September 24, 2019 at 04:00PM by CWC You know the puppet strings that hold up Pinnochio by attaching to the key parts of his back? (Of course you do.) Well, they work to pull him upright so that he stands straight, with his shoulders back, in perfect posture… much like what your T-spine does for you. Short for “thoracic spine,” your T-spine is the middle and upper part of your back, and works as the foundation for all kinds of different movements. That’s why in so many warm-ups, instructors have you do T-spine stretches—they essentially get your body opened up and primed to move more efficiently. “It’s important to stretch or mobilize the T-spine before working out so that your whole body has more freedom for functional movement,” says Lara Heimann, physical therapist, yogi, and founder of Movement by Lara. She points out that this part of your spine is restricted a lot of the time, especially in extensions and rotations, which means that your lumbar (lower back) or cervical spine (the neck) will then try to compensate, which isn’t good. Since hunching over our phones and desks keep our T-spines compacted all day long, it’s important to do the work to lengthen them before jumping into a workout. “With so much social media, computer work, and sitting hunched in crowded subways, our upper body gets really tight,” says Ally Berlin, trainer and founder of Body by Ally Berlin. “I always do T-spine stretches in my class before I start
Tag: Well+Good
7 dermatologists share the *one* product they’d bring if they were stranded on a desert island
September 24, 2019 at 02:00PM by CWC “What would you want to bring with you if you were stranded on a desert island?” What started as my favorite game to play on a first date has recently extended into an unlikely place, the dermatologist’s office. I’ve recently taken to grilling my favorite skin-care professionals on the one product they couldn’t live without, with one catch: On this island, there is unlimited sunscreen, so SPF products are off-limits (otherwise, that’s what every single one of them would have chosen). The results? A selection of skin-perfecting potions that have proven to deserve a space not only on a desert island, but in all of our cabinets at home. Asking a dermatologist to choose the one product they can’t live without is admittedly, as Dr. Rachel Nazarian so aptly put it, “like asking a mother to choose her favorite child.” But we did it anyway, and you can find their picks below. SkinMedica HA5 Rejuvenating Hydrator, $120 “I’m going with hyaluronic acid. It absorbs water—which would be lacking on the desert island. I would slather it on to keep my skin soft and supple.” –Mona Gohara, MD, New Haven dermatologist Photo: Elizabeth Arden Elizabeth Arden Retinol Ceramide Capsules Line Erasing Night Serum, $48 “My desert island product would be a vitamin A derivative, a la a retinol or retinoid. It helps with so many skin concerns: fine lines, wrinkles, hyperpigmentation, loss of elastin and collagen, and sun damage. If I can only
Meet the ‘Big Four for Booty’ toning exercises you need to know
September 24, 2019 at 01:01PM by CWC Squats? Check. Lunges? Yep, got those too. When it comes to leg- and butt-toning workouts, they’re kind of a big deal. It’s hard to beat the basic exercises for serious results. But there’s a set of variations on your go-tos that could take your progress to the next level. Amanda Bisk, exercise psychologist and yoga teacher, recently shared a workout on Instagram that features the “Big Four for Booty”—well, that’s what we’re calling it anyway. The simple exercises are smaller, more stationary variations of some of the ones you’re used to, and because of that, they’ll burn muscles you didn’t even know existed. “They really target all of your leg muscles—including the inner thighs and booty. These muscles keep your exercises controlled and stable,” Bisk writes. Another perk? You can do these four exercises right at home—no equipment needed. All you need is a mat, a great workout mix, and some determination to get through the five rounds of booty-burning torture. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Amanda Bisk (@amandabisk) on Sep 18, 2019 at 11:30pm PDT //www.instagram.com/embed.js The ‘big four for booty’ workout Complete five rounds of the following exercises: 1. Narrow lunge How many: 15 on each side Amanda’s tip: Your back knee should be behind your heel, bottom sitting back, and aim for elbows to front knee, keeping a straight spine. Your front heel should firmly press down for full glute activation. 2. Slide squat
Experts always say to eat seasonally—but what’s really in it for me?
September 24, 2019 at 12:00PM by CWC In theory, eating fruits and vegetables in season sounds like a worthy culinary aspiration. When I hear the phrase, I automatically picture Ina Garten buying freshly picked, organic strawberries at a farm stand, then going home and whipping up some sort of tart for Jeffrey. But when actually putting it into practice, the concept can feel straight-up intimidating. There are already so many things to think about at the grocery store, like choosing whether or not to go organic, reading the nutrition panel on the label, and assessing whether that label full of sneaky marketing claims. How important is it, really, to prioritize buying and eating in-season produce? Before we can answer that question, it’s important to define exactly what “eating seasonally” means. According to Brigitte Zeitlin, MPH, RD—founder of BZ Nutrition in New York City—it’s about knowing when certain fruits and vegetables grow naturally in your climate, and then eating them only in those seasons. In the United States, this can vary widely from state to state, and many types of produce grow in more than one season. But, in general, fall and winter are prime time for things like sweet potatoes, cauliflower, citrus fruits, and pears. Spring and summer are when berries, zucchini, tomatoes, and eggplant are at their freshest and most flavorful. (The USDA Seasonal Produce Guide is a good point of reference for a more comprehensive list.) Shopping at a farmer’s market or subscribing to a CSA inherently lends
This smoothie recipe combines all of the buzzy ingredients right now—and it’s legit
September 24, 2019 at 04:30AM by CWC Smoothies are a wellness goldmine because you can basically throw anything you have in your freezer into a blender and call that #health… or so you think. The flavor—and well, actual health benefits—are a little harder to define when you go the toss-in-whatever-you-want route. So, if you want an expert-level, nutrition-packed smoothie, you have to turn to an expert nutritionist. For an everyday superfood blend, celeb nutritionist, founder of Solluna, and New York Times bestselling author Kimberly Snyder goes for a refreshing, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant-rich recipe: her Cranberry Ginger Cherry Smoothie. “I believe that you can eat your way to radiant skin and renewed energy […] by focusing on nutrient-dense, mostly or all plant foods,” says Snyder. “I love the amazing power of antioxidants that cranberries offer. Cranberries are full of nutrients including flavonoids, fiber, and vitamin C. These can work synergistically together, and can help to maintain a healthy immune system.” As the focal point of the smoothie, Ocean Spray®️ Fresh Cranberries are a nutritional powerhouse, higher in antioxidants than most fruits and berries—outranking nearly every fruit and vegetable including strawberries, spinach, and cherries. “Cranberries have a tart taste, which pairs well with bold flavors like spicy ginger and sweet cherry,” she explains. The result? A flavor-packed sip that could help you beat the 3 p.m. exhaustion. “Later in the day, when I’m ready for a little energy to pick me up, I like to treat myself to a second smoothie like this
How to fake the Big Five personality trait that helps people stick to their fitness goals
September 24, 2019 at 02:01AM by CWC Anytime I meet someone who breezes through life with a fully optimized, color-coded Google calendar, I turn green with envy. Of the Big Five personality traits (a quick-and-dirty psychological framework that helps you determine who you are), conscientiousness is the one I lack. My disorganization and taste for rule-breaking has made it difficult to make many habits sticks—especially when it comes to workout motivation. A new study published by the Psychological Science points a finger at why those lacking in the hard-to-spell “c” word may find it harder to convince themselves to make it to their sweat sesh. Over a 20-week period, researchers tracked the workout plans of 282 participants (who were mostly students). They found that those who ranked themselves highly on planfulness items such as “developing a clear plan when I have a goal is important to me,” ended up following through on their exercises more frequently than those who didn’t. Planfulness happens to be a key part of conscientiousness, according to Art Markman, PhD, a professor of psychology at the University of Texas at Austin. Even if you’re not born with it, you can still learn to fake workout motivation. No lie. “The best way to understand personality characteristics is to think about them as the default way, or the factory settings on your motivational systems,” explains Dr. Markman. “The idea is that most of us are motivated by different things and there’s a range of variations that’s normal for people.
4 ways to boost your adaptability quotient, the more—wait for it—adaptable cousin of IQ
September 24, 2019 at 01:00AM by CWC The real world does not suffer those who can’t keep up—especially at work. There’s always something new to learn, new processes to master, and someone eager to take your spot if you’re not willing to excel at it. Surviving and thriving in just about any job requires you to not just be sharp, but also to be malleable. And it’s completely doable, so long as you raise your adaptability quotient (AQ). “It’s the ability to learn, adjust, and change to new situations or circumstances and still come out a success,” says career coach Maggie Mistal. “Those with high AQ are able to be of service in a variety of situations and may even thrive in times of change.” A high adaptability quotient comes into play when there are new forms of technology put in place, a priority shift that changes your expected output and routine, a raise in expectations, or truly any other tweak you’re meant to handle in stride. (If you don’t know your AQ, try a free online assessment, like this one.) And while the concept of an adaptability quotient is commonly applied in business-related situations, the measure offers value elsewhere in life, too. Being able to approach life as a cool-headed renaissance person will make all the curveballs thrown at you much easier to catch. So, what can you do if you have a particularly subterranean-level AQ? Like, maybe you’re an inflexible fixed sign, or you have a paralyzing fear
These skin-care tips hide the fact that you were just crying in a supply closet
September 23, 2019 at 11:12PM by CWC Crying is completely natural—at home, during your commute, at the office—and there’s no shame in letting it out. I, for one, am a crier who doesn’t deny her sensitive nature. Crying is cathartic! And it has been shown to be good for your health, so why should I? I’m all about feeling my feelings. That said, crying isn’t exactly the most subtle activity, and maybe I don’t want to let everyone know that I was just sobbing in a supply closet because I just found out that a dog I follow on Instagram has died. The catharsis is great, but dealing with puffy eyes from crying is not. Fortunately, there’s an easy fix for that. “Cold temperatures constrict blood vessels, preventing the flow of fluid into the tissues,” says Renée Rouleau, celebrity esthetician and founder of her eponymous skin care line. “This should help quickly diminish puffiness in the process.” To target your eyes, she says to use a bag of frozen peas, or even a frozen spoon. “The idea is that anything really cold will be beneficial.” For a puffy face, she says to do a cold water ice splash. “Fill up the bathroom sink with water and ice and splash the skin 10 times,” she says. “It will help to lower the skin’s internal temperature to reduce heat that causes redness, as well as improve puffiness.” Makeup artist Jenna Menard says that a nude liner on your waterline will also help
Biphobia in medical spaces makes getting mental and physical health care that much harder for bisexual people
September 23, 2019 at 08:40PM by CWC Rose*, a 31-year-old bi+ woman who has struggled with depression for most of her life, didn’t commit to a therapist until her mid-twenties. When she finally did, her therapist consistently “made comments about how I didn’t seem very into [dating women] and maybe it wasn’t for me,” she recalls. She says her therapist even asked if she was “using” her attraction to women as a way to avoid the relationship problems she had with men. The reality was that Rose was nervous. She was unsure of what being bisexual meant for the rest of her life, and wasn’t convinced that she was “queer enough,” she says. She needed support and affirmation during this time. Instead, Rose says her experience in therapy, which belittled and undermined her sexuality, made it more difficult to wade through the process of bettering her mental health. There are more than nine million LGBTQ+ people in America, and about 52 percent identifies as bisexual or Bi+, according to a report released by the non-profit think tank Movement Advancement Project (MAP). There are many wonderful things to celebrate about being bi+, which is defined as being attracted to or having physical and sexual relationships with people of different genders. However, it can also make navigating the world much harder, since biphobic stereotypes still persist within and without the LGBTQ+ community. Think: assuming bi+ people just can’t commit, are just gay or straight people who can’t “decide” what “team” they’re on,
How lousy mobility leads to hidden weaknesses in your body
September 23, 2019 at 06:51PM by CWC Nowadays, the majority of us are hyper-mobile. And by that I mean we’re, like, always on our phones. Ironically though, the constant texting, scrolling, and appsturbating wreaks havoc on our physical mobility. That, paired with some of our other 21st century quotidian movement patterns, creates hidden weaknesses in the body, according to Emily Kiberd, DC, a doctor chiropractic at Urban Wellness Clinic. “Mobility is often confused with flexibility, but they are not the same,” says Dr. Kiberd. “Mobility is the ability of a joint to reach its full range, opposed to flexibility, which refers to the ability of a muscle to stretch.” Whether or not your joints move to their full extent largely depends on factors like the tightness of your muscles, the wear and tear of a specific joint, and muscle memory. When any of these factors moves out of balance, your entire body takes note. “A lack of mobility can affect how we walk, how we sit, and if we can move through our day pain free,” the chiropractor explains. While “text neck” paired with the constant hunching over phones also messes with mobility, Dr. Kiberd says our desk jobs might be the greatest threat to good posture. “One of the biggest factors to compromise mobility is poor posture from sitting all day, leading to muscle imbalance. Weak muscles from sitting too much can lead to compensations in the body which can prohibited mobility, and cause joint degeneration, tight muscles, and headaches,” she