December 06, 2019 at 07:30PM by CWC Let’s be honest here: boutique fitness ain’t cheap. Many classes will set you back $30 or more, so when a deal comes knocking at your door, it’s time to pull out your wallet. The holiday Barry’s Bootcamp sale is one of those moments. If you’re one of the one-hundred thousand people who love the treadmill HIIT studio, step right up. Through December 7, Barry’s Bootcamp is offering class packs at slashed prices. Since Barry’s has now become a global mainstay, the deals vary by region. For example, New Yorkers can buy a 10-class pack for $280 (originally $330) and save the extra $50 for post-workout brunch, or another holiday splurge. If you’ve never tried the boot camp-style class before, Well+Good’s fitness editor Rachel Lapidos’ review might just convince you to lace up. “Barry’s has been my favorite workout studio for years now,” she says. “It’s definitely more of a treat myself-kinda sweat sesh, though—which is why I wait with bated breath for them to slash their class pack prices. I pounce on this once a year Barry’s Bootcamp sale like a lion that’s been patiently eyeing its prey, and it has already brought me so much holiday joy.” Oh, and did I mention you can gift that same, sweat-soaked holiday joy to others? Winning at gift-giving, indeed. Be sure to stretch after class, runners: [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BgbAG-O66hA] Wondering how to tackle the treadmill at the gym? Try the 5-4-3-2-1 method or try the curved
Category: Beauty
Make your own healthy holiday gifts with this chocolate bark recipe
December 06, 2019 at 06:30PM by CWC It’s really hard to figure out what to give people as gifts, especially when you’re not trying to start off 2020 completely broke. That’s why I’m here to offer you an idea that literally everyone on your list will love. Anyone would be thankful for this healthy chocolate bark recipe. Chocolate bark has been a holiday staple for years, but it’s no surprise that it’s typically loaded with refined sugar, dairy, and other ingredients some of the people on your list try to avoid. Luckily, there’s a version everyone on your list can enjoy. Herbalist and holistic health coach Rachelle Robinett‘s dark chocolate recipe only requires a handful of ingredients, including cacao, vanilla, and maple syrup. After pouring it onto a sheet pan, freeze until solid, then break it apart. Now that it’s ready to go, you can divvy it up into holiday-themed candy gift boxes, which you can find right on Amazon. (This option made from recycled paper comes in a pack of 50, and since it’s plain, it will be easy to decorate.) It isn’t just a thoughtful gift that shows you care. It’s also a delicious one that will have everyone begging you for the recipe. Rachelle Robinett’s healthy dark chocolate bark recipe [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XunIxyXbyQs] Ingredients 1 cup cacao butter 1/3 cup maple syrup 1 cup cacao powder 1 tsp vanilla extract 1/8 tsp salt 1. Melt cacao butter in a double boiler, or in a bowl over a pot
Body serums keep skin hydrated from head-to-toe without a hint of stickiness in sight
December 06, 2019 at 04:34PM by CWC Your skin, as any derm or doctor will tell you, is your largest organ. Yet, when most of us talk about “skin care, we’re usually only referring to the space between our necks and our foreheads, and our bodies don’t get the same star treatment. In fact, I’m willing to bet that most of us have a good scrub down in the shower, and maybe slather on some lotion when we get out, before calling it a day. But with dry skin season upon us, there’s one more step worth adding into the mix: a body serum. “Body serums, like face serums, are used to introduce nourishing or revitalizing ingredients to our skin,” says board-certified dermatologist Adarsh Vijay Mudgil, MD. In the same way your face serums tend to be the most potent products in your routine, body serums tend to be chock-full of active ingredients that make them more concentrated than your usual body lotion. They’re ideal for “rejuvenating and moisturizing your skin,” says board-certified dermatologist Shari Sperling, DO, and can be beneficial for all skin types. Unlike creams, lotions, and oils, these products tend to be ultra-light, and won’t leave any sort of grease or film behind on your skin. They can be used on their own (particularly if you hate the texture of lotion, or are looking for something lightweight in a warmer climate) or layered underneath a thicker cream to really double down on moisture. Below, dermatologists share their
Meditation might not be a good fit for everyone—here’s why
December 06, 2019 at 02:00AM by CWC Eva*, a 31-year-old living in Paris, has dealt with severe anxiety for as long as she can remember. As an adult, she frequently experiences vivid flashbacks that take her right back to the trauma she experienced as a young girl, during which she can’t breathe, think, or work. Eva heard about meditation and its benefits for physical and mental health, and decided to give it a shot to see if it would help with her anxiety. She downloaded a meditation app and started using it every other day. But instead of overpowering her stress or silencing her trauma, Eva experienced the opposite effect. “When I attempt to make my anxiety go away using meditation, my mind fixates more strongly on the thoughts and issues at hand and [I get] overwhelmed,” says Eva, making meditation feel impossible. “The guilt afterward—that I could not clear my mind or focus for those 20 minutes—makes me feel like I wasted time and was a failure, and, therefore, the anxiety gets worse.” Meditation can be potentially triggering The majority of people can benefit from some kind of meditation practice, as it can help with a wide range of physical and mental issues, says Anne Dutton, LCSW, the director of mindfulness education at the Yale Stress Center. There’s so much evidence indicating that meditation can lift your mood, improve your focus, and help with stress management. Yet stories like Eva’s are not unheard of. Many people anecdotally report feeling
These dreamy multi-tasking night serums are like lullabies in a bottle
December 05, 2019 at 11:54PM by CWC Chances are, you’ve got your bedtime routine down to a science. Whether it’s drinking herbal tea or unwinding with a few pages of Gabby Bernstein’s latest, by now, you’ve likely figured out the best way to power down your body, and you should be doing the same exact thing for your skin by using the best night serums around. “Most skin repair happens at night, so it’s very important to prepare it by ‘putting skin to sleep’ as best as possible,” says board-certified dermatologist Sapna Palep, MD of Spring Street Dermatology in New York City. “Your skin is affected by circadian rhythms. Stem cells in the epidermis mainly reproduce at night, creating new skin cells that replace aged cells and reduce the appearance of aging. This is the time when these delicate processes are less likely to be interrupted or disturbed by the external environment.” Most skin issues—including UV damage, inflammation, pigmentation, and the loss of collagen, elastin, and hydration—are best remedied while you sleep. A few other ingredients worth looking for while you snooze? Hyaluronic acid and glycerin, which help with hydration; ceramides, which strengthen the skin barrier; as well as “calming” ingredients like CBD and niacinamide, since skin tends to be more prone to inflammation at night. Below, six of the best-of-the-best evening serums that deliver on this and more. Photo: Superflower Superflower The Everyday Serum, $68 While this serum is technically called “the everyday,” its calming, soothing, and hydrating properties
The rise (and rise) of black leggings over the past 10 years
December 04, 2019 at 06:00PM by CWC Black leggings are a nearly ubiquitous staple in women’s wardrobes today, but that hasn’t always been the case. Throughout the past decade, leggings have been a stretchy symbol of the rise of athleisure—and, by the same measure, the fall of getting “dressed up” for anything but the most formal occasions—and an increasingly massive moneymaker for brands. In the ’70s, leggings shimmied onto our fashion radar after Olivia Newton-John donned her shiny pair in Grease‘s final scene (a look that later inspired American Apparel’s ultra-popular Disco Pant), and it soon became a staple of ’80s aerobic culture and a key component of Madonna’s boundary-pushing, Like A Virgin-era style. In the aughts, women began to layer leggings under dresses, skirts, and tunics (so many tunics), sometimes accompanied by a vest and low-slung belt. By contrast, in the 2010s, leggings made from sleek technical fabrics that include mesh and seaming details have taken center stage—in recent years, often paired with a bare midriff and coordinating crop top. What would have looked out of place outside a gym not so long ago is now akin to a power suit for the wellness era. With the boundaries between work and leisure becoming blurrier by the year (a consequence, in part, of the smartphone’s ubiquity), women are demanding more comfort and performance from their everyday attire—a need that leggings, and by extension, athleisure, have promised to fill. Brands ride the leggings boom to the bank Lululemon is a pioneer in
It’s been a big decade for sunscreen—so we’ve filtered what you need to know about the state of SPF
December 03, 2019 at 09:00PM by CWC The year is 2009. Barack Obama is president. Everyone’s talking about Kanye interrupting T. Swift on stage during the VMAs. Apple launches the iPhone 3G. And people are taking selfies with those brand-new devices to show off their sun-kissed skin, glistening with tanning oil. Flash forward to the present and instead of whipping out the baby oil, people are now bragging about who’s scoring higher on the SPF scale (bonus points if you’ve got zinc). The past decade has seen massive changes in all areas of our lives, sun protection attitudes included, and while many of these are positive, there are both existing and new challenges present in the quest to keep people safe from the sun. “There’s still so much confusion and misunderstanding around sun protection,” says New York City dermatologist Elizabeth Hale, MD, senior vice president of the Skin Cancer Foundation. “We know that sun exposure is responsible for over 90 percent of all types of skin cancer and contributes to 90 percent of premature skin aging. We need people to practice safe sun habits and get in to dermatologists for skin checks. That’s the most important point and that hasn’t changed,” she says. So, what has? One of the greatest tangible differences from 10 years ago is the shift away from sun worship (aka tanning) and towards sun protection (we know tanning of any kind damages DNA and tanning in a bed ups a person’s risk of melanoma by an
It’s been 5,000 years, but yoga just can’t be stopped
December 03, 2019 at 06:00PM by CWC Every yoga class shares a guiding principle: Listen to your body. And clearly, there’s something to this golden rule that resonates with yogis, because it’s been 5,000 years since the practice’s inception, and it has a larger following than ever before. The number of American yogis rose by 50 percent between 2012 and 2016, and in 2019, the Global Wellness Institute crowned yoga the world’s most popular workout. Take a quick glance at a chart showing the climb of Google searches for “yoga near me” over the past decade, and you’ll notice it looks more like a handstand than a plank pose. The versatility of the practice is a major contributor to its spike in popularity. After all, yoga isn’t one thing—and there’s a style for everyone. Hatha-style classes focus on breathwork, meditation, and foundational poses, while hot vinyasa classes raise your heart rate and offer the sweaty satisfaction of a HIIT workout. As we enter a new decade, and yoga tacks another 10 years onto its five-century track record, we asked some of the biggest names in yoga today to talk about why the mindful practice has such staying power and why so many of us will keep asana-ing our way into the future. The history of yoga—and why it just keeps growing in popularity Before the mid-20th century, the physical practice of asana (or the body postures associated with yoga) hadn’t arrived in the United States. While the exact history of
11 last-minute Cyber Monday deals you can score on Amazon today
December 02, 2019 at 05:38PM by CWC After scoring Black Friday deals all weekend long, it’ll probably be a while until you willingly hit up another packed shopping mall. Totally understandable. But you can still shop ’til you drop today in the comfort of your own home or office because there are some last-minute Cyber Monday deals on Amazon that are pretty hard to pass up. Whether you’ve had your eye on an Instant Pot or you’re hoping to give your home gym an upgrade, these are the best savings you’ll find today. Just hit that “add to cart” button before they’re gone. 11 last-minute Cyber Monday deals to score right now 1. Jane Iredale PurePressed Blush, $24 (originally $30) This natural blush will give you a hint of color for glowy, flushed cheeks. No chemical dyes needed. 2. Instant Pot Duo 80 7-in-1 Electric Pressure Cooker, $65 (originally $140) You can save about $75 (!!!) on this Instant Pot if you order it today. The healthy home-cooked meal options are endless. 3. Weighted Idea Adult Weighted Blanket, $55 (normally $90) This highly-rated weighted blanket will keep you comforted and cozy all winter long. (Psst: When you use the coupon, you get an additional 20 percent—or $11—off!) 4. LORAC PRO Palette 3 Eyeshadow Kit, $26 (originally $44) When you buy this eye shadow palette filled with soft, earthy shades, you’ll get a free mini eye primer. Score. 5. CONFU Professional Ionic Salon Hair Dryer, $22 (originally $33) This extremely powerful
How all travel became wellness travel in the past decade
December 02, 2019 at 02:00PM by CWC Even if you’ve always been the type to take an annual yoga retreat or use hotels gyms, healthy-travel options were fairly limited and siloed off until recently. You certainly couldn’t meditate via a seat-back airplane TV, book a consultation with a sleep concierge, or score kombucha from your in-room minibar. But, as we close out a decade in which wellness has transformed every facet of the travel experience, it’s clear that good-for-you amenities like those have become the rule rather than the exception. “It’s hard to even wrap your mind around how fast the [healthy travel] concept has grown,” says Beth McGroarty, director of research and PR at the Global Wellness Institute (GWI), which has been tracking the union of wellness and tourism since 2010. “Ten years ago, you wouldn’t have even known what someone was talking about if they said ‘wellness travel.’ Now, it’s everywhere.” Not only is wellness travel now ubiquitous, but it’s also thriving. According to the Global Wellness Institute, the category is set to be worth $919 billion by 2022—which is double its 2013 valuation. GWI data shows that wellness travel makes up about one-sixth of all tourism dollars spent worldwide, and that it’s been growing at twice the speed of general tourism. “People who are really tracking the tourism industry are saying this is one of the fastest-growing travel categories in the world, if not the fastest,” says McGroarty. “Ten years ago, you wouldn’t have even known what