The Daily Check-In 7.29

Lean into summer.

MOVE

Quad move: transverse squat

The latest iteration of Breanna Cummings’s Best Butt Ever class on Variis comes with a “quad bonus.” You’ll see why, and feel the burn, with this move that Cummings does first with a mini band and later on with dumbbells. With a mini band above your knees, bring your left leg to 3 o’clock, keeping your front leg at 12 o’clock, then repeat on the other side. (If you prefer to try it with dumbbells, rack the weights on your shoulders.) “Get nice and low in your squat,” says Cummings. “Your breath is your power here.” Inhale as you go down, exhale as you come back up. Do it for one minute, picking up the pace for the last 30 seconds.

EAT

Boost your matcha.

For your next iced matcha, stick to filtered water. If you brew tea with tap water, you’re missing out on antioxidants, according to a new study in Nutrients. The findings show that green varieties have nearly double the amount of EGCG (a fat-burning abundant antioxidant in tea) when they’re brewed with bottled H2O compared to tap water. To limit disposable plastic use, pour in filtered water.

DE-STRESS

Diversify your cardio.

Variety is the name of the game when it comes to cardio: To lower your resting heart rate (a strong marker for health) work in 30 minutes of cardio three to five times per week, varying the intensity from steady-state (you could have a conversation) to all-out.

Doing so promotes elasticity of the heart tissue so the organ can beat more efficiently.