Author: Richard C. Trotter

When Mara Kulenovic started experiencing fatigue, hot flashes, and anxiety as a result of transitioning through menopause, her yoga teacher daughter, Jasmine Peterson, suggested trying the practice as a way to ease symptoms. Kulenovic was skeptical. “Yoga was a real revelation to me, although at first I didn’t believe it—I thought it was a waste of time,” Kulenovic recalls. “Then, the movement and coordinated breathing began to work and only a month after starting, I noticed quite a few benefits, including fewer hot flashes and more energy. It’s become my indispensable booster.” Now at age 57, she’s through the difficult…

Let me start out by saying this: I am not a yogi. I mean, I guess in a very literal sense, I practice yoga therefore I am a yogi. But I am not a yogi in one of the stereotypical ways, meaning I’m not a) someone with a kind of mystical presence that smells like patchouli, nor am I b) a woman with a wardrobe of matching yoga sets who can launch into a headstand while performing splits. I say this because, as much as I love these kinds of yogis now, I was once someone standing on the outside…

Navigating healthy eating can be a real challenge if you consider yourself a member of the “sensitive stomach” club. Every dining experience, party, and catered event can be riddled with anxiety about whether the food served (or even the coffee offered) will cause a flare of pain or other unpleasant symptoms. But these struggles can be intensified if you follow a plant-based diet, as some potentially triggering foods include many of the major vegan protein sources, which makes knowing the best plant-based proteins for a sensitive stomach all the more important. As if meeting your protein needs as a vegan…

We’ve all felt it before—feeling so stressed that your stomach does a few turns, or even causes you to run to the bathroom. Sometimes, it may feel like it stops you up altogether. But can stress actually cause constipation? It’s not in your head: Stress is a well-known cause of constipation, which is defined as having fewer than three bowel movements per week, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. It may also cause hard, dry, or painful stools that require straining while you “go,” or a feeling that you haven’t passed all the stool…

The fastest way to improve your lower-body strength and balance is by adding single-leg exercises into your routine. If  you’ve been solely relying on double-leg exercises, such as traditional squats or calf raises, you may be favoring your dominant side without realizing it. Incorporating single-leg exercises can help you identify and address any muscle imbalances. “It’s normal for one leg to be stronger than the other as nobody is perfectly symmetrical,” says Grayson Wickham, DPT, CSCS, physical therapist and founder of Movement Vault. “This is not an excuse to have a large strength difference in one leg versus the other.…

There’s no shortage of activity in your weekly horoscope for March 3 to 9, 2024. The week starts off with some disruption in your relationships and maybe even your finances when Venus in Aquarius squares Uranus in Taurus on March 3. You could be ready to elope… or end a long-term relationship or commitment that feels stale. There is no middle ground today: People are acting rashly, and shock and surprise are in the air. Also on March 3, the last quarter moon in Sagittarius urges you to release any dogmatic tendencies and consider a new perspective. Something that unfolded…

My typical day goes like this: I wake up and read, do some freelance writing, then homeschool my children. You would think that I would be itching to exercise after a full day of sitting—and the theory of intuitive movement tells us that your body will tell you what it needs. But, nope! Sometimes, it’s the opposite. I try to “listen to my body,” but my body doesn’t always tell me to move. My mind is tired and distracted. Honestly—if it wasn’t for my fitness watch reminding me to get off my duff, I’d have very few daily steps. As…

Put a finger down for every time you’ve finished munching on a snack and felt unsatisfied. Maybe you were still hungry or didn’t feel that extra energy kick, or just felt like the snack didn’t hit the spot. Have one (or multiple!) fingers down? Figuring out a snack that fits all of those needs can be tricky—and that’s when the “big three” nutrients come in because snacks with carbs, protein, and fat are more likely to tick all of those boxes. Each of those nutrients supports your body differently. Fats help you store energy, make hormones, and absorb vitamins, to…

For anyone who has lived with a partner, deciding how to share household responsibilities can be a chore on its own. Sometimes, one person may take on additional responsibilities such as when their partner is ill or busy with work. But if you’re always doing the laundry or shopping for groceries because, as your partner claims, “you’re better at it,” this may be a sign of weaponized incompetence. “Weaponized incompetence in romantic relationships refers to the intentional use of incompetence or helplessness as a strategy to manipulate or control a partner,” says therapist Benu Lahiry, LMFT, chief clinical officer at…

There was a time when Jessie Zapotechne, a coach with Adidas Runners in New York City and founder of Girls Run NYC, was overwhelmed by the prospect of running a single mile. To date, Zapotechne has nearly 50 marathons and ultramarathons under her belt. But as a teenager in gym class, facing four laps around the track inspired feelings of anxiety and dread. “My first memories of ‘running the mile’ go back to high school and the Presidential Fitness Test,” Zapotechne says, remembering the now-discontinued program designed to assess the strength, speed, stamina, and flexibility of public school kids nationwide.…