October 13, 2019 at 12:00AM by CWC Well+Good readers love leg day. When we put out the call on Instagram for you to share your happy-making (and dreaded) fitness routines, workouts targeting the lower body won out by a whopping 67 percent. Leg day calls for squats, lunges, high knees… all of those tricky moves that harness the power of your lower body and make your butt, quads, and calves burn—but in that hurt-so-good type of way. “Leg day is more desirable than any other day because who doesn’t want strong legs?” says Oliver Lee, Peloton Tread instructor. “Having strong legs allows you to perform your best in workouts. Plus, glutes fall into the leg day category, and everyone wants a good peach.” He’s not wrong. Lee’s leg day preference? Covering the basics. “The main part of any good leg workout should include some kind of squat, lunge, and deadlift combination,” he says. This ensures you work every muscle from core to toe (and, most likely, will be very sore the next day). Keep scrolling for Lee’s perfect lower body routine. Lee’s 4-move leg day workout 1. Glute bridges: For these, start by lying on your back with your feet planted on the ground at hips-distance. Lift your hips up while engaging the glutes at the top. 2. Dumbbell goblet squat: Lee recommends grabbing one heavy dumbbell with both hands and holding it at your chest. Set your feet shoulder-width apart while keeping a neutral spine, and bend your knees to 90
Category: Your Regeneration
The 4 times you should always go to the dermatologist for the sake of your skin
October 12, 2019 at 10:00PM by CWC When it comes to skin-care advice—which, as a beauty editor, I tend to dish out a lot—“go to the dermatologist” is the tip you’ll hear most often. And while dermatologists can undoubtedly help with pretty much any and every skin, hair, and nail concern you could ever possibly have, it may not always be necessary to book an appointment with a doctor at the first sign of a blemish. Though everyone (I repeat, everyone) should be seeing a derm at least once a year for a skin check, it’s not exactly realistic to expect everyone to seek medical help for every issue that pops up with their skin. While teledermatology has made derm visits slightly more accessible, it’s still a luxury in many ways, given the cost that’s often associated with the appointments and the fact that many places in the U.S. are still “derm deserts,” which makes finding a doctor in the first place incredibly difficult. While we’re certainly not advising that anyone doesn’t go to a doctor for any reason (if that’s something that’s accessible to you, go right ahead!), we chatted with board-certified dermatologist Mona Gohara, MD to find out the skin scenarios that always require a trip to their offices. See below for the four things that are worth making an appointment for: 1. If your skin is inflamed in any way: If you have any kind of inflammation that isn’t going away after a day or two, go see a
The healthy sweet treat a longevity expert eats for dessert
October 12, 2019 at 08:00PM by CWC At this point, virtually everyone knows that sugar is public enemy number one when it comes to living a long, healthy life. (Really sorry if this is breaking news to you. Please don’t ask about Santa.) Ask any doctor, Blue Zones expert, or dietitian for their advice on eating for longevity and they’re bound to say the same thing: Cut back on sugar. Fortunately, making a healthy sweet treat isn’t an impossibility. Sugary treats are, well, delicious. What’s a healthy eater to do when a craving for sweet treats hits? Is there a way to give in without veering off the eating-for-longevity dietary plan? I posed the question to family and functional medicine doctor Jill Baron, MD, who has worked directly with Chef David Bouley, arguably the world’s healthiest chef. Dr. Baron treats patients with not only longevity in mind, but healthspan, and unlike many doctors, preventing disease is just as much a part of her practice as treatment. “Craving sweets happens for a few reasons, both physical and [mental],” Dr. Baron says. “Mentally, it could mean something sweet is missing from your life.” This is why before reaching into the pantry, she suggests taking a minute to think about if your craving could be linked to something bigger. If so, eating a cookie probably isn’t going to make you feel all that better. Before rolling your eyes, you should know that her advice is in direct accordance to the Blue Zone way
7 standing ab exercises that make you ditch the mat to really work your core
October 12, 2019 at 06:00PM by CWC Ab workouts have always been a favorite of mine for one simple reason: You get to lie down on the mat while doing them. Even when they’re burning every single muscle in your torso, that makes it feel just a little better. But now that I’ve found out standing ab exercises are a thing, I might have to switch things up. While you can certainly get in a great ab workout on the mat, there are some prime benefits to doing core exercises in a standing position. First of all, it makes everything more challenging. Since you’re working against gravity, you have to engage your abs on another level in order to do the movements without falling over. (Because of that, your balance can improve!) And according to ACE, standing instead of lying down is also a great way to avoid neck pain that often comes about in floor-based core work. At this point, I don’t even have to tell you that standing abs are an all-around win. And before you get started, there’s only one rule to getting the most out of them. “What better way to work your abs than from standing—and not on the dirty floor you’re too lazy to vacuum (or is it just me?),” Kaitlin Heaney Zuloaga, the certified personal trainer behind Trainer Kaitlin, wrote in an Instagram post. “In order to really get the most from these exercises, you need to learn how to engage your core.
How a week aboard a tiny sailboat with strangers in Croatia became my favorite trip
October 12, 2019 at 04:00PM by CWC Exactly 36 hours after a newish friend invited me to join her and a group of people I’d never met before on a weeklong sailing trip on the Adriatic Sea in Croatia, I was ready to go, with a plane ticket and everything. I’d met Sydney, the friend who invited me, the year before at a wedding and knew she and a bunch of her Italian friends embark on an annual sailing trip to various destinations. This year though, the group ended up being a crew member short. My general travel (and life) philosophy is to jump at new opportunities. So, although Croatia was low on my travel bucket list, I knew nothing about sailing, and wasn’t necessarily keen on traveling with strangers, giving that immediate “yes” RSVP was a no-brainer. It wasn’t until the tickets were booked that I started backpedaling…. “Wait, this boat looks pretty small—are we sharing that minuscule-looking closet as a bedroom?” I asked Sydney. “Yes,” she said. “Will we be bored just floating around all day long without wifi or any distractions? Will we get seasick?” “Maybe.” “What if we don’t all get along and it’s super awkward and there’s nowhere to escape! It’s two couples and us—is that weird?!” “Bring a good book.” “Wait, it’s SEVEN days? I thought it was only five. Crap, I read the text wrong…this is a long time to spend traveling with strangers in the middle of the ocean!” Luckily, excitement won
Cat stretch is yoga’s easiest backbend, but it can open you up like nobody’s business
October 12, 2019 at 02:00PM by CWC Hearing the term “yoga back bend” likely has you conjuring images of intense wheel poses (with one leg off of the ground, perhaps?) or at the very least thinking about one of those juicy bridges that teachers seem love so much. But while backbends are certainly an important part of any practice, they don’t necessarily have to require contorting your body into pro-level poses. You can get a solid stretch through your spine by using one of the simplest postures of all: the Cat stretch. The Cat stretch, which happens on your hands and knees and mimics the type of movement a cat would do when waking up from a nap, is a yoga mainstay. It usually happens at the beginning of class alongside its counterpose, the Cow Stretch, in order to get your body prepped and ready for the full flow. Yoga instructor Molly Warner calls it a “gentle, accessible back bend that mobilizes and stretches the spine.” Because you’re close to the floor—it happens on your hands and knees, and allows you to stretch your back by increasing flexion in your spine—it helps you ground your practice while opening up your front body and activating your core. But that’s not all: “Cat stretch loosens the spine, stretches our hips and abdomen, while massaging our internal organs,” says Warner. “It stretches the back, torso, and neck, improving posture and spine health. Holding Cat stretch can release tension in the upper back and neck.
5 foods you should always buy frozen instead of fresh
October 12, 2019 at 12:00PM by CWC The crisper is a notorious produce graveyard haunted by good intentions. It always seems like such a good idea to load up on bushels of juicy peaches, bunches of kale, and herbs by the armfuls when you’re at the farmers market. It’s easy to forget that your healthy haul might spoil before you’ve had a chance to eat it. That’s why frozen vegetables are so great. If you aren’t utilizing the frozen foods section at the grocery store, you’re definitely missing out on some savings. This week, Consumer Reports released a PSA to healthy shoppers, giving the intel on which foods it’s actually worth buying frozen rather than fresh. Frozen fruits (with no added sugar) such as berries, bananas, and pineapple, cooked whole grains such as quinoa, brown rice, and beans, and frozen veggies all made the “better bought frozen” list. Fish is often better to buy frozen rather than fresh as its often frozen at peak freshness, ensuring all its nutrients are locked in until you’re ready to eat it. Of course your healthy frozen vegetables haul is just as likely to never get used if you don’t have a plan for how you want to use it. Here, registered dietitian Katie Goldberg, RDN, gives ideas for what to make with five different types of frozen veggies. Keep reading for her intel: These are the foods that are best to buy frozen 1. spinach “Frozen spinach is the gem of the freezer
A psychologist’s future-forward tip for handling your mistakes
October 12, 2019 at 03:00AM by CWC You know that moment where you cannot get over how profoundly you effed up? How you shoulda-woulda-coulda done something differently? We all make mistakes. What if I told you there’s a few ways that you can build up your embarrassment tolerance against them? Oh, yes, a mindset shift against mistakes is more or less possible. Psychology Today recently outlined the fives things it takes to build up our mistake tolerance: embracing trial and error, owning our mistakes and being mindful that perfectionism can get in the way, turning mistakes into life lessons, labeling mistakes and not ourselves, and being open to screwing up. All of this falls under the gigantic umbrella of Good Advice, and might make you feel less afraid of messing up and taking those big risks. However, when you’ve already done yourself dirty and you still can’t help identifying as a loser, baby, there’s one rebrand you should try. That is, seeing mistakes as an element of growth. “It’s so easy to get into the habit of believing that we are our mistakes, yet the truth of the matter is that we are an amalgamation of ALL that we learn in life,” says Carla Marie Manly, PhD, author of Joy From Fear. “Thus, if we make a mistake and embrace it as a growth opportunity, it is the lesson learned—the growth factor—that becomes part of the psyche. If, however, we see the mistake as a failure of the self—rather than
Should you tackle acne or hyperpigmentation first? A derm weighs in
October 12, 2019 at 02:00AM by CWC It’s estimated that every pimple has a 6 percent chance of turning into a permanent scar, according to New York-based dermatologist Joshua Zeichner, MD. That’s not super high—what’s more common is actually hyperpigmentation. “Think of these dark spots like stains in the skin from where there used to be inflammation,” he says. Hyperpigmentation and acne can go hand in hand, but which one should you focus your skin-care efforts on first? “Unfortunately, the dark spots tend to stick around for much longer than the original pimple and can take several months to fade,” says Dr. Zeichner. While there are some treatments that can tackle acne and hyperpigmentation at the same time, like retinoids, he says that out of the two problems, dealing with the acne should take priority. Think of it when a guy says he’s just got too much going on, like his volleyball league, to commit to you, but he’s still down to come over at 1 a.m. Acne is the volleyball league, you’re the hyperpigmentation. This is not a perfect analogy, but it’s the one the internet generally deserves. “Unless you treat the acne, you will be fighting a vicious cycle of new pimples leaving new dark spots,” says Dr. Zeichner. “Generally speaking I tackle the acne first. Once that is under control, then I address the hyperpigmentation.” Some ingredients that can be used to treat dark spots, like rose hip oil, will not help with acne. So leave those
Why a stellar workout one day might be lackluster the next
October 12, 2019 at 12:00AM by CWC Gather around and I’ll tell you one of life’s simple truths: Some days, your workouts will make you feel like Simone Biles. Others, you’ll feel like Danny Zuko trying to dribble a basket ball. It’s not exactly clear why you might “kill it one day and it kills you the next,” but Mike Fantigrassi, NASM CPT, CNC, a certified personal trainer with the National Academy of Sports Medicine, has some ideas. Before unpacking the causes behind a not-so-great workout, Fantigrassi says that you first need to know the magic formula for creating a great one. “When you have a really good workout, it’s likely because you ate really well and you slept well,” says the trainer. On top of that, he says that the best exercises happen when your nervous system is functioning well. Meaning, your mind is just as on board with the spin class ahead as, say, your legs. When these three factors align, you’re set up to crush your sweat goals. When you have a bad workout 24 hours after an amazing one, Fantigrassi says that you’re likely falling short on one or more of these factors. Let’s say you ace an epic treadmill workout, skip a refueling breakfast, have a stressful day at work, and burn the midnight oil trying to get ahead of your to-do list. All those factors are stacked up against you, and the straw that breaks the camels back—according to Fantigrassi —is muscle soreness. When you go