January 14, 2019 at 05:00AM by CWC When you’re dressing for a winter jog, you’re probably thinking: layers, layers, and then more layers. Choosing what to wear for running in cold weather isn’t rocket science, but it’s easier than you think to overdress. It seems counterintuitive, but if you want to stay comfortable for miles in any weather, removing a layer is your best bet. Don’t worry, you’re not going to freeze to death. As a general rule of thumb, you should be dressing like it’s 20 degrees warmer than the actual outside temperature. “Running raises your heart rate and increases blood flow, and your body heats up after the first 5 to 10 minutes,” says Kelsey Quinn, running expert and assistant cross country and track & field coach at the University of Portland. “If you dress in several layers, you may get too warm during the run.” Before heading out into the cold, Quinn recommends getting your heart rate up some indoor exercise. Like dipping a toe into a hot bath, you need to ease into any outdoor winter activity. Just be careful: While most of you will be just fine in leggings and long sleeves, that’s not the case with your entire body. “Your extremities don’t warm up as much in the cold, so don’t forget to wear gloves,” she says. And cover your ears with muffs or a headband. Impress passersby as you brave the cold knowing you’ll feel much better in a few layers than you would rocking two
Category: 2019 Health
If you’ve had a dizzy spell during yoga, here’s what could be behind it
January 14, 2019 at 04:00AM by CWC There are certain things yogis knows their bodies will feel during a particularly intense flow class: stretched for one, strong for another. But…lightheaded? Not so much. If you’re feeling dizzy during a flow, when you should be embracing the good vibes, it could be your body’s way of telling you to chill out for a second. “Dizziness is scientifically caused by the inner ear and fluids in the head—the disturbance of this make us dizzy, which is the feeling that we are moving without actually moving,” explains Kajuan Douglas, founder of New York City’s hottest new yoga studio, Merge New York. He points to five main reasons why you might be feeling a little woozy on your mat: hunger, dehydration, lack of balance, pacing and rhythm, and focus. While these issues can happen in any yoga class (or any fitness class, for that matter), the combination of heat, dehydration, and quick transitions in a hot vinyasa flow class could exacerbate the situation, making you more prone to feeling wobbly. “When the yoga class is hot yoga, your blood vessels get dilated, and when your blood vessels get dilated, your blood pressure falls,” explains cardiologist Nieca Goldberg, MD, medical director of the women’s heart program at NYU Langone’s Joan H. Tisch Center for Women’s Health. “So the lightheadedness you’re getting may be due to low blood pressure.” Particular poses, too, may be to blame. The main culprits (to the surprise of exactly no one) are inversions.
The 3-Step Formula for Putting Together Instagram-Ready Activewear Outfits
January 13, 2019 at 06:30PM by CWC If the hardest part about getting ready in the morning is picking out an outfit (#same), the sitch is made 10 times worse when it’s 6 a.m. and you’re sleepily trying to drag yourself to spin class. To help you get out the door without using “I have nothing to wear” as an excuse to crawl back into bed, we came up with a formula to make the whole process easier. The secret? Having universally flattering activewear options on hand—like CALIA by Carrie Underwood’s feminine, functional, and versatile designs—so that no matter what you pull out of your drawer (after fumbling around with the lights still off), you’ll feel like a million bucks. Use this as the motivation to finally Marie Kondo your B-team activewear outfits (seriously, get rid of those leggings that constantly fall down). Your streamlined morning routine will love you for it. Scroll down to see the grab-and-go activewear outfits we curated to streamline your pre-gym routine—and the formulas to make your look work every time. Graphic: Well+Good Creative Step 1: Set a color scheme Keeping your activewear wardrobe in the same color family will keep you from looking like a kaleidoscope when mixing and matching pieces (though if kaleidoscope is your vibe, totally go for it). Opt for neutrals like black, gray, and white, then mix in pops of your favorite colors. Looking at you, rouge red tank. SHOP THE LOOK Buy Now Essential Mesh 7/8 Leggings $70 Buy Now
The single action you can take to reduce plastic waste in a major way without overhauling your life
January 13, 2019 at 01:03PM by CWC While you may find the ubiquity of blue bins on your street comforting, in reality, only nine percent of plastic in circulation is recycled (a number so shocking and under-reported that it was named “stat of the year” by Great Britain’s Royal Statistical Society this past December). This knowledge, coupled with what plastic smog is doing to the oceans, may have you feeling like you want to minimize your contribution to this waste; however, as I discovered while giving my home a plastic-free makeover, doing so isn’t easy. Our society relies on plastic for everything, and therefore eradicating it from your life requires not just a few easy steps but rather a major lifestyle overhaul. So as not to let the overwhelm of this paralyze you, I suggest starting with one plastic-free action and building from there. But what singular change can you make that will have the biggest positive impact on the environment? “The one action people can take that will have the biggest impact is to urge their local supermarkets, businesses, and restaurants to stop relying on so much single-use plastic.” “Protest, petition, etcetera—get corporations to change,” answers Perry Wheeler, senior communications specialist at Greenpeace USA. “I can say that the one action people can take that will have the biggest impact is to urge their local supermarkets, businesses, and restaurants to stop relying on so much single-use plastic.” This response surprises me, as I’d been expecting something more to do with,
Another reason to hope the government shutdown ends soon: To save Joshua Tree’s trees
January 13, 2019 at 07:11AM by CWC If you’ve been to Joshua Tree National Park in southern California, it may have been to experience one of the best hiking and rock-climbing spots in the country. Or maybe you went to a sound bath in the Integratron, a dome structure built in the 1950s by an architect who said he was instructed to build it by visitors from Venus. (In which case: Jealous.) Or, if you’re like me, you’ve never been to Joshua Tree but you dream about it via Instagram accounts like @thejoshuatreehouse. But there’s one thing most people know about Joshua Tree: the actual trees are amazing. With their spiky leaves and sharply angular branches, they have a stark, otherworldly beauty and create a landscape like no other. But as the government shutdown drags on (it’s now the longest in American history), Joshua Tree National Park is operating with just a skeleton crew to take care of a land mass the size of Rhode Island—and some vandals have taken the opportunity to spray paint and cut down trees, The New York Times reported. (Yes, really. What’s wrong with people? I don’t know, I don’t know.) With the shutdown affecting almost everything you eat and making air travel more dangerous (thanks to FDA, TSA, and air traffic control workers being furloughed or working without pay), you might question whether a bunch of fallen trees constitutes an emergency. But it doesn’t have to be an either-or thing. You can focus on the very real threats
Yes, you can get *actually* get an effective strength training workout in 5-minutes
January 13, 2019 at 05:30AM by CWC After a 30-minute run, I’m pretty beat. My legs are sore AF, I’m out of breath, and I’m pretty much ready to get out of the gym. But! I like to incorporate strength training into my workouts as well, which is why I’m currently obsessed with 5-minute strength training routines. So many workout streaming companies—from Peloton to Aaptiv—offer 5-minute workouts that focus on different body parts (say, your abs, or your arms and shoulders) as quick-hitting exercise options that are easier to squeeze into your routine than a full strength training sesh. And even if you’re not following along with a trainer, you can do your own body part-focused regimen that only takes 5 minutes. Either way, as you go through them, it starts to undoubtedly burn. Case in point: Last night I was doing an ab sesh, and by minute 2 I was quaking. But even though I can confirm firsthand that you can certainly get your muscles to burn in under 5 minutes, I can’t help but wonder whether that’s really enough time to truly be working a body part. Yes, workouts can be super effective if you go hard in a short amount of time, but I’m curious whether 5 minutes is all you need to strength train a part of your bod. Turns out, it all comes down to consistency. “Building strength takes a lot of time and consistency,” says Kendall Janicola, an instructor at New York’s Fhitting Room.
Get ready for one of the most intense full moons of the year
January 13, 2019 at 04:18AM by CWC Sunday is going to be a big day, astrologically: a full moon and a lunar eclipse, both of which are associated with sudden endings (and beginnings). And yes, this could bring some majorly disruptive change, astrologer Jennifer Racioppi says. Here’s her day-by-day advice leading up to the big day, to keep you in tune with the cosmos. Monday, January 14 The waxing quarter moon perfects early in the morning, at 1:45 a.m. Eastern, marking the halfway point between the recent solar eclipse in Capricorn and the upcoming total lunar blood moon eclipse in Leo. This quarter moon moment provides a critical check-in point. In less than a week the full moon lunar eclipse will rage the sky, so, tuning in now to what’s brewing in your subconscious remains non-negotiable. Eclipse season, the time of the year when the new and full moon are much more potent than usual, often acts like a broom—sweeping away what no longer serves you. While it can feel jarring—I know, I know—embracing this extremely to-the-point and productive energy proves fruitful. The Artist’s Way author Julia Cameron’s Morning Pages exercise (where you journal, longhand, and complete three pages of stream-of-consciousness writing upon waking), helps you flesh out what’s percolating for you on a mental, emotional, and spiritual level. Sleep with a pen and paper beside your bed, and grab it first thing in the a.m.—certainly before your phone—to flesh out your early-morning thoughts. Tuesday, January 15 The waxing moon moves through
What are the best shoes for standing all day?—we found out from a foot doc
January 12, 2019 at 10:03AM by CWC Whether you’re a doctor, nurse, teacher, waitress, barista, or busy mom of toddlers, there’s one job descriptor you all share—prolonged standing. But before you resign to the pain and suffering that endless hours of being on your feet can cause, um, don’t. It doesn’t have to be that way. (We promise.) “Prolonged standing places unique stress on the feet, just as sitting places stress on the lower back,” explains Dr. Emily Splichal, a New York City-based podiatrist and human movement specialist. “But with a little support in the right shoe, your feet and back can feel worlds better.” So, what are the best shoes for standing all day? While Dr. Splichal suggests visiting an expert to ensure you have no underlying issues, if you know what type of foot you have—high arch, flat feet, etc.—you can shop online accordingly. “I advise all my patients to look for cushion, arch support, and even a slight heel in the shoe,” she says. “It might seem counterintuitive, but standing flat all day is incredibly hard on the soles, so you want something that gives it a little shape.” Whether you’re looking for a style that’s more polished or you’re looking for sneakers to rock to the office, your feet will thank you. Ready to find your solemate? Scroll down for 12 shoes perfect for standing all day. Photo: Aertex Aetrex Christie Loafer, $110 Constructed with stretchy, scalloped sides, the real all-star of these shoes is the cushioned
I asked my younger coworkers to teach me their dating app secrets—and stumbled upon a whole lot of genius
January 12, 2019 at 08:23AM by CWC Remember the early aughts? As in, Fendi baguettes. Chappelle’s Show. Paris Hilton being a thing (and relatedly, those low-rise jeans that keep threatening to come back). My point is, that was a long time ago. Connect that era to today (or rather, last year) and you’ll understand how long my last relationship was. And now, on the north side of 40, I’m basically a time traveler from a dating world that doesn’t exist anymore. On the north side of 40, I’m basically a time traveler from a dating world that doesn’t exist anymore. Luckily, I work in an office full of 20-somethings and 30-somethings who are serious experts in the field of Bumble-ology. And Applied Tinder Science. And…you get it. So I assembled a dating-coach dream team to guide me: associate beauty and fitness editor Rachel Lapidos, associate beauty and fitness editor Zoe Weiner, and assistant editor Tamim Alnuweiri. I sat down with the group to get to the bottom of the most confusing things about dating apps for a 40-something—here’s the keeping-it-oh-so-real advice my younger co-workers offered. ERIN: Okay, so as you know, I was in a relationship for the past 15 years, and now I’m single. It’s hardly an original thought to say that app life is challenging, but my challenges are more in the details! Like, I don’t know the social cues and what’s a faux pas and what’s considered normal. So, first question… If someone asks for your WhatsApp, is that some
The one yoga pose you can do in bed to help recover from your intense January workouts
January 12, 2019 at 05:31AM by CWC Whether you’re kicking off 2019 with a 30-day fitness challenge or a pledge to hold a plank for a full one minute by the end of the month, January tends to be the time of year when you’re the most motivated to push your limits at the gym. Personally, I’ve made it my mission to get in a 30-minute sweat sesh every day until February 1st, and so far, so good—to an extent. On the one hand, I feel so, so strong (I got into my first ever headstand this week), but on the other… ohmigodIAMSOSORE. Even if you’re taking all of the proper precautions to make a harder-than-usual workout regimen safe for your body, your muscles will ultimately hurt after multiple days in a row of burning them out. So what can you do to rehab them so that you can keep trucking along? Put your legs up on the wall, apparently. According to Erica Chen, an instructor at NYC’s Yoga Vida, “legs up the wall” is the best possible pose for helping your body recover after a particularly intense series of workouts. “Like in all inversions, you are reversing the blood flow in the body which helps to improve circulation, and redirects blood back to your heart,” she explains, noting that the benefits of the pose are multifaceted. “You are calming the nervous system by activating the parasympathetic nervous system. You’re allowing the legs to drain excess fluid build up, which is