kevin Bernstein did a long endurance ride on his Peloton — and achieved a personal best. 

Hours after her second jab of the same vaccine, nurse Kristen Choi felt so chilled, nauseous, light-headed, and feverish she thought for a moment she had COVID-19.  

As more Americans get both vaccinated and keep an eye toward their post-pandemic body goals, some are questioning if it's a good, bad, or neutral idea to work out right before or after the vaccine — if, unlike Choi, they feel up for it. 

While there's no strong evidence showing that exercising around the time of your vaccine will increase or decrease its efficacy, Bernstein, the chief medical officer at Peaks Coaching Group, told Insider there are some things to keep in mind when planning your vaccines and fitness routines. 

Don't force a workout if you're dragging, but try not to be too sedentary either 

The available COVID-19 vaccines can come with side effects, which is simply a reflection of the immune system learning how to fight off the virus. Usually, symptoms are mild and last only a day or two.

Some of the the most commonly reported side effects include headaches, fatigue, chills, nausea, and dizziness, according to a January CDC report analyzing safety data on the nearly 13 million people who'd received a vaccine. In about 1% of people, the vaccine leads to a high (over 102 F) fever. 

Women seem to be a lot more likely than men to report side effects, perhaps because estrogen elicits a stronger immune response. The second dose, too, tends to be more likely to elicit side effects, and some evidence suggests COVID-19 survivors may have more severe reactions. 

"My advice to patients is to listen to your body," Bernstein said. "If you have significant fatigue and fever, then it is likely not the day to do a high-intensity interval training workout. If you're not feeling it, see how you feel again tomorrow." 

However, try not to lie around the house all day either, he added. Even people who received a placebo vaccine in clinical trials reported side effects. "I would still recommend at least getting outside for a nice walk and continuing to stay hydrated while your immune system works its magic," Bernstein said. 

Overtraining ahead of the vaccine isn't smart 

The vaccine works by training your immune system to fight off invaders that look like the coronavirus, so it's in your best interest to receive it with a system that's in good shape. In other words, you want to put your best players in the game, not those on the injured list. 

That's why some experts have advised against taking painkillers or drinking alcohol before your vaccine. 

Exercise, however, is something that can both support and deplete your immune system. Regular physical activity keeps it healthy, but overdoing it can backfire, Bernstein — who rode his Peloton as usual the days leading up to both doses — pointed out. 

He said if you are at risk for overtraining syndrome — when you out-train your body's ability to recover — or have significantly amped up your workouts, dial it back ahead of the vaccine. Worsened performance, being moody, feeling a compulsion toward exercise, sleep problems, and more can all signal overtraining syndrome, something that should be discussed with a general practitioner or sports medicine doc, Bernstein said. 

If you're training hard because of an upcoming race, consider timing your vaccine accordingly, if possible. "I would not plan on getting the vaccine within a few days of a goal event, including planned training activities," Bernstein said. 

Light arm exercises can help with injection site pain  

The day of both doses, Bernstein did pullups, which alleviated his only symptom: a sore arm. While pullups may be too intense for people who don't already do them regularly, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention does advise people keep their arms active to help deal with site pain. A cool, wet washcloth and over-the-counter painkiller may help too.

"I believe there is a mental health component to getting a vaccine or any type of medical intervention. Exercise is a potent positive mental health coping mechanism. I believe that continuing to keep moving before and after the vaccine is important both for physical and mental health benefits," Bernstein said. 

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Robert Glazer was regularly working 18-hour days last spring, leading his 200-person marketing agency through the early months of the pandemic, when his teenage daughter asked, "How are you doing?" The question nearly brought him to tears. 

"No one had asked me that," said Glazer, the founder and CEO of Acceleration Partners, recalling the conversation that took place in May. "At the time, all I had done was focus on other people." 

With the US more than a year into the pandemic, small-business owners are still struggling: More than 163,735 businesses have closed, and the founders who are still running their companies are grappling with burnout, stress, and exhaustion. Before the pandemic, daily worry for small-business owners was at 35% for men and 33% for women, a May report from Gallup said. In 2020, those figures rose to 47% and 60%, respectively. 

Glazer spent the past 13 months focused on managing his employee's stress and well-being, in addition to running his company, which booked $22 million in revenue last year, documents verified by Insider showed. He didn't take a break until December, and even then, it didn't feel like enough time, Glazer said. 

"You can run on adrenaline for a while, and then when you stop, it all starts hitting you," said Glazer, who's releasing a book this summer on remote working. "I had to start getting in a better habit in terms of morning routines, vacations, and exercise." 

Take time off so your employees know you mean it

By April of last year, Glazer was encouraging his employees to take a day or two off each month. But not many people were taking his advice. 

Glazer found that few employees were willing to ask for a break if he wasn't leading by example, so he started announcing when he was taking a day off. 

"I realized that I had said it, but I didn't do it," Glazer said, adding that staff were more willing to ask for time off knowing that he did the same. "You need to model that." 

Establish a hard stop so you don't work all night 

While it may feel like a founder's work is never-ending, and there's always an opportunity to do more, you must set an end time, Glazer said. 

Glazer signs off between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., unless he's preparing for a deal or managing a timely incident. He rationalizes that if something occurs in that window, he likely wouldn't be able to change the outcome. 

"If I see something in that window, it's just going to be something that ruins my entire night of sleep once I look at it," Glazer said. 

Set boundaries with your team around how to handle something on their own without bothering you

Small-business owners must prep their team on how to handle issues that may arise while they're away. Establish when someone should reach out to you and how they should contact you, Glazer said. 

For example, should your team tell you about a mistake they made at 10:30 p.m., or wait until the morning? Another example is if the business' bank account was set to run out of money by the morning, Glazer said. 

"Set up those boundaries with your team in advance about what really is an emergency and what the expectations are," he said. 

Learn how to delegate so your team can operate while you're away

Many entrepreneurs are keen to maintain control of the entire business, but it's important to delegate tasks so you can take a break, Glazer said. Learning how to do that is a core tactic to battling burnout, he added. 

He started by removing himself from alerts that would ping his cell phone. If you're getting messages from the bank, can you punt that to your chief financial officer instead? he asked. 

"If everything runs through you, then you're going to get bothered when you're on vacation," Glazer said. 

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The popularity of interactive at-home workout machines continues to grow with brands like Peloton and NordicTrack leading the charge. Though similar at-home products have been around for years, advancements in the space have allowed these machines to be highly effective workout tools and more widely accessible.

Take the above-mentioned Peloton, for example. What started as a simple group cycling class seven years ago has since expanded into an at-home stationary bike outfit with highly interactive videos and classes. Put plainly, it's revolutionized our relationship with the stationary bike — and the startup is now estimated to be worth $4 billion.

But one nitpick some have with these bikes is how the machines tend to neglect your upper body. This is where the Hydrow Rowing Machine comes in, an at-home rower poised to become the Peloton of rowing. 

Unlike cycling, rowing is said to engage 86% of your muscles. With this $2,200 at-home unit, you can participate in live or on-demand rowing classes led by world-class athletes, all in the comfort of your living room.

Curious about its benefits, I tried Hydrow for a month. Here's what I thought of the experience and if the $2,245 price tag is worth the investment. 

Specs

The Hydrow is an 86-inch-long by 25-inch-wide rowing machine featuring an easily accessible 22-inch HD touchscreen mounted on the front. The monitor is sweatproof and features Hi-Fi speakers, a two-megapixel camera, a built-in microphone, USB 2.0 connection, and both Bluetooth and WiFi capabilities.

Here are a few other important specs:

• Aluminum and steel frame with a flat anthracite polymer body
• Soft rubberized feet to protect floors
• Low-stress handle grip with ergonomic design
• 1920 by 1080 Full HD screen resolution
• Over 500 pre-recorded river and studio rowing sessions
• Four types of rowing videos: Live Rowing, Rows on Demand, Serene River Rowing, Whole Body Fitness 
• Quiet, electromagnetic resistance that adjusts 240 times per second
• Heart rate monitoring 
• 10-roller seat roller system facilitating a smooth operation
• 25-degree monitor pivot in each direction
• 18-month labor warranty; 2-year warranty on wear items, screen, and other electronics; and a 6-year structural frame warranty

A recurring $38 monthly membership is required to experience the full functionality of the Hydrow (i.e. the classes). This includes live virtual outdoor rows with instructors and athletes (including a selection from the U.S. National Rowing Team), access to a live leaderboard during classes, Hydrow's full on-demand library, and other exclusive off-machine fitness content.

The setup process

My setup experience was slightly different than what should be expected as Hydrow coordinated both the delivery and setup with a team of its own. The rower was fully assembled when it arrived, so the brand's technician just needed to screw the screen onto the frame, plug in the machine, and connect it to my Wi-Fi. 

Once complete, the technician walked me through how to use the machine before he left and even showed me how to access the rowing tutorials — all of which I found really helpful. 

If purchased via Best Buy, there is a white-glove treatment available for anyone who wants a complete setup done for them. Best Buy offers a delivery and installation option just about everywhere in the US for $249.99. There's also a flat $69.99 delivery charge but that gets waived if you go with the delivery and installation option — something Best Buy strongly encourages. You may even qualify for free installation and delivery if you reach out to customer service.

If you go the full installation route, a Geek Squad member delivers and sets up your Hydrow wherever you want it in your apartment or home. They'll also connect it to your Wi-Fi and ensure the rower is workout-ready before leaving.

A motivating library of classes

To get the most out of my month of testing the Hydrow, I challenged my wife to see who could put in the most mileage. My wife is fairly sedentary while I'm very active, yet the spirit of competition and ease of use motivated her to 

I often loaded up a pre-recorded video class first thing in the morning to hit the digital water, due mainly to the fact the trainers all had upbeat attitudes. This helped to guide my workouts and started my day off on the right foot — thankfully, they weren't annoyingly positive. Their encouragement got me to push a little harder while focusing on my form. 

There are several levels of intensity to choose from and it took a bit of experimentation to figure out which level and workout length were ideal for my exercise needs. I felt the Warm-Up, Breathe, and Sweat videos were fairly light and didn't get my heart rate going as much as I wanted. Instead, I was more into the Push videos. The first 20-minute, Push interval session I did really worked out my body.

I also enjoyed the real-time leaderboard that appears on the right side of the screen a Live Rowing session. It compares your distance to the distances rowed by other users at each point of the video. I found it to be an incredibly useful motivating tool — my wife also noted how it often pushed her to row harder.

Although I preferred the interactive classes, some of my wife's favorite sessions didn't have live instructors. She liked the Serene River Rowing in which you go through beautiful natural areas and hear nothing but the water. There's still a leaderboard but no one is pushing you, so you're more likely to go at your own pace.

Another impressive aspect was the video streaming quality. There's nothing worse than having a video freeze in the middle of a guided workout, especially when you're challenging for the top of the leaderboard. During my testing, the screen froze just once — something my wife experience as well, at the same point in the same video. If this happens, you're able to just press the help icon on the screen and instantly send feedback to Hydrow, who was responsive.

A few nitpicks

Perhaps the Hydrow's biggest drawback is how big its 15-square-foot size is. I kept it in my living room for the short term but in the long term, you'd want a dedicated workout area.

You can, however, store the Hydrow vertically if you want to free up space. When stored vertically, it only takes up a 33-inch by 25-inch patch of space. I did this a few times and with the front wheels, it was easy enough for me to move and stand up the 145-pound machine on my own. 

To the Hydrow's credit, the machine is incredibly quiet, which is certainly nice if you live in an apartment with paper-thin walls, or just don't want to make too much of a racket.

The only time it wasn't quiet, though, was when I had the resistance cranked up to 100% and was trying to do a high stroke rate. I'd hear a knocking sound where the foot pedals met the machine. My wife never experienced this but I weigh 250 pounds, which is 80 pounds more than her, so it might've just been a weight issue. Either way, I brought it up to Hydrow who told me that they'd fixed it in subsequent versions of the machine.

The price might also give you a bit of sticker shock. At $2,245, it's definitely not cheap but considering a Peloton bike costs $1,895, I'd say it's comparable. You're also getting a full-body workout as opposed to only cardio. 

Hydrow's base price doesn't include the $38 monthly membership fee, which does make the final price a bit higher than what's advertised. Depending on how often you'd use the machine, an ongoing subscription might be an unnecessary and sunk cost — or a financial motivator. 

Should you buy it?

Yes. At a comparable price to the Peloton, the Hydrow gives you a full-body workout. Plus, with its software updates, a new app, and constant improvements, Hydrow has demonstrated that it's committed to producing a top-quality experience.

If you can afford it and are looking for a way to stay motivated with a fun and challenging full-body exercise, I strongly recommend giving Hydrow a try.

What are your alternatives? 

Though there's a variety of at-home workout equipment like stationary bikes or treadmills, interactive at-home rowers are relatively new (outside of the traditional, analog water rowers or stationary, screen-less row machines).

The closest alternative would be the Ergatta rower. Like Hydrow, the Ergatta rower features an onboard screen that displays workouts, leaderboards, and pre-recorded classes. The rower itself is even in the style of a water rower in that it uses water flywheel technology to produce a smooth row experience. 

The bottom line

Overall, I loved Hydrow. So much so that I was sad when the technicians came to take it away. On my humble freelance writer wages, I'd likely be unable to buy it at its current price of $2,245 (plus membership fees). I just can't afford it. But if I had $2,245 to put toward my physical fitness, or was willing to part with $61 per month with Best Buy's financing payment, I'd buy the Hydrow today.

Pros: More than 500 on-demand videos of varying lengths and intensities, live broadcasts with live leaderboards, full-body workout, durable construction, quiet and precise electromagnetic resistance

Cons: Expensive, requires membership for access to all of the features, takes up a lot of space

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Like many people, I've been losing and gaining the same 10 pounds every few years.

In my latest attempt to lose weight, I turned to the Noom app. The TV and Facebook ads feature statements like, "Just 10 minutes a day keeps the weight off" and testimonials from people who claim they worked out every day for a year and only lost 10 pounds, but with Noom they lost 30 pounds.

Noom promises to be life-changing, easy to follow, and different from other weight-loss plans. For instance, on Noom, no food is forbidden, and its ads reinforce this concept by showing a woman grabbing a brownie while the scale flips to a lower and lower weight. 

Although it seems like Noom is a newcomer to the weight-loss game, the company was founded more than a decade ago, in 2008, by two best friends, Saeju Jeong and Artem Petakov.

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Last year, the company reported it had over 45 million users. A 2016 study published in Scientific Reports found that about 78% of the 35,921 participants who used Noom lost weight over an 18-month period, and a 2017 study published in the Journal of Health Communications found that Noom appeared to help people lose weight over a six-month period. 

In 2019, Noom raised $58 million, with investors including Sequoia Capital, Groupe Arnault's tech arm Aglaé Ventures, Jan Koum, cofounder of WhatsApp, Tony Xu, cofounder of DoorDash, Josh Kushner, cofounder of Oscar Health, Scooter Braun, founder of SB Projects, and Samsung Ventures. It's now the largest venture-backed digital weight-loss startup, having raised $115 million to date, a company spokesperson told Insider's Patricia Kelly Yeo in April.

I signed up in October 2019. It cost about $150 to test out for eight months.

After completing a short quiz about my weight, height, desired weight-loss goal, and daily eating and exercise habits, I received my "customized" plan with a budget of 1,200 calories a day — a standard recommendation for women trying to shed a few pounds.

Noom broke my 1,200-calorie budget into three categories:

• Green — essentially vegetables and fruits, to be eaten generously
• Yellow — multigrain bread, lean proteins, beans, and brown rice, to be eaten in moderation
• Red — the brownie in the ad, cheeses, pizza, anything fried, all to be eaten sparingly

Essentially, the food budget encourages participants to eat more protein, fruits, and vegetables and fewer fats and processed foods.

Other key daily aspects of Noom included recording your weight, tracking your food intake and exercise, drinking at least nine cups of water, and spending 10 minutes completing interactive readings and quizzes about food and cravings on the app.

One of your first assignments is to declare your "Super Goal" and "Ultimate Why" for losing weight, then envision how your life will be different once you reach your goal. 

I imagine that this is a powerful exercise for someone who has more than 10 pounds to lose.

In fact, I've noticed that the people who have the most weight to lose have the most success with Noom. But it felt strange to me because, while 10 pounds would help me feel more confident, it probably wouldn't be life-changing for me.

I'm in a Facebook group for Noom users that I joined in January 2020, and the transformational photos people post constantly amaze me. It's not uncommon to see photos of people who have lost 100 pounds or more. Most people post about their successes and their challenges, particularly when they find the scale is creeping up. But I was more of a lurker than a poster or commenter.

I started Noom before the COVID-19 pandemic, when I thought we'd be going to two weddings and my daughter's high school graduation in 2020, so losing 10 pounds for these events were my Big Why. Then the pandemic hit and my Big Why became my desire to not gain 20 pounds during lockdown.

Initially, I found the daily readings and quizzes really insightful. 

Everything is written in easy-to-digest blurbs and based on science and psychology. There are daily quizzes to help you retain the information and opportunities to read and reflect, and then add your own thoughts and experiences.

For instance, a lesson on stress eating ends with two questions: "What is your stressor?" and "What is your stress response?"

The app invites you to list all the possible ways in which you can prevent yourself from stress eating. My list of ways to intervene included taking deep breaths, going for a quick walk, drinking a big glass of water, and calling or texting a friend. I can honestly say that none of these methods have worked for me. 

There's also a lot of emphasis on mindful eating, including how to assess how hungry you are before you start eating, ways to slow down your meal, and how to tell when you're full. 

Noom also arms you with ways to handle social situations and family members who expect you to clean your plate. 

For instance, the app explains why we tend to eat more when we're out to dinner with friends and why we might arrive at the restaurant determined to order a salad but then change to a burger when everyone else at the table orders one. 

And, if your mother, grandmother, or aunt insists that you eat the special meal they made for your visit, Noom has a great list of responses like "I can't make it work in my plan," and "Me and [insert food] aren't on speaking terms."

Despite what the ads say, Noom also emphasizes exercise. 

There's an initial goal to walk 3,000 steps a day, and after a week you're encouraged to walk 10,000 steps each day and to add yoga, weights, and other workouts. 

Noom pairs every participant with a goal specialist, who checks in with you every week. Each week you set a new goal — such as eating a new vegetable with every meal or exercising four times a week — and then the goal specialist checks to see if you succeeded. 

If you didn't, the specialist asks you open-ended questions that are similar to the reflections in the readings about what you could have done more of or differently. 

Those open-ended questions definitely got on my nerves. Like most dieters, I know what I need to do — I just don't always follow through. 

It's true that no food is off limits. However, losing weight wasn't as easy as Noom promised.  

One of the best lessons I learned is I can eat anything I want in moderation, and just because I gave into my craving for a bag of potato chips at lunch doesn't mean I should give myself permission to eat an entire pizza and then a pint of ice cream for dinner. 

I was on Noom for eight months and lost seven pounds. About three months after I went off Noom, I gained a few pounds back, so I decided to go back on Noom, hoping to lose six more pounds (the three pounds I'd regained and the three pounds I didn't lose the first time) but nothing happened the second time I joined — I didn't gain weight and I didn't lose any either.

I asked health and fitness coach and weight-loss specialist Candice McDaniel why I was struggling to lose six pounds when I see photos of people who have dropped 100 pounds.

"Losing 10 pounds on a diet plan versus losing 50 to 100 pounds is harder because of how close you already are to a healthy weight," she said. "When you have 50 to 100 pounds to lose, you don't need to make very many changes to your diet to start seeing results. Typically at that weight, you can try following a diet plan, and even if you aren't perfect, you'll start seeing progress quickly. But people who only have about 10 pounds to lose have to be a lot more vigilant and follow the program very closely to see results."

While I no longer use Noom, I've managed to keep off four of the seven pounds I lost and retained many of the healthy habits I learned.

For instance, I have a fruit or vegetables with every meal, I don't eat when I'm bored (though I do still eat when I'm stressed), I exercise every day, I write down everything I eat each day, and if I slip up and have a bag of chips or a slice of cake at lunch, I don't go whole hog in the evening. Now if I could only lose five more pounds ...

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Following is a transcript of the video.

Stacie Morris:"Working out tones your muscles." [laughs] I can't even say that with a straight face.

Wesley Wang:"The best way to burn fat is on an empty stomach." Yeah, go ahead and crinkle that up and throw that one away as well.

Morris:"Running will destroy your knees." Even though I hate running personally, it will not destroy your knees.

My name is Dr. Stacie Morris. I am the owner of The Physio Fix, which is in Phoenix, Arizona. I have been practicing physical therapy for six years now, and my specialty is working in sports, but specifically working with strength athletes and gymnasts.

Wang: Hi, my name is Dr. Wesley Wang. I am a physical therapist, and I have been practicing for about five and a half years now. I personally specialize in ACLs and working with high-school- and college-level athletes, and I work at Healthy Baller.

Morris: Today, we're debunking fitness myths. "Your knees should never pass your toes when squatting."

Wang: This is something that I maybe pushed a little bit early in my career, when I didn't understand everything.

Morris: You should allow your body to move naturally, and if you limit that, you actually add more stress, as we've known through literature, to your hips and your low back. So to limit that movement is just absurd to me, and I feel like that myth needs to die now.

Wang: You think about the daily things that we do. Let's take away strength training. Beyond that, you go down the stairs, your knees go past your toes. When you play your sport, do you ever think about your knees being past your toes? And the answer is 100% no. And, Stacie, for you, you were a gymnast. When you did your jumps and flips and landings, I can guarantee you were never like, "Oh, no, my knees cannot go past my toes."

Morris: You're absolutely correct. So now we see so many ankle limitations because of this movement pattern that people have been spreading a myth or trying to teach for the wrong reasons, without letting them just move like athletes. Let your body move natural, and usually it does what it needs to do to be most efficient at whatever movement that is.

Morris:"Soreness is a sign of a good workout." Soreness is basically when you have an accumulation of lactate in your blood. It turns yourself into more of an acidic state, and that's when you kind of feel that burn effect that people talk about.

Wang: Is soreness a factor of a workout? Yes, potentially. Our patients, our athletes, have had plenty of great workouts and not felt sore the next day. Right? It's just the way the body is, and sometimes you just have a harder workout, a shorter workout. So those 15-, 20-minute workouts, those are the ones that typically I don't personally feel too sore in, but if I get, like, a nice hour-and-15 workout where I'm just going hard at it, then I'm going to feel a little bit more sore the next day. But, again, that doesn't mean that my 20-minute workout was ineffective or bad.

Morris: A lot of people, they're like, "I can barely walk, I'm so sore." And their trainer is like, "Good." And I'm like, that's not so good! You should be able to walk. You should have been progressed in a way that was so gradual that you are feeling stronger, and maybe you are still getting a little bit sore, but you don't feel like you can't walk the next day.

Wang: I think rest and recovery, nutrition, sleep is super important.

Wang:"Bigger muscles are stronger."

Morris: From a physiology standpoint, bigger muscles may have the ability to be stronger. They could have bigger or more motor units to be able to get stronger. But that doesn't necessarily mean that they are stronger. There are people that have genetic differences, they have longer muscles, and they're not going to be as short or as prominent. So they maybe don't look as big, but they may be really, really strong because there's more of them and there's a shorter tendon where they're attaching. Or, there's people that have different limb lengths. Your levers are going to play into how strong you are.

Wang: I do talk about size, because obviously dealing with the rehab side of things they have a post-op knee that looks like half the size of the other side, but I'm never like, "Oh, you're weak because you look like this." It's just, "Hey, let's get in the weight room, let's get a little bit stronger, let's make sure you can perform your sport safely, confidently," and all that kind of stuff. And for me, that's all I really care about, is more the performance side of things, and getting stronger is going to help you in your performance level, for the most part.

Wang:"You need to eat meat to build muscle." [laughs] Your eyes got big there. Definitely not.

Morris: You do need to eat protein to build muscle, but you do not need to get your protein from meat sources only. They have vegan protein shakes. You can do lentils. Even quinoa has protein in it.

Wang:"Cardio before weights." What are your thoughts?

Morris: So, it depends on your goals. Are your goals cardiovascular-related, or are your goals strength-related? I think that that thing needs to be first. So if you're a strength athlete, you definitely need to make sure that you're focusing on what's important, which is your strength training.

Wang: And this is not a black and white thing, just like a lot of things in the fitness world and rehab world that we work with.

Morris: Cardio doesn't have to be what you think it is. It doesn't have to be biking or running or swimming. I do weightlifting as a form of cardio because I get my heart rate up and then I'm able to sustain that, and that alone is cardiovascular work.

Morris:"Working out tones your muscles." [laughs] I can't even say that with a straight face, because what is toning? I think of toning as something a printer does. I think when people think of tone, they think of seeing their muscles and it being visible, and it always comes down to calories in versus calories out. And being able to see your muscles means that you probably are in a caloric maintenance or deficit state, so you've got to make sure you're really focusing on what you're eating too, not just focusing on what you're doing in the gym.

Wang: There are plenty of runners out there who dread lifting, but they're still considered on the toner side. And that's where the word tone is very, very subjective. But there are other people who are on the more strength-conditioning side who love to lift and are also toned. So, again, that's where the individuality really needs to come into play here.

Morris: Absolutely. It's all going back to their goals. What are your goals? And for me, my goals are not as much aesthetic anymore as they are just feeling strong, being strong, and being the best version of myself.

Wang:"Exercise cancels out unhealthy eating habits." Definitely not. [laughs] 100% not.

Morris: My sister used to say this all the time. She'd be like, "I'm going to work out today so I can go to McDonald's." And I was like, "What? If you're eating lots of saturated fats and processed food, it's not good for you." And she was like, "But I'm burning more than I'm consuming. Isn't that what matters at the end of the day?" And I was like, "Yes, that's important, but it really comes down to the things that you're putting inside your body that's going to have a long-term effect." It's not just calories in versus calories out. Let's hit your macros in these different three areas, like the big protein, carbs, and fats, whatever that is for you.

Wang: Can you have your occasional cheat burger and things like that? Of course you can. 'Cause if I were to go eat fast food, whatever one it is, for 14 of my lunch and dinners, and I could lift two hours a day, that would not necessarily help me.

Wang:"You should bulk and cut to build muscle." I have done a stint of bodybuilding, and I know that this is something that I used to also believe before I became more knowledgeable on the subject. Usually bodybuilders, they will bulk up, just to put on some muscle, and then they will cut down, so then they can see that muscle and see what that muscle looks like. Now, if your goal is not to be a bodybuilder and you want to bulk and cut simultaneously, you can do that. But you have to be in a positive nitrogen state in your body, and the way that you can achieve that is by increasing your protein in the form of amino acids and also adding in creatine and then making sure you're sleeping enough. It's not easy putting on mass and then taking off mass, because then you're like, "Man I look so good when I'm cutting, but then I feel terrible when I look in the mirror when I'm bulking." And it just throws you into this emotional state of not feeling good about yourself. I see that in some of my patients too. They don't know how to return back to normal eating, because they've been in either one or the other for so long.

Wang: I think that for people who are really trying to be structured and rigid with this, there is so much help out there. I know Stacie takes on online clients and things like that to do it in a safe, productive, structured way.

Wang:"You need to work out for at least an hour for it to have an effect." Please go ahead and rip that one up as well.

Morris: I'm a big believer in working smarter, not harder, and shorter doesn't mean not effective. The ACSM, they have those minimum effective dosage numbers for adults, right? Over the course of the week, you have to accumulate that many minutes of moderate intensity for it to be considered effective for your cardiovascular health. And then if it's vigorous activity, I think it's 75 minutes to 150 minutes, so it's even smaller.

Wang: Can you only survive on 20-, 30-minute workouts? Yeah, you can, but I think that obviously you can get significantly more done in a little bit more time, which is, I think, the hour time frame.

Morris:"Running will destroy your knees." You can rip that one up too. Even though I hate running personally, it will not destroy your knees. I don't know who made that up or when that became a thing, but it's definitely not backed by any scientific research, and I know I've read some recent studies actually show that runners have thicker density of their cartilage and their ligaments, so actually running helps their knees. It does not hurt your knees.

Wang: Yeah, we talk about how strength training helps to build resiliency in your tissues, and running, it actually does the same. I was laughing when I read this just because I grew up playing basketball. Running is involved in basketball. I work with a lot of soccer and lacrosse players. They have to run, and I can promise you that all their knees are not destroyed. I think that the people who do have pain with running, that probably means that their body and their tissues just aren't used to whatever the capacity they're doing.

Morris: It's more of, did you start progressing your mileage too fast? Bumping up your intensity of other things too fast and your body wasn't ready for it? Did you change your shoes recently and now your foot has to move in a different way? All of those little things kind of add up.

Wang:"The best way to burn fat is on an empty stomach." Yeah, go ahead and crinkle that up and throw that one away as well. [laughs] Your eyes got big, Stacie.

Morris: So, this is one of those ones I used to believe too. They've come out with a bunch of new studies to show that, no, you do not have to do fasted cardio to burn fat. Obviously if you're in a caloric deficit, you're in a caloric deficit, and then you're going to be burning fat. It's more like, what kind of workouts are you doing? What heart rate zone are you in? And then what does your nutrition look like?

Wang: The intensity probably matters as well. We train a lot of these high-school- and college-level athletes, and they're coming in and they're sprinting, they're cutting, they're lifting. We typically recommend them eating something before they come in, even if it's, like, a granola bar or something like that.

Morris: Eating breakfast is fine. Not eating breakfast, if you don't want to eat breakfast, that's also fine, but just make sure you're eating what you need to be eating and getting the nutrients you need to get throughout your day.

Wang:"Lifting heavy weights at a young age will stunt your growth." I think that, Stacie, you and I would both agree that this is something that maybe we grew up on.

Morris: There's no evidence to support that viewpoint, that lifting weights is going to stunt your growth. I've looked into it, because I started lifting at a younger age. I'm actually pretty tall for a gymnast.

Wang: I think strength training does play a big role in youth sports and keeping them healthy and keeping them strong. And I also think people automatically assume that strength training means that you're lifting extreme heavy weights, when that's not the case. Picking up a 3- to 5-pound weight is considered weight training and strength training.

Morris:"Assisted exercises are not as effective." My immediate thought is, not as effective as what?

Wang: Does assisted mean that you're just getting some help? Does it mean that you're using bands?

Morris: Maybe a lot of people have a hard time doing pull-ups, and they use a band. But does that mean that they're not getting stronger, because they're using a band? No. It just means that at their current level they need a band to be able to perform the movement. Sometimes we do assisted mobility work, so we use a band to assist in doing this specific position. It's actually going to help us in the long run by using some assistance right now. It all comes down to, what's the goal of the exercise? Are we trying to get more mobility or get stronger? Because, yeah, sometimes using assistance is what we need to use.

Morris:"You can't exercise with flat feet." This is just plain silly. This is so silly. Oh, my gosh. There's, like, half of the people in the world that have flat feet. They're not supposed to exercise?

Wang: I'm done. I'm done. I quit. You definitely can exercise with flat feet. I, along with hundreds of thousands of other people, millions of other people, have been able to do it.

Morris: And I think it's also kind of funny that a lot of people still believe that you can change your foot shape and your arch of your foot. If you have flat feet, your foot structure kind of is how it is, and, yes, we can get the arch of our foot stronger, so then you can have better stability overall, but you can't change the structure of your foot.

Wang: At the end of the day, all these myths that we've talked about today are because of extremes. Don't be afraid to question things if someone's telling you that you definitely have to do it.

Morris: If you start believing that myth and now telling someone else, this is how myths circulate and travel. If one person becomes more educated, then they can start breaking that cycle right then and there.

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A little black dress is an essential piece in any closet, and in mine, it comes in the form of an exercise dress.

With a built-in liner, a compressive fit, and adjustable straps, the Outdoor Voices Exercise Dress ($100) is a triple threat that's swished its way to the top of my wardrobe. Outdoor Voices, an activewear brand that's all about "doing things" (that's their motto), dropped a $100 workout dress some summers ago — and there was a lot of hype not only from us but across all of social media. People posted photos of themselves lifting weights, crossing marathon finish lines, and achieving bendy yoga poses, all while draped in the stretchy nylon dress. 

I'm familiar with workout dresses from having a background in tennis, so it was no surprise to me that the dress would be practical for low- to high-intensity workouts. Although the brand isn't exactly reinventing the wheel when it comes to exercise dresses, Outdoor Voices makes it a stylish option you can also wear to food markets and rooftop brunches. 

Recently, Outdoor Voices redesigned its beloved Exercise Dress with a few new details to make it even better. I tried the new version out and, thanks to convenient pockets and sweat-wicking fabric, I'd say it's arguably one of the most versatile pieces of clothing you can stash in your closet.

The old versus the new

The Reviews team tried the original Exercise Dress design about a year ago and we were impressed beyond measure. This year's iteration, though, offers smart updates that take it to another level. With the addition of adjustable straps, a seamless spandex bodysuit liner, two inner pockets, and leg grippers, the Exercise Dress is better than ever. 

Cut from Outdoor Voices' LightSpeed fabric, an ultra-lightweight performance woven fabric, the dress is designed to dry quickly and move with you. It's incredibly sweat-wicking, and my dress kept me cool during my everyday workout routine and even a full day at a Florida theme park.

What the dress is like to work out in

I admit I initially felt skeptical toward the swishy fabric and snug fit as I don't own many pieces similar to the lightweight nylon. But when I wore it while working out, its comfort and flexibility shone through. True to its promise, the fabric moved with me as I walked on an inclined treadmill and cycled through my ab routine. 

I have a shorter torso in proportion to my legs, so the built-in spandex liner rested a little low on me. Still, the grippy ends kept me completely secure and I saw zero sweat marks after my hour-long workout. 

How it wears throughout the day

After being impressed by the workout results, I put the Exercise Dress to the ultimate test: wearing it all day at an amusement park. In peak Florida heat, which feels like a magnifying glass tracking every move, the Exercise Dress kept me cool and breezy. Neither the material nor straps stretched out throughout the day, and the compressive fit gave me great support even sans sports bra. I carried a fanny pack, but next time I'll rely on the conveniently hidden side pockets. It held my phone and cards comfortably the entire day without weighing the inner bodysuit down. There's nothing better than walking around hands-free when you're on the go.

The bottom line

Although $100 may seem a tad steep, this sporty dress does it all and is well worth it if it's within your budget. Whether you're playing tennis or going to the mall, there's no limit to the many ways you can wear this dress. Stylish, reliable activewear can also boost confidence and offer motivation for working out, and the Outdoor Voices Exercise Dress delivers on these flawlessly. 

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You want to change the world, so you work long, tireless hours, your mind never shuts off, and your body never rests. It feels as if your life were burning on both ends of the candlestick, but you can't seem to let yourself stop. 

I used to live that way, too. The idea of taking a break or resting was unimaginable. And the few evenings when I attempted to unwind and enjoy some free time, all I did was feel guilty about stepping away. I'd wind up returning to work later into the night than usual.

Was it healthy? No. Was I more productive? Not necessarily.

Here's the truth. If you want to actually impart change, drive your mission forward, and grow your business, then creating space and stillness in your life must be non-negotiable. To do so requires a mindset shift away from thinking breaks are bad. To turn downtime into a valuable asset, I started to do the following three actions.

Schedule your downtime

Most people think taking breaks is spontaneous, but the best way to stop is to plan accordingly. When nighttime comes around, your circadian rhythm and body know without consciously thinking that it's time to sleep. You're training your body and mind to anticipate shutting down. You can impart this same level of shift within your daily or weekly schedule.

Create a routine for your rest. Whether it's a block of time in the morning, a day during the week, or a few minutes throughout the day, plan time to take a break and stick to it. Every Wednesday and Sunday, for example, I have blocked off time specifically for relaxation and reflection. This has become a non-negotiable in my life in order to instill the habit within my mind and the cycle within my body to unwind. Taking downtime becomes a habit, similar to that of checking email. 

Read more: Breaking these 3 bad habits will increase work productivity, according to a doctor and CEO

Participate in reflection

The thoughts and ideas that flow through your mind are how you raise your value as a leader. So use moments of pause to bolster your brain's ability to think stronger and faster.

Take space to allow yourself to think. Focus on an aspect of business that you want to improve. Think about where you want to be and whether you are on the fastest path to get there.

In our society, we have become accustomed to constantly being stimulated and entertained. As a result, we must actively block time to find stillness, and allow these moments of perceived boredom to spark inner dreams and allow creativity to flourish. During this time, hold no judgment of the ideas you come up with.

You don't need to work 12 grueling hours each day. You need one moment of insight.

Take care of your body

Some of the biggest deterrents to actual wealth creation and success are not resources, investors, or a strong supply chain; it's your personal health. If you are energized, you are more likely to act and be bold when you experience fear or moments of opportunity. If you have taken care of yourself, you can more easily show up to connect with and support your employees, partners, and customers.

You are the leader within your organization. If something happens to you, everything is compromised. You must take care of yourself as if you are going to be around for a while. During your moments of space, create a wellness routine, navigate your fitness schedule, and give your body, mind, and spirit what it needs most. Some days, this looks like hitting the gym really hard, and other days, it consists of meditating, getting a massage, or reading a book. 

Health is a resource that you can always provide to yourself. 

Creating space for downtime in your life is necessary. After all, the entrepreneur road isn't an end goal, it is a way of life. If you want to enjoy it for the long term, you must be willing to pause, reflect, and rejuvenate. It might just land you farther forward than those late nights at the office ever could.

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Following is a transcript of the video. 

Narrator: Exercising is supposed to be good for you. It can help you stay at a healthy weight, improve your cardiovascular health, and even ward off depression. But like most things, it's possible to over-do it. And getting too much exercise can have serious consequences for your body and brain. So, what exactly is "too much" exercising?

Well, it depends on factors like your age, health, and choice of workouts. But in general, adults should get around five hours a week of moderate exercise or two and a half hours of more intense activity. Or some combination of the two. That's according to the CDC. But research shows that going way above and beyond that doesn't increase your health benefits.

One unsurprising study found that light to moderate runners had a lower risk of death than people who didn't exercise. But, in a surprising turn, some people who ran at a faster pace for more than three times a week had a similar risk of dying as the non-runners. So running too much, and too intensely, seems to undo some of the health benefits gained from regular running.

Extreme endurance exercises, like ultra-marathons, may also lead to heart damage, heart rhythm disorders, and enlarged arteries, in some people. Experts believe extreme endurance puts extreme demands on the cardiovascular system. One study found that repeated extreme exercises can "remodel" the heart, thickening the muscle's walls and scarring tissue.

Another study showed that women were less likely to have a heart attack or stroke, if they were physically active at least once a week. But that risk of heart attacks and strokes shot up for women who exercised strenuously every day. So, excessive exercise doesn't provide more benefits than moderate exercise. And it could be more risky.

Women are at particular risk for what's known as the "female athlete triad" that includes: loss of menstruation, osteoporosis or bone mineral loss and eating disorders. These symptoms usually arise from a combination of overexercise and calorie restriction.

For men, intense exercise has been shown to decrease libido. Possibly due to physical fatigue and lower testosterone levels. For both men and women, overexercise raises the risk of overuse injuries, like tendinitis and stress fractures. These injuries result from repetitive trauma. Your immune system can likewise suffer.

While moderate exercise can improve your immune system, excessive exercise can actually suppress it.

There's up to a 72-hour "open window" of impaired immunity after intense exercise. This basically means viruses and bacteria might have an easier time invading and infecting the body. And athletes who overexercised also experienced more upper respiratory tract infections.

So, we know excessive exercise can wreak havoc on your body — particularly your heart, tendons, ligaments, and immune system. And for around 1 million people in the US, exercise addiction is wreaking havoc on their brains.

Symptoms of exercise addiction include withdrawal — that's when you feel anxious or exhausted when you miss a workout. Or feeling a lack of control and unable to cut down on exercise. Even when you know it's hurting you.

Now, it's important to understand that you shouldn't just give up on exercising. The key is to get the right amount.

So, feel free to go forth and run. Just not all the time.

EDITOR'S NOTE: This video was originally published in April 2018.

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Editor's note: From 7/23 through 7/26, Insider readers can get an exclusive 35% off select items on Manduka's website by using code: INSIDER

Everyone has to deal with sweat during a hot yoga class but mine is on a different level, to the point where people regularly ask me if I'm okay. I don't blame them: My natural pallor converts to tomato red once we start flowing and the nonstop rolls of sweat — in my eyes, dripping into my mat — concern basically everyone.

The real issue for me is that thanks to the slippery sweat, I spend most of the class trying to keep my hands and feet planted, digging my taut, exhausted heels into the mat to avoid hydroplaning off of it and into the person next to me.

For years, I put up with slippery mats and the too-short yoga towels that only kind-of helped, all the while butchering certain moves because my tendons were on fire from clinging to a now glass-like surface.

But then I heard Manduka, the company consistently responsible for the industry's best-performing yoga tools and some of our top overall yoga mat picks, launched a mat capable of withstanding hot yoga without a towel: the GRP Mat. It cost under $100 at the time (prices now range from $90-130) and not only has it been the best mat I've found for sweaty hot yoga sessions, it still performs as well as the day I got it some three years later.

Meet the Manduka GRP Mat series

Manduka spent over three years engineering a yoga mat that could withstand hot yoga without a towel. The GRP (short for Grip Ride and Performance) launched as a single mat to be the ultimate hot yoga accessory — and one that could also work seamlessly in every other yoga environment.

The line has since been expanded to include three mats of different thickness and portability: the standard 6MM ($130), which is an updated version of the original I own; the Lite 4mm ($100), which is a thinner, lighter version of the standard; and the Adapt 5mm ($90), the newest mat to the GRP line that features slightly different technology than the other two.

All three are 71 inches by 26 inches — the standard size of a yoga mat. The GRP Hot Yoga Mat 6mm and GRP Lite Hot Yoga Mat 4mm are both made with a leather-like top layer and 100% open airflow to evaporate moisture on contact and reduce bacteria buildup. They both also have a charcoal-infused rubber core to absorb sweat and mitigate odor.

According to the company, these mats should actually get grippier with sweat — an industry paradox — because unlike other closed-cell yoga mats (which is the standard), the GRP is made from open-celled polyurethane which lets the mat breathe. It does this by taking in moisture and then letting it evaporate.

The biggest difference between the two mats is their padding and, therefore, weight: the 6mm provides more cushioning and weighs 5.5 pounds, while the Lite 4mm has slightly less padding (although still more than the average mat which is just 3mm) but weighs only 3.7 pounds.

The GRP Adapt Hot Yoga Mat 5mm, meanwhile, is slightly heavier at 6 pounds but is crafted with a unique open-cell weave that allows moisture to pass through and be absorbed into the interior foam layer. Manduka claims this is two times the absorption capacity of competing mats. That means you have to clean this mat more diligently to avoid bacteria build-up but that foam rubber material offers a more springy, softer cushioning for your joints.

My experience using the GRP yoga mat

A few things immediately surprised me about my standard GRP mat: How thick it is (6mm thick) and how truly different the top layer feels, which is so similar to something like leather and unlike the suppleness of a rubber mat. The GRP feels more substantial.

Upon unrolling it, I noticed it also had a pretty unpleasant smell. Though, if it worked well, this was nothing that I couldn't forgive, or fix with a deep clean.

In my hot yoga class, there were a few standout moments. One is that when you slap the mat on the floor there is a ring of finality to it — once it lays flat with a "smack," it's not moving. Even in all the classes I've taken to it since that first test, it has never slipped or moved during a class. 

Most importantly, though, the GRP Mat 6mm does a fantastic job of absorbing sweat. It's the only yoga mat I've comfortably used without a towel in a hot yoga class, and I was happy enough to toss my other mats in favor of this one. To me, there's no question that it's worth the money.

It took far longer for me to even see the sweat on my mat (maybe 50-60 minutes into a hot yoga session), and even then it was far more manageable. It was refreshing to be able to attend hot yoga and be completely present — listening to the instructor, challenging myself in my poses, and enjoying transitions rather than slipping around. Over the month and many classes I tested it in, there were points when I started to lose a little traction, but I didn't experience it in most classes which is far from the norm.

One of Insider Reviews' health and fitness editors, Rachael Schultz, tested the GRP Adapt Hot Yoga Mat 5mm, and said aside from a similar initial mal-odorous smell (that did go away with cleaning), it also does a great job of absorbing sweat and the 5mm of foam is a great cushion under your palms, knees, and feet.

One thing I'd like to point out is that for all three mats, since it sucks up all the sweat from your body, you should be regulargly cleaning the GRP, just like any other mat. Manduka recommends the Yoga Mat Wash & Refresh ($12) for regular maintenance. Thankfully, an initial cleanse did help me get rid of the smell. 

Sustainability

According to Manduka, the GRP's core and bottom layer are made with sustainably harvested natural tree rubber. The mats are also manufactured in a sustainable factory in Spain to ensure no toxic emissions are released into the atmosphere. The fact that I've had my GRP 6mm for three years now and it still performs as well as the first month I used it proves the long-lasting quality.

And Manduka's ability to keep prices low even with an integration of sustainable materials is one reason we picked both their Eko Superlight Travel Yoga Mat and PRO™ Yoga Mat 6mm as two of the best yoga mats in our buying guide. 

The bottom line

The Manduka GRP series isn't perfect but it is far and away the best yoga mat I've used as a sweaty yogi.

I can get through hot yoga class sans towel without hydroplaning off the surface in a wave of sweat — and that's something I've never been able to say before. The secondary concerns like the smell of the mat upon arrival certainly aren't deal breakers for someone who loves yoga but hates how sweat changes their practice.

All three of the mats in the series are pricey but most setups require you to buy both a yoga mat and a yoga towel which tends to run you at least $75 together; what's more, Manduka's use of sustainable practices and the longevity of its mats make it well worth the investment. If $130 on the 6mm mat is outside your budget, I highly recommend the slightly less expensive Adapt 5mm for $90.

If you like having a lighter yoga mat, we love that the Lite version is still well-padded and doesn't require you to bring an additional towel. For me, I've come to highly regard the thickness of the GRP 6mm. It's heavier to schlep around the city but it also won't move around in class when stability is an advantage. 

Any of these three mats are a great use of $90-130 and I'm glad Manduka spent three years creating it, then three years optimizing it. If you're considering the GRP, I'd recommend giving it a shot.

Buy the GRP Hot Yoga Mat 6mm ($130)

Buy the GRP Lite Hot Yoga Mat 4mm ($100)

Buy the GRP Adapt Yoga Mat 5mm ($90)

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When it comes to working with the 1%, convenience is a key factor, so I often train my clients virtually or in their homes. It's best to meet them where they're at, and in my case, that's the Hamptons. 

I launched Hamptons Wellness on Wheels in 2016 with my boyfriend Ross Youmans. We both worked as personal trainers for Equinox in Long Island, and after watching stressed out clients racing in and out of the gym, day after day, we had this 'aha' moment. 

We thought, what if we brought everything from the equipment to the trainer to the workout program to the client?' So we created a luxury concierge service, offering everything from in-home to small group personal training, to pop-up workouts, to full-fledged staycation retreats.

Soon, I found myself moving out to the Hamptons full-time, bopping from one mansion to another. Some of my clients have home gyms, but my wellness wagon is also fully-stocked with everything from mats and stretch tables to dumbbells and kettlebells to resistance bands, TRXs, and agility ladders.

From Memorial Day to Labor Day we're in overdrive, training clients who summer in the Hamptons, but we're also booked year round by local residents. 

Training the Hamptons elite can be taxing — I work six, sometimes seven days a week.

I begin with 6 a.m. sessions, cap off my day with a 6:30 p.m. session, and typically train anywhere from four to eight people daily. Depending on the package, I charge $115 to 175 for an hour-long session and $35 per person for private group sessions. 

Every training sessions is customized and can range from full body workouts, HIIT, or water aquatics to mobility, functional, and circuit or strength training. I work with clients of all ages and they all have different goals, from getting in shape for a wedding or staying in shape through their pregnancy, to sculpting their arms or building up their booty. 

Our work is incredibly rewarding because we get to help people feel good in their own skin and watch them transform in front of our eyes. Training high-end clientele also comes with perks like complimentary wine, sports apparel, gift cards, plastic surgeon and filler doc recommendations, and even tickets to the most exclusive parties. 

I'm close with a lot of my clients. I joke that I'm like a friend that makes you squat.

We enjoy silly banter during our sessions, and go to lunch or grocery shopping together. I even have one client who I go to see perform in his local chorus.

I absolutely love what I do, but like any job, it has its downsides too, like the type of woman who treats me less like an actual human being and more like an extra appointment she has to fit in between a manicure and getting her hair blown out. 

Because I work for people in their homes, every now and then I'll get an odd request that has zero to do with my job. For instance, one client I adore recently asked me to dispose of a dead bunny she'd found floating in her pool. As much as I try to be accommodating, there was no way I was bringing a dead bunny in a plastic bag into my car in the Hamptons heat.

The people I train are not used to hearing the word no.

They want what they want when they want it. That's why late cancellations are so frustrating — even though I still get paid, it's disappointing I had to turn someone else down who really wanted the session. 

At the beginning of the summer, I received a referral for a family that asked me to live in their house, hand them every meal, and make them exercise all day. They made it abundantly clear money was no object. I turned them down and assured them if someone is a highly successful trainer, there's no way they would have time for that.

I'm now in a position where I can turn down opportunities and clients that aren't the right fit for me, which is a luxury worth way more than any swag someone could give me.  

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The moment I vowed to learn how to swim came in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. 

It was 2019. I was with a group of friends for a destination wedding in Mexico and we were on a little boat excursion having the time of our lives, drinking, eating, and taking pictures. The boat's captains stopped for a chance for us to swim. 

Most of the wedding party seemed unafraid to jump in the water, so they put their life jackets on and jumped in. 

Even though I had no idea how to swim, not even in the shallow end of a public pool, and had always had a visceral fear of being surrounded by water, the daredevil in me won out. I fastened my life jacket and decided that I would be courageous. 

But as soon as my whole body met the ocean, I panicked. I'm by nature a control freak, and I had totally lost control. I didn't know what to do.

I wailed to my friends for help. Two of them, one on each side, helped guide me safely to shore, which looked like it was thousands of miles away. After what felt like hours, I fell to the ground, praising God's sand and land that welcomed me. 

But what inspired me, two years later, to actually walk into my local Y and sign up for swimming classes? It could have been the adventurous friend I was trying to impress, who was shocked to learn I didn't know how to swim. It could have been that I was inspired to see Simone Manuel become the first African American woman to win an individual Olympic gold medal in swimming at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Or maybe it was the burst of determination I felt after reading Jazmine Hughes' personal essay in The New York Times about mastering swimming at the age of 28.

I know now that deciding to learn to swim was fueled by something more personal. I wanted to be able to sink my whole body in the water, and still feel in control. 

Swimming is a life skill that everyone should know. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 4,000 people die from drowning every year. When it comes to Black kids from 5-19 years old, the rates for drowning are 5.5 times higher than white kids in the same age group. A whopping 64% of African American children do not know how to swim, compared to 40% of white children. 

Also, swimming always seemed like a luxurious way to relax. Not knowing how to be at total peace in water was something particularly frustrating to someone like me, who loves to accomplish challenging tasks. There was this freedom I was missing out on.

There's also a long, tragic history of institutionalized and structural racism in this country, where Black people were seen as dirty, ridden with communicable diseases and sexually threatening to white swimmers. Segregation, violence, and lack of funding and upkeep of public pools after integration kept Black people from enjoying the same privileges that white people experienced.

Racist pool operators were sometimes known to "suddenly declare some nebulous malfunction," as Snopes put it, or even drain the pools, rather than allow Black swimmers to take a dip (that kind of behavior was memorialized by actress Halle Berry in the 1999 movie Introducing Dorothy Dandridge). There's a historic picture of James Brock, a Florida motel owner, pouring muriatic acid on a group of Black and white protesters who were staging a "swim-in" to integrate the pool. 

There are issues we face even now, like the ban on Soul Cap, a brand of swim caps that are designed to fit natural Black hair in all it's different forms, at the Tokyo Olympics. All because, according to the International Swimming Federation, the caps do not fit "the natural form of the head." The line, as The Washington Post columnist Karen Attiah noted, sounded like something from an "1890s phrenology manual." 

I know I'm not the only Black woman who grew up not liking the idea of getting my hair wet, especially with chlorine. My thick, tightly coiled hair takes time and money to maintain, wash, condition and style, and chlorine can be extremely damaging to our hair if we don't style and condition it before plunging our head into the water. But, I didn't want my hair to stop me. 

The Soul Cap, which I bought before the controversy, is the best cap for the long box braids or crochet hairstyles that I like to wear. Before Black-owned swim cap brands like Soul Cap and Lock Journey, swim caps designed without naturally thick, afro-textured hair in mind were keeping Black women out of swimming pools, Marissa Evans explained in her 2018 article in The Atlantic.

I think about all of the stereotypes: Black people don't want to swim. Black people can't float.

But, we've been defying that ever since Black American swimmers like Cullen Jones, Maritza Mclendon, Lia Neal, and Simone Manuel came on the scene winning Olympic medals. We are beating the odds that have been set against us. 

And so, back in April, I decided I would learn how to swim before I turn 30 in December. 

I signed up to take eight 30-minute lessons at my local YMCA. These would be private lessons, to minimize the COVID-19 risk for me and the instructor.  On the first day, I met my teacher, Christy Durbin. 

Durbin, who at 48, has a background in nursing and has been teaching at the Y on and off since 2007. She's an inspiration all by herself. Swimming has helped her manage rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and tarsal tunnel syndrome. She has regained motor control, strength, and it's been physically and mentally good for her. "It is a good environment to heal in," she told me.

Coaching beginner swimmers, especially adults, is her passion. 

Durbin was firm, but motherly. When she asked me how comfortable I was in the water, I told her I was scared, even though I had once jumped into the Pacific Ocean. Every single lesson felt like I was conquering an unknown fear. 

The very first day, we did head bobs, which Durbin said teaches you to keep the water out of your nose.

You hold your breath, dunk your head in the water, and then blow out through your nose so bubbles rise to the surface. Only then do you bring your head up for air. That came easy to me.

"For someone who is afraid of water, you did swimmingly," Durbin told me.  

Kicking took me a few lessons to get the hang of. After taking a water aerobics class, I was able to kick halfway down the pool with very little resistance. I felt powerful. I felt in control. There is simply no greater feeling than learning how to do something you previously didn't have any idea how to do. 

After that, the lessons grew more challenging. I panicked at the loss of control when my instructor tried to get me to float on my back, or remember to breathe while moving my arms and legs in a crawl stroke. 

It was hard to know where the stress from losing control in the water ended, and where the stress from the grief I felt from losing control in my personal life began. This seemingly never-ending coronavirus pandemic, experiences with racism and misogynoir, loneliness, stress, and the loss of loved ones who died tragically – all of it was weighing on me during the time I was learning to swim. 

Learning these new reflexes that often come naturally for children, but not for adults who've had decades to learn fear, was life-changing for me. Durbin always ends our lessons with something that I mastered, which lights up the dopamine part of my brain that had been inactive for so long. It was the therapy I never knew I needed. 

It's August now, and I'm so surprised at my progress.

I can float on my back and face-up, kick my way halfway down the pool, and swim the backstroke. Durbin sends me videos of swimmers doing the freestyle and backstroke. She tells me that it's all about repetition and visualization. 

Durbin has gotten to know me a little and she has this saying, "progress not perfection." I've started saying that in my daily life.  

According to my coach, I still have a lot of learning to do. She still wants me to better manage my muscles so that I can relax what I'm not using. Windmilling through the freestyle has also got to end. 

My personal goal is to swim 100 yards without stopping – front or back – and to tread water for one minute. I want to be able to dive off boards and compete in triathlons. 

I want to feel in control while doing anything I please in the water – not only for me, but for every Black person who wants to feel accomplished doing things that were previously forbidden. In order to do that, I've learned I have to be okay with losing a bit of that control, too.

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Peloton users have filed a class action lawsuit against the at-home exercise bike and workout company, claiming it improperly charged a sales tax to its customers.

Peloton, which costs $39 a month for an "All-Access" membership and $12.99 a month for a "Digitial" membership, unlawfully charged users an additional sales tax between 6.3% and 8.9% in New York, Virginia, and Massachusetts, according to court documents obtained by Bloomberg Law. 

Because all Peloton memberships are digital, plaintiffs Brannon Skillern and Ryan Corken believe that Peloton memberships should not have sales tax and should be tax-exempt as "digital goods," according to the lawsuit.

While Peloton no longer charges its customers a sales tax in the three states, Skillern and Corken are seeking unspecified compensatory, statutory, and punitive damages, and reasonable attorney's fees and costs.

Peloton declined to respond to Insider's request for comment, stating that the company does not comment on active litigation.

After a child was fatally injured and on a Peloton Tread+ treadmill in March, the company faced a lawsuit after featuring a child in its advertisements for the treadmill. More than 39 people were injured on the Tread+ treadmill before it was recalled in May, according to Insider. Despite this, the demand for Peloton remains strong.

Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, the at-home fitness market grew substantially as gyms closed and people exercised at home. Peloton made $1.8 billion in revenue in 2020 and has over 4.4 million subscribers across its exercise platforms, Insider reported. In 2021, Peloton hopes to make $4 billion in revenue.

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Before Peloton,  I'd never taken a spin class to save my life. 

I found the culture around spinning and cycling to be a bit intimidating — plus, it's not exactly an inexpensive endeavor. But after doing some research, and hearing rave reviews from a close friend, I decided to invest in a Peloton bike in June. The cost for a bike was $1,895 (including shipping) plus a $39 per-month for an unlimited subscription.  

Here's how it's helped change my life in the first 30 days. 

Getting started is the hardest part

Getting started is, in my opinion, the hardest part, and exercise is no exception. If you're anything like me, you'll come up with any number of excuses to put it off. 

The idea of physically strapping myself into an exercise bike — or in the case of Peloton, clicking in — was challenging, both figuratively and actually. It wasn't until my third ride and an hour or so of YouTube videos and intro tutorials that I was able to get both cleats completely clipped into and out of the pedals successfully.

Getting over that first ride anxiety hump

My first ride was a 20-minute beginner ride with Peloton trainer Cody Rigsby.

Before I knew anything about Peloton, I knew about Rigsby. "You will LOVE him," my best friend texted me when I asked her advice on how I should get started. "He's the best when it comes to a fun and lighthearted workout." 

That first ride wasn't easy, but true to her word, it was surprisingly fun. I loved Rigsby's energy which was surprisingly devoid of any kitsch or "you can do it" moments that I find a bit patronizing with other popular workout apps.

Set an intention and click with it

Creating a simple goal and staying accountable is helpful for meeting your physical and mental goals. My first intention was to set aside time every morning to ride. 

Now, I'm not a morning person, but I found that exercising first thing after waking up was key for me to actually seeing it through. 

It was also important for me to be able to use the Peloton app when I'm on the road for work. To my surprise, many hotels have a Peloton bike in their gyms if you call and ask in advance. The app also offers a variety of non-bike related workouts like yoga, barre, and meditation. 

The second intention I set was that once I started, I'd see the ride through from beginning to end. This one wasn't always easy, but I stuck to it. 

It's only as competitive as you want it to be

There's a bit of a learning curve when it comes to Peloton. You have to get to know your saddle, which is Peloton parlance for the seat, before things like resistance and cadence become second nature. 

The leaderboard features your metrics for each ride, including your output, cadence (speed), and resistance (road). The leaderboard also lists everyone else in the Peloton stratosphere who's ever taken that ride along with their metrics. If competition motivates you, then this is a great way to level up your cycling skills. If you're like me, and still just getting your bearings, it can be aspirational for future goals.

There's a class and instructor for everybody

The most commonly shared piece of advice I heard from friends and Peloton instructors was to try and take as wide a variety of classes and instructors as possible.

Since I'm still a beginner, I took a six-week intro course called "Mastering The Basics of Cycling." The first week of rides focused mainly on form and technique. Every class was "in the saddle" (meaning you don't get up out of the seat) and featured a different instructor each time.

I'm now going on my sixth week of this course and have peppered in a few extra classes along the way, including a 20-minute Pop Punk ride with Bradley Rose and Hip Hop with Ally Love. I also took a 30-minute Spice Girls Ride with Leanne Hainsby and am looking forward to doing the 30 minute "In The Heights" Yoga Flow with Mariana Fernandez next.

I'm still building a foundation, but after 30 days of Peloton, I love the road I'm on

One of the biggest reasons Peloton has such a big following is because of the community it creates, as well as the results it produces.

I joined with no cycling experience or expectations other than developing a healthy habit and a new routine, and while I haven't had the courage to join a live class just yet, I'm already seeing my efforts pay off. 

I set out with the goal of creating some stability in my life. Improving my strength, agility, and confidence have been an added bonus, and it's great to feel myself getting stronger every day.

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In May, Peloton recalled both versions of its treadmills: the Tread and the Tread+.

The reason for both recalls was safety.

In the case of the $2,500 Tread, "the touchscreen console on the Tread can detach and fall, posing a risk of injury to consumers," Peloton said. In the case of the $4,500 Tread+, one user reported that their child was killed by the treadmill and several other users reported injuries while using the machine.

Now, on August 30, Peloton is re-introducing the Tread with "safety features integrated into the experience,"the company said on Tuesday.

On the new version, the nearly 24-inch touchscreen is more carefully secured to the treadmill so that it doesn't detach and potentially injure the user, the company said. 

The new Tread also includes two additional features: a safety key and a tread lock. The safety key enables runners to quickly come to a stop. The tread lock requires users to enter a four-digit safety pin to operate the machine. The lock was previously available only to paying "All Access" subscribers, but now it's accessible on every treadmill that Peloton sells.

Anyone who bought a Tread prior to the recall is eligible for a free repair, the company said. "The repair ensures that the touchscreen will remain securely attached to the Tread," the statement said. 

Read more: I studied how Peloton mastered the hybrid setting. Here's what it can teach leaders about keeping employees happy and engaged no matter where they work.

Peloton was initially resistant to recalling its treadmills, and insisted they were safe to use. The company has not yet re-released the more expensive Tread+ since recalling it in May.

"The Peloton Tread+ is safe for use at home when operated as directed and in accordance with our warnings and safety instructions,"Peloton spokesperson Jessica Kleiman told Insider in April.

But federal regulators in the US insisted that Peloton take steps to correct the situation. "This doesn't happen with other treadmills," an official told The Washington Post at the time. 

Peloton later apologized and issued a recall of both the Tread and Tread+ treadmills. 

"Our goal is to be the go-to fitness solution and the largest and safest home fitness brand in the world," Peloton CEO and cofounder John Foley said in a press release. "We've worked hard to make sure the new Tread truly earns its spot in Members' homes."

Got a tip? Contact Insider senior correspondent Ben Gilbert via email (bgilbert@insider.com), or Twitter DM (@realbengilbert). We can keep sources anonymous. Use a non-work device to reach out. PR pitches by email only, please.

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