Science-backed, shame-free essays on training, mindset and mental health -- by Dr. Sharon Gam, PhD. 126 articles and counting.
A simple strategy: tackle the tasks you've been avoiding right after a workout, when exercise has primed your brain to act.
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If you’ve struggled to stay consistent with exercise, here’s something that might surprise you: Lasting change actually starts with inconsistency. Thi...
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If you don’t have the energy to work out, this article is for you. Here are some practical tips to help you get moving even on a low energy day, so yo...
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Exercise is about so much more than just physical appearance. Here’s why I don’t post before and after pictures of my clients.
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Getting comfortable with discomfort is the key to sticking to exercise, healthy eating, and other healthy lifestyle goals. Here’s why it’s so importan...
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If you can’t do a specific exercise that’s in your workout program, here’s a guide for finding an appropriate substitution.
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If your goal is to improve your mental health and feel better about yourself, finding the right exercise intensity is key. This article explains how t...
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Many people think resistance training is just for building muscles, but they're wrong. There are so many reasons to do resistance training, and only a...
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While exercise doesn’t cure mental health issues, it can help you feel and function the way you want even if you have a mental health condition. Here’...
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Many people do their strength training exercises too fast. Slowing down can help stimulate more muscle growth, prevent injury, and even improve your m...
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There are a lot of myths in the fitness industry, but one in particular holds people back from sticking to their exercise programs. Here’s what I beli...
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Finding your deep, personal motivation to exercise can make a big difference. If you’re having trouble getting below the surface, here are five questi...
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If you’ve tried to exercise for your mental health in the past and it hasn’t helped you feel better, you might have made some common mistakes. Here’s ...
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Supersets and straight sets are different ways to structure your exercises in a workout. In this article I explain what supersets and straight sets ar...
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Strength training is a specific type of weightlifting, and is has a lot of incredible benefits. Here’s what a typical strength training workout involv...
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If you feel like you’re not good at strength training and it’s stopping you from sticking to your fitness plans, there is something you can do. Here a...
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I struggled for many years to become a consistent meditator. It turns out I was making a lot of common mistakes. Here are the strategies that finally ...
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If you suffer from chronic dizziness that can’t be explained by a physical issue, the problem might be in your nervous system. Find out how strength t...
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If you think you hate exercise or you’re “not an exerciser”, but you still want to get fitter and healthier, this article is for you. You can change t...
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Here’s why ending your workout with your favorite exercise can boost your motivation.
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If you’re having a hard time sticking to your workouts, the problem is probably not the workouts themselves. These deeper strategies are the keys to c...
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If finding the time to get enough exercise feels overwhelming, there’s good news. You don’t have to exercise for as long as you think.
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There are a lot of reasons to be active. Here's one you may not have considered: the power of exercise to make you feel in control of your life.
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Exercise can increase confidence in a way that has nothing to do with your physical appearance. Here's how to exercise for more confidence.
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One of the ways strength training boosts mental health is as a practice session for getting comfortable with discomfort. Here are some techniques you ...
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If you want to build strength or muscle, don't make a common strength training mistake. Lift heavy weights to get the results you want.
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If you need motivation to start strength training, I have it right here! Learn why you should be strength training.
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If you want to stick to exercise, building a healthy fitness mindset can make all the difference. Here are some common mindset mistakes and tips for s...
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Should you do cardio or strength training first in your workout? It depends on your goals. Find out when to do each and when you should switch it up.
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If you're busy but also want to get fit, here's a science-backed method for building strength even when you have no time to exercise.
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Are you stressed? Here's a simple and incredibly effective strategy using exercise to help you manage stress quickly.
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If you think you need to get in shape before you join a gym or start classes or personal training, think again. Here's why you shouldn't wait.
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Your mindset makes or breaks your results. Here's a common mindset mistake and tips for overcoming it so you can get fitter and healthier.
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Do you struggle to make time for your health and fitness? Here are some time saving tips for exercise to help you get the benefits faster.
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It's important to track your progress towards your fitness goals, but many people are doing it wrong. Here's a way to turn progress tracking into a mo...
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Here's a simple phrase to remember next time you start falling off track with your health and fitness goals: never miss twice.
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If you want to exercise consistently and get the amazing benefits, make fitness a hobby. Here are some tips to help you do that.
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If you want to lift weights for mental health (and you should!) here is a simple way to choose the right weights to get the best benefits.
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The mental health benefits of strength training are incredibly powerful. It can rewire your brain and change your negative thought patterns.
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If you struggle to stick to exercise, think about your values. When your exercise habits and values are aligned, it's easy to follow through.
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Exercise can do more than you might think. It can help you strengthen the qualities you need to thrive.
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The motivation that gets you started might not keep you going. Here's how to think about short term and long term exercise motivation.
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If you want to get healthier, you don't want to waste your time. Here are the biggest "bang for your buck" health and fitness habits.
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Learn strategies for behavior change that will help you avoid the usual pitfalls and set you up for success as you pursue your goals.
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Many people think discipline is the key to sticking to exercise, but it's not. What's really important is building better motivation.
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If you've struggled to make healthy changes, it's ok! There's a reason change is so hard, and it's not about lacking motivation or willpower.
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If you struggle to motivate yourself to exercise, try this science-backed strategy that can help you follow through on your good intentions.
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You don’t have to spend hours in the gym to be healthy! Here are 5 simple strategies for sneaking movement into your day.
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If you have a high stress job, you might think you don't have the time to exercise. Here's why it's essential that you make time anyway.
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Healthy habits are incredibly important. Here's a powerful strategy to help you create new habits faster and more easily.
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If you're experiencing stress and tension or pain in your neck and shoulders, it might have to do with your breathing. Find out how to breathe the rig...
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If you've tried more than once to stick to an exercise or diet program, the key is not the program itself. Work on changing from the inside, and almos...
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Here's a simple strategy I use with my personal training clients to help boost their exercise motivation in each session and create long-lasting habit...
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To get results from strength training, it's important that you challenge yourself. Here's a scale and a test to help you make sure you're pushing your...
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If you want to get stronger, it's important that you challenge your muscles. Here's why.
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If you want to get fitter and healthier, you may have considered personal training to help you achieve your goals. Here are just a few of the benefits...
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It's easy to point to one or two things to explain why people are so unhealthy these days, but oversimplifying does more harm than good.
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Here's a simple method that drastically increases the chances of achieving your goals and building healthy habits.
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If you're changing exercises too often, you're making a mistake. Here's how to get results AND avoid getting bored with your workouts.
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If you're confused about sweeteners, you're not alone. Here are my recommendations for the best sweeteners to use.
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If you can't seem to get motivated to exercise, this article is for you! Here are some tips to boost your motivation.
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Each of your daily decisions saps your mental energy and can make it harder to follow through on your exercise plans. There is something you can do. L...
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Getting to the end of a hard run, I sometimes want to stop. Here are my strategies to keep going and finish strong.
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Instead of grueling workouts and turning your life upside down to fit in long exercise sessions, try sneaking more movement into your daily routine.
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If you’re wondering what it’s like to work with a personal trainer, here’s how I design a personal training plan for my clients.
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In this article I summarize the benefits of exercise and offer specific tips on how to exercise for each benefit.
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There are several factors that make a good personal trainer. Here’s what to look for when you’re considering hiring a personal trainer.
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Don't get impatient and try to do too much, too soon. Small goals are the key!
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If you’re thinking about working with a personal trainer, you might have questions. Here are some common questions and answers.
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Drinking more water is a great goal. Here are some tips to make it easier.
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Did you know that exercise is about as effective at reducing the symptoms of depression and anxiety as medication and therapy?
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Meal prep makes a huge difference in your ability to eat healthy, nutritious foods. Here's a simplified system for getting started with meal prep.
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You already have everything you need to achieve your fitness goals. You just need to know how to tap into it!
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Exercise can give you more energy, so you can do all the things you need to do each day, and all the things you want to do!
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It's a good idea to reward yourself for exercising, but most people do it the wrong way.
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Exercise is one of the best ways to deal with stress. Here's how to get the best stress-dampening effects from your exercise.
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It's not easy to break a bad habit. Instead, try these tips to turn an unhealthy habit into a healthy one.
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If you want to get stronger, you need to lift heavy. Here are some of the many benefits of learning how to lift heavy weights.
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Instead of focusing on motivation and willpower, make it easy for yourself to achieve your goals by changing your environment.
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When you decide to improve your health, start today! Here's a simple mindset shift for getting out of the "I'll start tomorrow" mentality.
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One of the greatest benefits of exercise: it makes your brain work better! Here's how.
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There's a place for supplements, but most people are taking them under the wrong circumstances. Learn why supplements are not as good for you as whole...
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A healthy lifestyle is all about making choices that support your health but also line up with your priorities and values.
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Exercise and sleep are closely connected. If you sleep better, you have more energy to exercise, which helps you sleep even better, and so on.
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Did you know that "exercising" and "training" aren't exactly the same thing? Find out the difference and what it means for your results.
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Did you know that exercise helps support your immune system? Here's how.
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Exercise has the incredible power to improve your mood and mental well-being. Here's how.
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A step by step system for making sure you're doing your strength exercises correctly.
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Learn why exercise can help you live a long and healthy life, and how to exercise to get this amazing benefit.
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If you're always stopping and starting your exercise program, this article is for you!
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Overeating is a big problem. It's also complicated. Here are some reasons why you might overeat and what to do about them.
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Once you know what healthy eating means, the next step is to start working on bringing your current eating habits in line with those recommendations. ...
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"When you aim for all or nothing, you usually get nothing." Stop the all or nothing approach and learn a better way to approach your health goals for ...
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Do you have health and fitness goals but find yourself making excuses instead of following through? Here’s some advice for dealing with an excuse habi...
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Feeling sore the day or two after your workout? Find out why, and what you can do to prevent or decrease it.
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Confused about how to eat healthy? Here are the basic guidelines of a healthy eating pattern. The basics are all you need.
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Forget training individual muscles. Here's a better way.
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You probably know that strengthening your core is important, but do you know how to activate your core properly? Find out.
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Food companies can write pretty much whatever they want on the front of their packages. Lately, they've been using the word "natural" to try to convin...
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Conventional wisdom about cutting calories to lose weight is wrong. Here's why, and how you can take a different approach that works with your body to...
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Stop "falling off the wagon"! A simple mindset shift to help you stay on track and achieve your goals permanently.
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The squat is a common but deceptively tricky exercise. Here's how to do it right.
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If you want to exercise more, the key is to start thinking of yourself as an exerciser. This article explains why that's so important and how to get i...
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If you've tried and failed to make healthy changes before, you may not have been ready. Find out what it takes to make a change so you can set yoursel...
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If you want to improve your eating habits, one of the most important things you can do is to prepare most of your food yourself. That gives you contro...
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We’re bombarded with messages about how exercise can help us lose weight and get the body we want by burning calories and sculpting our muscles. That’...
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It's so important to focus on your form during your exercises and not simply go through the motions.
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Getting my first pull up was one of my proudest moments. Here's how to get yours.
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Get your first full push up from the floor!
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If you're going to stick to exercise, it's important that you like it. But what if you don't naturally like to exercise? There is hope! Find out how y...
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The diet industry wants you to buy books and diet programs. Here's why you don't need to do that, and still be healthy and manage your weight.
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Many popular diets claim that eating grains is bad for your health and can sabotage your weight loss efforts.
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If you want to get results from exercise, one of the most important things to do is to rethink your definition of results. Find out more!
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Eat more vegetables and fruits! It's one of the best things you can do for your health! Here's why, and some tips to make it easier.
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If you're trying to reduce the amount of sugar you eat, you're taking a great step for your health! Sugar is basically everywhere, and it can be hard ...
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Here are the five biggest mistakes I see people making in their exercise programs, and what you should do instead.
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Building habits is the key to achieving your health and fitness goals. With healthy habits, you don't need motivation or accountability. It becomes ea...
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You don't have to go all out in your workouts from the beginning. Here's how just a small amount of easy exercise and a mindset shift can snowball int...
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If you want to build muscle, it's a good idea to know how that process works. This article explains the process and how to lift weights in the most ef...
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If you're not sure which weights to pick up when you're in the gym, this article is for you. Here, I'll explain exactly how to choose the right weight...
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The principle of progressive overload is one of the most important aspects of getting results from exercise. Here's what progressive overload means, a...
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Calorie counting has been one of the most popular weight loss methods for decades. It's also unhelpful and unnecessary. Here's why you should stop cou...
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You don't need more motivation to exercise. You need BETTER motivation. Learn about the different kinds of motivation and how you can build the kind t...
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If you're trying to stick to exercise, you don't need more motivation. You need an exercise habit. Here are some tips for building one.
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Are you setting your goals the right way? Learn how to set yourself up for success from the start by setting effective goals.
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Functional training is a buzz word in fitness right now. Here's what it really means.
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It's hard to lead a healthy lifestyle. A good mindset can make it much easier.
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