4 Tricks to Make an Easy Switch to Daylight Saving Time

Warmer temperatures, longer days, and the scramble to file your taxes point to one thing: spring is around the corner, and with it, the start of Daylight Saving Time. That means on Sunday, March 13 (at 2 a.m.), it’s time to turn your clocks ahead one hour to “spring forward.”

But it pays to be prepared. “Compared to the fall time change, most people actually have a harder time adjusting when we ‘spring forward,’ because we’re losing an hour of sleep,” explains sleep specialist and clinical psychologist Michael Breus, PhD.

Thankfully, though, there a few easy tweaks you can make to your routine to make the segue to DST smooth and easy.

Step back before you spring forward

More than one third of Americans are chronically sleep deprived, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “If you’re in this set, it probably won’t be difficult for you to fall asleep at the new time,” Breus says, “but be sure to set your clock ahead before going to sleep on Saturday, March 12.” That way, seeing the lost hour up front will motivate you to go to bed earlier, rather than bumming you out the next morning when you wake up.

If you’re not sleep deprived, you can keep yourself on track by drawing back your bedtime gradually this week. “On the Wednesday before the time change, go to bed 15 minutes earlier,” Breus suggests. “On Thursday, go to bed another 15 minutes earlier, and another 15 the next two nights. That means that by Saturday, you’ll be going to bed an hour early and will have an easier adjustment the next morning.”

Got kids? They need extra help sticking to good sleep habits since they’re less attuned to the hands on the clock and more to their internal timekeepers. “If they get to stay up until 11pm on Friday night, make it 10pm,” says Breus. “Since they’re losing the hour the next day, they need to go to bed earlier so that on Sunday night, they’ll be set up for a good night’s sleep before school on Monday.”

RELATED: The Best and Worst Foods for Sleep

Take stock of sleep habits

This year’s time change coincides with the National Sleep Foundation’s Sleep Awareness Week, so it’s a great occasion to give your sleep habits a quick reboot.

That means turning off electronic devices at least and hour before bedtime (the blue light can interfere with slumber), avoiding eating and drinking (particularly caffeine and alcohol) just before bed, and recommitting to a consistent bedtime ritual (which may include a warm bath, gentle stretching or yoga, or jotting down reminders and worries on a pad of paper so you don’t carry them with you into dreamland).

Refresh your workout schedule

“If exercise relaxes you, the extra hour of evening light we get in March gives you more opportunity to get outside to exercise,” Breus says. “Just remember to keep a three-hour window between your sweat session and bedtime so you have plenty of time to wind down.”  On the other hand, if your workouts jazz you up, “you should keep doing them in the morning, time change or not, because you don’t want that energy boost to lead to insomnia,” Breus says.

RELATED: 7 Best White Noise Machines for a Good Night’s Sleep

Stay safe on the roads

This is one day out of the year when Breus advises seeking some flexibility on your morning commute, particularly if you drive. “Ask your boss if you can come in to work a little late the Monday after the time change, or ask if you can work from home.” Research has shown the Monday after the spring time change to be particularly dangerous for drivers relative to other Mondays through the year. “It’s not a bad idea to avoid rush hour on Monday morning when roads will be filled with sleep-deprived people running late for work or school,” Breus says.

Just remember: even though it takes a little work up front to get down with Daylight Saving Time, the payoff—longer spring and summer nights—is always worth it.

 

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How Exercise Makes You Look Younger

Age in reverse

The powers of a steady fitness routine are impressive: regular exercise can help you build stronger muscles, stave off chronic illnesses, and make your clothes fit a whole lot better. But there’s another benefit of physical activity that deserves a shout-out: the way even moderate amounts seem to shave years off your age, no matter how many birthdays you’ve actually celebrated. Of course, you can’t change your chronological age, but exercise can improve your health to the point where you look and feel younger than you are, says Frank Frisch, PhD, director of kinesiology at Chapman University in Orange, Calif. Behold the 15 physical and mental effects a sweat session can have on your brain and body. Just reading this list will motivate you to never blow off a gym session again.

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5 Power Lunges for Killer Glutes

These moves come to you from four top Daily Burn 365 trainers. For a new, 30-minute workout every day, head to DailyBurn.com/365.

Now that spring has finally sprung, you might be itching to run your first 5K or break a new personal record at your next half-marathon. While it’s true you need to mix up your paces to run faster, doing lower-body exercises, such as power lunges, helps you run more efficiently and carry you through longer runs. When you’re at the last leg of your race, your mind and heart will thank your hamstrings, glutes, and calves for helping you cross the finish line.

And that’s not all. If cardio isn’t your thing, lunges will bring the heat in other ways. Hello, mobility and power! Lunges will also help improve your coordination and balance since the move is broken down into single-leg components. Plus, you don’t need any equipment to fit these lower body moves in and reap the benefits.

“Lunges strengthen your lower body, including the glutes, hamstrings and calves,”says Daily Burn 365 trainer Gregg Cook. “But what makes lunges different from a squat that it challenges your balance. You have a broader base for support with a squat, but with a lunge, you have a split stance, which makes it inherently more difficult to balance,” he says. “Lunges are also more dynamic, and your body needs to re-adjust to absorb the body weight and figure out where it is in space.”

Here are some beginner-friendly power lunges to get started.

RELATED: 9 Reasons Not to Skip Leg Day

 

 

 5 Lunges for Stronger Legs and Glutes

GIF: Daily Burn 365

1. Lateral Lunges
If plyometric exercises put pressure on your knees, consider this side lunge, which helps strengthen the muscles around your knees and improves flexibility and hip mobility, too. These classic lateral lunges also help stretch your hamstrings (a godsend for runners), while engaging your core.

How to: Stand with your feet hip-width apart, hands at your sides (a). Take a big step back with your right leg and land on the ball of your foot (b). Bring your hands together as you lower your body down to the floor while bending your knees. Make sure your right knee doesn’t touch the floor. Your left knee should form a 90-degree angle to the floor (c). Next, reverse your lunge and return to the starting position (d). Then, take a big step to your right and bend your knee as you lower your body and bring your hands together. Make sure your knee doesn’t extend past your right toes (e). Sit your hips back into the stretch and keep your left leg straight with your feet flat on the floor. Reverse your position and return to the starting position (f). Do eight reps of one reverse and lateral lunge on each leg before moving onto the other side.

RELATED: 5 Calorie-Blasting Cardio Exercises (No Treadmill Required!)

GIF: Daily Burn 365

2. Standing Split Lunge
Once you feel more comfortable with balancing on one leg, this standing split lunge is perfect for adding more pep into your step and transitioning into plyometric lunges. It’s also a great active stretch to warm up your body before a workout. You even engage your core muscles, while increasing your heart rate to boot.

How to: Stand with your feet hip-width apart with your hands at your sides (a). Take a big step back with your right leg and land on the ball of your foot (b). As you lower your body down to the floor, bring your right hand forward and your left hand back (c). Make sure your right knee hovers over the floor, and your left knee forms a 90-degree angle to the floor (d). Now, straighten your left leg and pop up to draw your right leg in front of you (e). Return to a reverse lunge and do eight reps before moving onto your left side.

RELATED: The 12 Move Total-Body Workout: The Daily Burn Dozen

GIF: Daily Burn 365

3. Pendulum Lunges
This variation challenges your balance and coordination further by applying more pressure on one set of muscles at a time. And while this one is performed without weights, as you get stronger, you can consider adding dumbbells.

How to: Stand with your feet hip-width apart, hands at your hips (a). Take a big step forward with your right leg, and lower your body down to the ground, bending your right knee to form a 90-degree angle to the floor (b). Once you’ve lowered your body to the floor, clasp your hands under your right thigh. Hold this position for a few seconds before unclasping your hands and returning to standing position (c). Now, take a step back with your right leg to do a reverse lunge, clasping your hands under your left thigh (d). Reverse your lunge and return to the starting position (e). Do eight pendulum lunges on each side.

RELATED: The 7 Best Strength Exercises You’re Not Doing

4. Lunge to Back Hand
These pulsing lunges train your glutes in a new way, while activating your arm muscles as well. We don’t use dumbbells in this exercise, but you can work your way up to incorporating weights or a body bar.

How to: Stand with your feet hip-width apart with your arms at each sides shoulder height (a). Take a big step back with your right leg and land on the ball of your foot (b). As you lower your body to the floor and pulse your right leg, bring your arms forward, crossing your arms out in front of you (c). Do eight reps on each side.

RELATED: 5 Strength Training Moves to Help You Run Faster

GIF: Daily Burn 365

5. Plyo Lunges
A perfect combination of cardio and strength, these plyometric lunges get your heart rate up while toning your muscles and burning fat. In this variation, we pause to do a lunge after two jumps.

How to: Stand with your feet hip-width apart, hands at your sides. Step your right foot back and your left foot in front (a). Lower your body to the ground, keeping your right knee bent and your left knee perpendicular to the ground (b). Scissor jump your legs twice and land with your right foot in front and your left foot is behind. Be sure to land with both knees bent to provide you with support (c). Three sets of eight reps.

Want more quick and easy moves you can do right at home, head to DailyBurn.com/365 — it’s free for 30 days!

This article originally appeared on DailyBurn.com.

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5 Beginner-Friendly CrossFit Workouts

The 50 Best Half-Marathons in the U.S.

7 No-Crunch Exercises for Six-Pack Abs
This article originally appeared on Life by Daily Burn.

 

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