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Month: May 2019

2019 Health Relaxation

Turn your bed into a massage table with this 5-minute, full-body stretch for better ZZZs

3 min read

May 13, 2019 at 07:08AM by CWC It’s not the workout that’s hard for me to do—it’s the stretching. Since I’ve already put in the time to pump up my muscles, I find it hard to spend any more time at the gym to stretch everything out afterwards… even though I know how important it is to do so. My dream scenario? Being able to stretch in bed. And dreams do come true: Alicia Archer, fitness instructor and creator of Kinky Sweat in New York City, has shown Well+Good just how to do full-body stretches in bed. Added bonus? Doing these stretches can help you fall asleep even faster. In the latest video for our “Self-Care Nation” series, Archer reveals that this routine is especially useful for those who hit the gym after work. “A lot of people, when they workout in the evening, they become energized and it’s hard for them to fall asleep,” she says. “It sets the body and mind in a very dynamic, energetic state of mind.” So it’s important (and extremely helpful) to wind your body and mind back down before you hit your pillow. All it takes to get you limbered up and ready for dreamland is moves like neck and shoulder rolls, figure-4 hip openers (which are a lot more comfy in bed), side bends, and some self-massage action. “The most important thing you can do is align your movements with your breath,” Archer says. “When you focus on coordinating your breath with

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2019 Health Yoga

Your comprehensive guide to working out if you have IBS

4 min read

May 13, 2019 at 07:00AM by CWC If you’re not familiar, IBS is short for irritable bowel syndrome, which is a pretty commonplace issue that a lot of people tend to deal with. “Irritable bowel syndrome is defined by abdominal pain associated with bowel motions,” says David Prichard, MB, BCh, PhD, a gastroenterologist. “Individuals with IBS can experience diarrhea, constipation, or a mixture of both.” So yeah, the not-so-pleasant symptoms include many of the things that you’ll hear in the Pepto Bismol commercials—and it’s a chronic condition that takes long-term managing. But here’s the thing—it’s not like those afflicted with IBS are just going to skimp on their wellness regimens. At the same time, you’d think that the up-and-down, hard-hitting moves of, say, a boot camp would not be very comfortable on an irritated gut. But, good news: You can certainly still exercise with IBS. “Studies show that exercise can help people with IBS, in addition to promoting overall health and reducing stress,” says Niket Sonpal, MD, a New York City-based internist and gastroenterologist and teaching faculty member at Touro College of Medicine. “Research published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology has shown that people with IBS who exercise regularly have less severe symptoms compared to those who don’t exercise—so these findings suggest that regularly exercising will help to decrease the severity of IBS.” “Findings suggest that regularly exercising will help to decrease the severity of IBS.” —Niket Sonpal, MD Dr. Prichard agrees, noting that most people’s IBS doesn’t limit their

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2019 Health Relaxation

The most common stereotype for every Myers-Briggs personality type, debunked

7 min read

May 13, 2019 at 06:43AM by CWC Sometimes it seems like each Myers-Briggs personality type has its own less-than-flattering reputation—a fatal flaw or an extremist characterization. Don’t take these depictions too seriously, though. Because no, ENTJs are not ruthless dictators out for blood, and ISFJs aren’t timid wallflowers who will never develop a backbone. Stereotypes are dangerous to believe in all areas of life because they require you to paint everyone and everything in a monochromatic way when the real situation is much more textured and nuanced. In fact, by actually analyzing the common stereotypes of MBTI personality types, it becomes clear just how wrong so many of them are for so many people. Check it out below. (Don’t know what your MBTI is? Read this first!) Below, find the common stereotypes of Myers-Briggs personality types—totally debunked. Graphics by W+G Creative ISFJ stereotype: They’re timid ISFJs are often shy and don’t stand up for themselves enough; they are giving spirits, and tend to put others first. But they can be fierce, too. If you mess with an ISFJ’s values or any of their loved ones, they’ll absolutely put you in your place—or cut you out of their life completely, depending on the situation. ESFJ stereotype: They’re overly emotional Expressive and known wear their hearts on their sleeves, ESFJs are not generally emotional in a way that affects their overall functioning. They are often quick to bounce back from heartbreak, and are generally hard workers who don’t let emotions stop them.

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2019 Health Beauty

How to replicate the buzzy “beauty sandwich” facial at home

4 min read

May 13, 2019 at 04:00AM by CWC Ever since I received a treatment called “the beauty sandwich,” I’ve been chasing down the right way to sculpt my face at home. The beauty sandwich—which causes celebs from Vanessa Hudgens to Nina Dobrev to flock to skin pro Ivan Pol—is a topical facial treatment that uses heat-derived radiofrequency to plump and sculpt your face or, in other words, feed it from the outside-in. “It’s a multilayered effect that will volumize, lift, help with wrinkle reduction, and rebuild and synthesize collagen,” he says. For my facial, Pol decided to “plump” and “sculpt” (though you can also rejuvenate, resurface, or polish skin, as well). “The plump facial helps with the deeper layers to really lift and firm from within,” he says. “The sculpt facial is going to help tone and strengthen certain muscles—so they pull and sculpt to enhance the jawline and really contour the cheekbone area.” The sculpting part incorporates infrared radiofrequency, which communicates directly with the muscles in your face, which releases all tension. The whole process takes about 45 minutes, and all I felt was heat on my skin via a wand—kind of similar to a hot stone massage. The amazing thing about the treatment is that the results are immediate, and there’s no redness or downtime. “It has a lasting result, even if you get only one, it’ll last for up to six months,” says Pol. It’s because the tissue in your skin responds to the heat, which supposedly makes lines

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2019 Health

If your love life’s more dramatic than a ‘Game of Thrones’ episode, you might be in a karmic relationship

6 min read

May 13, 2019 at 02:00AM by CWC Everyone I know who’s happily coupled up seems to say the same thing: When you meet the right person, it’s effortless. You can debate the finer points of cauliflower vs. regular pizza crust without arguing, you have the same taste in terrible reality TV, and there’s never any Are they going to text me back? B.S. with which to contend. But what about the opposite of that situation—a dating scenario that often feels like you’re pushing a 50-pound medicine ball uphill? In spiritual terms, this difficult love connection is called a karmic relationship. If medicine-ball scenario sounds familiar, don’t freak out: Your S.O. isn’t a frustrating person because of bad karma related to that time you didn’t wipe down your bike after spin class. Instead, says women’s empowerment coach and astrologer Natalia Benson, the person came into your life because they have a “soul agreement” to help you grow.  (A soul agreement, in mystical speak, is a contract you made with each other in the spirit realm, before incarnating on Earth.) “A karmic relationship is typically one that really challenges us, but it’s an opportunity to step into the most powerful version of ourselves,” she says. “The purpose is to learn from the dynamic.” In fact, it’s the painful parts of a karmic relationship that allow for deep transformation. “In a really roundabout way, you realize that this person is a teacher who is helping you step into who you’re really here to

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