September 12, 2019 at 05:52PM by CWC There are so many exercises you can use to work your core. Crunches, sit-ups, leg raises… the list is never-ending. Located on the sides of the abdominals muscles, the obliques can be particularly tricky to isolate. And since no one wants to do side planks for the rest of their life, I asked a crew of top trainers to lend some advice. If you want super-strong abs, you need to target the internal and external obliques to help you bend and twist, support your back, and keep your posture in check. The best oblique exercises, according to top trainers 1. Oblique marches “Oblique marches not only fire up your obliques. The total-body move also challenges your balance and recruits other muscles as well.” —Gerren Liles, Hyperwear athlete and Equinox master trainer How to do it: Hold one medium or heavy dumbbell in your right hand, with elbows locked, and the weight about a hand-length away from your hip. Start to march in place, driving your knees up to hip level, without allowing your center of gravity to shift as you’re raising your legs. Stay as upright as possible. March for about 30 to 45 secs and then switch sides. Repeat for 3 to 5 sets. 2. Pallof press “The Pallof press is not just one of my favorite oblique exercises, but it’s one of the best exercises for the core, period. This movement targets overall core stability and also activates the glutes and
Tag: Well+Good
Meet ‘enjoyment anxiety,’ the reason you feel pressured to have the best. time. ever.
September 12, 2019 at 05:44PM by CWC Last month, I took two weeks off to vacation in Bali—and I don’t mean “vacation” in the 2019 sense, whereby a person is physically out of office but still checking in on emails, fielding client texts, and being quasi available. Rather, I tried the best way I knew how to stop stress and intentionally disconnected from everything related to work for the first time in more than a decade. I fantasized about this trip for months before I left, imagining how breezy I’d feel traipsing through rice paddies and sipping on fresh coconut water without the usual cloud of deadline stress hanging over my head. But once I crossed the Pacific Ocean, my worries shifted to a different subject. See, as a freelancer, I don’t get paid vacation time, meaning my savings account would surely take a pretty sizable hit from this trip. Beyond spending money on hotels and restaurants, I was also missing out on half of my monthly income. For the first few days, as I wandered jet-lagged through the traffic- and tourist-clogged streets of Ubud, a troubling thought kept entering my mind: Is this really going to be worth it? I’ve come to know this sensation as enjoyment anxiety, and as it turns out, I’m not alone in feeling it. A few days after I returned, a colleague admitted that she felt the same way whenever she was faced with a high-stakes experience—like buying tickets to an expensive show or
Why suicide rates among women and girls are increasing faster than in men and boys
September 12, 2019 at 05:00PM by CWC Suicide takes the lives of 45,000 people every year—and that stat seems likely to get even more concerning. Because it is growing, and at a more rapid rate for women and girls than for men and boys. The ratio of male suicide rates to female suicide rates narrowed from 4.4 in 2000 to 3.6 in 2016, according to data from the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS). (By 2016, the number of male suicide deaths per 100,000 people increased from 17.7 to 21.4, while in women, it increased from four to six.) The trend, for lack of a better word, is more acute when looking at suicide in young people. Since 2007, rates in suicide amongst female youth aged 10 to 14 years increased 12.7 percent every year (compared to a still-alarming increase of 7.1 percent per year among boys of the same age group), according to a study published in May in JAMA Network Open. Experts aren’t completely sure what’s behind the rising rates of women and girls completing suicide, but there are a few theories. “The risk factor that’s most likely is depression,” says Holly Wilcox, PhD, an associate professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. While not everyone who has depression feels suicidal, it’s a big risk factor for suicide, and women and girls experience depression at higher rates. Women are almost twice as likely as men to suffer from
9 of the best oil-free foundations that nix shine and stay put all day long
September 12, 2019 at 04:24PM by CWC When it comes to choosing a foundation, there are a lot of decisions to be made. What color do you want to use? What texture? Do you need to be grab one with skin-care benefits? And should you be opting for an oil-free foundation, or something else? While we can’t exactly shade match you from the Well+Good offices (sorry!), we can help you figure out the answer to that last one. To find out when you should be using a water-based, oil-free foundation, we chatted with the pros, who shared how to apply them and the best ones on the market right now. “People choose to wear oil-free foundation when they are tackling sensitive, acne-prone, or oily skin,” says makeup artist Jamie Greenberg, adding that it’s the best bet for these skin types, or for anyone who runs hot and sweats off their makeup. “If you have the above skin types, a foundation that contains oil can clog pores, move on the skin when you run hot, and won’t set as easily. Foundation with oil doesn’t always clog pores, but many people with sensitive skin complain of this issue. Oil-free foundation is a little lighter on the skin, will reduce natural oils from your face, and give you a natural finish.” According to Julia Dalton-Brush, veteran makeup artist and founder of B3 Balm, matching an oil-based foundation with oily skin can sometimes make your skin look greasy, and not in the “dewy, radiant” way
There are 4 unique stress ‘personalities’—and knowing yours can help you better combat it
September 12, 2019 at 02:00PM by CWC I discovered something new about myself today: I am a “reluctant pacer.” If you’re thinking, “WTF does that mean?” you’d be forgiven as I, too, would have had no clue prior to a lengthy and fascinating deep dive into a new quiz launching today from NYC-based women’s wellness center Tia. It centers around a concept the company’s chief medical officer Stephanie McClellan, MD, has termed “stress signatures.” Based on a combination of bench research and clinical practice, Dr. McClellan has found that women tend to fall into one of four categories (or “stress signatures”) when it comes to how their brains and bodies respond to chronic stress: the vigilant sprinter, the vigilant pacer, the reluctant sprinter, and the reluctant pacer. The 82-question quiz, which feels similar to a Myers-Briggs test, presents a range of statements like, “I retain fluid when I’m stressed” or “I like to start my day with intense exercise,” and has you choose whether that is never, rarely, sometimes, usually, or almost always true for you. At the end, you are matched with your stress signature and sent via email recommendations on what that means and lifestyle things to help with it. The goal is to help women more effectively manage their stress, Dr. McClellan tells me. “The point of outlining the stress signatures is so that women can recognize these broad-stroke clinical guidelines and actually intervene in a way with intention, whether it’s the food they eat, or their sleep
Checks+Balanced: How a 27-year-old freelancer in San Fransisco finances her wanderlust to travel the world
September 12, 2019 at 01:00PM by CWC Even in a world where questions about menstrual cups and the ins and outs of sex are completely (and blessedly) normal, somehow the ever-ubiquitous use of money remains a touchy subject for many. People want to live their healthiest life ever, but—#realtalk—it can add up. Have you ever wondered how your colleague who makes less than you do (or so you think) can afford to buy a $5 matcha and a $12 chopped salad every day? Or how your friend’s budget allows her to hit up $34 fitness classes three times a week? It’s enough to make anyone want to ask, “Ummm, excuse me. How do you afford that?!?” That’s where Well+Good’s monthly series Checks+Balanced comes in. By lifting the thick, tightly drawn curtain to expose how much women of varying income brackets spend on wellness, we’re spreading transparency and hopefully providing some inspo that’s possible to copy. Because no matter how much you make, it’s possible to cultivate healthy habits that work within your budget. This month, meet Michelle, a 27-year-old living in San Francisco who prefers the freelance life to a full-time gig largely because of the flexibility to travel it affords her. Check out how she juggles her responsibilities as a contract-based project manager, fitness trainer, and travel blogger. (She has great tips for how to travel cheap!) Keep reading to see her spending habits. Here, a 27-year-old fitness trainer and freelance project manager living in San Francisco shares her creative tips for financing her world travels. Graphic: Well+Good Creative
The 3 telltale signs it’s time to find a new shampoo, according to hair experts
September 12, 2019 at 12:00PM by CWC Out of all my personal care products, shampoo somehow gets picked last in dodgeball. As in: I almost could care less about which product I’m using to clean my hair with, as long as it’s getting all of that gunk/dirt/sweat off of my scalp. So I basically switch shampoos whenever my bottle runs out. This is a mistake. As we’ve learned, your hair can actually get used to the shampoo you suds up with, and you should pick certain ingredients based on your particular hair type’s needs. Regardless—your strands can actually tell you when they want (or need, really) a new shampoo. If you listen to them, kinda like if you read your daily horoscope, you can learn some stuff. “I’m a firm believer in switching between shampoos to keep a healthy balance between clarifying your scalp and not quite stripping all of the essential oils off of your hair,” says celebrity hairstylist Michelle Cleveland of Hair Addict Salon. So an actual shampoo wardrobe isn’t such a bad idea. Curious if it’s time to go shopping? Look for the three telltale signs, below. 1. You’ve got gunk: Sounds gross, but after a while, your shampoo won’t be able to do its job at 100-percent, because as mentioned, your hair gets used to the one you use. “A good sign that your shampoo has stopped working is when you still feel build-up after freshly washing your hair,” says Cleveland. “This means your shampoo has stopped
You’re totally being judged for your swearing habit—but it can work in your favor
September 12, 2019 at 01:00AM by CWC Ever let an F-bomb slip in front of your boss and immediately feel mortified about how they’re now perceiving you? Do they think you’re crass? Out of control? Rude? Unprofessional? Perhaps they have some other reaction that still paints you in an unflattering light? As someone who curses quite a bit around my friends but rarely (purposely, at least) in front of those not within that inner circle, I experience this anxiety spiral every now and then because I’m, in fact, not a robot, and sometimes I use parts of my vocabulary among company not meant to hear it. It’s not that I’m ashamed to be someone who uses curse words, but when I say one of those four-letter terms in certain settings, the result feels like showing up to a black-tie event in a Halloween getup, having confused it for a costume party: embarrassing and kind of cringeworthy for everyone around. Do people really care, though? According to linguistic experts, it really depends context. “Swearing is a complex human behavior, one very dependent on contextual variables: who, what, where, when, why,” says psychologist Timothy Jay, PhD, a world-renowned cursing expert (yes, really). Linguist Kirk Hazen, PhD agrees: “Change a variable, and you change perception of swearing. Any curse word can be used for camaraderie, for insult, or for intensification,” he says. “[How it’s perceived] all depends on who is doing the talking and who is doing the listening.” The experts say several
The most effective way to warmup for a workout will take you straight back to elementary school recess
September 12, 2019 at 12:00AM by CWC When I got onto the treadmill last night to start my Peloton-guided HIIT run, I expected the usual warm-up moves that would get my muscles lubed up for sprints… like high knees or butt kicks. I definitely didn’t expect to… skip. But that’s just what Peloton tread instructor Andy Speer had me (and the countless other runners following along with him) do. And so there I found myself, smack in the middle of a gym at rush hour, skipping on the treadmill while the people next to me were most definitely giving me the side-eye. As silly as it seems, though, skipping’s got some serious street cred. “Skipping is a great movement to prepare the body for running,” says Leanne Pedante, certified running coach and head of training program for Stride. “Skipping forces the body to practice sharp, efficient muscle actions that you need when you run fast: knee drive, propulsion, core control, and arm drive. And skipping drills increase flexibility in the hamstrings, glutes, and shoulders, while warming up other key muscles like your quads and calves.” So yeah, skipping’s legit. While it may just feel like you’re prancercising (do click on the YouTube link if you’re not familiar—you certainly won’t regret it), skipping is doing your bod a whole lot of good in priming it for mobile, sleek, efficient movement… aka running. Also, let me tell you: It’s not as easy as it felt when we were kids. According to Pedante,
Here’s what the proposed ban on e-cigarettes means for CBD vaping
September 11, 2019 at 11:12PM by CWC During an Oval Office briefing on Wednesday, President Donald Trump announced that the administration will propose a ban on flavored e-cigarettes. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will institute the policy within the next couple of months, reports CNN, but the question of what that will mean for brands selling vaporizers filled with CBD or vitamin cartridges (rather than those filled with tobacco and nicotine) remains to be seen. The administration’s promise comes in response to the more than 450 possible cases of lung illness associated with e-cigarettes in the U.S. alone—six of which have now proved fatal. While medical professionals have yet to establish a definitive cause of the sickness (which manifests in symptoms like shortness of breath, pneumonia, fever, fatigue, and more), one theory posits that the vitamin E infused in vaping liquids could be causing the illness. It’s important to note, however, that the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) investigation has not yet linked every case of illness with a single substance. Still, since many of the affected patients reported using liquids that contain cannabinoid products like cannabidiol (or CBD, a non-psychoactive element of the cannabis plant) and tetrahydrocannabinol (or THC, the plant’s intoxicating chemical), the question of whether the ban will extend to these types of products as well is a good one. And while we won’t know the answer definitively until the FDA releases the new guidelines