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
Category: Yoga
Woo-woo wellness has gone mainstream and it looks like it’s here to stay
December 02, 2019 at 01:00PM by CWC Sound baths, crystal healing, Reiki—back in 2010, spiritual healing practices like these were still way out on the fringes of the wellness scene. Maybe you’d hear about them at a particularly progressive yoga studio or from your friend who went to Burning Man, but they certainly weren’t widely embraced by mainstream audiences. Flash forward 10 years, however, and people in all corners of the country are filling their homes with rose quartz and balancing their chakras with the help of energy healers. So-called “woo-woo” modalities are now just as integral to the wellness mix as avocados and boutique fitness classes, and all signs point to the fact that they’re not just a passing fad. If you ask Reiki healer and Wellness Official founder Millana Snow, the turning point came around 2012, when meditation and yoga were just starting to take hold in a big way. “I think in 2012, there was a lot of hype around the Mayan calendar [which people inaccurately claimed predicted the end of the world], but at the same time, people became aware of a larger narrative around consciousness,” she says. Soon after, that story started to spread outside of the burgeoning wellness world. “In 2013, my company and our practitioner partners were doing angel card readings and Reiki for Alexander Wang’s corporate team the week of New York Fashion Week,” Snow recalls. “The next year, we lead Samsung’s first ever yoga class for the public. Those two things,
While traveling, yoga helps me find community—anywhere in the world
December 01, 2019 at 12:00AM by CWC I embarked on a yearlong travel adventure with my husband back in May. While our mutual dominant feeling about this was that of excitement, we certainly harbored bits of nervousness that weren’t of the happiness variety. For example, we were worried about the lack of routine and distance from everyone and so many things we knew. Being a long way from home—away from friends, family, and familiar places—and spending less than a week in each destination makes creating community difficult. And since community is a pillar of having a long and healthy life, I challenged myself to find one that fit my nomadic lifestyle. And I did: yoga. Early on in my trip, I found that rolling out my mat in different classes in different countries and continents helped me find the creature comforts of community. Travel yoga has led me to experience guided flows in Spanish, Hebrew, Italian, and more. The language barrier can make some parts challenging to follow but, as always, observing and listening for pose cues like Adho Mukha Svanasana (downward facing dog) and Trikonasana (extended triangle), which are are unchanging in any worldwide practice, helps. And that’s the beauty of it. No matter where you travel, yoga is universal—and it’s also rich with good-for-you features to glean. Beyond the widely acknowledged physical- and mental-health benefits that yoga can offer, the act of going to a studio and interacting with other people fosters a connection that’s emotionally satisfying, not
The hand and finger stretches you can do anywhere, anytime
November 28, 2019 at 09:00PM by CWC In the age of technology, you’re texting, scrolling, tapping at your mouse or touch pad, and typing on your keyboard all day—contorting your hands into weird positions. Whether or not you’re feeling the pain now, it could lead to worse problems down the road without a few hand and finger stretches. “Cell phones, tablets, laptops, desktops… all of the many devices at our literal fingertips are definitely predisposing young people to an increased risk for overuse or ‘repetitive strain’ injuries and future arthritis,” says Danielle Weis, PT, physical therapist and orthopedic clinical specialist at Spring Forward Physical Therapy. “To name a few: carpal tunnel syndrome, De Quervain’s tenosynovitis, trigger finger or trigger thumb, arthritic joints, and various other muscle strains and ligament sprains in the fingers, hand, wrist, elbow and shoulder.” It sounds scary, but it makes sense. “Just think about how many jobs require the use of a computer throughout the day. Add to that the many hours accumulated on cell phones and devices for personal use,” she says. “The amount of time spent with the hands and wrists in angled, arched, or curled positions create a perfect storm for pain and overuse injuries.” The good news is, despite putting your hands and fingers through so much every day, Dr. Weis says adding certain hand, finger, and forearm stretches into your daily routine can help prevent and fight off carpal tunnel and other overuse issues. “When you adopt certain postures and use
Your breakdown of the 7 unique chakra colors and meanings
November 28, 2019 at 07:00PM by CWC Regardless of whether you fancy yourself a total spiritual phenom or you don’t feel like you have a single woo-woo-leaning cell in your body, you’ve likely at least heard about chakras. But, are you clear on the ins and outs of chakra colors and meanings? Just in case, here’s a little recap: Chakras are energy centers in the body that, as chef, nutritionist, and reiki master Serena Poon puts it, link our energetic and physical bodies with universal life-force energy. “Each chakra vibrates or spins at a particular frequency that impacts specific biological processes and organ systems in our body,” she says. “The circulation of energy in each of our chakras then influences our physical as well as our mental well-being by way of stimulation or inhibition.” In other words, if one of your seven chakras is out of whack or blocked, you may feel effects of that in other areas of your life, as well. “The circulation of energy in each of our chakras then influences our physical as well as our mental well-being by way of stimulation or inhibition.” —reiki master Serena Poon There are seven total chakras that run from the base of the spine to the crown of the head, and each has a specific meaning and is associated with a specific color. The colors, you’ll notice, follow the same pattern as a rainbow. Below, several pros break down the different chakra colors and meanings, so you can understand
Work every muscle in your body by perfecting the kettlebell swing
November 28, 2019 at 12:00PM by CWC [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSESeQAir2M] Kettlebell swings are one of those fitness moves that may look easy, but doing them properly is actually anything but a piece of cake. Because of how simple they seem, the form is easy to mess up, and when you’re doing it wrong you’re not getting the most out of the move. So we tapped trainer Roxie Jones to show us how to do a kettlebell swing the right way. According to Jones, there are a few things that pretty much everyone messes up when it comes to kettlebell swings that cause them to miss out on the move’s full-body benefits, but thankfully they’re easy to spot. For example, rounding your back when you pick up the weight is a tell-tale sign that your core isn’t properly engaged. Similarly, resisting the momentum that carries your hips back (and keeps them still) means that you’re not utilizing your full power or range of motion. But the worst offense, says Jones, is bending your knees too far, which turns the move into a jumping squat instead of a swing. Getting your form right starts before you even touch the kettlebell. Begin in a deadlift position with the kettlebell right between your ankle bones, and lift it like you’re “trying to break the handle in half,” says Jones. Start with a small momentum to get the movement going and focus on pushing your hips back, letting the kettlebell carry you. Engage your glutes and
5 exercises that’ll fix a glute imbalance and nix that lower back pain
November 27, 2019 at 11:30PM by CWC A fun fitness fact that you’ve likely realized during your workouts: One side of your body tends to be a little stronger than the other. In most cases, it’s totally normal and fine, and just means that lifting a 20-pound weight on your right might be a little easier than doing it on your left. But muscle imbalances in your glutes, which are very common, can lead to pain and even injury. In fact, the majority of people are dealing with some sort of imbalance in their behind, and it’s got nothing to do with their workout routines. “If you have a sedentary occupation—which 80 percent of people do—you can guarantee that your glutes are under active,” says Steve Stonehouse, NASM, director of education for Stride. “Along with being under active, there’s a high likelihood you have some glute imbalance as well.” This, pros caution, can lead to a slew of issues throughout your body. “You could deal with a host of injuries tied to these type of imbalances,” says Stonehouse. “The kinetic chain concept basically states that nothing works in isolation. A nagging knee injury could be more of a hip/glute issue than an actual knee issue. The same applies with the ankles or even shoulder issues.” Glute imbalances can even be causing you lower back pain, which no one wants to deal with. To find out for sure if this applies to you, Jackie Vick, NCFS, Gold’s Gym personal trainer, suggests
Young women have enough to deal with already—let’s stop telling them to watch out for the ‘freshman 15’
November 27, 2019 at 02:00PM by CWC I was 19 years old when I first heard the term “freshman 15.” My physician tossed the words at me over her clipboard as part of a well-worn speech about “making healthy choices,” “watching how much you drink,” and “exercising often” as a shiny new college student. I remember rising from the examination table and thinking that my body—the one that was apparently the wrong size—had made the paper lining it crinkle too much. I remember discovering a newfound anxiety around food. But mostly, I remember an unrelenting shame that clouded a time otherwise characterized by freedom, new beginnings, and self-discovery. We’re living in a time when body acceptance dominates advertisements splattered across billboards, in subway trains, and even on fashion runways. And yet the idea that an adult woman should remain the size of a teenager endures. Since 2004, Google searches for “freshman 15” have reliably spiked each August through November—and it’s high-time this harmful narrative got canceled. “It’s important to keep in mind that weight is a characteristic, not a behavior.” —Judith Matz, LCSW The idea of the freshman 15 relies upon the outdated belief that weight is the best indicator of well-being, says Judith Matz, LCSW, therapist, and co-author of The Diet Survivor’s Handbook. The word “skinny” isn’t synonymous with “healthy”—and we need to stop treating it like it is. “It’s important to keep in mind that weight is a characteristic, not a behavior,” she says. Wellness doesn’t mean the
All the very best Black Friday and Cyber Monday fitness and activewear deals
November 26, 2019 at 03:15PM by CWC It definitely takes more motivation to work out during the winter months. Your alarm clock goes off when it’s still dark outside, making it that much harder to pull yourself out of your warm bed and make it to the gym in the morning. You know what helps? Some sweet new fitness swag. Make all your athleisure, fit tech, and home gym dreams come true by taking advantage of the deals happening this Black Friday and Cyber Monday. (Okay, fine you can buy gifts for all your favorite people, too.) Scroll down to see where to get the best deals on gym equipment, apparel, and fit tech this Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Photo: Getty Images/mapodile Apparel and sneakers Adidas: If all day long you dream about new Adidas sneaks, get ready: JCPenny is offering 25 percent off starting November 27 online and November 28 starting at 2pm in stores. Outdoor Voices: You can get 25 percent off Outdoor Voices—both in-stores and online by using the code THANKS25—from November 29 to December 2. Carbon38: You don’t need to wait until Black Friday to take advantage of Carbon38’s sale. You can currently get 30 percent off site-wide with the code THANKS30. Kohl’s: Starting November 25 online and November 28 at 5pm in stores, Kohl’s will have Nike products marked up to 30 percent off, Adidas products up to 40 percent off, and Under Armour products up to 35 percent off. The deals go until December
Is your gym sesh affecting your immunity? Here’s how to avoid workout-induced burnout
November 26, 2019 at 04:30AM by CWC If you’ve ever been told to “sweat it out” while working through the stages of a nasty cold, you have the right to give them a solid “no thanks” followed by a hefty dose of real-talk. That’s because—says Vishal Patel, director of product development at Nuun—the idea that doing an hour of HIIT will cure you of the latest seasonal virus is a myth. In fact, it could be having the opposite effect. “High intensity workouts require higher-than-normal rates of breathing, which can impair immune cell function and can put additional stress on the body,” says Patel. “The added stress, in combination with the potential of nutrients’ delicacies such as vitamin D and antioxidants, can leave your body in a vulnerable spot when trying to defend against a cough or cold.” That’s why athletes often cough or get a cold after heavy training periods, according to Patel. So rather than waiting for your immune system to kick into high gear during a sweat session, try a gentler method. That’s exactly what Nuun Immunity—a blend of antioxidant-rich vitamin C and echinacea and anti-inflammatory turmeric and vitamin D aimed to help support your overall immune health—was created for. Bonus: You don’t need to wait for that first throat tickle to start defending against seasonal colds. “It can be used as a daily preventative by taking one to two tablets per day, or when you’re feeling something coming on, it’s safe to consume upwards of six