June 18, 2019 at 07:00AM by CWC At any given moment, you can probably find me wearing leggings and a sports bra. Between commuting from the office to a sweat sesh in New York City (and teaching cycling classes and working at the front desk of my university gym at my home base of Philly), I hardly have any time to wear non-sweaty clothes. You feel me? This is precisely why when I started sprouting itchy, angry rashes after wearing my beloved workout gear, I was horrified. How could the clothing I wear the most betray me like this? Since I can’t simply stop wearing my workout clothes (I mean, duh), I needed to get to the root of the issue. After scouring the Internet, I realized I wasn’t alone in my quest to stop itching. So, fellow sensitive skin babes, I did the hard work and got the answers for you—you know, for athleisure’s sake. The first step is to determine whether your skin reaction is from a true allergy (called contact dermatitis) or just an irritation, says Purvi Parikh, MD, an allergist and immunologist with the Allergy and Asthma Network. “An allergy usually will give you a red, scaly, itchy rash—sometimes it could even be blistering and very painful, and often the rash will last even after you’ve changed,” she says. What’s more, often an allergic reaction won’t pop up right away, but instead could happen hours later, or even the next day, and it will often give
Category: Yoga
This 5-minute stretch sequence will have you doing a split in no time
June 17, 2019 at 01:00PM by CWC Some people dream of finishing a marathon or executing a pull-up—but I’ve always been fascinated with mastering a full split. As a long-time yogi, former figure skater, and Bring It On superfan, I’ve attempted to stretch my way to a split in the past, but never quite mastered it. Eventually, I figured my lower body just wasn’t naturally flexible enough to execute this cheer-squad staple and gave up. But according to one expert, pretty much anyone can do a split with a little time, patience, and the right conditioning. Not only is a split more accessible than you might think, but it’s a super healthy milestone to aim for, says Kristina Nekyia, founder of Los Angeles flexibility training studio Fit & Bendy. “There are so many benefits to flexibility, because flexibility is all about increasing our ability to move in the world,” says Nekyia, who has a background as a dancer, Pilates instructor, and contortionist. “It requires a very deep knowledge and understanding of your body—you learn something abut yourself through the process.” She adds that flexibility can help make you stronger in pretty much any other fitness endeavor, from running and cycling to surfing and dancing. (And let’s not forget that splits just look fun.) ad_intervals[‘391887_div-gpt-ad-9261280-3’] = setInterval(function () { if (ads_ready) { clearTimeout(ad_intervals[‘391887_div-gpt-ad-9261280-3’]); googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-9261280-3’);}); } }, 100); If you’re new to flexibility training, Nekyia recommends starting with a front split, where one leg is coming out in front of you and
Sun’s out, buns out: Here’s why you’re suddenly dealing with butt acne (and what you can do to fix it)
June 17, 2019 at 12:27PM by CWC It’s an all-too-common summer scenario: We slip into a cute bikini or one piece, turn around to check out that peach, and suddenly see a big, honkin’, zit obstruction. It’s butt acne, and it’s annoying AF. (Or so my, uh, friends tell me.) Sure, pimples can sprout up on our face, but it can be especially frustrating when they show up on your butt. You’d think that area—which never, ever gets to see the light of day and just sits innocently in your underwear 24/7—would be perhaps the only part of your bod that’s exempt from acne. But(t) that just isn’t the case. One of the main culprits? A healthy—aka sweaty—lifestyle. “In our active culture where staying in our yoga pants all day is the norm, we have a high risk of developing butt acne,” says Janelle Vega, MD, a board-certified dermatologist and co-founder of BIA Life. “I’d recommend showering and changing as soon as you’re done working out to prevent triggering the condition. If you suffer from it commonly, I’d also try to wear loose-fitting clothes and breathable fabrics so that the hair can exit the follicle without getting disturbed.” Bring on the cotton. ad_intervals[‘401520_div-gpt-ad-7520022-3’] = setInterval(function () { if (ads_ready) { clearTimeout(ad_intervals[‘401520_div-gpt-ad-7520022-3’]); googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-7520022-3’);}); } }, 100); You read that right—Dr. Vega explains that butt acne (or “buttne,” if you wanna be cute) is actually a case of plugged-up follicles. “Butt acne is usually what we call folliculitis,” she tells me. “This
This is a trainer’s best-kept secret for working out smarter—not harder—at the gym
June 17, 2019 at 02:00AM by CWC Sorry, “more is more” fitness—you’re just not in fashion anymore. Express sweat sessions are now an even hotter trend than bike shorts. And here to accommodate the demand is “strategic laziness,” a lightning fast exercise modality that makes the most of bite-sized workouts. While The 4-Hour Workweek author Tim Ferris originally coined the fabulous term “strategic laziness,” Nike master trainer Joe Holder has since written it into the vocabulary of the fitness world. In a profile with plant-based meal service Sakara Life, Holder defined the term. “Athletes do what they should, not what it seems like they should be doing,” he says. “Inaction is a form of action and athletes know which actions should be done and which shouldn’t, which saves time and energy and unnecessary wear and tear on the body.” Lazy can be smart—and vice versa. Word. Maillard Howell, owner of CrossFit Prospect Heights in Brooklyn and founder of the The Beta Way, says the foundation of training with a “strategic laziness” mindset is intention. “It’s taking the time to be thoughtful,” he explains. “We tend to only think that there’s thoughtfulness in actions, but you need the mental space, the physical space, and the emotional space to also be creative—not just productive [in your workouts].” You can apply the motto to any area of life. But at the gym, it really just means walking through the door with a well-engineered game-plan. ad_intervals[‘400333_div-gpt-ad-9261280-3’] = setInterval(function () { if (ads_ready) { clearTimeout(ad_intervals[‘400333_div-gpt-ad-9261280-3’]); googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-9261280-3’);});
How to spend 24 hours in this gulf coast beach oasis
June 16, 2019 at 06:30PM by CWC Summer Fridays are in session, and that means it’s time to use your sacred OOOs responsibly—like taking a sunny, never-coming-back-level vacay that’s a hop-skip from anywhere on the east coast. Specifically, Panama City Beach—the surprising gulf coast haven that caters to families, couples, and, yes, wellness-obsessives looking for a healthy escape. And we already did all of the dirty (err sandy?) planning work for you. From swimming with dolphins to hitting up a paddle board yoga class (talk about balance), we have every type of activity covered while you’re toes-deep in the panhandle’s signature (and highly Instagrammable) white sand. Keep scrolling for your own detailed map of all the things to do in Panama City Beach, the surprising destination that needs to be on your radar. @import url(“https://www.wellandgood.com/wp-content/plugins/imagelinks/lib/imagelinks.theme.default.css?ver=imagelinks”); Gulf World Marine Park Live out your childhood fantasy—or, you know, thrill your own kids—by swimming with dolphins. If you’re up for it, you can also interact with stingrays, sea lions, and other creatures of the sea. Better get that underwater camera ready ASAP. Zen Garden If you’re a certified wellness junkie, this one’s for you. At Zen Market, not only will your inner plant lady thrive, but your foodie Insta account will receive a heck of an upgrade. Featuring a juice and smoothie shop, a hair studio, and a music room (all with a side of outdoor patio vibes), you might never leave. Cobra Adventure Park Sometimes you just need the classic—and by classic,
Lunar eclipses are a big astrological deal—here’s how to make the most of them
June 14, 2019 at 05:00PM by CWC As cosmic events go, lunar eclipses are on the level of Mercury retrograde—in other words, they can shake up your life in a major way. Yet, beyond that basic understanding, they’re a bit of a mystery to many people. Like, how often do lunar eclipses occur? What, exactly, are they? And what kind of rituals can you do to commemorate them? Not unlike the stars, questions here abound. First, the technical stuff: A total lunar eclipse happens during a full moon, when the moon, Earth, and sun perfectly align in the sky with Earth in the middle. “The Earth shades the moon and prevents the sun’s light from reflecting on the moon,” says astrologer and massage therapist Tiffany Potempa. “The sun’s light is instead deflected from the Earth, giving the moon Earthy tones of red, brown, and gray indirectly.” Partial lunar eclipses involve a similar alignment, but the sun isn’t fully obscured by the Earth. ad_intervals[‘399685_div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’] = setInterval(function () { if (ads_ready) { clearTimeout(ad_intervals[‘399685_div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’]); googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’);}); } }, 100); How often do lunar eclipses occur? On average, there are two lunar eclipses each year, although Potempa notes that this can vary. “Eclipses only occur during two eclipse seasons per year, which are about six months apart,” she explains. “For about two years, every time an eclipse occurs, they will occur in a pair of signs that are directly opposite each other in the zodiac. Then, the eclipses will start to overlap and move to
Leg day, or no way? Here’s how to tell if you’re *actually* too sore to work out
June 14, 2019 at 12:10PM by CWC Waking up the day after a particularly grueling workout with a super-sore bod is bittersweet. You’re probably stoked that you #crushedit during your latest sweat sesh, but you’re seriously wondering whether you’re too achy for that tempo run scheduled to start in 30 minutes. Well, according to Victor Romano, MD, an Illinois-based orthopedic surgeon who specializes in sports medicine, discerning whether you should tough it out or opt for a much-needed rest day really comes down to understanding your actual symptoms and how to best treat them. “In general, I recommend having at least one rest day per week,” says Charlee Atkins, founder of Le Sweat. “If you can’t get yourself to fully ‘rest’ for a day, then at least make your recovery active. Meaning, if you feel the need to move, go swimming in the ocean, play tennis, take a walk in the park, [bike] ride around the city.” Occasionally, however, you’ll have to make a judgement call that goes beyond “today is my rest day.” Below, Atkins and Dr. Romano share exactly how to give yourself a quick checkup before ultimately lacing up your sneakers or declaring a self-care workout hiatus for recovery. ad_intervals[‘321046_div-gpt-ad-9261280-3’] = setInterval(function () { if (ads_ready) { clearTimeout(ad_intervals[‘321046_div-gpt-ad-9261280-3’]); googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-9261280-3’);}); } }, 100); Ask yourself these four questions if you think you’re just too sore to hit the gym. Photo: Unsplash/Becca Matimba 1. Is anything swelling up? While Dr. Romano says sore or stiff muscles are A-okay to get you through a workout,
Changing the position of your feet can make a *huge* impact on your workout
June 13, 2019 at 01:00PM by CWC Whether you’re jogging, doing Pilates, or hitting up a strength training class, you’re probably already savvy about remembering to keep your shoulders back and your core engaged. But there’s another body part that you should be paying attention to in workouts, and it often gets the short end of the stick: your feet. Having correct foot and ankle form (and the strength and flexibility to maintain it) not only makes certain exercises more effective, but it can also help prevent you from from getting hurt. “I think of not engaging your feet as really not engaging much of your leg,” says Shannon Berkeley, a manager and instructor at Uptown Pilates. “In order to engage your foot in flexion or pointing it, you’re probably engaging other muscles in your leg at the same time.” So practicing proper foot form is really helping you to get the most out of your workout. Why it matters if you’re pointing or flexing It makes a lot of sense when you think about it: Imagine you’re pointing your toe while your leg’s fully extended. This means you’re lengthening the top of your leg from your quads through your shins, and all the way down to your big toe, according to Berkeley. On the other end of the spectrum, flexing your foot lengthens the back of your leg from your hamstrings, down the back of your knee, into your calf, and out through your heel while also engaging your
There are 188,000 oblique workout videos on YouTube. These 8 are the absolute best.
June 13, 2019 at 05:00AM by CWC By now, I feel like I have a full-on ab workout encyclopedia living inside my head. Whenever I need to work on my core, I just drop onto a mat and knock out some planks, sit ups, hollow holds, standing crunches… the list goes on. But when it comes to my obliques—AKA those side core muscles—my head draws a blank. All I can ever think of to do is bicycle crunches, which are standard and effective, but I’m looking to keep things interesting. The best and quickest (and cheapest!!) way to find some workout inspo? Hit up YouTube. Scrolling through the video library, it’s actually overwhelming how many oblique workouts there are that can get your side stomach burning. Depending on which you choose from for your sweat sesh du jour, they’ll have you torquing your core, doing side weight exercises, balancing in a side plank, and an extensive variety of other creative and ab-quaking moves to get your oblique working just as hard as your middle abs do. So to balance out your core workouts—and let your side abs take center stage—keep scrolling for our 8 fave oblique workouts on YouTube. ad_intervals[‘400236_div-gpt-ad-9261280-3’] = setInterval(function () { if (ads_ready) { clearTimeout(ad_intervals[‘400236_div-gpt-ad-9261280-3’]); googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-9261280-3’);}); } }, 100); [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ziM3raE6-4] Blogilates 20-Minute Waist Shaping Workout You’ll never twist and dip as much as you do in this ab-scorching workout that is literally 20 full minutes of oblique-targeted moves—including my personal fave, the side seals, which are killer. I
Bad Circulation? These 5 Yoga Poses Will Get Your Blood Pumping ASAP
June 13, 2019 at 02:06AM They’ll get your blood flowing in no time. Continue Reading… Author Claire Grieve | Life by Daily Burn Selected by CWC