All posts tagged: Wellness

Natural Sleep Aids

By Gabriella Vetere

It’s no surprise to hear that an estimated 50-70 million adults in the U.S. have chronic sleep and wakefulness disorders, with insomnia being the most common. While there is still much-needed research to be done on sleep disorders and cures, most people are looking to their doctors for medications before researching any lifestyle behaviors and holistic remedies that could be just as helpful. Nutrition can play a huge role in promoting a better night’s sleep. Come nighttime, it feels like the stars in the sky are sucking the chaos right out of your long day. Phew! Humans are creatures of habit, and even though so much routine is involved in our day, everything can still feel like total madness. At night, it’s time to really wind (or wine?) down and be intimate with a special ritual that you can create on your own. Here’s how to set yourself up for a serene sleep, nightly: High-fiber complex carbs like whole grains and legumes Have you been experimenting with the keto diet and having trouble sleeping? It may …

The Best Foam Roller Exercises for Your Entire Body

By Mandy Gragg

One of our favorite pieces of equipment we love to hate: the good old foam roller. If you’ve invested in your own or use one on occasion at your favorite studio before or after class, you’ve probably learned a few basic ways to get your body back in check after a challenging workout. Looking for ways to soothe sore muscles? Read our guide on reducing soreness. But why is foam rolling useful? Why is the pain so necessary? Foam rolling is a myofascial release technique that you can perform on yourself. this means that you are stretching out your muscle fibers and elongating them. This can help relieve muscle soreness and tightness, inflammation and increase your mobility. Foam rolling can be added to the start of your workout, at the end of your workout, or just when you’re at home and want to work on mobility. There are many different types of exercises you can do using a foam roller, including to reduce back pain, reduce sciatica pain, increase shoulder mobility and increase hip openness. …

Better Sore Than Sorry, How to Soothe Sore Muscles

By Amy Height

Achy muscles can be a pain, but there are some simple things you can do to make them feel better! You’ve been there: you signed up for a killer class, knocked it out of the park, and find that you can’t walk up (or down) a flight of stairs the next day. What is happening?! Why do you feel so incapacitated?! How can you make it better?! Welcome, friends, to DOMS: Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness. DOMS occurs when you ramp up the intensity and duration of a workout where you also use your muscles in a new way. Contrary to popular belief, this pain is not due to lactic acid build-up (that’s a different thing altogether and happens at a different time during a workout). DOMS is unique in that it’s specific to the sensation that comes significantly after a workout: it’s delayed by usually 1-2 days and can last as long as 3-5 days. Your sore muscles are actually giving you some great information: that tenderness, stiffness, and general soreness means you’ve put them …