Christina Stiehl

SELF • 2nd February 2026

The Problem With That 10,000-Step Goal

10,000 steps a day is often hailed as the gold standard. It somehow feels both achievable and momentous, helping you improve overall health, burn calories, and possibly even boost longevity. However, research has shown that you may not need to move quite that much to reap the wellness benefits of increased activity.

Equinox • 8th June 2023

Lift Heavy to Live Longer

Of all the science-backed health benefits of strength training — building muscle mass, boosting metabolism, reducing body fat, protecting joints, improving mental health, increasing stamina — living longer is probably one of the most important. And yet, it’s not often touted as a primary reason to pick up weights.

Well+Good • 19th May 2023

I Swapped My Pre-Workout Shakes With Beet Juice, and Here’s How It Affected My Training

I wake up around 7 a.m., drink my pre-workout supplement and eat a Rice Krispies Treat (my favorite pre-workout snack!), get to the gym around 7:30, and train for about an hour. Although I like the boost it gives me, pre-workout supplements aren’t regulated by the FDA, and often have exaggerated or unfounded claims. I had been seeing research about how beetroot juice (aka beet juice) has promising training benefits...

Equinox • 30th April 2023

The Power of Showing Up

Equinox is a community and no one understands this better than the fitness professionals who train members and lead our signature workouts. We spoke to a personal trainer and instructors who teach yoga and cycling about how they’re committed to helping members perform at their best and reach their goals.

POPSUGAR Fitness • 3rd February 2019

An Expert Explains Why You Need Cardio and Strength Training For Long-Term Weight Loss

You know losing weight is a concentrated effort and a lifestyle change: you have to eat healthier and in a calorie deficit, exercise, get plenty of sleep, and reduce stress. But even if you do all of the above, you still may be confused as to what type of exercise you should be doing.

Shape • 20th July 2021

Is the Afterburn Effect Too Good to Be True?

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) has become the "it" way to work out over the last few years. Fans of this super-efficient workout swear by its ability to torch calories, burn fat, and build muscle, all in much less time than, say, a 5-mile moderate-intensity run.

POPSUGAR Fitness • 21st February 2019

The 11 Biggest Fitness Myths Trainers Wish You Would Stop Believing

If you're the kind of person who would rather hit up a workout class than binge a show on Netflix or who constantly reads up on the latest fitness trends, then you probably know a lot about working out and how it affects your body. But do you?

POPSUGAR Fitness • 31st March 2019

A Trainer Explains Why Weightlifting Is the Most Important Type of Exercise For Losing Belly Fat

When it comes to losing belly fat, your mind may immediately think of doing dozens of crunches or spending hours on a cardio machine. And while these moves may help you burn calories, they're not the most effective method of burning body fat. In fact, you'll want to hit the weight room and grab some dumbbells or a barbell.

Noom • 27th February 2023

7 ways I motivate myself to work out in the morning

I don’t really consider myself a morning person. Although I feel more productive when I wake up earlier and cross some stuff off my to-do list before work, I don’t jump out of bed all chipper and ready to take on the day. I’m someone who presses the snooze button a lot and needs to set several alarms to make sure I get up on time. I’m groggy, cranky, and like to be left alone until my caffeine has fully kicked in.

POPSUGAR Fitness • 20th December 2021

Yes, Women Can Build Lean Muscle Quickly — These Experts Explain How

There are no shortcuts for building muscle, but that doesn't mean you can't learn how to build muscle fast — you'll just need to implement a few key strategies and stay very consistent with your routine. And no, before you ask, building muscle for women doesn't mean automatically mean you'll get "bulky." (Reminder: there's also nothing wrong with that.) You can build lean muscle, add muscle tone and strength, and look more defined with strategic training and nutrition.

POPSUGAR Fitness • 28th June 2021

Kick Off Summer With Sweat's 2 Weeks to Strong Workout Plan

Two weeks of 15-minute workouts led by Sweat trainers designed to help you torch calories, build full-body strength, and burn fat.

POPSUGAR Fitness • 2nd June 2021

Sweat App Announces Beginner Program: Meet the Badass Trainers Leading the Workouts

If it's been a few weeks, a few months, or even a few years since you've had a consistent workout plan, the Sweat app has you covered. The platform announced an all-new beginner fitness offering called Move Again, which features three new trainers and four new fitness programs.

POPSUGAR Fitness • 24th May 2021

This 15-Minute Bodyweight Tabata Workout Is Low-Impact, but High-Intensity — Get Ready to Sweat!

We love the Sweat app for the heart-pumping, sweat-inducing HIIT workouts it offers. But the high-impact moves like burpees and jump squats aren't for everyone, especially if you have joint pain or live in an apartment and can't jump around. Luckily, new Sweat trainer Samantha Ortiz-Young has a low-impact HIIT program for the app as part of its new beginner workout offerings. Many people think low-impact means low-intensity, but that's so not the case! This bodyweight-only HIIT workout is Tabat

POPSUGAR Fitness • 1st August 2020

This Boxing Champ Created a Full-Body Strength and Cardio Workout You Can Do at Home

If you're a fan of boxing classes, you may be missing the cathartic release of putting on a pair of gloves and punching something heavy if your studio is closed right now. Luckily, you don't need any equipment (except maybe a mat and a towel) to get in a good boxing-inspired, full-body strength and cardio workout.

POPSUGAR Fitness • 26th March 2021

Ayesha McGowan Broke Barriers In Cycling. Now, She's Inspiring the Next Generation.

Professional cyclist Ayesha Rosena Anna McGowan, creator of A Quick Brown Fox, started out riding a bike when she got two bikes for Christmas one year. Now, McGowan rides for Liv Racing and is the first Black American woman on a professional road cycling team. She uses her platform to advocate for BIPOC cyclists and those who are interested in racing and amplify the message that representation matters.

POPSUGAR Fitness • 25th March 2021

Target Your Legs, Butt, and Core With This Quick 15-Minute Dumbbell Workout

Cardio is great for burning calories, but you get more bang for your buck when you add in strength training to your routine. Building muscle with strength workouts, especially with weights, not only burns calories during the workout, but will help you build muscle, burn more calories at rest, and torch fat.

POPSUGAR Fitness • 1st February 2021

In 2021, I'm Supporting More Small Fitness Businesses — Here's How You Can, Too

If 2020 has taught me anything, it's that small businesses are the backbone of the community. It's what makes New York City the greatest city in the world: and each week as I watched restaurants, bars, and independent shops close their doors for good, leaving once-vibrant city blocks dark with empty storefronts, it reminded me how important it is to support the local businesses in your neighborhood.

POPSUGAR Fitness • 23rd September 2021

I Can't Live Without This "HeatGear" I Wear For My Outdoor Workouts in the Fall

Fall is my favorite season, and even with the temperatures dropping, I still love doing my outdoor workouts. For the last year, I've been taking my workouts outside for a HIIT-style bootcamp class in Carl Schurz Park in New York City. Although I still get warm and sweaty during my fall workouts, I still need some athletic wear that will keep me cozy, especially as the mornings get cooler and cooler in the city.

POPSUGAR Fitness • 30th November 2020

Power Through Winter With Sweat's 2-Week Low-Impact Barre and Yoga Workout Plan

We're not saying to give up your favorite HIIT and high-impact workouts altogether! But we are saying if you are looking to change up your workout routine, there are other effective ways to get your heart rate up, break a sweat, challenge your body, and achieve all-over strength. Luckily for POPSUGAR readers, the Sweat team created an exclusive two-week low-impact workout plan for us consisting of original barre and yoga workouts.

POPSUGAR Fitness • 29th June 2020

Crush Your Summer Fitness Goals With Kayla Itsines's 4-Week No-Equipment Workout Plan

Kayla Itsines paved the way for bodyweight-only workout plans with her BBG series, and has continued delivering with at-home workouts on her Sweat app. With more than 12 million followers on Instagram and the countless workouts she helped develop, Kayla knows how to keep people motivated. And luckily for us, she developed this four-week, bodyweight-only workout plan exclusively for POPSUGAR readers.