Yoga really tests your balancing skills. From tree pose to extended side angle and handstands, practically half of a vinyasa flow involves bending your body and (hopefully) holding yourself up at the same time. When it comes to the different lunges in yoga, there’s one common mistake that could be making your balancing challenge even tougher than it needs to be.
Often, it’s easy to simply flow from downward dog straight into a lunge (like high lunge, warrior I, and warrior II) without much thought as to where your feet are placed. This is something that New York City-based yoga pro Lindsay Pirozzi sees all of the time, which can be behind your balancing struggles. “I think it’s unintentional, but more often than not, students are not aware of where to actually step,” she says. “So, stepping forward without thought, the feet typically land closer together.”
When your feet are close together and in line with each other, it becomes exceedingly harder to hold yourself up in a yoga lunge. Pirozzi likens it to standing on a tight rope. “That’s much more challenging than creating a wider base of support, where your feet are hip-width distance apart,” she says. This is especially helpful for beginners, but can also provide a boost to yogis of all levels. “The alignment in yoga postures can and should be modified to bring us more stability, clarity, and ease,” says Chloe Kernaghan, yoga instructor and co-founder of Sky Ting.
With more space between your feet in yoga lunges, you’ll also give more of a break to your hips. “For what we refer to as closed hip poses, like warrior I and high lunge, allowing feet to stay to their own side—usually in line with the hip socket or sitz bone—can help with balance and cause less distress in the hips and sacrum,” says Kernaghan. The key, though, is to not overdo it. Pirozzi warns not going too dramatically wide with your foot placement in yoga lunges. Her tip? Stick with about six inches apart, or hips-width distance.
And, since yoga looks different for everyone, don’t stress too much about whether your foot placement is not the same as your friend’s or your teacher’s. “As with much of the yoga practice, there isn’t one single right way to do a posture, and different lineages teach different practices,” says Kernaghan. “As a student, try out different techniques and see what makes the most sense for your body.”
To put this tip to work, try this 10-minute standing yoga flow that incorporates plenty of lunges:
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From formulation to packaging, beauty products go through more processes than I can count before they land in your bathroom cabinet. And with each and every step, brands make decisions that render the products more or less sustainable.
“We started making choices,” says Bee Shapiro, founder of fragrance brand Ellis Brooklyn. “You create the box and then you’re like, okay, well, do you want this regular stock or do you want this recycled responsibly ground paper stock?”
Shapiro, who is also a New York Times style section columnist, grew up in the Seattle area. After school activities often involved hikes in the nearby woods. “For me, nature was this very healing place,” she says. ” I can make this brand about me, [as a brand founder]. As I made these choices I was like, yes, I’m gonna pick the responsibly sourced forest paper. As we started making these choices along the way, our brand became sustainable.”
To figure out if your favorite brands are sustainable, Shapiro points to a few specific markers to be mindful of.
How to know if a beauty brand is *actually* sustainable
1. Find out how the brand sources its ingredients
For beauty products that use natural ingredients, the way they are grown can have a huge impact on the environment and the communities that farm them.
“Listen to how they describe the product and how their main ingredients are sourced,” says Shapiro. For Ellis Brooklyn, Shapiro pays close attention to how they source vanilla. “Vanilla is such a rare ingredient these days,” she says. “What we don’t want is a situation where we’re getting maybe a wonderful, gorgeous vanilla, but it’s getting sourced in an irresponsible way.”
2. Asses the packaging
“If you’re a conscious beauty brand, I think that once you start looking into the different options for paper stock, for example, you’re going to see that you have different options,” says Shapiro. “If I was a consumer, I would look for a company that actually has certifications of [their packaging materials]. Paper stock certified by the Forest Stewardship Council is a clear example, says Shapiro.
3. Make sure the brand is always working to move the sustainability goalpost
“That sustainable term is a moving goalpost,” says Shapiro. “It’s really tricky to be like, ‘Okay, my brand is 100 percent sustainable’—no! Because there’s always something more you could do. That’s something that’s become very important to us.”
For example, Shapiro aims to offset Ellis Brooklyn-related travel emissions by giving to the Carbon Fund. But, since they’re not traveling nearly as much during the pandemic, they’ve shifted their attention to make the packaging more sustainable.
“Everything changes all the time,” says Shapiro. “There might be a better paper stock tomorrow. There might be a better way of sourcing two weeks down the line. So that’s why I keep saying moving goalpost. This is like a goal that we’ve decided to orient ourselves around, but we’re continually trying to be better.”
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What’s round, green, full of gut-healthy fiber…and in season right now? You guessed it—Brussels sprouts, baby. The cruciferous vegetable is at its best in the fall and winter months, making it prime time to add to your cooking routine.
A short primer on their benefits: Brussels sprouts are an excellent source of both vitamins C and K, says Kelly Jones, RD, as well as a good source of other vitamins and minerals including folate and potassium. “Brussels sprouts also offer support to the balance of bacteria in the digestive tract, while providing a variety of phytochemicals such as sulforaphane, which is researched for its antioxidant properties,” she says.
But if you grew up in a household where boiling veggies is the norm, you might be wondering how to prepare Brussels sprouts for lunch and dinner in a way that doesn’t leech out all the flavor or nutrients. “Because vitamin C and folate can be lost when boiling, I do not recommend that method for cooking them or other vegetables,” Jones says.
Thankfully, there are several other easy ways to cook with Brussels sprouts that are healthy *and* delicious. Your lunch salads won’t know what hit them.
1. Halve and roast them
Roasting or air frying Brussels sprouts is Jones’s go-to preparation method. “After halving or quartering each sprout, just drizzle with some olive or avocado oil along with salt and pepper, and roast on a baking sheet at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 or more minutes, until desired texture is reached,” she says. Be sure to stir the sprouts a few times while they’re in the oven to ensure they all cook evenly, she adds.
“You can also roast brussels sprouts with potatoes and your favorite protein on a large sheet pan with whatever seasoning blend you have on hand,” Jones says. If you make a lunch salad with chicken, for example, you can roast the Brussels sprouts and chicken together ahead of time. (This combo, FYI, would be great with ancient grains, nuts, goat cheese, and diced squash.)
Once you have your roasted Brussels sprouts, you can use them in a variety of ways. You can add them as-is in your go-to salad recipe, or combine them with seasonal ingredients like cranberries, feta, and roasted squash to make more of a fall-forward dish. (Here are some great options to try if you need some inspiration.)
Your roasted Brussels sprouts are good for any time of day, too. “You can also chop leftovers for use in omelets or frittatas,” Jones adds. “Pairing with caramelized or roasted onions in this application is delicious.”
Looking for a delicious way to jazz up your roasted Brussels sprouts? Toss them with this anti-inflammatory salad dressing:
2. Shave and eat raw
This option works for both lunchtime salads and cooked dinners. “You can eat Brussels sprouts raw, but they’ll taste better and be easier to chew and digest if you shave them down with a mandolin or grate them,” says Jones. (If you want to spend a bit more money, you can save time and buy them pre-shredded at many grocery stores.)
Then, just use the shredded leaves as you would any salad green—either as the base of your dish or as a side or topping. Shaved Brussels sprouts pair nicely with a maple mustard vinaigrette (one of Jones’s favorites) or any healthy dressing you like. (We’re partial to this Blue Zones-approved lemon tahini dressing.)
You can also use your shaved Brussels sprouts to make a homemade slaw. If you want to cut back on saturated fat, use an apple cider vinaigrette base or honey mustard instead of mayonnaise, says Jones.
You can also sauté shaved Brussels sprouts in a pan, Jones adds. That will keep them warm but still thin, so it could be a good option for a warmer salad.
Another clever use for shredded Brussels sprouts? Making a vegetarian cauliflower fried rice:
3. Crisp up the leaves for veggie-forward “croutons”
If you are roasting or air frying the Brussels sprouts, you can get the leaves extra crispy and charred. Then you can simply take the Brussels sprouts leaves and make them veggie-centric croutons in your salad! They will be crispy and crunchy, but they’ll have more nutrition and tons of flavor. Talk about a win-win.
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As more people have learned about the impact food has on both physical and mental health, it’s sparked a growing interest in food journals. This is beyond the calorie counting of the past, which strictly has a diet mentality. Keeping a more holistic food journal is about seeing the connection between what you eat—and the circumstances surrounding it—and how it makes you feel, inside and out.
Registered dietitian and Be Well founder Alana Kessler, RD, says she always recommends her clients keep a food journal. “Keeping a food journal has many benefits, including helping someone get a deeper understanding of what foods make them feel good,” she says. If you’ve never kept one before, knowing how exactly to do it can be tricky. What does a food journal template even look like?
Not only does Kessler talk more about how a food journal can be helpful, following her insights are food journal templates to print out and use for free.
4 benefits to keeping a food journal
1. It can help pinpoint what foods may be causing problematic health issues
If there’s anything physical you’re experiencing on a regular basis—including bloating, digestive distress, or rashes—Kessler says a food journal may help you figure out what could possibly be causing it. “So often we think we know what we eat, but we don’t realize the whole truth,” she says. “A food journal is a mirror that really reflects what you put into your body.”
Over time, you may notice certain patterns. For example, someone may realize that they always feel bloated after drinking kombucha, a sign that the carbonation may be too much for them. Or someone else may notice that their skin looks blotchy after eating gluten or dairy, indicating that they could have an intolerance. If you are experiencing any physical health problems, it’s still important to see a doctor, but Kessler says your food journal can be a tool you bring to your appointment, which may help point to (or rule out) any potential culprits.
2. It shows how food may be impacting your mental health
“It’s also important to think about more than just the actual food,” Kessler says. “Where we eat, who we eat with, what we’re doing when we eat, and how we feel are all important to think about.” Always eating lunch at your desk while answering emails, she says, could make someone eat faster than they would away from their computer. This, she explains, could impact digestion or even how much you’re actually able to enjoy your meal.
3. Food journals paint a picture of what makes you feel good
Besides helping highlight ways what you eat could make you feel worse physically or mentally, Kessler says food journals also show what makes you feel amazing. If you made a smoothie and it was the first one you ever made that actually didn’t leave you feeling hungry 20 minutes later, that’s definitely worth writing down so you remember what was in it and how it made you feel.
4. They’re a tool you can bring to health experts
As Kessler mentioned, it can be helpful to bring your food journal to doctor’s appointments as a way to point to or eliminate connections to foods that may be negatively impacting your health. Similarly, she says it can also be helpful to share your food journal with a registered dietitian, nutritionist, or health coach. “I have all my clients share their food journals with me and the discussions we have about them are different, depending on their health goals,” she says.
For example, if one client’s food journal shows that they tend to overeat when they’re feeling stressed, Kessler will talk about how getting to the root of the stressor is important. Someone else may be training for a marathon and a food journal can help a nutritionist or dietitian make sure they’re getting all the proper nutrients their body needs.
What to log in your food journal template
Here’s what Kessler says to write down in your food journal:
What you’re eating and drinking
How you feel (happy, sad, lonely, stressed, busy…)
Where you’re eating (home, work, while walking, in the car…)
Who you’re eating with
How you feel after you eat (What positive or negative effects do you notice? Do you feel energized? Tired? Bloated? Were you unable to sleep that night?)
“All of this is important to log because, again, how you feel is about so much more than what’s on your plate,” Kessler says. “The circumstances surrounding when you eat matter greatly, too.”
3 ways to keep a food journal
1. Write it out
One common way to keep a food journal is in a notebook with space to log the five above points Kessler mentions. The food journal templates at the end of this article have all her prompts listed out, so they can be helpful to use to make sure you don’t leave anything out.
2. Take a photo
Sometimes, you may not have time right at the moment to write down everything Kessler recommends. Maybe you’re out to dinner with friends, eating during a work meeting, or simply don’t want to do it then and there. In those cases, Kessler recommends taking a photo of your meal so you can answer the prompts later. “I actually always recommend taking a photo anyway,” she says. “Because nothing is clearer than a photo!”
3. Use an app
There are also apps that make keeping a food journal easy; all you need is your phone. FoodView is one app that’s free and also allows photos to be uploaded. Dining Note is another free app, which provides a no-frills way to journal about meals and also movement, if that’s something you want to incorporate into your journal as well.
“Food journals should be personal, so create a structure and template that works for you,” Kessler says. Most importantly, she says, it should make you feel better, not worse. Food journals are not meant to feel guilty or shame about anything you eat. Instead, they’re meant to be a tool used to help determine what makes you feel your best.
Below are food journal templates to print out and use at home:
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Inhale. Exhale. Now pick up your phone, and exit out of Twitter. Exit out of Facebook. Exit out of the countless grim election memes and hot takes on Instagram. Exit out of the constantly refreshed Google search for “election results.” We’re all under the oppressive stress of watching a too-close-to-call election unfold in a garbage fire year, and meditations for election anxiety are both deeply needed and close at hand.
The beloved mental wellness app Headspace is releasing its political content for free from now until November 16. Right now, Headspace is offering three meditations to give you a moment of peace: “Political Uncertainty,” “Relieving Stress,” and “Managing Anxiety.” And in a year marked by a pandemic, economic collapse, and a crucial civil rights movement, the whole trinity is especially needed.
We’ve waxed poetic about the benefits of meditation a million times, but if there’s ever been a year to embrace mantras and mindfulness, it’s this one. Research published in the National Library of Medicine examined the benefits of meditation and mindful practices during a crisis like COVID-19 (because that’s still a thing). By reviewing multiple studies, researchers noted how meditation can help refocus attention, lead to better sleep, and mitigate, different physiological effects of depression and anxiety, like lowering blood pressure.
Now, when it comes to mindfulness techniques I’m more of an EFT Tapping person. But for what it’s worth, I tuned into “Political Uncertainty” for a quick breather in the middle of my work day. Uncertainty anxiety has been a running theme this entire year and we are all deserving of a rest during high stress times.
What follows is a soothing body scan meditation, which can help ground you in the moment by increasing bodily awareness over the tornado of things on your mind. It can help reduce stress, and also increases self-compassion. Being able to acknowledge the negative emotions in our body is an integral part of healing and working through them.
Honestly, we understand that this is an unprecedented time in history; intentional breathing won’t fix the election outcome and the work on the other side of it, regardless of who wins. But finding those mindful moments can save you when the future is a gigantic question mark. Being present helps you gracefully move through the stressor in the moment, instead of falling down a spiral of “what ifs.”
So pick up your phone. Put in your headphones. And seriously, close your social media. Just for now—you’ll be able to digest your feeds better if you nourish your mind first.
Ever felt heart palpitations, belly butterflies, brain buzzing, and toe tingles alongside the start of a new romantic fling? That, friends, is new relationship energy (NRE), and it’s a joy to feel. “New relationship energy is the phase when feel-good chemicals like dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin flood your brain and body,” says sex educator Marla Renee Stewart, co-author of The Ultimate Guide to Seduction and Foreplay and sexologist with sex-product store Lovers. Basically, it’s the “honeymoon phase.”
Exactly how long into the relationship this feeling lasts can vary, depending on a number of factors—like how often you see each other, how often you text between IRL visits, the type of relationship, and the lovers involved themselves. But as a generalization, Stewart says it tends to burn off by the six-month mark. That said, longtime daters—need not fear. There are ways to prolong that brand-new feeling or even bring it back (even if it’s been years). Get the expert tips below.
Read on for 6 expert tips to bring sexy new relationship energy into your long-term relationship.
1. Spend time apart
“Part of what activates those NRE chemicals at the beginning of a relationship are the differences between you and the person(s) you’re dating,” says Rachel Wright, LMFT, a psychotherapist and sex educator who specializes in non-traditional relationship structures. Later on in relationships—and especially after moving in together—you and your partner(s) can begin to lose your individuality, she adds. “And when you each lose your individuality within the relationship, you’re actually repressing those NRE chemicals.”
That’s exactly why Wright recommends taking time apart as a strategy for protecting or even resurrecting the magic of the early stages. And even if you’re sharing all of your time and space these days in quarantine, you can still set boundaries to help protect a sense of alone time.
2. Incorporate a new pleasure product
“Sex toys are an excellent way to add to the novelty aspect of a relationship, because it’s almost like solving a fun puzzle,” says Tatyannah King, a sex educator and sex coach with Blex Technologies. First you get to decide which toy to buy (vibrators, non-vibrators, options specifically geared toward couples, whatever you want!). Then, you have to figure out how to use it. Finally, it’s time to actually use the toy together. “This process forces you all to find the language to communicate your needs and wants, so using a new sex toy involves not only pleasure, but communication and learning,” King says.
3. Have a threesome
Having a threesome can absolutely reignite the sexual spark in your relationship, so long as both parties are interested in exploring the dynamic, says King. That’s because a threesome allows you both to indulge in a shared fantasy and also provides access to potentially pleasurable scenarios that can draw out new relationship energy. For example, “seeing your partner being desired can remind you what it is you saw in them originally,” Wright says.
But, before making any plans—and definitely before taking any actions—make sure to communicate and then communicate some more about ground rules, expectations, and emotions surrounding the act. “Consider who you want the third person to be, who is going to be the center of attention during the threesome, what barrier methods you’re going to use [for protection], and how you’re going to take care of each other’s needs after play,” says King.
If you’re into the idea of group sex but nervous about translating it into action, consider hiring a professional sex worker. “When the third or fourth is a professional, it eliminates some of the potential complications,” says King. For two examples, consider someone catching feelings or the additional party not knowing their own boundaries.
4. …Or a virtual threesome
When engaging with group sex in a video-only way, conversations and concerns about STI transmission, COVID exposure, and who can touch whom where all become moot. A digital threesome with you and your partner in one place and a third in another location allows you to experience some of the voyeuristic and exhibitionist pleasures of group play, without as many of the risks, says King. (Just be sure to pick your virtual platform wisely: Many platforms, including Zoom, Skype, and Instagram—have explicit rules against X-rated exchanges.)
5. Re-commit to your solo sex life
While it might sound counterintuitive, practicing self-pleasure more frequently can actually bring back some of the feel-good sensations of new relationship energy, says Stewart. Plus, as Emily Morse, PhD, sexologist and host of the Sex With Emily podcast, previously told Well+Good, “the more you reinforce the benefits of masturbation as a couple and as an [individual], while continuing to communicate about your sex life, the better sex you’ll have.”
Better sex? Sound emblematic of new relationship energy to me.
6. Exchange nudes…regularly
You need to be granted consent before sending any NSFW texts or photos, but King says asking permission can actually build anticipation and heighten intimacy levels, especially if seeing one another naked has become stale or routine. You can send a leading text like, “Can I show you what I’m wearing under my dress today?” Or, you can ask for blanket-permission to send nudes wherever, whenever. For example: “The idea of turning you on at inopportune times really turns me on. Do I have your permission to surprise you with some sultry photos throughout the week.”
And then, once you’re granted that consent, the rest of the exercise speaks for itself. Consider your new relationship energy restored.
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You have probably heard the saying that you should not lose more than 1-2 pounds a week. But for most people who want to lose weight quicker, it may seem as slow progress. If you train real hard and count your calories than you should lose more than 2 pounds a week, without damaging your health or losing muscle? Every single day you hear rapid weight loss stories. So where does the 2 pounds a week rule even come from and can you lose more than 2 pounds a week safely?
Well, losing 1-2 ponds a week is no rule, it is more a general recommendation. It is really based on average results and it is a good target to go for. And the bigger you are the more you can lose safely. If you weighed 300 lbs, that would be 3 lbs per week. Losing "weight" is not a very accurate and it can be even meaningless. What matters is your body composition; the fat to muscle ratio, as well as water weight. People can lose a lot of weight in a few weeks by using some extreme induction program or a lemon juice and water fast. But most of these people also but weight back on because a lot of that weight was water and lean tissue.
If you want to lose 4 pounds a week and you are not 400 pounds, then it takes a lot of effort to reach this goal. The more you want to lose, than the bigger calorie deficit you need. For example if your maintenance level is 3000 calories and you want to lose 4 pounds a week, then you need a 2000 calorie deficit. Which would equate to eating 1000 calories per day. Eating so little is not very safe and people often end up binge eating because people can´t last with this little food. So losing 4 pounds a week with cutting calories only is not an option.
The other option is to create a calorie deficit by burning more calories with exercise. But you need to train for hours and hours every single day to lose 4 pounds with exercise. People just do not have the time or the motivation to sweat in the gym for hours and hours because we have a life. Most people have a job and a family and spending that much time and effort to weight loss is not practical. Yes, it is possible to lose 4 pounds a week, but as you can see, it takes extraordinary effort to do it. And losing 2 pounds a week is not bad at all. You can lose at least 50 pounds in 6 months, if you lose 2 pounds a week. That is a lot of weight.
Matcha and turmeric lattes have dominated the imaginations of mainstream wellness for years thanks to their potent benefits and colorful, inherently-Instagrammable nature. But one healthy drink has sat quietly out of the spotlight, underappreciated but no less beneficial: white tea.
“White tea, like green tea, comes from the camellia sinesis plant, but is different in taste and caffeine content since its delicate leaves are harvested early, when the leaves are still buds,” says Kelly Jones, RD. Basically, it’s the shy cousin of green tea—and it’s ready for its turn in the spotlight.
White tea is slightly lower in caffeine than green and black tea, offering around 30 milligrams per eight ounces. (For context, black tea contains 47 milligrams of caffeine per serving, matcha has 30 to 70 milligrams, and green tea contains between 35 to 45 milligrams.) White tea also has a milder flavor than most black or green teas due to the nature of its immature leaves, so it could be more desirable for those who avoid stronger teas.
Aside from the basics, white tea has several benefits that make it an excellent option when you want to switch up your healthy beverage routine. Here are a few benefits to keep in mind.
5 white tea benefits for brain health, bone health, and more:
“Some studies have shown white tea to have, on average, slightly more phytochemical catechins than green tea, even though these are the antioxidants green tea is well known for,” adds Jones. These catechins, aka a specific kind of compound found in tea with antioxidant properties, have been linked with a host of health benefits, including the potential to combat neurodegenerative diseases.
2. It can fight inflammation
Like other teas, white tea is high in antioxidants—particularly epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), which important for combatting the effects of inflammation and oxidative stress. “EGCG is a phytochemical antioxidant known for its role in metabolism and inflammatory processes, helping to maintain energy levels and appropriate body processes for long-term health,” Jones says. The catechins in white tea are also anti-inflammatory, adds Jones, “which can be helpful for the recovery of stressed out muscles after a tough workout.” But more research is needed specifically on the catechins in white tea itself to further confirm this benefit. “There is promise due to studies on other foods containing these compounds,” she says.
3. It’s good for bone health
White tea also contains manganese, which helps the body release energy from carbohydrates and proteins. Manganese also supports bone health, which is important for lowering the risk of osteoporosis with age. Enjoy white tea with other foods high in manganese, like sweet potatoes, lima beans, mussels, tofu, and chickpeas, among others.
4. It may help reduce the risk of cancer as part of a healthy lifestyle
While some cancer is unavoidable due to genetics, many plant foods have phytochemical antioxidants that help protect the cells from damage that could otherwise progress to cancer, Jones. “White tea’s antioxidant polyphenols are suggested to be anti-carcinogenic, but it’s important to remember an overall healthful diet, along with exercise and avoiding smoking, are also important for cancer prevention,” she says.
5. It may support healthy blood sugar control
You may want to give white tea a chance if you struggle with blood sugar management. “While not specific to white tea, consumption of teas from the camellia sineses plant has been associated with protective effects in those with diabetes,” says Jones. Be sure to ask your doctor for approval first to ensure that it doesn’t conflict with other treatment for diabetes you are receiving.
Want to learn more about healthy drinks? Here’s everything to know about green tea and matcha:
How to enjoy white tea
Good news—there is no downside to drinking white tea in moderation, says Jones. “As with any tea, limiting to three cups per day is advisable so as to not take in an excess of any phytochemicals that are still being researched and do not yet have status as a nutrient with known upper limit levels,” she says. Plus, while white tea has less caffeine than green or black teas, it still has caffeine—which, in excess, can increase anxiety levels, disrupt sleep patterns, and give you the runs.
Enjoy it cold for an iced tea, or hot as a latte with almond, coconut, or oat milk. It’s a simple tea—so enjoy it with simple ingredients too.
In addition to drinking it hot or cold, Jones suggests using it in your skin-care routine because of its anti-inflammatory properties. You can find it in certain lotions and skin-care products or ask your derm for some recommendations.
The bottom line: White tea, like other teas, is absolutely a healthy, anti-inflammatory beverage you can enjoy in moderation. If you like how it tastes, you should absolutely incorporate it into your daily drinking rituals.
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Most people know that exercise is an important factor in natural weight loss, but the wrong kind of exercise for certain people may actually be preventing them from losing fat! People who carry most of their excess weight in the lower abdomen in the form of the pendulous sagging fat deposit below the waistline can exercise too much and/or too hard and actually interfere with their ability to lose weight.
The adrenals are small glands that sit on top of the kidneys ("adrenal" translates to "on top of the kidney"). Alhough they are small, the adrenal glands are powerful organs and produce hormones involved in many functions. The most familiar of the adrenal horomones is probably adrenaline (also called epinephrine). You may already be familar with the function of adrenaline, which mobilizes the body for action by increasing heart rate, elevating blood pressure and respiration, and by increasing circulation to the body's muscles. Adrenaline also promotes the burning of fat for energy, so adrenal function can promote weight loss during short periods of physical or even emotional stress.
The adrenal glands produce another hormone that can promote weight gain though. This hormone is called cortisol, and it tends to cause the storage of fat in the lower abdomen. Unlike adrenaline which is produced for only short periods of time, the adrenal glands can produce cortisol long-term. This means that any fat-burning effects from adrenaline will be overcome in the long-run by the fat-storing effects of cortisol. From a survival standpoint, cortisol serves the purpose of providing emergency storage of fat for energy when the body is under stress for a long period of time. This storage of fat in the lower abdomen will provide energy and keep a person alive if he or she must endure long periods living under harsh and physically demanding conditions. The problem is, mental/emotional stress will elevate cortisol levels too, and for individuals who lead particularly stressful lives, the continued high cortisol levels will likely stimulate lower belly fat deposition.
So what does this have to do with exercise? Well, for someone who is under chronic emotional stress and whose adrenal glands are constantly overworked, their cortisol production is already high and their ability to produce adrenaline has been largely exhausted. If you add a lot of strenuous exercise into the mix, the result is more cortisol production. As the cortisol levels increase, there is a greater and greater tendency to store fat in the lower abdomen.
Many people in this situation who are determined to lose weight will see their inability to lose weight as an indication that they need to exercise harder and more often. These people may be able to continue to lose weight in general, because if you are burning more calories than you take in, you will lose weight, but they never are able to eliminate that lower belly fat. So they work out even harder, but the belly fat remains - and they become more and more fatigued and actually begin to lose strength in the muscles of the arms and legs.
Why would somone lose strength in the muscles in the arms and legs? Exercise is used to strenghten and develop muscle, isn't it? Well, cortisol not only stores fat in the lower abdomen, it also stimulates the breakdown of muscle and other tissue to use for immediate energy needs. So the more determined a person is to exercise away the belly fat, the more cortisol is produced, and as we said a moment ago, if you burn more calories than you take in, you will lose weight, only in this case the weight being lost is muscle and not fat!
The result is a downward spiral of fatigue, loss of muscle mass and strength, and sometimes the development of joint problems as the body eats it's own tissues for energy - but there's no reduction in that lower abdomen fat deposit that the body holds in reserve.
So what should a person with this problem do to lose that lower stomach "pooch"? Well, first of all it is important to figure out if you actually fall into this category, because with the exception of someone who has high cortisol production and overworked adrenals, vigorous exercise is still one of the most effective weight loss measures one can take.
Someone with a high cortisol problem will have a certain collection of signs and symptoms. First, as we've mentioned several times already, the excess weight is deposited almost exclusively in the lower abdomen. The weight would create a sagging area just below the waistline. As we've already stated, there may be loss of muscle in the arms and legs, and this might be visibly noticable, or it may manifest simply as an inability to build strength in these muscles. In addition, people with adrenal fatigue and high cortisol may have a collection of symptoms that could include chronic fatigue, cravings for salty foods, a need for caffeine or other stimulants just to stay awake during the day, swelling in the lower legs, dizziness when arising quickly from a seated position, numerous arthritic problems, cramps in the calves at night, and waking up frequently in the middle of the night.
If you do fall into this category of adrenal fatigue / high cortisol, exercise is still important, but you want the kind of exercise that helps you to handle stress, not exercise that creates additional stress. For someone with overworked adrenals, the best type of exercise is relatively low-intensity aerobic exercise for 30 to 60 minutes about 3 times per week. This is exercise you can do without getting out of breath and without feeling fatigued afterwards. Among the options for this type of exercise are walking, bicycling, swimming, yoga, tai chi, and low-intensity aerobics.
Exercising outdoors seems to be particularly beneficial for stress reduction, and subsequently cortisol reduction, at least when there are no extremes of temperature to deal with. In addition to going to a lower-intensity type of exercise, it is important to make sure to eat enough protein to maintain muscle mass. This is easily accomplished by most people, but if you've been drastically cutting calories to lose weight, you are probably actually working against yourself.
Just 3 to 4 ounces of meat, fish, eggs, or dairy three times per day is sufficient to spare your muscle. If you are a vegan, just make sure to eat plenty of beans, nuts, seeds, and other high-protein foods. If you've been working out like crazy to try to get rid of that belly fat, but all you've managed to accomplish was feeling tired, weak, and sore, by reducing the intensity of your workouts and controlling stress better, you'll likely find that the belly fat gradually shrinks away and you'll look and feel great!
The most popular exercise to do if you’re looking to light up your all-important glutes and hamstrings is the glute bridge and its many variations. If you’re looking to up the ante in your lower body workouts, though, try including some barbell hip thrusts into your workout routine.
Fitness trainers turn to the move for a number of reasons, mainly because it’s a go-to weight training move that strengthens your posterior chain. Keep scrolling for everything you need to know about the exercise.
What is a barbell hip thrust
In a barbell hip thrust, you use a barbell to create resistance on your hip area as you recruit certain muscles to push it forward. “A barbell hip thrust is when you place a barbell on your lower abdomen above your quads and below your abs, then lie down with your shoulders on a bench,” says Quan Bailey, certified personal trainer and Isopure athlete. “You then thrust your hips from the ground. The lift mainly focuses on your glutes, lower back, and hamstrings.” To do it correctly, follow these instructions:
1. Begin seated with your back against a bench. Place a barbell on your hips.
2. Place your shoulders and upper back on the bench.
3. Lift your hips up from the ground until they’re aligned with your shoulders. Or, if you’re doing the thrust from the floor without a bench, your hips will end up in an upright position as the highest point of the lift.
For a modification, you can place a pad or mat underneath the barbell if your lower abdomen is sensitive. You can also perform the barbell hip thrust with one or two dumbbells in the same position, or use your body weight to get your body used to the movement.
Whenever you’re doing the exercise, be sure to avoid one of the most common mistakes in form, which involves the placement of your gaze. “I often see people tilting the head up with their gaze towards the ceiling,” says Megan Davies, Beachbody Super Trainer. “This forces the rib cage to flare up and the back to arch, and though it feels like the barbell is getting higher, you’ll be taking the focus off of the glutes.” Instead, keep your gaze forward with your chin down and a rigid torso. “This ensures that the action comes from the hips only, maximizing your glute engagement,” she says.
Benefits of doing barbell hip thrusts
Working through barbell hip thrusts means that you’re strengthening crucial muscles within your body. “The exercise works the posterior chain, including your glutes and your hamstrings,” says Luke Milton, celebrity trainer and founder of Training Mate. “It also targets the muscles of the hip. These are the prime movers of the lower body.”
Since the exercise gives your glutes a major burn, it gives you a heads up in other workouts. “Glute stability is huge for athletic performance,” says Bailey. Your glutes are made up of so many different muscles, all of which allow you to move efficiently through any lower body-focused workout. Davies says that strong glutes are essential to lifting, strength, and longevity, and even says that the barbell hip thrust “gives you the most activation through the glute max of any other exercise.”
Incorporating the exercise move into your workout routine also benefits your lower back. “Having a strong posterior chain and strong hip flexors goes a long way in the prevention of lower back pain,” says Milton. “The hip thrust also builds strength and stabilization through the lower back, which results in a healthier, more functional, and pain-free body.” And who doesn’t need that?
Alternative exercises to try
To round out your exercise routine, incorporate these moves that target the same muscles but get your body working in different ways.
1. Wide stance squats
Bailey is a fan of this squat variation if you’re looking to continue burning your glutes. “This is my favorite alternative because it gives you the same glute engagement but offers more core and quad recruitment,” he says. His tip? Hold a glute squeeze for two to three seconds at the bottom for extra oomph.
Stand with your feet wider than hip-width apart (about twice as wide as your hip width) with your feet turned slightly outwards. Squat down as if you’re sitting in a chair, keeping your torso tall. Turn your knees out as you squat and lower until your thighs are parallel to the ground. Press from the bottom of your heels to push back up. You can do this with or without weights.
2. Barbell deadlift
The barbell deadlift, which Milton recommends, hits your glutes and hamstrings but also works on core stability and your balancing skills.
From standing, place your hands on a barbell with your feet hip-width apart and a slight bend in your knees. Engage your core as you lift the bar, keeping your arms straight as you engage your hamstrings and glutes. Keep your back flat as you engage your glutes and hamstrings. Then return to the starting position.
3. Lumbar hyperextension
Another exercise Milton likes to add in with barbell hip thrusts is the lumbar hyperextension, which involves using a weights machine.
Place your hips on a hyperextension machine, then fold from your hips and lift your body using your glutes, hamstrings, and erector spinae (muscles along the spine).
4. Glute bridge
The classic glute bridge is a tried-and-true move for hitting your glutes and hamstrings, and also for strengthening your hip flexors. Davies says that this exercise is almost identical to the muscle recruitments done in a barbell hip thrust. Her tip? “I even like reversing the position as you progress and put your heels on a bench or stability ball with your back on the floor and performing the glute bridge that way,” she says.
Lie on the ground with your knees bent, feet hip-width distance apart. Your fingertips should be able to reach your heels. Engage your glutes and hamstrings to raise your hips high, keeping your upper back on the mat. Release back down.
5. Kettlebell swing
If you’ve got a kettlebell or a heavy dumbbell to work with, the kettlebell swing is great for strengthening your lower body muscles and your core.
From standing, place your feet a little wider than hip-width apart. Bend down into a deadlift position with your weight between your feet on the floor. Grab the weight and squeeze your arms together as you lift it off of the ground. Start with some momentum to swing it from your hips in a thrusting movement. Push your hips back and then forward as you use your glutes and hamstrings, and keep your core tight and your back straight.
6. Single-leg deadlift
With this deadlift variation, you’re not only hitting your glutes and hamstrings but also improving your overall balance.
Stand tall with your weight in the opposite hand of the planted leg. With a slight bend in your standing knee, press your tailbone back as you raise your other leg and lower the weight towards the ground. Square your hips to the mat and keep your back flat when you’re lowered. Make sure the floating leg has a flexed foot.
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When you think about your body’s overall strength, it’s easy to overlook certain skills that come into play just as much as your major muscles do. Those include things like joint flexibility, agility, endurance, and—maybe the least discussed fitness skill—grip strength.
If you are assuming that grip strength is literally how hard you can hold onto something, you’re correct. It sounds simple, but having that capability comes into play in almost every workout and in every day movements. According to André Crews, Ladder teams coach, your hands and forearms are “the gatekeepers to functional fitness,” and these are the parts of your body that are in charge of how well you grip. Keep scrolling for everything you need to know about the fitness skill, including how to improve it.
What is grip strength
Technically, grip strength goes beyond being able to just hold something in your hands. “It’s the physical ability to hold onto and maintain control of an external object in your hands for an extended period of time,” says Crews. Being able to do this uses both hand and forearm strength. “Grip strength is a measure of muscular strength or the maximum force generated by one’s forearm muscles,” says Nicholas Poulin, trainer and founder of Poulin Health and Wellness, who adds that it’s often a measurement of upper body strength.
Even if you’re able to squat with super-heavy weights or do pull-ups until you’re red in the face, your training capacity will be limited if you don’t have good grip strength, says Crews. “If you cannot physically hold onto a dumbbell, kettlebell, or barbell, your physiological results [of your workouts] will be limited,” he says.
Grip strength entails a number of different grips, so it’s not just wrapping your fingers around a pole or a weight. Poulin points to the following varieties of grips that you can use in your workouts: supinated (palms facing up); pronated (palms facing down); neutral (palms facing toward one another); and hybrid (variations between two).
Your grip can vary depending on what you’re holding, too. Besides holding onto an external object (like weights), Crews says that a barbell hook grip places the index and middle finger over the thumb to create a structural grip on heavy loads. “Then there’s holding up your own bodyweight, like on a pull-up bar or TRX traps,” he says. “And a gymnastics hook grip places the thumb over the index and middle finger to activate an extra muscle in the forearm.”
Why grip strength is so important
Without proper grip strength, a slew of muscle imbalances and injuries could happen as a result. “If your grip and forearm muscles are not conditioned with mobility, strength, and endurance, then the result winds up being the frustrating chronic repetitive motion injuries that plague both office workers and athletes alike,” says Poulin. Think conditions like tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis) and medial epicondylitis (pains anywhere on the inside of the elbow and forearm). “People who work on a computer often get one or both of these same issues,” he says.
Because your wrist plays a big role in your grip strength, not having good mobility in that joint means that your grip will be weak, which can then lead to certain kinds of injuries. “Your wrist is one of the most complex joints in the body, and it has a high involvement in nearly every activity we do,” says Kimberly O’Laughlin, certified trainer and SportsArt regional sales manager. “Limited mobility of the wrist leads to limited movement, less blood flow, and often pain. If the wrist is stiff and weak, your grip will be directly affected, and other parts of your body will begin to compensate.”
Benefits of having good grip strength
When you have solid grip strength, everyday tasks become much easier. “With proper grip strength, everything from carrying your purse or briefcase or luggage to carrying groceries, using a screwdriver, painting, maintaining better control of your dogs on a leash, and picking up or playing with your children all becomes easier,” says Crews. Hence why trainers say that the skill is a staple element of functional fitness.
Also, grip strength allows you to do more in your workouts. “You can increase your intensity and drive faster neuromuscular adaptation with good grip strength,” says Crews. He brings up an example of one person who’s able to hold onto dumbbells for 20 deadlifts without stopping, while another person can only hold onto dumbbells for 12 reps. The first person has better grip strength, so they are able to build more muscle in a shorter period of time.
What to watch out for before working on your grip strength
Though everyone can benefit from improving their grip strength, some people can be more susceptible to injuries. Poulin’s number one tip in working on the fitness skill? Start out light. “Begin by modifying some of your regular lifting so that it’s more grip-intense, and from there, add more work,” he says. For example, he recommends using a towel as your handle when doing rows for a while to get your hands working more.
Be sure to move slowly when you’re just beginning to work on your grip. “I like to suggest one or two grip-intensive lifts per week for two weeks,” says Poulin. “After two weeks, move up to two workouts. Then, after a month, shoot for workouts where you can train the grip with serious intention up to three times a week.”
When you’re focusing on this, watch the volume that you’re working with. “When performing grip lifts, think of training volume as the number of sets and reps in a workout,” says Poulin, who recommends staying in the three to five sets of three to five reps zone as a beginner before progressing.
Another key factor in increasing your grip is working on your wrist mobility—not just grip-focused exercises. “If your forearms are tight—which happens if you type or text all day—you will be limited in your ability to grip properly,” says Crews. Stretch your wrists regularly, and incorporate myofascial release (aka massage) with something like a lacrosse ball on a daily basis to improve your mobility.
You could also work through these wrist-strengthening exercises and stretches for improved mobility:
8 exercises that’ll improve your grip strength
1. Dead hang
O’Laughlin recommends the basic dead hang. Grab a pull-up bar and hang for a specified length of time—aim for 15 seconds and add on from there—while maintaining a prone or supinated grip.
2. Farmer’s hold
Before trying a farmer’s walk, Crews suggests beginning with a hold. Grab something moderately heavy (like two gallons of water, one in each hand), stand tall with your shoulders down and back, and hold for 30 seconds. When you’re ready for a farmer’s walk, do the same thing, but slowly walk forward and backward as you keep a good posture and a strong grip on the weights.
3. Deadlift
Begin with your chest up, shoulders back, and your weight in your heels while standing. Grab dumbbells or a kettlebell from the floor and stand to full extension. Hinge at the hip and bend your knees as you keep your chest up until the weight touches the ground. Do 10 to 15 reps and four sets.
4. Kettlebell swing
Standing with your chest up and shoulders back, weight in your heels, hold one kettlebell between your legs. Stand and squeeze your glutes as you send the kettlebell into the air up to chest height. Maintain a strong grip and an upright chest as it swings back between your legs. Do 10 to 15 reps and four sets.
5. Barbell shrug
Poulin recommends incorporating the barbell shrug into your strength routine for a better grip. You can do this with a barbell, a trap bar, dumbbells, or a machine. Hold a barbell using a pronated (overhand) grip at shoulder-width in front of your hips with your arms straight. Stand holding the barbell with your shoulders back and head facing forward. Keeping your arms straight, raise your shoulders and traps towards the ceiling, pause for three seconds, then return to the starting position.
6. Reverse barbell wrist curl
“This exercise is solely to increase muscular endurance to the forearms, which transfers into the ability to have a stronger grip,” says Poulin. Hold a barbell (you can do this with a dumbbell too) with an overhand grip behind you, two to three inches from your lower back. With an upright posture, let the barbell roll onto your fingertips while keeping your arms straight. Then, make a fist and contract your forearms to grip the bar with a closed grip. That’s one rep. Be sure to do this slowly and avoid using momentum to move the barbell.
7. Resisted hand opening
Touch all of your fingertips together so your thumb is touching the tip of your other four fingers. Place a rubber band around the bendy part of your finger closest to your fingernail, and push your fingers against the band until your hand is open, as if you were giving someone a high-five. Bring your fingers back together. That’s one rep.
8. Pinch grip plate hold
Poulin likes this exercise since it trains your ability to hold onto something for an extended period of time. Place a 10-pound plate (or heavier) flat on the ground. Keep a bench or box nearby. If it can stand up on its own, have it stand up. Grab the plate with your right hand using just your fingers, keeping your thumb on one side of the plate. Stand straight up with the plate so that it’s at your side. Pause, then place it back on the bench or box. Repeat for five to 10 reps.
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There has been a lot of innovation around vegan milks the past few years, but even as new players enter the market (avocado milk, anyone?), oat milk and almond milk continue to be among the most popular. (Remember when the only alt-milk option at your corner café was soy? *Gasps*)
Both almond milk and oat milk come with their own unique perks and pitfalls; if you’re trying to choose between the two, it helps to be familiar with both. I called up a registered dietitian Lauren Harris-Pincus, RD, to, er, milk her for everything she knew about the two types of alternative milks. Nutrition, sustainability, versatility…we talked about it all, including why someone would opt for plant-based milk in the first place.
“Many people are moving toward a plant-based lifestyle for either a way to consume more plants or as a way to be more environmentally-conscious,” Harris-Pincus says. She explains that while cow’s milk is healthy for many people, it may not be as good for the environment since raising cows requires a lot of land, and cows themselves produce methane gas. (For people who are allergic to dairy or have a sensitivity, milk is just off the table, period.)
But back to the oat milk vs. almond milk battle. As a registered dietitian, there are certain qualities Harris-Pincus likes about oat milk and certain ones she likes about almond milk. Keep reading for her verdict.
Oat milk vs. almond milk: Keep reading to see how they compare
Harris-Pincus says that both oat milk and almond milk wear health halos that are more hype than they actually deserve. “Both milks are primarily made of water; the amount of oats or almonds that is used is actually quite low,” she says. “Most oat and almond milks are fortified with vitamins A, D, B2, and B12—a positive they both have in common,” Harris-Pincus adds. “These are nutrients that are found in cow’s milk and other animal products, so it’s beneficial they are added to these vegan milks as some people on a plant-based diet may not be getting enough of these nutrients,” she says.
That said, both have some unique benefits that make them worthwhile to drink, depending on your tastes and health needs.
What are the benefits of oat milk?
1. It’s closer in consistency and taste to cow’s milk
Harris-Pincus points out that the major reason oat milk is so popular actually has nothing to do with nutrition, but with taste: It’s the closest vegan alternative to cow’s milk in terms of flavor and consistency you’ll find. While almond milk can be quite watery, oat milk tends to be a bit thicker, which makes it especially beneficial in lattes and baking.
2. It may be more sustainable than almond milk
Another reason Harris-Pincus says some may opt for oat milk over almond milk is for sustainability. “It requires a lot of water to produce almonds,” she says. Indeed, research has shown that almond milk requires the most water to produce compared to oat, soy, and rice milks. “Only a small portion of almonds are required to make almond milk, but almond trees require significant amounts of water,” Sharon Palmer, MSFS, RDN, previously told Well+Good. But she also pointed out that almond milk requires less land than oat milk, making it better in terms of emissions. Neither alt-milk is perfect when it comes to sustainability, but oat milk may be a slightly more eco-friendly pick.
Watch the video below to learn more about the nutritional pros and cons of oat milk:
What are the benefits of almond milk?
1. It’s higher in protein and vitamin E
It bears repeating that, like oat milk, almond milk is primarily made of water and the nutrient density is low. But Harris-Pincus says almond milk tends to be higher in protein and vitamin E and also lower in sugar than oat milk, all nutritional pros. She also reiterates that, like oat milk, it tends to be fortified with vitamins A, D, B2, and B12—important nutrients for everyone and ones plant-based eaters specifically should be mindful of as animal-based products tend to be the primary sources for obtaining them.
2. It’s higher in healthy fats
When comparing almonds to oats, almonds are also higher in monounsaturated fats, which are extremely beneficial for brain health. Again, Harris-Pincus says that almond milk isn’t exactly going to be a powerhouse source, but every little bit counts.
3. Almond milk is lower in calories than oat milk
For those who are actively seeking to manage their weight, Harris-Pincus says almond milk may be a better alternative milk choice because it’s much lower in calories than oat milk. For example, a cup of unsweetened Silk oat milk has 80 calories while a cup of unsweetened almond milk by the same brand has 40 calories.
Tips for buying oat milk or almond milk
Since the nutritional content is quite low for both, Harris-Pincus recommends making the decision for which one to go for on which one you like the taste and texture of more. There are also some general tips to keep in mind when shopping. “Choose an unsweetened option, as that will be lower in sugar,” she says. Also, if you are sensitive to gums—which are used for blending and consistency—that is something to be mindful of, too. “For most people they’re harmless, but some people do have a sensitivity,” Harris-Pincus says.
Below are three oat milk and three almond milk picks, all of which are unsweetened, have simple ingredients, and are fortified—keeping with Harris-Pincus’s advice of what to look for.
Vegan, gluten-free, and made with no artificial colors or flavors, this pick is oat milk through and through—without anything unwanted sneaking into the carton.
Planet Oat is popping up in more stores and cafes—and it’s one of the most inexpensive oat milks you’ll find. But that doesn’t mean you’re sacrificing on ingredients or taste; it’s a win all around.
Almond Breeze is one of the tried-and-true almond milk brands and this one from their line has zero sugar whatsoever, making it a standout for health-conscious shoppers.
Made from non-GMO almonds and completely free of carrageenan, an emulsifier that can cause digestive upset in some people, this almond milk is pretty close to what you would make at home (but fortified).
Whole Foods also sells its own store-brand unsweetened almond milk made from organic nuts. Like the others on this list, it’s fortified and has less than one gram of sugar.
In the great oat milk vs. almond milk debate, Pincus says what’s most important is to choose a beverage you like. Otherwise, it’s going to sit in the fridge unused. “It’s more important to choose an alt-milk that’s unsweetened than choosing between oats and almonds,” she says.
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I recently picked up a 931-page book called Lore of Runningfor—you know—some light bedtime reading. About halfway through the War and Peace-sized work, author Tim Noakes, MD, dives into the interworkings of a runner’s brain, by exploring not only what we think on the run, but how many elite racers learn to empty their minds entirely as the miles unfold before them. The book opened my eyes to just what people mean when they say “running is 90-percent mental”—and I asked neurologist power couple Ayesha Sherazi, MD and Dean Sherazi, MD, PhD, to unpack the many ways putting one foot in front of the other benefits the human brain.
Before understanding how running affects you, Dr. Dean Sherazi says you have to take a broader look at how the brain adapts and learns based on the stimuli it’s put through. “There’s an entire universe opening up to when it comes to how we can affect our brain: This three-pound organ has 86-billion neurons. The brain is the most vascular organ. And, on top of that, it’s sealed in a blood-brain barrier. It’s just a remarkable system that we’ve ignored for decades, and even millennia, because we didn’t know much about it. Now we know that it has a tremendous ability to not just grow and heal itself [at a young age], but actually even well into your 80s and beyond.”
“There’s an entire universe opening up to when it comes to how we can affect our brain: This three-pound organ has 86-billion neurons.” —Dean Sherazi, MD
Despite the fact that we’re fundamentally learning and studying the brain and how it works, we do know that exercise can be used as a tool to sharpen the mind. “Ironically the activity that taxes the body the most creates the greatest growth for the brain. That’s exercise,” says Dr. Dean Sherazi. “It seems counterintuitive, but it’s because an act like running isn’t just about working your muscles; it’s about getting blood supplies and greater blood flow to the brain.” Neuroscientists now believe that an increase in blood flow accounts for a myriad of advantages in brain function. Below, Dr. Ayesha and Dean Sherazi break down how your miles affect your memory, connectivity, focus, and more.
How the act of running renovates your brain
“Every time we exercise, we exercise both physically and cognitively,” says Dr. Dean Sherazi. Research suggests that exercise increases the growth factors in the brain—making it easier for the organ to grow and form new neuronal connections. “Those connections are why we see this tremendous growth in certain parts of the brain, especially those parts dedicated to memory called the hippocampi,” explains Dr. Dean Sherazi.
In case you’re like, “Hippo-who? I don’t know her,” the hippocampi are two, seahorse-shaped structures on either side of the brain that light up when you’re exercising. These two regions rule over a number of important human skills like memory and learning, and Dr. Dean Sherazi says that spending your life on the run has been shown to combat some of the damage that these two VIP parts of the brain naturally endure with time. “The parts of the brain that actually start decaying earlier than any other parts as we get older are the focus centers,” says Dr. Dean Sherazi.
Without intervention, the prefrontal cortex, cerebellum, cerebral cortex, basal ganglia, and—yes—the hippocampi would naturally shrink with age. Running interrupts this process. Not just in the hippocampi, but in other zones of the brain as well. “Running —and especially elite running—does two things for focus,” explains Dr. Dean Sherazi. “It enlarges those focus centers and affects those directly. But more importantly, it affects these focus centers in a habitual way. We always say 99 percent of your behavior and even your thoughts are habits laid down in your basal ganglia.” The basal ganglia sounds like it should be a scary spider breed with sharp, venomous teeth, but is actually a section of the brain that rules over your motor control, executive behaviors, motor learning, and emotions. It loves to create habits—and running can help you program them more mindfully.
“What happens is when you exercise and you repetitively focus on the breath, repetitively focus on overcoming the pain, repetitively focus on the patterns of discipline, you do not only develop the habit of running and breaking through [pain], but you grow those parts in the brain that are dedicated to focus and habit-building,” says Dr. Dean Sherazi. “So you’re actually expanding the very area that’s affected by aging exponentially.” In other words: Running on the regular doesn’t just mean covering more ground physically; it means expanding the boundaries of the brain itself.
Beyond the runner’s high: How your miles affect your mood
We know all about the runner’s high: The burst of awe-filled euphoria that comes when you’re miles-deep into a long run and your brain produces endorphins (aka, happiness hormones). Well, Dr. Ayesha Sherazi says that wonderful “brain orgasm” is just one way in which running kicks off a disco in many regions of your mind. “There have been studies that show that when people run, they start releasing the same kind of chemicals that cause a rush of joy or euphoria. You’ve heard of a runner’s high, and that’s when endorphins are secreted but there are so many other chemicals that are almost like drugs,” explains Dr. Ayesha Sherazi. “There are endocannabinoids and they affect the parts of the brain that release dopamine, so you get an immense amount of pleasure during running.”
While researchers don’t yet know why exercise triggers the endocannabinoid system during exercise (the same system that’s triggered when you take CBD and THC), they speculate that the reaction likely developed out of an evolutionary need. “I think it’s a part of the evolutionary system that we developed so that we could run away from a tiger or another predator early on, but now, when we exercise intensely at that level or at the elite athlete level, we start secreting these endocannabinoids that bring joy, that get rid of pain, and that actually opens up our muscles so we don’t have any muscle or skeletal injuries,” says Dr. Ayesha Sherazi.
On top of that, Dr. Ayesha Shirazi adds that running overrides the human need to multitask. Even if you’re listening to music or catching up on your podcast queue to pass the miles, you’re still repeating one order in your brain again and again: Left foot, right foot, left foot, right foot. “Running forces our brains to focus on one activity and get rid of all of the multitasking habits that we have. There is no such thing as multitasking; there is such a thing as doing multiple things badly,” says Dr. Ayesha Shirazi. “When you’re running, you’re forcing yourself to focus on one thing and that is like a bicep curl for the brain. It’s strengthening those focus areas that we spoke about earlier.” When you hear someone exclaim, “I’m in the zone mid-workout, this is exactly what they’re talking about. “They’re getting into that zone where they don’t have pain, where they’re focusing on the action alone, where they’re feeling high and their body is helping them to move forward over and over again. It’s one of the most enjoyable moments ever,” adds Dr. Ayesha Sherazi.
“When you’re running, you’re forcing yourself to focus on one thing and that is like a bicep curl for the brain.” —Dr. Ayesha Shirazi
In Lore of Running, Dr. Noakes links this state of flow to “associative characteristics” via a landmark 1977 study that discerned the difference between how experienced runners and average runners strategized their miles using the mind alone. “[Running with associative characteristics] means that [runners] thoughts were totally absorbed in the race itself,” writes Dr. Noakes. “They concentrated on strategy, on staying loose, and on running as efficiently as possible by closely monitoring subtle psychological cues from their feet, calves, thighs, and respiration.” Dissociative thoughts, on the other hand, led to subjects disconnecting from the activity at hand until the pain of the run can no longer be ignored. Leading Dr. Noakes to conclude that, “[As] athletes mature with years of training and racing experience, they gradually learn how to pace themselves optimally,” he concludes.
Perhaps the most mind-blowing thing of all at the intersection of running and neuroscience is that the relationship between exercise and brain health is still very much a burgeoning field. A 2016 study published in the journal Nature found 97 uncharted parts of the brain and we only understand an estimated 10 percent of how our brains function. We are, quite literally, just at the starting line. There’s a lot more to learn—and many more miles to cover in the meantime.
Make sure you warm up before your run:
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