January 14, 2020 at 10:00AM by CWC In the age of “if you didn’t Instagram your workout, did it really count?” fitness can feel like an all-or-nothing proposition—but it shouldn’t. Together with Michelob ULTRA—the next-level light beer that wants to take the stress out of staying fit—we’re exploring ways to be active that you’ll actually enjoy. Because being healthy doesn’t require fitness to be your whole life, just one (fun) part of it. These days, flying solo with your fitness routine couldn’t be easier. Want to take a cycling class? You don’t have to leave your living room. Feel like a HIIT workout? Press play on your phone. It’s just you, your sweaty self, and some pre-recorded encouragement wafting through your headphones. But there’s something about those post-workout high-fives that make a solid sweat feel that much more satisfying, and nothing compares to the collective high you ride when you finish a circuit of kettlebell moves together (or the shared agony you feel when you’re both faced with another round of burpees). As it turns out, multiple studies show that folks are more likely to stay committed and enthusiastic about their workouts if they’re sweating with a buddy. Kids are a perfect example—this 2011 study showed that children engaged in a higher level of activity if they had the motivation of playing with their best friend. And to show it sticks with us as we get older, this study found that group exercise reduced stress levels by 26 percent (um,
Category: Fashion
Running the NYC marathon was the strongest I felt in 2019—but it wasn’t easy
January 02, 2020 at 02:00AM by CWC On November 2, I woke up at 4 a.m., laced my sneakers, and prepared to run the TCS New York City Marathon. If you’ve never been in NYC on marathon day, I have to take a moment to explain how special it is. New Yorkers have a reputation for being hardened, uncaring, and independent, but year after year, those 26.2 miles connecting Staten Island, Brooklyn, Queens, The Bronx, and Manhattan somehow manage to connect all of us, too. The moon still hovered in the sky when I left my apartment that morning to meet up with Team Ultra, a band of gutsy runners who would join me for the race ahead. I boarded the bus to the starting line, and as I watched the scene shift from bustling Manhattan to sleepy Staten Island, where the race begins, my energy climbed like never before, following such an early wake-up call. The first mile of the NYC marathon is on a suspension bridge spanning the waters that divide Staten Island and Brooklyn. The burden of starting on a steep incline was daunting, but with fresh legs, it was completely overshadowed by the pure freedom of the downhill. As I soared down into the race’s second borough, I looked at the racers to my right and left, and already, I wanted to cry—about the palpable joy in the air, about how difficult the next 25 miles would be, about how lucky I felt to be there
One of the best ingredients for dry skin is found in, um, your pee
December 30, 2019 at 02:00PM by CWC As a beauty editor, I frequently find myself having to tell people: “Please, don’t put that on your skin.” Case in point? Kombucha. But one freaky thing that actually might be worth slathering all over, particularly during the colder months of the year? Urea, which is a nitrogen-rich compound that’s naturally excreted through urine, folks. Before you freak out (or worse pee in a cup for an au naturel skin remedy), it’s important to note that while urea is excreted when you go number one, the stuff that’s used in cosmetics to help with dry skin and keratosis pilaris (aka chicken bumps) is synthetic and manufactured in a lab. I repeat: It’s not like someone is actually extracting it out of the toilet (and neither should you!). The best way to describe urea is that it’s a moisturizer and a chemical exfoliant wrapped up into one. “Urea is a great winter ingredient,” says board-certified dermatologist Dhaval Bhanusali, MD. “It’s a moisturizing humectant, which helps keep skin hydrated, but also a keratolytic, which means it can get rid of dry skin (particularly thicker buildups), and is really good for softening the skin in general.” And there’s science to back it all up: One study discovered that urea can help with the permeability of other topical ingredients (aka: it can help make the serums that you use alongside it more effective), and research has also found that it can help with conditions like dermatitis, excessive dryness,
6 editors share the mental health advice that got them through 2019
December 28, 2019 at 02:00PM by CWC 2019 has been A Year. It’s the end of the decade, which, insert 200 mind-blowing emojis. The year was filled with highs (Baby Yoda! Anytime Lizzo does something!) and lows (a less enthusiastic list containing the further destruction of our planet, burnout, and the return of platform sneakers). “Is there an option to ctrl-z things IRL?” I have found myself asking pretty frequently. There is just a lot happening at all times, which puts a strain on our mental health. That said, there were some good moments for mental health this year, as the stigma around it continues to disappear. We reflected on the past year to see the pieces of advice got us through the year. And while I personally believe there should be a moratorium on the word “reflect” during the month of December (see also: my notes about saying “Winter Is Coming), it does feel apt here. So without further ado, Well+Good editors share the best mental health advice they received all year. 1. Delete Instagram on the weekends “Instagram is my one social media vice. Unfortunately, it’s kind of a must for work, but I’ve taken to deleting it on the weekends and filling my would-be social media moments with other things. Even if it just means staring at my shoes on the subway platform.” —Kells McPhillips, staff writer 2. Ask for help “I am generally a very independent person who likes to solve problems ‘on my own.’ But
I spent $400 on an espresso machine to kick my daily latte-buying habit—and my god was it worth it
December 27, 2019 at 06:00PM by CWC At heart, I’m a deeply practical person. (Hello, Virgo!) As in, the kind of person who only invests in nice shoes if I’m certain I can wear them with multiple outfits and who likes to think through tons of possible outcomes before actually making a decision. Certainly not a person who would purchase an extremely expensive espresso maker and milk steamer. But the me of three months ago could have never fathomed how much better my life is (really!) with said espresso machine, the Breville Bambino Plus ($400), in it. My coffee woes started at the end of the summer, during the transition from cold brew season back into hot coffee season. (This can’t just be a food editor thing, right?) I took out my trusty coffee machine that I’d had since I first moved to New York from its resting place in the pantry. But when I plugged it in, nothing happened. It was officially kaput. I need coffee, but I didn’t feel like investing in a new machine less than a year before getting married, when I could just put a new, nicer coffee maker on my registry and have someone else get it for me. (See? Practical. Or…cheap. Your choice.) Instead, I started buying my daily coffee. That is far from practical given that I live in New York, a city where nothing comes cheap. Just a drip coffee with milk can cost $3; a latte is more like $5
Checks+Balanced: How to budget for early retirement while maintaining healthy habits
December 26, 2019 at 01:00PM by CWC Do you know how much money your friends make? What about how much their rent is or how much is in their bank accounts right now? I’m guessing no. Even in a world where questions about menstrual cups and the ins and outs of sex are completely (and blessedly) normal to ask, somehow the ever-ubiquitous use of money remains a touchy subject for many. People want to live their healthiest life ever, but—#realtalk—it can add up. Have you ever wondered how your colleague who makes less than you do (or so you think) can afford to buy a $5 matcha and a $12 chopped salad every day? Or how your friend is able to hit up $34 fitness classes three times a week? It’s enough to make anyone want to ask, “Ummm, excuse me. How can you afford that?!?” That’s where Well+Good’s monthly series Checks+Balanced comes in. By lifting the thick, tightly drawn curtain to expose how much women of varying income brackets spend on wellness, we’re spreading transparency and hopefully providing some inspo that’s possible to copy. Because no matter how much you make, it’s possible to cultivate healthy habits that work within your budget. This month, meet *Leslie, a 37-year-old living in Hawaii with her husband and two kids. Leslie and her husband have a shared goal of early retirement, in 10 years. Leslie loves to eat healthy and work out, but because saving is her family’s main goal, she’s prioritized living simply. Keep reading to see how
The plastic products (besides straws) we said goodbye to in 2019
December 25, 2019 at 03:00PM by CWC First, here’s some bad news: By 2050, research estimates there will be more plastic than fish in the ocean. Now for the good news: We still have about 30 years left to do our part to stop the planet from becoming one big trash shore by reducing plastic waste and prioritizing other sustainable-living habits. One cause many have jumped on the bandwagon to support? The widespread canceling (and in some places outlawing) of plastic straws. Sure, the complete lack of plastic straws alone won’t fix the global crisis, but every bit of progress certainly counts when it comes to sustainable living. To that end, rounded up below are the single-use plastics (other than straws) we kissed goodbye in 2019. 7 products we canceled in 2019 in favor of reducing plastic waste. 1. Plastic grocery bags Following in the footsteps of California, New York is instituting a ban on plastic-bag output as of March 2020. I’ve collected quite a few canvas totes throughout my tenure as an event-hopper, so I’m good. But even if you’re not living in one of these states, you still hold the power to do your part and commit to reducing plastic. Consider it an excuse to order yourself a power tote. 2. Plastic cutlery for the first big barbecue of the summer Do yourself a favor and preemptively stock up on plant-based, compostable tableware products, like those from the eco-conscious organization World Centric. Yes, compostable. The collection features cutlery and cold-liquid cups made
Ready your cart: These are the absolute best beauty launches of 2019
December 25, 2019 at 02:00PM by CWC In June 2019, the global beauty market was valued at $532 billion dollars—and it’s growing faster than ever. That means that this year, there were a lot of new launches worth checking out, from new-to-market brands to innovative products that have the power to change your life—or at the very least, change your skin and hair. Over the course of the last 12 months, Well+Good’s beauty team has tested hundreds (possibly thousands—I lost count somewhere around July) of these new launches. In addition to making our desks very messy, this gave us a chance to determine, for sure, what the best of the best have been. Below, our picks from 2019 that you’ll be using in 2020 and beyond. Hair: Garnier Fructis Hydrating Treat with Aloe Extracts, $6 Aloe is stacked with 75 actives, including antioxidants like vitamin A and vitamin E, and will leave hair clean, strong, and silky. It’s also ultra-moisturizing, which means hair won’t suffer during even the coldest, driest, most blowdryer-friendly times of the year thanks to this product line. Photo: Garnier Pantene Pro-V Intense Rescue Shots, $5 These hair booster serum shots will rehab dry, drab strands in a minute flat, leaving them looking shiny. Slather them through strands before hopping in the shower, then rinse them out and watch dryness become a problem of the past. Photo: Pantene Tresemmé Colour ShinePlex Sulphate Free Mask, $7 If you’re spending big bucks on a dye job, you want it to
Meet the 2020 Changemakers: These movers and shakers will change the face of wellness
December 23, 2019 at 03:42PM by CWC Ten years ago, boutique fitness studios like SoulCycle and Pure Barre were few and far between, “clean beauty” was of interest to just a niche audience, and we only wore leggings—gasp!—to the gym. Now, the wellness industry is worth an estimated $4.5 trillion—and all projections indicate it will continue to balloon in the coming years. When we look ahead to 2020 and beyond, the below 27 people are poised to be the driving forces behind innovation and advancement in this booming wellness space. Their brands, inventions, and organizations are changing the way we eat, move, and think—and they have their sights set on helping everyone, regardless of age, location or socioeconomic status, live a well life. Wellness is not—and should not be—an exclusive lifestyle for the 1 percent, and these influential people have made it their mission to make wellness practices accessible and available to more people than ever before. Learn their names now, you’ll be hearing much more from them. Keep reading to meet the Changemakers, the most influential people in wellness in 2020 (in no particular order) 1. Nicole Cardoza Founder and Executive Director, Yoga Foster Founder, Reclamation Ventures “All of us inherently have the right to feel good,” yoga instructor and entrepreneur Nicole Cardoza has said. And she’s made it her goal to share well-being practices with communities that are often left out of the wellness conversation, including people of color and children living in urban areas. Yoga Foster, Cardoza’s
London art exhibitions 2020 – MUST SEE!
January The year starts off with a roar – meet, if you dare, the mighty Tyrannosaurs in the National Museum of Scotland’s groundbreaking exhibition. In Bath, discover the early ceramics of Grayson Perry, many of which were retrieved from obscurity after an appeal to the public. Anne Katrin-Purkiss‘s photographic portraits at the Lightbox in Woking celebrate pioneering women, both in and out of the public eye. The Foundling Museum explores 500 years of Portraying Pregnancy in art, and asks why it’s still a controversial subject (below). And Naum Gabo‘s kinetic sculptures are given a major retrospective at Tate St Ives, 100 years after the Russian Constructivist published his electrifying manifesto on the purpose of art. Textile panel with embracing figures, c1600, © Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford. Part of Portraying Pregnancy: From Holbein to Social Media at the Foundling Museum February It’s best of British in February as Tate Britain delves into the overlooked period of British Baroque. Some of the works on display will be leaving their stately homes for the first time in centuries. At Dulwich Picture Gallery, the focus is on the origins of British Surrealism in an exhibition bringing together works by more than 30 artists from a fascinating 170-year period. Art Deco by the Sea at the Sainsbury Centre looks at how mass tourism changed British coastal culture between the First and Second World Wars (touring to Laing Art Gallery in July). Meanwhile, the Victoria Art Gallery in Bath turns its attention to Bohemian Paris with an exhibition of iconic colour posters by Toulouse-Lautrec and his contemporaries.