March 19, 2020 at 11:00AM by CWC [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anFVLMbs-EU] Pilates instructor Chloe Gregor views the glutes as part of your core. Why? Your glutes muscles are also in the center of your body, and play a major role in practically every movement that you make, and so strengthening them by doing Pilates for glutes is a great way to ensure your whole body moves better. “Glute strength is so important to help stabilize your pelvis so that you move better, you stand better, you exercise better—I see them as part of our core, so let’s get them really strong,” says Gregor, who’s bringing us a 10-minute workout that does just that in this week’s episode of Good Moves, Well+Good’s YouTube fitness series (subscribe if you haven’t yet!). The good news is that this Pilates workout sesh requires zero equipment—all you need is a mat, and you’re ready to start sweating. Keep scrolling to try it for yourself. Pilates for glutes workout Lifted clam—left: Start on your side, and lie down, using either a pillow or extending your arm out to rest your head on. Keep your head in line with your spine. Pick your feet up and move them back so that they’re in line with your spine, bending your knees out. Stack your hips and make a space underneath your lower waist. Lift both of your feet up, squeezing your heels together. Then, lift your top knee up, exhaling to lift, inhaling to lower it back down. Keep your ribcage drawn in.
Category: Fashion
5 places to donate right now if you want to help feed your neighbor
March 18, 2020 at 10:00PM by CWC While millions of people have loaded up their shopping carts with toilet paper and all the canned goods they can find, millions more throughout the country don’t have the option to buy foods in bulk or very much food at all. There are of course people in need year-round, but according to Lisa Davis, senior vice president of No Kid Hungry, there is an even greater need right now. “Millions of vulnerable children are losing the healthy meals they depend on as the [COVID-19] closes schools nationwide,” says Davis. “As of [March 17], 39 states had closed schools entirely. When you add in the districts closed in other states it means 41.6 million kids, or 4 out of 5 kids, are out of school.” Even in areas where the schools are still open, many businesses are currently closed, which means hourly workers who may already be struggling to make ends meet are being hit hard. If you are in a position to help, Davis says there are several ways to do so. “First, speak up! We can urge Congress to pass emergency SNAP funding for low-income families and empower community response,” she says, adding that it just takes a quick call to your state representatives to support this initiative. Davis says that another way to help is rallying your virtual community, creating Facebook fundraisers. (You can use this link to easily start an online fundraiser that supports No Kid Hungry.) And of course
How to avoid injury now that you’re running outside a lot more than usual
March 18, 2020 at 09:00PM by CWC One of the things that sets running apart from other forms of exercise is that you don’t need any special equipment—apart from your sneakers—to do it. Now that gyms are closing temporarily to slow the spread of COVID-19, you may be upping your miles to keep your body moving. But what about wear-and-tear? Before you hit the pavement, it’s important to know how to avoid running injuries now that you’re doubling or even tripling your miles each week. To help you get those lovely, mind-clearing and cardiovascular benefits of running without risking injury, we tapped Meg Takacs, trainer and founder of fitness app #RunWithMeg, and Cameron Yuen, DPT, a doctor of physical therapy at Bespoke Treatments in New York City, to tell us how to collect miles while social distancing without collecting injuries, too. How to avoid running injuries now that you’re pounding the pavement more often 1. Focus big time on your warm-ups Warm-ups are important always, but especially when you’re attempting to increase the volume of your runs. “Your warmup should increase body temperature,” says Dr. Yuen. “This makes muscles, connective tissue, and blood vessels more compliant for activity.” It will also help the blood move toward your muscles and away from your digestive tract (read: cramps be gone!). “In the case of running, you will want to activate your calves, quadriceps, glutes, and obliques,” says Dr. Yuen. Then, you’re good to go the distance. Your runner’s warm up: [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xObddmVyXD4] 2.
Why it’s important to do stretches before walking, no matter how many steps you’re clocking
March 18, 2020 at 06:00PM by CWC As the best study ever recently confirmed, walking is just as much of a legitimate workout as spinning or running. So long as you’re clocking 100 steps a minute, for at least 30 minutes a day, you can count those 3,000 steps as your daily recommended dose of moderate-intensity exercise. And just as stretching is an important part of any modality, doing stretches before walking is a great way to ensure you’re getting the most out of every step you take. While this sort of workout might seem like a walk in the park (and, okay, might actually be a walk in the park), you’ll still want to prep your body the same way you would for more vigorous cardio. “When done correctly, stretching helps prepare the muscles for activity and reduces the risk of injury—if a muscle is too tight, it won’t be able to function as it should, which can lead to compensation and discomfort,” says Jeff Brannigan, PT, programming director at Stretch*d. He adds that everybody can benefit from cycling through a series of stretches before walking, because if you walk a lot, your muscles can become overworked and fatigued, which can lead to pain over time. Here, pros share the best stretches to do before walking. And bonus? The more limber you are, the more spring you’ll have in your step… speed walking Olympics, here you come. Why is it important to do stretches before walking? With every step
The 10 coziest house shoes to add some coziness to your wardrobe as you WFH
March 18, 2020 at 02:00PM by CWC There are two kinds of people: those that refuse to schlep around their home without house shoes on their feet, and those that have never spent an hour in a black hole of online slipper shopping. Whichever camp you fall into (if you’re a dad, there’s a 99.9 percent chance you’re in the former), we can all agree that staying at home for an indeterminate amount of time due to the spread of COVID-19 means we need all the cozy moments we can get—especially as we intake the news surrounding it. It can feel scary out there right now, but let’s focus on the practical joy of having slippers: They’re soft, fuzzy, and furry, and they provide a barrier between your (maybe) clean trotters and the floor. One of life’s small delights. Here, shop some of our favorites in a range of styles. 1. Topdrawer Merippa House Shoes, $55 Photo: Topdrawer Power clash on your feet with these cozy, plaid-slash-fleece house shoes that were designed in Japan. They’re machine-washable (a true perk for slippers), and roll up into a ball so that you can bring them everywhere you go. 2. Loft Faux Fur Slide Slippers, $17 Photo: Loft Slide your feet into these faux fur slides that’ll embrace the bottom of your toes with soft coziness. You only have two bold choices: hot pink or crimson red. 3. L.L. Bean Wicked Good Slipper Moccasin Women’s Original, $89 Photo: L.L. Bean Wrap your feet
10 healthy daily habits to retain even while social distancing, according to psychologists
March 18, 2020 at 01:00PM by CWC In a true act of bravery, today I put on a bra, leggings, and a pair of earrings, and even deigned to wear a dress. I’ve been self-isolating for a week now amid the COVID-19 crisis, and along with life feeling surreal, sweatpants have begun to feel like a second skin. But today, I fought that urge because for me, the ritual of getting dressed for work is one of the most important habits I stick stick to for retaining a sense of normalcy during this time when social distancing is the general recommendation to heed. It’s easy to feel not much beyond fright, worry, and frustration about lack of control for seeing out whatever your personal prerogative is right now. But in an effort to keep those (totally valid) feelings from taking over, the National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI) actually encourages you to stick with “normality and routine that mirrors life’s daily patterns and practices.” In other words, you can work to protect your sense of normal during this time, and preserving as much of your regularly scheduled programming as possible can help. “The worst things for us all would be to just collapse into sick-like behavior, like staying on the couch, wearing our pajamas all day, eating out of cans,” says psychotherapist and astrologer Jennifer Freed, PhD. “Do everything you would do if you’re about to meet the most important romantic date of your life.” To that point, perhaps I’ll really
This form-correcting, at-home squat machine truly has your back
March 17, 2020 at 05:00PM by CWC When sweating through glute-focused exercises, it’s easy to think that you’re activating your butt muscles, especially if you’re feeling the burn in that general vicinity. The bad news is that… it’s very common to not properly activate the backside of your body (ahem: the glutes), especially in a squat. This is why The DB Method, an at-home workout machine, was created. “Classic multi-joint movements like squats require a tremendous amount of technical skill and body awareness to perform correctly,” says Erika Rayman, the founder of The DB Method ($229). “For someone working out on their own without a trainer to guide them, this is a big hurdle to surmount.” According to Eric Fleishman, a celebrity fitness trainer, it is tricky to properly activate the glutes especially in a squat, since the exercise is inherently hard to isolate the proper muscles in. That’s because other muscles take over. “People tend to load their quadriceps or their lower back when doing squats,” says Fleishman. “This is why a lot of people who do squats the wrong way tend to have lower back issues, quad, and knee pain.” Not properly recruiting the glutes in an exercise like a squat can even lead to injury, he says, because if your larger muscles aren’t engaged, smaller ones will get activated. “These different, oftentimes smaller muscle groups are usually weaker and not meant to do the specific move,” he says. Photo: The DB Method The DB Method machine works
These 8 activewear pieces prove sustainable fashion can be functional *and* stylish
March 17, 2020 at 09:30AM by CWC When it comes to living more sustainably, you know the drill: bring your reusable water bottle everywhere, recycle plastics when you can’t avoid them, and say no to straws. But dressing sustainably? That’s a little tougher to tackle, especially when it comes to activewear. You’re totally here for making sustainable choices, but you still want activewear that looks stylish on the way to the studio and performs during your sweatiest workouts—because is there anything worse than leggings that constantly fall down? For inspo in curating an activewear collection that supports your fitness goals and the planet, we picked eight sustainable pieces from Athleta that will help you get your sweat on while keeping the Earth in mind. Each piece uses eco-conscious fabrics, and in typical athleisure fashion, they’re all super comfy, and perfect for outdoor adventures, sweaty workouts, or a day of lounging. Scroll down for the 8 sustainable activewear pieces to add to your closet. Expedition Short, $59 The most important quality in active shorts: a waistband that will keep them from riding up or falling down mid-run. This lightweight pair—made from 100-percent recycled nylon—slips on easily thanks to a stretchy waistband, but the drawstring keeps you from having to hike them up constantly while you’re logging your miles. Bonus feature: three functional (read: not just for looks) pockets. Sometimes you really can have it all. Organic Daily Crop Tie Dye Tee, $49 Odds are, you could use another basic tee. But instead of
The strength-boosting sequence that’ll help you master the yoga headstand
March 16, 2020 at 07:00PM by CWC You may be able to twist your way into a bird of paradise with the best of them, but mastering the yoga headstand is a whole different ballgame. Unlike many moves in the practice, which solely rely on flexibility, balancing on your head requires some serious strength. And if you’ve ever attempted it for yourself without any prep—and wound up toppling over onto the person on the mat next to you—you know that holding a headstand isn’t quite as simple as just deciding to do it and kicking up into the pose. There are a few key muscles responsible for getting you—and keeping you—in the position. “The trapezius and deltoid muscles in your shoulders protect the head and neck, and the latissimus dorsi, which is in the back of your core holds you up,” says Kajuan Douglas, founder of Merge New York, a yoga studio in New York City. “Core muscles like the obliques, rectus abdominis, and transverse abdominis get you up and help you balance, and the biceps and triceps have to be strong to provide a supportive base.” How to get strong enough to do a headstand In order to get started in a headstand practice, then, the first step is strengthening these muscles. To help you do that, yoga pro Jess Penesso, founder of The Sweat Method, suggests cycling through the below movements that will work your core and hip flexors while also stabilizing your shoulders. 1. Medicine ball plank-to-pike:
I’m a chef, and this is the easy, ‘clean out the fridge’ healthy salad I eat every week
March 15, 2020 at 07:00PM by CWC [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXvGEkr2XEs] Looking for the easiest, healthiest possible dinner to make in 20 minutes? Try this recipe developer’s go-to salad. Raise your hand if this sounds familiar: It’s the end of the week, you haven’t been to the grocery store in days, and the contents of your fridge are pretty random and haphazard. But you’re hungry *now*, so you have to figure out how to cobble together something edible with your random food scraps, Chopped style. Figuring out what that “something” is, though, is harder than showing up to Barry’s Bootcamp for a 6 a.m. workout. That’s why we made “cleaning out the fridge” the main task of our latest episode of Cook With Us. Host Jessie Van Amburg (Well+Good’s senior food and health editor) challenges chef Rachel Mansfield to make a delicious, vegan meal in 30 minutes or less using the leftover ingredients from her fridge: sprouted grain bread, kale and tahini. WTF do you do with those ingredients? Mansfield, who’s also a recipe developer and author of the new cookbook Just The Good Stuff, jumps right in by whipping up a vegan garlicky kale caesar salad. “I know what you’re thinking—there’s no way that something that has kale in it could actually be delicious,” she says. “But I promise, even if you don’t like kale or kale isn’t your thing, you’re going to love this salad.” She starts by making croutons with the sprouted grain bread, which she recommends should be