February 28, 2019 at 05:00AM by CWC You know that feeling when you’re in the middle of an hardcore yoga flow, and your focus is so intense that you can’t think about anything other than your movements? Then, all of a sudden an hour has gone by, and you’ve gotten a great workout without even realizing what was happening? Well, imagine taking that same mind/body connection and applying it to your strength-training sessions. Now introducing: Fit flows. According to trainer Kendall Roach, you not only can think about all of your workouts as “flows,” but actually, you should be. The results, he says, can make a major mental difference. “With an emphasis on the flow of moments, we are able to challenge our mental capacities,” he says. “This occurs through the strain or struggle that comes with the fatigue of classic functional based movement training. In short, it’s another way to help an individual deal with, master, and overcome the psychological trials of everyday life.” Roach teaches a number of classes at NYC’s Fithouse—including a strength training class called “Sculpt” and a trampoline-cardio class called “Bounce”—which follow these guidelines. Having taken both classes, I can say with full confidence that his theory on the power of flow checks out: Not only are they each you’ll-for-sure-feel-this-the-next-day hard, but you don’t even know what’s happening until it’s over. “When the vibe is right you can easily forget that you’re actually working out,” says Roach. “Until that physical fatigue comes calling, of course. In that case, the classic
Category: 2019 Health
How to harness your brain’s “veto power” and send negative thoughts packing
February 28, 2019 at 04:30AM by CWC Inside each and every one of us lives a troll. And no, it’s not the cute pink kind with vertical hair and glitter for freckles—it’s the kind that hides under the proverbial bridges of your mind only to pop out and whisper far way worse things than “you can’t cross here.” Sometimes referred to as your “inner critic,” this cerebral party-crasher is hard to shake, but according to three experts, you can learn how to veto it—with practice. “You need to realize the power of your mind,” says Caroline Leaf, PhD, a cognitive neuroscientist during the most recent episode of podcast Getting Curious with Jonathan Van Ness. “You have veto power, you can decide.” When I heard Dr. Leaf throw down the term “veto power,” my ears immediately perked up. After all, the idea that we’re the president of our own minds (or the senate majority, depending on how you look at it) sounds pretty darn enticing to me. Guy Winch, PhD, psychologist and author of Emotional First Aid: Practical Strategies for Treating Failure, Rejection, Guilt and Other Everyday Psychological Injuries tells Happify Daily that when we passively allow unpleasant thoughts to drop-in on our minds’ again and again, we’re actively granting them more-and-more visiting rights. “As the groove gets deeper and deeper, the needle has a harder time getting out of the groove,” he explains. “Those feelings are there for a purpose for a reason. So in the short-term, it’s okay to veto them and focus on
You’re not nuts: Getting out of bed on winter mornings is a physiologically hard thing to do
February 28, 2019 at 04:00AM by CWC I like to keep things fresh, so here’s a reference from a 1992 episode of The Simpsons: Homer dodges church one Sunday and says, all snuggled in the sheets, “Aaah, I’m just a big toasty cinnamon bun. I never want to leave this bed.” He encapsulates a big mood of waking up in the winter months, when emerging from under the covers becomes nothing short of a Herculean task. But is there any reason why it’s so hard to get out of bed in the winter? You know, beyond brutally cold air, the hug of a perfect weighted blanket, and the enduring vibe of “I don’t wannaaaa.” Apparently, yes. (So phew, you’re not nuts—but yikes, the struggle is indeed quite real.) “There are physiological factors that make it harder to get out of bed: namely, melatonin,” says Janet K. Kennedy, PhD, clinical psychologist and founder of NYC Sleep Doctor. “Melatonin is the body’s sleep hormone, and it is more plentiful in winter months. Furthermore, exposure to light is what signals melatonin production to stop. So, if it’s still dark when you wake up, your melatonin shutoff will be sluggish, and you’ll have difficulty waking up.” Well, this explains a lot about my personal morning struggle. It isn’t just profoundly unfair to be up before the sun—it’s confusing on a physical level, as well. While our body clocks are yearning for a Say Yes to the Dress marathon, complete with the warm embrace of a gravity blanket, many of
Here’s why using organic skin care matters, according to a licensed esthetician
February 27, 2019 at 06:30PM by CWC You have your Dirty Dozen list saved for easy access mid-grocery store trip (because you can never remember if it’s spinach or cabbage that’s better to buy organic), but when it comes to skin care, things aren’t so clear-cut. Despite the absence of a similarly streamlined infographic for organic skin care ingredients, there is a simple premise to keep in mind next time you’re about to toss a new beauty product into your cart next to your organic apples. “It’s the same idea as buying organic ingredients that we ingest orally,” says Christine Walsh, lead esthetician and makeup artist at Dermstore. “If we aren’t willing to consume the toxins, then there’s no need to apply them topically with all the effective resources we have in skin care and beauty.” To get to the bottom of how important using organic skin care really is, we joined forces with Dermstore, the online destination for holy-grail skin boosters since 1999, and tapped a glow pro to lay out all the benefits. Here goes. Scroll down for 3 benefits of using organic skin care for your head-to-toe routine. Photo: Unsplash/Kevin Laminto 1. You’ll lessen your overall chemical load “Although there is controversy about whether or not the penetration of products can travel all the way into the bloodstream, our skin, the largest organ on our body, is still absorbing anything that we apply topically,” Walsh explains. In fact, it’s been established that 60 percent or more of topicals
The people who are happiest with their skin share these 7 beauty habits
February 27, 2019 at 02:25PM by CWC Although I’m in a pretty happy place with my skin-care routine right now, it’s taken years of experimentation in order to get here, and plenty of that experimentation involved watching and copying other people’s beauty tricks. If a facialist spilled some skin-care secrets while massaging my face, I’d incorporate them immediately. When a dermatologist told me some little-known beauty intel, it would become gospel. But TBH, some of the best tips I learned were from my peers, AKA fellow women dealing with skin conditions like acne, dryness, sun damage—and the list goes on and on. Case in point: When I was perusing a Reddit skin-care thread, it became clear that beyond the specific products that each of us uses, forming good beauty habits is key (and man, do Redditors have some good ones to share or what). To help preach good news to all, I pulled out the most glow-inducing ones below. 1. Change pillowcases One Redditor swears by rotating her pillowcases on the reg—something I definitely forget to do. Her pro tip? Buy 7 pillowcases, and change them every night. “Seriously, my breakouts are 10 times better now,” the they write. To make your fresh case last even longer, you can flip your pillow over to the opposite side the next night. 2. Skip harsh detergents It’s been established that hidden acne-causing culprits can lurk in seemingly innocuous household items. Toothpaste and dryer sheets are two prime examples. Another such item? Laundry detergent.
What’s the deal with people who don’t get jet lag—and how can I be more like them?
February 27, 2019 at 01:53PM by CWC Traveling is the best. New places! New foods! New Instagram-worthy photos to send everyone back home! But jet lag? Not so much. There’s nothing that will harsh your vacation high faster than stepping off a nine-hour flight, checking into your hotel, accidentally closing your eyes…and immediately falling asleep for the next 13 hours. It’s even more inconvenient if you’re traveling with someone who doesn’t get jet lag. What are you supposed to do when you’re fighting to keep your eyes open while your traveling companion is ready for a wine-and-cheese fueled tour of Paris? Jet lag, per the National Sleep Foundation, is an “imbalance in your body’s ‘biological clock’ caused by traveling to different time zones.” Basically, your sleep patterns are dictated by your body’s circadian rhythms (the mechanism in your body that responds to light and dark, which is what tells your body to start producing melatonin). Everyone’s circadian rhythms are different, which is why you might be a morning person while your boyfriend loves burning the midnight oil. And messing with those natural rhythms (like traveling on a 23-hour flight to Tokyo), can cause exhaustion, brain fog, trouble sleeping, and all the other fun symptoms of jet lag. Rebecca Robbins, M.S., Ph.D., of the Center for Healthful Behavior Change at NYU School of Medicine and co-author of Sleep for Success! recommends thinking of it this way: Have you ever stayed out really late on a Friday night and then slept in on Saturday morning?
Moonstone is more than just a pretty crystal—here are 4 ways it can help you tap into your intuition and purpose
February 27, 2019 at 01:13PM by CWC When it comes to woo-woo practices, there are so many modalities, all of which become more intricate the deeper you explore them. Take crystals—if you’ve graduated from rose quartz and are now delving into crystals on an intermediate level, you’ve probably quickly found out that there are encyclopedias worth of information out there about healing and calming stones. Today, we’re going to talk about a (most commonly) whiteish-blue hued crystal known as moonstone. Generally speaking, moonstone is considered a reminder of purposefulness, explains crystal expert and co-founder of Energy Muse Heather Askinosie. “From more mindful decisions day-to-day to bigger life changes, this crystal offers you support and guidance to help you live a purposeful life,” she says. Moonstone is also one of three birthstones for the month of June (the other two are pearl and alexandrite). Askinosie says, “on an astrological level, both Gemini and Cancer signs tend to have a strong drive to connect with their purpose.” But even if you were born under a different zodiac sign, “wearing, carrying, or placing moonstone in your space helps you to fulfill that desire on a soul level.” So, what else is moonstone good for, aside from illuminating your life path? Here are the 4 main moonstone properties to know about. 1. It’s considered a shining light As its name alludes, moonstone is thought to have a connection to la luna, which enables it to “act as a shining light that helps you recognize what brings you
If this giant study connecting work and depression doesn’t get email off your phone, IDK what will
February 27, 2019 at 12:49PM by CWC Each week, we’re all granted a fresh slate of 168 hours of time to fill. Those hours quickly get snatched up by priorities like logging ample shut-eye, spending time with the ones we love, and—of course—making a living. No shocker here, though: Granting too much time on that final line item often comes at the price of your own mental health. And according to a recent study, while the effects spare no gender, they’re especially pronounced for women. The research, published in the BMJ’s Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health, was conducted on 20,000 adults and found that women who logged “extra-long” hours (defined as more than 55 per week) experienced 7.3 percent more depressive symptoms, such as feeling worthless or incapable, than those who worked between 35 and 40 hours, a press release notes. Plus, while men who worked over the weekends had 3.4 more depressive symptoms than men who worked only during the official workweek, women who clocked hours on Saturdays and Sundays had 4.6 percent more depressive symptoms on average compared to their workweek counterparts. So basically, if you’re burning the midnight oil or pushing off your self-care Sunday to Kondo your email inbox or perfect a presentation, you might consider drawing a hard line at that 40-hour mark instead. To help, consider even taking your work email off your phone. (Even entrepreneurs have done it and lived to tell the tale.) “This is an observational study, so although we cannot establish the exact causes,
This CrossFit gym wants to help create a fitness community for people in wheelchairs
February 27, 2019 at 12:46PM by CWC Here’s a stat: Nearly 26 percent of disabled people say they’re physically inactive during the week (compared to 13 percent of able-bodied people). This is a BFD, considering that exercise is such an important part of overall health and well-being. Yet disabled people face significant barriers to regular activity, including limited gyms and clubs with fully-accessible facilities, financial constraints, and not being able to find trainers or instructors who know how to serve their needs. To combat this issue, one CrossFit gym in Orlando, Florida, is taking action to help people in wheelchairs be more included in its community. The gym partnered with Orlando Health, a network of not-for-profit healthcare facilities, to create a workout routine adaptive for people in wheelchairs so they can work out alongside other CrossFitters with ease. [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbLjpsAxlhw] According to a press release from Orlando Health, the new routine is designed specifically for wheelchair-bound patients recovering from spinal cord injuries. The organization says it was eager to partner with CrossFit because they see first-hand how important fitness is to recovery, and felt it was a way to further help their patients. “After a spinal cord injury, it is crucial that patients build their strength to be able to perform daily tasks like pushing their wheelchair and transferring in and out of their chair,” says Shreya Bhola, a rep for Orlando Health. “These modified workouts are focused on upper body and core exercises that help patients get more independent while also
Combat rounded shoulders and sit straighter with these simple stretches
February 27, 2019 at 11:44AM by CWC With all of the slouching over a computer that I do, it’s no surprise that I often get comments on my posture. “Sit up straight!” friends will tell me. “Put your arms back!” My buds might be on to something, slouching for an extended period of time contributes to poor posture. To combat it, I wanted to ask a trainer to share their exercises for rounded shoulders that could help to open me up. “The appearance of rounded shoulders comes from your shoulders sitting forward and down,” says Erika Bloom of Erika Bloom Pilates. “It’s an alignment issue that can lead to upper back, neck, shoulder, and even arm pain. It also emotionally closes off your heart center and presents to those around you as tired, meek, or closed off.” More specifically, rounded shoulders are when the curve of your upper back is pushing your head forward and down, says Astrid Swan, celebrity trainer and Barry’s Bootcamp instructor. “The appearance of rounded shoulders comes from your shoulders sitting forward and down.” —Erika Bloom “Rounded shoulders can also be caused by muscular weakness or muscular imbalance,” adds Swan. “It means the upper trapezius and levator scapula become strained while the major and minor pectoralis muscles are tight and shortened.” There are other postural imbalances that can lead to the look as well, such as weakened rotator cuff muscles, according to Bloom. “More surprisingly, short lats can contribute to rounded shoulders,” she says. “We often