Stepfanie Romine

Want to crush it at the gym, in the office, and at home? Start with a good night’s sleep. Rest is crucial for overall health and well-being at all stages of life. With one in three adults reporting “poor” or “fair” sleep, many are exploring yoga nidra to have more restful nights.
Having been recorded as far back as the 7th century AD, “yogic sleep” has plenty of benefits — like potentially better rest, stress management, and a healthy mood. But “yoga nidra is not a substitute for sleep,” says...

In today’s busy modern world, balance can be elusive.
The habits we fall into—relying on convenient and processed foods, not getting enough sleep, and letting stress pile up—all lead to the formation of free radicals.
Even overdoing it at the gym or simply breathing can result in the creation of these unstable molecules.

Ali Casparian was barely scraping by. Like one in six people in the Black Mountain region outside of Asheville, North Carolina, she faced food insecurity. Free community lunches hosted by a local nonprofit became a lifeline. And Casparian (who worked in the food industry before she fell on hard times...

We’ve all been there. You think “YOLO” (you only live once), so you say “yes” to the monster meat lover’s pizza after bowling league. You opt for the extra-spicy wings while watching the game. You agree to judge the neighborhood chili cookoff. But then it hits, bringing fire and regret along with it: occasional heartburn.*
It comes on quick – sometimes from seemingly “healthy” foods or for no reason you can pinpoint in the moment – and your relief should come quickly, too.* We’ve always got y...

How well do you sleep at night?
If you're like most people, you could probably use some help catching more Zs. One mineral that can help support your sleep is magnesium.* Magnesium plays a role in many biochemical processes in the body, including nerve function and muscle relaxation.* As an essential mineral, magnesium is a nutrient that the body cannot make on its own. You have to get it through the foods you eat or through dietary supplements. (More on that later!)
In this blog post, we wil...

Pop quiz: Is a salad still a salad if it doesn’t have greens in it?
(Short answer: YES.)
“People think you need lettuce to call something a salad,” says Chelsey Amer, a registered dietitian based in New York City.
Your bowl or plate can contain any variety of ingredients — with or without dark, leafy greens — and it’s still a salad.
If you’re struggling to learn to like vegetables or if greens gross you out, don’t write off salads — they’re an easy way to bump up your vegetable and fruit inta...

There’s a certain cycle to our eating habits that follows the seasons: In the summer, we tend to crave cool and crunchy salads.
When it’s cold outside, salads fall by the wayside in favor of warm, hearty foods. But with a few simple swaps, you can make winter salads something you’ll crave when the temperatures drop.
Start by redefining your idea of a salad: It doesn’t have to be cold, and it doesn’t even have to include greens.
You can add your favorite fall and winter ingredients to your sal...

If you’ve taken a barre class, you’ve likely heard about the “barre tuck.” And if you’ve taken multiple barre classes, you might have been asked to do it so many times over the course of an hour that “tuck” starts to become a four-letter word — “And tuck, and tuck, and tuck…”
So “what the tuck” is a barre tuck, exactly?
And how can you tell if you’re doing it properly?
We talked to Andrea Rogers, the woman behind Xtend Barre to get the deets.
And be sure to check out the video below to watch ...

Tight hips can be a real pain in the behind, but the figure 4 stretch can improve flexibility and mobility in your hips, glutes, and piriformis—a small muscle that can become inflamed when your hips are tight.
This hip stretch can be helpful any time you feel sore and tight. Ideally, the figure 4 stretch should be performed after a dynamic warm-up or during a post-workout stretch, says Tom Biggart, a physical therapist and strength coach in the greater Boston area.
Here’s how to perform the f...

Yoga, barre, and Pilates are popular workouts that, at first glance, seem to have plenty in common. (You’re barefoot! You’re stretching! You can wear those cute, grippy socks!)
There’s plenty of overlap between these three workouts, but they definitely have different philosophies, principles, and movements, too.
So, how do you decide which workout is right for you, especially when you see hybrid classes labeled Pilates barre or barre yoga or yoga-lates?
Let’s take a closer look at yoga, Pilat...

While some types of exercise are off-limits when you have “bad knees,” Xtend Barre is a low-impact program that builds on a foundation of dance and Pilates to build strength and mobility from head to toe.
That translates into “real world” fitness that can help you and your knees throughout your entire day.
“In general, barre exercises are often incredibly gentle on the joints, including the knees,” says Andrea Rogers, creator of the Xtend Barre program. “Because of that, they’re a really good...

Magnesium is a mineral that is essential for human health. Among its many roles in the body, magnesium helps to support a healthy response to stress.*

Stress is normal, but there’s plenty we can do to keep it in check.*

Magnesium is the second most abundant essential mineral in the body.*

Magnesium is found in food, but many people aren’t consuming enough.*

It promotes a soothing slumber, allowing for more effective rest.*

Magnesium also balances the body’s natural stress response to maintain...

“Active recovery” might sound like an oxymoron, but don’t write it off just yet. Whether you want to run farther, cycle faster, or lift heavier, active recovery can help you get there.
Not to be confused with rest days — another important part of any workout program — active recovery involves moving your body without giving it your all.

From head to toe, you’d be hard-pressed to find something yoga doesn’t improve — flexibility, strength, digestion, mental health, the list goes on. Even better, the benefits of yoga can often be felt after just one class.

If you want your tattoo to age gracefully, the next few weeks are extra important to make sure it heals properly. Here’s a complete guide to proper tattoo aftercare.