Are you getting the most out of your workout?

Hippocrates said, “If you are in a bad mood go for a walk. If you are still in a bad mood go for another walk.”

This week, we share fitness findings to inspire such movement moments—from the benefit of weekend-only workouts to skincare effects to timing your routine for peak sleep. We close with news about rising tuberculosis cases + bird flu in dairy cows.

But first, stretch and relax your fingers as you scroll down into…

• The Checkup: witnessing + uplifting
• Sweet Sweat: makeup + F45 + body clocks
• Healthcare: TB + weekends + cow bird flu

The Checkup

• Yes! to the body-positive trend of colorful workout wear
• This may be TMI… but can you get pink eye from a fart?
• Here’s how to time out taking vitamins + supplements
• For some, weed can improve their workout experience
• For royal + non-royal bodies alike, here’s how chemo works
• Videoing IUD insertion means others witness the pain
• Women who strength train live longer! How much helps?
• Halle Berry’s doc diagnosed herpes. It was perimenopause
• Here’s all it took for Jake Gyllenhaal to cut Road House abs
• Yes, you get more gassy + farty when flying. Here’s why
• You’ll wanna eat these 31 hearty salads all through spring

Working out? Skip the makeup!

If exercise increases blood flow to our largest organ (our skin), does wearing makeup slow the flow?

To find out, researchers put makeup on half of study participants’ faces + had them run on treadmills. The made-up skin retained more moisture—a bad thing, since sweating helps regulate temperature. Made-up pores were smaller, and so couldn't flush oil and debris. And the made-up skin had higher levels of sebum—a marker of dirt, debris + bacteria that can contribute to acne.

For details, head to Time. And if you need pro help with conditions like rosacea, eczema or psoriasis, check out our $15 dermatology care.

Exercising to heal? Meet F45 Training!

When you have an illness or injury, a fitness class is probably not the first place to head for healing help. But with F45 Training, it could be.

F45’s group functional fitness classes offer an endless variety of challenging exercises + genuine team energy. Throughout every class, one or several coaches—all certified personal trainers—make sure that newbies + athletes alike work toward their individual goals.

“F45 coaches are super-involved, asking questions before the workout starts and prescribing alternative modifications, timings, reps and rest,” says longtime member Dan Raposo.

A marathon participant whose health + weight fluctuate, Raposo has stayed with F45 throughout varying abilities and injuries. “I have to imagine that if someone were to come in with, say, asthma, the coaches would be able to provide alternatives and be on top of their care throughout the workout because that has been my experience throughout my entire F45 fitness journey,” he says.

Dr. B is proud to officially partner with F45 to help make quality fitness more affordable.

For details about why we’re so pumped about F45 + to find out if you can save up to 40% off your F45 Training fees, read all about F45 + Dr. B.

Workouts + circadian rhythms

Science can’t tell us the best time to exercise. But our organs + tissues do follow various timekeepers. If we can understand their patterns, we can adjust our workout schedules to benefit our sleep + encourage peak performance.

Head to NPR for details. But here’s the gist:

Exercise aligns: Light is our primary time cue. But exercise also signals our peripheral clock, helping our systems sync + align. Trials show most of us will fall asleep earlier if we exercise in the morning + early afternoon.

Muscles have a clock: Muscles' mitochondrial efficiency peaks in the late afternoon. This may be why humans (young men in particular) can lift more weight + run the fastest during that time.

We can change that clock: Studies on mice suggest that if we work out at a new time, our muscles will eventually change + perform just as well then. Pro athletes have shown this to be true outside of studies, too.

Timing could become key: Eventually, exercise timing windows could help patients lower specific risk of cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and more. For now, the best time to exercise is any time you do it!

Healthcare 411

US TB cases reach highest level in a decade (US News).  In 2023, 40 states reported increased tuberculosis cases across all age groups. Many were caused by latent TB, which happens when bacteria hibernate in the lungs + activate when the immune system is weak. The spread of Covid-19 may have been a factor in this, but it cannot be wholly assumed.

Weekend-only exercise could be just as beneficial as regular workouts, study shows (Women’s Health). People who pack their workouts into weekends can reap the same benefits as those who spread them throughout the week. Young women show the most benefits. The caveat? The weekenders worked at higher intensity for longer periods.

Experts confirm first bird flu outbreak in cows: Is it safe to drink milk? (Science Alert). 10% of herds in four dairy farms have contracted bird flu. No contaminated milk has come into the market, no milk shortages are expected + the cows will make a full recovery. But experts will watch this event to monitor how bird flu spreads on farms with multiple species.