Forward bends, twists, and many other poses help stimulate the digestive tract and help keep you regular.
Bloated? This Quick Yoga Flow Will Soothe Your Stomach
Category Archives: Fitness
The New #LoveOverBias 2018 Winter Olympics Ad Will Move You to Tears
Whip out that pack of tissues. With the 2018 Winter Games less than 100 days away, household products giant Procter and Gamble has just released their latest heartstrings-tugging Olympics video campaign.
Just as they did in previous years, P&G themed the campaign around the moms of athletes. "Thank You, Mom" is a tearjerker of a tribute, highlighting the love and support of the mothers of the competitors who will be going for the gold in PyeongChang, South Korea in February.
But this year's video series also takes on a hot-button topic: bias. Titled "Love Over Bias," the campaign's first ad features a montage of moms watching their adorable children chase their sports-related dreams, from figure skating to ice hockey. The children all come from diverse backgrounds in terms of race, ethnicity, and disability.
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Like all moms, the mothers in the video want the best for their kids, encouraging and supporting them in a world that doesn't always appreciate diversity. The vignettes focus on real Olympic athletes and their personal stories about struggling to make it in the face of bias and stereotypes.
To go along with the new campaign (more videos have been released on YouTube), P&G has launched the hashtag #LoveOverBias. The aim is to start a conversation about differences and diversity, support competitors, and build anticipation for the Olympics, one of the few worldwide events that brings together people across the globe.
It’s Better to Work Out With Other People Than by Yourself. Here’s Why
Exercise is great for mental health; Research has shown that it can lower stress, improve mood and even decrease symptoms of depression and anxiety. But new research finds that a group exercise class may be even better for your mental wellbeing than a solo sweat session.
A small study published in the Journal of the American Osteopathic Association found that people who took group exercise classes reported less stress and more physical, emotional and mental health benefits than those who exercised alone or did not hit the gym at all, suggesting that a social atmosphere may compound the already numerous benefits of physical activity.
At the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine, 69 people in their first or second year of medical school—typically a very stressful time—were recruited for the study. One group of students did at least one 30-minute core training class together each week; another exercised alone or with one or two other people at least twice a week; and a third didn't engage in any physical activity beyond walking or biking for transportation. Students were allowed to choose their own group.
The students took surveys about their stress levels every four weeks and periodically filled out additional surveys about their physical, emotional and mental wellbeing. After 12 weeks, the researchers determined that those taking the group core training class were seeing the best results.
The study has some limitations. It's possible that people who chose the core training group already knew they liked group exercise, and thus saw benefits. But the research suggests that the virtues of fitness classes go far beyond working up a sweat. In addition to a community vibe, the researchers note that the music and choreography used in group classes may boost mood.
All the more reason to hit that barre exercise class after work.
8 Amazing SWEAT App Workouts from Kayla Itsines, Sjana Elise, and Kelsey Wells
Ultra-toning routines from your favorite fitness influencers that you can do anywhere.
5 DIY Sports Drinks to Help Keep You Hydrated
When I was in college, I volunteered at the Los Angeles Marathon finish, directing the runners to the various tents. A woman came flying across the finish line, fell into my arms and said, “All I want is a Diet Coke.”
Yes, we runners have a variety of habits before, during, and after races to keep us going. But the one I could never get used to is slurping sports drinks. No matter what distance I’m tackling, I just can’t seem to stomach those electrolyte-replacement drinks. It’s plain water for me, thanks.
This is just fine for shorter distances: experts say that unless you’re very active for longer than 60 to 90 minutes, water is best for hydration. Plus, many sports drinks are loaded with sugar and dyes—not exactly what you want to put in your body after working so hard to get it into shape.
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So, what about those times when you really do need a sports drink? Recently, while I was preparing for a half-marathon and wondering what to do about fueling during the race, a friend told me that she puts raw honey in little baggies and uses it instead of gels. That gave me an idea: Why not make my own sports drink, using honey?
I added 2 tablespoons of raw, local honey, the juice of ½ of a lemon, and a couple of pinches of sea salt to about 2 cups of water, and sipped on it all through the run. This worked perfectly for me, and I met my goal of breaking 2 hours for the 13.1-mile event.
Turns out I’m not the only one whipping up DIY sports drinks. Here are a few more to try when preparing for your next race, long bike ride, or other endurance event.
All natural lemon-lime sports drink
This drink by DIY Natural is similar to the one I made, but it incorporates lime juice as well as lemon.
DIY chia seed drink
If, like many runners, you’re passionate about chia seeds, then this thicker, more gelatinous drink from Mama Natural is for you. (Personally, I don’t care for this texture, so I use chia seeds in other ways.)
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DIY organic sports drink
Coconut water contains some of the electrolytes lost during a long workout, so a homemade sports drink that includes it is a good idea; plus, it adds a touch of natural sweetness. (Just be careful about what brand you buy, as some have more electrolytes than others.) This recipe from Consider Me Fit calls for the sweetener stevia, but it’s optional, and you can always drizzle in a little honey if you like it on the sweet side.
Healthy sports drink
This drink’s combo of chilled green tea, pomegranate juice, honey, and sea salt sounds so good, it makes me want to go out and run for 2 hours just for an excuse to drink it (well, sort of). Plus, it’s such a pretty color, and no food dyes in here. Hat tip to the Simple Roots Wellness blog.
Coconut and lime sports drink
Coconut and lime are a classic combo (go ahead, sing the song—we won't judge), so naturally they go together in a sports drink, like this one from blogger Mommypotamus. Go ahead, "Put the lime in the coconut and drink them both down."
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The First Sports Bra Was Made from 2 Jockstraps. They’ve Come a Long Way in 40 Years
A look back through the 40-year history of the sports bra.
7 Core Stability Moves to Improve Back Pain
These exercises help prevent and relieve back pain–and tone up your tummy.
In Defense Of Wearing Makeup to the Gym
When I was in high school, my sworn enemies were the runners who showed up to my cross-country meets with multicolored ribbons woven in their hair, cat-lined eyes, and glitter on their cheeks. Those were the runners I had to beat. Why get all dolled up? We were there to compete—not look pretty. It drove me, with my bumpy ponytail and makeup-free face, totally mad.
But once I got to college, where I continued to race, all that changed. After discovering the magic of the hair straightener, I slowly came around to doing my hair before my meets. And if I was going to all that trouble, why not brush on a little waterproof mascara, and cover up dark circles, and a few acne spots, too?
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When I looked in the mirror before my runs I felt ready and confident. In fact, I ran some of my best races with makeup. And while I don’t think makeup has special voodoo powers or that there's anything wrong with going without, I always think of this when people scorn women wearing a full face of makeup in the weight room or on the treadmill. I mean, if it makes you feel good, who cares?
Turns out professional athletes—including U.S. national soccer team member and world champion Sydney Leroux —agree with me.
“Some people are against [wearing makeup], I am not,” said Leroux, when I spoke with her at a recent Neutrogena sunscreen event. “We have this thing on our team, a few of the makeup-wearing girls: ‘Look good, play good, you know, feel good,’ and I think that that’s such a cool thing.”
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“If you go to they gym, and you’re like, ‘You know what, I feel good right now!’ You’re going to work harder, you’re going to push further,” she added. “I think that makeup is a way to express yourself just like tattoos, or however. It’s an art to me, and I love that."
And contrary to popular belief, it's not a given that wearing makeup to sweat will wreck your skin. "The problem with foundation is if you sweat it can clog your pores," says New York-based derm Debra Jaliman, MD, author of Skin Rules. "But a little concealer and mascara won't hurt."
Currently, I’m training for the Chicago marathon, and while I don’t wear a ton of makeup on my long runs, I plan on giving my eyelashes a curl on race day. Goodness knows I’ll be tired when I arrive at Millennium Park at 6 a.m. And if I feel like I want mascara, too, I won't think twice about it.
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What Kayla Itsines, the Tone It Up Girls, and Other Fitness Stars Do When They’re Not at the Gym
These top fitness stars talk about their favorite non-fitness activities.
5 Healthy Ways This Fitness Star Is Prepping for Her Wedding
Scroll through Hannah Bronfman’s Instagram feed and you’ll get a nice picture of what healthy living looks like: The 29-year-old DJ and fitness influencer regularly shares snapshots of her killer workouts and stellar skincare regimen with her 364,000 followers. (FYI: She’s obsessed with microcurrent facials.)
But these days, Bronfman’s current motivation to keep up her clean lifestyle is her wedding. She's tying the knot with fellow DJ and social media star Brendan Fallis this weekend in Morocco.
Bronfman's idea of wedding prep has nothing to do with detoxing, however. “There’s all this stupid pressure about losing weight for your wedding,” the HBFIT founder told The New York Times earlier this month. “I’m really not into it.”
The soon-to-be bride's goal is to feel her best on the big day. Here are five ways she has made wellness a top priority during her wedding week.
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Bronfman says she always tries to avoid dairy, but in the last few days, she's been following a macrobiotic diet while staying at the Sha Wellness Clinic in Spain. She wrote on Instagram that this new way of eating has made her "rethink her diet completely."
In an Instagram story, Bronfman shared this snap of her and the almost-groom getting cozy on the tennis court. Talk about a perfect match.
After slipping into some killer Adidas gear (Bronfman’s a global ambassador for the brand), she got her "om" on. Not a bad idea to get centered before the wedding craziness begins: "will try to channel the zen to calm my inner hype beast!!" she wrote.
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Because no skincare enthusiast would be wedding-ready without her go-to products, Bronfman tagged two of her beauty must-haves in this snapshot she posted to her Instagram story yesterday: The Bright Eye Firming mask from Joanna Vargas ($60 for 5 masks; joannavargas.com) and KNC Beauty's All-Natural, Collagen-Infused lip mask ($25 for 5 masks; birchbox.com).
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Does sipping bubbly in a bathrobe count as self-care? We vote yes.