June 19, 2019 at 02:02PM by CWC Even though most of us make it our business to never be publicly mortified, let’s face it, embarrassing moments and life are a package deal. I first discovered this harsh truth during a ballet recital when I was 5 years old. As I stood beneath the spotlight and assumed first position, the back of my pink tutu ripped to reveal my Curious George underwear to my adoring fans (thanks, mom and dad). The incident prompted me to retire my plié. But I’ve wondered since if there are graceful ways to recover from life’s most blush-worthy accidents than, say, bursting into tears and running off the stage. As with many of life’s hard to swallow realities, step one is realizing you’re so not alone, says Chicago-based clinical psychologist Aimee Daramus, PsyD. “Most of all, as embarrassing as it is, everyone there has had some kind of embarrassing experience,” she tells me. “It’s really easy to feel like the biggest fool in the room, but it was probably just your turn that day.” Public humiliation is a right of passage (¯\_(ツ)_/¯). If you realize you’ve been rocking red panties (or, ahem, Curious George undies) under a see-through pair of white skinny jeans all day at work, take solace in the fact that your colleagues know that particular wardrobe snafu all too well. ad_intervals[‘402297_div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’] = setInterval(function () { if (ads_ready) { clearTimeout(ad_intervals[‘402297_div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’]); googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’);}); } }, 100); “It’s really easy to feel like the biggest fool in
Day: June 19, 2019
This 12-move dynamic stretching routine will open you up from head to toes
June 19, 2019 at 01:00PM by CWC When you’re about to push your body to its limits during a workout, the very first thing you want to do is perform a warmup that will adequately prep your body for what’s to come. Enter dynamic stretching, or the idea that moving through stretches will help to make your workout more impactful in the long run. “Warmups gradually rev up your cardiovascular system, increasing your heart rate, systolic blood pressure, cardiac output, and body temperature to improve blood flow to your muscles, effectively preparing them for the positive stress of exercise,” says manager of training development and barre kinesiologist at Pure Barre Rachelle Reed, PhD. “Some studies also show that warmups may reduce the risk of injuries.” While that’s all legit, you might be wondering what actually constitutes a well-rounded dynamic warmup. According to Reed, the trick is to perform multi-muscle group, multi-joint movements to gauge your range of motion and help your body warm-up efficiently for 5 to 10 minutes before diving into full sets. ad_intervals[‘388787_div-gpt-ad-9261280-3’] = setInterval(function () { if (ads_ready) { clearTimeout(ad_intervals[‘388787_div-gpt-ad-9261280-3’]); googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-9261280-3’);}); } }, 100); As for the exact exercises, ahead, with the help of some of the industry’s top trainers, we’ve listed 12 dynamic body movements that will leave your limbs feeling ready for whatever you have in store for your workout du jour. 1. Inchworm Push-ups Mindbody wellness manager Kate Ligler, NASM-certified Flywheel instructor Jared Poulin, and personal trainer, New York Sports Club Lab master instructor
The 5 most common mistakes people make when holding a plank—and how to avoid them
June 19, 2019 at 12:49PM by CWC [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6ZelKyUM6g] The plank is such a foundational fitness move—not only does it work, like, all of your muscles, but you also have to hold that position for a number of other exercises, like mountain climbers, renegade rows, push-ups… the list goes on. And so if your plank form is off by even a smidge, your entire workout will essentially be sabotaged. And ya don’t want that. That’s exactly why we have trainer Meg Takacs—the current Well+Good Trainer of the Month—teaching us the right way to do a plank. First of all, it helps to know what not to do, and Takacs says she notices five main mistakes people tend to make when trying to hold a high plank. The top offender? Straining your neck. This will lead to neck problems—which is the last thing you need considering how common “tech neck” is these days. Then there’s the issue of pushing away from your hands, which means your hands aren’t in their proper position. “I see a lot of people dipping their lower back, or bringing their hips too high,” she says. And some people keep their feet too close together, which lessens the support you’re getting and will the plank exponentially more difficult. And I think we can all agree that planks don’t need to get any harder. ad_intervals[‘402196_div-gpt-ad-9261280-3’] = setInterval(function () { if (ads_ready) { clearTimeout(ad_intervals[‘402196_div-gpt-ad-9261280-3’]); googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-9261280-3’);}); } }, 100); To do things the right way, Takacs says to start with your hands stacked
I Finally Shifted To A Completely Whole Foods Diet & Have Never Felt Better—Here’s Exactly How I Did It
June 19, 2019 at 11:53AM Feeling your best starts here. Continue Reading… Author Nina Zorfass | Life by Daily Burn Selected by CWC
This is the genius trick to making fresh flowers last longer that you’re missing
June 19, 2019 at 11:46AM by CWC If you’ve ever thrown a bunch of fresh flowers in a vase and immediately felt a sense of ahh, you’re not imagining it. A 2018 study supports that adding flowers to your environment can significantly reduce stress for women (don’t you love when science backs you up?). “Flowers have always been a source of happiness and stress relief,” noted Uprooted Flower Truck founder Ashley Heckler at our solstice-themed Wellness Collective event with Athleta, where guests got to arrange seasonal summer bouquets. “Everyone’s big question is: How do I keep my flowers alive?” Exactly. Step one, according to Heckler, is ensuring that you clip off any leaves below the water line, as “leaves in the base and the water breed bacteria.” From there, make sure to swap out your vase with fresh water daily, as well as clip the stems so they can better absorb the hydration. ad_intervals[‘401347_div-gpt-ad-5443410-3’] = setInterval(function () { if (ads_ready) { clearTimeout(ad_intervals[‘401347_div-gpt-ad-5443410-3’]); googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-5443410-3’);}); } }, 100); But here’s the real kicker for how to keep flowers fresh: “I recommend warm water for almost all flowers,” said Heckler. Yep, warm. That’s because the higher temperature helps open up the freshly cut stems, allowing the flowers to better soak up H20 and boosters from flower food. (You can use any brand of flower food, which is essentially powdered bleach that keeps stems and water clean.) Got a dinner party and a bunch of balled-up peonies? The warm water will help the blooms
The multitasking workout for days when you have, like, 20 minutes to devote to the gym
June 19, 2019 at 11:45AM by CWC There’s a time and place for workout moves that exercise a singular muscle group. Hey, maybe you want to make your arms Superwoman-strong so that carrying your Trader Joe’s grocery haul is a breeze. Or perhaps you’re trying to build up your core so you can (finally!) sit up straight at work. For days when you want to give multiple muscle groups attention, however, trainers say a full body kettlebell workout is the (compound) move. Kettlebell workouts earn the fitness gold star because they almost always target multiple areas of the body. “Kettlebells are my favorite tool… versatile and can be used for a myriad of conditioning or bodybuilding movements,” writes Maillard Howell, owner of CrossFit Prospect Heights in Brooklyn and founder of the The Beta Way, in an Instagram caption. What’s more, the piece of equipment is a bit easier to lug around the gym than, say, dumbbells. Meaning, more sweat and less vying with other gym-goers over your prescribed weights. Below, Howell shares five, multitasking moves for those days when you want to take a lickety-split approach to gym o’clock. ad_intervals[‘401504_div-gpt-ad-9261280-3’] = setInterval(function () { if (ads_ready) { clearTimeout(ad_intervals[‘401504_div-gpt-ad-9261280-3’]); googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-9261280-3’);}); } }, 100); View this post on Instagram Kettlebells are my fave tool…. versatile and can be used for a myriad of conditioning or bodybuilding movements. . Here I used one 70lb kettlebell for this workout. 👉🏾3 rounds 👉🏾 30 KB swings 👉🏾 15 suitcase deadlifts on right 👉🏾 30 sit ups
I heard Kristen Bell’s go-to summer fruit is mulberries, so now my go-to summer fruit is mulberries
June 19, 2019 at 11:41AM by CWC Kristen Bell having the time to throw a summer shindig is beyond me. Between wrapping up the final season of The Good Place (RIP), the high drama trailer of Frozen 2 dropping, and being mom to two little girls slash the entire internet, it feels like she’s everywhere doing everything. I know, because I tend to follow whatever Kristen Bell does. And since Veronica Mars season four doesn’t drop until July (again, busy summer), today I’m here to buy into Bell’s latest food crush: the mulberry. “Fresh fruit is my favorite summer snack,” Bell tells Well+Good. “I try to go to the farmer’s market on the weekends and pick up whatever is in season. Right now, I’m addicted to mulberries. I’ll serve those alongside some of the more conventional summer fruits like watermelon or berries. I’ll also put out a cooler and fill it with a lot of different Spindrift flavors.” ad_intervals[‘400310_div-gpt-ad-8891272-3’] = setInterval(function () { if (ads_ready) { clearTimeout(ad_intervals[‘400310_div-gpt-ad-8891272-3’]); googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8891272-3’);}); } }, 100); Okay, let’s backpedal—mulberries? I know nothing about mulberries. I even had to Google that nursery rhyme to get some context of where I’ve heard of them before. (Head’s up, it’s “Here We Go ‘Round the Mulberry Bush.”) But just because mulberries doesn’t have the best schoolyard banger (that’s “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” obviously”) doesn’t mean they can’t be an excellent alternative—or addition—to your usual summer berry. Here are the benefits of mulberries, Kristen Bell’s current food crush 1. They’ll
5 derm-approved home remedies for the itchiest of itchy bug bites
June 19, 2019 at 09:59AM by CWC I’m one of those people who gets totally eaten up by mosquitos within minutes of stepping outside. I don’t know if it’s because of my blood type or because “I’m so sweet,” as my mom says, but it’s safe to say I’m not a fan of bug bites that cause itchiness for days. Since making an X with my fingernails stopped working after the second grade, I’ve been left trying to find other ways to deal with itchy skin from bug bites. While there are plenty of creams you can pick up at the pharmacy, there are plenty of home remedies for bug bites that banish itchiness the natural way and work just as well. “There’s no need for topical steroids, calamine lotion, or Benadryl,” says dermatologist Keira L. Barr, MD, founder and chief wellness officer of Resilient Health Institute. “Just look in your kitchen for some ‘in a pinch’ skin relief for bug bites.” From frozen popcorn kernels (yes, really!) to baking soda, these are the best natural itch-relieving solutions you’ll find. ad_intervals[‘401807_div-gpt-ad-7520022-3’] = setInterval(function () { if (ads_ready) { clearTimeout(ad_intervals[‘401807_div-gpt-ad-7520022-3’]); googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-7520022-3’);}); } }, 100); 5 home remedies for bug bites that promise quick itch relief 1. Oatmeal bath You know how oatmeal baths are a must when you come into contact with poison ivy? It’s also a soothing—and super relaxing!—way to help with itchiness from bug bites. Especially if you have them all over your body. “Colloidal oatmeal is simply oats
I literally sniffed my stress away with the help of this calming fragrance
June 19, 2019 at 09:35AM by CWC The other day, I was on a first date with a guy when he asked me which emotion I felt the majority of the time ( …great first date question, right?!). “Excitement!” I told him while quite literally batting my eyelashes and being generally adorable. But… I was lying. Having dealt with pretty intense anxiety since I was a teenager, coupled with the fact that my job is, by nature, deadline after deadline after deadline, my actual baseline emotion on any given day is “stressed out.” My stress levels get in the way of my sleep, my focus, my social life—basically, my whole life. And so, I’m constantly looking for things that will help to calm me down. I’ve tried CBD in my coffee, midday meditation, and sipping on herbal tea, all with mixed results. But right now, there is a surprising thing that has truly been working for me: A bottle of perfume. The Nue Co’s Functional Fragrance ($150) was designed to “to help you reset at times of high stress,” and that’s exactly what it’s become to me. It combines scents like green cardamom, iris, Palo santo, and cilantro, a mix that can help alter your mental and emotional state by lowering your cortisol levels—aka, it can calm you right down. Based on the Nue Co’s own research, 96 percent of people found themselves feeling calmer after sniffing the scent, and 93 percent would recommend it as a stress aid. Having
3 expert-approved questions to ask your crush to save yourself from the depths of awkward silence
June 19, 2019 at 07:52AM by CWC One night, like a vulture wearing red Minnie Mouse heels, I cornered my crush outside a music venue and began to, essentially, interview him. It started normal enough—”Hi, it’s Mary Grace from the party, what’s up?”—but then, out of the blue, I asked, “Were you popular in high school?” I don’t know why, of all the possible questions to ask your crush, I went with that. Subconsciously, I’m sure it’s because I know I could only ever be with someone who sat at the Weird Kids’ table, but still. Weird flex on my part. While things ultimately ended up in my favor (we’ve been together for over a year), he still brings up, “Were you popular in high school?” like a joke. Here’s the thing, friends: It’s difficult to get to know to a person you’re interested in. Maybe it’s someone you’ve been having banter with on a dating app, or maybe it’s a friend of a friend who you think is cute, yet you can’t get a moment alone with them. Or maybe it’s the person with whom you already have first-date plans set—or at least it seems date-y? But you’re not totally sure. (Is it a coffee date or just coffee?) Regardless, knowing the right questions to ask your crush is tough. ad_intervals[‘398669_div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’] = setInterval(function () { if (ads_ready) { clearTimeout(ad_intervals[‘398669_div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’]); googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’);}); } }, 100); Regardless of whether there’s legitimate relationship-worthy promise with the crush in question or they’re just a moron you’re