October 07, 2019 at 10:00PM by CWC Here in New York City, some boutique fitness spots have a reputation for turning their “studios” into glorified sweatboxes. Despite the air conditioning vents and the industrial fans in every corner, some instructors insist on literally turning up the heat. And Ambyr D’Amato, a group fitness instructor at Crunch Gym, says that—ironically—hotter than hot rooms aren’t doing your sweat goals any favors. “I think the room best serves the students in the class if the temperature is comfortable. Often, I find that if it’s too hot or too cold during a spin class, students are distracted by being uncomfortable,” says D’Amato. “I also think the fan is helpful in both spin and yoga because no one wants to breathe in deeply if the air is stale and uncirculated.” It’s safe to say that inhaling your neighbor’s stank won’t exactly inspire you to “get up that hill.” What’s more: sweat can give the illusion that your body’s hard at work when, in reality, it’s just hot as the dickens. “I can’t work people as hard if they are already sweating before they’ve even done anything. I like to make people sweat because they are moving and working hard,” D’Amato adds. If you find yourself dripping with perspiration in a room that’s an average temperature, then you know you’re sweating from exertion. Not from near heat stroke. As trainer Sal Di Stefano said on a recent episode of the Mind Pump podcast: “The workout has to
Category: Your Regeneration
A human sexuality professor believes anal sex could help close the orgasm gap
October 07, 2019 at 09:30PM by CWC “The orgasm gap” is a buzzy term that describes a harsh sexual reality: women don’t experience an orgasm during sex as often as men. Only 65 percent of straight women (compared to 95 percent of heterosexual men) reported climaxing “always” or “usually” when having sex with a familiar partner, according to a 2017 study published in the Archives of Sexual Behavior. While there’s no single solution to bridge this particular divide in sexual pleasure, Zhana Vrangalova, PhD, LELO sexpert and NYU professor of human sexuality, says that staying open-minded about anal sex could be promising for the future of female gratification. The orgasm gap affects women of all sexual orientations, though not equally, according to Dr. Vrangalova. “It is especially true for heterosexual and bisexual women. Lesbian women have higher rates of orgasm compared to women of other sexual orientations—although still somewhat lower rates than men of all sexual orientations,” explains the sexuality expert. Research suggests that anal sex, partnered with the other acceptance-driven acts that come along with it, could pave the way for inclusive orgasms in the future. Dr. Vrangalova points to a study that looked at the kinds of sexual acts participants had engaged in during the most recent time they had partnered sex. Researchers then asked the 1,931 adults how often they orgasmed during these encounters. “They found that women were significantly more likely to report orgasm during their most recent sexual event if they gave oral sex, received
5 things a perfumer wants you to know about fragrance, including the 1 wrong way to spritz it
October 07, 2019 at 09:00PM by CWC Confession: I don’t wear perfume. In part, this is because I grew up with a mom whose heady fragrances from ’80s and ’90s left me with a headache, and in part, it’s because I’m a hippie who naively thinks people (read: those I want to be attracted to me) will be more turned on by my natural scent than anything from a bottle. (Spoiler alert: I’m still single.) Still, I love cologne on a man—especially the way it lingers after a makeout sesh or on a borrowed shirt. If you think about it, that kind of disproves my theory around the allure of going au naturel. And so, to educate myself about all things fragrance, including how best to apply a spritz, I tapped Stephen Nilsen, the Givaudan perfumer responsible for scents such as Calvin Klein Dark Obsession and Drew Barrymore Flower: Pretty Deadly Collection, among others. He’s as romantic in spirit as I would imagine a perfumer to be, as evidenced by his initial description of how fragrances are concocted. “How is a fragrance built? How is a building built? Where does love come from? How do people dream?,” he responds. Every fragrance is “a journey,” which can start with the perfumer being inspired by a new place or smell or distilled “natural” (aka plant) or by a sunset or a piece of art. Nilsen isn’t just a pro at mixing some of the most popular bottles of fragrance out there, he’s
8 signs your relationship is really just a string of manipulative love bombs
October 07, 2019 at 07:30PM by CWC Have you ever felt like things were too good to be true with the person you’re dating? At the very beginning, perhaps they showered you with compliments, attention, and, in general, made you feel as special as you are. But as soon as you felt comfortable settling into what seemed to be your new normal, your partner flipped the script. You, my friend, may just be the unfortunate subject of a love-bomb situation. A love bomb refers to the form of emotional manipulation in which a person, often a narcissist, “bombs” you with an OTT amount of affection, flattery, gifts, and praise early in the relationship in order to win over your attention for the purpose of being able to control you. “People with narcissistic personality disorder typically have such a low sense of security in themselves that they get their self-esteem from external validation,” says therapist Mallory Grimste, LCSW. “Since they feel so out of control, they try to control others in order to feel better about themselves.” But it’s tough to notice the early signs of love-bombing since it generally takes place during the portion of a narcissist’s abuse cycle when things are great, says Grimste. (Remember, narcissists are charming for a period of time from the outset.) A love bomb refers to when a narcissist, “bombs” you with an OTT amount of affection, flattery, gifts, and praise early in the relationship in order to win over your attention for the
The ‘Triple S’ is the fastest way to correct your posture
October 07, 2019 at 06:55PM by CWC I hate to admit it, but I’m a sloucher. When I’m working, when I’m watching TV—you name it. Even with my bad habits, I’m not really sure if my posture is really all that bad. To find out once and for all, I turned to the “Triple S,” a super-quick way to check for correct posture. Triple S stands for skull, scapulae, and sacrum, three very important parts of your body when it comes to making sure you’re standing upright, according to physical therapist and yoga teacher Lara Heimann, PT. “The back of the skull should be in line with the scapulae and the sacrum—the lowest part of the spine made of 5 to 6 fused vertebrae—which creates a neutral spine with its natural curves and a neutral pelvis,” she tells me. “Understanding and embodying neutral is important for better movement mechanics. When someone is living with a sub optimal posture, not only can that lead to perceived tightness, restriction and grouchiness in the joints and connective tissue, suboptimal posture limits movement variability and efficiency.” The easiest way to find your correct posture is to stand with your back against a wall. You’ll want to position yourself so your sacrum, back of the skull, and scapulae are all touching the wall. Then, when you press into the wall, you’ll discover your primary curves and get feedback on where your head needs to be for correct posture. The brain is more resistant to discovering
5 reasons to try online therapy that you haven’t thought of
October 07, 2019 at 06:37PM by CWC When you think of achieving optimal health, the first points on the checklist are eating veggies, getting enough shut-eye, and counting your daily steps. At the bottom of the list (if it even makes it at all)? Boosting your mental health. Sure, your weekly five-minute meditations might help you up your Zen level, but why does really diving into the state of your internal wellbeing so often get pushed to the back burner? “Clients often report feeling shame or embarrassment about seeking help for their mental health,” says Talkspace’s Amy Cirbus, PhD, LMHC. “Some people report worrying that others will see or treat them differently or think they’re ‘crazy’—a word still used in a derogatory manner to describe mental illness.” Some ground has been covered on erasing the stigma surrounding mental health (since going to therapy is really no different from stopping by the grocery store to pick up food for the week or dropping into a yoga class for an endorphin-inducing stretch), but the other barrier to scoring that inside-out healthy status is access to traditional therapy methods. It’s safe to say the benefits outweigh the leg work—but still, who needs leg work? To bring the therapy benefits straight to you, Talkspace is a platform that matches you with a licensed therapist who specializes in your specific needs—eliminating the frustrating sessions with therapists you don’t feel “get” you. And the best part is, there’s no commute to a stuffy office with weird
This 9-move dumbbell arm workout targets every muscle in your upper body
October 07, 2019 at 05:00PM by CWC If I could be a fitness iteration of Edward Scissorhands, I’d have dumbbells attached to my wrists instead of scissors. Dumbbells are probably the most handy (get it?) and portable piece of workout equipment, and there are just endless exercises you can do with them—including working your shoulders, your back, your core, your legs, and the list goes on. A quick history lesson: We’re pretty positive that dumbbells (or dumbbell-like objects) were used as far back as Ancient Greece. “Dating back to the days of Ancient Greece, people used [dumbbells] to sculpt their bodies so they could resemble the Gods,” says Branko Teodorovic, master trainer at FlexIt. Though there have clearly been advancements since then, the basic idea stands the test of time. “They’re used every single day, at almost every gym worldwide,” he says, adding that though they may seem decidedly low-tech, they “offer 360-degree rotation, allowing us to position our wrists, elbows, and shoulder joints in the most favorable position.” (Pssst: That means you can work your body from head to toe, just check out this weighted HIIT workout as proof.) [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXBh8TgwefQ] Because of this, they’re incredibly effective no matter the muscle that you’re trying to work. “Dumbbells are the most effective pieces of equipment to isolate specific muscles,” says Chris Gronkowski, FlexIt master trainer and CEO of Ice Shaker. “Targeted arm exercises are single joint movements, so for example, your elbow is the hinge when both contracting and extending—so dumbbells
3 zodiac signs are ruled by the air element, which is basically the universe’s Ravenclaw
October 05, 2019 at 02:00PM by CWC Knowing your ruling element is key to understanding your astrological forever mood. Elements, or triplicities are what determines the core of a person’s temperament. They’re grouped into—you guessed it—clusters of three: air, water, Earth, and fire signs. But like with every astrological quality, each element tends to come with its hiccups that need to be energetically balanced. To get specific, you may ask what are the air signs? What are their strengths, what are their weaknesses, and how (if you’re especially airy) can you keep your active mind from floating away? They’re all apt questions because when you’re an air sign, you’re bound to get carried away by your intellect. It’s not a huge problem, but it’s one worth being able to balance so you don’t, you know, lose yourself in your smarty-pants in-the-clouds thoughts. What are the air signs and how do they achieve balance? The official lineup for air signs includes Gemini with a mutable modality, Libra with a cardinal modality, and Aquarius with a fixed modality. This difference in modality (or quadruplicity) among each of the signs in the air element points to how each sign reacts to the world, whereas ruling elements are more so a commentary on each sign’s temperament. “Air signs usually seek mental stimulation and information above all. They are intelligent, witty and cerebral,” says Carolyne Faulkner, astrologer and author of The Signs. “Prone to overthink or dip into negative, paranoid vibes if overstimulated or tired,
3 ways to spot the under-the-radar manipulative people in your life
October 07, 2019 at 02:00PM by CWC You know how in the third act of Mean Girls, Cady Heron becomes her own monster? After months of doing things like failing math on purpose to get Aaron Samuels to be her study buddy, Janis Ian has to send her a reality check. “See, at least me and Regina George know we’re mean,” she says. “You try to act like you’re so innocent, like, ‘Oh, I used to live in Africa with all the little birdies and the little monkeys.’” It’s not one of the movie’s classic quotes, per se, but it does bring to light an interesting concept. While some people are full-on seducer narcissists, exhibiting behavior that’s Regina George–level manipulative, others are more like Cady: unintentionally or at least unknowingly manipulative. Until somebody pulls a Janis Ian and brings the whole thing to light. The whole line of thought is enough to make me wonder: Am I manipulative? Am I a mean girl? Am I a bitch? First, let’s acknowledge what manipulation actually is first. One study on non-Machiavellian manipulation suggests that in order for manipulation to occur, there needs to be a combination of intent and recklessness. The subtle aim of getting the other person to do what you want is the intent, and the recklessness is in the way in which you go about reaching that goal. This recklessness doesn’t have to be something conscious or dramatic or even negative; it could be as simple as “treating” your
Beyond Meat is determined to make plant-based eating accessible, one alt-burger at a time
October 07, 2019 at 01:00PM by CWC When it comes to Beyond Meat—the company that, along with Impossible Burger, made plant-based meat palatable even to carnivores—the public at large seems to love it. Their sales more than doubled in 2019, with shares jumping 21 percent. The majority of people buying the product aren’t even vegetarian, which speaks volumes to the authentic meat-like taste the company has worked hard to mimic. But within the wellness world, many healthy eaters love to hate Beyond Meat. When the company came up in Well+Good’s Cook With Us Facebook group, several members passionately chimed in that the brand’s products weren’t even healthy. “I stay away from anything pretending to be something else,” a commenter said. Health experts have also cautioned about the highly-processed nature of this new crop of alt-meat burgers, and criticized Beyond’s high levels of saturated fat. Want to learn more about the nutritional value of the Beyond Burger? Check out what a top dietitian has to say: [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7Z88diSHVg] Here’s the thing, though: Beyond Meat isn’t necessarily trying to be the healthiest plant-based option. It instead aims to accomplish what few other plant-based products have: widespread accessibility. Taking on the (plant-based) food desert If you’re in a city like Miami, Los Angeles, or New York, finding healthy, plant-based foods usually isn’t too difficult, depending on the neighborhood. But according to non-profit The Food Trust, roughly 39.4 million people live in food deserts, geographic areas where access to affordable, healthy food options is