July 12, 2019 at 05:00AM by CWC The elliptical is the Ariana Grande of the workout machine world. Hear me out: It bodes well for ponytail flips, it seems innocent but once you take a closer look you’ll quickly realize it’s more badass than it might appear, and it’s popular amongst the youths. At least, it was for me when I first started working out at my neighborhood gym as a teen. While it looks like any person can just hop on and start moving, it’s not as simple as just gliding like a gazelle for half an hour straight. Form comes into play (of course), and you can hurt yourself if you don’t follow along in the right way. Trainers actually see a lot of people make mistakes on it, which sabotages the whole full-body cardio benefits that the elliptical grants to everyone who climbs onto it at the gym. “Ellipticals can be a great low-impact cardiovascular option,” says Phil Timmons, program manager at Blink Fitness. That said, it’s only if you’re doing it with proper form. And so, avoid these five most common mistakes that trainers see people make on the machine. ad_intervals[‘407247_div-gpt-ad-9261280-3’] = setInterval(function () { if (ads_ready) { clearTimeout(ad_intervals[‘407247_div-gpt-ad-9261280-3’]); googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-9261280-3’);}); } }, 100); 1. Focusing on speed One way to never get stronger? Only looking at speed on the elliptical. “Faster is not necessarily better,” says Timmons. “Instead, focus on your strides per minute when increasing your resistance. Try not to drop to lower strides per
Category: Fashion
We’re apparently all shopping for shoes wrong, according to foot doctors
July 11, 2019 at 05:00AM by CWC When I was younger, I subscribed to the philosophy that high heels were the only acceptable footwear choice—even when it was snowing out. Younger me never could have imagined a world in which I would be wearing sneakers on a first date. (Younger me also never could have imagined a world in which I hadn’t met my soulmate by 28, but here we are.) One of the only good things about living in the year 2019 is that it is now fashionable to wear comfortable shoes, like sneakers and sandals and other footwear sans heels. Regardless, shoe shopping is one of my favorite pastimes, right up there with posting videos of other people’s dogs on my IG stories and obsessing over if my crush is going to text me. And even though I consider myself a pro (in all of these categories), it turns out that there are a few things I’m doing wrong as far as selecting the right footwear goes. For starters: I’m probably wearing the wrong shoe size. And you are too. Dr. Cary Gannon, podiatric surgeon and founder of Aila Cosmetics, says that about 90 percent of the people who come into her office are wearing shoes that are two sizes too small. “As we get older, our feet increase in size in size and shape, and so our foot size increases,” Gannon says. “We continually go and purchase the same size, but we forget that as we age
6 teeny, tiny barre movements that add up to a full-on workout
July 10, 2019 at 11:26AM by CWC When it comes to fitness, you might assume that the bigger the movement, the sorer the muscles, and the better the results. That’s not always the case though. Take the beauty of barre, for example. The ballet-based workout focuses on small, dance-like movements that target slow-twitch muscle fibers (yup, just like Pilates) that add up to a full-on, sweaty workout. If you dig the sound of this and think you might want to brush up on barre, you’re in luck. Ahead you’ll find six teeny tiny movements that you can master right at home. Just remember to breathe through the burn, y’all. Bring these 6 barre moves home with you 1. Parallel leg extension: Light your quads and abs on fire with this balancing act. Start standing with your feet parallel and hip-width apart. “Work near a chair, wall, or counter for balance,” says Katelyn DiGiorgio, Pure Barre’s vice president of training and technique. “Extend your right leg out straight in front of you toward hip height, and flex your foot. Slowly lower and lift the leg in a smooth, controlled range of motion.” ad_intervals[‘406348_div-gpt-ad-9261280-3’] = setInterval(function () { if (ads_ready) { clearTimeout(ad_intervals[‘406348_div-gpt-ad-9261280-3’]); googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-9261280-3’);}); } }, 100); Repeat this process for 30 seconds. At the top of the movement, Digiorgio says to hold your leg up at your highest point while holding strong posture through the upper body. From there, perform small lifts up for 30 seconds. “Hold the leg at your highest point
A blind endurance athlete and her guide prove crushing races is better together
July 10, 2019 at 08:47AM by CWC It was the final stretch of the 2018 Race Across America—a 3,000 mile bike relay from California to Maryland—and Tina Ament was pulling double duty. As part of a team made up of both blind and sighted cyclists, Ament, who was born without sight, was taking on a few extra legs of the race to let her teammates rest. “We wanted to make sure there was a visually impaired person riding at all times, and we really needed Tina to step it up because some people were tired,” recalls her sighted teammate, Caroline Gaynor. “Basically, she stayed on the back of the bike and [our other teammate] Pamela and I switched off on the front in this really hilly section. It was, like, 2:00 in the morning in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. That was pretty nuts.” Ament’s effort paid off—Team Sea to See ended up becoming the first team with all blind stokers to complete the grueling race, finishing in an impressive 7 days, 15 hours, and 3 minutes. And while for many athletes, this would be a singularly impressive lifetime achievement, it was just one in a long line of victories for Gaynor and Ament. The pair has been competing in endurance races together since 2010, with Gaynor acting as Ament’s guide for around 20 events total, including four Ironman triathlons. (You know, the race that involves a 2.4 mile swim, 112-mile bike ride, and full 26.2-mile marathon. No biggie.) ad_intervals[‘402388_div-gpt-ad-9261280-3’] = setInterval(function ()
3 things to keep in mind to do push-ups the right way
July 10, 2019 at 06:45AM by CWC [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bt5b9x9N0KU] Time to w-o-r-k that upper body—watch exactly how to do push-ups correctly. For me, doing push-ups involves several key things: being on my knees (the standard modification), having trembling arms, dripping sweat onto my mat, and folding back into child’s pose many times. Push-ups are hard…and even harder when you’re doing them the right way. And yet—according to superstar trainer Charlee Atkins, who reveals the push-up form secrets in our Well+Good The Right Way video series, a lot of people actually aren’t doing them correctly. “Let’s face it: Push-ups are not easy, and a lot of the times, most of us are doing them the wrong way,” she tells us. ad_intervals[‘407014_div-gpt-ad-9261280-3’] = setInterval(function () { if (ads_ready) { clearTimeout(ad_intervals[‘407014_div-gpt-ad-9261280-3’]); googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-9261280-3’);}); } }, 100); What does the wrong way look like, exactly? She points out that the wrong way involves having your butt way up in the air. And oftentimes, your elbows will be pointing out—which will make it feel like the push-ups are easier. “But in reality, all you’re doing is setting yourself up for an awesome injury,” Atkins quips. Here’s the deal—she says that push-ups are actually quite simple once you nail the correct form. Here are the three things to make sure of when doing them correctly: 1. Work from plank position: “Have your body create a moving plank,” says Atkins. Start in a plank position with your shoulders right over your wrists, middle finger pointing forward. Hands should be about
10 companies that give back so you can feel extra good when you shop
July 09, 2019 at 04:01PM by CWC It used to be that the fashion industry existed in a completely different realm, offering little in terms of solutions to pressing societal issues. But now, thanks to an influx of social- and eco-conscious companies that have baked giving back right into the business model, every dollar you spend goes a little further to combat problems like homelessness, unemployment, and hunger. Whether you’re in the market for slick sunglasses, new skivvies, or a fresh pair of kicks, these are the brands that are stylish, cool, and charitable, too. 10 of the best companies that give back Warby Parker Warby Parker spreads the gift of sight all over the globe with their one-for-one program. For every pair of glasses sold, the company give a pair to someone in need through brand partners and nonprofit organizations such as VisionSpring. To date, Warby Parker has donated over 5 million pairs of glasses, which have helped children see better in school and adults increase their productivity, income, and quality of life. Oh, and did we mention they have an at-home try on program? Lazy online shoppers rejoice. ad_intervals[‘403085_div-gpt-ad-7520022-3’] = setInterval(function () { if (ads_ready) { clearTimeout(ad_intervals[‘403085_div-gpt-ad-7520022-3’]); googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-7520022-3’);}); } }, 100); Feed The aptly named Feed is a lifestyle label that provides food for school children in 63 countries around the world, including the United States. They’ve supplied over 107 million meals and counting thanks to sales of their functional bags, accessories, and home goods imbued with their
What does female desire look like? The author of ‘Three Women’ spent 10 years finding out
July 08, 2019 at 05:00PM by CWC The story of female sexuality is often told in sweeping generalizations. Orgasms? They’re complicated. Desire? Hey, it’s fine—so long as you don’t wear it too overtly (slut). Not in the mood? Welp, consider pretending you are. These oversimplifications highlight why Lisa Taddeo’s Three Women (released July 9) is such a triumph: It is very specific. The featured three women’s stories add up to an unabridged tale of what it means to desire, love, and lust as someone who identifies as a woman. Photo: Amazon Our characters are Maggie, Lina, and Sloane—three real people leading very different lives in different United States locales, and over the course of 10 years, Taddeo interviewed, shadowed, and befriended each of them. We meet Maggie as a 17-year-old high school student who eventually goes public with her high school affair with her English teacher. Lina, a mother of two, begins cheating on her husband after he refuses to kiss her. And Sloane is a successful restauranteur whose husband chooses other men for her to sleep with while he watches. ad_intervals[‘405758_div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’] = setInterval(function () { if (ads_ready) { clearTimeout(ad_intervals[‘405758_div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’]); googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’);}); } }, 100); Not every scenario in Three Women is relatable, per se (in fact, Maggie, Lina, and Sloane are white and heterosexual, which leaves out a whole lot of experiences). But the emotional world of each is told in strokes that are precise—not broad. In a time when Big Bush Energy is reigniting our commitment to putting our own
8 foods rich in magnesium that make for the perfect bedtime snack
July 08, 2019 at 03:00PM by CWC If you’ll flash back for a moment to high school chemistry—sorry if this means reliving some terrible low-rise jeans fashion choices—you may recall that magnesium was that metal that would burn bright white when you got to do experiments using fire. In the context of the real world, magnesium is an “extremely important” nutrient responsible for energy production, protein synthesis, muscle contraction and nerve signaling, bone mineralization, and glucose control, says Whitney English Tabaie, MS, RDN, CPT. The trendy mineral is also the star ingredient in several new sleep- and recovery-promoting products. (So long, melatonin.) IDK about you, but I would very much like to have all of those processes running smoothly in my body. English Tabaie says that women need around 310 to 320 milligrams of magnesium a day, while men should generally get 400-420 milligrams per day. Low magnesium levels have been linked to fatigue, medical nutritionist Sarah Brewer previously told Well+Good. She says that not only can having regular levels of magnesium help with your energy during the day, it can also help you get a better night’s rest. Another thing it can do: help you chill the eff out, because it’s a relaxant. ad_intervals[‘404520_div-gpt-ad-8891272-3’] = setInterval(function () { if (ads_ready) { clearTimeout(ad_intervals[‘404520_div-gpt-ad-8891272-3’]); googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8891272-3’);}); } }, 100); Can you mainline magnesium? That was rhetorical, but I will answer my own question and say that you should probably not—but you can eat these seven foods that are rich in magnesium, recommended
Master these stretches to finally get your heels to the ground in down dog
July 08, 2019 at 09:30AM by CWC There’s no denying that yoga is one of the most relaxing workouts around; however, there’s nothing quite as Zen-busting as looking around and wondering why some people’s bodies allow them to do things yours doesn’t. Case in point: Getting your heels to the ground in downward facing dog. Due to one’s muscle flexibility, particular movements are inherently more difficult for some people than others (regardless of how simple they may look). “It feels obvious that you need to stretch your hamstrings and calves more to achieve heel-to-mat contact but this can often be a misconception,” says Bar Method master trainer Kate Grove. “Many people with really tight calves, hamstrings, and even short Achilles tendons will never reach the floor.” And while that trifecta is enough to keep you from striking the pose, your ankles could also be to blame. According to CorePower Yoga Minnesota area leader and instructor Anastasia Albert, some people experience compression on the fronts of their ankles in down dog. “The pressure is due to the structure of the ankle joint, causing bone to run into bone,” she explains. “This is simply how some bodies are built.” ad_intervals[‘401238_div-gpt-ad-9261280-3’] = setInterval(function () { if (ads_ready) { clearTimeout(ad_intervals[‘401238_div-gpt-ad-9261280-3’]); googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-9261280-3’);}); } }, 100); Instead of dwelling on these areas, Grove suggests concentrating on lengthening the upper body, drawing your shoulders down, lifting your hips up and back, and pulling in the navel. “This way you will create more space in the front and
10 date ideas that’ll bring the butterflies back when your relationship feels routine
July 07, 2019 at 12:00PM by CWC In the early stages of a relationship, even the most mundane activities seem like romantic things to do. Nights in binge-watching TV are a chance to cozy up. Going to the neighborhood sushi restaurant twice a week is cute because it becomes “your spot.” But after a while, those same things may start to feel snoozy and predictable. One way to bring back the sizzle factor? Get out of your comfort zone and do something adventurous together. That’s right: Rose-petal bubble baths aren’t actually the fastest route to romance, despite what dozens of romcoms would have us believe. “Even in long-term relationships, you can hack your brain to feel fluttery, in-love feelings with your partner by doing activities together that are novel, new, or even anxiety-provoking,” says Lisa Marie Bobby, PhD, founder and clinical director at Growing Self Counseling and Coaching in Broomfield, CO. (This immediately explains all those bungee-jumping dates on The Bachelorette.) ad_intervals[‘404860_div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’] = setInterval(function () { if (ads_ready) { clearTimeout(ad_intervals[‘404860_div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’]); googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’);}); } }, 100); Activities like these aren’t just about beating boredom—novelty stimulates the release of dopamine, a brain chemical involved in that top-of-the-world, skipping-through-the-streets, song-in-your-heart feeling of falling in love. “Dopamine keeps love fresh and new,” says Dr. Bobby. So it makes sense that if you want to keep that sensation alive, it’s important to do things together that flood your brain with this feel-good chemical. The result: sustained attraction, inspiring conversation, and good memories. Below are 10 unexpectedly