Year: 2019

April 26, 2019 at 09:18AM by CWC You can only do so many sit-ups before extreme boredom sets in. You’ll feel the burn, sure, but you’re not alone in wishing for a way to make your ab workout more interesting. The next time you hit the mat, mix up your regular routine by integrating some suitcase sit-ups, a super-challenging variation that will keep both you and your core engaged. You know that moment of accomplishment when you finally get your suitcase to close and zip it shut tight? That’s essentially what you’re doing with your body during suitcase sit-ups. The exercise (which is an easier variation of a V-up) involves lying on the mat and raising your upper body and knees simultaneously so you’re folding up like a piece of luggage. The tuck in this move requires you to have full control of your entire body in order to keep that perfect form. And, you know it—that means they’re really hard. How to do suitcase sit-ups Lie on your back with straight legs extended off the floor in front of you and your hands behind your head. At the same time, lift your upper body into a crunch and tuck your knees to your chest so they meet your elbows. Lower your upper body back onto the floor and extend your legs long so they’re hovering a few inches above the floor. Repeat. [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBLFRACnveE] Need a variation? Try knee tucks If suitcase sit-ups are too challenging, ease your way

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April 26, 2019 at 08:28AM by CWC For transparency’s sake, I feel compelled to share that this isn’t exactly a How To Lose a Guy in 10 Days “love fern.” For one, we didn’t share custody; the plant was mine. Her best friend and her best friend’s boyfriend gifted it when the four of us were painting our new apartment—which wasn’t ours, exactly. The one-bedroom was mine and she didn’t formally live with me in it, but it finally offered some privacy from my former roommates and her current ones. Despite not sharing the lease, we shared the space whenever we wanted—its solitude, its newly painted walls, its plant; all firsts for me. Less than a year later, all of it crumbled. Leaks and bed bugs and a winter without heat and a caricature of a diabolical New York City landlord resulted in the decision to tear it all down and pack it all up: repaint the walls back to that awful off-white and take down the shelves, the artwork, and, of course, the plant, which had been suspended near a window, flourishing, and glowing in the sunlight beautifully, naïvely. We dismantled the apartment together; three months later, she dismantled us. Like many who get dumped, I was forced to purge lots of things, either because they belonged to or reminded me of her. I piled together a T-shirt of hers I’d kind of accidentally stolen and worn more than my own clothes; same with her button-down, her bomber jacket,

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April 26, 2019 at 07:55AM by CWC Even working at a wellness company, I’m not immune to the stresses of everyday work life: looming deadlines, overflowing inboxes, back-to-back meetings… There is always so much to do, and the inability to concentrate long enough to get everything done sure doesn’t help. So when I started hearing about a way the 24/7 worker bees of Silicon Valley were “biohacking” their brain to stay focused using something called nootropics, I worked my health writer magic and had a few brands send me some to try. For the uninitiated, nootropic supplements are cognitive performance-enhancing products made with a blend of herbs and natural brain enhancers such as bacopa, l-theanine, and ginkgo biloba—all of which have been linked to boosting focus in the present as well as supporting long-term brain health. It took a little trial and error, but once I figured out out the best way to take them, my ability to focus sky-rocketed. It was noticeable enough that colleagues started asking me to share my secrets. When we named nootropics as a 2018 Wellness Trend, the supplements were just starting to take off. A year and a half later, the brain-boosting trend has exploded beyond Silicon Valley entrepreneurs—with their benefits are now available outside of capsule form. “Seeing this surge in the popularity of nootropics isn’t surprising to me,” says Beekeeper’s Naturals co-founder Carly Stein, who created honey-tasting nootropic elixirs long before other brands jumped on board. “Modern life is hard on the

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April 26, 2019 at 07:51AM by CWC “Unforgettable, that’s what you are.” The late Nat King Cole may not have sung his sweet, sweet tune about you in particular, but psychology shows that there are seven traits that make an individual memorable to those around them. You probably possess at least one of them, right? Throughout the course of his lengthy career, George Everly Jr., PhD, has observed that a few distinct attributes earn someone a reputation worth remembering, he tells Psychology Today. These are the sort of qualities that make one a regular Oprah Winfrey, if you will. They’re also the traits that potential employers, friends, and romantic partners value in a person. Cross your fingers and see how many of these magnetic characteristics you can claim as your own. 7 personality traits that make people more memorable Reliability and Trustworthiness: People like people who live and die by their word. “They do what they say they are going to do,” writes Dr. Everly. “They take responsibility for their actions, especially their mistakes.” Optimism: Because negativity is default mode for so many Homo sapiens, someone with innate positivity is more often memorable. Tenacity: Determination is a hallmark quality in unforgettable folks. “For most endeavors in life, tenacity is the single best predictor of success. Success in athletics, business, and even academics is predicated upon tenacity,” says the psychologist. We love when the underdog we’re rooting for suddenly becomes a blockbuster success. Resilience: You know the old cliché: “Fall down seven times, get

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April 26, 2019 at 06:00AM by CWC Flexibility is one of those flowery terms that I always associate with A) Olympic gymnasts and B) anyone in my yoga class who can break into a full splits. In other words: I have a vague idea of what it is, but it’s actually an incredibly important skill that everyone—especially those who are fitness fanatics—should know about and work on regularly. To get the DL, I went straight to the physiology pros to answer the question: Why is flexibility important, exactly? “Flexibility is often overlooked, but the benefits of it are universal and impactful—whether you’re a hard-working corporate executive, an athlete, or a weekend warrior, implementing a consistent stretching routine can have a positive impact on your life,” says Austin Martinez, director of education for StretchLab. To understand what it is, begin by knowing that flexibility has a lot to do with how your muscles can move. “Flexibility explains the current state of muscles when it comes to their elastic properties and how they change over time,” he says. On a more concrete level, flexibility’s a measurement. “It’s a measure for the range of motion of your individual joints,” says Elizabeth Barchi, MD, a sports medicine pro with NYU Langone Health. “So a lot of your muscles will span across at least one joint, and their purpose is to provide leverage and move the muscles and the joints so we can do things like walk. When those muscles are very tight, you’re not

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April 26, 2019 at 02:00AM by CWC Either-or scenarios are a fundamental part of planning a vacation: Beach or mountains? Long-term stay or sojourn? JOMO-inspired activities or FOMO-worthy escapades? Well if your current travel criteria doesn’t yet include researching the energy (yes, energy) of any locale in question, allow me to change your ways and introduce vortices (that’s the plural form of “vortex,” BTW): concentrated tornadoes of energy that cluster on certain spots of the globe. Just like your body has energetic chakras tracking from the crown of your head to the base of your spine, (insert David Attenborough’s voice here) so too does Mother Earth. First things first, at its basic essence, a vortex is a circular flow of energy, says Kim McDermott, the mindfulness consultant at Mii Amo Resort in Sedona, Arizona. “Tornadoes, hurricanes—all of our storm systems are actually bodies of energy that move in a circular pattern. That’s why they’re so powerful,” she says. These sweeping funnels of kinetic potential have a spiritual reputation for inciting revelation to those passing through them—bringing people to tears and heralding new chapters in life. They occur in areas replete with natural resources that give a location’s geography an undeniable magnetism. In the case of Sedona, that comes in the form of quartz crystal, the iron that’s oxidized in the sandstone, and the water that has flowed both in and out of the city throughout history. While the concept of such energy tornadoes has been around for, like, ever, McDermott

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