Avoid this 1 mistake when doing crunches

Plus, a healthy tater tot recipe that sneaks in veggies

May 5, 2023 | VIEW IN BROWSER May 5, 2023 | VIEW IN BROWSER Happy Friday! If you want to start adding ab workouts to your walking routine, crunches are a popular exercise. But they are commonly performed incorrectly, which leads to neck and back pain. Learn the proper way to perform the exercise to really work your core. Plus, we've got a sneakily healthy recipe for tater tots that's packed with veggie goodness! Walking Challenge Today's Workout Today's workout is a 20-minute walk. There is power in slowing down and walking for the sake of a mental break, versus a physical workout — although all movement is healthy!   But if you feel like stepping it up during your walk, here are some options: Use wrist weights and pump your arms to not only tone and strengthen your arm muscles, but also increase the cardio workout of the walk. Strap on ankle weights to add in strength training of the lower body, making it more challenging to take a step! Every other block, or every 100 steps, change it up and do butt kicks or high knee marching instead of traditional walking. Alternate between regular walking and butt kicks or marching to loosen up your hip flexors, stretch your quads and improve your balance. GET THE WORKOUT > Need a break from this month's challenge? Click here to snooze this section until next month. 😴 Your Meal Plan Today's Plan Healthy tater tots? You heard us right! Joy Bauer replaced the potato with broccoli in this recipe to cut back on carbs and calories without sacrificing texture and flavor. Serve them with hard boiled eggs and a cup or piece of fruit for breakfast or as a side to chicken or fish for dinner. Or pop a few as a snack — no judgement here!   Here's your meal plan for today: Breakfast:  Joy Bauer's Broccoli Tots with Eggs and Fruit Lunch: Open-Faced Smoked Salmon Sandwich with Cucumber Slices Dinner: 4-Ingredient Air Fryer Salmon with Broccoli and Brown Rice See something you don't like? Swap it with another recipe in your weekly plan. GET THE MEAL PLAN >   Making Space for Mindfulness Christina Applegate gets brutally honest about what her day-to-day is like since MS diagnosis Christina Applegate says dealing with multiple sclerosis has been a real struggle that not everyone can fully understand in a new interview with Vanity Fair. READ MORE > One Small Thing Real ways to make a difference in your life, one small thing at a time. How to do a crunch so it doesn't cause neck pain Crunches are one of the most popular core exercises. But trainer Stephanie Mansour says they're one of the exercises that she sees performed incorrectly most often.   Doing crunches without proper form not only devalues the exercise, making it less effective at toning your midsection, but it can also lead to neck and back pain.   The most common mistake people make is pulling their necks forward with their hands while crunching. This added pressure on your neck strains the muscles and causes pain and also leads to decreased core engagement.   To correct this mistake when you perform a crunch: Pull your navel in toward your spine and squeeze your abs, making sure your low back maintains contact with the ground. Rest your fingertips gently behind your head, and be sure to keep your elbows wide pointed out toward the sides of the room (versus pulling forward toward your knees). If you're still feeling it in your neck, these 4 exercises will help you build the strength needed to tackle a full crunch. READ THE ARTICLE > Wellness News Maria Menounos details 1st pancreatic cancer symptoms. She says doctors dismissed them Maria Menounos told People that she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in January. She shared her first symptoms, which were dismissed by her doctors. Maria Menounos details 1st pancreatic cancer symptoms. She says doctors dismissed them Maria Menounos told People that she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in January. She shared her first symptoms, which were dismissed by her doctors. Doctor-approved dinner recipes: Miso salmon and chicken fettuccine Alfredo Dr. Ian Smith, M.D., author of "The Met Flex Diet: Burn Better Fuel, Burn More Fat," shared his favorite healthy dinner recipes. Doctor-approved dinner recipes: Miso salmon and chicken fettuccine Alfredo Dr. Ian Smith, M.D., author of "The Met Flex Diet: Burn Better Fuel, Burn More Fat," shared his favorite healthy dinner recipes. Jamie Foxx breaks silence on his hospitalization with new message to fans Jamie Foxx returned to Instagram with a short message for his fans three weeks after it was revealed that he'd been hospitalized due to a medical emergency. Jamie Foxx breaks silence on his hospitalization with new message to fans Jamie Foxx returned to Instagram with a short message for his fans three weeks after it was revealed that he'd been hospitalized due to a medical emergency. Thanks for letting us in your inbox! See you again tomorrow morning. Want to refer a friend? Subscribe here Send us Feedback Follow us on Facebook More TODAY Newsletters 30 Rockefeller Plaza New York, NY 10112 Manage Subscriptions | Unsubscribe | Privacy | Contact MANAGE SUBSCRIPTION | UNSUBSCRIBE | PRIVACY | CONTACT