January 30, 2020 at 12:00PM by CWC [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpkWNyU20iw] You may feel drawn to yoga for its stress-relieving reputation or its cool, contortionist shapes. But according to The Yoga Alliance (which is basically the Supreme Court of Vinyasa), the majority of folks seek out yoga to become more flexible human beings. Every yoga pose requires at least a little bendiness to properly perform, but if you’re looking to really up your flexibility to become the limberest of them all, instructor Andrea Russell put together a flow just for you. On this week’s episode of Well+Good’s YouTube series Good Moves, Russell guides you through a sequence designed specifically to unwind the tension in the creakiest, crankiest parts of your body—including your hamstrings, groin, quads, hips, and spine. For twenty luxurious minutes, all you have to to think about is breathing into whatever tightness has accumulated in your body from, you know, life. For this particular sequence, you’ll only need a yoga strap (a towel works, too!), a mat, and your body. You’ll start by warming up your hammies with reclined head-to-toe pose. Then, you’ll move into other yoga mainstays like lizard, goddess squat, and bridge. By the end, you’ll have 10-plus new poses in your playbook that you can pull out whenever your muscles doth protest after a particularly challenging gym session or fitness class. What’s more, 20 minutes accounts for quadruple the amount of stretching you need to do in a day. Physical therapist Meghan King, DPT, previously told Well+Good that
Category: Yoga
I’m a yoga therapist and MD, and these are the 5 middle back stretches I recommend every day for a healthy spine
January 28, 2020 at 10:00PM by CWC The human body is home to 33 vertebrae that support your muscles, protect your spinal cord, and aid in other ways that help you, you know, have a spine. The thoracic spine, or middle back, sits just between your cervical and lumbar sections, and Loren Fishman, MD, medical director of Manhattan Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation in New York City, says it can be a painful area for some of us vertebrates. So to make sure your back feels good all the way from T1 to T12 (a little spine humor for you), Dr. Fishman gave us a handful of middle back stretches to commit to memory. First, how common is middle back pain? And why do you have it? “[Your middle back is] not a frequent source of back pain,” says Dr. Fishman. “There’s much more neck pain and much, much more lower back pain. The ribs act like outriggers and keep the spine in relatively good alignment, but you can get pains there especially if you’re doing a lot of lifting over your head, because those muscles have to contract.” Rare as it is, though, discomfort in the center of the spine presents a very real—and very achey—problem for those who deal with it. “The main people [with middle back pain] are those who do the kind of exertion that raises your arms over your head—especially if they do so while they’re horizontal so that raising their arms in a way that
What it’s really like to spend 24 hours at an Ayurvedic wellness retreat
January 25, 2020 at 02:00PM by CWC After a particularly busy month, I deemed myself in need of some deep pampering. I’d been burning the candle at both ends, doing extra work during the day, and attending events in the evenings. I was getting a lot done and having a lot of fun, but I was overextending myself, much to the chagrin of my newly blotchy skin and fatigued body. A two-pronged approach—healing my mind and body—seemed to be the best restorative measure I could take. So, I booked a stay at New York’s Ayurvedic retreat center, YO1, in the Catskills. Having previously visited Ayurvedic spas in both California and India and also completed a panchakarma cleanse (an Ayurvedic detox for the five senses), I thought I generally knew what to expect during my stay at YO1. Based on those experiences and a recent consultation with Ayurveda practitioner Ananta Ripa Ajmera, director of Ayurveda at wellness center The Well, I anticipated I’d be on a caffeine and alcohol-free nutrition plan full of kitchari and other warming vegetarian foods. I also expected to be situated in a cozy environment where healers perform traditional practices, like shirodhara (the practice of drizzling oil over the scalp to stimulate melatonin production) and herbal massages tailored to each dosha (or Ayurvedic energy type). As it turned out, my expectations didn’t match up with what actually happened. Here’s what happened at the Ayurvedic YO1 Catskills wellness center When I first arrived at YO1, the gate attendant
How to do wheel pose the right way, straight from a yoga pro
January 24, 2020 at 12:00PM by CWC [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4F4lTh09Z5E] Form is everything in yoga (technically, form is everything in any workout, but that goes double for the centuries-old postures). Misplacing a limb (even slightly) on your yoga mat, especially with repetition, can really work against you over time. And that’s exactly why we tapped yogi Andrea Russell to set us straight (or, properly arched?) about how to execute one of the most deceivingly simple poses properly (wheel pose, we’re looking at you). In the latest episode of the Well+Good video series The Right Way, Russell explains that this pose can be trickier for yogis than it looks. “My students are struggling, they’re trying to come straight up, their hips are going all sorts of ways—it doesn’t feel too great,” she says. The most common mistakes in wheel pose To help remedy the situation, Russel calls out the four most common mistakes that she sees: 1. The feet are too far apart from one another. 2. The knees are spread too wide. 3. The hands, placed back by the ears, are either too wide or too narrow. 4. The elbows are splayed. With any or all of the above positioning, wheel pose can be problematic, and Russell also notes that if proper technique is not achievable, you might want to hold off on wheel pose altogether and opt for something simpler instead. “If your palms aren’t completely flat, maybe you’re not quite ready,” she say. “Pay attention to how your body’s
I’m a PT, and I stretch for 5 minutes every day—here’s why that’s the magic number
January 24, 2020 by CWC I always decide how long I’m going to stretch for based on the scenario. If it’s the end of a workout class and we have one minute to stretch things out, that’s all I’ll do. If I’m working out on my own, it all depends on my schedule. Ask a physical therapist, though—AKA someone who stretches people for a living—and they’ll have a very specific answer for how long you should stretch for, regardless of the activity. Meghan King, DPT, a physical therapist with Spear Physical Therapy, bases her stretching routine off of actual studies. The time frame? “It’s at least a 30-second hold for static stretching,” she says, noting that studies have even shown that holding stretches for longer than that don’t give you a greater short-term flexibility boost. “I’ll do multiple holds of 30 seconds, usually three times in a row. That’s what literature says you really need in order to get those long-term flexibility gains,” she says. “Holding it longer won’t necessarily give you any more bang for your buck.” “It’s at least a 30-second hold for static stretching.” —Meghan King, DPT Of course, this doesn’t mean that King is done with her recovery regimen in 90 seconds flat. Her philosophy is to mark off a specific number of minutes minimum to spend stretching out her body. “For me, I tell myself that I’ll do five minutes [of stretching] before I shower,” she says. “Anything is better than nothing, and people have the
We asked Well+Good readers their thoughts on recovery—here’s what they had to say
January 23, 2020 at 04:26PM by CWC Recovery is a hot topic among fitness folk: What does “active recovery” really look like? How many rest days should you take anyway? Is there really a right way to foam roll? The questions around this should-be-rejuvenating part of your workout routine never stop. For a deeper look into the confusion, we teamed up with UPGRAID, an inflammation-fighting supplement that uses only organic ingredients to help manage soreness, to ask our readers how they really feel about recovery. And you shared everything from how it fits into the rest of your routine, to how you spend that sacred rest day (or two), and your questions about making it work better for you and your workouts. Want to know how your recovery routine compares to other Well+Good readers? (It’s not a competition, promise.) Keep reading for all the intel—plus gain some useful tips on how to take your post-workout life to the next level, because everyone, even you all-stars, could benefit from a little more R&R time. Scroll down for 3 takeaways on how Well+Good readers approach recovery day, and what you can incorporate into your own routine. Photo: UPGRAID Four percent of readers don’t take part in recovery at all Off the bat, everyone is pretty split on this discussion. Nearly 34 percent of you always prioritize recovery in your workout routine, 29 percent do so half the time, and 32 percent don’t prioritize it nearly enough—leaving four percent of you who absolutely
I do hundreds of yoga classes a year, but none has lit up my arms like this 10-minute flow
January 23, 2020 at 12:00PM by CWC [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYS8bWyvczU] Anyone who’s tried to execute crow pose (a Cirque du Soleil-worthy arm balance) knows that yoga demands a lot—I repeat, a lot—of arm strength. Even Vinyasa staples like downward-facing dog can light up your body from your fingertips to your armpits. So whether you find yourself longing to get comfier in basic poses or eager to incorporate moves like handstand into your practice, a yoga for arms sequence might be just what the teacher ordered. In our newest episode of Well+Good’s Good Moves, yoga instructor Andrea Russell walks you through an under-10-minute flow designed to work out the kinks in your wrists, forearms, upper arms, and shoulders (and there’s a killer move known as “turbo dog” that truly belongs in a league of its own). In less time than it takes you to whip up a quick, healthy dinner or catch up on your Instagram feed you’ll both tone and stretch the muscles that help you carry heavy grocery bags and do so, so much more. Let’s yoga. Try this under-10 yoga for arms sequence 1. Tricep stretch: From a comfortable, crisscross seated position, reach your arms overhead. Bend the right elbow and grab it with your left hand. Lengthen straight up and breathe. 2. Twist: Reach both arms straight overhead and twist your torso to the right, bringing your left hand to your right knee and your right hand to the ground behind you. Lift through the crown of your head and twist deeper
5 common myths about meditation, debunked
January 22, 2020 at 04:00PM by CWC Meditation isn’t new, but given how the industry is booming in the digital age, it’s also certainly not passé—and great reasons for that abound. The goal of meditation can include facilitating resilience against stress and more compassion toward yourself and those around you. It may even help you get over your ex. When I started meditating five years ago, I was familiar with the studies and anecdotal evidence supporting it. But that still wasn’t enough to leave me to dive into the practice at full force. That’s because I also held a number of ideas and preconceived notions about the goal of meditation and how my practice should look that kept it out of reach for me. I believed it could work others, but not for me. But, I quickly learned, I was wrong. Misconceptions about meditation abound and too often shroud the ancient practice’s abundant benefits. Below, find five of those myths debunked. 1. You must sit completely upright in order for meditation to work For the first year and a half that I practiced, I laid down with pillows and blankets, or I slumped in a chair. If someone saw me meditating, they’d think I was taking a nap, not training my attention. The truth is, relaxing into a comfortable posture is perfectly fine. Just keep in mind that you’ll likely have an easier time staying awake if you take an upright and alert seated position. Not sure which posture to
These are the most popular studios around the U.S., according to Classpass
January 22, 2020 at 02:00PM by CWC The beauty of a Classpass membership is that on any given day, you can choose from a seemingly endless number of workouts. From yoga to spin, from boxing to boot camps, you could try a different modality every day of the week (and in many cities, a different studio every day of the year) and never have to repeat a session. Or risk getting bored. But even if you’re mixing up your workouts on the reg, chances are you’ve got one studio in your rotation that’s solidified its spot as your absolute favorite. As a six-year-strong Classpass user, I know I do. But is your favorite sweat spot everyone else’s favorite, too? Today, Classpass released its list of the most popular studios in the United States (and Toronto!). Whether you’re regularly parked in the front row of your spin class every morning or settling into Savasana at your yoga studio every night, check out the list below to see if your go-to sweat destination made the cut. And if it did? Get ready to book way ahead of time, because chances are it’s going to get even more popular now that everyone else knows how great it is. Atlanta: The Forum Athletic Club In Atlanta, the traditional gym format still reigns supreme. The Forum Athletic Club has got all of the floor space and equipment you need to craft a workout on your own (or with the help of a digital fitness app), plus
Trainers tell us the reason you should switch up your fitness routine on the reg
January 22, 2020 at 02:00AM by CWC Some people are die-hard fans of one particular workout. Take the SoulCycle crew, Pilates devotees, dedicated yogis, runners, and the list goes on. While there’s certainly something to be said for having a go-to way to sweat, switching it up can also benefit your bod, helping to prevent injuries, and keep you from getting bored of doing the same movement day in and day out. “If you run every day, for example, then you are doing thousands of repetitions of the same movements, using the same joints in the same direction,” says Jeanette Jenkins, trainer and founder of The Hollywood Trainer. “To avoid overuse injuries, it’s important to work all of the components of fitness.” This means trying to get a healthy mix of different fitness modalities like Pilates with running or spinning with yoga that incorporate stretching, strength training, and cardio. Switching things up can also help prevent you from falling into a fitness plateau, AKA when your body has reached a standstill with how you’re working out. “Your body is very smart and it will learn how to become efficient at doing the same movements,” says Jenkins. Doing different workouts lets you recruit different muscle fibers, she explains. Inevitably, this helps you to build strength and really start to see progress in your training. That’s not to say you have to start doing a type of workout that you hate, though. You’ve just got to find your favorite workout’s cousin. “When