Jenn's Losing It

Build a slim, trim body like screen siren Kate Beckinsale with these muscle-sculpting mat moves Strange as it sounds, Kate Beckinsale prepares for the physically demanding job of playing futuristic fighters and werewolf hunters with a yoga-based routine. She also practices qigong, a discipline involving controlled breathing and fluid movements that's similar to tai chi. In addition to making her physically strong, yoga and qigong help Kate relax. Want an action-star body like Kate's? Her instructor, Mandy Ingber, let us in on her body-sculpting moves. Do two or three sets of each four or five days a week. MOVE 1 Down-Dog Split with Knee Drives Begin in downward facing dog, then raise your left leg to move into down-dog split (a). Bend your left knee and pull it toward your forehead (b). Straighten the leg back, then bring the knee outside your left elbow. Straighten the leg again, then bring the knee toward your right elbow. Repeat three times. Switch legs and repeat. ...

New Yorkers aren’t exactly known for being calm and collected. But last March, countless numbers of them found some tranquility in the back of their taxicabs, thanks to a guided meditation playing on the TVs of hundreds of cars. The one-minute meditations were led by Elena Brower, an internationally renowned yoga teacher, founder of VIRAYOGA in New York City, and one of (currently) five subjects of ONMEDITATION, a series of short films about individuals who have cultivated a meaningful practice in their lives. In addition to Brower, subjects include Buddhist Monk The Venerable Metteya, two-time National Book Award winner author Peter Matthiessen, Breaking Bad actor Giancarlo Esposito, and Congressman Tim Ryan, author of A Mindful Nation. “We believe if more people meditated the world would be a better place,” says Rebecca Dreyfus, the director, creator, and executive producer of the films. One of the biggest obstacles that keeps people from meditating? The misconceptions surroundi...

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Their favorite on-the-go meals (that are still healthy!) By Lauren Gelman We all know it's healthier to skip the drive-thru, but everyone eventually finds themselves at a roadside rest stop or caves into a late-night French-fry craving. The trick is making the healthiest fast food choice you can. So we turned to the nutrition experts who created the menus for our favorite fast food joints to find out what healthy meals they order when they eat on the job. Get their suggestions for healthy fast food. Note: Most of the foods that follow are pretty good in terms of calories and fat, but they’re still loaded with sodium. Most adults should have less than 2,300 mg daily, and many of these meals provide half that amount or more! Burger King: BK Veggie Burger "I typically order the BK Veggie Burger, but I hold the mayo," says Stephanie Quirantes, RD, the nutrition and health manager for Burger King Corp., North America. For a side and beverage, she has the Fresh Appl...

By Laura Schwecherl • Greatist.com Kettlebells are all bells, no whistles. Resembling a mini-bowling ball with a handle, kettlebells are great for cardio, strength and flexibility training. Start by picking up the weight of your choice—women usually grab between 8 to16 kg weights, while men go for 16 to 32 kg, though these weights vary depending on the exercises of choice. (No harm in starting low and working your way up.) Reps and sets will depend on intensity and fitness levels, for most of these moves, we recommend aiming for three to five sets of 10 to 30 reps with good form. (We suggest starting things up with a trainer or kettlebell aficionado to make sure everything’s kosher). Ready to rock? Let’s give these kettlebells a swing, snatch, or clean! 1. Two-handed kettlebell swing Targets: Shoulders, back, hips, glutes, legs Level: Beginner How to: This exercise is all the kettlebell rage. Stand up straight, with feet a bit wider than hip-distance apart. Grab hold of ...

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Despite what you may have heard, going on a late-night jog won’t sabotage your shut-eye. People who exercise are between 56 percent to 67 percent more likely to say they typically get a good night’s sleep—regardless of what time a day they sweat it out, according to a new survey from the National Sleep Foundation. Just 39 percent of non-exercisers said the same. Researchers polled 1,000 adults and asked them what their exercise routine was, as well as whether they typically experienced an uninterrupted night’s sleep. People were then divided into four exercise groups based on their responses: vigorous (running, cycling), moderate (yoga, weight lifting), light (walking), and non-exercisers. Although sleep lengths were similar across the board (about seven hours), 61 percent of the inactive exercisers said they rarely–if ever–slept well on work nights, and 24 percent of them said they had trouble falling asleep. Vigorous exercisers, on the other hand, were the least likely to report sl...

Chew on this: People are more likely to think a food item is healthier if it has a green calorie label, according to a new study out of Cornell University. The study, published in the journal Health Communication, took place in two parts. First, 93 undergrad participants looked at a picture of one of two candy bars. The candy bars each had the same number of calories listed: 260. In fact, they were nearly identical—the only difference between them was that one had a green calorie label, and the other had a red calorie label. Yet the participants who looked at the photo of the green-labeled candy bar judged it to be significantly healthier and to have fewer calories than other candy bars. “Green means go and has generally positive associations, so we might see that as a green light to indulge,” says Jonathon Schuldt, PhD, the lead study author, assistant professor of communication, and director of Cornell’s Social Cognition and Communication Lab. Since red can of course carry its ow...