Latest news with #TonyHorton
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
P90X trainer Tony Horton is in the best shape of his life at 66. Here are his top longevity tips.
Tony Horton, best known for the hit P90X workout, said he's thriving at 66 after tweaking his routine. Horton was diagnosed with a rare illness in 2017, and since then has followed a flexible plant-based diet. His current workout routine includes more yoga but also new challenges like obstacle courses. Two decades after designing one of the best-selling home workout programs in history, personal trainer Tony Horton said he's in the best shape of his life. When Horton's creation, P90X, hit the fitness industry in 2005, it became a smash hit. The program sold more than 3.5 million copies thanks to its high-intensity blend of circuit-style training, explosive movements, and plenty of core work. By that point, Horton had a star-studded clientele, including celebs like Tom Petty, Billy Idol, Rob Lowe, and Usher. Everything shifted in 2017, when he was diagnosed with Ramsay Hunt syndrome, a rare neurological disorder related to the shingles virus that can cause facial paralysis, ringing in the ears, and potential hearing loss. Horton said the health scare prompted him to overhaul his routine, focusing less on hardcore workouts and more on recovery and stress reduction. "I needed to add mindfulness components to my regular routine," he told Business Insider. "I looked more to resting, listening to music, taking a nap without feeling guilty about it, focusing on my family." The upshot: doing less paid off, and Horton said he's now in better shape than ever when it comes to taking on adventures, including new physical challenges. On a recent trip to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, Horton said he skied for six days in a row. "I couldn't do that in my 20s and 30s," he said. Horton's latest venture is Ninja Warrior and obstacle course training, navigating ropes, high bars, even the notorious "salmon ladder" at his tricked out home gym in southern California (which you can visit as part of the Paragon Experience event in May). To stay strong and healthy into his 60s and beyond, Horton relies on habits like a flexible plant-based diet, lots of mobility exercise, and finding new challenges to keep things interesting. "To maintain and sustain my athleticism, it's not just pounding the weights and running hills," he said. "Now it's really about quality of life and longevity and avoiding injury as much as possible." Around the time of his diagnosis, Horton experimented with eating a vegan diet, and found he had more energy and better recovery after exercise. While he's not strictly vegan now, he said whole, plant-based foods make up a majority of his diet. Staples like beans, nuts, and seeds are a big part of his regular meals and snacks to make sure he's getting nutrients like protein and fiber for healthy aging. "People don't realize there's a whole lot of proteins in plants," he said. A typical day of eating for Horton includes seed bread with almond butter for breakfast, a protein smoothie with berries, banana, and cashew milk after a workout, and meals like lentil tacos for lunch and dinner. Taking a more flexible diet approach and allowing for exceptions to the plant-based plan — like elk steaks on his ski trips, or desserts when his sweet tooth hits — keeps him from feeling deprived, so he can stay healthier overall in the long-term. "Stick to your plan 80% to 90% of the time and every once in a while, eat that big beautiful chocolate chip cookie right out of the oven," Horton said. As he's gotten older, while Horton doesn't work out any less, he's shifted his focus on training for longevity rather than trying to pack on as much muscle as possible. He's still kept the muscle (Horton is no stranger to lifting heavy when it feels right) but his typical sessions include a lot more yoga and "animal flow," bodyweight exercise that emphasizes agility and graceful movement. "Balance, range of motion, flexibility, and speed work are as essential as lifting weights and everything else," Horton said. He also stays active by practicing with a slackline, a creative way of building balance and stability. The key is consistency, finding time every day for exercise as a regular, habitual investment in your long-term health, just like staying on top of your finances. "It doesn't have to be a lot. You can go for an 8-minute walk," Horton said. "But it has to be consistent. You don't pay your bills every fourth month." Horton said one of his main strategies for staying youthful is finding creative ways to push himself, like Ninja Warrior-style obstacle courses. It started when Horton was humbled by a rope climb, which he expected to be easier since he was strong enough to rep out dozens of push-ups and pull-ups. Rather than accept defeat, he decided to embrace the growth mindset, and obstacle training became a new way to stay motivated and get out of his comfort zone. "The reason why I fell in love with it was because it was another level of challenge," Horton said. "Who cares if I fall or if I fail? Turn your ego off." Read the original article on Business Insider
Arab Times
20-02-2025
- Health
- Arab Times
No pain, no gain? Hardly. This year's fitness buzzword is ‘recovery'
NEW YORK, Feb 20, (AP): If you ever turned on the TV in the 2000s after midnight, you might have seen an informercial for P90X. The exercise program promised shredded abs and bulging biceps for anyone who pushed themselves to their limits for 90 days of 90-minute workouts. So it may come as a surprise that its creator, Tony Horton, now preaches the benefits of rest and warns against overtraining. "I didn't know then what I know now,' said Horton, who had spent the '90s training celebrities. "Back then it was all about warm-ups and cool-downs, and telling them to eat better and get off the hooch.' His evolution reflects a broader shift in the exercise industry away from a "no pain, no gain' mentality that once dominated but often led to injury. Instead, the current buzzword in fitness is "recovery.' Horton - who at 66 still exudes a boyish exuberance - noted that P90X did include recovery days with stretching and low-impact movement such as yoga. But these days, he prioritizes mindfulness as much as exercise, and the time between workouts is filled with plenty of good sleep, plunges in frigid water baths, using foam rollers on tight muscles, relaxing in a sauna, and other activities in the name of recovery. "If you don't get the recovery and the rest part right, then you're never going to be able to be consistent with the fitness end of things,' Horton said. Before Horton, Jane Fonda had pushed home exercisers to "feel the burn,' while bodybuilders lifted weights to the point of muscle failure. Now, the American College of Sports Medicine and the National Academy of Sports Medicine, two of the largest organizations certifying personal trainers, emphasize recovery methods. NASM's "Fitness and Wellness' certification includes training in "holistic health and wellness including physical, mental, social and emotional well-being.' The industry has learned from research that shows the benefit of proper rest, said Stan Kravchenko, founder of the OneFit personal training platform. During deep sleep, the body repairs muscle tissue, and studies show that well-rested people perform better and are less likely to get injured. But rest is only part of recovery. Kravchenko said personal trainers used to focus only on specific exercises a client could do during their workout. Now, they're more like life coaches who also give exercise advice. "It's more about your lifestyle, how you eat, how you sleep,' he said. "Are you stressed? What do you do for living? Are you working from a desk? So it's taking a little bit more like a broad approach.' The "no pain, no gain' motto is great for athletes who can handle intense workouts and are looking to get stronger, but not everyone needs to push themselves that hard, Horton said. It depends on the goal. Michael Zourdos, chair of exercise science and health promotion at Florida Atlantic University, said lifting weights "until failure' may build bigger muscles, but isn't needed to increase strength. "There is a difference between training for health and training for elite performance benefits,' he said. To realize the health benefits of a workout, it's still necessary to push yourself, Horton said: "In the muscles, the lungs, your heart, there's gotta be a certain amount of strain.' There is a big difference, however, between discomfort and acute pain. If discomfort crosses into sharp pain in joints, tendons or muscles, stop that movement. People's needs vary depending on their goals and bodies. But Kravchencko offered a few general guidelines: For lifting weights, he recommends allowing 48 hours of recovery time per muscle group, and doing a maximum of 10 sets per muscle group per week. During the workout, he said, it's best to rest for two to three minutes between sets, as opposed to old advice to wait only a minute before exercising the same muscles. In between workouts, it's not necessary to stay still. "You're welcome to do walking, jogging, very light yoga, stretching, pilates, core exercises,' Kravchencko said. "That's all fine, because it's not specifically targeting the areas you've targeted before.' Horton and Kravchencko both mentioned a recovery practice not typically associated with weightlifting - meditation. Taking a few quiet minutes every morning helps you deal with the physical and emotional stress of life that can get in the way of wanting to exercise, they said. Horton recommends establishing a mindfulness routine even before formalizing an exercise plan because it will lay the groundwork to be consistent. "What is your strategy to get to get healthy and to get fit and to stay that way?' he said. "A lot of it has to do with letting the pendulum swing the other way.'
The Independent
19-02-2025
- Health
- The Independent
No pain, no gain? Hardly. This year's fitness buzzword is 'recovery'
If you ever turned on the TV in the 2000s after midnight, you might have seen an informercial for P90X. The exercise program promised shredded abs and bulging biceps for anyone who pushed themselves to their limits for 90 days of 90-minute workouts. So it may come as a surprise that its creator, Tony Horton, now preaches the benefits of rest and warns against overtraining. 'I didn't know then what I know now,' said Horton, who had spent the '90s training celebrities. 'Back then it was all about warm-ups and cool-downs, and telling them to eat better and get off the hooch.' His evolution reflects a broader shift in the exercise industry away from a 'no pain, no gain' mentality that once dominated but often led to injury. Instead, the current buzzword in fitness is 'recovery.' Horton — who at 66 still exudes a boyish exuberance — noted that P90X did include recovery days with stretching and low-impact movement such as yoga. But these days, he prioritizes mindfulness as much as exercise, and the time between workouts is filled with plenty of good sleep, plunges in frigid water baths, using foam rollers on tight muscles, relaxing in a sauna, and other activities in the name of recovery. 'If you don't get the recovery and the rest part right, then you're never going to be able to be consistent with the fitness end of things,' Horton said. A more holistic approach to exercise Before Horton, Jane Fonda had pushed home exercisers to 'feel the burn,' while bodybuilders lifted weights to the point of muscle failure. Now, the American College of Sports Medicine and the National Academy of Sports Medicine, two of the largest organizations certifying personal trainers, emphasize recovery methods. NASM's 'Fitness and Wellness' certification includes training in 'holistic health and wellness including physical, mental, social and emotional well-being.' The industry has learned from research that shows the benefit of proper rest, said Stan Kravchenko, founder of the OneFit personal training platform. During deep sleep, the body repairs muscle tissue, and studies show that well-rested people perform better and are less likely to get injured. But rest is only part of recovery. Kravchenko said personal trainers used to focus only on specific exercises a client could do during their workout. Now, they're more like life coaches who also give exercise advice. 'It's more about your lifestyle, how you eat, how you sleep,' he said. 'Are you stressed? What do you do for living? Are you working from a desk? So it's taking a little bit more like a broad approach.' Discomfort — but not pain — still has a place The 'no pain, no gain' motto is great for athletes who can handle intense workouts and are looking to get stronger, but not everyone needs to push themselves that hard, Horton said. It depends on the goal. Michael Zourdos, chair of exercise science and health promotion at Florida Atlantic University, said lifting weights 'until failure' may build bigger muscles, but isn't needed to increase strength. 'There is a difference between training for health and training for elite performance benefits,' he said. To realize the health benefits of a workout, it's still necessary to push yourself, Horton said: 'In the muscles, the lungs, your heart, there's gotta be a certain amount of strain.' There is a big difference, however, between discomfort and acute pain. If discomfort crosses into sharp pain in joints, tendons or muscles, stop that movement. How long do muscles need to rest after a workout? People's needs vary depending on their goals and bodies. But Kravchencko offered a few general guidelines: For lifting weights, he recommends allowing 48 hours of recovery time per muscle group, and doing a maximum of 10 sets per muscle group per week. During the workout, he said, it's best to rest for two to three minutes between sets, as opposed to old advice to wait only a minute before exercising the same muscles. In between workouts, it's not necessary to stay still. 'You're welcome to do walking, jogging, very light yoga, stretching, pilates, core exercises,' Kravchencko said. 'That's all fine, because it's not specifically targeting the areas you've targeted before.' Mindfulness as exercise recovery Horton and Kravchencko both mentioned a recovery practice not typically associated with weightlifting — meditation. Taking a few quiet minutes every morning helps you deal with the physical and emotional stress of life that can get in the way of wanting to exercise, they said. Horton recommends establishing a mindfulness routine even before formalizing an exercise plan because it will lay the groundwork to be consistent. 'What is your strategy to get to get healthy and to get fit and to stay that way?' he said. 'A lot of it has to do with letting the pendulum swing the other way.' AP reporter Maria Cheng in London contributed to this story. ___
Yahoo
19-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
No pain, no gain? Hardly. This year's fitness buzzword is 'recovery'
If you ever turned on the TV in the 2000s after midnight, you might have seen an informercial for P90X. The exercise program promised shredded abs and bulging biceps for anyone who pushed themselves to their limits for 90 days of 90-minute workouts. So it may come as a surprise that its creator, Tony Horton, now preaches the benefits of rest and warns against overtraining. 'I didn't know then what I know now,' said Horton, who had spent the '90s training celebrities. 'Back then it was all about warm-ups and cool-downs, and telling them to eat better and get off the hooch.' See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. His evolution reflects a broader shift in the exercise industry away from a 'no pain, no gain' mentality that once dominated but often led to injury. Instead, the current buzzword in fitness is 'recovery.' Horton — who at 66 still exudes a boyish exuberance — noted that P90X did include recovery days with stretching and low-impact movement such as yoga. But these days, he prioritizes mindfulness as much as exercise, and the time between workouts is filled with plenty of good sleep, plunges in frigid water baths, using foam rollers on tight muscles, relaxing in a sauna, and other activities in the name of recovery. 'If you don't get the recovery and the rest part right, then you're never going to be able to be consistent with the fitness end of things,' Horton said. A more holistic approach to exercise Before Horton, Jane Fonda had pushed home exercisers to 'feel the burn,' while bodybuilders lifted weights to the point of muscle failure. Now, the American College of Sports Medicine and the National Academy of Sports Medicine, two of the largest organizations certifying personal trainers, emphasize recovery methods. NASM's 'Fitness and Wellness' certification includes training in 'holistic health and wellness including physical, mental, social and emotional well-being.' The industry has learned from research that shows the benefit of proper rest, said Stan Kravchenko, founder of the OneFit personal training platform. During deep sleep, the body repairs muscle tissue, and studies show that well-rested people perform better and are less likely to get injured. But rest is only part of recovery. Kravchenko said personal trainers used to focus only on specific exercises a client could do during their workout. Now, they're more like life coaches who also give exercise advice. 'It's more about your lifestyle, how you eat, how you sleep,' he said. 'Are you stressed? What do you do for living? Are you working from a desk? So it's taking a little bit more like a broad approach.' Discomfort — but not pain — still has a place The 'no pain, no gain' motto is great for athletes who can handle intense workouts and are looking to get stronger, but not everyone needs to push themselves that hard, Horton said. It depends on the goal. Michael Zourdos, chair of exercise science and health promotion at Florida Atlantic University, said lifting weights 'until failure' may build bigger muscles, but isn't needed to increase strength. 'There is a difference between training for health and training for elite performance benefits,' he said. To realize the health benefits of a workout, it's still necessary to push yourself, Horton said: 'In the muscles, the lungs, your heart, there's gotta be a certain amount of strain.' There is a big difference, however, between discomfort and acute pain. If discomfort crosses into sharp pain in joints, tendons or muscles, stop that movement. How long do muscles need to rest after a workout? People's needs vary depending on their goals and bodies. But Kravchencko offered a few general guidelines: For lifting weights, he recommends allowing 48 hours of recovery time per muscle group, and doing a maximum of 10 sets per muscle group per week. During the workout, he said, it's best to rest for two to three minutes between sets, as opposed to old advice to wait only a minute before exercising the same muscles. In between workouts, it's not necessary to stay still. 'You're welcome to do walking, jogging, very light yoga, stretching, pilates, core exercises,' Kravchencko said. 'That's all fine, because it's not specifically targeting the areas you've targeted before.' Mindfulness as exercise recovery Horton and Kravchencko both mentioned a recovery practice not typically associated with weightlifting — meditation. Taking a few quiet minutes every morning helps you deal with the physical and emotional stress of life that can get in the way of wanting to exercise, they said. Horton recommends establishing a mindfulness routine even before formalizing an exercise plan because it will lay the groundwork to be consistent. 'What is your strategy to get to get healthy and to get fit and to stay that way?' he said. 'A lot of it has to do with letting the pendulum swing the other way.' ___ AP reporter Maria Cheng in London contributed to this story. ___ EDITOR'S NOTE: Albert Stumm writes about wellness, food and travel. Find his work at
Associated Press
19-02-2025
- Health
- Associated Press
No pain, no gain? Hardly. This year's fitness buzzword is ‘recovery'
If you ever turned on the TV in the 2000s after midnight, you might have seen an informercial for P90X. The exercise program promised shredded abs and bulging biceps for anyone who pushed themselves to their limits for 90 days of 90-minute workouts. So it may come as a surprise that its creator, Tony Horton, now preaches the benefits of rest and warns against overtraining. 'I didn't know then what I know now,' said Horton, who had spent the '90s training celebrities. 'Back then it was all about warm-ups and cool-downs, and telling them to eat better and get off the hooch.' His evolution reflects a broader shift in the exercise industry away from a 'no pain, no gain' mentality that once dominated but often led to injury. Instead, the current buzzword in fitness is 'recovery.' Horton — who at 66 still exudes a boyish exuberance — noted that P90X did include recovery days with stretching and low-impact movement such as yoga. But these days, he prioritizes mindfulness as much as exercise, and the time between workouts is filled with plenty of good sleep, plunges in frigid water baths, using foam rollers on tight muscles, relaxing in a sauna, and other activities in the name of recovery. 'If you don't get the recovery and the rest part right, then you're never going to be able to be consistent with the fitness end of things,' Horton said. A more holistic approach to exercise Before Horton, Jane Fonda had pushed home exercisers to 'feel the burn,' while bodybuilders lifted weights to the point of muscle failure. Now, the American College of Sports Medicine and the National Academy of Sports Medicine, two of the largest organizations certifying personal trainers, emphasize recovery methods. NASM's 'Fitness and Wellness' certification includes training in 'holistic health and wellness including physical, mental, social and emotional well-being.' The industry has learned from research that shows the benefit of proper rest, said Stan Kravchenko, founder of the OneFit personal training platform. During deep sleep, the body repairs muscle tissue, and studies show that well-rested people perform better and are less likely to get injured. But rest is only part of recovery. Kravchenko said personal trainers used to focus only on specific exercises a client could do during their workout. Now, they're more like life coaches who also give exercise advice. 'It's more about your lifestyle, how you eat, how you sleep,' he said. 'Are you stressed? What do you do for living? Are you working from a desk? So it's taking a little bit more like a broad approach.' Discomfort — but not pain — still has a place The 'no pain, no gain' motto is great for athletes who can handle intense workouts and are looking to get stronger, but not everyone needs to push themselves that hard, Horton said. It depends on the goal. Michael Zourdos, chair of exercise science and health promotion at Florida Atlantic University, said lifting weights 'until failure' may build bigger muscles, but isn't needed to increase strength. 'There is a difference between training for health and training for elite performance benefits,' he said. To realize the health benefits of a workout, it's still necessary to push yourself, Horton said: 'In the muscles, the lungs, your heart, there's gotta be a certain amount of strain.' There is a big difference, however, between discomfort and acute pain. If discomfort crosses into sharp pain in joints, tendons or muscles, stop that movement. How long do muscles need to rest after a workout? People's needs vary depending on their goals and bodies. But Kravchencko offered a few general guidelines: For lifting weights, he recommends allowing 48 hours of recovery time per muscle group, and doing a maximum of 10 sets per muscle group per week. During the workout, he said, it's best to rest for two to three minutes between sets, as opposed to old advice to wait only a minute before exercising the same muscles. In between workouts, it's not necessary to stay still. 'You're welcome to do walking, jogging, very light yoga, stretching, pilates, core exercises,' Kravchencko said. 'That's all fine, because it's not specifically targeting the areas you've targeted before.' Mindfulness as exercise recovery Horton and Kravchencko both mentioned a recovery practice not typically associated with weightlifting — meditation. Taking a few quiet minutes every morning helps you deal with the physical and emotional stress of life that can get in the way of wanting to exercise, they said. Horton recommends establishing a mindfulness routine even before formalizing an exercise plan because it will lay the groundwork to be consistent. 'What is your strategy to get to get healthy and to get fit and to stay that way?' he said. 'A lot of it has to do with letting the pendulum swing the other way.' ___
