September 26, 2019 at 05:00PM by CWC The perfect push-up is like the holy grail of exercise moves. It works everything from your arms to your shoulders to your core (if you’re doing them right, that is), and just the thought of having to drop and give someone 10 (let alone enough to pass the U.S. Army Fitness Test) is enough to get even the fittest among us quaking. But building up to flawless form is no easy feat, which is why if you’re just starting to flex your push-up muscles, you may want to start at the wall. Think of wall push-ups as push-ups with training wheels—a way to get your body prepped and ready for the real thing. They’re performed perpendicular to the floor, with your hands against the wall, and give your body a chance to get used to the movement of a push-up without having to exert quite as much strength as the regular floor version would. “It allows individuals to introduce proper pushing-pressing mechanics without overloading the core, making it ideal for someone lacking sufficient core stability and proprioception, an awareness of how one’s body is moving through space,” says Marcel Dinkins, a Founding Coach at Rowgatta. The move is accessible to people at any fitness level, and just because they’re easier than the real thing, you’ll be happy to learn that they come with comparable benefits. Like regular push-ups, the move works your pectoral muscles, anterior shoulders, and triceps, but are easier because you’re
Category: Fashion
Why you should never make an important decision on an empty stomach
September 25, 2019 at 09:01PM by CWC When hunger strikes, I don’t trust myself to decide what pair of shoes goes with my outfit—much less to make life-altering decisions. Visions of alt-pasta dancing in my head put everything on hold. And according to Uma Naidoo, MD, director of nutritional and lifestyle psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital, science backs filling your belly before going all-in on moving in with your significant other, dying your hair purple, or accepting a new job. “Research supports not making a decision on an empty stomach,” explains Dr. Naidoo. “Ghrelin is a hormone made in the GI tract that affects the brain. It is released when the stomach is empty. In a healthy person, once you eat, the action of this hormone stops.” So far, research on how the presence of ghrelin affects your ability to be rational has mostly been conducted on animals, or extremely small sample sizes of humans. Dr. Naidoo says the results are still worth noting, however. Most recently a small study with 50 subjects, conducted by Benjamin Vincent, DPhil, from the University of Dundee’s Department of Psychology, found that hunger threw a wrench in participants’ decision-making processes. “Hunger made them impatient and more likely to settle for a small reward that arrives sooner than a larger reward promised at a later date,” says Dr. Naidoo. “Simply said, what the research appears to show us is that we seem to make poorer more reckless choices when we are hungry. Yet another factor
I found jeans so comfortable, you’ll swear you’re wearing leggings every time you put them on
September 25, 2019 at 04:30PM by CWC Everyone has their clothing weakness. For some, it’s bags, while others are more like Carrie Bradshaw and have a soft spot for shoes. My Achilles heel? Jeans. Ever since I was in high school, I’d spend my hard-earned Starbucks paycheck on a new pair of denim practically every month (just ask my mom). To this day, my jeans drawer is so stuffed I can barely shut it all the way, because my collection basically rivals the denim section of any department store. While I’ve tried cutting back, I absolutely could not resist getting my hands on the much-hyped jeans of the brand Good American. The brand launched with denim in 2016, and is the brainchild of Khloe Kardashian and Emma Grede, who both noticed a lack of size and body-inclusive jeans on the market that are actually made to fit women—of all shapes and sizes—well. So they created their own, which immediately made waves for nailing inclusivity, quality, and fit. So yeah, I’m pretty late to the game, but as a self-proclaimed jeans connoisseur, take it from me: They’re really that good. Photo: Good American When I slipped on my pair of Good American Good Legs jeans ($159), which are a high-rise skinny jean style, I could notice how comfortable they were right away—they slid on like a glove and didn’t require the shimmy-up-the-hips dance. The material is a perfect mix of true denim and stretch, so they hug to all of the curves in
In defense of cancel culture, complications and all
September 25, 2019 at 03:30PM by CWC Cancel culture—the phenomenon of deeming someone or something worthless, irrelevant, and over in response to transgressions big, small, ephemeral, and chronic—is our buzziest catchphrase as of late: There have been calls for canceling Saturday Night Live’s Shane Gillis, Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau, and comedian Dave Chappelle in the past month alone. President Trump told the U.N. General Assembly on September 24 that “a free people must never, ever be enlisted in the cause of silencing, canceling, or blacklisting their own neighbors.” (RIP, irony.) And on the Emmys red carpet, Sarah Silverman described cancel culture as “righteousness porn.” I get where she’s coming from, but I don’t think canceling is a bad thing. It’s also not a new thing, and before we were canceling people, we were canceling brands—at least my family was. One of my earliest memories involves me walking up to the guy restocking the vending machine at my dad’s tennis club and informing him that he shouldn’t be putting in Nestlé Crunch bars because babies in developing countries were dying and it was Nestlé’s fault. We were boycotting Nestlé to stop its aggressive marketing of formula to women in developing nations, which it eventually did (for a time). And so my parents stopped their boycott (for a time). Canceling and boycotting are related but not the same, I want to make clear. After Nestlé changed its tune, Crunch bars were back on the menu for us because the purpose of
The neatest people in the world share 7 secrets to eliminating clutter in your life
September 24, 2019 at 09:01PM by CWC Right now, there’s a pile of “stuff” (ahem, that’s a euphemism) under my desk. Over the past few weeks, it’s been slowly accumulating to the point where there’s basically no room for my feet—and I’ve accepted that what I need is an organization intervention. That’s why I tapped some of the tidiest minds on the internet to doll out decluttering tips that work in the office, at home, or—ya know—anywhere. Best of all, their genius advice won’t cost you a cent. So grab your smudging materials and some elbow grease. It’s time to clear out your space. 7 brilliant decluttering tips from experts in tidiness 1. Time will tell you what to keep, and what to toss “If it hasn’t been used in a while or won’t serve you in the next 3 to 6 months, it’s time to toss it—and by toss, we mean responsibly recycle or donate of course,” says Allison Evans, co-founder of non-toxic cleaning company Branch Basics. That foam roller you haven’t used since last February? Yeah, it may go to better use in another sweat-enthusiast’s hands. 2. All duplicate items must go Raise your hand if you have two muffin pans and absolutely zero intention of ever making muffins. Me, I do, that’s me! “Unless you need two spatulas, four matchboxes, or three empty plastic soap pumps, it is time to clear the duplicates out,” advices Clean My Space blogger Melissa Maker. “Sort through all items, space by
I’ve had a funeral for every pair of running shoes I’ve ever owned—here’s why
September 24, 2019 at 08:00PM by CWC Whenever the time comes to retire an old pair of running shoes, I repeat the same ritual. Laces in hand, I carry my sneakers to the trash, drop them inside, and proceed to ugly cry for the next 20 minutes. The waterworks portion of the footwear funeral might seem dramatic to you. Hey, maybe it is. But I’m not crying because the shoes themselves have ceased to be of use to me. The tears are because several hundred miles are behind me, and I feel endlessly, stupidly grateful. The best way I can explain it is this: Some people collect things as a hobby; I collect miles. Running shoes hold the tactile memory of every bridge, beach, or forest I’ve ever covered. They’re a memory capsule of my footsteps, but before that, they’re something even better. The right pair of sneakers can give you what you need. In early 2019, I took a pair of Brooks Ghosts (my long-time favorites) on a trip to Sedona. I spent a lot of time out west hiking deep into the forest, unplugging, and reconsidering what I wanted out of the next few years of my life. Even when when I was walking—not running—I wore these shoes, and dreamed about my life. They carried me through canyons and below tree canopies, and they also let me wander deeper into my mind. They supported me—period—and I left Arizona with red clay caked thick into their soles and something else,
7 dermatologists share the *one* product they’d bring if they were stranded on a desert island
September 24, 2019 at 02:00PM by CWC “What would you want to bring with you if you were stranded on a desert island?” What started as my favorite game to play on a first date has recently extended into an unlikely place, the dermatologist’s office. I’ve recently taken to grilling my favorite skin-care professionals on the one product they couldn’t live without, with one catch: On this island, there is unlimited sunscreen, so SPF products are off-limits (otherwise, that’s what every single one of them would have chosen). The results? A selection of skin-perfecting potions that have proven to deserve a space not only on a desert island, but in all of our cabinets at home. Asking a dermatologist to choose the one product they can’t live without is admittedly, as Dr. Rachel Nazarian so aptly put it, “like asking a mother to choose her favorite child.” But we did it anyway, and you can find their picks below. SkinMedica HA5 Rejuvenating Hydrator, $120 “I’m going with hyaluronic acid. It absorbs water—which would be lacking on the desert island. I would slather it on to keep my skin soft and supple.” –Mona Gohara, MD, New Haven dermatologist Photo: Elizabeth Arden Elizabeth Arden Retinol Ceramide Capsules Line Erasing Night Serum, $48 “My desert island product would be a vitamin A derivative, a la a retinol or retinoid. It helps with so many skin concerns: fine lines, wrinkles, hyperpigmentation, loss of elastin and collagen, and sun damage. If I can only
Meet the ‘Big Four for Booty’ toning exercises you need to know
September 24, 2019 at 01:01PM by CWC Squats? Check. Lunges? Yep, got those too. When it comes to leg- and butt-toning workouts, they’re kind of a big deal. It’s hard to beat the basic exercises for serious results. But there’s a set of variations on your go-tos that could take your progress to the next level. Amanda Bisk, exercise psychologist and yoga teacher, recently shared a workout on Instagram that features the “Big Four for Booty”—well, that’s what we’re calling it anyway. The simple exercises are smaller, more stationary variations of some of the ones you’re used to, and because of that, they’ll burn muscles you didn’t even know existed. “They really target all of your leg muscles—including the inner thighs and booty. These muscles keep your exercises controlled and stable,” Bisk writes. Another perk? You can do these four exercises right at home—no equipment needed. All you need is a mat, a great workout mix, and some determination to get through the five rounds of booty-burning torture. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Amanda Bisk (@amandabisk) on Sep 18, 2019 at 11:30pm PDT //www.instagram.com/embed.js The ‘big four for booty’ workout Complete five rounds of the following exercises: 1. Narrow lunge How many: 15 on each side Amanda’s tip: Your back knee should be behind your heel, bottom sitting back, and aim for elbows to front knee, keeping a straight spine. Your front heel should firmly press down for full glute activation. 2. Slide squat
How to fake the Big Five personality trait that helps people stick to their fitness goals
September 24, 2019 at 02:01AM by CWC Anytime I meet someone who breezes through life with a fully optimized, color-coded Google calendar, I turn green with envy. Of the Big Five personality traits (a quick-and-dirty psychological framework that helps you determine who you are), conscientiousness is the one I lack. My disorganization and taste for rule-breaking has made it difficult to make many habits sticks—especially when it comes to workout motivation. A new study published by the Psychological Science points a finger at why those lacking in the hard-to-spell “c” word may find it harder to convince themselves to make it to their sweat sesh. Over a 20-week period, researchers tracked the workout plans of 282 participants (who were mostly students). They found that those who ranked themselves highly on planfulness items such as “developing a clear plan when I have a goal is important to me,” ended up following through on their exercises more frequently than those who didn’t. Planfulness happens to be a key part of conscientiousness, according to Art Markman, PhD, a professor of psychology at the University of Texas at Austin. Even if you’re not born with it, you can still learn to fake workout motivation. No lie. “The best way to understand personality characteristics is to think about them as the default way, or the factory settings on your motivational systems,” explains Dr. Markman. “The idea is that most of us are motivated by different things and there’s a range of variations that’s normal for people.
Just a quarter of 2019 remains—and this week’s equinox and new moon are a double-whammy reminder
September 22, 2019 at 11:00PM by CWC Monday, September 23, marks the autumnal equinox of 2019 as the sun moves from Virgo into Libra. What can you expect to experience as a result of this quadruplicity shift from mutable earth to cardinal air? First consider that Libra, the scales sign driven toward justice and fairness, popularly represents balance. At its core, though, the sign focuses on the ability to understand oneself by relating to others, so it invites us to interact harmoniously with the world and more peacefully with ourselves. Libra season also facilitates symmetry. It brings opposites together, as evidenced by day and night coming into perfect balance with one another via the equinox, and it splits the difference between the solstices, meaning the light of the sun in the north continues to wane toward the darkest day of the year—the winter solstice—happening three months from now. With three-fourths of 2019 now complete, you’d be wise to use this sacred, holy time of symmetry to reflect on how the year has gone for you to this point, and consider what you plan to do with the time that remains. Now is also the harvest time in the northern hemisphere, both literally in terms of abundant, local food, and metaphorically, as the harvest of our own lives, too. Consider what you are personally cultivating, tending to, and shedding. The sun’s balanced entrance into Libra combined with the moon’s waning light provides the ideal opportunity to surrender what you no longer