Rest, recover, and ice, ice, ice. If you鈥檝e been injured, you鈥檙e likely familiar with this phrase. And like your plan to heal, icing is individual to you. While other members of your training group may prefer a bag of ice or frozen peas, you may gravitate toward the feel of a gel ice pack.

Instead of shelling out money on Amazon, you can make your own gel ice pack at home. However, icing an injury or ache is a bit more complicated than slapping a bag on your leg. Here鈥檚 what to keep in mind.

What a Doctor Wants You to Know About Icing

1. There鈥檚 No One Right Way to Ice

Icing is individual to you鈥攁nd is something that should be discussed with and cleared by a medical professional, says , DO, associate professor of family medicine at Rowan University in New Jersey. For example, if you have poor blood flow to certain areas of your body or nerve damage, there are certain risks. Depending on your injury and preference, there will be a particular cooling source that works best for you, Caudle says, whether a gel ice pack or a bag of frozen peas.

2. Beware the Burn

You鈥檒l also want to find something to wrap around the pack. 鈥淚t鈥檚 important to cover up ice packs with a towel,鈥� Caudle says. 鈥淭hat sort of removes the extreme cold, which can actually damage skin and tissues.鈥�

3. Timing Is Everything

Timing is also critical. Leaving an ice pack on for more than the sanctioned amount of time can potentially create more problems than solutions, Caudle says. She recommends, for most people, to leave an ice pack on for no longer than 15 to 20 minutes.

Here, Caudle breaks down how to construct your own gel ice鈥攗sing just four different items you likely already have lying around the house.

How to Make a Gel Ice Pack

What you need: Rubbing alcohol (with a concentration of at least 70 percent isopropyl alcohol), water, a measuring cup, a resealable plastic bag

1. Pour 鈪� cup of rubbing alcohol and 鈪� cup of water into a plastic bag. If you want to create a larger ice pack, double or triple the amounts. The ratio should always remain two parts water to every one part rubbing alcohol.
2. Squeeze out any air, seal the bag tightly, and mix the rubbing alcohol and water.
3. Place your bag in the freezer for a few hours. It should feel like a gel substance when you remove it.
4. Use your gel ice pack on sore muscles and joints. Return it to the freezer after you鈥檝e finished icing.

How to Make a Gel Ice Pack!

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The sexual wellness industry is booming. You can purchase an almost $100 vibrator from Gwenyth Paltrow鈥檚 Goop or to test out sex toys. on the sexual wellness market valued it at 6.47 billion dollars in 2022. It鈥檚 expected to grow to 10.05 billion dollars in 2028. With so many consumers interested in the topic, it would seem that everyone is having mind-blowing sex. But, as Maria Yagoda explores in her new book, Laid and Confused, that鈥檚 just not the case.

鈥淚 would love to see more openness and frank discussions around the fact that it鈥檚 OK for sex not to be amazing sometimes,鈥� Yagoda says. 鈥淲e don鈥檛 have to put so much pressure on our sex lives to validate who we are as people and our identities.鈥�

But that also doesn鈥檛 mean we shouldn鈥檛 work toward creating better鈥攁nd more enjoyable鈥攕ex lives. For her book, Yagoda set out on this journey herself, chronicling her tries at different techniques and trends to improve her sex life. That included mindfulness.

Mindfulness and Your Sex Life (Because, Yes, They Coexist)

It starts with your individual relationship to your body. Mindful masturbation encourages you to adopt a more conscious attitude around what鈥檚 happening, Yagoda says. Experts recommend tapping into your senses鈥攈earing, touch, sight, and smell鈥攄uring this process, which can be helpful for those who struggle to have pleasurable sex. That鈥檚 not to say it鈥檚 easy.

Yagoda says she struggled to integrate mindful masturbation into her sex life. After years of being trained not to feel things in her body and to ignore cues and sensations, she says it was difficult to make the switch to actually tap into her body during masturbation. Those long-established trends can鈥檛 be undone with just a few experiences.

However, when she started seeing a sex coach, she learned a lot from the sessions that involved mindfulness, particularly when it came to the . Yagoda says her coach encouraged her to feel the full breath cycle, following it all the way through her body. 鈥淚 had done yoga for years and years,鈥� she says. 鈥淏ut I had never felt the wind or the air past my throat. Now it鈥檚 something I鈥檓 aware of a lot.鈥� This may seem incongruent to her attempts at bettering her sex life鈥攂ut it鈥檚 not.

Deepening your awareness to the internal and external sensations that run through your body can help you connect with similar feelings during sex. It鈥檚 a constant practice, Yagoda says. This type of tuning-in鈥攖o the softness of your sheets, the birds chirping outside your window, or the beach-scented candle鈥攁ren鈥檛 things we鈥檙e accustomed to. But once you start to feel these sensations throughout your entire body, it can help you experience more pleasure (i.e. sexual arousal and orgasm) during solo or partner sex.

Sex Is Self-Care

Your self-care routine may look like bubble baths, long walks, and reading sessions. Think of sex and self-pleasure in the same way. But reframing those activities as such can be tricky, especially for men.

Many of the men Yagoda interviewed for her book couldn鈥檛 relate to the concept of masturbation as a mindful self-care practice. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 speak to anyone who was like 鈥極h, it鈥檚 really important to me to draw out masturbation by lighting candles and romancing myself,鈥欌€� she says. 鈥淚 feel like that idea is really uncommon.鈥�

However, seeing masturbation as another exercise of self-care, much like exercising, journaling, or meditating, can help eliminate the burden of orgasm. It focuses on the experience, rather than the end result, Yagoda says. 鈥淪ometimes we get so anxious and in our heads about orgasm that I found it useful to sort of take that off the table,鈥� she says.

Like most things in your sex life, you have to tailor it to work for you. If you have PTSD or trauma and feel discomfort during a traditional meditation, you may also feel some uneasiness when closing your eyes during sex or masturbation. If this is the case, leave them open and instead focus on sounds or touch.

This is the ethos Yagoda encourages throughout her book: It has to work for you. And like all aspects of health and wellness, your sex life is about trial and error.

鈥淚 hope my book can be a jumping-off point for people to say, 鈥楢ctually, it doesn鈥檛 have to be this way,鈥欌€� she says. 鈥淚t doesn鈥檛 mean I鈥檓 a failure if I鈥檓 having bad sex. There are actually all of these little tools that exist that could be really helpful.鈥�

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Changes are coming to your Apple Watch, and they’re made with outdoor athletes in mind. At the Worldwide Developers Conference on June 5, Apple unveiled its plans for watchOS 10, to the watch since its introduction in 2015. In addition to adding Smart Stack widgets, new designs, and even a face featuring Snoopy, the company announced new wellness and training features geared toward improving your physical and mental health. Here are the five you should know about before the update is available his fall.

1. The Launch of Cycling Features

If you’re a cyclist, you may often turn to your watch to track your ride. With watchOS 10, you’ll be able to sync your watch with Bluetooth-enabled bike sensors. This will allow new metrics, such as cadence and power, to appear on your watch. Apple also released a new workout view for cyclists, giving you better insights into your ride while you’re on the road.

Have trouble figuring out your (FTP)? Now, you’ll be able to turn to your watch for that. Using a combination of your heart rate, motion data, and power, the watchOS 10 will provide personalized power zones, in addition to your FTP.

If you choose to use your iPhone on a ride, you’ll be able to have workouts from your watch automatically appear on your phone. You can also select from a variety of different views on your phone to monitor this realtime data.

2. New Compass and Map Updates for Hikers

In the new operating system, watchOS 10 will generate a “Cellular Connection Waypoint,” which will note where you last had cell service, so you’ll be able to contact friends and family.听Additionally, a different waypoint will offer a spot on your hike where you can make an emergency call if needed.

When you’re out on the trail, the watch’s new map will be able to give you even more insights, including points of interest, elevation details and critical markers. Important information on nearby trails, such as their length, duration, and difficulty, will also be available through this app.

3. Data for App Developers

Motion sensors in the watch will be able to give more feedback to you. , Apple noted that this type of feedback could help evaluate your golf swing or better your tennis serve. App developers will be able to use these new features to be able to offer more robust and personalized workouts.

4. Logging Emotions and Moods

In addition to tracking your workouts and steps, you’ll now be able to monitor your emotions and mood with watchOS 10 in the Mindfulness app. Over time, you’ll be able to see what factors may be influencing or shifting your mood on a day-to-day or week-to-week basis.

5. Taking Care of Your Vision

To combat , known as nearsightedness, watchOS 10 will monitor the number of hours you spend in daylight. that children who spend more hours in daylight are at a lower risk for developing the condition later in life. You’ll be able to view this data in your iPhone’s Health app.

In addition to this feature on the watch, Apple will now monitor how close you are to your iPhone or iPad and provide prompts for you to move your screen further away, in order to reduce the strain on your eyes.

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Sam Mewis is a FIFA World Cup winner and professional player for the Kansas City Current. However, when it comes to her recovery, star is just like you and me: She sticks to the basics. That includes a consistent eight-hour sleep schedule, proper nutrition, and a little help from a few beloved products.

Sticking to the Basics of Sleep

You won鈥檛 catch Mewis sacrificing her shut-eye. 鈥淭he older I鈥檝e gotten, sleep has become such a big part of my routine,鈥� Mewis says. 鈥淚 need eight hours of sleep, or I honestly don鈥檛 feel good at all.鈥�

For Mewis, the secret to restful sleep lies in the preparation. Mewis tries to go to bed by 9 PM and wake up at 7 AM every day. She also stays away from screens before hitting the pillow as much as possible. Whether it鈥檚 through sipping tart cherry juice (as she often does) or taking some melatonin and reading, for her, the regular wind-down routine is critical.

It鈥檚 an ethos , DC, the founder and chief wellness officer of , echoes as well: Adults need sleep routines. When you鈥檙e a kid, you鈥檙e taught to get ready for bed at a certain time and have an established pattern, he says. Those principles shouldn鈥檛 disappear when you become independent. For example, if you鈥檙e plugging away on emails at 11:30 PM and expect to fall asleep at 11:32 PM, your brain doesn鈥檛 work like that, Wersland says. You have to help nudge your body into the restful state sleep requires. Regular routines鈥攃oupled with a lack of screens鈥攈elp solidify that.

Eating Well

Recovery is about much more than sleep and stretching鈥攊t鈥檚 also about food. 鈥淎s women, we鈥檙e trained so much by society to watch what we eat,鈥� Mewis says. 鈥淏ut as an athlete and as someone who is trying to heal, recover, and be strong, I need to eat a lot.鈥� To this end, Mewis focuses her attention on what foods can fuel her鈥攁nd directly benefit her athletic performance on the field.

That doesn鈥檛 mean she鈥檚 snacking on bland protein bars. It鈥檚 actually the opposite case: Her husband is a chef. And while Mewis focuses on her vegetable and protein intake, she says she鈥檒l eat whatever dish he places in front of her. In the mornings, she says she loves to have a frittata. Her husband will prepare it on the weekends, and she鈥檒l eat it throughout the week with toast and vegetables. Because, yes, even professional athletes need meal prep.

Turning to the Tools

There鈥檚 a reason why so many athletes turn to massage guns (results!), and Mewis is no exception. While she loves Therabody鈥檚 , Mewis often employs the as an on-the-go option.

But she also loves the company鈥檚 鈥攁nd she鈥檚 not the only one. Like a massage gun, these small dots stimulate your muscles to relieve pain and improve performance. 鈥淵ou鈥檒l see a lot of people around the locker room with the PowerDots on before we go out and play,鈥� she says.

Mixing Hot and Cold

Following practice, you won鈥檛 find Mewis lingering in one place for too long. 鈥淚 love contrast,鈥� she says. That means mixing temperatures and braving the extreme heat and frigid cold. She often rotates between an ice tub and a hot tub in a single sitting. And when she has the time, she loves to spend 20 minutes jogging and stretching鈥攊n the pool. 鈥淚 think the compression of the pool is super valuable for swelling and soreness.鈥�

Because of Mewis鈥檚 current knee injury, she鈥檚 intentional with her recovery. 鈥淓specially with the injury I鈥檓 dealing with, swelling is a big deterrent to me being able to perform and play,鈥� she says. As a result, she spends a lot of time with compression products, including that many stars swear by, as well as the , a therapeutic device.

You may see professional athletes plop bags of ice on their muscles and joints after a game. And while there鈥檚 nothing wrong with some icing, it may not be the most effective approach to supporting tired muscles. Wersland explains that when you throw a bag of ice on your legs, your skin may stay cold initially, but over time, the ice starts to melt, making the treatment gradually less effective. However, when you use a temperature-regulated device, like the sleeve Mewis uses, it stays at 46.4 degrees, a therapeutic temperature, for the entire session.

Professional athlete or amateur, we could all stand to take a little something from Mewis鈥檚 routine: rest, fuel, and take care of our joints and muscles. Here鈥檚 to winning big in the ways that matter.

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I鈥檓 on the move constantly. I exercise about six days a week, walk everywhere (thank you, New York City), and dance the night away until, well, let鈥檚 just say the early hours of the morning. But there鈥檚 not a lot of time for play. That feeling of running around the playground, tripping and falling on wood chips, or slipping on wet grass just doesn鈥檛 exist in my current life. (And, yes, I did get injured a lot as a child.) But, recently, I rediscovered the feeling of carefree movement in a surprising place: the pickleball court.

Like many Americans, I quickly got into after being taught by a family member last summer. Fortunately, my roommates were on board with my new obsession. We purchased a moveable net from that we could set up on a nearby lined court. Within just a few minutes of hitting around, we were all hooked. A free thing to do in New York City that wasn鈥檛 our typical park hang? Yes, please. But I also became entranced with the game for an unexpected reason: it made me feel like a kid again.

My movement throughout the rest of the week is structured. As much as I would love to embody from 鈥淔riends,鈥� I tend to lean more on the side of Rachel, just getting in my standard jog. My workout classes follow the same trajectory. But pickleball is different. When I鈥檓 running around the court, joking with my roommates, or making a goofy impression of my competitor’s last shot, it鈥檚 just plain fun.

The Benefits of Free Play

When I originally learned of the concept of 鈥渇ree play,鈥� I assumed it required a completely unstructured activity. That鈥檚 not necessarily the case. 鈥淚 define play as any joyful act where you forget about time and are fully immersed at the moment and willing to let go of the results,鈥� says , a consultant on positive play.

If you鈥檙e engaged in a deeply competitive game where you are only focused on winning versus enjoying the match, that鈥檚 not really considered play, Harry explains. Play requires playing for the sake of having fun, instead of winning, performing, or impressing others. Unlike other activities or sports I do, this is what sets pickleball apart. I鈥檓 not that good. I head out on the court not with the aim of winning a point, but rather to spend time moving outside and socializing.

The benefits of engaging in free play as an adult go beyond just having fun. found that college students who engaged in play reported lower levels of stress than those who didn鈥檛. Additionally, noted that play strengthened emotional intelligence and emotional traits in participants, helping them cultivate resilience.

It鈥檚 something I鈥檝e noticed anecdotally in my own experience on and off the court. After a few hours of playing, I鈥檓 calmer, centered, and generally happier.

How You Can Engage in Play

You don鈥檛 have to be pickleball-obsessed to engage in play. It can be any activity that brings you joy. And discovering what that pastime is for you is simpler than you may think. 鈥淕et bored,鈥� recommends Harry. The next time you鈥檙e not heading to a scheduled activity, spend a few minutes aways from your screens and just sit with yourself. Connect with your inner child鈥攁nd imagine what would actually be fun for you in that moment.

Experiment with what different types of play may look like for you, whether that鈥檚 acting on an impulse to free dance or saying yes to a friend鈥檚 invitation to a concert in the park. Your type of play won鈥檛 look the same as others鈥攁nd that鈥檚 OK. It has to be personal to you.

That goes for setting time limits, too.鈥淥nly the person playing will know how many hours or days one should spend per week,鈥� Harry says. If you have trouble letting go of time-bound limits, remind yourself that clocking in and out of an activity can be a symptom of perfectionism. Play isn鈥檛 something that can be structured in the same way.

Even if you鈥檙e not engaging in your activity of choice, you can still maintain an aura of play throughout your days. 鈥淚n my case, I see life through the lens of play, so I play almost all the time,鈥� Harry says. 鈥淓ven if it is challenging and not fun, I still can be at play, embracing a play-oriented mindset built on curiosity, awe, and a sense of wonder.鈥�

It鈥檚 impossible for me to be out on the court every day. But I try to keep Harry鈥檚 words in mind as I sit at my desk during the week. Bringing the aura of play to my work sometimes manifests in getting particularly excited around a colleague鈥檚 new story or having a lighthearted brainstorming session. It鈥檚 not pickleball鈥攂ut it鈥檚 definitely another type of playfulness.

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It鈥檚 that time of year again: springtime. And with the blooming flowers and occasional rain showers, comes watery eyes, itchy throats, and lots of sneezing. Allergy season is upon us.

Like me, you may have had the same exchange with your friends, coworkers, or even your barista: 鈥淭his allergy season is brutal!鈥� But is it really more unpleasant than previous years?

Is This Year鈥檚 Allergy Season Worse Than Usual?

You may think that your area of the country has been hit the hardest by this year鈥檚 allergy season. And while you may not be wrong, you鈥檙e not exactly right either. 鈥淚 think this is a common issue across all of the U.S.,鈥� says , an allergist and immunologist at Indiana University School of Medicine. However, in certain areas of the country, weather pattern changes may promote more pollination in our trees and grasses than a typical season, he says.

鈥淏ased on what my patients are telling me, it does seem to be a little bit worse than perhaps some of the more recent ones,鈥� Jin says. 鈥淏ut I will say, overall, there鈥檚 a lot of variability from season to season.鈥� It鈥檚 not unusual to have a season with higher pollen counts, followed by one with lower levels, he says, according to historical data. Pollen counts

You also may be dealing with those symptoms for a longer period of time. by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America found that recent pollen seasons are almost a month longer than they were 30 years ago.

Can Allergy Medications Become Ineffective?

If you鈥檙e anything like me, during the springtime months, you take your daily dose of an antihistamine, such as Zyrtec or Claritin, right as your morning alarm goes off. But if you鈥檙e still in a fog, you may wonder: Is this medication even making a dent?

鈥淚f a person鈥檚 been taking an antihistamine for a long time, they can seem to get less effective,鈥� Jin says. In that case, he recommends switching to a different antihistamine. If you鈥檝e identified as a Zyrtec person for years, you may want to switch to Claritin for a week or two鈥攐r vice versa.

When tablet medications don鈥檛 seem to do the trick at subduing your itchy eyes, Jin says you can discuss the option of adding on more medication with your doctor, such as a steroid-based nasal spray.

However, if the antihistamine and nasal spray treatments aren鈥檛 cutting it, Jin recommends meeting with an allergist to find out what you鈥檙e specifically allergic to. After completing those tests, you and your allergist can design a plan for desensitization, which may include allergy shots. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 a big way we help people manage the allergy symptoms,鈥� he says.

I鈥檝e Never Had Allergies Before. Why Am I Suddenly Being Walloped?

I鈥檒l never forget my first time鈥� developing seasonal allergies. It was the spring of 2020 and along with dealing with the start of the pandemic, I was also confronted with itchy and watery eyes. Developing seasonal allergies later in life isn鈥檛 unusual, according to Jin.

鈥淭he development of environmental allergies can occur at almost any time point in a person鈥檚 life,鈥� he explains. Even if it鈥檚 not well understood why that happens, Jin says he鈥檚 observed that in countless patients. You鈥攁nd I鈥攁re not alone in our late-stage seasonal allergy development. And while that may not be much of a consolation, here鈥檚 to hoping for lower pollen counts next season.

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You head to your favorite yoga teachers鈥� classes for a reason. There鈥檚 something that keeps you going back again and again, whether it鈥檚 their cues, sequences, or ability to make you laugh during even the hardest poses.

When I head to , there鈥檚 one thing I鈥檓 anticipating throughout the 60-minute practice, and that鈥檚 her final 鈥�3-minute push.鈥� It comes after we rest in , a place in the practice where Case always reminds us to steady our inhales and exhales remember our breath and tap into our power. As I begin to transition out of that resting position, I already know what鈥檚 coming next鈥攁nd it鈥檚 the most challenging physical moment of my day.

The conclusion to her class always听consists of an intense sequence of poses or movements designed to, well, push you. While the section can include any physical challenge, such as leg strengthening movements or intense balancing poses, in my mind, Case is most famous for her brutal (but, oh, so good) core work. It鈥檚 in those hard moments that in order to get through the challenging physical moves. That鈥檚 the point.

鈥淭hat portion is meant to be the final physical and emotional peak of class, where self-imposed barriers are broken down and transformation can happen,鈥� Case says. 鈥淭here鈥檚 also a piece of connecting it back to the emotional or physical theme of class.鈥�

Case鈥檚 words definitely ring true for me. In these pushes, which typically consist of extended static holds as well as vigorous movements, I鈥檓 left with myself and my mind. I simply cannot think about the next pose or cue because I鈥檓 too focused on the sweat pooling on my mat as my core shakes. The present moment鈥攅ven with all of its pain鈥攊s all that matters.

What to Keep in Mind During This Core Sequence

The 3-minute push can be more of a mental challenge than a physical one. When you get to a tough point in a pose, Case recommends you close your eyes (if it feels comfortable to do so) and focus your attention on your inhalations and exhalations. It鈥檚 this type of mind-body connection that makes these exercises different than other types of movement, Case says. It all ultimately ties back to your yoga practice鈥攕trengthening your mind, body, and spirit.听

Here, Case shares some of her most reliable听core movements for that final push鈥揳nd explains what to keep in mind when practicing them.

3 Exercise Options to Strengthen Your Core

Case typically spends the 3-minute period focusing on two to three different movements. She times each exercise or pose to last approximately 1 minute. Even though the session is is just a few minutes long, it鈥檒l likely feel longer than your typical core sequence (I speak from personal experience). If you need to rest for a second or take a modification, do that.

1. Mountain Climbers

When Case focuses much of her class on twisting poses, such as 听or , she鈥檒l continue that theme in the 3-minute push by opting for since they engage some of the same muscles. She lets students select how they want to approach this intense exercise. For example, if someone wants to slowly rotate through the movement, they can do that, but she also leaves the option for them to go faster. Students typically spend between 30 and 60 seconds in this exercise.

2. Plank Pose/Forearm Plank

Case enjoys incorporating static holds into the last push and often includes . When you鈥檙e holding a position for a length of time, you鈥檙e unable to distract yourself with physical movement, leaving just your mind and your breath to help guide you through the moment, she says. 鈥淚t pushes students to break out of their comfort zone and find their edge,鈥� Case says. That may mean resting your knees on the mat for a few seconds before lifting them back up.

To switch things up, Case sometimes opts to incorporate a into the sequence in lieu of . This variation can be especially helpful . (You can also choose to move from High Plank into Forearm Plank midway through a hold.)

3. Boat Pose

I have to admit, this is probably my least-favorite pose in the entire sequence. (Much to my relief, Case also says it鈥檚 the hardest static hold of the session.) If you want to linger in for an extended period of time, you can opt to do that. However, if you would like to incorporate additional movement and make the exercise a bit easier,听Case will sometimes cue a V-style sit-up from to Boat Pose.

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There鈥檚 one thing that keeps me going back to my gym. It鈥檚 not the classes, the weight section, or even the sauna鈥攊t鈥檚 the massage guns. At least a dozen , which retail at $599, are available for member use. And after just a few times of hammering into my quads, calves, and glutes, I was completely addicted.

The tool mimicked the feeling of the massages I couldn鈥檛 afford. As I applied the device鈥檚 powerful vibrations to my major muscle groups, recovery seemed so simple and accessible. Whether it was the placebo effect or a true physical benefit, I felt my day-after-training soreness decrease.

Sensing my obsession with the device, my roommate gifted me for my birthday. I no longer had to walk four blocks to use a massage gun. Just got home from a run? Here was time for my favorite recovery tool. Curled up on the couch watching Netflix? I reached for the instrument.

But as I continuously grabbed my massage gun, I stopped engaging in other forms of recovery. My stretching regimen became lackluster. My foam roller gathered dust under the bed. Noticing this, I reminded myself of a past lesson I鈥檇 learned when it came to training: too much of a good thing can actually be a bad thing. Did the same ethos apply to a recovery device?

What Can a Massage Gun Actually Do?

Like all recovery tools, massage guns aren鈥檛 a magic bullet鈥攖hey鈥檙e limited in what they can do. At its core, the device can help increase blood flow and alleviate tightness and pain in the short term, says , a physical therapist whose specialities include athletic rehabilitation.

While there isn鈥檛 a plethora of studies on the effectiveness of massage guns, recent research indicates that you may experience increased mobility for a few hours after using the device, he says. However, a massage gun isn鈥檛 an all-in-one recovery tool. While it can be an aspect of your post-workout routine, it can鈥檛 replicate other critical elements.

鈥淚t鈥檚 not going to replace a full workout or a full stretching routine,鈥� says , a physical therapist and Pilates instructor. You still need to be working on the mobility of your joints to keep them healthy鈥攕omething that the percussive device can鈥檛 play a role in, she says.

The key lies in pairing the two recovery techniques, massaging and active movement, like stretching, together. Ultimately, that鈥檚 what鈥檚 going to give you the greatest benefit in the long run, says McLaughlin.

This also gives you some autonomy over your recovery. Instead of needing someone else to massage you or work out your muscles, you can do it yourself, Valant says. That鈥檚 certainly the case for me. With a limited budget for a glorious post-workout massage session, my percussive gun gives me a similar kind of stimulation.

It also may not be the best tool for everyone. As with anything when it comes to your health, consult a medical professional before reaching for the device鈥攅specially if you鈥檙e pregnant or are dealing with a severe injury or infection.

Can You Overuse a Massage Gun?

If you鈥檙e using a massage gun safely, then the possibility of overdoing it is unlikely to arise. Much of it comes down to timing. Typically, McLaughlin recommends only using the device for 30 seconds to two minutes on a particular muscle group. 鈥淜eep it moving and pay attention to your body,鈥� he says. 鈥淚f you find yourself tensing up more, move to a new spot or maybe change the intensity or setting.鈥�

Using a massage gun too much can result in bruising鈥攁nd potentially leave you feeling more sore than you did before grabbing the tool, Valant says.

If you鈥檙e turning to it for an extended time after every workout, you may need to reevaluate the intensity of your exercise regimen, McLaughlin says. Sure, you can reach for your massage gun after your long runs, but not after every session.

I kept McLaughlin鈥檚 words in mind this past week, taking a closer look at my recovery routine. After my Saturday long run, I pressed the device into my quads and calves, but I also paired it with a five-minute mobility routine. So, yes, I鈥檓 still obsessed with my massage gun, but now I鈥檓 thinking about my long-term fitness goals.

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For the month of January, Finocchiaro subjected herself to a daily cold plunge in the ocean and chronicled her efforts on TikTok. She had started practicing regular cold water immersions at the beginning of the pandemic, inspired by the Wim Hof method, as a way to help manage her seasonal depression. She saw her mental energy increase with each plunge.

This winter, as a byproduct of her anxiety and the stress of being a small business owner, she saw her mood drop even more. “As soon as you turn your passion into your career, it’s not as easy to relax during a yoga class,” she says. “So, I’ve had to turn to other coping mechanisms for my anxiety and depression.”

In an attempt to better her mental health,听Finocchiaro decided to embark on a monthlong challenge of doing a cold plunge every day. She headed to the ocean most early mornings for her immersion although sometimes squeezed her plunges in during the afternoon due to her work schedule. Once on the dock or sand, she would ditch her warm puffer jacket, strip down to a bathing suit, and wade into frigid waters.

For the yoga teacher and studio owner, it’s a part of her day when she’s focused on doing something for herself.

Her elevated mood kept her coming back to the water鈥攅ven on the coldest days. “Once you’re done with a plunge, you have all this energy,” she says. “For me, it clears my mind and gives me the energy to get through the rest of the day.” Throughout the month of January, she found herself able to forego that afternoon cup of coffee, revitalized instead by her quick dip.

The Science Behind Cold Plunging

, a professor of human physiology at the University of Oregon, conducts research on thermoregulation鈥攖he impact that extreme heat and cold have on the body. While most of focus on the benefits of heat, he says there’s some evidence that a euphoric feeling may follow an acute cold immersion. However, he says more research needs to be conducted on the topic in order to find out more about how long these feelings can last and the mechanisms behind them.

The impact of the freeze may go beyond that feeling of joy. In a new study that has yet to be released to the public, he and his team of researchers found that when looking at a (i.e. how good you feel about things versus how bad you feel about things), people felt less negative following a brief cold water immersion, he says.

Not ready to subject yourself to a cold plunge? You may be able to reap similar benefits from extreme heat immersion, such as a sauna or hot tub. Evidence suggests that even one session of heat therapy a week reduces rates of depression, Minson says. Ultimately, it’s about find the right kind of temperature treatment for your body.

Moving Forward

With her her month-long challenge behind her, Finocchiaro says she’ll still continue to regularly plunge, even if it isn’t every day. “I’m not trying to prove something,” she says. “For me, it’s about connecting to nature and getting outside even when it’s 30 degrees and snowing or raining. It’s about embracing the winter.”

It’s also about introducing others to the joy of cold immersion. During her monthlong commitment, she started leading community plunges with her students after her Saturday yoga class, a practice she plans to continue throughout the winter.

What You Need to Know About Cold Plunging

Cold plunging isn’t nearly as simple as a summer dip. Following are a few things to keep in mind if you’re thinking about heading out for an icy immersion.

Don鈥檛 Dive In

Your front dive may be gorgeous, but you’ll want to forgo it when entering cold water. Minson says if you immediately immerse your head in freezing water, you’ll experience an instinctive “gasping response,” which causes you to try to breathe in a lot of air. When this occurs in deep water, the possibility of drowning increases. Instead, slowly wade into the water.

Focus on Staying Calm

While you may be excited (or nervous!) for your cold immersion, Finocchiaro says it’s essential to remain calm in order to avoid hyperventilating. For her, that means moving into the water with presence and ease. “My first few times, I ran in and was so excited, but then I started hyperventilating and couldn’t get myself to calm down,” she says. She alleviated that by walking in slowly and mindfully, drawing on the very same breathwork that she teaches. A meditation practice can also be beneficial in grounding you in the present moment.

Test Your Cold Shower Tolerance First

Finocchiaro recommends getting used to the concept of a freezing plunge by testing out a cold shower. Even just tacking on a few initial seconds of cold to the beginning or end of your daily rinse can help you acclimate to the frigid temperatures of a cold plunge. If you don’t have access to a body of water, a regular cold shower can also replace a plunge.

Minson encourages his students to try the cold shower challenge by foregoing the typical hot shower for an icy one. While many of the students stop taking the cold showers after the challenge, a few report that they continue for the sense of elation after the ritual.

Short and Effective

Your cold plunge doesn’t have to be (and shouldn’t) be lengthy.听Finocchiaro says she’ll typically stay in the water for no more than a minute or 90 seconds. It won’t take long for you to feel the affects.

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Expletives fill my head. These lunges will, inexplicably, be the death of me. I’m going to die in a CorePower yoga studio. I’m already reconsidering my decision to attend this Strength X class.

To humor myself, I do it. I take a measured breath, returning to the long inhalations and exhalations that exist exclusively in my restorative yoga class. Something settles. My heart rate calms. My body eases up鈥攁nd the weights don’t feel quite as torturous. What is happening?

I practice yoga on a regular basis. I try鈥攁nd often fail鈥攖o meditate. I work out several times a week. Although I love a sweat-dripping hot yoga class, my asana practice and my workouts are separate. When I’m doing high-intensity interval training (HIIT), sprinting on a spin bike, or throwing around heavy weights, I want听to tune out. But when I shift from Downward-Facing Dog into Plank Pose, I want to tap into my breath.

I never considered combining heavy weights, mindfulness, and breathwork. Until I tried this new type of workout.

The Rise of Mind-Body Workouts

According to strength training and yoga were the two most popular workouts on the booking platforms last year. Strength training classes saw a 94% increase in bookings from 2021 and 2022.

“2023 will be the year that strength workouts (progressing through heavy weights for low reps) become not just OK for everyone, but even our default form of exercise,” Casey Johnston, the creator of the She’s A Beast newsletter, told 国产吃瓜黑料. I agree.

But I and a lot of other people are also craving something more. Something deeper. More and more of us are turning to meditation, mindfulness practices, and breathwork for they bring to our mental and physical health.

Combining Mindfulness With HIIT

CorePower isn’t the only fitness studio investing in the connection between strength and breath. Mind Body Project, a New York-based workout class, starts and ends its HIIT-style class with a five-minute meditation. Throughout the class, the instructor weaves elements of that initial session of mindfulness into the class through verbal reminders and a resetting point midway through the workout. In that moment, the lights dim as you’re prompted to reconnect to your breath.

“The goal is for people to acknowledge what their breath is doing,” says Chris Stockel, the company’s founder. “Oftentimes, you know, you’re pretty frantically breathing, so it’s an acknowledgement of how hard you’re working. It also helps you come back to the present moment.”

Stockel started meditating when he was 25 years old. A friend recommended and Stockel took a weekend seminar to learn more about it. After experiencing the benefits of the practice, he continued using it to alleviate his stress and anxiety. He also continued with his regular HIIT workouts.

“The meditation helped me feel more present,” he says. “And the HIIT class that I was taking were like a vacation for my brain to shut off for an hour.” Seeing the benefits of both disciplines, he decided to combine the two, creating the core concept for Mind Body Project.

My experience at the Mind Body Project’s Breathe.Burn.Calm. class parallels Stockel’s explanation. I started the class by sinking into my body, tapping into my breath, and quieting my mind. Then, over the course of 45 minutes, my heart rate picked up. At one point, I was squatting with two 15-pound weights stacked on my shoulders and found myself overthinking, well, just about everything.

“Your breath is your anchor,” the instructor, Tyler White, reminded the class in that moment. And, just like in the CorePower Strength X, I found myself softening. The weights were still heavy, my body was still exhausted, but my exhalations seemed to propel me. I squatted with more power.听

It’s a bizarre shift away from the coaching-style mentality of other fitness classes. As a former competitive athlete, I had assumed the only way I could push harder in a workout and reach my full potential would be from the yelling of an instructor. I was accustomed to being fueled by fear or pressure.

These alternate approaches to workouts challenge that notion, asking me to tune into myself and my breath to find my grit.

Fueling a Move Toward Meditation

“There’s an acknowledgement from a lot of our guests that meditation is something [they]听it could use in their life, but they won’t do it on their own,” Stockel says. They may see the benefits or want to be that person who meditates, but they can’t figure out how to find a regular independent practice, he says.

As someone , I get it. By fusing these exercises into a “standard” workout class, these workouts provide a subtle introduction to the profound power of a quiet mind.

Because these classes subtly introduce elements of yoga, breathwork, and meditation in the context of a seemingly traditional workout, they provide an introduction to mindfulness practices or for those who may have been resistant.

This concept is one of the foundational pieces of CorePower’s mindful strength class: to showcase the benefits of mindful practices to more people.

“CorePower Strength X integrates elements of yoga with performance-driven weight training, providing an approachable gateway to the transformative benefits of yoga and a new, fun way to level up the intensity of one’s fitness routine,” the company said in

Six years ago, I turned to yoga through Maybe the next generation of those who are drawn to yoga will emerge out of mindful strength.

Editor’s note: On January 30, 2023, Mind Body Project the sale of the company to an undisclosed buyer and the impending closure of its physical location. The new owner is expected to take the company in a digital direction, the 听

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