February 14, 2020 at 12:00PM by CWC [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZi0j-7rDe8] No move is more OG or has more cred than the push-up. It’s the punishment of choice for boot camps, Pilates classes, yoga flows, HIIT classes, and the list goes on forever. That’s probably because there are endless variations—from the dive bomber to the pseudo planche—that specifically work all different muscles within your upper body. One such push-up tweak, the tricep push-up, is meant to target the back of your arms, and SolidCore instructor Triana Brown is going to give you the low-down on how to nail it perfectly every time. “[Tricep push-ups are] a great move for your upper body and your core,” says Brown. Your triceps, which run along the back of your biceps, are used all of the time. But Brown says that she sees a lot of things go wrong when people in her class do tricep push-ups, which means that the exercise isn’t going to do you any favors. Proper form is key to reaping all of the benefits of the move (and let’s be honest, if you’re going to put in the time to do push-ups, why not do them the right way?). To make sure you’re not making these common pitfalls, keep scrolling for the mistakes Brown sees in class (and take note). The most common tricep push-up mistakes 1. The head is lifted upward. 2. The elbows are too wide. 3. The chest drops down. 4. The butt is lifted too far up
Month: February 2020
This Well+Good designer turned her living room into a personal Zen den—here’s how you can do it, too
February 14, 2020 at 10:00AM by CWC The living room is the space in your home literally designed for kicking back. But since it’s also the room where the majority of your at-home life happens (hence the name), it can be tough to strike a balance between can-easily-entertain and this-is-my-wind-down-zone—especially if you have roommates or kids. But amping up the chill factor of your most-frequented space can go a long way toward creating a stress-free environment to support your mental wellness—and couldn’t we all use a little more Zen in our lives? To prove the point (and give you some inspiration on how to decorate your living room with the goal of sweet serenity), Well+Good design director Jenna Gibson decked out her space with calm-inducing decor to see how it benefitted her post-work me-time. “Since it’s winter and I have a toddler (shout-out to Penny!), I find myself hanging out a lot at home once she’s in bed—so I wanted a space where I could relax and decompress after a long day,” Gibson says. “Plus, it’d give me the chance to do some yoga or read in a quiet environment.” Aren’t you feeling the calming vibes already? Keep scrolling to see how to decorate your living room for a sense of calm—and take a few notes from Gibson’s relaxation sanctuary. The designated comfy corner Every Zen den requires a cozy corner—that’s just how the world works. So, Gibson added greenery, a trendy wooden side table (topped with a candle, naturally),
Transform your favorite powder foundation into a tint with this 1-step hack
February 14, 2020 at 03:00AM by CWC My skin is as sad and dry as unbuttered toast, and achieving a luminous glow that doesn’t disappear the second I step away from my vanity is no easy feat. There is nothing—and I mean nothing—that I like more than having dewy skin. The rise of face oils has been my saving grace, and I just learned a hack that makes it even better—mix it with a powdered foundation to make a DIY tinted face oil. Merrady Wickes, a makeup artist and beauty director for The Detox Market, says you can mix a loose powder foundation with your favorite oil or balm to customize a tint. This is the kind of intel that keeps me going when dry winter air just won’t let be be great. DIY tinted face oil has many benefits. If you already have a powder foundation you love, like the Bare Minerals Original Loose Powder Mineral Foundation Broad Spectrum SPF 15 ($32), you can use that. It’s a great way to get more out of what you own instead buying a tinted face oil (please don’t be mad at me, Kosas Tinted Face Oil. I still love you). If you don’t own one, Ulta’s Mineral Powder Foundation ($14) is a great budget-friendly option. Wickes loves the Alima Pure Satin Matte Foundation ($28) because it only contains four mineral ingredients, making it great for those with sensitive skin. If you don’t already have a face oil, you’ll want to make sure you get one
5 easy ways couples are incorporating sustainability into their weddings
February 14, 2020 at 02:00AM by CWC Weddings are all about love—the love between you and your partner, and the love of two families coming together. Now, more and more couples are incorporating their love of the planet into their nuptials. The Knot just released findings from their 2019 Real Weddings Study, and found that soon-to-be-wed couples are making sustainability a priority. “Weddings tend to be really extravagant,” says Tara Manchanda, owner of wedding and event planning company Tara M. Events in New York City. “It’s not really the place where people save a lot, but there is definitely a growing trend for more mindfulness.” But throwing an eco-friendly wedding is possible. Just listen to the experts. How to have a sustainable wedding, according to wedding planners 1. Wear second hand or borrowed items Couples are taking the idea of “something borrowed” to the next level. The Knot found that 38 percent wore an item that was borrowed or passed down. Erica Jill Razze, owner of eco-conscious wedding and event planning service Capiche Custom Events, says that you can redesign or repurpose sentimental items. “For example, we took beads off of my mom’s veil and repurposed them onto something else, not necessarily the whole thing.” Buying your dress second hand is also a great option—hear us out. There are tons of bridal shops, like Our Story Bridal in New York City, that buy, clean, and restore them gently used wedding dresses to make them good as new. If you’re interested
The surprisingly common health issue that can affect your gut microbiome
February 14, 2020 at 01:00AM by CWC When it comes to dealing with gut health issues, it can feel like a really confusing puzzle that comes with a million pieces (like examining your diet, stress levels, and exercise habits). One factor impacting the gut that may not have crossed your mind yet? Your thyroid. In case you haven’t heard, your thyroid is a pretty important gland that helps regulate your metabolism, heart and digestive function, and muscle control. It can also play a role with mood, making its functioning crucial for mental as well as physical health. Thyroid issues are also super common; per the American Thyroid Association, an estimated 12 percent of the U.S. population will develop some kind of thyroid disorder during their lives, and 20 million Americans have a type of thyroid disease. Yet roughly 60 percent of people with thyroid issues don’t even know they have a problem. Yasmin Akhunji, MD, an Arizona-based endocrinologist with Paloma Health, says that thyroid disorder symptoms can overlap with a lot of other health problems, making them easy to overlook. Oftentimes those overlapping symptoms include those that affect your gut. “Thyroid hormones have effects on virtually all bodily tissues,” said Will Bulsiewicz, MD, a gastroenterologist and author of Fiber Fueled. “Make no mistake, changes in thyroid function will certainly have an effect on our gut.” What you need to know about the thyroid-gut connection Dr. Akhunji says the thyroid affects the gut mainly because of the hormones that the thyroid
I found the best thing to happen to deodorant since aluminum
February 14, 2020 at 12:00AM by CWC When it comes to my armpits, I’ll try anything to make sure they stay fresh—even in the midst of the sweatiest boot camp workout. And boy, do I mean anything: deodorant wipes, sage-spiked stuff, natural sticks galore, and even antiperspirant cycling. But in the most innovative (and out-there!) move yet, I’m here to tell you about what happened to my pits when I used glycolic acid deodorant wipes for two weeks. Surface Deep Anti-Odorant ($25) is a deodorizer that comes in the form of thin, round (biodegradable!) wipes that you swipe over your armpits like you would with a peel pad. The glycolic acid—aka the star ingredient—is a fruit-based alpha hydroxy acid that neutralizes odor-causing bacteria in the area. It also gets rid of dead skin cells (which can build up and lead to odor) and lowers your skin’s pH (so bad bacteria can’t thrive), according to intel that New York City-based dermatologist Joshua Zeichner, MD previously shared with us. The brand’s founder and dermatologist Alicia Zalka, MD, chose glycolic acid because it works on three levels: “It creates a more acidic skin environment to offset the alkaline pH often caused by soaps, which makes it inhospitable for bacteria related to odor-causing skin flora to take hold,” she says. “It also reduces sebum oil deposits on the armpit skin, which further reduces the odor process, and then it also works as a gentle exfoliator to remove dead skin cells and other clogging elements.”
The 3 most common mistakes you make when you’re stressed—and what to do instead
February 13, 2020 at 11:00PM by CWC Isaac Newton’s Third Law of Motion states “what goes up must come down.” But stress is not bound by the constraints of physics—it just goes up and up and up. Psychotherapist Jennifer Silvershein, LCSW, of Manhattan Wellness says that many of us wind up amplifying the mental health harms already placed upon us by our jobs and relationships—even when it’s the last thing we want. Since the signs of stress don’t always hide in plain sight, Silvershein tells me she usually sees her patients contributing to their own mental strife in three ways. Below, she shares what they are so you can stop, take a minute, and do a little introspection to ask if you’re stressing yourself out even more than necessary. A psychologist names the 3 mistakes you’re making when you’re already super-stressed 1. You’re labeling everything as ‘good’ or ‘bad’ to avoid the complexity of a given situation “When individuals are stressed out they want a simple clean answer. They want to put a label on something as good or bad because if it’s unclear, it’s going to take more mental energy, and when we’re extremely stressed we’re already at capacity,” says Silvershein. “When we begin seeing things as all or nothing, or black or white, it leaves no room for flexibility, curiosity, and typically makes us feel trapped and extremely rigid in our choices.” In the long run, this type of binary thinking will actually harm you more than it helps
Jennifer Lopez’s trainer demonstrates the hardest push-up variation you’ve ever seen
February 13, 2020 at 10:30PM by CWC Leave it to Jennifer Lopez‘s trainer David Kirsch to come up with a hardest push-up variation I’ve ever seen—and then make it look super easy. Kirsch, who has worked with J.Lo for years, demonstrates how to take the exercise from level 6 to, like, level 13. To be honest, I think I’m already sore from just looking at it. Kirsch says he likes to take time in the morning to block out the noise and zone in on his mind-body connection—particularly with this push-up that’s so tough that literally no part of his body ever even touches the floor. In the video, he holds himself up a few feet above the ground with stacked blocks while his feet are resting on an elevated base, shifting more of his body weight onto his arms. Then, he does a mix of knee tucks and spiderman push-ups as he performs his hardest push-up variation. Obviously this exercise isn’t for push-up newbies. If you’ve yet to master the standard technique, consider that a prerequisite before attempting the hardest push-up variation. But when you’re ready to get arms like J.Lo, here’s exactly how to do the move. View this post on Instagram A post shared by David Kirsch (@davidkirsch) on Oct 27, 2019 at 6:46am PDT //www.instagram.com/embed.js How to do the hardest push-up variation we’ve ever seen Build two even stacks of blocks—one to go under each hand during your push-ups. Make sure they’re at the
Your 3-step plan for treating a bleeding pimple, according to derms
February 13, 2020 at 10:00PM by CWC Pimples can be frustrating to treat and cover up, but when they start to ooze or bleed, it takes the frustration to a whole new level. Bleeding zits happen for a number of reasons, but the most common is from picking it (which you are most definitely not supposed to do). When that happens, however, there’s a playbook to follow so that it doesn’t turn into something worse. “Pimples that bleed are often a consequence of picking them, which I know is tempting, but remember that it leads to more scarring,” says Robert Anolik, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in New York City. “Bleeding can also happen from incidental irritation from clothing or harsh exfoliation, especially when the pimple is an inflamed cyst and ready to rupture.” Angry cysts are delicate, and can get very inflamed, which makes them “very prone to bleeding with minimal trauma,” adds Adarsh Vijay Mudgil, MD, a board-certified dermatologist and founder of Mudgil Dermatology. Your three-step plan for treating a bleeding pimple 1. Stop the bleeding: “Put pressure on the pimple for a minute or so to stop the bleeding,” says Dr. Mudgil. Use a tissue or a washcloth for the job. 2. Apply a topical treatment: Once the zit has stopped bleeding, Dr. Anolik recommends treating it with a salicylic acid topical product that will work to dry it out while nixing bacteria. You could also turn to benzoyl peroxide or Differin Gel ($16), says Dr. Mudgil. 3.
These matcha Rice Krispies Treats are perfect for Valentine’s—or any day
February 13, 2020 at 09:00PM by CWC It’s not easy to improve upon the simple pleasures of a Rice Krispies Treat, but leave it to Well+Good Council member Candice Kumai to tweak the recipe into something even more delightful. Below, her version of the iconic dessert brings in coconut oil, matcha, and dark chocolate—and though it should go without saying, the results are delicious. These are perfect for Valentine’s Day and every day… and they’re ready in 15 minutes! I hope you’ll share this recipe with friends! Tag me on Instagram if you make them, because I’m dying to see them for Valentine’s and Galentine’s day! With love, Candice Matcha Rice Krispies Treats Yields 1 dozen squares Ingredients 4 Tbsp (1⁄4 cup) coconut oil (or butter, if you’re not vegan) 4 ½ cups mini marshmallows 6 ½ cups Rice Krispies cereal 2 tsp matcha powder (like Matcha Love by Ito En, my fave!) 1 cup melted dark chocolate chips, optional 1. Grease a 8×10 or 9×11 inch baking pan. 2. In a large pot, melt the coconut oil on medium heat. Using a spatula, gently fold in tiny marshmallows. Mix well to combine, then turn stove off. 3. Add in the Rice Krispies cereal and matcha. Mix until the cereal is completely coated with the marshmallow mixture. 4. Using a spatula, transfer mixture to the baking pan. Press firmly to set in pan. 5. Cool completely, then coat with melted chocolate if desired.