You YOUR ABS

Cannot ARE SHOWING!

Put Me You’ve Got
’Em, Now
In A Box Reveal ’Em
With This
Kettlebell
RefusesTo Routine
Be Bound By
Expectations

ONLY
GOOD-HAIR
DAYS

Try These
Protein-
Packed
Recipes

Should
You Cold
Plunge?
 JULY/AUGUST 2023

O N TH E COVE R

37
NICO SCHINCO, FOOD STYLING: OLIVIA MACK MCCOOL, PROP STYLING: MEGUMI EMOTO

IT’S SOUP SZN

These refreshing,
chilled meals will
seriously satisfy.

13 ONLY GOOD-HAIR DAYS Figuring out your strands’ porosity will change the way you care
for your locks over the long haul. We’ve got all the deets and thirst-quenching tips. 54 SHOULD
YOU COLD PLUNGE? Dipping yourself in an icy vat of water, voluntarily? Yes, it’s a big trend
right now, but one that actually comes with some smart science behind it. 80 ASHLEY PARK RE-
FUSES TO BE BOUND BY EXPECTATIONS The actor is finally taking the lead on-screen…and in
other aspects of her life, including her health and wellness. 96 YOUR ABS ARE SHOWING! Get
comfortable with kettlebells thanks to this expert-developed routine (your core will thank ya!).
J U LY/A U G U S T 2 0 2 3 W O M E N ’ S H E A LT H / 1
 JULY/AUGUST 2023

AL S O I N TH I S I S S U E

PHOTOGRAPHED BY BEN WATTS.

Styling: Kristen Saladino. Hair: Clara
Leonard using Davines at The Wall

69
Group. Makeup: Vincent Oquendo at
The Wall Group. Manicure: Mo Qin at
The Wall Group using OPI. Set design:
Michael Altman at See Management.
Newsstand cover: Genny top, genny
.com; Monse pants, monse.com; Lady
Grey Jewelry earrings, ladygreyjewelry
READY, SET, .com; Alexis Bittar cuffs, alexisbittar.
com; Pianegonda ring, usa.pianegonda.
TRAVEL com; Skechers sneakers, skechers.com.
Subscriber cover: David Koma jacket,
Ideas and recs for davidkoma.com; Skims bikini top,
skims.com; Live The Process shorts,
your best trip ever livetheprocess.com; Puma sneakers,
us.puma.com; Georg Jensen earrings,
georgjensen.com; Lady Grey Jewelry ear
cuff, ladygreyjewelry.com; Jenny Bird
ring, jenny-bird.com

SECTIONS
4 ADVISORS 5 LIZ’S LETTER 13 BEAUTY 23 FITNESS 37 FOOD
47 HEALTH 57 MIND 69 FEATURES 108 BREAKTHROUGH
GETTY IMAGES

Women’s Health Vol. 20, No. 5 (ISSN 0884-7355) is published monthly except combined issues in January/February, May/June, July/August, and October/November by Hearst, at 300 W. 57th St., New York, NY 10019. Steven R.
Swartz, President & Chief Executive Officer; William R. Hearst III, Chairman; Frank A. Bennack, Jr., Executive Vice Chairman. Hearst Magazines, Inc.: Debi Chirichella, President; Regina Buckley, Chief Financial and Strategy Officer;
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2 / W O M E N ’ S H E A LT H J U LY/A U G U S T 2 0 2 3
A DV I S O RY B OA R D EDITOR-IN-CHIEF HEARST MAGAZINES ADVERTISING INDUSTRY LEADERSHIP
LIZ PLOSSER FOOD, PHARMA, LIQUOR, CPG & PET Patricia Haegele
CARDIOLOGY
Jennifer H. Mieres, MD Professor of FASHION & LUXURY Haley Bachmann
cardiology, Zucker School of Medicine EXECUTIVE EDITOR EXECUTIVE DIGITAL DIRECTOR
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Mona Gohara, MD Associate clinical
professor, department of dermatology, SENIOR DEPUTY DIGITAL EDITOR Maridel Reyes CATEGORY LEADERS
Yale School of Medicine Karen Deutsch, Dan Fuchs, Christine L. Hall, David Hamilton,
DEPUTY EDITOR, CONTENT STRATEGY Amanda Lucci
Ellen Marmur, MD RW Horton, Bridget McGuire, Jeanne Noonan, Joanna Nowack,
Founder, Marmur Medical COPY & RESEARCH CHIEF Marli Higa Sara Rad, Julie Spitalnick, Bill Upton, John Wattiker, Tara Weedfald
Joshua Zeichner, MD Director of
cosmetic and clinical research in EXECUTIVE HEALTH AND FITNESS DIRECTOR Jacqueline Andriakos
dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital
in New York City FEATURES DIRECTOR BEAUTY DIRECTOR
WOMEN’S HEALTH
Kristin Canning Brian Underwood
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physician; sexual and reproductive BRAND & STRATEGY Marnie Braverman
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strength coach and private trainer
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 As we were
closing this issue,
a celebration
of the outdoors
and travel,
I was counting the days until my own
adventure: a surfing-and-yoga trip
to Bali with my husband, Matt…sans
our three children and dog, plus a
12-hour time difference. (I know!) MOOD:
When a mom on the soccer side- EXCITED FOR
ADVENTURE
lines told me she and her partner have Ivy Park bra and
never taken a trip without their two pants, adidas.
com/us/ivypark;
boys, I got it (and resisted feeling Soko earrings,
shopsoko.com
guilty for my own plans!). The logis-
tics and, yes, expense, can make it
complicated to hit the road. But prior-
itizing alone time with my husband best in travel—luggage, skin care, door industry, and profile trailblazing
has become a cornerstone of our mar- hotel ideas, destination intel—which women who won’t let health challenges
riage. We began taking sporadic stay- has given me alllll of the wanderlust hold them back from thrills. Because
cations—a night in NYC or the nearby inspiration I could ever want. (Turn to travel, the outdoors, connection, inspi-
Catskill Mountains—five years ago. page 69 for a taste of our first-ever ration…they’re for everyone. The moms
It’s no accident that these journeys be- Healthy Travel Awards.) One thing on the sidelines, women of every back-
gan after some challenging personal I’m certain of: I always return with ground, those without partners or chil-
times. In the beginning, changing amazing memories, a deeper connec- dren; every single one of us deserves to
our scenery and focusing on each oth- tion with Matt, and new ideas to bring experience a sunrise, a sunset, and a
er was necessary to connect, but the to work. All priceless souvenirs. feel-good sweat in a new place.
trips have evolved into a celebration of Cover star Ashley Park is most Whatever your plans are this sum-
our 24-year-long relationship. certainly a travel pro; the woman is mer, send me a virtual postcard! I’d
PHILIP FRIEDMAN (PORTRAIT); COURTESY OF PLOSSER (3); GETTY IMAGES (PLANE ICON)

I’m grateful for my in-laws as well everywhere from the big screen to love to see how you celebrate this beau-
as the sitters and other parents who red carpets. She slowed down long tiful world. Tag @lizplosser and
step up while we’re away, and for Face- enough to talk with WH about the @womenshealthmag so we can share
Time, which allows us to stay in touch evolution of her career, and how she and inspire others to get out there.
with our kiddos. And I appreciate my stays centered on long days. LIZ PLOSSER
teammates at WH for surfacing the In this issue, our editors also EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
explore some of the gaps in the out- @lizplosser

BERMUDA COLORADO MEXICO

My tense shoulders Dunton Hot Careyes, Mexico, is a
sat a little lower Springs & River sliver of paradise with
after our three Camp is in a valley serious White Lotus
days at the Hamil- between Mesa vibes. Matt and I
ton Princess Hotel Verde National explored the architec-
& Beach Club in Park and Telluride ture (jaw-dropping
Bermuda. Pro tip: in southwest Colo- villas along the coast
Bermuda is only rado. It’s my num- in poppy, bright col-
a 90-minute flight ber one happy ors), enjoyed an eve-
from NYC, but place, whether I ning sound bath, and
it feels a million stay in a cabin or a (best of all, lol!) chilled
miles away. glamping tent. at the five beachfront
infinity pools.

J U LY/A U G U S T 2 0 2 3 W O M E N ’ S H E A LT H / 5
 PAIGE MYCOSKIE
Aviator Nation founder and artist

I love mornings—I wake up

feeling excited about the day.
My dogs, Tristan (a golden
retriever) and Jagger (a gold-
en mountain mix), are my
alarm. They usually start hov-
ering over me around 7 a.m.,
so I get up and feed them first
thing. Next, I drink a huge
glass of water with lemon, no
ice. Then I make a large cof-
fee, mixed with Bulletproof
MCT oil and organic unsalted
butter. (I do intermittent fast-
ing so typically don’t eat a
meal for breakfast.) After
coffee, it’s time to work out.
I have to start the day with
an activity, which during the
week is usually a spin class or
a hike with the dogs. Then it’s
time for a shower and skin
care. On my face, I use Image
Skincare vitamin C anti-aging
serum and Indie Lee sun-
screen. Before I jump into
work, I make time to journal.
Writing helps me flesh out
ideas and hold myself ac-
countable. I jot down things
I want to accomplish. After
that, I’m at my desk working
on new designs or running
the company.

1 2 3

STRONG SANTAL 33 TUNES

HER MORNING COFFEE SHOWER “I turn on music
MUST-HAVES
NICK ONKEN; GETTY IMAGES (ICON)

COMPANY GEL immediately when

“I’ve tried a lot of “I don’t use a ton I get up and listen
instant coffees, of products, but to it all day. In
and this one gives I love this Le Labo the morning, it’s
me the most shower gel.” upbeat stuff like
energy. It has Sofi Tukker, Kygo,
ashwagandha.” Polo & Pan, and
Rüfüs Du Sol.”

6 / W O M E N ’ S H E A LT H J U LY/A U G U S T 2 0 2 3
 Purina trademarks are owned by Société des Produits Nestlé S.A.
FOR ONE AMAZING LIFE
PROVEN NATURAL NUTRITION

STRONG IMMUNE SYSTEM

STRONG MUSCLES INCLUDING

A HEALTHY HEART
WH staffer
Sabrina Talbert
took trapeze classes
to face her fear of
heights and redis-
cover a beloved
childhood activity.
Photographed by
Massimo Gammacurta The first jump
Before When I was a kid, I was
of every session
fearless. My parents enrolled me in
gymnastics, and it made me feel alive. is always the
Uneven bars were my favorite—the
flow of the routines possessed a
certain elegance, and watching gym-
scariest, though
nasts fly after they released one bar
and grabbed another captivated me. I
the repetition
had dreams of reaching the elite level,
but as I got older, I grew “too tall” and
the programs became more expen-
makes it more
sive than my family could afford.
Once I stopped gymnastics,
manageable.
my feet stayed on the ground, and
a fear of heights crept in. Some-
where on the way to adulthood,
I realized I wasn’t invincible, and
that familiar flying feeling faded.
I still carry this anxiety with me,
so when a friend asked me to take a
trapeze class with her at Trapeze
School New York (TSNY), I was appre-
hensive. Still, the thought of doing
something remotely close to swinging tor clipped on my safety lines and
on the bars piqued my curiosity. pulled the bar to me. It all happened
faster than I could process, and I ner-
vously confessed to him how terrified After In the past, I’ve allowed
I was. “It’s okay to be scared,” he said. fear to limit my experiences. But with
Having my fear affirmed rather than trapeze, I was able to shift the way
brushed off made all the difference. I navigate it: Instead of trying to re-
During At TSNY’s outdoor facil- Before I could second-guess myself, press my fear in an effort to eliminate
ity at Pier 40 at Hudson River Park, I heard “Hep!” (the trapeze term for it, I let it join me for the ride.
my class began with floor drills. We “go”) and jumped. The perfectionist in me wanted to
learned how to hold the bar, push out I began with a simple knee hang stay past the end of every class to
our hips, and jump properly. While that evolved into a knee hang with a keep practicing until I got all the
practicing, I tried to focus on memo- back tuck dismount. By the end of the moves right, and the adrenaline rush
rizing my cues and the positions I’d first class, I managed to find my confi- that came with each try was addictive.
soon contort myself into, rather than dence. And over the course of my sec- I’d like to think that if I went to class
how high up I’d be. ond and third classes, I worked on my on a weekly or even monthly basis, my
When it comes to trapeze, though, form, timing, and “catch hands”—the fear of heights (at least as it relates to
the only way to really learn is by jump- hand position you use to reach out so trapeze) would lessen. The first jump
ing into the deep end. Within minutes, the catcher can grab you off the bar. of every session is always the scariest,
I was called up to the platform. I even worked on new skills, like the though the repetition makes it more
After attaching the safety hooks heels-off whip (heels are the last thing manageable. (Baby steps—er, leaps!)
to my harness, I applied chalk to my on the bar after you let go) and the set With three classes completed, I
hands and felt the familiarity of doing straddle whip (where you froggy your know I’ll return whenever I can. Tra-
this before my bar routines. Sure, they legs on the bar before shooting them peze was the right blend: new and
were different sports, but something forward in a straddle). With each challenging, but also reminiscent of
GETTY IMAGES (ICON)

about it was still meditative—another move, I fell back in love with flying. the sport I loved so much. Now, when
opportunity to find my flow. I jump off that platform, I work toward
With shaky hands I slowly climbed being poised and present. But more
the ladder, feeling the cool breeze hit important, I focus on having fun.
me. Once I was at the top, my instruc-

8 / W O M E N ’ S H E A LT H J U LY/A U G U S T 2 0 2 3
Take a peek into the fridges of WH’s editors and advisors for our must-buy products.
For this issue, we asked: What do you grab when heading out for a hike?
Illustrated by Mark Nerys

GO RAW SPROUTED
PUMPKIN SEEDS
A good source of fiber,
this simple snack is a solid
choice that keeps me
going during extra-active
outdoorsy days. —Jaclyn
London, RD

SMARTSWEETS
SOURMELON BITES
I keep a stash of these
sweet-tart, better-for-you
candies to satisfy any sugar
cravings that come up on
the trail. —Kristin Canning,
features director

WONDERFUL HALOS
MANDARINS
I love the act of peeling
one, as well as the quick
hit of energy it delivers.
—Laura McLaughlin,
managing editor

CHUBBY SNACKS
ALMOND BUTTER
PB&JS
When I go for a vigorous
hike, I pack one of these
from the freezer to give
myself the stamina to
power through. —Tina
Martinez, food producer

KERRYGOLD CHEDDAR
CHEESE SNACKS
Each easy-to-grab stick
is full of protein and oh-so-
satisfying but doesn’t
leave me feeling too full.
—Samantha MacAvoy,
assistant editor

PRESENTED BY HELLMANN’S

Slam Dunk Is your fridge full

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Clean-Out Veggie Chips If you think your
greens are destined for the
Froyo Bark Spread
Greek yogurt on a irresistible with a super-delish
GETTY IMAGES (ICON)

dipping sauce: Mix 2 Tbsp each

Challenge trash, take that as a cue to
toss them in oil, then roast in
parchment-lined bak-
ing sheet, top with
Hellmann’s mayonnaise and
Greek yogurt with 1 Tbsp Dijon
mustard. Chop and fold in any
STRATEGIES FOR a hot oven until they’re nice chopped berries, and fresh herbs you have on hand for
SPARING FRESH GOODS and crisp. (Sprinkle with salt, freeze. Break into piec- a little something extra.
Parm, or nutritional yeast!) es for a quick snack.

1 0 / W O M E N ’ S H E A LT H
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 Like a plant, what
sprouts from your
scalp needs
the right amount
of H2O to thrive.

Water Works
Proper hydration is the key to healthier, more manageable hair—and
it doesn’t entail a dramatic overhaul. It starts with a little knowledge
and ends with a few moisturizing micro-adjustments to your routine.
GETTY IMAGES

By Erica Metzger

J U LY/AU G U S T 2 0 2 3 WO M E N ’ S H E ALTH / 13
News flash: There’s a method cosmetic chemists and beauty scientists regularly use
to solve dryness, frizz, and damage—and you can use it at home. Knowing your hair’s
porosity (something that’s frequently discussed within the textured-hair community
on message boards and subreddits) can reveal a lot about your hair, like why you may
be prone to flyaways or what the best products are for the style you want.
Essentially, porosity describes your hair’s relationship to water, and it can range from
low to high.. “How much water your hair holds and how long it takes for it to dry is
the simplest way to understand porosity,” says Felicia Leatherwood, a celebrity stylist
who works with Issa Rae and Ava DuVernay. Read on for a professional strand plan.

QUIZ Why This Influencing

Matters Factors
Are You High How can one head of hair
appear dehydrated and
The same genetics that
gifted your hair its gor-

or Low?
crispy after sucking up half geous natural texture also
a jar of conditioner, while a contributes to its porosity.
different set of strands But unlike hair texture, po-
Going by texture alone won’t cut it. Scientists use diagnostic takes a full day to dry? Po- rosity isn’t easily identifi-
tools to determine porosity; you can rely on these DIY tests. rosity explains it all. It’s de- able. Wavy and curly tend
termined by the position to have more porosity than
Which best de- B. Your hair soaks Hold a small sec- (and condition) of your hair straight, Leatherwood
scribes your hair the water up and tion of your hair strand’s protective exterior, points out, but not always.
an hour after tak- may look darker. from the top of called the cuticle layer. “Cu- “All hair types have the
ing a shower or It’s visibly wet! your head and run ticles are meant to overlap ability to be either low or
swimming? your fingers slow- to keep the moisture in and high porosity,” says Erica
Snip a piece of
A. Did it even get ly down the protect the inner cortex Douglas, a cosmetic chem-
clean hair (try the
wet? Seriously, you strand. How does from heat and the environ- ist in Chicago and founder
back of your head
might as well be it feel? ment,” says Corey L. Hart- of Sister Scientist. “You
where you won’t
wearing a swim or A. Pretty smooth man, MD, a dermatologist in really need to see how hair
miss it). Fill a clear
shower cap. B. Rough or bumpy Birmingham, Alabama. responds to water to deter-
glass with water
B. It was fully satu- In high-porosity hair, the mine its porosity.” (See
and lay the hair on Which best de-
rated at first and is cuticle scales are open and “Are You High or Low?” at
top of the water— scribes your hair?
still damp now. lifted, exposing tiny holes left to figure out yours.)
what happens? A. It has never
and crevices along the How you nurture your
Mist your hair with A. It floats for 10 to been colored or
strand. Highly porous hair hair plays a big part too.
a spray bottle of 15 minutes. straightened,
is super permeable; it Chemical processing (like
water. What do B. It starts sinking doesn’t tangle
absorbs moisture like a hair color or relaxer) and
you see? after about three easily, and typical-
sponge and releases it just daily styling (from heat, or
A. The water beads to five minutes. ly looks shiny.
as quickly, says David friction from brushing your
up into droplets B. It’s highly pro-
Adams, a trichologist and hair) chip away at the struc-
and sits on the sur- cessed from hair
co-owner of Fourteenjay ture. “When you damage
face of your hair. color or relaxer.
Salon. This leaves hair dry, the cuticle layer, you’re
weaker, and more vulnera- putting holes and abra-
SEE IT
IRL ble to damage and frizz. sions on the surface of the
IF YOU SAID IF YOU SAID And in low porosity? The hair, which creates more
MOSTLY As MOSTLY Bs
Your hair is probably Your hair is probably cuticle tends to be tighter crevices for water to enter
low porosity. high porosity. and flatter, so hydration and exit,” says Douglas.
has a harder time escaping. Wear and tear accumulate
That’s an advantage as far with length, so those
as strength and moisture #LongHairGoals com-
go, but a densely packed pound porosity, especially
cuticle also makes hair at the ends. “Hair grows
more resistant to products, half an inch per month, so
Under a microscope, low porosity hair looks like a shingled roof. so ingredients can build up shoulder-length hair can
High porosity? Not so much. You can spot the diff, right? rather than penetrate and have five to six years’ worth
do their job. of damage,” Adams says.
 And when it comes to
the weather, it’s more like
a TikTok influencer: The im-
pact depends on your de-
gree of exposure. Remem-
ber, porosity is also about
how hair responds to mois-
ture in the air. “The more
humid the climate, the
more moisture can pene-
trate the cuticle, causing it
to swell or lift,” Douglas
says. In drier environments,
the cuticle layer is more
closed or compact.” That
explains why your hair can
be completely different on
a Vegas vacation than on a
beachy getaway.

Work With
Yours
“The biggest thing to
know is that low or high po-
rosity doesn’t determine
good or bad hair,” Leather-
wood says. “It’s all about
understanding products
and which ones work best
for you.” Given that water
opens your cuticle, your
wash-day strategy can
make or break your style.
And the right stylers will
keep hair looking fab the
rest of the time.
A mild, sulfate-free
shampoo followed by a rich
conditioner with oils and
butters helps to mitigate
dryness in high-porosity
hair. (Tip: If your current
shampoo feels overly strip-
ping, add some conditioner
to transform it into a
cleansing conditioner, sug-
gests Leatherwood.) As for
styling, you can infuse that seals in moisture and caught under the cuticle gel for low-porosity peeps.
more moisture into high- Knowing your keeps humidity out,” Doug- layer. Heat helps too. She also suggests drying
porosity strands (and hang porosity las says. This advice works “Wrapping your hair with a hair with a diffuser instead
on to it longer) by layering and pairing on all hair types, so the silk scarf at night or using of opting for wash-and-go
it with the
leave-ins and stylers in the right prod- fine-haired shouldn’t feel rollers with a deep condi- styles. “If you leave the
correct order. Apply a ucts: a win- they have to shy away from tioning mask once a month moisture in the hair all day,
water-based product like ning combo! this strategy. is one of the best things it’s going to weigh on it. A
a gel or mousse first, then Meanwhile, low-porosity you can do to trap moisture diffuser effectively removes
GETTY IMAGES

seal with oil or a silicone- hair may require a shampoo inside the cuticle layers,” the water without zapping
based serum. “Oil and wa- with a higher pH, like a clar- says Leatherwood, who all the hydration.” Bal-
ter don’t mix, so you’re cre- ifying wash, to lift dirt, oil, also likes lightweight sty- anced moisture and vol-
ating an invisible barrier and buildup that gets lers like a mousse or cream- ume? Yes, please!

W O M E N ’ S H E A LT H / 1 5
 High
Porosity High
Reminder: Your
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nian nut and ba-
bassu extracts, this
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hydration.
Carol’s Daughter
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1 Nourishing Condi-
tioner, $14, ulta.com

3 2. Seal the Deal

When you step out
of the shower, satu-
rate your strands
in this nourishing
serum. Your hair:
glossy for days.
R+Co Bleu F-Layer
Deep Conditioning
Serum, $64,
dermstore.com

3. Clean Slate
Breakage, begone.
Here’s a wash
that gently re-
Say Hi to moves dirt and oil
Your Hair to keep strands
healthy and long.
Helpers Pantene Nutrient
Blends Unbreakable
The shampoo, Lengths Shampoo,
conditioner, and $11, target.com
styler for you

6 Low
4. Cool Whip
A cloudlike foam
that never leaves
your hair feeling
crunchy? Good.
4 A styler that mois-
turizes with aloe
juice? Grrrrrreat!
Function of Beauty
Zero Gravity Styling
Mousse, $13, target.com

5. Wash Cycle
Hair with tightly
packed cuticles
needs a clarifying
5 formula to really
get in there and
Low kick grime to the
Porosity curb. This one is it!
K18 Peptide Prep
COREY MAYWALT, PROP STYLING: LAURA WOOLF

Your routine: Detox Shampoo, $38,

Cleanse with k18hair.com
care, condition
regularly, style 6. Water Magnet
strategically. This mask-condi-
tioner hybrid is a
hydrating heavy-
weight. Aloe vera
and pumpkin seed
oil get the job done.
Everist The Deep
Conditioning
Concentrate, $24,
helloeverist.com

1 6 / W O M E N ’ S H E A LT H J U LY/A U G U S T 2 0 2 3
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 1

Beauty
MVPs
The WH team selected 2

and sweat-tested
the best products for your
active lifestyle.
Photographed by
Corey Maywalt

5 “I use a lot of
waxy hairstyl-
ing products
and the residue
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scalp. This
scrub cleared
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Brian
Underwood,
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“Tons of options, and the colors

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all it took to get my lids popping.”
Danielle Jackson, beauty editor

1. Light Cream 2. Good Impressions 3. Star Turn 4. Sun Smart 5. Sea Change
During the dog days of summer, You splurge on your eyes for the This celestial-inspired collection Developed by a group of board- If your locks lack luster, this
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J U LY/A U G U S T 2 0 2 3 W O M E N ’ S H E A LT H / 1 9
 Meet Your
Lip-Loving

THE
PLAYBOOK
No-Budge Color
How to prevent smudging, fading, and feathering,
Team

straight from the experts

By Danielle Jackson JONET WILLIAMSON
makeup artist and
content creator

EDDIE DUYOS
Make Up For Ever global
makeup artist
and brand educator

CARLY GIGLIO
BareMinerals global
makeup artist
and brand educator

The
Essentials
Two superstars that will

1 2 3 4
Made in the Shade
Start Scrubbing Try a Base Layer Walk the Line Use This Layering It has a low price tag and
Foundation glides on Lip primers are an art- Adding liner all over Technique features good-for-you in-
better on smooth, ist’s trick to “prep the your lips (not just to “If you’re applying gredients (like hyaluronic
exfoliated skin—and area for application,” the perimeter) before a matte formula, you acid). Plus, the product’s
the same goes for lip- Giglio says. Hot tip: applying lipstick or may need more than slim silhouette allows for
stick on lips. “Buff with Apply it to the edges gloss “elongates wear one coat. In this case, precise application.
GETTY IMAGES; COURTESY OF SUBJECT (3); COURTESY OF VENDOR (2)

a sugar scrub, then of your pucker before and intensifies color,” work in thin layers and L’Oréal Paris Colour Riche
smear on a lip mask or using liner to create a says Duyos, since the let the product dry Intense Volume Matte Lipstick,
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five minutes,” William- blocks bleeding and your hue something to adding another. “This
son says. “This makes smudging. No primer? cling to. Use a pencil helps to avoid product
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into cracks or lines.” is a smart swap. your natural lip color. Williamson says.

Swipe on this weightless

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As a final—and crucial—step, gently blot lip color with a thin tissue, then matte effect and to fill in
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STIFF. SORE. SMARTING. IF THESE WORDS
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JAMES MACARI

J U LY/AU G U S T 2 0 2 3 WO M E N ’ S H E ALTH / 2 3
 PAIN POINTS
First things first: Let’s define the
! Want extra guid-
terms. Here, we’ll focus on what’s
known as “nonspecific” low-back
ance? Most states
allow for direct
pain—an ache or stiffness that
access to a PT; you doesn’t stem from a diagnosable
don’t need a refer- condition, like a herniated disc or
ral from your doc. an infection. (If you believe you’ve
injured your back or your pain is a
5 on a scale of 1 to 10, see a doc!)
Nonspecific low-back pain accounts
for 80 to 90 percent of all low-back
pain, per The New England Journal
of Medicine, and ranges from acute
(less than 6 weeks) through sub-
acute (6 to 12 weeks) to chronic
(more than 12 weeks).
Sound like you—and/or all of
your girlfriends? Time for the big
question: What causes it? There’s
no one-size-fits-all answer, says
Alicia Ferriere, DPT, owner of For-
tify PT in New York. “The low back
is in the middle of the body, so it’s
an area that takes stress,” she says.
“If forces aren’t managed above or
below it, pain can appear there.”
Low-back pain, then, is often
a symptom of a deficiency—in
strength, flexibility, or a combo of
the two—elsewhere in the bod. Per-
haps your core is weak, so instead of
sharing the work to keep your torso
upright while sitting, it’s forcing the
back to do more than it should. Or
Every few weeks during my social media scroll, I’m served a new if your hips are tight, they might be
version of a meme that goes something like this: “Welcome to pulling up into the back.
your 30s, where sneezing wrong means two weeks of low-back Improper form while exercising
pain.” Each time, I chuckle knowingly. can also create issues. Hinges
Given that these posts rack up thousands of likes and shares, it’s clear (think: deadlifts) in particular are
I’m not the only one experiencing fits of lumbar lousiness. Research proves often performed incorrectly, says
me right: Up to 23 percent of the world’s adults suffer from chronic low- Ferriere, with the bend coming
back pain, with up to 84 percent of people experiencing at least one bout of from the spine rather than where it
low-back pain during their lifetime. (Adding insult to injury: Women of all should: from the hips. Certain types
ages are more likely to suffer from it than men, studies show.) of workouts can also irritate preex-
The pandemic exacerbated the issue—and in ways you might not expect. isting low-back sensitivities. Cor-
Both the prevalence and the intensity of low-back pain increased during rective-exercise specialist Tatiana
this period, compared with pre-pandemic rates, a recent meta-analysis Lampa, CPT, has her achy clients
found—due in part to more sedentary living. The other piece(s)? Stress and take a break from HIIT and run-
anxiety, which are both contributing factors, other research confirms. ning. “We slow it down to strength-
If you’re feeling crunchy and resigned to living with it because you’re in training and low-impact workouts
your 30s (or 40s or 50s), you don’t have to! See what experts prescribe for until the back is strong enough to
managing, even eradicating, stiffness and soreness in our modern world. support you in high-impact exercis-

2 4 / W O M E N ’ S H E A LT H
 es,” says Lampa, who is also the more sway over how we feel physi- (e.g., lunges or other staple exercis-
founder of the Training With T app. cally than we realize. In fact, pain in es you avoid, or taking the stairs as
A slew of everyday behaviors add this region was linked to psycholog- you get older), the body will be less
up to ouch too. (I can’t be the only ical issues ranging from catastroph- agreeable to it, perhaps resulting in
one pulling eight-hour shifts from izing to loneliness and social isola- injury. “If you change your behav-
my non–ergonomically sound tion, recent research found. (The iors based on pain, this can lead to
couch.) “The majority of the causes reasons aren’t clear, but hormones reduced mobility in the area, po-
are lifestyle,” Lampa says. “Stress, may have something to do with it.) tentially creating more harm than
poor sleep, and not exercising can Another eye-opener: “The narra- good.” Because remember: “Move-
be some major factors in why low- tive we tell ourselves when it comes ment is often medicine,” says Ferri-
back pain shows up.” to pain is huge,” Ferriere says. If, ere. To be clear, that doesn’t mean
whenever you feel a twinge, you you should completely ignore your
think, Oh, I can’t do X—it will hurt body, but just understanding how it
THE MIND my back, you may be perpetuating responds to pain is key.
MECHANISM or worsening your problems. “The
Also not to be overlooked is the muscles and joints that allow you to
brain-body connection. After all, do said movement will have little MOVE TO HEAL
pain is a result of our brain inter- experience,” she says. While the causes vary widely and
preting signals from our body, so Then, when you have to perform manifest themselves differently
thoughts and emotions may have the motion you think causes pain from person to person, experts and

The Pain Eraser Workout

Work through this regimen two or three times a week. Soon, your body will thank you. (If pain worsens,
skip that movement for now. As always, see a pro for an evaluation if there is no improvement.)

Cat-Cow With Thread the Seated Windmill Good Morning Bear Plank
Arm Sweep Needle
WHY IT ROCKS WHY IT ROCKS Having WHY IT ROCKS Ignite
WHY IT ROCKS By WHY IT ROCKS We too Integrates spinal strong, mobile the core—while avoid-
moving you through often skip rotational mobility while hamstrings (targeted ing the spinal pressure
both flexion and movements during focusing on opening here) shores up a full plank can some-
extension, this the day and in our the hips. stability for the pelvis, times cause—with this
exercise emphasizes workouts. This preventing the low variation.
Sit with one leg back from overworking
spinal mobility. dynamic stretch gets Start on all fours with
behind you and other to stabilize.
ya twisting and a neutral spine (nei-
Start on all fours leg in front, each
“greasing” the spine Stand with knees ther arched nor round-
with shoulders over forming a 90-degree
and back. slightly bent and ed—you can flow
wrists and hips over angle. Place hands on
knees. Arch back On all fours, lift left floor behind you for hands behind head. through the cat-cow
and look slightly arm out to side and stability. Keep feet on Keeping back flat, motion to find the
forward and up while up toward ceiling, floor as you lift knees hinge forward at hips, in-between spot) and
extending left arm to rotating left sidebody through the center, sending butt back. toes tucked. Keeping
frame face. Reverse, open and looking then back down on Bring hips forward a neutral spine, lift
rounding back while toward left fingertips. other side (effectively and torso upright to knees off floor an inch
sweeping arm Next, bring arm back changing which leg is stand up tall. Do or two in a hover. Hold
toward hips. Repeat. down and thread it in front and which leg two or three sets of for 10 deep breaths.
Complete 5 to 10 reps underneath torso, is in back). Continue 10 reps. On each exhale, focus
with left arm before so you’re reaching to for 20 total reps. (As on “wrapping” ab-
switching sides. the right. Repeat. you advance, lift dominals inward. Do
Complete 5 to 10 reps hands off floor and 5 reps.
extend them in front
!
with left arm before
JAMES MACARI

switching sides. of body.) For a video demo of this workout, head to the
@WomensHealthMag IG and TikTok accounts.

W O M E N ’ S H E A LT H / 2 5
 researchers agree that recovery according to a recent meta-analysis.
and prevention, like many other Striking the right balance be-
things, ultimately depend on exer- tween strength and flexibility work
cise. While you can’t necessarily will look different depending on
eliminate all stress in your life (a your body’s unique needs. “Certain

Treat well gal can dream…), you can add a

relief plan to your fitness routine.
“Strength training and mobility
people run stiffer and certain peo-
ple run more loosey-goosey. The
people who run stiffer are going to

with BLUE, drills are the gold standard to de-

crease back pain for so many of my
clients,” Lampa says.
need more mobility, and the people
who run more loosey-goosey are go-
ing to need more strength,” Ferriere

and you’ll Research also lends credence to a

blended approach of strengthening
says. “You’re looking for both.”
To that end, Ferriere created the
and mobilizing. For instance, Pain-Eraser Workout on page 25,
feel it too. Pilates relieved low-back pain bet-
ter than several other forms of
which is full of flexibility and
strengthening moves for relief
singularly focused exercise (such and reinforcement. You’ll open up
as stretching, aerobic exercise, tight spots and strengthen the
and general strengthening alone), core—through activity and more.

I Tried It: Acupuncture

for Low-Back Pain
After my dog, Delia, ruptured a disc and underwent spinal
surgery, she was prescribed a recovery process that included
rest, physical therapy…and acupuncture. (Yes, doggie
acupuncturists are a thing!) When I saw how much pain relief
she seemed to get from those teeny needles in her fur, I
thought, If it’s good enough for my pup, good enough for me!
How the Chinese medicine practice works: “By placing nee-
dles in the area of pain, we create an inflammatory response,
which is our body’s natural way of repairing,” says Evita Sokol,
DACM, an acupuncturist at WTHN in New York City.
I did eight sessions, and on the days when I walked in with
pain, the needles provided almost instant relief. The long-term
effects, well, are harder to see. I haven’t gone to a session in
several months, and I’m experiencing symptoms. The re-
search seems to back my anecdotal findings: There’s moder-
ate evidence to suggest acupuncture provides relief of chronic
Natural ingredients and subacute low-back pain when compared with a placebo,
according to a recent meta-analysis.
Made in the USA Bottom line? If you’re looking for immediate relief, you might
No artificial flavors want to become a human pincushion for an hour, but you’ll
or preservatives probably still need to focus on core strengthening for long-
term improvement. —Amy Wilkinson
BLUE treats are made with natural
ingredients enhanced with vitamins
and/or minerals. They are made in the
USA with the world’s finest ingredients. J U LY/A U G U S T 2 0 2 3
 Our Promise to Blue
Is Our Promise to You
šƑƏƑƑѴ;@-Ѵoo ķ|7

What started as a simple promise

to feed an Airedale named Blue
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 GLUTE
MOVE OF
THE
MONTH
Bottom’s Up ACTIVATOR
The weighted hip thrust is the must-know, must-do LEVEL
move for maximizing lower-body strength.
By Jacqueline Andriakos

WHY WE LOVE IT: While there’s

no such thing as a one-and-done
exercise to magically transform a
body part or muscle group, the
weighted hip thrust comes pretty
dang close. “Hip thrusts are a high-
Engage core before ly effective exercise for building
takeoff to avoid back muscle in the glutes,” says Ariel
overextension. Belgrave, CPT (pictured). It’s also
one of Belgrave’s favorites for
changing the shape of the lower
body. (Booty gains, FTW.) Addition-
ally, they require you to engage the
core to maintain stability during
the movement. Love it!

START with shoulder blades against

STEP 1
a bench and feet about hip-width
apart, heels driving into floor. Place
DB on lap and grip both ends.

DRIVE hips up toward sky so shoul-

STEP 2

ders, hips, and knees form a straight

line. Squeeze glutes at top.

PAUSE for a moment at the top,

STEP 3

PHILIP FRIEDMAN, STYLING: ROSE LAUTURE, HAIR AND MAKEUP: THEO KOGAN, MODEL: ARIEL BELGRAVE
keeping core braced. Then, in a
slow and controlled motion, lower
hips back toward floor. That’s 1 rep.

!
WORK IT IN LEVEL UP
To add muscle Try a single-leg
mass, do 3–5 variation of the
sets of 8–12 reps exercise or swap
Make sure feet are
with a moderate in a barbell for a
under knees—not too to heavy weight greater stability
close to butt. as part of lower- or resistance
body workouts. challenge.
Under Armour sports bra, leggings, and sneakers, underarmour.com

FIND YOUR SWEET SPOT

Shoulder placement depends on your body and bench. When you COMFORT CUE
first thrust, do a “little shimmy” to adjust your position, if neces- If the weight hurts your
hips or pelvis, wrap it with a
sary, says Belgrave. If your neck feels strained, lower and reset. foam pad or towel.

J U LY/A U G U S T 2 0 2 3
 SWEAT
TEST

Smart POP OF
COLOR

Water A very cool feature: As

you drink, more lid lights il-
luminate, showing progress.

Bottle
By Addison Aloian
You can change the colors,
which makes the hydration
process a little more fun
than sipping from a
Illustrated by Lauren Tamaki
typical glass.

Whether you’re a former col-

lege athlete or a current gym
regular, it can be challenging
to remember to hydrate con-
EASY TR ACKING
sistently while working out. Enter: the
After charging the
Gatorade Smart Gx Bottle, designed to bottle and syncing it
track and prompt your H2O intake. BRIGHT
to the Gx app (for REMINDERS
In tandem with the Gx app, the gadget iOS only!) via
records how much you drink using a I entered the
Bluetooth, I could times I start and
sensor inside the bottle. You can also see how I was end my day, as
score more personalized recs by adding tracking toward my well as how often
the Gx Sweat Patch, which estimates daily goal. (I aimed I wanted to be
your sweat rate and sodium loss on your for 74 ounces—the prompted to take
skin post-workout. average women a hydration
The pairing is perfect for someone need, per the break. The bottle
like me—an avid exerciser who wants to National Academy alerted me, which
boost her water awareness. It’s also of Medicine.) was helpful when
ideal for those who simply forget to take I was, say, deep in
in water throughout the day, says Keri writing. The app
Peterson, MD, a WH advisor. I used it for also includes a
several workouts and found the tech calendar for look-
fun and gamelike—as well as super prac- ing at your pat-
tical for building better habits. terns over time.

PATCH
PERKS
Slap the sticky on your
$
forearm and, post-workout,
you’ll get app deets on your That might seem steep
sweat rate and sodium loss. for a water bottle, but it’s in
Sweat patches are useful for line with other buzzy smart
those who exercise vigorous-
ly, to see how much fluid bottle brands. (Heads up: The
they lose, Dr. Peter- patch costs an additional
son says. $15.) Worth the splurge if
you’re into data.

W O M E N ’ S H E A LT H / 2 9
RISE AND
T R U LY S H I N E
WITH A LIFE-CHANGING
N E W M O R N I N G R O U T I N E.
Find clarity and happiness with this start-your-day
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fully show up for your day.

—Jay Shetty, #1 New York Times best-selling

author of Think Like a Monk and host of the
On Purpose podcast

Head to womenshealthmag.com/ownyourmorning or scan to

get your copy! Also available wherever books are sold.
 The
Elevation
Edge
I’m cruising along, THANKS TO NEW TECH FOR ALTITUDE BODY BASICS
breathing is a breeze, SESSIONS COMING TO STUDIOS NEAR When you’re exposed to high ele-
and my running legs feel YOU, IT’S NOW POSSIBLE TO GET IN vation, you experience low blood
limitless. It’s not a ON THE BENEFITS OF “TRAINING HIGH.” oxygen, which triggers a number
dream, but it’s close. I’ve just re- By Jennifer Nied of responses in your body, says
turned home to New York City from Photographed by Corey Maywalt Christina Buchanan, PhD, a pro-
a few weeks running and hiking be- fessor and high-altitude exercise
tween 6,000 and 10,000 feet in Col- physiology director at Western
orado—and the gains are so real. Colorado University. Changes
Next, I’m researching how to ac- occur in your respiratory, circula-
complish that same performance tory, and muscular systems as
phenom at sea level, all the time. they hustle harder to shuttle
Perhaps you’ve heard of a pro run- oxygen around the body. Then,
ner or cyclist who has relocated to a after your bod adapts to that
high elevation to train with the goal low-O2 state, it allows you to work
of improving overall fitness and at higher intensity with less per-
getting an edge. Or maybe you’ve ceived effort and to use less energy
wondered if it’s a coincidence that in workouts, which should allow
so many podium toppers live in the you to exercise harder for longer.
mountains. (Psst, it’s not!) Full acclimatization takes
Altitude training is not only for about 21 days of around-the-clock
the pros; exercisers like you and I altitude exposure, Buchanan says.
can also maximize our fitness by Some of the advantages still kick in
taking a page from the altitude with off-and-on O2 deprivation,
playbook. Training at elevation though. That’s where the newer,
positively impacts everything from more accessible versions of
breathing efficiency and cardio hypoxic training come into play.
endurance to overall performance,
shows a growing body of research. TRAINING TREND
If you’re thinking, Must be nice Studios offering simulated altitude
to pack up and head to the moun- training are popping up across the
tains, don’t fret. Tech companies country, allowing sea level dwellers
and fitness studios are bringing access to the health benefits of life
you simulated altitude training— and activity at ideal altitudes
or intermittent hypoxic training, if (8,000 to 10,000 feet). You don’t
you wanna feel fancy—no airplane necessarily develop the full adap-
ticket or new zip code required. tations of living 24/7 at elevation,
“Once you make it accessible to but you still get enough temporary
PROP STYLING: LAURA WOOLF

everyone, you notice that everyone exposure to improve your perfor-

can benefit from it,” says Varun mance, says Buchanan.
Varadaraj, owner of AirLab, a One of the newest offerings,
simulated altitude training studio AirLab, opened earlier this year,
in Miami. Interest “peaked” yet? using simulated-altitude tech to
Let’s dig in.… mimic the conditions of training

W O M E N ’ S H E A LT H / 3 3
 difference as you go about your
regular fitness day to day. “You’ve
at high altitude. Its schedule is created this much more intense FYI: Some people don’t respond to
filled with strength classes, and workout, without having to run real or simulated altitude.
with every breath, you inhale the faster or lift heavier or load your
equivalent of the oxygen you’d have joints,” says Chris DiMauro, mar- HOP ON THE HIGH
at 10,000 or 12,000 feet. The stu- keting director at Hypoxico. As more studios open, try a Google
dio itself looks like any other. The Consider it another variable (like search for “altitude training near
key difference is the lowered oxy- duration or resistance) to manipu- me.” But before booking a class or
gen in the air, which you won’t late in order to level up perfor- machine spot, check for safety and
notice until you start exercising. mance and health. “Even if you’re reliability info (either on the gym
What’s more, at-home options exposed a couple of hours a week, website or by calling the studio). A
are hitting the market. Hypoxico, there are benefits,” adds Buchanan. good sign is research from a third-
Mile High Training, and Rogue Fit- Jacqueline Kasen, CPT, pur- party backing up the equipment and
ness, for example, have released al- Hold Up chased an at-home system to accli- clear safety protocols right up front.
titude generator machines and/or The few cases matize in advance of a weeks-long Wait to crank up the simulated
masks (you’ll look a bit like you’re where altitude climb to the summit of Aconcagua altitude. Instead, increase eleva-
wearing an oxygen mask from an training isn’t in Argentina (we’re talking 22,831 tion slowly over time (generally,
optimal: if you
airplane), as well as specialized cu- feet!). She knew she would experi- you control your numbers, similar
have pulmo-
bicle-like chambers that allow you nary probs or ence a boost, but her results sur- to how you’d adjust treadmill
to sweat or even sleep in a reduced- reduced lung prised her. “My endurance grew speed). Kasen’s workouts consisted
oxygen space. Some of the in-home function, as dramatically; I can move faster of steady zone-two cardio (like
machines are big-ticket invest- with COPD, without feeling like it’s so hard or walking on a treadmill at a high
smoking, or
ments, though—comparable to a hitting a wall,” says Kasen, who is incline, with a backpack or with-
anemia (low red
treadmill or indoor bike ($2,000 blood cells), senior director of group fitness at out), indoor bike sessions, and
to $3,000). Many companies offer says Buchanan. Anatomy in Miami. kettlebell strength.
weekly (or longer) rentals too. Not training for a backpacking The first few times you work out
trip or endurance event? Your body this way, “you may feel fatigued,
THE GAINS will still thank you. When the vas- your heart may race, and you’ll
While you probably won’t hit a PR cular, cardiovascular, respiratory, breathe hard,” says Buchanan.
or even feel you’re performing and muscular systems get stronger Also, signs you should “descend”
at your best in a low-O2 zone, since from working more efficiently (or rest in a room with full oxygen
your body is working extra hard to during hypoxia training, “it leads levels) are a splitting headache,
acclimate, you’ll notice a serious to better health,” says Buchanan. dizziness, and nausea (a.k.a. alti-
tude sickness!). “Be aware that
you’re not going to be able to exer-
cise at the same intensity you are
accustomed to—that’s expected
and okay.” It’s only up from here.

PEAK Type of
Workout
Altitude
Level
O2 Levels
80–85 percent
SWEAT Moderate inten-
sity (50 percent
8,000–10,000
feet (You’ll be
(Check your
stats on a
Keep these best of max effort) able to easily pulse-oximeter,
program this on or a wearable
practices in mind Frequency the machine, if that measures
to get the most Two or three you’re not out in blood oxygen,
out of altitude- workouts the wild!) like the Apple
weekly Watch Series 6
simulated seshes and newer.)
GETTY IMAGES

wherever you are.

3 4 / W O M E N ’ S H E A LT H J U LY/A U G U S T 2 0 2 3
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 Th
is
s ref
rec picy! resh
ipe ) me ing
is o lon (an
n p so d
age up
39
.
FOOD STYLING: OLIVIA MACK MCCOOL, PROP STYLING: MEGUMI EMOTO

Some Like It Cold Heat nix your will to cook (and appetite)?
Chilled soups are the ultimate solution. Keep a stash in the fridge or
freezer and you’ll have easy meals good to go.

By Susan Choung Recipes by Kristina Kurek Photographed by Nico Schinco

37
 Higher temps and humidity make the struggle to
spend time in the kitchen very real. Your new cure-all:
chilled no-cook soups. Packed with raw fruits and
vegetables, these restorative sippers provide nutrients
plus crave-worthy flavors with staying power. “Something like
juice isn’t a meal; it’s what you have with a meal,” says nutritionist
Cara Anselmo, RDN, whereas soup is a totally different deal.
Soup preserves the fiber in produce and often offers protein, fat,
and seasonings, which help with satiety, she says. These recipes
check all those boxes and offer hydration to help beat the heat—
thanks to ingredients like cucumbers and tomatillos. But perhaps Chilled Creamy
their biggest benefit? You don’t have to turn on the stove. Basil and Pea
Soup
TOTAL: 1 HR. 15 MIN. SERVES: 4

4 cups baby spinach

2½ cups plain yogurt
10 oz frozen peas, thawed
½ medium avocado
1 medium shallot,
roughly chopped
3 Tbsp nutritional yeast
Kosher salt and
pepper
1 cup basil leaves, plus
small leaves, for
serving
2 Tbsp tarragon leaves, plus
small leaves, for
serving
1 tsp lemon zest
1. In blender on high, puree
spinach, yogurt, peas, avo-
cado, shallot, nutritional
yeast, ¾ tsp salt, ¼ tsp pep-
per, and ¼ cup water, scrap-
ing down sides as needed,
until smooth, 2 min.
2. Add basil and tarragon
and blend until just incor-
porated but some flecks re-
main; adjust consistency
with more water, if desired.
3. Refrigerate in airtight
container until completely
chilled, at least 1 hr., up
to 2 days. Serve sprinkled
with lemon zest, black
pepper, and basil and tarra-
gon leaves, if desired.
Per serving: About 232 cal, 9 g fat (4 g
sat), 20 mg chol, 466 mg sodium, 24 g
carb, 8 g fiber, 11 g sugar (0 g added
sugar), 14 g pro
Cool and Spicy 1. With blender on high,
Melon Soup Duo puree cantaloupe, tahini,
TOTAL: 1 HR. 20 MIN. harissa, 1 Tbsp lemon
SERVES: 4 juice, and ¼ tsp salt until
2¼ lbs cantaloupe, peeled, smooth, about 30 seconds.
seeded, and cut into Refrigerate in airtight con-
1½-in. pieces (about tainer until completely
5 cups) chilled, at least 1 hr., up
to 3 days. 3. To serve, divide canta-
1 Tbsp tahini
2. Rinse blender, then on loupe soup among bowls.
1¼ tsp mild harissa Ladle honeydew soup into
medium-low, puree honey-
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice, dew, green pepper, cumin, right half of each bowl, near
divided mint, remaining 1 Tbsp edge, to create contrasting
lemon juice, and ½ tsp salt halves. Using spoon, gently
Kosher salt
until mostly smooth but swirl honeydew soup into
2 lbs honeydew, peeled, cantaloupe soup and sprin-
still a little chunky, about
seeded, and cut into
30 seconds. Refrigerate kle with mint leaves, if de- Buttermilk Beet
1½-in. pieces (about
5 cups) in airtight container until sired. (Store leftover soup Soup With Cress
completely chilled, at least in separate containers.) and Horseradish
1 medium green 1 hr., up to 3 days. Per serving: About 120 cal, 2.5 g fat
TOTAL: 1 HR. 25 MIN. SERVES: 4
(0.5 g sat), 0 mg chol, 429 mg sodium,
pepper, roughly 24 g carb, 4 g fiber, 19 g sugar (0 g
chopped added sugar), 3 g pro 2¼ cups buttermilk, divided
½ tsp ground cumin 2 tsp vegetable bouillon
base (we used Better
⅔ cup mint leaves, plus Than Bouillon)
small leaves, for
serving 20 oz red beets (about 2
large), peeled and
coarsely grated
(about 4 cups)
½ small red onion,
JOURNEY finely chopped
JUICE
(about ¼ cup)
Transport soup
in an insulated Pepper
water bottle to
partake on the go. 1 cup upland watercress
Think of it as a leaves, plus small
hearty savory sprigs, for serving
smoothie!
3 Tbsp prepared
horseradish,
squeezed to remove
excess moisture
1. In large bowl, gradually
whisk 2 cups buttermilk
into bouillon base until fully
incorporated.
2. Stir in beets, onion, and
½ tsp pepper. Refrigerate
in airtight container until
completely chilled, at least
1 hr., up to 2 days.
3. When ready to serve,
finely chop watercress
leaves; using fingers,
mix with horseradish in
small bowl.
4. Ladle soup into bowls
and swirl in remaining
¼ cup buttermilk. Sprinkle
with watercress-horserad-
ish mixture and top with
watercress sprigs, if de-
sired.
Per serving: About 145 cal, 5 g fat (2.5 g
sat), 15 mg chol, 643 mg sodium, 19 g
carb, 3 g fiber, 15 g sugar (0 g added
sugar), 7 g pro

W O M E N ’ S H E A LT H / 3 9
 Shrimp,
Cucumber, and
Tomatillo
Aguachile
TOTAL: 1 HR. 25 MIN. SERVES: 4

3 medium serrano
chiles (stemmed and
seeded for less heat,
if desired), plus more
sliced, for serving
1 large tomatillo
(about 4 oz), peeled,
rinsed, and cored
1 large clove garlic
5 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1¼ cups bottled coconut
water (from
refrigerator section)
1½ cups cilantro, plus extra
leaves, for serving
1½ Tbsp canola oil
3 Persian cucumbers,
half chopped into
large chunks and half
thinly sliced
Kosher salt
1 lb extra-large cooked,
peeled, and
deveined shrimp
(thawed, if frozen),
halved horizontally
½ small red onion,
thinly sliced
1½ oz fresh coconut,
shaved
1 avocado, diced
1. In blender on high, puree
serranos, tomatillo, garlic,
lime juice, coconut water,
cilantro, oil, chopped cu-
cumber, and 1 tsp salt until
smooth, about 30 seconds.
Refrigerate in airtight con-
tainer until completely
chilled, at least 1 hr., up to
3 days.
2. When ready to serve,
toss shrimp with onion,
sliced cucumber, and half
of coconut. Pile mixture in
serving bowls, then ladle in
aguachile. Top with avoca-
do, remaining coconut,
sliced serrano, and cilantro
leaves, if desired.
Per serving: About 343 cal, 18.5 g fat
(5.5 g sat), 239 mg chol, 1,581 mg sodi-
um, 18 g carb, 6 g fiber, 7 g sugar (2 g
added sugar), 28 g pro

4 0 / W O M E N ’ S H E A LT H
CAN A SANDWICH
CRAFTED WITH
DELECTABLY ROASTED
CUTS MAKE YOUR
TASTE BUDS QUAKE
WITH YEARNING?

© 2023 Tyson Foods, Inc.

 Pork, Pineapple
& Onion Skewers
TOTAL: 30 MIN. SERVES: 4
½ cup sake
½ cup mirin
½ cup reduced-sodium
soy sauce
1 Tbsp sugar
½ Tbsp grated fresh
ginger
1 lb pork loin, trimmed
½ small pineapple
(about 1 lb),
peeled and cored
1 small red onion,
halved crosswise
8 oz baby peppers
(mixed colors), cut
into 1-in. pieces
2 Tbsp olive oil
Kosher salt and
pepper
Sliced jalapeño,
for serving
1. In small saucepan,
combine sake, mirin, soy
sauce, sugar, and ginger;
simmer, stirring occa-
sionally, until sugar has
dissolved, 3 min. Gently
simmer, until thickened
slightly and coats back of
spoon, 12 min. more.
2. Meanwhile, cut pork
and pineapple into 1-in.
FOOD STYLING: OLIVIA MACK MCCOOL, PROP STYLING: MEGUMI EMOTO

pieces. Cut onion into

wedges. In bowl, toss
pork, pineapple, and veg-
FOOD etables with oil and ½
IN A tsp each salt and pepper.
FLASH 3. Heat grill to medium.
Thread pork, pineapple,
and vegetables onto

Stick It
THESE PROTEIN-PACKED SKEWERS HIT SO
skewers. Grill, turning
occasionally, until pork is
cooked through, 8 to 10
min., basting with sauce
during last 5 min. of grill-
MANY FLAVOR NOTES: SOY SAUCE AND PINEAPPLE ing. Serve topped with
ADD SAVORY-SWEETNESS, WHILE sliced jalapeño.
FRESH JALAPEÑOS FIRE OFF PLENTY OF SPICE. Per serving: About 308 cal, 11 g fat
(2.5 g sat), 65 mg chol, 897 mg
sodium, 24 g carb, 2 g fiber, 17 g
Photographed by Nico Schinco sugar (6 g added sugar), 29 g pro

42
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 FOOD A lot of energy and sweat went established restaurants to transition
FOR into Our Time Kitchen—a into a different side of the industry,” says
THOUGHT commissary facility providing Cat. “When we looked for an affordable
prep space on a sliding pay kitchen space to rent, it just didn’t exist.”
scale for small business owners—even be- So they designed their own fix, buying

Power fore Kiah Gibian and Cat Smith opened

its doors. Today, 33 members use the
communal ovens and counters to whip
and renovating a building to create what
is now Our Time Kitchen. For them, it’s
about more than just a physical cooking

Partners
WHEN KIAH GIBIAN STRUGGLED
up products like packaged granola, baked
goods, and hot meals, which they then
sell from a to-go window or serve in the
rentable restaurant space. But before Our
space. They host community events, in-
cluding educational seminars on sub-
jects such as maintaining a payroll and
building a successful restaurant team.
TO SECURE A RELIABLE Time Kitchen, nothing quite like it exist- And the programming extends outside.
COOKING SPACE FOR HER ed for food entrepreneurs in Baltimore. Last spring, they opened a community
BUSINESS, SHE TEAMED UP WITH The pair met after Kiah, a doula and garden where clients can grow hard-to-
CAT SMITH TO BUILD owner of food truck Wilde Thyme, mes- find ingredients for recipes.
THEIR OWN…AND CHANGED EVEN saged Cat (chef and founder of culinary For Cat and Kiah, success is based on
MORE LIVES IN THE PROCESS. collective Just Call Me Chef) to see how clients’ growth, whether that means de-
By Becca Miller they might collaborate in the food world. veloping relationships in the restaurant
“I gravitated toward Cat’s voice of wis- industry or scaling up beyond Our Time
dom and justice in the city,” says Kiah. and opening their own storefronts. The
Safety and accessibility were top of duo considers it a victory when they can
mind at the time, particularly for Kiah, watch friendships grow too. “There are
who discovered when opening Wilde little ways things click in the space—
Cat
(left) Thyme that she was required by law to where, say, one person can’t meet the
and prep food in a commercial kitchen. This minimum order at a food distribution
Kiah
was a problem, given that her mission company, but 10 of us can. That’s a win
was to ensure more people could access because everyone’s working together
food, via a truck. While prepping recipes and getting the discount,” says Cat.
in the back of an Irish bar and in restau- So, what’s next for them? Right now,
rants shut down for the season, she felt it’s time for rest. “It took two years to
perpetually unsafe or uneasy about pos- build this place, so the theme of 2023
sessions going missing. is doing less and focusing on us,” says
The pair wondered if there was a solu- Cat. Once they’ve recharged, they’ll get
tion that could assist a greater swath of back to action. Kiah says, “We want to
aspiring entrepreneurs. “We realized see more women of color owning shared
that folks needed a space outside of kitchens and making incredible food.”

“Food is our way to express love

and healing and gather community.”
COURTESY OF SUBJECTS; GETTY IMAGES (ICONS)

How They
Created EXPANDED
COMMUNICATION
MADE IT WORK FOR
EVERYONE
ALLOWED FOR LEARNING
They equip the students
a More Recycling instructions are Each entrance has ramps to in business enrichment classes
printed in various languages, make the building wheelchair with coloring books and fidget
Inclusive and kitchen appliances include accessible, and counter heights toys to provide tactile
Kitchen QR codes and infographics on
how to operate machines.
are adjustable to accommo-
date different physicalities.
experiences for those who have
different learning styles.

4 4 / W O M E N ’ S H E A LT H J U LY/A U G U S T 2 0 2 3
 Scan to Donate

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 Reminder:
Your mind and
body can do
hard things.

Safe
Spaces
The healing quality of the outdoors is
undeniable. But it’s not always accessible.
These three women show that health
challenges don’t have to prevent you from
having life-changing adventures.

By Jackie Lam
STOCKSY

J U LY/AU G U S T 2 0 2 3 WO M E N ’ S H E A LT H / 47
 The Survivor
Who Found
Fun Again on
the RiverEBONY-JOY IGBINOBA, 41, Atlanta

I NEVER IMAGINED I I thought, I am getting out

would whitewater kayak in of here alive. I have kids, a
the middle of Oregon. But life, and a purpose, and this
a breast cancer diagnosis in river is not going to take
2019 changed everything. me. And it didn’t. I got over
My disease hijacked my the hump (literally) and re-
physical and emotional alized just how much pure
well-being. I had a bilateral joy I was experiencing out
mastectomy, chemo, radia- there. That’s where I found
tion, and physical therapy. I my identity again.
lost arm movement, espe- Being on that river re-
cially on the right side. Peo- minded me how important
ple called me a survivor, it was to allow myself to
but I felt horrible every day. have some fun. For two
When I got the opportu- years, I kept thinking I was
nity to sign up for a river going to die. I have bilateral
excursion through the non- breast cancer and four tu-
profit First Descents [see mors. (They’d already me-
“Blazing Trails,” page 53], tastasized to some lymph
I didn’t know if I could phys- nodes, and I knew that
ically handle it because I Black women are more like-
was still hurting from sur- ly to die from this disease.)
gery and taking meds that When you’re ready to say
cause bone pain and ex- yes to adventure, be honest
treme fatigue. But I knew about your limitations.
I needed to reconnect with Take kayaking: You can ask
the adventurous spirit I about universal seats, pad-
once was, even if it took a dle adaptations, transfer
big outing like this one. benches, and even whether
As expected, kayaking there will be time or space
Hiking a mountain, riding waves, scaling a wall was hard. They give you for rest breaks during the

GETTY IMAGES (RAFT); COURTESY OF FIRST DESCENTS AND JAMIE HAUGEN (IGBINOBA AND HERD)
of ice. Outdoor adventures can be exhilarating— a lot of instructions, and day. You may think, I’m the
and come with countless health perks (better my brain fog made it hard only one who has limita-
to remember them. At one tions, but that’s usually not
mood, lower BP, the list goes on). Yet they can be point I didn’t realize I was the case. Even if you are,
a beast even when you’re in peak condition. paddling backward. I cried, there’s somebody who’s
Now, imagine how much harder these activities emotional and afraid. willing to make this experi-
Somehow, though, I built ence happen for you. Call-
are if you’re, say, susceptible to heat strokes, prone up the courage the next day ing beforehand and making
to numbness in your hands, or struggling with to get back in the kayak. a plan will ease any anxiety.
confusion—just a few of the barriers that make As  big rapids approached, You’ve got this.
fresh-air feats seem out of reach for many people
living with chronic conditions and disabilities.
If you or a loved one is holding back from
alfresco action, know this: You can live big. Just
ask the three women you’re about to meet. They
went all out on treks they once felt fearful of.
Thanks to lessons in communication, community,
and self-love, they reclaimed their outdoor places.

Two and a half years after her diagnosis, Igbinoba (left) is

now living with no evidence of disease.

J U LY/A U G U S T 2 0 2 3
 The powerhouse
pushes herself, saying,
“I have a 9-year-old
son, a husband, and
a career—my hopes
and dreams don’t
end just because I got
diagnosed.”

stuck with me: Grip light-

ly. He advised me to put
more trust in my legs and

The Rock Climber

in my belayer (the person
standing on the ground,
handling the ropes at-

Who Proved Her Worst tached to your harness).

I thought, How is that
gonna work? But I gave it

Fears Wrong MICHELLE HERD, 40, Los Angeles

a shot and kept my hands
light, drove through my
lower limbs, and let go
more than before. It was
much easier and more
fun. Before I knew it, I was
I USED TO GO HIKING often before I was diag- I quickly realized that when I was surrounded at the top.
nosed in 2019 with multiple sclerosis (MS), an by others with MS cheering me on, I was able to I flash back to that
autoimmune disease that affects the brain and push myself a little more. The environment felt advice from my coach
spinal cord. My condition affected my ability to safe and familiar. We could choose to participate often. It was like a meta-
walk. Two years after getting that news, I decid- or sit out each day, and I surprised myself by phor for how I was living
ed to commit to a weeklong trip with other young climbing every single day. my life. I had an epiphany
people with MS because it seemed like an inter- On day three, however, I hit a snag. I tried to that day: Not everything
esting way to learn about the disease and to muscle my way up the rock wall with my arms needs to be a struggle.
force myself to get moving again. and got stuck under a crevice beneath the peak. Mindset is everything.
I chose a rock-climbing program in Estes Park, My arms were fatigued from the effort but also Now, whenever I’m
Colorado, because I didn’t want to put so much numb from my MS. I didn’t want to give up, but I approaching something
pressure on my feet. (I later found out the sport couldn’t work out how to continue. I came down. difficult, whether it’s
requires you to use your whole body!) Climbing After a short coffee break to regroup, I sat work or my disease, I re-
also just seemed so badass. with our lead guide, who shared a simple tip that mind myself: Grip lightly.

W O M E N ’ S H E A LT H / 4 9
Wo m e n s h e a l t h m a g .c o m /e ye w e a r
 Blazing
Trails
Don’t let anything deter
you! Tap into these resourc-
es that make outdoor
excursions more doable.

For Accessible
Hiking Trails

Disabled Hikers
(disabledhikers.com) orga-
nizes group hikes on
the West Coast and offers
trail guides that evaluate
access, hiking conditions,
elevation, and amenities.
(Check out the org’s guide-
book: The Disabled Hiker’s
Guide to Western Washing-
ton and Oregon.) Those
in other parts of the country Williams
can browse the Trail describes having
Access Project (trailaccess a disability
project.org) website for op- as “constantly
negotiating your
tions, by state, crowd- needs.”
sourced from other hikers.

For Adaptive
Group Trips

Book through Wheel the

World (wheeltheworld.com),
which puts together
group tours with accessible
accommodations and
activities. For sport travel,
check out summer
and winter programs by
The Backpacker
Common Ground
Adventures (commonground
adventures.org).
Carving Her Own Path
AJ WILLIAMS, 28, Missoula, Montana
For Condition-
Specific Programs I BECAME SICK with a rare disease called granulomatosis with polyangiitis at the age
of 14, and from that point on, much of my life involved hearing what I couldn’t do.
Many nonprofits lead excur-
That’s because when the illness flares, my immune system attacks my vascular system.
sions for people living
with chronic illness, includ- It inflames my blood vessels so blood cells can’t get the oxygen they need to function,
ing Epic Experience Beyond potentially leading to organ failure.
Cancer (epicexperience.org) Today, I have lowered heart function, altered capacity in my lungs, and a sup-
and True North Treks pressed immune system. I had a kidney transplant about 14 years ago and have limited
(truenorthtreks.org). Can’t mobility from different surgeries.
find one via search? Consult Despite all those physical hurdles? I found a reprieve in backpacking. It became a
your health provider or way for me to experience challenge. I just have to go with other people in case of medical
a hospital social worker, emergencies. I take medication every 12 hours for my organ transplant. So even if I’m
suggests Mackenzie Mc- going on only a five-mile hike, I have to consider the possibility of being stuck out
Grath, VP of programming at there for a few days and pack extra pills, and I always let my crew know where they can
COURTESY OF SUBJECT

First Descents (first find these things and when I need to take a break.
descents.org), a nonprofit Backpacking allows me to celebrate my body in different periods of mobility. At some
that arranges outdoor point in your life, you will experience disability, whether it’s from simple aging or break-
trips for adults impacted by ing a leg. And even if a disability is temporary, it changes how you move through the
cancer and other conditions. world and the needs you have. Some days, all my body can do is enjoy sitting by a lake,
taking in nature. That is just as valid as, say, summiting peaks.

J U LY/A U G U S T 2 0 2 3 W O M E N ’ S H E A LT H / 5 3
 WELLNESS
CURIOUS

Cold
Plunges
Help your body chill with
a quick dip in frigid temps.
By Addison Aloian

Ice baths are popping off on

social, with athletes, bio-
hackers, celebs, and beyond
hailing them for the well-
ness perks. The thinking is, when you
dip for several minutes in frigid water,
the sudden change to your body temp
can ignite physiological processes that
lead to wins such as improved athletic
performance, a revved-up metabo-
lism, and a perkier mood. It boosts athletic
performance.
Brands like Deep Dive Wellness, Ice
It soothes achy It improves mental
Barrel, and Nurecover are making the muscles. IT’S POSSIBLE well-being.
practice easier to execute at home with The strongest evi-
refillable, insulated “pods” that fit one TRUE FOR SOME dence out there sup- MAYBE
person and keep the water chilly (they A quick icy dunk ports the idea that cold Researchers and
causes blood vessels to plunges can “improve docs don’t fully under-
range from $100 to the thousands). constrict, decreasing your rate of perceived stand the brain effects
Sounds like a practice with payoffs, blood flow to muscles exertion,” says Witt- of these dips. But
right? Know that the research on cold- and reducing swelling. man. In other words, “there is plenty of an-
water immersion is still limited, and The evidence that this plunging regularly may ecdotal evidence from
any too-good-to-be-true claims (like reduces muscle sore- make you feel you need people who feel like
ness is mostly anec- to put in less effort to they have elevated
freezing away fat and transforming dotal, though, says Kel- achieve the same level mood and energy af-
metabolism) are just that. But experts cie Wittman, DPT, an of performance. Note, terward,” says Eliza-
agree there may be mental and American Physical though, that this is a beth Gardner, MD, an
physical takeaways from braving the Therapy Association subjective measure; it’s associate professor of
spokesperson. Plus, for not clear whether there orthopedic surgery at
cold that make it worth a shot.… is a physiological bene-
most, the recovery Yale School of Medi-
benefits “are small and fit happening (but the cine. “It’s probably an
in the short term,” adds mind is powerful!). The endorphin-mediated
Leada Malek, DPT. water has to be be- pathway.” In other
When you go in also tween 51 and 59 de- words, the act of shiv-
matters. Cold plunging grees Fahrenheit, and ering in the tub and
may actually blunt you should sit in it for conquering something
Health Scan muscle growth immedi- only 5 to 15 minutes. hard may help produce
Check with your doctor before dipping in,
especially if you have poor circulation or a heart ately post-training, re- Start at a higher tem- the same feel-good
condition. The same goes for people who take search shows. For max perature for five min- hormones as, say, your
beta blockers; the meds make it harder for the benefits, wait 48 hours utes, then go lower and a.m. run—which could
body to adapt to a sudden temperature drop. after you strength train longer if you can. make you feel ready to
to take a dip. take on the world. Nice!
STOCKSY

5 4 / W O M E N ’ S H E A LT H J U LY/A U G U S T 2 0 2 3
 Presented by Solgar

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each have different effects on for general gut health, give it a
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research what probiotic strains you’re taking probiotics to stop
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Probiotics are best known for
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Discover over 100 delicious,
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 Social
Stamina
HOW TO OPTIMIZE YOUR
NETWORKING NEEDS,
ACCORDING TO EXPERTS
By Addison Aloian
Photographed by Jeffrey Westbrook

E
the very
rig one
ht
en blo
em viro ssom
bra nm s in
ce ent
you —
rs.

J U LY/AU G U S T 2 0 2 3 WO M E N ’ S H E A LT H / 57
With summer in full swing, your extroverted best
friend is psyched to socialize the night away at your
mutual friend’s backyard barbecue. You, on the other
hand, are staring at the clock. (And I don’t blame you…
your cozy bed is calling your name!) Meanwhile, your
ambiverted go-with-the-flow partner, also in atten-
dance, is happy to stay or to leave anytime.
If you’ve ever had similar struggles navigating social
gatherings, you might’ve chalked it up to cut-and-dried
personality types. But, contrary to popular belief, “ex-
troversion is a dimension, so you can be higher or lower
[on the scale],” says Michael Wilmot, PhD, an industri-
al-organizational psychologist and assistant professor
of management in the Sam M. Walton College of Busi-
ness at the University of Arkansas. You and your party-
hopping pal aren’t total opposites—you each just thrive
on different sides of the same spectrum. This sliding
scale allows for increased variability in personality
type, but we still live in a society where extroversion
dominates and, between persistent RSVPs and contin-
ual FOMO, we don’t have adequate time to recharge,
says psychologist Arnie Kozak, PhD, a clinical assistant
professor at the University of Vermont College of Medi-
cine and author of The Awakened Introvert. “The idea Find the social
of happiness and sociability is on extrovert terms.” soil that en-
courages you
Perhaps it’s no surprise then that, after being cooped to bloom big.
up all winter, once Memorial Day rolls around, you’re
scorched by an overscheduled summer. Weeknights
are spent at work happy hours and catch-up dinners
with friends, while your weekends are booked up with
weddings and family trips. And if you have kids? Factor
in the requisite parental attendance at summer camp
functions, playdates, and community pool meet-ups.
The season is seemingly paradise for extroverts, but
for introverts craving me time, it’s difficult to juggle an
Extroverts
The textbook extrovert is sociable, assertive, strong in leadership
uptick in people-filled plans with other obligations. roles, and open to new experiences, Wilmot says. These stimulation-
seeking peeps recharge by spending time with others, which elicits
Ambiverts are smack-dab in the middle, so they’re able noticeably positive emotions. The higher you are on the extroversion
to adapt to the social flow more easily. Regardless of spectrum, the less likely you are to become emotionally exhausted,
where you fall on the personality spectrum, it’s all too see people as objects, or feel that you’re not accomplishing much,
easy to spread yourself thin and burn out. (No matter says Wilmot.
how much SPF you put on before pool-party hopping!) You already know extroverts enjoy socializing, but it’s necessary
for them to get alone time too. “Sometimes, keeping oneself busy can
Consider this a friendly reminder that you don’t have to
be a way to avoid reflecting on negative or uncomfortable emotions,”
live every day as if your life is a summer blockbuster— says Chloe Carmichael, PhD, a clinical psychologist in New York and
instead, you can tailor your plans to your personality, WH advisory board member. “They’re out with people so much that
optimizing both in the process. Ahead, the science- just being alone with themselves and their thoughts can almost feel
backed ways to redefine your “best summer ever.” awkward.” A personalized revitalize guide:

REMEMBER TO REST
No matter your personality type—but for extroverts specifically—
your number one priority should be sleep. “You’re not going to experi-
ence life to its fullest if you’re under-rested,” Wilmot says.

J U LY/A U G U S T 2 0 2 3
SCHEDULE SOLO MOMENTS
Whether once a week or once a month, RSVP (yes!) to planned alone
time the way you would to a party, Carmichael and Kozak say. To
make the most of me time, create a list of activities you truly enjoy or
just need to do, including catching up on shows, having a spa night,
or even cleaning or meal prepping.

FIND SOLACE IN THE SILENCE

“Solitude is a virtue,” says Kozak. In fact, he believes everyone
should cultivate the luxury of alone time to ensure they have a solid
relationship with their inner selves. Dunno what to do without your
default distractions? Start by setting aside 10 to 20 minutes of quiet
time to journal and/or meditate. Journaling is “such a poignantly self-
reflective activity,” Carmichael says. You’ll get to know your authen-
tic self better, so you can sparkle even brighter at the next soiree.
Introverts
Spending time solo rejuvenates introverts—
they’re less sociable, less assertive, and
less involved in stimulation-seeking
activities. Introverts, in general, already
have a high level of internal stimulation and
physiological arousal likely due to their
higher dopamine levels, Kozak says, so they
don’t need as much excitement from their
environment. Naturally, introverts are
more at risk for getting exhausted from a
summer BBQ or other (seemingly endless)
social situations. Here’s the survival plan:

FAKE IT ’TIL YA MAKE IT

Don’t really want to be the plus-one to a friend’s
pool party? Pretend you’re pumped after get-
ting the invite—it may even help to list three
things to look forward to—and then actually go,
of course. A majority of introverts who acted like
extroverts for a week ended up having a greater
sense of well-being, found a study from the
University of California at Riverside. To truly
experience the positive emotions that come
with extroversion, there may be no substitute to
getting out and engaging with people, Wilmot
says. (Hugging, dancing, and laughing, ftw!)

SOCIALIZE ON A SMALLER SCALE

When you’re partied out, plan an intimate gath-
ering with one or two encouraging friends, be-
cause that’s less taxing for an introvert, Kozak
says. Optimize your social plans “in terms of the
positivity that you can potentially get out of
that situation,” Wilmot adds. Basically, consid-
er how you’ll feel after attending a party where
you might know only a few people vs. grabbing
brunch with your best buds, and do whichever
social event will be the bigger boost.

RECHARGE THE
OLD -FASHIONED WAY…
…By being alone. But create a strategic sched-
ule, goals, and boundaries having to do with
building relationships. Make a few plans, and
send your regrets when you need space: “If you
don’t have boundaries, other people will make
Heed your them for you,” Wilmot says. So, if you’re attend-
roots, but ing a wedding next week, plan to stay in this
reach out to week to prepare. Just make sure you also set
flower.
guidelines around alone time so you still feel
you have a community, Carmichael adds.
Ambiverts
Living in the middle of the extroversion spec-
trum, ambiverts usually lean one way or the oth-
er under stress, Carmichael says. Because ambi-
verts typically have more balance in their life,
they’re already pretty good at managing their
schedule. Lucky them! But since everyone could
use a boost, here’s your go-to guide for handling
especially busy eras:

CREATE SOCIAL SELF-STABILITY

It’s beneficial to monitor whether you have sea-
sonal social patterns, like if you hibernate in the
winter and go all out during the summer, or if
you’re stable all year round, Carmichael says.
If you do tend to change with the seasons,
anchor yourself with one or two weekly social
plans throughout the year. By maintaining this
burnout-busting balance, you’ll never feel over-
whelmed or feel the need to overcompensate.

GO WITH YOUR GUT

When it comes to social gatherings, see how
you’re feeling—after all, it’s lower stakes for you
than for an introvert or extrovert. You might
rather stay in than go to a party with people you
don’t know too well, for instance, Wilmot says.
Tune in to what your body and mind needs,
whether that’s time to yourself to reflect or
an impromptu FaceTime to connect with your
social circle.

LEAN IN TO YOUR NEEDS

With stability,
Stay watchful, especially during busy weeks at
your social
work or extra demanding times of year, says Car- sched is com-
michael. Knowing which way you lean—whether ing up roses.
you party or isolate in moments of stress—will
tell you if you need alone or social time, she
adds. Then, get out—or in—and do your thing!

HOW ANYONE (AND EVERYONE) CAN BEAT BURNOUT

Besides the requisite advice to EMBRACING OPPOSITES SETTLING IN TO SOLITUDE STRENGTHENING FAMILY
take care of your body, everyone, “I embrace and find joy in my “I have a pretty low social TIES “I’m really close with
regardless of where they fall on homebody partner’s personali- meter, so after a few hours of my family, so I often quench the
the extroversion scale, should ty type. As the social butterfly interaction, I set boundaries for need for socializing with them,
“focus on what can bring you in our ’ship, it’s really nice to myself and call it a night early if just bonding and relaxing. I live
positive emotions [and] what you just cancel plans, stay home, need be. I used to try to fight close to my brother and cous-
can control,” says Wilmot. For and watch a movie. I also do so- against my introverted tenden- ins, so if I don’t have it in me to
example, cut down on TikTok cial things alone! I take my lap- cies, but eventually I realized go out for a big dinner or drinks
time and get outside to read a top or a book to a bar or coffee that by listening to my mind with friends, it’s lovely to call
book instead. Plus, meditating in shop; sometimes I make friends and body and honoring my them up for an apartment hang
your designated alone time can with people around me, and social limits, I’m also setting after a long day of work (or a
give any personality type “re- sometimes I just enjoy being myself up to savor my time out casual family breakfast, which
storative value,” Kozak says. around other people, even if I’m even more. Don’t get me wrong, we do every Friday!). In a way, it
Want to take a page from a real technically alone. It works for I love seeing friends and family, satisfies the introverted and
my partner as well because he but solo activities allow me to extroverted parts of myself at
woman’s playbook? Here’s how
gets his alone time at home.” be my authentic self by myself.” the same time.”
WH editors everywhere along
Extrovert Amanda Lucci, Introvert Sabrina Talbert, Ambivert Currie Engel,
the spectrum recharge.
deputy editor, content strategy editorial assistant associate news editor

W O M E N ’ S H E A LT H / 6 1
 r
vio
b eha you
bad lp
aking will he
Bre terns ays.
pat any w
in m

Force Sometime during child-

hood, I developed a
seemingly unbreakable
habit of twirling my hair
The older I get, though, the more
determined I am to kick this specif-
ic habit. I feel more confident in so-
cial and professional settings when

of Habit From over-worrying to

and picking at split ends. It hap-
pened mostly during moments of
stress, anxiety, and inactivity, and
I always wanted to quit. The habit
I abstain from hair touching; I’m
even convinced I sound more com-
posed on calls when I pull my hair
back (though the person on the oth-
over-shopping, your impulses might followed me to high school—I can er end doesn’t know any better).
hold you back more than you think. viscerally remember the shame Overall, I’ve made progress, but it
Cycle-breaking insights, ahead. I felt when a teacher mimicked me seems ironic that a habit that was
By Lydia Wang in front of my classmates. But com- easy to pick up as a kid remains dif-
pared with other tendencies and ficult to kick as an adult. Shouldn’t I
coping mechanisms I’ve worked to have outgrown this, like I did
GETTY IMAGES

overcome, playing with my hair snarky graphic tees?

just never felt “bad” enough to put
much effort into quitting.

J U LY/A U G U S T 2 0 2 3 W O M E N ’ S H E A LT H / 6 5
 n’t
ab its do l-
t h ey cha
wors h
Your e you—t nge you.
d efin ch a
enge and
l

tively. But even just the process of

getting over a deep-seated habit
through mindfulness, curiosity,
and self-compassion can boost your
mental health. Perhaps most im-
portant, because many of these
habits stem from worrying and
anxiety in the first place, targeting
them at their root can significantly
improve your mental well-being,
Brewer says.
What’s more, you might learn to
identify other not-so-great habits—
including negative thought pat-
terns—and realize you have the
tools to conquer those too. Ready to
train your brain? Here’s an expert-
approved guide to kicking habits to
the curb (for good!).

Treat Your Triggers

Once you’ve identified the habit,
pinpoint what’s prompting it. “Usu-
ally, these habitual behaviors come
about through some form of stress,”
says Claudia Aguirre, PhD, a neuro-
Halting a habit, even a menial scientist and Women’s Health advi-
one, is hard because you often don’t sor. Try removing the sources of
realize you’re doing it until you’ve Brown University School of Public stress from your life as best you
completed the behavior, says Wen- Health’s Mindfulness Center. “The can, or see a therapist to help solve
dy Wood, PhD, provost professor of process has three key elements: a the problem. Sometimes, a trigger
psychology and business at the trigger, a behavior, and a reward,” is more superficial—maybe it’s just
University of Southern California he explains. Say you’re stressed out. part of your routine. You automati-
and author of Good Habits, Bad You twirl your hair or eat some cally scroll through Twitter as
Habits: The Science of Making chocolate, and that distracts you you’re falling asleep, for example,
Positive Changes That Stick. Take and feels better than the stress or or you get home from work and
typing in your email password as anxiety. Reward creates repetition, open the cabinet for a bag of chips.
soon as you log on to your work lap- training your brain to say, “Next Moving houses or starting a new
top, for example. Your habit of time you’re stressed, do this again.” job or relationship are good times
checking your email each morning Some of these habit loops, like to change old habits because daily
means you automatically do it, re- absentmindedly snacking, or chew- cues in your life are changing, so
gardless of whether you actually ing your lip, are simple to identify. old habits aren’t as readily activat-
want to look at your inbox. Anxious worrying, on the other ed, says Wood. Perhaps you can’t
But what about those automatic hand, can be a habit, but you might make a major life shift, but think
behaviors you wish you hadn’t im- not realize it until you see the trig- small: Most people bite their nails
printed on your brain? Truth is, bad ger-behavior-reward pattern. Gen- while they’re sitting down, so if you
habits, good habits, and even ex- erally, “once you start paying atten- find yourself doing it a lot during
tremely basic habits (e.g., using a tion, it’s easier to spot,” Brewer says. the workday, consider switching to
key to unlock your door) are formed Breaking certain habits comes a standing desk.
through the same process, says with obvious benefits. Ditching be-
GETTY IMAGES (2)

Judson Brewer, MD, PhD, director haviors such as touching your face
of research and innovation at or interrupting others can improve
the health of your skin and your in-
terpersonal relationships, respec-

J U LY/A U G U S T 2 0 2 3
 called a “competing response”—
basically, a replacement habit that’s
less detrimental. For example,
“instead of biting your nails, try
sitting on your hands,” says Wood.
Or if you struggle with touching
your hair, keep some pieces of yarn
Create a Little Friction nearby or in your pocket at all
Because habitual behaviors are times, and twirl those instead when
automatic reactions, add a barrier you feel tempted. These substitute
between the trigger and the habit, habits can be temporary, adds
says Wood. If you, say, automatically
open TikTok as soon as you have a
Aguirre—eventually, you might not
even need them.
That’s how many times
moment of free time, log out of the study participants resisted
app; this forces you to take an extra Reap a New Reward doing a habit before they no
(and intentional) step. If you always You may have internalized the idea
impulse-buy products online, re- that you just need willpower to quit longer felt the need to do it.
move your saved payment info from a habit, but that’s a myth, because Source: Journal of Behavior Addictions, September 2021

the website, which will require you our brains work through a process
to type it in manually. Other barri- of reinforcement learning. Transla- Cut Yourself Some Slack
ers work too: For tech-related habits, tion: “The more rewarding some- Contrary to a popular Internet
put your phone in another room, or thing is, the more we’re going to do myth that claims 21 days is the
simply turn it off. This will give you it,” Brewer says. So, why not offer magic number for forming or
more time to recognize your behav- your brain a better, healthier re- breaking a habit, there actually isn’t
ior and stop it in its tracks. ward, like kindness? If you’re in the conclusive research on how long it
habit of judging yourself—in gener- takes, says Brewer. It really depends
Do a Behavior Swap al, or for your habit-busting abili- on the behavior itself, along with
Maybe you have a habit of over- ties—Brewer suggests asking your- the person. And some good news for
snacking because you find comfort self, “What does it feel like when habit-forming rookies: When solidi-
in it and tend to do it when you’re I’m kind to myself?” Chances are, fying a new behavior, missing a
nervous or restless. Instead, try it’ll start to feel pretty good. Or day or two doesn’t derail progress,
habit reversal therapy, either with a maybe you’ll realize you feel more according to a study by Wood. So if
therapist or on your own, says focused and look more sure of your- you slip up, “be gentle with your-
Wood. A major component of this self when you resist your go-to hab- self,” says Aguirre. If two months
technique is developing what’s it, he says. That’s a bigger reward. pass and you’re not rid of your habit,
you shouldn’t feel as if you’ve failed
because you didn’t meet a certain
goal. Instead of pushing yourself to
quit cold turkey, Aguirre advises
“mini moments” of noticing your
behavior and practicing mindful-
ness and self-care instead. Next
time you find yourself nibbling on
your nails, pause, then redirect your
effort into using a nice cuticle oil or
putting on a pretty nail polish.
For me, that looks like showing
my hair a little love with a new scalp
serum, or pulling it back with a cute
clip—or sometimes, just reaching
for my partner’s hand and holding
that instead. Breaking patterns
can take time, but self-compassion
is always a habit worth keeping.

W O M E N ’ S H E A LT H / 6 7
GO ON,
TAKE A HIKE.
VACATION
REAL
A
ON

GO EXPLORE
GO
 ,
,

A vacation should light you up, whether

we’re talking a jaunt to a neighboring
town or a trip around the world. And
that’s especially true when said journey
incorporates the great outdoors. To this
end, WH editors have been going hard
on their airline and auto miles and now
have the recs, experiences, and stories
to show for it. Ahead, highlights from
our Healthy Travel Awards, plus tales of
inspiring excursions. And we’re off!
Photographed by Dan McCoy
PROP STYLING: MEGUMI EMOTO

69
Places That Will
Make You Want
to Overstay
Your Welcome
BEST ALL-INCLUSIVE BEST ECO-FRIENDLY
BodyHoliday, St. Lucia Hotel Marcel, New
“This property is made for Haven, Connecticut
people who can’t sit still,” Don’t let the 1960s con-
says WH Fitness Editor crete exterior fool you: This
Jennifer Nied, who visited marvel of sustainable engi-
the resort in 2020. With neering has a gentle foot-
activities spanning from print. The former landmark
archery to beach volleyball was abandoned for two
to Pilates, “it’s possible to decades. Today, it’s poised
do workout classes from to be the country’s first net-
sunup to sundown,” she zero luxury hotel. The prop-
adds. Make time to indulge erty generates 100 percent
in a free daily 50-minute spa of its electricity and is the
treatment, whether mas- first fossil-fuel-free hotel
sage, facial, scrub, wrap, or in America. And BLDG,
relaxing in an infrared sau- the in-house restaurant,
na. Six restaurants and an uses induction cooking for
on-site farm offer a variety its veggie-friendly menu.
of healthy eating.
BEST AFFORDABLE
BEST GROUP TRIP Our Habitas Bacalar,
Santarena Hotel at Las Mexico
Catalinas, Costa Rica A four-hour drive south
Located in the heart of a car- of Cancún, Bacalar, on
free coastal town on the Mexico’s east coast, feels
Guanacaste coast of Costa like the new Tulum—sans
Rica, boho Santarena Hotel crowds. And with rates
is within walking distance starting at $196 a night,
of the beach, restaurants, Our Habitas Bacalar is BEST ACTIVE HOTEL BEST WELLNESS PROGRAMS
and outdoor activities. more wallet-friendly. The Westin Hotels & Six Senses Ibiza, Spain
“The whole town is focused hotel, nestled between a Resorts Located at the northern
on health and wellness,” lagoon and a jungle, man- Select rooms come with tip of the Spanish island,
says WH Features Director ages to be both intimate a treadmill or stationary this idyllic property re-
Kristin Canning, who visited and communal, with 34 bike, plus dumbbells, resis- cently launched RoseBar,
in August 2022. “It’s meant tented, A-frame rooms. tance bands, and a stability a longevity club. Guests
to be a destination where ball. WH editors love the are prescribed a program
you can reset and reconnect hotel chain’s gear-lending incorporating nutritional
with nature.” One side of program, which means they support, exercise, and bio-
town is flanked by 1,000 don’t need to pack workout hacking recs. You might
acres of dry tropical forest, clothes or shoes. TL;DR: spend time in an infrared
featuring 26 miles of It’s the place to stay for sauna, a cold plunge, or a
protected trails. Your crew people who like to explore full-body cryo, or try an IV
can also spend the day and keep up their active infusion—with a resident
hitting the beach to swim, lifestyle on the go. doctor, health coach, or
surf, paddleboard, sea nutritionist by your side.
kayak, snorkel, and take
boat tours to see whales
and dolphins.

70
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 !
TRANSFORMATIONAL TRAVEL watch the sunrise while listening to the sound of waves. I nor-
mally wake up to car horns or construction sounds, so when I tell
The Bucket-List Trip That you this was pure peace, I mean it.
Taught Me the Power of Patience The food added to the atmosphere. All-inclusive hotels can be
hit or miss, but here, every meal felt as if it were made for me. The
THERE ARE FEW PLACES on my list of must-visit destinations. restaurants offer ocean views (still had those whales on the mind)
I know what I like: warm weather, mouthwatering dishes, and and entertainment. And—a seeming rarity for all-inclusive food
opportunities for cultural exploration. Mexico topped that list. packages in other countries—local, authentic dishes. (If you go,
So when the opportunity to travel to Zoëtry Casa Del Mar Los get the chilaquiles at El Arroyo restaurant; they’re perfectly saucy

GETTY IMAGES (BEACH); COURTESY OF JASMINE GOMEZ

Cabos, a resort from the Inclusive Collection, part of World of without feeling drenched, and vinegary without being too tart.)
Hyatt, I knew it was meant to be. I brought my friend Charline as Let’s talk fun now. We took a day trip to sail on the Sea of
a birthday treat for her. Cortez toward Land’s End, the famous arch rock formation. The
I didn’t know this prior to traveling there, but what people water was like a moving painting, deep blue in parts and clear in
know as “Cabo” really consists of two towns: Cabo San Lucas, others. If there’s one activity I recommend not skipping, though,
where people go for nightlife, and San Jose del Cabo, the quieter, it’s the sunset or sunrise yoga. We opted for a sunset session,
more residential side. Zoëtry is near the middle point between where we tackled poses to the sound of tunes and waves, and
the two, but it’s a tiny bit closer to San Jose. with a view of the sun setting. It was nothing short of magical.
Zoëtry itself lies along the Sea of Cortez, which is an amazing On our last day, we sat down for a pre-airport breakfast. The
sight in January, the best time to see whales swimming by. day before, a couple told me they’d spotted a few whales, and I
Whales, with their size and emotional intelligence, have always was so sad to have missed them. Then, as if it had been planned
been cool, almost mystical creatures to me. There definitely isn’t all along, it happened. Charline and I caught a glimpse of two
an animal in New York City with that kind of grandiosity. Need- whales jumping in and out of the water.
less to say, I was excited by the possibility of spotting one. That moment felt like a reminder from
The ocean only adds to the hotel’s beauty, and I loved the color- the universe that everything happens
ful Spanish-style hacienda architecture. At every turn, you catch at the right time—a thought my anx-
glimpses of red tile roofs, arches, fountains, and flowers. The ious mind forgets. It was the perfect
resort describes itself as “where the desert meets the ocean,” so end to my first trip to Mexico. May-
mounds of pretty sand and cacti are everywhere too. be I manifested it, or like I said earli-
Admittedly, I’m not an early bird, but I found my body volun- er, maybe it was all just meant to be.
tarily waking up at 5:30 a.m. and leading me to the balcony to —JASMINE GOMEZ, COMMERCE EDITOR

72
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 looking the property’s impressive expanse.

!
This is what he’d come for.
The next day, I was ready to get out into the
woods (Primland boasts 18 miles of trails on
TRANSFORMATIONAL TRAVEL its 12,000 acres). I timidly asked, “Wanna go
for a quick hike?” The response: “I’ll pass, but
The Couples Trip you can go.” By myself? Could I go by myself?
What if it got lost? Injured? Mauled by a black
That Made Me Okay bear? No, no, no. I’d inherited a deeply co-
With Being Alone dependent nature from my mother. Solo hikes
were not on the itinerary…or were they? It was
“HEY, DO YOU WANT TO drive the Blue a beautiful day. It’d be a shame to waste inside.
Ridge Parkway?” I asked my fiancé, Todd, in So, I laced up my Timberlands and walked
late 2021. “It’s supposed to be pretty, and to the trailhead. As I examined my options
there are lots of scenic hikes you can do along on the map, I could feel the butterflies in my
the way.” Not one for road trips—or hikes—he stomach. It was nerves, but also excitement.
replied, “Mmmm, no thanks.” I chose the Pinnacle Loop and set off. My
“There’s a luxury resort with a beautiful heart beat faster and my breathing got heavi-
spa and great restaurants at the end,” I er—and not from exertion. Soon, though, the
pressed. “Okay, I guess.” cool air calmed me, and I allowed my mind to
A few months later, we were buzzing past focus on my surroundings. I thought about
milepost 0 in Afton, Virginia. The plan: Drive how the still-bare trees created what looked
most of the 200 or so miles of the Parkway’s
Virginia section en route to Primland, a his-
toric mountain resort in Meadows of Dan that
like a spiderweb in the sky above me. I mar-
veled at how the late-afternoon sunlight gave
the gorge’s peaks an almost soft-focus look.
72%
had recently been acquired by Auberge, the As I approached the end of the trail—in truth,
hospitality behemoth that boasts 26 luxury That’s how many
about 45 minutes—I was totally invigorated.
people said they are
hotels worldwide. I was thrilled—it’s hard to I hiked the Lost Chestnut trail alone the feeling positive
connect to the outdoors in New York City—but following day, and it was just as glorious. about their travel
Todd’s tepid reaction had yet to materialize Now, I realize I can be my own guide and that plans in 2023,
into anything close to enthusiasm. solo adventures can be just as fantastic as despite possible
disruptions, delays,
Just 20 minutes or so into our drive on the shared experiences. Since then, I’ve set off on etc. Worth it!
Parkway, I pulled into the lot for the Hump- my own quite a few times. While I still love Source: TripIt survey
back Rock trailhead. It was a quick half-mile traveling with my friends and family, I now
hike to a breathtaking view of the Shenandoah know that Brian is pretty good company too.
Valley. The trail started off easily enough— —BRIAN UNDERWOOD,
clearly marked, nothing too strenuous. But as BEAUTY DIRECTOR

we approached the final 700 feet before the

overlook, that changed. It zigzagged straight
up, a true climb. I tuned out most of Todd’s Cruises
cursing—but the vistas, I thought—and
forged ahead. When we reached the end, it
was as picturesque as promised. This is what
That’ll
I’d come for.
Todd humored me, even taking a few pho-
Change
tos on Humpback Rock, but there were no fur-
ther hiking pit stops. We pulled over at scenic What
You Think
spots—the Peaks of Otter Visitor’s Center with
its pristine mountain lake, the straight-out-of-
a-period-film Mabry Mill—but our boots re-
mained on pavement. I quietly plotted how I’d
convince him to join me on future excursions. About
Once we pulled into Primland, Todd’s de-
meanor improved—predictably, hilariously.
The main lodge was an impressive sight:
Cruises
vaulted ceilings and a wall of windows over-
 BEST ADVENTURE day amazing trip: Hike BEST RIVER CRUISE BEST AFFORDABLE MOST SUSTAINABLE
Linblad Wild Alaska through temperate for- Viking River Cruises Norwegian Cruise Hurtigruten
Escape ests, kayak in glacier- As a former travel writer, Line’s Pride of America Eco-friendly cruising
The company uses small- carved fjords (or cycle Senior Deputy Editor Remodeled in 2022, Pride might sound like an oxy-
er ships to enter narrow along their edges), and Maridel Reyes had re- of America is Norwegian’s moron, but this Norwe-
channels and secluded launch a raft from an viewed cruises, but the only ship that offers gian travel company is
GETTY IMAGES (BOAT); COURTESY OF BRIAN UNDERWOOD

harbors that are normally ancient Alaska native vil- slower pace and rigid year-round sailings from leading the way. More
inaccessible. This gets lage. Adrenaline seekers schedules weren’t her Honolulu. You’ll visit four than a decade ago, it
you breathtakingly close may choose to go on a vibe. Then she took her Hawaiian Islands (Oahu, stopped using heavy fuel
to icebergs and glaciers flight-seeing tour of Gla- mom on an eight-day Maui, Hawaii, Kauai) and oil in favor of alt fuels such
along the untamed cier Bay to get an aerial Christmas trip with five ports in seven days. as marine gas oil and bio-
coastal landscapes of view of the jagged peaks Viking down the Danube The 2,000-passenger fuels. It’s also converting
Alaska’s Inside Passage. and ice caps. And kids through medieval towns ship is home to an immer- its fleet to hybrid battery
The untouched wilder- on board may participate in Hungary, Austria, and sive learning center power and was the first
ness is home to a rich in the Global Explorers Germany. Smaller fleets about the history of cruise company to phase
Tlingit culture, plus plen- program, learning about dock in the heart of town, Hawaii and shore excur- out single-use plastics
ty of wildlife—from bald glaciers, whales, and making exploration easy. sions that include whale onboard. Hurtigruten
eagles to whales. You’ll ocean life during fun, The intimate ship size can watching, witnessing has plans to launch the
spend plenty of time on- hands-on activities with lead to friendships with Kilauea Volcano, or hikes world’s first zero-emis-
shore, too, during this six- the ship’s naturalists. other passengers too. with lush natural views. sions cruise ship by 2030.

75
Retreats That Will
*Truly* Rejuvenate You
BEST COUPLES RETREAT BEST GLAMPING
Esalen Institute, Under Canvas Proper-
Big Sur ties, Zion, Utah
The Big Sur hot springs, When WH Features Director
spa, and nonprofit retreat Kristin Canning isn’t writ-
center opened in 1962 and ing, you can often find her
introduced many Eastern hiking or sleeping under the
philosophies and concepts stars. “The Under Canvas
to the mainstream, such Zion location seems to have
as yoga, meditation, and the most activities you can
the mind-body connection. get,” says Canning, who
The 27-acre property has  been a big fan of the
boasts stunning views of glamping service for years.
waterfalls and ancient There’s canyoneering, rock
trees and has rustic ocean- climbing, guided hiking,
facing cabins. The institute mountain biking, stargaz- “You hear the wind rustling BEST YOGA RETREAT
hosts regular multiday ing tours, horseback riding, in the tent flaps at night,
relationship workshops cycling tours, and via ferra- Chopra Health Retreat
and you can pull them back at Civana Wellness
throughout the year with ta tour options. It’s located during the day to feel you
different experts. One on about 200 acres of dra- Resort, Arizona
have true indoor/outdoor Set at Civana Wellness
might be led by a clinical matic red-rock desert, and
GETTY IMAGES (LAKE); COURTESY OF VENDOR (5)

living,” says Canning. Resort & Spa in Arizona’s

psychologist and focus you’re furnished with a tent “Everything smells like
on how incorporating play with a wood-burning stove Sonoran Desert, the Whole
campfire—all those things Health Retreat, created in
can strengthen bonds; to keep warm, a bed, and I love, and you still get
another might emphasize furs on the floor for incredi- partnership with Chopra
them with a tent glamping Global, includes twice-
conflict resolution. ble coziness. Compared experience.” It’s like the
with other glamping experi- daily meditation and yoga,
Goldilocks of camping. custom spa experiences,
ences, Under Canvas feels
as close to camping as you 15 vegan Ayurvedic meals,
can get without the more and more throughout a
inconvenient aspects of it. five-night stay. The retreat
is held twice monthly.
 Jet-Ready Beauty
What you pack can make all the difference
in how you feel away from home. Here,
some of our favorite TSA-friendly buys.
Drowsy Sleep Co Eye Mask
Not all sleep masks are equal, and Drowsy Sleep Co
is proof of that. Not only will the chic eye mask look
luxurious on your red-eye flight, but it feels like an ab-

in new and different beds and time zones a bit easier,”

says WH senior commerce editor Neha Tandon.

Supergoop Bioretinol + Mineral SPF 40

Facial SPF products are often one-trick ponies, but
Supergoop’s is the ultimate exception. The bakuchiol-
infused drops give you all the benefits of a retinol but
work well with sensitive skin. It’s great for travel: Rather
than bringing a moisturizer and SPF, you have one that
does both. “Travel wreaks havoc on my ultradry skin;
this is super-nourishing to combat that,” says Tandon.

Ouai Super Dry Shampoo

Dry shampoo is key because who can trust hotel hair
products (or wants to waste time on a wash day when
you could be luxuriating on your vacay)? Ouai’s Dry
Shampoo smells like roses, making it a light refresh
It’s back, baby:
after a long day, but it actually works. It adds volume,
Leisure travel
depth, softness, and a feeling of clean after using it.
bookings were up
Best part? No packing shampoos or conditioners!
31 percent at the
end of March 2023,
compared with the
same time in 2019 Shark FlexStyle Air Styling & Drying System
(pre-pandemic). A self-proclaimed overpacker, WH commerce editor
Source: Mastercard Eco- Jasmine Gomez loves the Shark Air Drying and Styling
nomics Institute Report
System to help keep luggage light. “Most hair dryers at
hotels are meh,” she says. “I have a coarser hair texture,
so I love having my all-in-one tool for keeping my hair
looking good on vacation.” Pack the base, then which-
ever of the four attachments you want. You’re set!

Bite Toothpaste Bits

“These have changed my life,” says WH Editor-in-Chief
Liz Plosser, who’s racked up more airline points in the
past year than many people will in a lifetime. “I no lon-
ger have to worry about how many ounces my tooth-
paste tube is. There’s no mess in my dopp kit, and they
make for less water usage.” Place one little bite into
your mouth and start brushing your teeth. Easy.

GET MORE RECS! Visit WomensHealthMag.com/HealthyTravelAwards for the full list of award winners (and endless wanderlust inspo!). 77
 !
TRANSFORMATIONAL TRAVEL
The Girlfriend
Getaway That
Reminded Me That
Connection Heals
*
FIVE WOMEN. FIVE BUSY LIVES. Way
too many months between visits. It had
been a while since my “home friends”
gathered (“high school friends” doesn’t do
our group of five justice, as we’ve known
each other since elementary school), due adults. We settled in, staying at the Inn at
to COVID, new babies, job changes, grad Woodlake (the American Club is the more
school schedules, and other life events. We luxe lodging option), dining at the on-site
were (past) due for some quality time, even restaurants, lounging by the small but
if that time had to be short and sweet. Our pretty beach, sweating in the huge fitness
souls needed the familiarity and comfort facility, and eagerly anticipating the pam-
that comes with people who have known pering session ahead.
you and loved you since childhood. On our spa day, we took advantage of
The agreed-upon meeting spot? Desti- Kohler’s claim to fame (water treatments,
nation Kohler (home of Kohler Waters or hydrotherapy) and swimming in the
Spa), in Kohler, Wisconsin: the only five- relaxation pool, working some version of
star spa in the state. Kohler is about the hydrotherapy circuit (whirlpool to
one hour from Milwaukee, and as you cold-plunge pool to sauna, and back
cruise there from the airport, you’ll pass around), and whisper-giggling to each
by what might be the largest flagpole in other, as you do when you’re at a serene
the world at the Acuity Insurance campus spa with a group of friends who haven’t
(a fact that is hard to confirm but easy to seen each other in a while. I did the Kohler
accept once you see it flying above you; Waters facial, which focuses on, no sur-
it’s nearly 100 feet taller than the Statue prise, hydration. My friend Anne de-
of Liberty, and at 70 x 140 feet, the flag is scribed the River Bath and Vichy shower
the globe’s largest free-flying American treatment as “floating on another planet”
flag). This drive-by moment felt both and “the most relaxed I’ve been in years.”
random and momentous, a good omen If you want to venture out, the closest
for the 48 hours ahead. town is Sheboygan. But Kohler is a desti-
Though our claim to fame is that we nation in and of itself, and the beauty is
can have fun in a shoebox, we’ve evolved that you don’t feel like you have to leave.
COURTESY OF ABIGAIL CUFFEY

to enjoy the slightly finer things in life, It’s the perfect amount of activity options
so centering the trip around a spa day to keep you occupied.
seemed like a good idea. But first! We Speaking of activity…did I also come
wanted to get some fresh air as we shook home with my first tattoo? It’s possible,
off our travel legs, whether flying from but you know what they say: What hap-
the East Coast (me) or driving from pens in Wisconsin stays in Wisconsin.
Minnesota or Illinois (the other four). What I can confirm:
An afternoon at Kohler Andrae State One weekend of to-
Park was perfect: Its Lake Michigan getherness is a soul
beaches look Caribbean-esque with fine feeder and sooth-
whitish sand and turquoise-blue water. er. Thank you,
Once we arrived at Kohler, it was clear Wisconsin.
*Quantity is limited. While supplies last. Nature
that this was more than just a spa desti- —ABIGAIL CUFFEY,
Valley Savory Nut Crunch Bar flavors may vary
and flavors are not guaranteed. Visit website
nation. This was like self-care camp for EXECUTIVE EDITOR
freebar.naturevalley.com for details and to claim
the offer without using a QR code. Limit one bar
per household. Offer ends October 16th, 2023. J U LY/A U G U S T 2 0 2 3
 The O.G.
The classic crunchy bar
you know and love.

The
OH-SO-INDULGENT
Crunchy granola on one side
and delicious chocolate on the other.

The O-M-G-!
Shockingly savory. Shockingly new.
Introducing White Cheddar Savory
Nut Crunch bars with 2g of sugar.
CHARACTER
With a new film, actor Ashley Park is getting top
billing for the first time in her career—and she’s
channeling those lead vibes into everything. From
fitness routines to mental health practices, she’s
finally treating herself like a star. About time!
BY KAT MOON

PHOTOGRAPHED BY BEN WATTS

STYLED BY KRISTEN SALADINO

PAGE 81
When Ashley Park first read the script for the new movie Joy Ride, she Playing the lead role was a game-changing
didn’t picture herself in the lead role. Which of the supporting characters experience for Ashley. “You don’t have to be,
will I be? she recalls thinking as she devoured the material that made her like, ‘Here’s my one scene…how do I make it
burst out laughing in some parts and cry in others. Up to that point, Ashley about this other person’s story?’” the 32-year-
had never been number one on the call sheet. “I’ve always thought about old actor says between sips of tomato soup as
how my character could propel the protagonist,” she says. we chat outside a café on New York’s Upper
But this project was different. The film follows her character, Audrey, as West Side. Indeed, Audrey is the kind of mul-
an ordinary work trip to China descends into a frenzied search for her tifaceted character Ashley has waited her
birth mother. She is joined by Sherry Cola’s Lolo, Stephanie Hsu’s Kat, and entire career to play.
Sabrina Wu’s Deadeye on this journey of self-discovery. Equal parts raun- Born to Korean parents in Glendale, Cali-
chy humor and dramatic heart, Joy Ride unapologetically centers Asian fornia, and raised in Ann Arbor, Michigan, she
characters. And Audrey is the focal point. started her acting career in theater. Ashley
made her Broadway debut in 2014 as an en-
semble member in Mamma Mia! and was cast
in musicals such as The King and I, Sunday in
the Park With George, and Mean Girls (in
which she had the role of Gretchen Wieners
and earned a Tony Award nomination). In
2020, she began playing the part she’s perhaps
best known for—radiant Mindy Chen on Net-
flix’s Emily in Paris.
“I’m very proud that I’ve worked on every
rung of the ladder,” Ashley says. “When you
go to college, you don’t want to be a senior
right away—you want to be a freshman.” Go-
ing from an ensemble member on Broadway
to a supporting character on TV shows means
Ashley has observed the kind of leadership
she wants to emulate, like Lily Collins in Emily
in Paris and Laura Linney in Tales of the City.
She held those examples close as she took the
lead in Joy Ride. While filming, Ashley real-
ized how much of herself she had previously
compromised. “I got to a point where I found
my worth in not being the central focus,”
she says. “I was still treating myself like I was
a supporting character.”
It’s a mentality she’s been determined to
change since wrapping Joy Ride—and one
she is eager to apply to all aspects of her life.
“I deserve to take care of myself and not
just everyone else,” Ashley says. “I’m treating
myself like a lead now.”
That refreshed approach to life has inspired
an overhaul of her self-care routine, with
Pilates at the core. Ashley trains with Sarah
Brooks when she’s in New York City and Bran-
don Perry when she’s in Los Angeles. “I don’t
do personal sessions because I’m fancy,” she
says. “It’s literally because if I take a class, I
will find a way to cheat. When someone is one-
on-one with me, it’s such good accountability.”
Her new perspective on exercise was also due
in part to the pandemic. Before, she focused
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mostly on cardio. “Now, for me, working out is
not about losing weight; it’s not about burning
calories. Instead, I feel a difference when I am
stronger and more muscled.” She also feels a
shift from within on the days she exercises in
the morning. “It changes the trajectory of my
mental state because I’ve taken care of myself
in some way,” she says.
If it were up to Ashley, she would do Pilates
every day, but that’s a challenge because of her
schedule—she’s been filming Only Murders
in the Building’s third season—so she has set-
tled into about three sessions per week. Ash-
ley says she still loves to run but hasn’t been
able to do it much after spraining her ankle
earlier this year (on the way to the bathroom
at a Beyoncé concert in Dubai). “With my in-
jury, I’ve learned it’s not just about getting
stronger and sweating, it’s about preparing
my muscles as my instrument,” she says.
And for her, there’s been a noticeable dif-
ference on-screen once she started caring for
her body, and even paying careful attention
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regularly to prime her body for the busyness
of her schedule. “I love chopping vegetables, especially peppers and radishes,” she says.
Those packed days on-set make it difficult “When it looks nice, I’m more excited to eat it.”
for Ashley to do something else she loves. “I She doesn’t typically consume three square meals; instead, each day is
haven’t been able to grocery-shop because a little different. But she does have an ideal meal. “A big salad with steak
I’ve been traveling so much,” she says. But the and cheese makes me feel the best,” Ashley says. And there’s one type of
day before we spoke, Ashley made a pit stop dairy product she’s developed a strong appreciation for, thanks to TikTok:
at Trader Joe’s. “My personal meditation is cottage cheese. “I put it in eggs and eat it plain.”
reorganizing stuff,” she says. That includes Her diet sometimes includes hanyak, a traditional Korean herbal mixture.
the inside of her fridge, and the thought of ar- “It tastes like the earth, and I used to hate the flavor of it, but now I love it
ranging her groceries brings a huge smile to and can taste the nutrients,” Ashley says. “I use it for general health—I take
Ashley’s face. She also enjoys preparing food. it for digestion and sleeping.” She usually consumes hanyak when she’s in

85
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Los Angeles, where her doctor grows the herbs. She focuses on holistic healthiest when she’s on a beach, or just
medicine, and it’s an approach that Ashley has come to value, especially af- near water. And she’s dedicated more time
ter a diagnosis of acute myeloid leukemia at the age of 15. to an activity she finds particularly sooth-
“It’s not that I’m skeptical of pharmaceuticals—I love an Advil—but ing: painting. “I always travel with a water-
because of the cancer experience, I’ve also realized how amazing holistic color set.” Her favorite thing to create?
medicine can be,” she says. Currently cancer-free, Ashley doesn’t want to Cards. “I love giving handwritten cards
be defined by the disease. She recalls convos with her doctors: “They said, more than gifts,” she says, sharing that at
‘You might have fertility problems, you might have...’ I was like, let’s stop the end of shoots, they’re often her token
there.” She didn’t want to know the laundry list. “The mind is so powerful of thanks to others.
that as soon as we think something’s a possibility, it manifests it.” In fact, she remembers the exact card and
Ashley has put a lot of thought into how the mind affects the body. “I’ve message she gave to Josh Fagen, a producer
finally learned the power of a mental health break,” she says. “In my 20s, from Point Grey Pictures. “I wrote this: ‘I’ve
I thought of vacations as, you can travel and do exciting things.” But that never worked with a more championing
idea changed. “It’s shifted to vacation being alone time.” She feels her straight white guy in the industry, truly the
best on set every day,’” Ashley says. A work environment with this kind of like, ‘We’re gonna go balls to the wall, further
support, and Asian women at the helm, has helped her come into her own. than anyone’s gone with Asian women.’”
Ashley recognizes that the creative team behind the film—a powerhouse That refusal to be bound by expectations
trio consisting of director Adele Lim and writers Cherry Chevapravatdum- deeply resonates with the actor. “That is
rong and Teresa Hsiao—is pioneering a new kind of Asian storytelling. Joy exactly what has made me the person, the
Ride is unabashedly thirsty, and the blatant sex jokes initially surprised performer, everything that I am today,”
the actor. “I’m pretty sure we all had the same reaction of, ‘What kind of Ashley says. “You cannot put me in a box.…
sick f*cks wrote this?’” she recalls. “And when you meet Cherry and Teresa, Do not put me in a box.” Spoken like a true
they’re so unassuming, you’d never think they wrote it—and that’s exactly main character who is now comfortable in
the point.” her mind, body, and spirit.
Joy Ride is groundbreaking because it shows Asian women in their
complex glory—horny side included. “Asian women on-screen, especially
HAIR: CLARA LEONARD USING DAVINES AT THE WALL GROUP.
in America and Hollywood, have been so sexualized and fetishized MAKEUP: VINCENT OQUENDO AT THE WALL GROUP. MANICURE:
MO QIN AT THE WALL GROUP USING OPI. SET DESIGN: MICHAEL
for the benefit of other people’s stories or jokes,” Ashley says. “And we’re ALTMAN AT SEE MANAGEMENT.

87
learning
to
HOW WRITER KATIE GUTIERREZ RENEWED HER SENSE OF SELF BELOW THE SURFACE
PHOTOGRAPHED BY ADRIAN WILLIAMS
 The Atlantic Ocean is a turquoise blanket
unfurled to the horizon beyond the white sand
beach of the Grace Bay Club, a luxury
resort in Turks and Caicos.

My husband, Adrian, and I haven’t traveled as a

couple since I was 16 weeks pregnant with our oldest
daughter, who is now 4½. We left San Antonio, Texas,
before the kids were awake, and I keep startling to the
awareness of something missing, my hands opening
and closing like fish mouths, so accustomed to small
palms nestled inside. I miss our babies, and I’m glad
we’re alone. I can’t be somebody’s mom on this trip, not
while following the trail of my own fascination.
We’re here in Providenciales, Turks and Caicos, to
meet Arenthia Baker, one of few Black women freedivers
and mermaids (with a heavy emphasis on the latter;
she’s a certified mermaid through the Professional
Association of Diving Instructors), and Samantha
(Sammy) Kildegaard, first Argentinian female freediver
to set a national record in the constant weight monofin
category. There are murmurs of a tropical storm moving
toward us, shifting weather reports, but right now, with
the sun bright and hot overhead, it’s hard to believe.
A few months ago, a Bookstagrammer I follow post-
ed a video of herself gliding above the ocean floor in
clear turquoise water, wearing a bathing suit, unusual-
ly long fins, and goggles–no snorkel, no oxygen tank.
She was freediving. I lost track of time clicking through
her ethereal videos, and the algorithm did the rest for
me: Every time I logged in, I saw some version of a
barefaced figure in a shimmering wet suit descending
through a celestial column of light.
At first, the diver kicks, deceptively languid. Then,
around 30 feet down, the kicks stop. In a disorienting
reversal of gravity, the diver freefalls through the
ocean, eyes closed and arms relaxed as they soar down,
down, down to where sunlight disappears and the
water deepens to a strange twilight blue, then deepest
midnight, lit only by a headlamp, like an astronaut
flying through a dreamscape galaxy.
Also known as apnea, breath holding, or skin diving,
freediving is the act of holding one’s breath underwater
without a breathing apparatus. Still, I remember
thinking there had to be a hidden tank, clever editing—
something to explain how ordinary human beings were
capable of descending to such astonishing depths,
sometimes up to 400 feet on a single breath. Who were
these people, transcending the limits of the human focus and resolve of a competitive athlete, and I trusted
body, defying their own mortality? What have they her from the moment I met her. She lays a freediving
discovered in themselves that gives them access to rope on the bottom of the pool and weighs it down on
such possibility? What could I learn from them? each end. Before freediving for depth, I’ll be practicing
dynamic apnea, or holding my breath for distance.
The first step in learning to freedive is, Though competitive freediving is relatively new—
perhaps ironically, learning to breathe. Beside the hotel’s sanctioned in the 1970s by the World Confederation
long, rectangular adults-only pool, Sammy, who runs of Underwater Activities (CMAS)—freediving itself is
her own freediving school, guides me through an hour of an ancient practice, dating back some 8,000 years.
dry breathing exercises and stretches before loaning me “Sea sponge diving” was an Olympic sport for the
a pair of carbon fins and a low-profile freediving mask. ancient Greeks. And later, Japanese ama, or sea wom-
She has the relaxed energy of a yoga instructor with the en, numbered in the tens of thousands, diving up to
150 feet and staying there for minutes at a time to col-
lect pearls and seafood.

Arenthia Baker
describes her-
self as a “child
of the ocean.”
Here, she snor-
kels. When
freediving, she
uses no breath-
ing apparatus.

91
 A predawn snor-
keling session
(Katie, left;
Arenthia, right)
proves a magi-
cal way to ex-
plore the Turks
and Caicos
Barrier Reef.

In the waters off Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philip- First, the heart slows, using less oxygen; at depths of
pines, the Bajau people, or “sea nomads,” sometimes 250 feet, freedivers have reported heart rates as low as
spend more than five hours a day diving, using only 14 beats per minute. Next, blood is redirected from the
handmade goggles and spearguns to catch fish and extremities to the vital organs, keeping the brain and
octopus at depths of more than 230 feet. They’ve been heart oxygenated longer. As the lungs constrict, blood
living this way for more than 1,000 years. In 2015, vessels engorge to prevent them from collapsing. Final-
geneticist Melissa Ilardo, who was studying the physi- ly, the spleen contracts, releasing up to 15 percent more
ology and genetics of human hypoxia (oxygen deficien- oxygen-rich blood into the bloodstream, which is why
cy) tolerance, traveled to visit and dive with the Bajau. the larger spleens of the Bajau are so interesting.
With an ultrasound machine, she discovered that they This idea that water—which constitutes more than
have spleens up to 50 percent larger than the neighbor- half our bodies and 90 percent of our blood plasma—
ing, land-dwelling Saluan people, suggesting they’ve holds the key to some kind of metamorphosis is irre-
actually evolved to be capable of holding their breath sistible to me. And I wonder: If the body is capable of
for long periods of time at great depth. such transformation in the deep, what about the mind?
In the freediving world, the mammalian dive re- And how might such an experience impact life on land?
flex—also known poetically as the “Master Switch of
Life”—refers to the physical transformation that hap-
pens when the human body is immersed in cool water.
 freediving line training, or descending in open water
while clipped to a rope to hone techniques such as relax-
ation, breath holding, duck diving, rope orientation, and
recovery. With Sammy’s instruction, Arenthia hit her
personal record of 60 feet on one breath hold.
Sammy was born in Argentina, where at 14 she was
Turks and Caicos Barrier Reef is one of diagnosed with scoliosis, a sideways curvature of the
the world’s largest barrier reefs and shields Grace Bay spine that can cause pain and breathing issues. Her
Beach from large waves, keeping the water unusually doctor gave her several options for therapeutic exercise:
calm and still. Bight Reef, also known as Coral Gardens, tennis, rowing, or swimming. She chose swimming.
is located on the western side of Grace Bay and consists Over the next year, she swam for two hours a day.
of one main coral ridge that extends about 350 feet from “I was able to heal 99.9 percent,” Sammy says. “When
the shore. This is among Arenthia Baker’s favorite spots I say the water is a very healing place, I’ve seen it. I’ve
to start the day, when the moon is still a placid, bright experienced it. I am a witness.” After a career as a pro-
eye over the ocean. I can see why. fessional translator, Sammy traveled the world as a
Against the rhythmic whoosh of my own breath in scuba instructor, set records as a competitive freediver,
the snorkel, the reef crackles with the dawn brigade and ended up here, running her own school.
of fish feeding off the coral. Every so often, Arenthia The notion of water as healer opens a window for a
points, and I see what she sees: the pale balloon of a question I need to ask, which is: What about when it’s
puffer fish; a cluster of invasive lionfish, their striped not? The death rate for competitive freedivers is surpris-
dorsal fins fanned like peacock feathers; a shadowy ingly low: only one in the more than 50,000 competitive
shift in the sand that reveals itself to be a large manta dives on record. But recreationally, without the proper
ray. When Arenthia wants to explore something more training, gear, and accompanying safety divers, the
closely, she folds her body in half and dives toward the death rate soars to 1 in 500 dives. What makes it worth
bottom, 15 or 20 feet down. She lingers long after most the risk?
people would have surfaced. Across the breakfast table, Sammy and Arenthia ex-
“I’m a child of the ocean,” Arenthia told me. “My change knowing glances. Arenthia pulls up GoPro vid-
mom was from Turks and Caicos, and my father’s from eos she’s taken on dives: a playful sea turtle circling her
Haiti, so my lineage is just all island heritage.” in Coral Gardens; a spotted eagle ray gliding like a giant
Only 11 percent of scuba divers are Black, according butterfly in the deep; a mother whale teaching her calf
to a survey by the Diving Equipment and Marketing how to surface and breathe. Sammy tells us about a time
Agency; racial demographics don’t seem to exist for she encountered a male whale hovering at 50 meters.
freedivers. Arenthia, though, has been a freediver her “His eyes were closed, and he was singing,” she says.
whole life, diving on a breath hold before she knew “When a whale sings, you can feel the vibration in
freediving was a sport, an entire community, and sub- your body,” Arenthia says.
culture. She’s never competed in it, nor is she certified Sammy sighs. “You can feel it in your heart.”
to teach by the Professional Association of Diving In- “With freediving, I’m in control of my body and
structors (PADI), yet freediving has defined the course mind,” Arenthia says. “I can trust myself. When I’m out
of her life. She taught digital design to high schoolers in in the world, I’m at my most vulnerable because I’m not
West Palm, but when COVID and the direction of in control. I need to freedive so I can handle life outside
American politics shifted the landscape for teachers in the water.”
Florida, she sold her belongings and lined up housing Arenthia’s point turns my own conception of freediv-
in Providenciales. In summer 2021, she made the move. ing—that you are not in control, that you are at the mercy
Today, Arenthia uses her passions to fund her life. In of an environment in which you don’t belong—on its
season, she works on a liveaboard boat, where recre- head. There must be moments of fear, I insist. Of panic.
ational scuba divers live for the duration of their expe- What’s it like to feel that you’re running out of breath
dition—most often a week at a time—and accompanies and then look up to see 60 feet of water?
guests on two or three dives a day. She works on charter “I never look up,” Arenthia says simply. Sammy nods.
boats and as a guide on a semi-submarine. She volun- “Freediving is about staying in the moment. ”
teers with the nonprofit Turks and Caicos Reef Fund to “In those moments, I practice telling myself, ‘You’ve
clean coral trees underwater and outplant coral and got 30 percent more,’ ” Arenthia says. “ When you feel
takes video and photos for the organization’s market- you’re about to give up, you’ve got a little bit more. Then Sammy and
ing. And, on her own time, she freedives. you do it, and you feel like a superhero.” Katie during a
One morning in 2021, as Arenthia arrived at Coral Sammy smiles at me. “You’ll see.” session; the pair
Gardens, another woman was packing up after a swim. practices in the
pool; Arenthia
The woman noticed Arenthia’s freediving fins—it’s rare
and Katie share
to see women with them on the island—and introduced a laugh on the
herself. It was Sammy Kildegaard. By the next month, beach; Katie,
Arenthia was on a boat with her to West Caicos for taking it all in.

93
 “Recovery breath,” Sammy says promptly.
I take that sharp inhale, then exhale. I forget to do the
hand signal and “I’m okay” until Sammy reminds me.
“How do you feel?” she asks. I’m not light-headed. My
The Grace Bay Club was built by Grace Bay heart rate feels calm. That couldn’t have been more than
Resorts, a developer of luxury resorts and residences on 40 seconds, I think. “Good,” I say.
the island. Two wings of the hotel are being renovated, She shows me the stopwatch: 1 minute and 22 seconds.
and the adults-only pool is closed, but a manager has All I can do is laugh, exhilarated.
been allowing us to use the area for lessons. The pool In the pool, Sammy explains how to integrate our dry
extends toward the ocean like an outstretched arm. The breathing exercises with equalizing and duck diving.
only hint that a storm may be coming is the wind, Next, she explains how to kick. I was a swimmer in high
whipping this morning’s still water into small white tips. school. I know the adrenaline of racing through a length
Sammy directs me to lie on my back on a lounge chair. of pool, legs churning like a motor. This is the opposite.
Women typically have a lung capacity of four liters, which The goal is maximum efficiency with the least energy.
Sammy says can be trained, with specific breathing and Sammy instructs me on kicking from my hips, then glid-
intercostal stretching, to hold as much as possible. She ing as long as possible before kicking again. My eyes
tells me to put one hand on my belly and one on my chest. should be on the rope the whole time, arms flush against
We practice breathing into the belly and directing that air the sides of my head, fingers overlapping into a point
up toward the chest—inhale for three seconds, pause, sharp enough to cut through any drag.
release tension from the shoulders, and exhale for six sec- I focus on bringing together everything Sammy taught
onds. I find myself light-headed, shoulders near my ears. me, a dizzying number of tiny adjustments to my body’s
“Any stress, any fears you have in freediving,” Sammy instinctive, or habitual, ways of doing things. I equalize,
says, “you won’t go any further before dealing with it—like duck dive, push off the wall. Kick and glide, kick and
in life. Freediving is a special environment, a powerful glide, eyes following the white rope on the pool bottom.
tool to help overall well-being” I can feel Sammy swimming beside me, observing, but
Tension, fear. Life, for the past two and a half years. mostly I feel alone and relaxed, centered and at peace.
Sammy guides me on how not to take in too much air, how When the rope runs out, I’m surprised, and nearly hit
to breathe as if through a straw, how to take a recovery my head on the pool wall. Sammy cheers when I come up
breath: a sharp inhale at the surface, followed by a quick for air. I’m estimating that was 20 meters on one breath,
exhale; repeat. This should be followed by the A-OK hand which, translated to depth, might mean 30 feet down.
signal and verbally confirmed with “I’m okay.” “How do you feel?” Sammy asks. “Good,” I say, then
After 40 minutes, we’re ready to try a breath hold. consider my body more carefully. “I feel…strong.”
Sammy pulls out her stopwatch and tells me to breathe In 2017, I got pregnant after a struggle with infertility.
normally for one minute. Then she uses a technique called At that point, I practiced Pilates every day and ran a half-
concentration/de-concentration, pioneered by Natalia marathon once a year. Then, at 11 weeks, a debilitating
Molchanova, “the mother of freediving.” (Molchanova pregnancy condition called symphysis pubis dysfunction
held 41 world records when, tragically, she never resur- derailed me. My husband had to help me in and out of
faced from a dive off the island of Formentera in 2015.) bed. He held my hips together as he shuffled me to the
“First, concentrate on what you hear, and shut every- bathroom. I needed a crutch to walk. The condition re-
thing else out,” Sammy says. turned even earlier during my second pregnancy. Our
I listen to the roar of the ocean. Then Sammy instructs son arrived in 2020, during lockdowns, quarantines, iso-
me to focus on what I feel: the sun burning my legs, the lation—when society as a whole felt most vulnerable and
soft breeze. She tells me when to move the air into my so did my body, transformed by pregnancies and births
chest, but my belly feels too full. “Release your tension,” and my own awareness of its inherent fragility. It has
Sammy says, and she talks me through relaxing one body been a long, long time since I’ve felt strong. But I do now.
part at a time. I’m focusing so intently that I’m not think- “Are you ready to go again?” Sammy asks, and I say yes.
ing about breathing. The air in my body feels like enough I want to do this all day. We practice with bi-fins and us-
to sustain me, until it doesn’t. ing them as a monofin and without fins at all. We practice
I know from my research that the brain’s first urge to with a three-pound Lobster weight collar, which follows
breathe is a reaction to the buildup of carbon dioxide— the movement of the dorsal vertebrae and counters
you actually have minutes of oxygen left, if you can stay buoyancy. By the end of our session, I can go a length
calm through that forceful urge and ride out the convul- and a half—about 30 meters, or 90 feet, on one breath.
sions that follow. I open my eyes before they start. Tomorrow, if the weather holds, we’ll go to the ocean—
perhaps to Coral Gardens, where we snorkeled with
Arenthia earlier, or to Smith’s Reef, another favorite
spot of theirs. I am ready.
“ When I’m out in
the world,

I’m at my most vulnerable because I’m

not in control.

I need to freedive so I can

handle life outside the water.” —ARENTHIA BAKER

15 bottles of water. It hits me that this is it; the storm is

coming and we can’t escape it.
Earlier, I chatted with a housekeeper named Maureen.
She’s from Jamaica but has lived in Providenciales for
We never make it to the ocean. Tropical 15 years. She was here for Hurricane Irma, when her
Storm Fiona strengthens into a hurricane, devastating home in the valley flooded and they were left without
the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico before blowing power for three months. Despite everything, she told me,
toward Turks and Caicos. The airport shuts down. A she loves watching the wind and rain of hurricanes.
curfew is imposed. With calm and practiced efficiency, “Man has tried to control so much,” she said, “but this
the staff at Grace Bay Club disassemble and reinforce is one thing you can’t do anything about. This is God in all
furniture, and push sandbags up against first-floor doors. his glory, and that’s a beautiful thing.”
Hotel guests are treated to dinner and a round of drinks, That night, Adrian and I lie in bed as rain pelts the
an air of nervous merriment as the sky broods darker. doors and wind thrashes the walls. Our room faces the
When we return to our room, a care package filled with ocean, and I imagine black water rising, encroaching in
sandwiches and wraps, fruit and cereal, cold pasta salad the darkness, slowly, then all at once. I imagine myself in
and pastries, awaits us. The mini fridge is stocked with the deep, hundreds of feet below the surface, out of breath.
Then I hear Arenthia’s voice: “Don’t look up. You’ve
always got a little more.” I close my eyes, place one hand
on my belly and another on my chest. As the hurricane
makes landfall, I breathe.

95
THE EXPLOSIVE,
TOTAL-BODY
NATURE OF
KETTLEBELL
TRAINING IS
A TREASURE
TROVE OF
OPPORTUNITY
FOR THE
CORE. READY
TO RIP IT
LIKE NEVER
BEFORE?
MUSCLE MAGIC,
STRAIGHT
AHEAD.

BY
BY CAITLIN CARLSON

PHOTOGR APHED BY
MARTIN RUSCH

PAGE
97
 Even the pros have mo-
ments of awe when training
with the tool. Katie M. Hein-
rich, PhD, examines the ef-
fectiveness of bell exercises

LET’S PLAY in her scientific research as

well as in her own fitness rou-
tine. “Sometimes when I get
done with my kettlebell

TWO TRUTHS workout, I’m like, ‘Wow, my

abs are sore,’ even though I
didn’t do any situps,” says
Heinrich, a professor in the

AND A LIE, department of kinesiology at

Kansas State University.
Truth is, your core is the

FITNESS
epicenter of every single
movement you do. You are
better equipped to lift more
weight, with better form, and

EDITION
prevent injuries all over if
your frame is anchored by
a strong center. (Back pain is
often a symptom of weak
abdominal muscles, so
GUESS THE FIB: First up, you can or bar, which have equal weight at strengthening them may
get a total-body workout with just a either end). This means “your body help alleviate those pesky
pair of kettlebells. Next: Kettlebells is constantly under tension, trying aches, Young adds.)
are for everyone, regardless of age to stabilize,” says Elise Young, CPT, This guide will teach you
and experience. Lastly, situps and owner of Elise’s Bodyshop. “Forced everything from which
crunches are the most efficient way stabilization equals core engage- kettlebell weight to grab
to work your abs. ment.” Nice! and how to hold the bell
If you picked the last one, you Research backs this up: When properly to what to wear on
nailed it. While situps and crunches one group of fit men and women in- your feet during a workout.
are known as “abs moves,” there’s corporated two kettlebell workouts “This program is a great
a much better way to craft an iron into their weekly regimen for eight gateway into the kettlebell
core. Kettlebell exercises like weeks, its participants saw im- because you hit all the key
swings, squats, and cleans target provements in aerobic capacity and movement patterns,” says
the abdominals in a way that truly dynamic balance that a control WH advisor Lauren Kanski,
can’t be beat. group did not. And the most dra- CPT, creator of the Body &
The bell’s superiority lies in how matic increase came in abdominal Bell program on the Ladder
it forces you to brace yourself as you core strength, which was boosted by app (she also programmed
move the uniquely shaped tool. The 70 percent (!), according to the and demoed the abs banger
bell part is off-center when it’s in study, which was led by the Ameri- starting on page 100!). Play-
motion (compared with a dumbbell can Council on Exercise. time starts now.

Load Matters
LIGHT MEDIUM HEAVY
One of the most common 8 kg for beginners; 10 kg for beginners; 16 kg for beginners;
questions KB coaches get 12 kg for intermediates 16 kg for intermediates 20–24 kg for intermediates
from newbies is what size USE FOR USE FOR USE FOR
STYLING: KRISTEN SALADINO

to start with. They’re often Accessory exercises that Unilateral (using one Bilateral (when both sides
marked in kilograms (1 kg = work smaller muscle side of the body to do of body are used) com-
about 2.2 pounds). Ideally, groups, such as triceps the movement) and pound moves that engage
you’ll experiment with and biceps work and dynamic moves like multiple muscles at once,
three sizes in your routine. single-arm presses lunges and swings like deadlifts and squats

98
 MOBILITY
MOVE
Kettlebells can
compete with your
trusty foam roller as
a surprisingly effective
recovery tool. With
the bottom of the bell
resting on the floor,
press your calf
or hamstring on top
against the handle
to loosen up and
mobilize the muscle,
Heinrich suggests.
Or, using a lightweight
KB, hold the bell
part with the handle
pointing down and
dig the handle into
the hip and groin
area, she adds. (Ask
a trainer or coach
for a demonstration if
you need!)
Making the
THE KETTLEBELL
Let’s put everything into practice. Complete the first circuit, move on to the second,
then try the finisher if you have more gas in the tank. Use a medium KB (10 to 16 kilo-
Case for
Shoe-Free
DEAD CLEAN
Stand with feet shoulder-width
apart, bell resting on floor
below pelvis. Drop hips while
keeping chest up, then grab
Use hips to
accelerate the bell horns with both hands. Ac-
bell. Think tivate lats by pretending you’re
of the arms “as holding something in both
straps,”
Kanski says. armpits (A). Press through feet
to straighten through hips and
drive bell up; hips should fully
extend (B) before bell reaches
face height and you are in
standing goblet position, look-
ing through handle, elbows out
A B C in front of body (C). Reverse
movement to return to start.

ate power and force,”

Young says. Oh, and mini-
mizing sneaker cushion
enhances stability during
GOBLET SQUAT
some lifting movements,
Stand with feet hip-width apart, holding
Heinrich says. Their picks:
bell by horns in front of face so you’re looking
through handle (A). Squat until thighs are
parallel to floor, or as low as possible (B).

COURTESY OF VENDORS (SNEAKERS); PHILIP FRIEDMAN (EXERCISE MOVES), GYMSHARK SPORTS BRA, GYMSHARK.COM;
Pause, then reverse move to return to start.

Vivobarefoot Primus Lite III

“They’re the closest
to barefoot out there,” As you rise,
Young says. make sure chest
$160, vivobarefoot.com and head come
up first—not hips.
WEAR ONE’S AT LEGGING, WEARONESAT.COM; ASICS SNEAKERS, ASICS.COM

A
Flux Footwear
Adapt Trainer OVERHEAD PRESS
When her feet aren’t
au naturel, this brand is
Kanski’s personal choice. holding bell by horns in front of
$140, fluxfootwear.com

Pause, then return to start. A

B

Nike Metcon 8
Heinrich opts for these versa-
tile fan faves, which
provide a wide, flat heel for ket-
Extra Spice String all the exercises back to back and perform 1 rep of each,
tlebell training stability yet
enough flexibility for comfort-
smoothly moving from one to the next without putting the bell down.
able cardio. $130, nike.com Rest, then repeat. Do five sets or as many rounds as possible in 20 minutes.
 GET
W
PRO ITH TH E
GRA
M

CORE WORKOUT
Do thi
s
worko
t ut
noncoimes per weup to three
nsecu ek, on
w tiv
strengith two day e days. Pair
s
to an hth work an of heavy it
our of d 45 m
two aero inute
That wor three da bic activity s
ay you ys a we
of you ’re coverin ek.
r base g all
s.
CIRCUIT
2
Complete three sets
of 6 to 8 reps of each move LATERAL LUNGE ELEVATED PUSHUP
in order (for unilateral Stand with feet hip-width Start in high plank position
moves, finish reps on one apart, holding bell by horns with left hand resting on bell
side before switching).
Rest for one minute in front of face so you’re underneath handle (A). Lower
looking through handle (A). body toward floor, pause (B),
Without letting bell move, then push back up to start.
lunge left with left leg, keep-
ing right leg straight and
right foot planted (B).
Pause, then reverse move to
return to start.

B
A For a begin-
A ner-friendly
Holding the bell modification,
at face level keep your
(rather than knees on the
resting it at the REVERSE LUNGE
floor.
chest) activates
core muscles.

B
B
A
then reverse move to return to start.

FINISHER: LEGS OVER BELL

Sit on floor with legs together
and bell resting to one side
of feet (A). Lift legs up and over
bell, keeping them bent at
about 90 degrees, using hands
for support behind body (B).
Touch heels gently to floor on
opposite side of bell.
Repeat for 20 to 30 seconds.
Do three rounds total.

Keep back
straight and
chest up.

A
Lucas Hugh
sports bra
and leggings;
lucashugh.com

101
10 2
 The
Active Girl’s
S U N &

S W E A T

Guide
Exercising outdoors requires a little extra effort
when it comes to protection. It’s worth it,
though. You can level up your SPF game and
still enjoy open-air workouts.

By Photographed by
M E L A N I E RU D L AU R E N S C H U L Z
 When a friend spotted
the red lump on

W Georgie Rutherford’s
left arm in May 2019,
the 34-year-old profes- RUNNING
sional triathlete brushed THE RISK
off her pal’s concern—and forgot it was
even there. But four months later, on Rutherford didn’t feel off—far
vacation, Rutherford’s brothers brought from it. She’d only just retired
from her athletic career at the time
up the bump again. Worried it looked of her diagnosis. But, having com-
“big and angry,” they urged her to seek peted as a triathlete from the ages
of 18 to 35—first at the University
medical attention. of Bath in the U.K. and later at the
From the get-go, doctors assured her it international level—she had often
was nothing more than a benign collec- spent six to nine hours a week
training outside, more focused on
tion of visible blood vessels, so it took her workouts than on her sun-pro-
another several months for Rutherford tection habits.
to finally have the lump biopsied “I’d put sunscreen on in the
summer or at the beach, but not
and receive the news: “It was stage 2C during training,” she says. “I’d use
melanoma,” she says. “I went numb. some during long runs or when I
was cycling, but I never reapplied
How could this have gone from harm- or wore it during outdoor swims.”
less blood vessels to cancer so quickly?” There’s a good chance those
During those months, Rutherford’s habits contributed to her diagnosis.
The data is clear: 90 percent of
melanoma had progressed—and in the nonmelanoma skin cancers and
February 2020 diagnosis, doctors said 86 percent of melanomas are asso-
there was a 60 percent chance of her ciated with UV radiation, according

STYLING: KRISTEN SALADINO, PRODUCTION: TASH GALGUT, HAIR AND MAKEUP: MADISON LEVETT
to The Skin Cancer Foundation
cancer coming back after surgery. It’s a (SCF), so protecting your skin when
terrifying and all-too-common story: outside, whether by the pool or
pounding the pavement, is crucial.
Skin cancer remains the most common What’s more, the number of
cancer in the U.S. and worldwide, and people exercising outdoors is in-
while melanoma (its deadliest form) creasing (likely a by-product of
pandemic-era habits), according
makes up only 1 percent of those cases, to recent data. In fact, more than
women under the age of 49 are more like- 50 percent of women exercise out-
ly to develop melanoma than any other side, and they spend an average of
five hours per week doing so, ac-
cancer except for breast and thyroid. cording to one survey. All this time
Still, the diagnosis didn’t make sense outdoors, while generally an awe-
some thing, might be having a not-
to Rutherford. Though fair-skinned so-great effect on skin: Frequent
with blonde hair, she had no family his- exercisers were found to have a
tory of skin cancer. Plus, she was fit higher risk for melanoma, per re-
search published by the Library of
and energetic. “I assumed people with Science, which concluded that UV
cancer felt sick in some way,” she says. exposure was likely to blame.
 What Is
Water-
Resistant
Sunscreen?
Formulated to withstand both water and
sweat for up to 40 or 80 minutes, these prod-
ucts contain ingredients that either help
the sunscreen better adhere to skin or create
a water-repellent film on its surface, says
The sun’s vita-
min D is great;
Yehiel Amouyal, a cosmetic chemist for
skin cancer is Bryhel Cosmetic Laboratories.
not. Use SPF! The FDA requires that this time claim be
tested by applying the sunscreen on a per-
PREVIOUS SPREAD
son’s back, then immersing the area in water
Belle You bodysuit, for 20 minutes, followed by 15 minutes of
belleyou.com; dry time. The SPF level is tested after two
Aerie shorts, aerie
.com for similar cycles (for a 40-minute claim) or four (for an
styles; Tory Burch 80-minute claim).
sunglasses, saks Still, there’s a huge difference between
fifthavenue.com
THIS PAGE what happens in a lab and IRL, as well as
Vitality jacket, how much sunscreen will come off if you’re
shopvitality sweating for 80 minutes versus being sub-
.com for similar
styles; DKNY sport merged in water for 80 minutes, says An-
tank, dkny.com; thony Rossi, MD, an assistant attending
Cami and Jax dermatologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering
bottoms, camiand
jax.com Cancer Center. If you’re swimming or surf-
ing, disregard that time claim and reapply
anytime you come out of the water. Reappli-
cation is also key on windy days, as aggres-
sive gusts can cause the skin’s outer layer to
slough off more easily, exposing skin to
more UV rays, according to the SCF. (Opt for
thick creams on these days.)

105
FUN IN
THE SUN
That’s not to say you should quit
fresh-air workouts—absolutely
not. And possibly the opposite:
Remaining active has its own
unique payoffs in relation to can-
cer. Those with higher levels of
physical activity pre- and post-
diagnosis had improved survival
outcomes for 11 different types of
cancers, research shows. “Many
cancers, including melanoma, are
immune-mediated,” says Elizabeth
Hale, MD, a clinical associate pro-
fessor of dermatology at New York
University Langone Medical Cen-
ter. “When we’re stressed, immune
function suffers, and exercise low-
ers stress levels, meaning activity
can help with a cancer prognosis.”
What all of this definitely tells
us is that it’s critical to remain dili-
gent about shielding your skin Mastering
your SPF rou-
from UV damage, says Dr. Hale. tine makes
Rutherford’s lax SPF habits aren’t activity better.
unique: Just 29 percent of women
and 12 percent of men ages 18 and Outdoor Voices
top and shorts,
older applied sunscreen if they outdoorvoices.com
for similar styles;
were going to be outside for more Hoka sneakers,
than an hour, according to recent hoka.com; Prada
sunglasses,
data from the Centers for Disease nordstrom.com
Control and Prevention.
And we get it—prioritizing SPF
during outdoor workouts is chal-
lenging. You’re likely thinking
more about strength and stamina
than skin cancer. Plus, applying
sunscreen before, much less dur-
ing, a workout isn’t as simple as,
say, lathering it on during the aver-
age day. You’ve got water and sweat
to contend with, as well as the need
to reapply often. But it’s worth the
effort and strategizing to make it
more intuitive and less of a pain.

106
 Screen
PLAN FOR
ACTION Stars
The latest water- and sweat-resistant
sunscreens feel so great on your
First things first: You should wear a skin that you’ll actually want to use
them before you hit the road, bike
broad-spectrum sunscreen on all
path, tennis court, or waves. Our five
areas of exposed skin. Make sure As Rutherford’s experience favorite newbies:
the product you pick is labeled as makes clear, the importance of
sweat- or water-resistant to ensure reapplication can’t be overstated.
it’ll last for the duration of your Dr. Hale suggests basting your
Deal Maker
workout (learn more in “What Is skin in another SPF layer anytime This sophisticated formula
Water-Resistant Sunscreen?” on you’re outside for longer than has antioxidants for
page 105). Also, try to plan your 90 minutes—and sooner if you’re in another layer of protection.
outdoor activity for the early morn- the water or sweating a lot. Since The price: decidedly down-
ing or late afternoon, avoiding the to-earth.
reapplying on sweaty skin doesn’t
Banana Boat Protection
sun between the hours of 10 a.m. feel great, gently pat your slick + Vitamins Face Sunscreen
SPF 50, $11, amazon.com
and 2 p.m., when the UV index is spots with a towel to remove excess
strongest, says Dr. Hale. (The UV perspiration before adding a fresh
index predicts when ultraviolet ra- coat, says Rossi. Stick products are
diation will reach its highest levels, great on-the-go options because
Stick With It
using a scale of 1 to 11+.) they can be easily stashed in a gym The easiest reapplication
Even better, incorporate protec- duffel, running vest, or belt bag. option mid-run or during
tive clothing into your arsenal too. Today, Rutherford, 38, is outdoor HIIT training is a
Dr. Hale, who bikes and runs out- healthy and cancer-free (her mela- sleek solid.
doors, says she’s never without a noma was surgically removed a Live Tinted Hueguard
Invisible Sunscreen Stick SPF
hat, sunglasses, and a long-sleeve month after her diagnosis), though 50, $28, ultabeauty.com
UPF (Ultraviolet Protection Factor) her recovery took several years,
top. She also takes oral antioxi- complicated by chronic lymphede-
dants (her fave is Isdin Sunisdin, ma caused by the removal of her
$50, isdin.com) 30 minutes before lymph nodes. The entire experi- Sheer Genius
prolonged periods of sun exposure. ence reshaped her sun-protection Gloopy, pasty SPFs can be
Heliocare ($35, walgreens.com) MO. “I thought I was doing a good a real drag when you’re
working up a sweat. This one
is another option; research has job wearing sunscreen before this, is invisible and weightless.
shown it decreases UV-induced but I realize now it was very half- Alo Invisible Mineral Body
damage. It’s important to note, hearted,” she says. “These days, I SPF 30, $42, aloyoga.com
though, that these pills are not wear SPF year-round and reapply
meant to serve as sunscreen substi- it on my full body, plus I wear a cap
tutes. Think of them as an extra and sunglasses and won’t swim
layer of protection. without a sleeve on. I want people Mist Opportunity
A nonaerosol spray with
to know what happened to me, es-
a fast-absorbing and
pecially those who still think hav- hydrating formula infused
ing post-race tan lines is cool.” with aloe and avocado oil.
Dune The Sporto Spray,
$23, dunesuncare.com

Good Sport
Water- and sweat-resistant
for up to 80 minutes, this
cream hydrates with organic
The minimum level of sun jojoba and coconut oils.
protection you should look for in any Juice Beauty SPF 30
product you’re slathering on Sport Sunscreen, $20,
Source: American Academy of Dermatology ultabeauty .com
 G O S PE L S I N G E R
AND MOM

Naomi
Raine
Music has been part of Naomi’s
life for as long as she can re-
member. The daughter of sing-
ers (“I grew up in rehearsal,”
she says with a laugh), Naomi
made her stage debut at the
age of 2, belting “Jesus Loves
Me” at church. Fast-forward
more than 30 years, and Naomi
has made it her life’s mission
to share God’s love through
gospel music and her role as
a worship pastor.
While she’s always felt
dialed into spiritual health, it
was more recently that Naomi
realized the importance of her
physical health too. “For a long
time I neglected and even felt
like my physical well-being was
contrary to my spiritual well-
being,” she says. When she
realized how integral one was
to the other, she began making The number of
small changes to her daily
habits to better align them.
Grammy Awards
Now her morning prayer and Naomi has won.
meditation happen during
a 30-minute walk outside. And
Her new album,
when symptoms of polycystic Cover the Earth,
ovary syndrome (PCOS) be-
gan presenting themselves, is out now.
she amped up her exercise
STYLING: KRISTEN SALADINO, HAIR: GLORIA ESPINOZA, MAKEUP: ADRIAN ALVARADO

regimen even more, strength-

training twice a week.
“I never thought I would be
able to lift,” she says. “I’m get-
ting stronger!” Amen to that.
PROTECT YOUR Z’S
Future Collective with Gabriella
Karefa-Johnson tank top, pants, and “I used to stay up until 2 a.m., but
jacket, target.com; Giuseppe Zanotti now I go to bed before midnight
sneakers, giuseppezanotti.com; and get seven to eight hours of
Jennifer Fisher hoops, jenniferfisher
jewelry.com sleep. If I don’t, I just feel off. Sleep
regulates my body, my system,
and my metabolism.”

STAND STRONG IN CHOICES

“The best advice I’ve ever received
AS TOLD TO was ‘You are proven over time.’
AMY WILKINSON When your decisions are being criti-
PHOTOGRAPHED BY
VINCENZO
cized, you have to let your history
DIMINO and your process and your longevi-
ty speak for you.”
© 2021 Tyson Foods, Inc.