April 06, 2019 at 10:00AM by CWC If you ever dreamt of being a ballerina—or at least, dreamed of being as strong and/or as flexible as a ballerina—you’re in luck. Instead of having to schlep to (and pay for) a dance class, you can now get everything you need for a ballet-level strength right in the comfort of your living room. YouTube is bursting with barre videos that cost exactly 0 bucks—which is much, much cheaper than the usual 20 to 30 dollars per class that most studios charge—and offer ballet-based workouts that you can do without an actual barre (unless, ya know, you happen to have one of those lying around at home). All you have to do is sub in a chair or table to hold onto in order to keep your form in tact and get to plié-ing. Barre workouts might be light on cardio, but they’re an A-plus way to sculpt and strengthen muscles using teeny, tiny movements that will leave your legs shaking, for real. But instead of trying to first, second, and third-position on your own, here are seven videos worth pulling on some white tights and a leotard for. You’re welcome. Barre3 Body Burner [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zMySjpS6jQ?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281] Even if you don’t have a Barre3 studio nearby (… or just don’t feel like leaving the house to get there), this 45-minute workout is basically the same as taking an actual class. Except that you can do it at home in your underwear. Holabird Sports
Category: 2019 Health
6 all-natural ways to deal with allergies so you can actually smell those spring flowers
April 06, 2019 at 08:00AM by CWC The weather is *finally* taking a turn for the better and you can swap out your big puffer coat for a cute denim jacket. You probably have a mental list of everything you want to do now that the weather’s warmer. Yoga in the park! Weekend trip to the shore! Actually leaving the office at lunchtime to go for a walk! So it really sucks when instead of being able to enjoy the great outdoors, you’re stuck inside with what feels like a head cold. Damn allergies. Antihistamines, decongestants, steroid nasal sprays, and eye drops aren’t your only choices for living your best, allergy-free life. There are many holistic, all-natural ways to help manage your symptoms, and chances are you already stock much of what can help at home. Let’s take a look at some of the all-natural alternatives, shall we? 1. Take precautions with a few simple steps. Ready for an easy doctor-approved tip? Block yourself from direct contact with potential triggers by wearing sunglasses and a hat when you’re outside, and wash your hands when you come back inside. 2. Add bee pollen to your smoothie. Bee pollen is made of flower pollen, which bees collect, and then turn it into small particles using saliva and honey. Sure, it may sound a little unappetizing—and counterproductive since it has flower pollen—but according to board-certified allergist Heather Moday, MD, consuming bee pollen is believed to be similar to taking an allergy shot. “The idea
Dentists name the most common brushing mistakes they see
April 06, 2019 at 06:05AM by CWC I don’t have to tell you how important it is to brush your teeth. It’s something that was likely drilled into your childhood brain by your mom, dentist, and that catchy toothbrushing song from kindergarten and has taken hold in your adult life. But while we’ve always been taught that proper oral hygiene is a necessity for keeping your pearly whites glistening, avoiding cavities, and not scaring away friends and loved ones with bad breath, there’s another reason why you need to be brushing your teeth on the reg: The sake of your gums. I know, I know—it isn’t exactly the sexiest topic, but it is an important one. The American Dental Association recommends giving your mouth a good scrub down with a toothbrush twice a day and a once-over with floss to keep your teeth clean, which will help you avoid the buildup of plaque and tartar. These “wool sweaters” are packed with bacteria, which can cause gingivitis, an inflammation of the gums, which can lead to more serious gum issues ranging from mild to severe periodontitis. And in case painful, swollen gums (and the potential of loose teeth) wasn’t enough to cause you concern, periodontal diseases have been linked to more serious issues like heart disease, diabetes, and stroke. While the frequency of your toothbrushing is unquestionably critical (yes, your mom, dentist, and kindergarten teacher were right), there are other factors that also come into play. “Some of the best practices that gets overlooked are how you utilize the toothbrush,” says Lawrence Fung, DDS, founder
This commonly overlooked body part is the key to full-body strength
April 06, 2019 at 04:00AM by CWC When you hit the gym, there are a few muscles that tend to get most of the attention (ahem: abs, butt, and arms). But there’s one body part that gets overlooked as much as Chris Kirkpatrick did when you were deciding which member of N’SYNC you wanted to marry in 2002, and that’s your wrists. I know, I know, “strengthening your wrists” isn’t quite as sexy as, say, building your butt into a perfectly perky peach, but it should still be an important part of your workout routine. Hear me out: Though wrists are a little snoozy to talk about, the strength of your wrists actually impacts the strength of pretty much the entire rest of your body. Like, how can you hold a plank, or even a set of dumbbells, if you’ve got weak wrists on your…hands. LOL. “Having strong wrists is critical for developing upper body pushing and pulling strength—if you can’t grip something, then it is very hard to make gains,” confirms Geoff Tripp CSCS, and head of fitness at Trainiac. Since they’re so crucial to the workout at hand, I reached out to pros to talk about how to strengthen them and nine moves you need to say “bye, bye, bye” to weak wrists forever. Why should you worry about strengthening your wrists? “Wrist strength is extremely important when it comes to injury development and overall body strength,” explains Aaptiv trainer Mike Septh. “Without developing strength in the wrists, overall body
Ever wanted to feel like a contortionist in bed? Get a sex pillow, stat
April 05, 2019 at 03:00PM by CWC I haven’t pulled a muscle during sex, but it feels about as inevitable as a breakup announcement from a Bachelor couple. I can’t touch my toes, let alone throw my leg over my shoulder as if it were a scarf; my “splits” are about as acute as the Eiffel tower; and when I take the rare yoga class, I hoard the tools for modification (blocks, straps, blankets) like squirrel prepping for winter. TBH, getting down with me is like getting down with the Tin Man, and while you don’t need to be flexible to have good sex, I often worry my rickety and distinct lack of flexibility limit my romps. And that’s precisely why I started looking into sex pillows. First things first: Sex pillows and sex furniture aren’t new; in fact, there are more than 1,000 search results on Amazon for “sex pillow.” And after thinking about it, the concept makes total sense. “A sex pillow is to sex what a yoga block is to yoga,” says sex educator Alexandra Fine, CEO and co-founder of Dame, the sex-toy company that recently launched Pillo. “It helps you reach and achieve different angles and perspectives and supports your body in those positions.” “Sex pillows help you reach and achieve different angles and perspectives and supports your body in those positions.” —Alexandra Fine, CEO of Dame Whatever your gender, sexual orientation, or identification, a sex pillow can be of service. You can use it to
The UN unveils a floating city to save us when Water World happens IRL
April 05, 2019 at 02:00PM by CWC Everyone! As we speak the United Nations is making plans to create a real-life Atlantis. (No, seriously!) UN-Habitat, the UN program for human settlements, recently announced plans to build the first-ever floating city. The metropolis (aquapolis?) has the potential of housing up to 10,000 residents, and is designed for the utmost sustainability, reports IFLScience. The layout of the innovative archipelago, which was designed by the architecture firm BIG along with the MIT Center for Ocean Engineering, seeks to mitigate one of the world’s most pressing climate change issue: rising sea levels. The National Ocean Service has previously warned that global sea levels are rising at an increasing rate of about about one-eighth of an inch per year. If that doesn’t sound like a lot, know this: The small increase can lead to more concerning storm surges for the nearly 40 percent of the population that lives near the coast. The isle would reportedly be stormproof (with enough warning) and completely incapable of being flooded. If you’re having trouble picturing a floating island, imagine a cluster of smaller land masses that form a flower-shaped view from overhead. When and if the conceptual city becomes an IRL housing option, residents of these floating islands would have the ability to grow their food, create their own energy—all while living a zero-waste lifestyle. The engineers explain that the city will operate like its own organism, working with the sea life below to create a symbiotic ecosystem. “It is
Is green juice really the end-all, be-all of wellness?
April 05, 2019 at 11:30AM by CWC [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8csZ9D1IKn0] Ah, green juice. Is there anything more emblematic of the wellness movement? The starring vegetable may change (spinach, kale, and now celery juice), but green juice in general has stood the test of time—unlike Jazzercise and Jane Fonda workout videos. But are green juice benefits for real? It’s a question registered dietitian Tracy Lockwood Beckerman, RD gets to the bottom of in Well+Good’s latest episode of You Versus Food, a YouTube series devoted to giving the straight facts on popular food and drink trends. (You’ve already subscribed to our channel, right?) What are the benefits of green juice? There are a couple, Beckerman says. Namely: 1. It’s rich in antioxidants. Thanks to all of those fruits and vegetables, of course! 2. It’s filled with easy-to-absorb nutrients. OK, you know all the benefits that you’d generally get with green veggies (antioxidants, minerals and phytonutrients)? You can get most of them from a green juice, in a format that’s potentially easier for your body to digest. 3. It’s high in chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is what plants use to convert sunlight into energy—and gives them their signature green color. In people, chlorophyll can aid digestion, help detox the liver, and has antioxidant properties. However: “A juice alone isn’t nutritionally considered a balanced meal,” Lockwood-Beckerman says. That’s because green juices typically lack much protein, healthy fat, and fiber. (Oh right, fiber!) She suggests supplementing a meal with green juice, or juicing between meals, rather than using a green juice as
Well+Good is nominated for the Oscars of the Internet—here’s how to help us win
April 05, 2019 at 11:31AM by CWC Wow, this is such an honor. First, we’d like to thank the barista next door, who kept us energized with matcha and oat milk lattes. And Justin’s for an almond butter cup sugar high when we really needed it. And to our readers…you like us! You really, really like us! Sorrynotsorry, we’re just over here practicing our acceptance speech because Well+Good was just nominated for a Webby Award! ICYMI, the Webby Awards are basically the Oscars of the online world. Presented by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences, the judges—consisting of Web experts, business figures, luminaries, visionaries and creative celebrities—honor the best of the best websites every year. Categories range from entertainment, humor, fashion & beauty, news and politics, travel, and many more. Well+Good is up for a biggie: Best Lifestyle Site. This means so much to us because our ethos has always been—and always will be—to be your trusted advisor for navigating the ever-expanding (and sometimes confusing) world of wellness. We aim to demystify what it means to live a healthy life, calling and covering trends—and telling you what to skip all together. Like the Oscars, this is a BFD to those of us at W+G to be up for an award. Unlike the Oscars, the people have a say in it! You can vote for Well+Good as your favorite lifestyle site for the next two weeks (until Thursday, April 18). All you need to vote: Visit WebbyAwards.com and click
Fitness blogger Sarah Stevenson shows the reality of childbirth in a spare-no-details video
April 05, 2019 at 09:49AM by CWC In a video with 1.4 million views and counting, holistic health blogger Sarah Stevenson did something few have done before her: record—and post on the Internet for the world to see—the labor and delivery of her first-born son, Fox Ocean Tilse. The less “photogenic” elements of pregnancy and childbirth are still largely hidden from public view, making Stevenson’s on-camera vulnerability a sight for sore eyes. In the caption of a photo Stevenson posted to Instagram, she describes childbirth as “the toughest thing we’ve ever gone through but by far the most rewarding.” Her video condenses the two-day endeavor (“over 24 hours of pre-labor, seven hours of active labor, and no sleep for over 40 hours”) into 25 minutes. Not to worry, that’s plenty of time to watch her clock her contractions, consult her midwife, make toast, bounce on her balance ball, cry, go to the hospital, consider the possibility of an emergency C-section, opt to have an epidural, and—you know—mentally prepare for becoming a parent. Nothing—and I mean nothing—is left out (see: the catheter discussion at minute 23). [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVxe6yESoh4] Now that the video has been released, Stevenson says she has every intention of being totally transparent about her new identity as a mom. She’s already taken to the ‘gram to share how her body’s looking and feeling. “Right now, seven days since giving birth to Fox, I love my body more than ever!! I’m so excited to wear jeans, bend down to
Here’s what a serving size actually looks like of 10 of your favorite healthy foods
April 05, 2019 at 07:01AM by CWC Conventional wisdom (and most research) tells us that healthy eating requires eating balanced portions of a wide variety of foods, especially fruits and vegetables. Seems simple enough…except for the fact that what’s recommended on the back of a nutrition label isn’t always enlightening. And a lot of traditional serving size definitions are pretty unhelpful, tbh. (When was the last time you looked at a deck of cards as a size reference for anything?) “Portion sizes can get a bit confusing, since a lot of nutrition labels talk in grams for portions and people don’t carry a food scale around in their back pocket,” says Brigitte Zeitlin, R.D., owner of BZ Nutrition in New York City. “One serving can seem a bit abstract and not really a concrete visual to understand.” Most of us tend to overestimate portions since we’re used to restaurant portions—which are actually more like double the recommended serving size, Zeitlin says. The one exception: vegetables, which most of us don’t get enough of. “I tell clients to double or sometimes triple the fresh veggies they have in a day,” she says. By doing so, you’ll edge closer to your recommended 25 grams daily grams of fiber, plus you’ll get a dose of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. Not sure what a portion is? Here’s what a serving size actually looks like for 10 healthy foods you’re probably plopping in your grocery cart all the time. 1. Cashews Photo: W+G Creative Serving