May 21, 2019 at 09:18AM by CWC I try to work my abs in every single workout that I do, whether it’s a run, a HIIT class, or yoga. It always just feels like the cherry on top of my workout, since I can easily do a five-minute core workout to round out whatever else my sweat sesh might bring. Working on your core is a fundamental part of fitness, since a strong core can help with your posture and movement in general. But, according to fitness trainer Erica Ziel—a bonafide abs expert—you can actually overdo the ab work. Say what? “The reality is while you are crunching your way to strong abs, you can actually be overworking your core and causing back pain and poor posture,” she tells me, reiterating the importance of having a strong core, since it’s the “main support for your spine, organs, pelvic floor, and entire body.” That said, particular bodily dilemmas can stem from an overworked core, which is pretty much due to not varying the types of abs work that you’re doing. “If you’ve ever experienced back pain, knee pain, or peed your pants a little when you sneeze or jump rope, a weak deep core could be the culprit,” she says. “Many times the stories I see that deal with aches, pains, and imbalances involve people suffering from overdoing crunch-style abdominal exercises. They’ve been taught that crunches are the only way to strengthen your core.” The problem with overdoing just plain crunches
Category: 2019 Health
It’s really easy to overwork the core, which is just as dicey as doing zero ab work
May 21, 2019 at 09:18AM by CWC I try to work my abs in every single workout that I do, whether it’s a run, a HIIT class, or yoga. It always just feels like the cherry on top of my workout, since I can easily do a five-minute core workout to round out whatever else my sweat sesh might bring. Working on your core is a fundamental part of fitness, since a strong core can help with your posture and movement in general. But, according to fitness trainer Erica Ziel—a bonafide abs expert—you can actually overdo the ab work. Say what? “The reality is while you are crunching your way to strong abs, you can actually be overworking your core and causing back pain and poor posture,” she tells me, reiterating the importance of having a strong core, since it’s the “main support for your spine, organs, pelvic floor, and entire body.” That said, particular bodily dilemmas can stem from an overworked core, which is pretty much due to not varying the types of abs work that you’re doing. “If you’ve ever experienced back pain, knee pain, or peed your pants a little when you sneeze or jump rope, a weak deep core could be the culprit,” she says. “Many times the stories I see that deal with aches, pains, and imbalances involve people suffering from overdoing crunch-style abdominal exercises. They’ve been taught that crunches are the only way to strengthen your core.” The problem with overdoing just plain crunches
There’s even more evidence that anxiety and gut health are related
May 21, 2019 at 09:06AM by CWC More evidence supporting the mind-gut connection comes in the form a new study published in the journal General Psychiatry. Researchers studied a total of 3,334 scientific articles of 21 different experiments on a total of 1,503 people and found that regulating one’s gut health could be an effective part of anxiety management. “Overall, 11 studies showed a positive effect on anxiety symptoms by regulating intestinal microbiota, which indicated 52 percent of the 21 studies were effective, and there were five studies that used probiotic supplements as interventions and six used non-probiotic interventions,” the study authors write. Probiotics can help, but so can eating a diet rich in fermented foods, such as sauerkraut, yogurt, miso, and tempeh. While the authors say that more research needs to be done—anxiety and its causes are complicated—this meta-analysis provides more evidence that there is a relationship between mental health and gastrointestinal health. It’s still unclear why the relationship exists, but a previous mouse study in 2017 showed there may be a link between gastrointestinal microbes and gene regulators in the brain. The researchers found that bacteria in the gut influences the amygdala (the brain’s center for emotional processing) and the prefrontal cortex (which, in part, regulates the consolidation and extinction of social fear). Not only does this reinforce the mind-gut connection, but it shows that the part of the mind the gut affects is in part our emotional center. It’s important to note that diet is not the only
There’s even more evidence that anxiety and gut health are related
May 21, 2019 at 09:06AM by CWC More evidence supporting the mind-gut connection comes in the form a new study published in the journal General Psychiatry. Researchers studied a total of 3,334 scientific articles of 21 different experiments on a total of 1,503 people and found that regulating one’s gut health could be an effective part of anxiety management. “Overall, 11 studies showed a positive effect on anxiety symptoms by regulating intestinal microbiota, which indicated 52 percent of the 21 studies were effective, and there were five studies that used probiotic supplements as interventions and six used non-probiotic interventions,” the study authors write. Probiotics can help, but so can eating a diet rich in fermented foods, such as sauerkraut, yogurt, miso, and tempeh. While the authors say that more research needs to be done—anxiety and its causes are complicated—this meta-analysis provides more evidence that there is a relationship between mental health and gastrointestinal health. It’s still unclear why the relationship exists, but a previous mouse study in 2017 showed there may be a link between gastrointestinal microbes and gene regulators in the brain. The researchers found that bacteria in the gut influences the amygdala (the brain’s center for emotional processing) and the prefrontal cortex (which, in part, regulates the consolidation and extinction of social fear). Not only does this reinforce the mind-gut connection, but it shows that the part of the mind the gut affects is in part our emotional center. It’s important to note that diet is not the only
Sephora doesn’t go 30 seconds without selling this brand—and nothing is over $15
May 21, 2019 at 08:53AM by CWC The U.K. has given us a lot of things worth loving: the national treasure that is James Corden, The Spice Girls‘ entire musical catalogue, and shirtless photos of David Beckham, to name a few of my personal favorites. But they have truly outdone themselves this time around when they blessed us with The Inkey List, a London-based skin-care line that hit the shelves of Sephora last month. I could write an entire thesis about how great this brand is, but I’ll stick to a few key points so you can get the gist. First of all, every product is under $15. In fact, most of them retailing in the $7 to $10 range means you can put together an entire routine for less than 60 bucks, AKA less than the cost of two fancy fitness classes. And second of all, the products are good (like, really good). Each product is centered on a single ingredient—vitamin C, retinol, and glycolic acid, to name a few fan favorites—and the boxes offer up simplified, straightforward explainers on what each and every one of them does. Squalene, for example, is a “natural skin oil that helps to hydrate and protect skin,” while lactic acid is a “natural AHA derived from milk and fruit sugars. It acts as an exfoliant, which helps loosen and remove dead skin cells from the skin’s surface.” Whether you’re a walking ingredient thesaurus or just getting started in your personal skin-care journey, pretty
Sephora doesn’t go 30 seconds without selling this brand—and nothing is over $15
May 21, 2019 at 08:53AM by CWC The U.K. has given us a lot of things worth loving: the national treasure that is James Corden, The Spice Girls‘ entire musical catalogue, and shirtless photos of David Beckham, to name a few of my personal favorites. But they have truly outdone themselves this time around when they blessed us with The Inkey List, a London-based skin-care line that hit the shelves of Sephora last month. I could write an entire thesis about how great this brand is, but I’ll stick to a few key points so you can get the gist. First of all, every product is under $15. In fact, most of them retailing in the $7 to $10 range means you can put together an entire routine for less than 60 bucks, AKA less than the cost of two fancy fitness classes. And second of all, the products are good (like, really good). Each product is centered on a single ingredient—vitamin C, retinol, and glycolic acid, to name a few fan favorites—and the boxes offer up simplified, straightforward explainers on what each and every one of them does. Squalene, for example, is a “natural skin oil that helps to hydrate and protect skin,” while lactic acid is a “natural AHA derived from milk and fruit sugars. It acts as an exfoliant, which helps loosen and remove dead skin cells from the skin’s surface.” Whether you’re a walking ingredient thesaurus or just getting started in your personal skin-care journey, pretty
Jessica Biel breaks a sweat with these wild single-leg skater squats—and now so do I
May 21, 2019 at 08:47AM by CWC If you’re looking for fitness inspiration, there’s one woman who always comes through. Jessica Biel is basically the Hulk in chic activewear, celebrating good news with aerial flips and preparing for award shows with a round of pistol squats. And now she’s back with another ridiculously tough exercise called skater squats. In a recent Instagram video, the Biel showcases the move during a session with her trainer, Ben Bruno. And she doesn’t just stick with the basics. Biel ups the ante with long holds as she lowers her leg to the floor. “Wanna see something crazy? Jessica Biel does skater squats with 8-second eccentrics for sets of 6 reps. This is just nuts,” he wrote. “This isn’t something we did one time for the video either—this was her third set, and I have her do these routinely. It’s really a wonder she hasn’t fired me yet.” Biel’s sweat-inducing skater squats are meant to turn pain into gains. “By focusing on one side of the body, you’re able to improve balance, build stability, and override muscular compensation in the glutes and quads while getting an amazing calorie torch,” says Chicago-based celebrity personal trainer Gideon Akande. And when you add the dumbbells and holds into the mix, you get even more out of the movement. “Eccentrics—the eight-second lowering phase—are a really great way to create more force with less energy, build more strength, and make this more attainable without having to use really heavy weight,”
Jessica Biel breaks a sweat with these wild single-leg skater squats—and now so do I
May 21, 2019 at 08:47AM by CWC If you’re looking for fitness inspiration, there’s one woman who always comes through. Jessica Biel is basically the Hulk in chic activewear, celebrating good news with aerial flips and preparing for award shows with a round of pistol squats. And now she’s back with another ridiculously tough exercise called skater squats. In a recent Instagram video, the Biel showcases the move during a session with her trainer, Ben Bruno. And she doesn’t just stick with the basics. Biel ups the ante with long holds as she lowers her leg to the floor. “Wanna see something crazy? Jessica Biel does skater squats with 8-second eccentrics for sets of 6 reps. This is just nuts,” he wrote. “This isn’t something we did one time for the video either—this was her third set, and I have her do these routinely. It’s really a wonder she hasn’t fired me yet.” Biel’s sweat-inducing skater squats are meant to turn pain into gains. “By focusing on one side of the body, you’re able to improve balance, build stability, and override muscular compensation in the glutes and quads while getting an amazing calorie torch,” says Chicago-based celebrity personal trainer Gideon Akande. And when you add the dumbbells and holds into the mix, you get even more out of the movement. “Eccentrics—the eight-second lowering phase—are a really great way to create more force with less energy, build more strength, and make this more attainable without having to use really heavy weight,”
There are 10 million unpaid millennial caregivers—here’s what life is like for 4 of them
May 21, 2019 at 08:13AM by CWC Twenty-eight-year-old Elana Cohen felt her phone vibrate as she walked into a work meeting. It was her 93-year-old grandmother, calling for the third time that day. “Hi Grandma, everything OK?” she asked. “I just had a nightmare,” her grandmother said. “I wanted to hear your voice.” Cohen peeked inside the conference room and saw her meeting was starting. Her colleagues knew not to wait for her. This is a conversation Cohen has with her grandmother virtually every day, multiple times a day. Cohen and her older sister, who is 32, are their grandmother’s primary caregivers—and have been since they were 15 and 18, when their mother passed away. (Their father helps out when he can, but Cohen says their grandmother really only trusts her two granddaughters for help.) Though their grandmother lives on her own and is in good health, Cohen says caring for her is an all-consuming responsibility. Besides the constant phone calls, Cohen and her sister make sure she has enough food to eat, clean her apartment, go to doctor’s appointments with her, and manage her money. All of that on top of their own full-time jobs and responsibilities. “She goes through her own money so fast that we have to use ours to buy her groceries,” Cohen says. “It’s hard because my sister and I are still trying to figure out our own finances. We don’t have a lot of money to give her.” Yet when Cohen tries to talk
This is what kind of Gemini you are, according to your moon sign
May 21, 2019 at 06:37AM by CWC Geminis are like the Carrie Bradshaws of the zodiac: Broadly speaking, they’re social, quick-witted, and a little bit flaky (in the most charming way possible). But what if you were born between May 20 and June 20 and you’re more of the responsible, reserved type? No, this doesn’t mean the cosmos were taking a rest day when you entered the world. Rather, since your sun sign only tells a small part of your astrological story, a lot of the nuance of what makes you distinct doesn’t fit with the common profile. There are eight other planets (and a few asteroids) that star in your natal chart, each of which affects the way your Gemini traits express themselves. One of these is the moon, which is said to rule a person’s emotions. If you know your birth time and place, you can get a copy of your natal chart for free, and it’ll show you your moon sign—the spot in the sky where the moon was hanging out when you were born. “The moon sign is the intimate or even secret side of your personality that you don’t always let everyone see,” says astrologer and women’s empowerment coach Natalia Benson. “If you get to know your moon sign, you can get to know your emotional responses and what you need in intimate relationships.” When the energies of your sun and moon signs collide, they create a portrait of you that’s more nuanced than the