March 23, 2019 at 12:00PM by CWC There are many differences between Kim Kardashian and I: Our bank accounts, for one. Our opinions on bike shorts as outerwear, for another. But never have I felt so different from the Keeping Up With the Kardashians star than when it comes to our feelings about the StairMaster. Kim starts her 5 a.m. daily workouts—which she regularly posts to the ‘gram—with a few minutes of a warmup on the StairMaster. I, on the other hand, stare at the machine in contempt any time I come within 10 feet of it at the gym, and have only ever actually gotten onto it when a trainer insisted. But despite how downright painful StairMasters tend to be, KKW seems to be onto something, because they really do make for an effective warmup. “The StairMaster is a fantastic machine to warm up on because it works your entire lower half—your glutes, quads, hamstrings, and calves, and you use your bodyweight to power yourself upward, so it’s great for everyone. It also raises your entire body temperate, which is the purpose behind warming up before your cardio or strength routine,” says John Thornhill, Aaptiv Master Trainer. “Have you ever gone up three flights of stairs and noticed your heart and breath rate is high? That’s because it skyrockets your heart rate in no time. Climb it for five minutes and you’re ready for your sweat session.” To make your StairMaster warmups as un-boring as possible, here are five of our favorite
Category: 2019 Health
These chocolate chip cookies taste so good you can’t even tell they’re Paleo
March 23, 2019 at 10:00AM by CWC Anyone who knows me never has to ask which kind of cookie I want: It’s always chocolate chip. Yet I’ve had so much trouble making a healthy version that tastes anything close to the ones my grandma baked growing up (trust me, I’ve tried). But I think I’ve just found the solution in the form of this Paleo chocolate chip cookie recipe. The Paleo community on Instagram is all a-buzz over lifestyle blogger Nicole Modic’s (aka KaleJunkie’s) Life-Changing Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe. “They’re crispy on the outside and chewy in the middle. And the best part is they’re gluten-free, dairy-free, grain-free, Paleo, and easily made vegan…did I leave anything out?” she wrote in an Instagram post. The original recipe is from September 2018, and has gotten plenty of new renditions from devotees (like adding in espresso!). View this post on Instagram since i’m not sharing any new recipes for another three days (i’m not the kind of gal that stockpiles new content for times when i’m traveling, who has time for that?!!!?) you’ll just have to put up with pics of LA eats and selfies 😆 in the meantime, featured below are my Life Changing Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookies (#LCTCCC), which, if you haven’t made them at this point, then we kinda seriously might have issues 😎 you can find the recipe by clicking the link in my bio, it’s right there for you! they are crispy on the outside. chewy in the
Spring’s 8 biggest sneaker trends (and how to get the look at every budget)
March 23, 2019 at 08:00AM by CWC Sneakers are always in style. Pair your low-tops with sundresses and high tops with skinny jeans; style metallic kicks with denim and tees, and save your neon pink platforms for that ultra-feminine midi skirt that needs a little something extra. No matter how you style them, you can’t go wrong. Rajni Jacques, the fashion director of Teen Vogue and Allure, considers sneakers a mainstay of her wardrobe. “What I love is that there are so many varieties and styles of sneakers,” she says. For stylist Rachael Wang, the beauty of the sneaker sits comfortably in nostalgia. “I have a very emotional connection to sneakers,” she says. “I think it’s mostly as a result of growing up in the ’90s, the golden age of sneakers.” On the runway, designers made a sporty statement that certainly told the world that sneakers weren’t going anywhere—at least this year. The designers at Gucci added a little bling to their retro styles, pairing them with evening wear and workwear alike; Off-White debuted a classically inspired collaboration with Nike, walking the runway styled with some of the most striking tulle gowns in every color of the rainbow; and JW Anderson paired flirty and feminine mini dresses with his take on Converse staples. This spring, the sneakers that are hitting it big might surprise you—and simultaneously inspire a shopping spree. With little exception, though, this season’s coming sneaker trends are encouraging all of us to have a bit of fun
Dyeing your own clothes is the ultimate way to upcycle your old stuff
March 23, 2019 at 06:00AM by CWC If I was a betting woman, I’d put a good amount of money down on the fact that anyone reading this right now likely has an old, ratty white T-shirt buried at the back of their drawer. What was once a cute going out top then turned into a sleep shirt, then a workout top, and finally something you wouldn’t be caught dead in unless you were maybe painting your living room (completely alone, that is). But instead of putting it out to pasture, why not give it new life by way of a fresh dye job? While learning how to dye clothes may feel like an intense undertaking (and, it’s worth noting, there are professionals out there who will do it for you) it’s actually a whole lot easier than it seems. Think of it as the grown-up version of summer camp tie dye projects you loved as a kid, but with patterns that actually turn out the way you want them to. And not only will DIY dyeing help you create an entirely new wardrobe for yourself for like, $0, it’s also a sustainable (and chic) way to hold on to pieces that might have otherwise ended up in the garbage. If you haven’t so much as thought about dipping your hands into a pot of dye since those Camp Mataponi art classes, not to worry—I tapped a real-life dye expert John Breining of NYC’s Metro Dyeing to share his tips on how to dye clothes. Photo:
How I use my body piercings as a litmus test for finding the right partner
March 23, 2019 at 04:00AM by CWC Everyone has dating wants and dating won’ts. (For instance, I want a kind, wellness-minded person who won’t make fun of my status as a cat person—but I won’t go for a Gemini, anyone with a pet snake or iguana, or a CrossFit hater.) But when I got my nipple pierced four years ago, it didn’t occur to me that a bit of boob-bling could land me on someone’s “won’t” list. One evening when my top came off during some heavy petting though, that reality became glaringly clear. I came to learn that the way my intimate partner felt about below-the-neck piercings mirrors how I feel about unsolicited dick pics. What followed was a look of sheer horror. And not the variety that comes as an involuntary reaction to your boo farting (and it being really smelly)—no, think more like Scream or The Exorcist. So, on went my shirt, and out the front door went my ex. While in the moment it didn’t even occur to me to remove the metal rod from the piercing, upon further thought, I actually didn’t even want to take it out, willy-nilly, for someone who, bafflingly, found it to be a deal-breaker (as opposed to a general preference). I like my nipple piercing; it’s an empowering form of self-expression that makes me feel great, literally and otherwise. So then and there, I resolved to never waste more time with folks who like me…but only until my shirt comes off. Enter the advent my relationship-potential litmus test:
Woah: You should lace your shoes based on your foot type, according to a podiatrist
March 22, 2019 at 03:00PM by CWC Growing up, my parents were the ones who dealt with my shoelaces. They taught me the bunny ear trick, sure, but lacing up my sneakers was a whole different story. Nowadays, I just pray the shoes come already laced and ready to go—and if they don’t, I haphazardly put the shoelaces through the holes, hoping it results in a decent enough result that keeps my shoes on my feet. But then my colleague told me this a.m. that he has a special trick for lacing his sneakers that’s specifically designed for those with high arches (like himself—hi Jamie!)—which led me down into a whole spiral of thoughts like “Why did I never know there are shoe-lacing methods for different feet types?!” and “Have I lived under a rock for 30 years?” With feet that don’t have a high arch, I’m now curious whether I require a certain arch-lacking lacing technique. And so I consulted a podiatrist for the low-down once and for all. “The lacing of a shoe can impact the way that pressure is put on the top of the foot, or the way the foot is secured in the shoe,” explains Dr. Emily Splichal, DPM, MS, a New York-based podiatrist. “The factory standard of X-patterned lacing doesn’t work for all foot types and can actually put pressure on the toes and the nerves on the top of your feet.” I feel like my world has been turned upside down. It’s not
This Google graph pretty much confirms squats are the most misunderstood move
March 22, 2019 at 12:42PM by CWC If my browser history is any indication, I have a bad case of gym confusion. In the past month, I’ve Googled “how to do a trap bar deadlift,” “what is a bear crawl,” and “what’s the difference between a forearm and a hand plank.” Above all though, the squat (which comes in sumo, jump, and many more iterations) is the move that eludes my understanding the most. Apparently, I’m in good company: A quick Google Trends search of burpees, planks, crunches, squats and lunges reveals that the rest of the internet is equally as perplexed as I am (see below for graphical proof). Photo: Google Clearly (the data doesn’t lie!), we could all use a refresher on the biodynamics of this booty-centric move. And fortunately, Obé trainer Megan Roup provided Well+Good with full scoop. The general aim of a squat is to “break parallel” with the ground, she explains. “Feet are nice and wide. You’re in a strong stance. And as I shift back [pouring the weight into] my heels, my chest is up. Ignite your glutes, squeeze back up,” she says. For an extra challenge, place a resistance band around your knees or hold a medicine ball between your palms. Once you repeat 25 to 30 reps total, you can consider your butt workout done, done, and done. Oh, and you can take satisfaction in never opening your browser for an explainer again. Megan Roup demonstrates the correct form for squats: [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9OfycnUL0h8]
Why a coffee shop is the most psychologically strategic spot for a first date
March 22, 2019 at 12:05PM by CWC I get heart eyes for anyone who buys me a strong cup of coffee with a splash of oat milk. Maybe it’s the rich, luscious aroma. Maybe it’s the heady taste that signals my brain to leap into a brand-new day ahead. Or maybe, as Scientific American argues, I’m really experiencing a “misattribution of arousal,” a term in psychology for confusing which part of a given interaction is appealing to you. “Most of the time what we feel is not really ‘anger’ or ‘happiness‘ but simply arousal, a word that tends to take on a sexual connotation yet really just means an increase in blood pressure, heart rate, and sensory alertness,” reports Scientific American. When your brain scans your emotions for the source of these physiological responses, it may attribute your racing heart beat to attraction rather than the onslaught of caffeine. The same goes for fear, according to the “love bridge” study, which was conducted in 1974 on heteronormative test subjects. In a scenario that could be straight out of an Alfred Hitchcock film, researchers asked 85 male participants to walk across two different bridges. One was suspended 230 feet off the ground; one was only 10 feet off the ground. Once they’d made their way across their respective surfaces, each man was approached by an “attractive” woman who asked them to fill out a questionnaire and write a story about an image she provided for them. She then gave them permission to
What your go-to sleeping position says about you, according to the pros
March 22, 2019 at 11:40AM by CWC Everyone from scientists to mental health professionals to Arianna Huffington agrees that getting a good night’s sleep is one of the most important things you can do for your well-being. You’ve probably heard the arguments for getting eight to 10 hours of shut-eye every night, and you’ve committed yourself to at least attempting to snooze more. But what you may not know is that different sleep positions can be just as important as how much you sleep, and it can tell you some pretty significant things about your health and habits. Whether you snooze on your side or are a hard-core on-the-back relaxer, here’s what different sleep positions are trying to tell you about your body. Photo: Stocksy/Lyuba Burakova If you sleep on your back There’s a reason why every yoga class ends with savasana. According to some experts, being on your back is one of the better sleep positions in which you can relax. “The reason it’s an excellent position is that there’s no compromise of any circulation,” says sleep expert Nancy H. Rothstein. “Everything is free to flow.” But if sleeping on your back is has you feeling more “ouch!” than “om,” your body could be trying to tell you something. Keelyn Nielsen, a sleep disorder coordinator in New York City, says an issue called “positional sleep apnea” can be triggered when you’re on your back. “When someone is lying on her back, gravity alone is going to weigh her down,” she explains. “So if they
Trainers say to only do the same workout *this* many days in a row
March 22, 2019 at 11:30AM by CWC Trainers are constantly telling us that in order to see results from fitness—whether that’s getting stronger or just getting better at the workout we’re doing—consistency is key. As in three-times-a-week consistent for the best results. Because of this, the fitness team here at Well+Good is currently in the heat of what we’re calling a “triple sweat” challenge. Three editors (Ali Finney, Rachel Lapidos, and yours truly) are doing the same workout (SLT—*gulp*) three days a week for the next three months. As we began to map out our workouts based on this three-times-a-week principle, we all had the same question: Is it okay to do the same (very intense) workouts three days in a row, or should we be splitting them up throughout the week? “If you are committed to doing a particular workout three times a week, it’s ideal to split it up with a day of complimentary workouts in between, or rest,” says Ackeem Emmons, master trainer at Aaptiv. “Consistency is key with any endeavor. In regards to physical training, it is important to allow your body to rest, and feel rejuvenated before breaking it down again.” And there are a few other reasons why you should be staggering the way you do things. “It’s better to split up your workouts rather than doing the same thing day after day, because it’ll keep your body guessing,” says Alonzo Wilson, founder and director of training at Tone House. “You’ll work harder and burn