Month: December 2015

Categories
Lifestyle

How The Apple Watch Motivated Me To Work Out Every Day For A Month

It’s no secret that I love my Apple Watch. Ask any of my friends and family and they’ll tell you that I rarely go anywhere without it. The convenience of receiving notifications and text messages right on wrist simply can’t be beat, and being able to check sports scores or get a weather forecast without having to search for my phone is fantastic too. But probably my favorite aspect of the Apple Watch is its ability to track my workouts and keep me focused on my fitness goals. In fact, Apple’s little wearable even managed to motivate me to exercise every day for a full month, which turned out to be both grueling and highly satisfying.

Anyone who has ever used an Apple Watch is probably already aware of its fitness tracking capabilities. When you initially set up the device you can provide it with basic information about your height and weight and a rough estimate of how active you are, which it then uses to set daily goals for the number of calories you should burn and minutes that you spend exercising. The watch also tracks how long you’ve been sitting in one place and will prompt you to stand and move about if you haven’t done so for an hour. These goals are then visually displayed on the screen using three concentric circles, each of which fills in with a different color as you edge closer toward achieving your goals.

Keeping tabs on your progress is a cinch; I often find myself checking in throughout the day just to see how close I am to reaching my objectives. It is a fun and addictive way to stay motivated, which is enhanced even further with the help of various awards that the Apple Watch adds to your fitness profile based on your performance. Those awards, which are viewed in the Activity app on your iPhone, are given for such feats as reaching your goal every day for a week, hitting certain calories-burned milestones, or setting new records for minutes exercised. They are represented by colorful little icons and provide bragging rights when comparing your accomplishments with others.

The Activity app also displays the awards that you have yet to earn, which can serve as motivation to go after them. Case in point is the Perfect Month award, which is given when you achieve your Move goal (calories burned) every day for an entire calendar month. This seemed like an achievement that was out of reach for me. My daily active calorie goal is quite high, making it almost impossible to achieve on a rest day, for example. On top of that, things often come up in a busy month that can prevent you from working out every day.

In October, I mentioned to my wife–who is also an Apple Watch wearer–how challenging getting the Perfect Month award would be, and she suggested that we both try to get that particular achievement during the following month. I was a little hesitant at first as I thought about the daunting task that would lie ahead. For me, it would mean no rest days whatsoever from a workout routine that already includes a lot of running and cycling. I knew that it would be a real grind and that my legs would be dead tired at times. But I was also intrigued by the possibility of adding that particular award to my list of Apple Watch achievements, even though I knew that in order to get it, I’d have to push my body a bit harder than it was used to.

I took it easy in the last week of October to prepare for the challenge ahead, and by the first of November I was feeling fresh and ready to go. Over the course of the following four weeks, however, there were times when I wondered what I had gotten myself into. Without proper rest days, my body ached constantly, and hitting my daily goals came with a sense of relief rather than a feeling of accomplishment.

As the month dragged on we had to deal with a number of challenges, some of which went well beyond simply staying motivated to work out every day. For instance, bad weather can frequently be used as an excuse to skip an outdoor run, but that would mean not reaching my goal for the day. When cold temperatures and rain arrived on the scene, I had no choice but to suit up and head out into the elements. We also had to schedule workouts around the busy Thanksgiving holiday when many friends and family members were in town. Worse yet, we also had to deal with a death in the family and making a 10-hour road trip each way to attend the funeral. But through it all, we stuck to the plan and found time to work out, even when we didn’t really want to.

In the end, we were successful in reaching our goal and added the Perfect Month award to our list of Apple Watch achievements. Along the way we learned a lot about ourselves, and what we are capable of when properly motivated. For example, we discovered that we could find time to work out even when things got hectic and crazy. We also learned that discipline and dedication are a big part of leading a healthy lifestyle, even if the motivation to do so does comes from a tiny electronic device that you wear on your wrist.

Ultimately, it doesn’t matter where the motivation comes from, as long as you get the results you are after.

Categories
Sweat

When It Comes To Cheat Days, Are You Really The Winner?

Ah, cheat days. The phrase rolls off the tongue quite easily this time of year. The holidays are like one big cheat day marathon, a pendulum swinging between “good” dieting and “bad” indulgences, hoping to balance each other out in the long run.

I have to admit, it theoretically makes sense: Deprive yourself of deliciously fatty and sugary high-calorie foods all week while you munch on salad and lose weight, then have one day where you let loose and don’t worry about a thing. It’s meant to keep you on track, prevent cravings, and protect your metabolism.

But does it?

THE PROS

There is a lot of research and science supporting the phenomenon whereby metabolism slows considerably during significant calorie restriction. Possibly the strongest argument for a cheat day is that having one higher calorie day per week can actually help “reassure” the body of an adequate energy supply, which in turn protects its metabolic rate. This strategy actually has a name: calorie cycling. If you’re trying to lose weight, especially vanity pounds, this could work in your favor.

Other research supports the metabolic benefits of a single high-protein, high-carb, low-fat, and alcohol-free cheat day. Foods consumed on this high-calorie day can promote the production of leptin, a hormone involved in hunger signals and “happiness” signals like dopamine, which encourages feelings of contentment.

More anecdotally, dieters often claim that the cheat day keeps them motivated. They don’t wind up “falling off the wagon” because they have that one cheat day to get it all out of their system, so to speak. There isn’t much research to back this up, but that doesn’t necessarily make it less real for the individuals who experience it.

THE CONS

A lot of critics find fault more with the name than with the concept, claiming that labeling these high-calorie days as “cheat days” or even “cheat meals” sets up the good-bad dichotomy with food that often leads to feelings of guilt and shame. This winds up doing more harm than good by distorting our relationship with food and creating more deeply entrenched emotional eating.

It’s also really easy to eat more calories than planned. It’s much easier to eat 500 calories of ice cream than it is to eat 500 calories of lettuce. (I’d argue it’s easier to eat 2,000 calories of ice cream than it is to eat 500 of lettuce, considering you would have to eat approximately 100 cups of those leafy greens to do so!) So setting out to have a moderate cheat day can easily spiral into an unintended binge on less-than-nutritious foods, especially if the rest of the week you’re engaging in significant calorie restriction. Think about Thanksgiving dinner and how quickly those calories add up.

Moreover, filling high-calorie days with popular “cheat day” foods (ice cream, pizza, alcohol) may not be associated with the aforementioned benefits of leptin production.

Plus, using food as a reward is pretty widely discouraged by both psychologists and dietitians, and that’s exactly what cheat days are when you get down to it. Rewards are extremely important components of goal setting and achievement, sure, but look for non-food options instead.

THE BOTTOM LINE: FIT OR FLOP?

FLOP. Breaking up moderate calorie restriction with one high-calorie day may, in fact, support a healthy metabolism, but nowhere in the research is there a green light for eating tons of stereotypical junk food. As a Reader’s Digest article aptly points out, it’s one thing to eat a brownie on a higher calorie day; it’s quite another to eat 30. And some pizza. And a stack of pancakes.

I’m all for finding ways to fit the foods you love most into a well-balanced, healthy diet. I love brownies and pancakes and pizza! But eating them isn’t “cheating,” it’s just living life. A common rule of thumb is filling 80 to 90 percent of your diet with the most nutritious foods you can get your hands on, leaving 10 to 20 percent wiggle room for those birthday dinners and spontaneous outings with friends. But if you’re following a diet where you feel so deprived that you need to cheat to stay committed, then I hate to break it to you, but it’s not the right program for you.

You don’t cheat on your significant other once a week in order to “stay committed” the other six days, do you?

In the end, improving health isn’t about a crash diet kicking you into shape so you can return to your old habits; it’s about finding your place within the world of health and wellness and hunkering down for the long haul. No one said this journey to health would be easy, but boy is it worth it.

Categories
Sweat

Acupuncture: Needles For Pain Relief

I live with chronic migraines. These days I get them anywhere from one to five times a week. Oddly enough, this doesn’t seem so bad anymore.

In the summer of 2008, I began experiencing migraines daily. These weren’t my normal migraines, but something much worse. Having lived with migraines for as long as I can remember, I’ve learned to function despite them. But I couldn’t function with these migraines. I only left the couch for visits to the doctor or the chiropractor. The chiropractor was much more help than the doctor, especially once he convinced me to try acupuncture.

At that point, I was visiting him three to four times a week because adjustments were the only thing that seemed to help at all, and they didn’t last. Finally, he asked if I wanted to try acupuncture. Until then I’d been hesitant to try it. Why would I want someone to stick needles in me? And how could that possibly help anything? But now I was desperate and willing to try anything.

What is acupuncture?

Acupuncture is a form of ancient Chinese medicine that involves inserting small needles into the skin at strategic locations along what are called meridians. These meridians (or paths) connect the body to itself. You can picture it similarly to the nervous system, but it’s not quite the same path. It’s unclear why it works, but multiple studies have supported that acupuncture does, in fact, relieve many types of pain and other problems.

Shortly after the chiropractor put the needles in and left the room, I felt a huge release and relief. It wasn’t uncommon for me to be in tears in his office because of the pain, but these tears were different. These were tears of release.

After he removed the needles he let me stay in the dark room as long as I needed. I laid there feeling better than I had in weeks. My head still hurt, but the pain had gone from a 10 to tolerable. From that day on I’ve been a believer in acupuncture and what it can do.

Doesn’t it hurt?

Surprisingly, it doesn’t hurt. Most of the time. Many times my doctor will insert a needle and I won’t even feel it. If I do feel it, it’s usually just a stinging pain. Nothing in comparison to the pain that it relieves. What I’ve learned is that the needles that hurt the most are also the ones that help the most.

Every once in a while when the needle is removed there will be a small dot of blood, but that’s also rare and not too concerning.

How fast does it work?

The needles are usually left in for about 20 minutes. I almost always feel improvement during that time. I wouldn’t say that one treatment takes away my pain completely, but sometimes it does. During that summer of the worst chronic migraine ever I returned a couple of times a week for adjustments and acupuncture. These days I may receive acupuncture once a month or less.

Because my doctor is a chiropractor he doesn’t just use acupuncture, but there are many who do. Because he’s a chiropractor my acupuncture treatments are covered under insurance. In addition to treating migraines, he’s used acupuncture on me to treat temporomandibular joint syndrome (which we found to be the cause of the migraines), neck and shoulder problems, lower back pain, and even anxiety.

I was half joking when I visited midway into a panic attack and asked my doctor if he had a needle for anxiety. I was surprised when he said yes and promptly popped one into the top of my head. Sure enough, it worked. The anxiety went away, and I felt an overwhelming sense of calm.

It’s unclear why acupuncture works, but study after study has indicated that it does. It’s not just a placebo effect. Evidently, the ancient Chinese doctors were onto something. Maybe one day we’ll figure out what that something was. Until then we’ll just continue to enjoy the benefits of their discoveries.

Categories
Lifestyle

The Problem With Scented Candles

Scented candles have always been associated with all things positive. During the winter holiday months, they provide warmth and a festive atmosphere. When you’re stressed, there’s nothing more relaxing than lighting some candles and drawing a hot bath at home. Whether you’re enjoying an evening yoga class or a romantic meal with your significant other, scented candles help set the mood. That’s why I was sad to learn that many candles can have a toxic impact on indoor air quality, which over time may even cause a number of health problems. But not to worry, you can choose safe alternatives.

What’s in a candle?

Most candles are made with paraffin, the same wax used to soften your hands and feet when you get a manicure and pedicure. But what you might not know is that it’s basically a petroleum waste product created when crude oil is refined into gasoline. Yuck. What’s more, paraffin wax also produces black soot, which can penetrate the deep areas of your most vulnerable lung tissue when it is inhaled.

Then there’s the wick. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, most U.S. manufacturers have said that they won’t use wicks made with lead, but they aren’t mandated to do so. If the candles are imported from other countries (and more than a third are), there’s no telling whether a seemingly innocent wick is laced with lead. As you can imagine, lead doesn’t improve your indoor air quality but actually hurts it. Breathing in even low amounts of lead can do damage to your nervous system. The side effects from lead exposure include hypertension, depression, kidney disease, anxiety, irritability, learning difficulties, problems with concentration, and the list goes on.

What about the scent?

Scented candles often contain phthalates, chemical ingredients that are used to spread scent throughout the air. Phthalates–also found in air fresheners, perfume, plastics, and other personal care products–are known endocrine disruptors that can cause hormone abnormalities, negatively affecting reproduction and even causing birth defects. Artificial scents may appear to be derived from pine needles, pumpkin pie, and sour apple, but often these scents are made from a laundry list of chemicals that in no way come from nature. Many scented candles emit dangerous chemicals like benzene and toluene, two known carcinogens.

Choosing a safe alternative

Finding alternatives to paraffin candles with toxic fragrances is actually pretty easy, you just have to know what to look for. Choose unscented candles that use cotton wicks. Beeswax and soy candles are a popular alternative, but you still have to be aware of how much and how long you’re burning candles in a room. And if you care about whether your products are made with genetically modified organisms (GMOs), soy candles may not be right for you (I don’t think I’ve ever seen a certified organic soy candle). Another great alternative is supporting local handmade candle manufacturers that use safe, nontoxic ingredients.

Essential oils can purify indoor air safely

If you really just want to freshen stale indoor air, diffusing pure essential oils is a great alternative to scented candles or air fresheners (which are toxic). They don’t require you to burn anything and can have great therapeutic effects (they are what is used in most fancy spas). There are a number of methods of diffusing essential oils, but my favorites are a nebulizer or ultrasonic diffusers, which seem to work much better at dispersing fragrance. To further clean the air, if it’s warm enough, open the windows daily to freshen up your air. Or consider adding plants to your home that purify the air, such as aloe vera, spider plants, and Gerber daisies. You can also add a Moso Natural Air Purifying Bag to each room in the house.

Most scented candles have no place in the home because they emit dangerous chemicals. That delicious scent may seem like it comes from Mother Nature, but in reality, it’s an artificial scent created in a chemical laboratory. Fortunately, if you educate yourself, you can choose safe alternatives. Beeswax candles add that same romantic glow to your home without known carcinogens like lead, benzene, phthalates, and toluene. Essential oils can freshen stale air in your home and even make it smell like a spa. Whether you’re celebrating a birthday, creating a spa retreat at home, or enjoying a candlelit dinner, choose a safer way to enhance the mood.

Categories
Wellbeing

The Secret To Giving Meaningful Compliments

Compliments can be a great way to express your admiration and appreciation for others. They can feel really good to give or receive, but other times they can feel slightly awkward to give or receive. How can you show someone you’re sincere? And how can you express the depth of your gratitude without minimizing your sentiments or without overwhelming the other person? Giving praise that is truly meaningful must go beyond the generic. Here are some ideas to praise what really matters and to deepen your connection with a loved one.

When it comes to complimenting others, I challenge you to look beyond the exterior.

There’s nothing wrong with telling your cousin you love her new haircut or complimenting your friend’s new car. However, I’ve found in my own life and those of many of my clients that the praise that sticks (in a good way) focuses on character traits and personal things. It’s easy to see the big accomplishments–like starting a business, finishing a college degree, or getting married–but it’s important to also look for things that aren’t as obvious, or the intangibles. This is only possible through a more intimate connection with someone and may also take a little more work to articulate, but ultimately these kinds of compliments can be incredibly powerful. Maybe your friend is a really good listener or your co-worker handled stress with grace. Don’t be afraid to bring attention to the internal things about someone that impress and inspire you.

Another idea for giving meaningful praise is to focus on effort.

This may go against what we commonly think. Some may be conditioned to believe that complimenting effort (versus accomplishment) is pity praise. It doesn’t have to be that way, though. Remember that effort is the one thing we can always control. We can’t always control the outcome, but we can choose how much we devote to achieving something. So by praising wholehearted effort (particularly with children), we are praising someone’s choices (and I can’t think of a better compliment than that!) This may be even more important than complimenting an individual’s qualities. For example, saying, “you’re so smart” may not be as effective as saying, “you really pushed and gave it your all in that project.” If noticing effort builds a child’s self-esteem, think what it could do for adults (since we’re really all just a bunch of big babies!)

Sometimes we think we need a big reason to celebrate someone in order to offer a sincere compliment. An award, a career accomplishment, or the purchase of a new home are all very visible achievements, but the reality is that the little things are what make up most of what we all do every day. Someone’s efforts or circumstances don’t have to be grandiose to draw attention to them. Just the small, everyday things can be valued. For example, telling a mother that she handled a grocery store toddler tantrum well could be very meaningful and appreciated by her.

By focusing on the simple, seemingly mundane things our compliments can go beyond flattery and actually be very touching to others.

I challenge you to find ways to express your love and admiration for your friends and family by giving sincere compliments on their small efforts and internal qualities. As human beings we have a core need to have our hearts and minds seen and validated. You can fulfill this need for another person by taking the time to recognize and express the positive qualities and efforts of someone you love.

Categories
Nosh

Race-Day Fuel Hacks To Keep You Going

I have a few friends who are very talented runners, capable of running a marathon in under three hours. While incredibly impressive, their speed and endurance aren’t mind boggling to me. What does blow my mind is that they are capable of doing this without eating on the run. I don’t know about the rest of you, but any time I’m out on a course for more than 90 minutes or so, I need to ingest some calories to ensure I make it to the finish line.

Perhaps it’s because it takes me almost twice as long to run the same race, but I digress.

Most of us mere running mortals need to maintain some sort of caloric balance to sustain our energy levels while running. Just like anything else in our consumer-driven society, there are a number of nutrition products geared toward runners and endurance athletes. And just like other specialized products, they often come at a price.

A high, expensive price.

So what’s a runner who doesn’t want to shell out a ton of money on race-day nutrition do?

Easy: Look in your cabinets. Chances are, you already have some food lying around that makes a perfect substitute for training and racing fuel.

Ideally, during a workout or race that lasts at least an hour, runners will consume carbohydrates at a ratio of approximately 30 to 60 grams per hour of exercise. This, of course, varies from person to person, but that gives you a general range to aim for.

Maple Syrup: As a proud Vermonter, I had to list this one first. (And as a proud Vermonter, I must remind you that we are talking about real, pure maple syrup here, none of that imitation stuff.) No longer just a sweet topping for your waffles, maple syrup has a lower glycemic index than other sugars, so it will continue to break down over a longer stretch of time, thus keeping you fueled longer. And at just under 30 grams of carbohydrates per ounce, maple syrup is a sweet alternative to artificial-tasting gels.

Honey: A close second to the ease and convenience of maple syrup is the all-natural alternative of honey. In addition to a slew of health benefits, two tablespoons of honey provide approximately 33 grams of carbohydrates.

Bananas: Bananas and running go hand in hand for good reason. One medium banana contains about 30 grams of fast-digesting carbohydrates. Added bonus: Bananas are rich in potassium, which may stave off muscle cramps. Research shows that bananas can hold their own against brand-name sports drinks, providing similar performance and physiological outcomes. At at a cost of mere cents per banana, they are certainly more affordable than expensive sports drinks.

Dried Fruit: This includes anything from raisins to dried apricots, dates, cherries, and even pineapple. The dried, condensed versions of these foods are typically high in carbohydrates but in a bite-sized serving. Most are also high in potassium, but be warned…they can also be high in fiber, which may cause some gastrointestinal distress (and an unplanned visit to the port-a-potty). As with any race-day fuel, be sure to practice eating them during training first!

Pretzels: One of my favorite race-day snack hacks is mini pretzels. Easy to carry in a plastic baggie and surprisingly durable in your waist or hydration pack, one ounce of pretzels contains about 100 calories and 24 grams of carbohydrates. Plus, the salt on the pretzels may help replenish sodium and potassium lost while sweating. And they are a great change of pace when you near the end of a long race or run and are absolutely sick of eating all of the sweet foods listed above. A similar alternative is saltine crackers.

These are just a few examples of foods commonly found in kitchens. Of course, the possibilities for your training and race-day fueling are indeed endless. Just keep a few things in mind: remember to hydrate along the way. Drinking water will not only aid digestion but will help prevent dehydration. And, as mentioned above, remember the important rule of NEVER TRYING ANYTHING NEW ON RACE DAY! Always practice nutrition plans before your race to ensure you are sprinting across the finish line to a personal best…and not sprinting to find a port-a-potty.

Categories
Nosh

The Number One Reason Why You're Not Losing Weight

You exercise every day. You track your calories on a food app. You take your supplements religiously. But no matter what you do, it seems like you’re fighting an uphill battle on the treadmill and your weight won’t budge. If this is you, this story may interest you.
I was training a guy who worked the early morning shift in the media industry. He would get up at 2:30 a.m. to make it to his job by 4:30 a.m. By Friday, he was so sleep deprived that he would be falling asleep at the wheel on the way home during lunchtime. He was obese, more than 100 pounds overweight. No matter what tricks I would try with him, I couldn’t get his body to lose more than five pounds. Which is pretty surprising because my methods always work.
Then the station changed his schedule, and he was moved to afternoon segments. This meant that his work start time would change to 1:00 p.m. and he could “sleep like a normal person.” Want to know what happened? I didn’t change one thing. His diet was the same. His workouts were the same. The only thing he changed was his sleep schedule. He was getting seven or more hours of uninterrupted sleep per night. The change was incredible. In one month he lost 15 pounds; in two months he lost a total of 25 pounds!
It sounds counterintuitive that the more you rest the easier you can lose weight, but studies have shown that the less sleep you get, the more stressed your body is.
When your body is stressed, it produces a hormone called cortisol. When cortisol is released in the body, your blood sugar goes up, causing insulin to be released. When insulin is released, it signals your body to store fat. Interestingly, high cortisol levels have been associated with high amounts of visceral fat. This is the fat that surrounds your vital organs and can wreak havoc on your health. It’s basically belly fat. Studies have found that those who slept less were not only heavier, but their weight was concentrated in their stomachs. Visceral fat (more than adipose fat, or fat located in the hips) is associated with diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and other problems.
Recent studies have uncovered even more interesting findings. Bruce Bailey, an exercise science professor at Brigham Young University, studied over 300 women and found that those with the healthiest sleep habits had the lowest body fat. But it wasn’t just the amount of time they slept. He found that those who slept between 6.5 and 8.5 hours (with the “sweet spot” being between 8 and 8.5 hours) per night were the trimmest, but timing and consistency also played big roles. A consistent bedtime and, more importantly, a consistent wake time were essential. Those with more than 90 minutes of variation in sleep time had higher body fat than those with less than 60 minutes. Wake time was linked to body fat as well. Those who woke up at the same time every morning had lower body fat. Bailey concluded that staying up late–and even sleeping in–can do more harm than good.
The quality of sleep ranked pretty high in importance also. Those who experienced consistent, uninterrupted sleep felt better and ate better the next day. Bailey’s prescription for a good night’s sleep? Make sure the room is dark and cool and that you don’t use your bed for anything other than sleeping (well, almost anything).

Categories
Wellbeing

The Things We Do To Prove Our Masculinity

There seems to be no end to the things guys will do to prove their masculinity—especially around someone whose attention we’d like to attract. If you’ve ever read Mark Twain’s classic book Tom Sawyer, you probably remember how Tom tries to win the heart of Becky Thatcher by doing all sorts of crazy (and dangerous) things, such as “Goin’ on like an Indian, yelling, laughing, chasing boys, jumping over the fence at the risk of life and limb, throwing handsprings, standing on his head.” And if you’re a male of nearly any age, chances are that you’ve done something similar. In fact, according to several new studies, men will lie, cheat, fight, commit crimes, and even overeat to show off how tough we are or to keep from being perceived as weak.

Eat your heart out.

There’s a strong connection between diet and mating. In many Western cultures where female slenderness is highly valued, women go on all sorts of diets, in part to show prospective mates that they’re healthy. Men, it turns out, do the exact opposite.
Over the course of two weeks, researchers at Cornell University surreptitiously observed more than 100 men and women at an all-you-can-eat buffet and charted how much pizza and how many bowls of salad each person ate. Then they correlated all of that with the sex of everyone each person dined with.
Women ate the same quantities regardless of whether they were with men or other women. Men whose dinner companions were women ate 92 percent more pizza and 86 percent more salad than those who were out with the boys.
Kevin Kniffin, the study’s lead author, speculated in an email to writer Julie Beck of The Atlantic that this kind of overeating might be men’s way of signaling that they’re “healthy enough that they can engage in unhealthful behavior of excessive eating (and still end up okay).” He likened it to other research that “explores the possibility that eating spicy food might be a way that people ‘show off’ since it (arguably) signals a higher tolerance for something that others would consider painful.” Kniffin’s study was published in the journal Evolutionary Psychological Science.

Get a grip.

Sapna Cheryan, associate professor of psychology at the University of Washington, wanted to see how men would respond in situations where their masculinity was threatened in relatively minor ways.
Cheryan and her team had a number of male university students squeeze a device that ostensibly measured grip strength. The researchers then randomly rated the subjects as either “weak” or “average” regardless of their actual strength. The subjects then filled out a questionnaire that asked a number of personal questions, including their preference for products that were traditionally masculine or feminine, their interest in athletics, their height, and the number of previous relationships.
Cheryan and her team found that male college students who were told that they had a weak grip lied about their height (adding an average of three-quarters of an inch), claimed to have had more sexual partners, described themselves as more athletic, and “showed less interest in stereotypically feminine consumer products.”
Men who were rated as “average,” however, told the truth. The researchers believe that their findings “underscore the pressure men feel to live up to gender stereotypes” and the things we’ll do to “reinstate a threatened masculinity.” This study was published in the journal Social Psychology.

What does it mean to be manly?

In the grand scheme of things, overeating or lying about your height is pretty harmless. But some men go to far more dangerous lengths to establish their masculinity.
Dr. Dennis Reidy, a researcher at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, found that men who experience stress because they feel that others see them as less-than-completely masculine are far more likely to engage in risky or violent behavior than men who are less worried about what others think. Reidy is careful to note that not every man who feels less manly will commit some kind of violent act. “The key word here is ‘stress’,” he said in an interview with Reuters Health. “It’s important to understand that it’s a combination of the two things.”
If your masculinity is threatened, how far will you go to set the record straight?

Categories
Wellbeing

5 Ways To Process The Pain Of Paris

There’s heaviness in the air stemming from the recent bouts of violence we’ve all been witnessing. It is essential for the healing of psyches to process the feelings that surface when our safety is threatened and lives are lost due to senseless brutality. Here are five ways to cope with what comes up.

With the recent horrific events happening on a global scale we need to be aware of the psychological toll these acts of violence can take on our individual and collective psyches. The senseless brutality we’ve been witnessing is both impossible to comprehend yet very real, creating a split in our minds. One part of our brain operates on the default assumption that everything is fine, while another part knows full well it’s not. As a result, we push it out of awareness, numb and ignore our feelings, and refuse to accept or acknowledge that our world is in chaos.

The combination of repressed feelings and the constant barrage of negative media creates a recipe for all sorts of symptoms and, ultimately, poor mental health.

Dealing with your feelings about the recent events is important not only for your own well-being but also for the healing of the world. We live in an unprecedented global community where the collective consciousness is not just a theory. Your ability to acknowledge and process your emotions has an impact on the broader circle in which you live, and your internal response to the recent horrors directly affects your external behavior, whether you’re aware of it or not.

When we walk around doing business as usual–or even worse, acting like nothing happened–we are denying our own feelings and the pain of the world. When we hide or repress what we feel, we’re eliminating the chance to model healthy emotional expression for the people in our lives, which we need to do to cope and heal.

Many of us don’t know what to do with our feelings as we are bombarded continuously by the news and reports of continued attacks happening internationally and locally. Fear, sadness, anger, guilt, and helplessness are just a few of the emotions that are stirred up by these horrific acts of violence. Finding a way to process the feelings is difficult, and the challenge is even greater when we dismiss our right to feel whatever comes up.

Here’s what you can do to cope:

Face the reality.

Denial is an effective coping mechanism to maintain a sense of balance when things become too much. Avoidance is different, however, because it stems from not wanting to face the truth of things. When you avoid the reality of the recent events happening around the world you are missing an opportunity to connect with a greater consciousness that can support you. None of us is alone in this, but it’s easy to isolate as a protection against the pain. In the end, accepting the reality is much more productive and can open the door to positive action.

Talk about it.

We often worry that we will be a downer if we talk about negative news, and we also struggle with what’s appropriate to share. You may have young children you’re protecting, or you may exist in a culture where these kinds of feelings aren’t acceptable. Finding a safe space to share your feelings is crucial even if it’s in a setting outside of your daily life. You can seek therapy, a support group, an advocacy group, or even an online forum where others are sharing similar emotions. Allow yourself the space to share what you think and feel because it’s important and valuable.

Let your heart break.

For some reason many of us feel we don’t have the right to be upset about something that isn’t directly happening to us or the people we hold close. Consider everyone in the world to be a relation to avoid separating yourself from the suffering. Although you may not always have comparable pain, you can relate on some level and imagine what it would be like if it were you. This is the very definition of compassion, something we all need more of.

Be a role model.

As human beings we are very cautious about standing out from the crowd. By nature, we want to fit in and follow the status quo. When it comes to catastrophic events like the ones we’ve been seeing, we can no longer maintain a herd mentality. By naming your pain and speaking up about your feelings, you may disturb the systems of denial that are in place, but you will also be helping our world heal.

Get active.

In her book Active Hope, Joanna Macy speaks of the importance of taking action as a healing tool. When you can get to a place where your powerlessness turns into intolerance you can find an outlet through becoming more active. This might be in your community, online, through donations, or other forms of showing up. Your efforts and voice matter even when they don’t seem to, so find a way to participate and promote change.

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Sweat

5 Ways to Make Exercising Easier

They don’t call it a workout for nothing. Exercise is hard work! But I’m in the business of ease and efficiency, folks, which is why I search for every possible way to maximize my time and effort in the gym–which, I’ll admit, is not my favorite place on the planet.

Exercise ultimately makes us feel better and keeps us strong and healthy, as I’m sure you’re well aware; all the mind and body benefits are precisely why we need to motivate ourselves to get that work done almost every day. The way I see it, the more effortless we can make your workout experience and the faster we can make the time fly by, the less likely you’ll be to blow it off.

I don’t want you to skip out on your workouts. Here are five tips to make exercise easier, so you’ll stop thinking of gym time as a prison sentence.

Trick your mind with shorter intervals.

I can’t put in an hour workout, y’all. One hour on the treadmill may as well be six months in my mind. That said, I can put four 15-minute workouts into an hour. Try slicing and dicing your workout–with four 15-minute chunks on the treadmill, doing a minute-long plank, 30 sit-ups, and 10 push-ups in between. (Also, sip half a bottle of water for hydration.) It’s roughly the same amount of time in the gym, but knowing you can power down after 15 minutes is a mental lifesaver. Not to mention, you can slip in some mild strength-training and much-needed hydration between sets.

Choose the right friend.

Some people really benefit from having a workout buddy to keep them accountable and distract them from the burn–or multiple buddies, in case someone isn’t free to hit yoga or spin class with you. Choose a workout partner who is roughly the same fitness level as you, so you don’t get discouraged by someone racing ahead of you or pulling off pigeon pose like a champ. Then go forth, make it a social event, and have some fun. “Fun events” are easier than begrudgingly dragging yourself to the gym, right?

Hit the coffee maker before you hit the treadmill.

Brew some coffee or grab some Starbucks before you start your workout. According to 2014 research, downing that caffeine roughly 90 minutes before exercise seems to make the experience easier. On top of that? Those who drank coffee in the morning before hitting the gym also consumed fewer calories at lunch. Bonus perk!

Turn up the tunes.

It’s not your imagination. Blaring a little Beyonce really does help motivate your workout and make the experience a whole lot easier and more enjoyable. Research has shown that music helps our bodies sync to a rhythm, so they actually become more efficient. For instance, one study showed that participants who cycled in time to a song’s beat actually used 7 percent less oxygen to complete the same amount of work as their music-less counterparts. (My guilty pleasures? Fifth Harmony and Little Mix.)

Check the mirror.

Nope, it’s not vanity. Checking yourself out in a mirror can actually help make your cardio workout easier. Crazy, right? But here’s why: According to a study in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, walking in front of a mirror instead of a wall or static image helped exercisers “stabilize their movement patterns” and ultimately expend less mental energy and effort to get the job done. Like with music, it’s all about allowing your mind and body to sync with something–in this case, it’s a visual. So if your gym or studio has mirrors, try using an exercise machine that faces one.