Well+Good NYC

Skechers told to “tone down” Shape-Ups claims—with a $40 million settlement

Well+Good — Wed, 16 May 2012 20:56:06 +0000

Every knows Kim didn't get in shape thanks to Skechers, it was all Barry's Bootcamp.

The Federal Trade Commission announced today that Skechers will pay $40 million to settle a lawsuit.

The suit charged the company with tricking consumers into thinking its sneakers could lead to weight-loss, heart health, and toned legs and glutes.

Come on! If it were that easy to get in shape, we’d all be wearing the same heinous shoes and not suffering an obesity epidemic.

While Shape-Ups were the centerpiece of the lawsuit, the FTC said Skechers also made deceiving claims about its Resistance Runner, Toners, and Tone-Ups. Customers who bought any of these may be eligible for refunds.

In a press release, David Vladeck, director of the Federal Trade Commission’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, issued, the following witty directive: “The FTC’s message, for Skechers and other national advertisers, is to shape up your substantiation or tone down your claims.”

Go, FTC! Who knew you guys had a sense of humor?

The Skechers settlement comes less than a year after Reebok paid $25 million to settle a similar lawsuit involving its toning sneakers.

This gives us hope that in the future, these companies will think twice before promising ridiculous results. Now, if only this kind of smack down were applied to the cellulite-reducing industry…

Brooke Burke shares her workout routine and philosophy

Well+Good — Wed, 16 May 2012 20:41:19 +0000

By Kate Hahn for Prevention.com

“I like improvising. When things go wrong, you can make them work, and great moments are created. It’s thrilling; it’s exciting; it’s adrenaline.”

Brooke Burke-Charvet is talking about the rush she gets on Dancing with the Stars, the live megahit she has cohosted (oh, those fit-like-a-glove gowns!) since 2010, two years after she won the celebrity dance contest’s glittering Mirror Ball Trophy. But embracing whatever life throws at her is clearly how the 40 year old prefers it.

Not all the challenges of her life have occurred at work. She took an emotional risk when she ended her marriage to plastic surgeon Garth Fisher in 2005. By then, the couple had two daughters, Neriah, 12, and Sierra, now 10. Brooke found love again, however, with an old flame, former Baywatch star David Charvet. After having two children together—daughter Rain, age 5, and son Shaya, 4—they married in 2011.

Now Burke-Charvet is more likely to be found toggling between car pools and conference calls for one of her two online businesses—product site Babooshbaby.com and advice portal ModernMom.com. We sat down for a chat as DWTS sashayed toward its 14th season finale.

Keep reading to find out how often Burke hits the gym, what her favorite workouts are, and why she thinks being 40 is better than being 30…

Link love from Well+Good

Well+Good — Wed, 16 May 2012 14:14:24 +0000

Michelle Obama’s workout playlist—Huffington Post Healthy Living

7 must-have apps for Bike to Work Week—Blisstree.com

4 gorgeous updos, courtesy of Kate Middleton—Birchbox.com

8 tips to reduce food cravings—MindBodyGreen.com

“It ain’t your momma’s yoga,” and more from the wrestler-turned-yogi behind the latest internet sensation—Prevention.com

What’s your favorite plant-based protein?—NoMoreDirtyLooks.com

Know before you go: Mud runs—Greatist.com

Three no-hassle, must-do fitness day trips from New York

Well+Good — Wed, 16 May 2012 10:30:59 +0000

Excursion outfitter, Discover Outdoors, just debuted a roster of summer fitness- and healthy-food focused day trips from New York. We pick the top three. Related posts:

Yoga, art, and music converge at Yoga Soundscape in June

Well+Good — Wed, 16 May 2012 03:56:44 +0000

On June 3, YogaWorks is hosting “Yoga Soundscape: Becoming.”

It’s a yoga class meets art installation meets orchestral (and digital) concert. And you can join in.

Aarona Pichinson, the founder (and teacher) of Yoga Soundscape, hosts yoga classes with live musicians regularly, but this event takes the concept to a new level by adding even more sensory layers.

“We go to yoga to chill out our over-thinking mind, to de-stress, to feel stronger, and to return to our body. We indulge in music and art to be inspired, to expand our perspective, to be motivated, and to challenge ourselves to dream bigger,” says Pichinson, of her inspiration. “This next step of Yoga Soundscape brings it all together.”

The event will feature six musicians (on instruments from violin and didgeridoo to laptop) who’ll play according to a scripted set of visuals that will be projected on the walls from floor to ceiling. The images will include earth and ocean patterns and creatures, sacred geometry, the nervous system, and more.

And even the yogis are in on the installation—all participants are required to wear black.

The dress code will be an easy one for New Yorkers to follow, and we can’t help but think they’ll also love the idea of cultural multi-tasking. It’s like rolling your nights at the MOMA, Knitting Factory, and Kula Yoga all into one. —Lisa Elaine Held

Yoga Soundscape: Becoming; Sunday, June 3, 6:30–8:30 p.m. $40, $60 at the door.
To register, call 212-965-0801 or visit www.yogaworks.com

SIGG introduces new, colorful water bottles

Well+Good — Tue, 15 May 2012 15:02:12 +0000

SIGG's limited-edition Rainbow Collection for summer.

SIGG water bottles are regular fixtures on fitness studio floors and Lululemon shelves. But this summer and fall, they may command a bit more attention.

One of the two winning designs, which will be sold by SIGG in the fall.

The eco-friendly Swiss company just introduced a limited-edition Rainbow Collection for summer, with bold bottles ranging from neon yellow to royal blue. They’ll be available in mid-June.

SIGG also wrapped up its Global Design Contest (with Talenthouse, its partner), a competition that asked artists around the world to submit environmental-focused designs for their bottles. Over 2,000 were submitted from 78 countries around the world.

The winning designs, will hit shelves this fall, and depict world fauna—like a close-up of a snow leopard’s face and an animal-focused world map.

The People's Choice design—we love it, but it won't be sold. Boo hiss.

Our only complaint? The company is not planning on producing the People’s Choice design, which was called “Nature vs. City” and showed a cityscape reflected in its trees. Like the “people,” that one was our favorite.

Still, with all of these bottle options, it should be easier than ever to find one that adds some hydrating flair to our gym bag or beach tote.

Food 52′s Healthiest: Green Bean, Wheatberry, and Barley Salad

Well+Good — Tue, 15 May 2012 14:14:53 +0000

(Photo Credit: Sarah Shatz for Food52.com)

Every Tuesday, we scan Food52′s delectable menu of recipes for the healthiest picks they’ve got—bringing you seasonal, scrumptious fare that’s really good for you.

Green bean season is rapidly approaching, and who wouldn’t be excited for veggies that are loaded with important vitamins like C, A and K? And wheatberries are a great option for a healthy whole grain—high in fiber, vitamins, and minerals, and low in calories.

Green Bean, Wheatberry, and Barley Salad
Serves 4

(Photo Credit: Sarah Shatz for Food52.com)

1 pound greeen beans, cleaned and cut in half
1/2 cup wheatberries, cooked and cooled
1/2 cup barley, cooked and cooled
3 tablespoons fresh dill finely chopped
1/3 cup 3 parts good olive oil to one part balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
1 finely minced shallot

1. Place the beans in a pot with enough water to cover and a good pitch of salt. Bring to a boil and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, depending on how you like them. Drain and plunge into an ice bath to stop the cooking.

2. Whisk the olive oil, vinegar, shallot, salt and pepper. Put the cooled barley, wheatberries and string beans in a bowl and toss in the dressing and dill. correct seasoning and serve at room temperature.

More healthy recipes from Food52.com:

Ramp Carbonara
Pasta and Bean Soup with Kale

The go-to fashion line of fitness celebs

Well+Good — Tue, 15 May 2012 10:30:37 +0000

Tricia Donegan and Tracy Anderson rocking Phat Buddha.

If you haven’t heard of Phat Buddha yoga clothing, you’ve probably unknowingly spotted its color-popping shorts or basket-weave patterned sports bras on the glossy page of a magazine.

That’s because the brand’s business savvy creator, Alissa Benishai, outfits some of the fitness and yoga world’s biggest celebs in her funky, fashion-forward activewear—from Tracy Anderson to Lady Gaga’s yoga teacher Tricia Donegan.

Alissa Benishai, creator of Phat Buddha.

Benishai was born into fashion. Her mother imported international swimwear, so as a child, she watched models pose at photo shoots and walk Bryant Park runways. At 16, she began working at W Magazine, where she helped style celebs. “The Devil Wears Prada was actually my job,” she jokes.

She then worked in real estate development until she fell in love with Bikram yoga, did a teacher training in Hawaii, and moved back to NYC just as Lululemon came onto the scene.

After getting stuck in an inflexible tank top in Lulu’s Upper West Side fitting room, a light bulb went off. Benishai decided to apply her high-level fashion know-how to fitness wear.

Phat Buddha was born—a line made of soft, seamless pieces that come in one-size-fits-most, “so the clothes mold to the shape of any body,” says Benishai. (We’ve found this mostly works, although it’s not perfect—tall gals may show some midriff, and bra support is minimal.) The colors and patterns are bold yet chic, just like New Yorkers.

To promote the line, Benishai called on her many connections in the yoga and fashion worlds, and it wasn’t long before she was meeting weekly with Bikram’s Donegan to suit her in the line’s newest styles.

Ilaria Montagnini and Kristin McGee often opt for Phat Buddha's styles.

When the phone rang and it was Tracy Anderson, calling from a Maxim shoot asking for Phat Buddha, Benishai was ready. “I literally got there in five minutes,” she says. “Now, she wears my stuff religiously.”

Benishai also occasionally styles celeb yogi Kristin McGee. She outfitted star personal trainer and Powerstrike founder Ilaria Montagnani (and her team) for her latest DVD, and she regularly adorns fitness models in Phat Buddha for editorial shoots.

Oh, and regular yogis can wear (and afford!) the clothes, too. The line is currently sold in boutiques at Equinox, Pure Yoga, Exhale, and Bikram studios throughout New York. Tops range from $30–$40, bottoms are $35–$50.

It sure does make rocking the clothes a tad easier for the non-celeb budget. —Lisa Elaine Held

Why crunches won’t give you flat abs, and will hurt your body

Well+Good — Mon, 14 May 2012 10:30:28 +0000

Crunches (and variations of crunches) have long been the most popular tool in the ab-strengthening kit, but that’s about to change.

At gyms and fitness studios around the city, trainers are replacing them with other creative core-training moves. “Planks are the new crunches,” one trainer told us recently.

That’s a great thing, says Brynn Jinnett, founder of the Refine Method. While the moves were supposed to be a safer replacement for the now shunned sit-up, crunches may actually be damaging your body, she says.

Brynn Jinnett of the Refine Method says there are lots of better ways to strengthen your core than crunches

WHY CRUNCHES MAY ACTUALLY BE BAD FOR YOU

“You sit all day at your desk, hunched over with rounded shoulders—and then crunches put you into the exact same position and reinforce it,” says Jinnett. That rounded posture can cause all kinds of problems, putting other areas out of alignment.

To add insult to injury, crunches also won’t deliver a six-pack or flat abs, because they only train the forward flexing of your torso, one movement among many that they’re responsible for.

Wait! What about that awesome burn you feel as you curl up for the 50th time?

WHY FEELING THE BURN IS BOGUS

“The burning you feel with high-repetition, low-weight exercises like crunches is just one of those things that happens. But it’s not fat loss happening, it’s not calories burned, it’s not strengthening—it’s just something that happens,” explains Jinnett. “People are confusing short-term sensation and long-term results.”

So how should you strengthen your midsection?

Jinnett says that you should train your core to “reflexively stabilize in a functional way,” while keeping your spine neutral (not rounded). See her suggested exercises you can do at home—from plank variations to resistance band movements—here.

And about those flat abs: Definition is all about reducing body fat, and since spot burning is impossible, you’ll have to slim down overall in order to get those abdominal “parentheses” to peek out.

“Abs are made in the kitchen,” says Jinnett, “not at the gym.” —Lisa Elaine Held

5 ab exercises that are better than crunches

Well+Good — Mon, 14 May 2012 02:25:22 +0000

Crunches are on their way out (too back rounding and too inefficient), so that means you’ll need new ways to strengthen—and sculpt—your core.

“It’s your center pillar, the powerhouse of your body,” says Brynn Jinnett, founder of the Refine Method. “Strengthening it will enable you to work harder in your exercise classes and move more safely throughout your day.”

Jinnett shares five of her favorite functional core strengtheners that are way smarter than crunches. Aim for ten reps of each and you’ll be ripped for summer. “As long as you practice pushing the plate away, too,” says Jinnett. “Diet is a big factor in the results people want for their midsection, too.”

1. Sliding Pike
Start in plank position with your feet on sliding discs. (At home, you can use anything that slides—a dish towel, slipper socks, etc.) Use your core to slowly slide your feet in towards your hands—think about pulling your glutes up to the ceiling. Then using control and your abs, slide back out.

2. Plank with Open-and-Close Legs
Start in plank, and slide your feet out wide and back in while keeping your back flat and your abs activated. Your legs are the only moving parts.

3. Sliding Forearm Plank
Place the sliding discs under your forearms and start in a forearm plank with your back flat. Slide each forearm out and back, one at a time.

4. Kettlebell Stand-and-Kneel
Hold a kettlebell (or a water jug, at home!) over your head, and stand with your feet hip width apart. Tighten your core and slowly lower onto one knee and then the other, and then stand back up in the same way.

5. Resistance Band Raise
Attach a resistance band to a door or another secure anchor. Stand with your feet wider than your hips, with the band to one side. Grasp the band with your hands together and extend your arms straight out in front of you, activating your abs all the while. Next, bend your elbows and move your fists in towards your chest. Then, raise your fists up over your head (pictured). Lower back to the starting position with your arms extended in front of you, and start again.

Got any training tricks that target your abs? Tell us in the Comments, below! Want to tone your tummy at Refine Method? Visit www.refinemethod.com