May 06, 2019 at 08:38AM by CWC Oh, sleep. How is it that a single syllable contains so much meaning and causes the human population so much grief? Feeling tired all the time seems to be the collective mood of the 21st century. So many of us are in relentless pursuit of a good night’s rest. And if Apple’s trending podcasts are any indication, sleep hypnosis meditation is the audible solution we’ve all been dreaming of. Being the wellness podcast nerd that I am, I often scroll through Apple’s top 100 podcasts just for fun. It’s there that I first noticed an episode called “Autogenic Relaxation for Sleep,” which has been dominating the list for a few weeks (by my count). The 15-minute sequence was created by Meditation Oasis, and involves drawing attention to how each of your body parts feel from head to toe (e.g., my hips are warm and heavy) as you’re lying between your heavenly soft sheets. Calming music rounds out the listening experience. Autogenic relaxation is a method developed by psychiatrists defined as “a technique which involves progressive relaxation of the extremities, heartbeat stabilization, and maintenance of slow, deep breaths,” according to anxiety.org. If you’ve ever done a body scan in yoga class or tried the U.S. army’s technique for falling asleep, you’re familiar with the mesmerizing process of checking in with each and every extremity. A 2002 meta-analysis of 73 studies found autogenic relaxation useful for treating sleep disorders, as well as hypertension, migraines, and
Category: Yoga
The plank-happy, full-body workout that fires up every muscle in 12 minutes flat
May 06, 2019 at 07:14AM by CWC There are a lot of things you can do in 12 minutes: Microwave a well-done sweet potato, watch one half of an episode of Friends, or fire up every single muscle in your body by way of this routine from Master SoulCycle Instructor and EmBody creator Emily Turner’s latest workout. In honor of May’s Trainer of the Month Club, Turner has shared four weeks worth of full-body workouts, the first of which you can get done in no time. With a series of every iteration of planks you could possibly imagine, these moves will leave every fiber from your shoulders to your abs on fire. And the best part? You can do the full set of exercises right from the comfort of your own home with nothing more than your own body and yoga mat’s worth of open space. (Technically, that means you can actually watch that half episode of Friends and simultaneously cook a sweet potato while you workout, should you so choose.) Three birds, one stone? Now that’s our kind of workout. Try this week one’s workout, below, and check back every Monday for the rest of the month for an entirely new living room-friendly series of moves. View this post on Instagram MAY TRAINER OF THE MONTH CLUB IS HERE! 🎉💪💦 Our new trainer this month is @emilyhopeturner, Master Instructor at SoulCycle and the creator of EmBody in NYC! To kick things off, Week 1 is all about body weight strengthening. ⠀ ⠀ Ready
How to stretch your quads without getting off the couch
May 04, 2019 at 04:00AM by CWC One of my favorite places to be is on the couch. It’s where I read my beloved thrillers, re-watch The Office, cuddle up with my dog, and—as much as I hate to admit it—eat dinner on occasion. One thing I’ve yet to utilize the comfy piece of furniture for, though, is a solid “couch stretch.” If you haven’t heard of the couch stretch, it’s about to be a total game-changer for your body. A variation of a hip flexor stretch, it focuses on stretching the muscles that help you lift your leg toward your torso or fold forward. In doing so, you get some much-needed relief from being stuck behind a computer the majority of your day. “Hip flexor stretching—combined with hip extensor strengthening—is a good idea for anyone who sits during the day. While sitting, these muscles are often in a shortened position for long periods of time, causing chronic tightness,” says Stacy Dockins, yoga teacher and corrective exercise expert. “Since muscles work in reciprocal pairs, when the hip flexors are tight, the glutes tend to get a little sleepy. This leads to a lack of tensional integrity around the hip complex. Some muscles are over-firing and tight, while others are lax and stretched. This soft tissue environment creates an imbalance in the joints, which can eventually lead to pain and degradation in the sacroiliac joints, lumbar spine, and hip socket.” Aside from benefiting the hips, the couch stretch also helps out your
Be real with me: Is it *that* bad if I leave a workout class before the stretch?
May 02, 2019 at 09:21AM by CWC You know at the very end of a workout class when a trainer tells everyone to either “leave now or forever hold their peace”? Well, I am always the girl hoofing it to the locker room instead of sticking around for the stretch. Even if I don’t technically have somewhere to be, the thought of spending even another minute in a class after it’s over is wildly unappealing. I’ve got stuff to do! I’ve got people to see! And, really, how much of a difference is five-minutes of toe touches and calf raises really going to make in my body? According to pros: A lot. “It is important to stretch after a workout to cool the body, reduce stiffness and shortening in the muscles that were working, increase blood flow, and to assist in clearing waste by-products that accumulate while we work out,” says Corrine Croce, physical therapist and founder of Body Evolved in New York City. And even though those few minutes after class may not feel as effective, as, say, a full hour’s worth of yoga, stretching is still important. “The 5-minute stretches post workout classes helps decrease tension and the muscle shortening that occurred from the repetitive contractions that occurred throughout the workout,” says Croce. “The post class stretch is making a different in stretching out your muscle when compared to not stretching post workout. This post class stretch is even more important as a cool down tool that is
Power-training should be a staple in your workout just like strength and cardio
April 30, 2019 at 01:00PM by CWC I judge whether or not I’m getting a good workout by a number of things: how much I’m sweating, how out of breath I am, or how sore I am the next day. During the sweat sesh, I’m also measuring how much weight I’m able to lift, and, if I’m running, how many miles I can log. But I’ve never ever thought about how much power I’m exerting—which is apparently an important factor to consider. Power, as I’m learning, is essentially a way-underrated measurement when it comes to exercise. “Power is the ability to do the same operation explosively, which means rapidly,” says Vince Sant, lead trainer and co-founder of V Shred. “It’s best visualized by how much energy you can compress into a minuscule amount of time while performing a fitness move.” In other words, power is “the ability to exert maximum force in the shortest amount of time,” explains Gerren Liles, a fitness trainer and instructor with Mirror. How (and why, exactly) should you be incorporating and measuring power in your own fitness regimen? I asked pros for the juice. The importance of power Power sounds like it’s the same thing as strength, but Sant points out that the two are different things in fitness. “Power is often confused with strength,” he says. “Strength is the capacity your muscles have to lift, pull, or push a certain amount of weight.” The power factor comes in handy IRL, though, in a slightly
This neglected muscle in your leg deserves tender loving care
April 30, 2019 at 11:18AM by CWC After a workout, I do my darndest to offer each major muscle group some tender loving care, ahem, TLC. While I’m a loyalist when it comes to stretching out my hammies, calves, and lower back, there are certain body parts I have a tendency to overlook (sorry, armpits). So this morning, when one of my colleagues mentioned that she’d learned a few shin stretches the night before, I immediately found myself with recovery FOMO. Should I be giving more attention to the land below my knee caps? Yoga teacher Lindsay Pirozzi of New York City’s Y7 studio confirms that shin stretches are good for both energetic and physical reasons. “The neglected shin muscle actually hosts tons of acupressure points and corresponds with energetic meridian lines, which is why it’s so important to stretch it,” she says. “The meridian line that intersects the shin muscle is the stomach meridian, which physically governs digestion and emotionally can help to regulate imbalances with anxiety and worry.” Elongating your shins on the reg can protect against shin splints, an affliction known to long-distance runners everywhere. Consistently stretching the muscle can also prevent the development of Compartment Syndrome, a rare condition where too much pressure builds below the knee. And on top of all that, the shin stretches Pirozzi recommends to combat tightness just feel good. Ready to learn a few shin stretches? Here are a yoga teacher’s top picks. Ankle pose: Start by sitting on your shins
Never heard of a wellness-aid kit? Here’s why you need one
April 30, 2019 at 05:01AM by CWC Look, life is full of unexpected moments (like that traffic jam after work and that line at the grocery store). But if there’s any truth throughout the chaos, it’s that snacks—and a thoughtfully packed arsenal of essentials—can help you through any jam. That’s the central idea of a wellness-aid kit, AKA, your carry-around survival pack of essentials to deal with all of the little things life throws at you (including a stalled subway train at rush hour). Kate Von Horn, a Los Angeles-based yoga and meditation instructor who travels at least once a month to lead retreats around the world, knows the power of being prepared. “Being busy is a gift—especially having many moving parts of your life related to a business and career you’re passionate about,” says Van Horn. “That said, when you’re being pulled in many directions, traveling frequently, and connecting with new people all the time, it can feel draining. Accepting we are never really in control is made easier when you take small steps (like building a personal kit) to support yourself in the beautiful chaos.” Building your own kit is personal—so if keeping your nose in a YA romance novel helps you ditch stress, it belongs in your tote. But one thing Van Horn says is an essential? JUSTIN’S® Squeeze Packs (because there’s no such thing as a bad time for nut butter). We hit up Van Horn to find out what else makes her tried-and-tested list. Keep
What 6 Months Of Chakra-Balancing Yoga Did For My Career
April 30, 2019 at 12:20AM “Practicing these skills in class has helped me become a happier, more efficient entrepreneur.” Continue Reading… Author Andrea Hannah | Life by Daily Burn Selected by CWC
OK, TMI: Here’s why you queef during sex (and yoga)
April 22, 2019 at 12:11PM by CWC If I asked the members of my yogi group text message to spill their most embarrassing vinyasa stories right this minute, I’d wind up with a robust list of #yogafails. Farting, falling flat on your face in crow pose, and out-of-tune Oms—these are casual occurrences that happen when you unroll your mat. And so is queefing. Vaginal flatulence happens in the studio for the same exact reason it happens during sex, says Adeeti Gupta, MD, founder of Walk In GYN Care in New York City. “Sometimes you’re sucking in your abs while also squeezing your pelvic muscles (like Kegels) during exercise,” explains the OB/GYN. “That could suck in air which then gets released with the change in vaginal or abdominal pressure.” You move from cobra to downward facing dog and, before ya know it, you’ve expelled the tiniest “poofff” without ever moving into wind-relieving pose. (It’s a real thing!) Similarly, when couples are in the throes of passion, the individual (or individuals) being penetrated are likely to queef because air is being actively pushed into the vaginal opening. “It can happen if air gets trapped in the vagina, if the penis comes in and out. Or even if it doesn’t, air could get trapped with the movement,” says Dr. Gupta. Sure it’s embarrassing, but sex writ large rarely looks like it does in the movies. “Sex involves bodies, and bodies do weird things sometimes,” states Planned Parenthood’s website. “Even if queefing sounds kind
The yoga poses that can most benefit from adding blocks
April 20, 2019 at 10:00AM by CWC Whenever I’m in a yoga class, I feel really bad for yoga blocks. They definitely get a bad rap, and there’s such a widespread misconception that only the most novice yogis need to rely on yoga blocks for support—when in actuality, even the most advanced yoga practitioners turn to the tools in their practice. And so I reached out to a number of yoga pros to find out all of the yoga block uses worth knowing about and incorporating into your own Vinyasa class. “We love blocks,” gushes Kyle Miller, yogi pro and co-founder of Los Angeles’ Love Yoga space. “Yoga blocks are scaffolding and support. Our teachers always say when you are building a cathedral, a structure to house spirit, you use scaffolding. For us, blocks aren’t for beginners—they’re for informed practitioners who are supporting themselves while they practice. We use them throughout the practice, incorporating them into many poses.” So a major, functional use of yoga blocks is that they’re truly for support. “I use yoga blocks to help create more space or to act as a boundary,” says Beth Cooke, yogi and instructor at Sky Ting. “I’ve learned the Katonah yoga lineage that blocks create healthy boundaries in my body, and that gives me more freedom on both the mat and in life. If I become too flexible, I have a harder time feeling stable and grounded in my body.” Besides that, blocks are great because they allow you to cater