For so many of us who start yoga, gaining flexibility is the main goal. Am I right? While there is far more to yoga, a more supple and bendy body is indeed one of the many benefits of regular asana practice.
While we might want some flexibility to boost our ego, it’s important for our body to stay healthy, pain-free, and to be able to sit comfortably and for a long time in meditation. Which is the actual goal of the asana practice?
10 Yoga Poses for Flexibility
Here are 10 yoga poses for flexibility that will also make you feel calm and in control. At the end of the day, that’s all we want, isn’t it?
1. Half Monkey Pose
The main muscles that get stretched in a yoga practice are the hamstrings, running along the back of our legs.
As opposed to full-on splits, in half splits you can easily control how deep you want your stretch to be, as you’re supporting your main weight with your bent leg and your hands. Slowly over time, you can extend your back leg into the full expression of the pose.
2. Seated Forward Fold
There are many variations of a Seated Forward Fold. Keeping the knees bent, relaxing your muscles for a more restorative version, or holding on to your flexed feet, bringing the head closer to the knees by gently pulling your torso forward and down.
If you have a dodgy lumbar spine, keep the bend in your knee and fold forward with a straight back, as slipped discs happen easily in this pose. Don’t compromise the safety to get lower by a few more inches.
3. Head to Big Toe Pose
Popular in Ashtanga Yoga, Head to Big Toe Pose is for the balanced yogi. If you can’t reach the toes with your fingers, keep your knee bent.
A little top for balance: Keep the knee of your standing leg soft. It truly works wonders.
4. Lizard
Lizard pose stretches your inner thighs, groin and hip flexors quite nicely. You can sway forwards and backward on your back foot for a more dynamic and playful expression of the pose, or come down low on your forearms.
5. Butterfly
Dynamic Butterfly is a nice warm up. It opens up the inner thighs and stretches the groin (besides keeping the reproductive organs in check). Go for some strong flaps with your knees, then hold the knees down for a few breaths.
It’s important to breathe deeply into your groin here and – you’ve guessed it – to keep a straight spine.
6. Low Lunge
Low Lunge is oh so good after walking, running, but also sitting much. Basically after most activities that aren’t yoga.
Sit your hips really deep here and you will get a nice strong stretch of your hip flexors and especially of the Psoas muscle, the main hip flexor. The Psoas is much talked about, and all yogis agree that it plays a major role in keeping the lower back happy.
7. Pigeon Pose
Pigeon Pose is one of my favorite poses. You don’t have to do anything and can just enjoy the feeling of how your hip opens up a little bit more with every exhale.
You can also let go of all the effort in your muscles and take this pose in a restorative way.
8. Cobra
Cobra is a great way of making your spine more supple and flexible. Back pain and also injuries are often based on missing flexibility in the spine. So let’s twist, extend and flex the spine in our beautiful yoga practice. Gently though.
Want to hear about more benefits? Cobra Pose creates space in the chest for your breath to flow and strengthens your arms, shoulders and lower back.
9. Wheel
The wheel is an advanced yoga pose, demanding not only a flexible spine but also a good amount of arm strength. If you don’t feel ready for Wheel, keep practicing Bridge Pose.
Wheel and also Bridge Pose open up your chest and shoulders nicely and are targeting the heart chakra. Breathe deeply into your chest – I know, it’s difficult in this position, as the throat is overextended – but it trains all muscles involved in your breathing.
10. Wide-Legged Forward Fold
Folding forward from a standing position stretches the inner legs and the backs of the legs, plus it extends our spine. I personally prefer it to its seated counterpart, as gravity does most of the work here. Thank you, gravity!
It’s not easy to look good every day, especially when you have so many things to do and are working from home. You know it’s gotten really bad when you need to schedule washing your hair and shaving your legs into a Google calendar.
THE STRUGGLE IS REAL
I’ve struggled with this for the past, I don’t know, 3-4 years and I’ve observed and learned some stuff I think are worth talking about.
I felt sloppy and like I was losing a part of me. Taking care of myself and my appearance is something that makes me feel good and it has always been important to me.
IT’S NOT A BAD THING TO WANT TO LOOK GOOD
It’s true, when you look good, you feel good. You feel confident. To some it might be superficial, but I think that’s just judging others for wanting something better for themselves.
It’s not a bad thing to want to look good. It doesn’t make you any less of a good person. It actually can make you a better person.
When you feel good in your body, when you’re confident in what you’re wearing – you’re more open to things and approach life with a different attitude. You’re prepared to meet anyone and you don’t need to hide behind a dumpster or explain yourself for the way you look.
Whether we want to admit it or not – we know we deserve better. We deserve to look the best we can every single day.
Now, here are the things I found help me feel and look better, even if I don’t leave the house for 3 days.
12 EASY WAYS TO LOOK GOOD EVERY DAY
…EVEN WHEN YOU’RE NOT LEAVING THE HOUSE
1. WAKE UP A LITTLE EARLIER.
Even if it’s 15 minutes – you can do a lot during that time. I’m able to take a super quick shower, brush my teeth, put some natural makeup on and dress.
2. SMALL EFFORTS.
Looking good every day is about one thing: putting in a small effort every single day. Don’t become negligent and forget to do your laundry or to iron your dress, because you don’t feel like it. It’s such a small act, but when you don’t do it for a while – you understand its impact when you don’t have clean clothes to wear.
3. MOISTURIZE.
Find out what moisturizer works for you and moisturize your face, your neck and your chest. Don’t forget to put some body lotion (or coconut oil) after a shower and use hand creme (super important!)
4. EXERCISE.
Exercise will make you feel good, it can help you lose weight and become leaner and it helps your blood circulation so that vital organs like your skin get fresh nutrients quicker.
Exercise also helps your posture improve, you look more awake and you feel happier. Which automatically makes you look good.
I like to do 10 minutes of yoga in the morning and those 10 minutes change everything! Like everything.
Doing yoga is super accessible these days, it’s not like you need to drive to a class at 5 am. You can do it at home and find videos on Youtube. Here’s the yoga routine I like to start my day with.
5. DO YOUR HAIR.
Obviously you don’t need to wash your hair every day or do anything crazy – but you can get a blow out every now and then. I like to do it every 2 weeks, and I feel so much better when I know my hair looks good. Even if I’m wearing jeans and T-shirt (or let’s face it – leggings) and have very little or no make up on, I look put together.
6. DO YOUR NAILS.
Again, you don’t need to do anything special – but do your nails once every week to two weeks. Make sure they’re clean and have a shape – at a minimum!
I usually do them myself and use natural nude colors because they go with everything.
7. HYDRATE!
Getting enough water will make your skin look more plump and young and that little boring trick works immediately!
8. EAT HEALTHY.
When you eat healthy, especially more fruits and vegetables, your skin looks so much better and you can control your weight easily.
9. GO TO BED EARLY AND GET ENOUGH SLEEP.
That works like a miracle. If you’re going to get up earlier and still want to look good – go to bed earlier. Prioritize sleep. It will get rid of bad food cravings, bad moods and undereye bags for you.
10. MAKEUP.
You don’t need to put A LOT of makeup on to look good every day, but a mascara and some lipstick can go a long way.
11. WEAR CLOTHES YOU FEEL GOOD IN.
You don’t need to wear a tight dress and high heels to look good, if you’re not feeling confident wearing that outfit. You can wear jeans, a white top and flat shoes and look fabulous. Wear what fits you and what makes you feel confident that day.
12. SMILE MORE.
With all that don’t forget to smile more often, because when you do – you feel great and you look more friendly and attractive to others.
30 may be the new 20, but the age milestone is also a good reminder to start taking better care of your body. Here are 10 ways to tweak your diet to help keep you aging healthfully as you enter a new decade.
Aging is inevitable, but you can age more healthfully, especially if you start now. While you can’t control everything about the aging process (think genes, environmental factors, etc.), you do have control over lifestyle factors like diet, exercise, stress and sleep. And these play a bigger role than you think in warding off chronic diseases and increasing longevity. The earlier you start making changes, the better, because small changes every day add up for better or worse.
While your 30s may seem like a big decade, embrace it and take advantage of this time. The body is no longer growing, but now is the time to continue nourishing it so it can thrive in the coming years and you can feel just as good at 50 years old and beyond.
Here, we share the most important eating changes to make after you turn 30, according to experts and the latest research.
1. Fill up on fiber
Fiber does more than keep you regular. A meta-analysis in The Lancet found that eating more fiber reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and colorectal cancer. In addition, the research showed that for every eight grams of fiber consumed, the risk of chronic diseases fell by 5-27%. The most protection was seen when people ate 25-29 grams of fiber per day. The 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines recommend that women aged 31-50 consume 25 grams of fiber per day and men aged 31-50 consume 31 grams of fiber per day, but most Americans only get 11-15 grams.
Fiber also lengthens telomeres. Telo-what? Let us explain. Telomeres are DNA-protein structures found at both ends of chromosomes. They protect our genome and fight off diseases. Telomeres naturally shorten with age, but stress, smoking, obesity, poor sleep and poor diet lead to shorter telomeres. To simplify, longer telomeres mean a longer life and shorter telomeres are associated with a shorter lifespan. Your 30s are a crucial time to lengthen those telomeres, and eating more fiber is one of the best ways to do it. A 2018 study found that every 10 gram increase of fiber per 1,000 calories would correspond to 5.4 fewer years of biologic aging. So load your plate up with fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes because these high-fiber foods will give you life, literally.
Think about getting 8-10 grams of fiber per meal. One cup of cooked oatmeal for breakfast has four grams of fiber. Pair that with fruit, like raspberries (one cup has eight grams of fiber) or diced apples. Don’t be scared of carbs at lunch and dinner. Make half your plate colorful vegetables and ¼ of your plate whole grains. Toss ½ cup of cooked farro on your salad for 6 grams of filling fiber. Not only will you lengthen your telomeres, you’ll also stay full longer and prevent carb cravings later in the day. (Take a look at our high-fiber meal plans for more healthy, fiber-filled meal ideas.)
2. Incorporate more omega-3s
“Focus on getting more omega-3s in your diet,” says Sarah Anzlovar, M.S., RD, LDN, owner of Sarah Gold Nutrition. “While it may seem premature, your 30s are the best time to think about putting in place healthy habits that help you age well. Omega-3s are linked to both short-term health benefits such as better mood, improved cognition, and reduced inflammation, as well as longer-term health benefits like reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and better brain health as you age. And if you’re planning to start a family, omega-3s are incredibly important to a baby’s brain development. The best source is fatty fish such as salmon or sardines, but you can also get them from plant-sources like walnuts, chia seeds and hemp seeds.”
“Omega-3 fatty acids may also preserve telomeres,” says Nicole Stefanow, M.S., RDN, registered dietitian in New York. “As telomeres get shorter our cells can’t do their jobs properly causing the cells to age. Eating foods high in Omega-3 fatty acids, such as fatty fish, can slow the pace of aging by preventing the shortening of telomeres.”
Focus on food first to get omega-3s. Have salmon for dinner once a week. Sprinkle flax or chia seeds into oatmeal, yogurt or smoothies and snack on walnuts or pecans.
3. Stop fad dieting
If you spent your 20s dieting, there is no better time than now to stop. “Swap fad diets and eating trends for an enriching lifestyle,” says Dr. Lisa Leslie-Williams, PharmD., Natural Health & Holistic Food Expert, and Founder of the Domestic Life Stylist. It might sound cliche, but hear us out. Fad diets lead to rapid weight loss, followed by gaining the weight back and then some. This is called yo-yo dieting or in the scientific world, “weight cycling.”
“Weight cycling has long-term detrimental heart health effects including increased risk of diabetes, heart disease and depression,” says Anzlovar, who helps women ditch diets in her virtual private practice. Overall, yo-yo dieting tends to lead to a higher weight. Research shows that up to 95% of people who diet to lose weight end up regaining what they’ve lost and up to two thirds end up at a higher weight than they started each time they diet. Yo-yo dieting and weight cycling can also lead to a slower metabolism.”
“Pick a healthy eating lifestyle that will work for you and then stick to it,” says Dr. Leslie-Williams. “Whatever dietary changes you make, adapt them, not just on weekends. Not just when your class reunion is coming up. Not just for the wedding, not for a milestone birthday, not just when it’s convenient, but year-round for wellness that is long lasting way after your 30th birthday.”
4. Cut back on booze
“While it’s nice to kick back and unwind with a beverage socially, this pattern gets ingrained in our college-aged years and can have health implications down the road! If you’re approaching your third decade and looking for better sleep, more energy, and an easy way to cut calories, reducing alcohol consumption might be the answer for you,” says Caroline Thomason, a registered dietitian who helps women recover from yo-yo dieting.
The Dietary Guidelines recommend men consume no more than two drinks per day and women no more than one drink per day. One drink equals 12 ounces of beer, five ounces of wine or 1.5 ounces of liquor. In addition to being a source of “empty” calories, in other words, containing calories but no beneficial nutrients, drinking alcohol can increase your risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, liver disease and cancer. (Here’s what happens in your body when you quit drinking.)
5. Limit processed meats
“Consuming processed meats such as bacon, sausage, hotdogs and bologna may increase your risk of developing cancer,” says Christie Gagnon, RD, LD, registered dietitian at Hoorah to Health. “With colorectal cancer on the rise in young adults, I would caution people from eating too many of these foods in their diet.”
Since the 1990s, the rate of colorectal cancer (cancers of the colon and rectum) has more than doubled in young adults under the age of 50, says the National Cancer Institute on their website. And more younger people are dying from the disease. Eating 50 grams of processed meat daily, the equivalent of one hot dog, is linked to a 16 percent increased risk of colorectal cancer, according to a report by the American Institute for Cancer Research and the World Cancer Research Fund. Two alcoholic drinks per day, being overweight, eating more than 18 ounces of red meat per week and lack of physical activity also increase risk.
The good news is that eating three servings of whole grains daily can reduce the risk of colorectal cancer by 17%. This may be due to the way fiber positively affects the gut, giving good bacteria food to flourish and producing compounds that reduce inflammation and keep chronic diseases at bay.
6. Choose more calcium
Bone density is formed in our younger years, and by age 25-30, new bone formation is completed. Your 30s are the time to focus on preserving bone density to prevent loss, and getting enough calcium is the best way to do so. “Because we start to lose bone mass in our 30s, it is so important to be consuming high calcium foods such as yogurt, cheese, broccoli, spinach, kale and almonds,” says Gagnon. The recommendation for calcium from ages 31-50 is 1,000 milligrams (mg) per day. Eight ounces of yogurt provides 415 mg of calcium, 1.5 ounces of cheese delivers 307 mg and if you don’t eat dairy, reach for salmon, tofu, soybeans or fortified foods and drinks like oatmeal and non-dairy milks.
After the age of 50, bone density decreases substantially. In addition to getting enough calcium, lifting weights also helps preserve bone density as you age.
7. Start the day with breakfast
While intermittent fasting may work for some, the majority of people benefit from starting the day with a balanced breakfast. “Whether it’s because they don’t make the time, aren’t used to eating in the morning (old habits from missing breakfast hours in college) or think it’s better to save the calories for later, skipping breakfast is one of the most common things I see my younger clients doing,” says Anzlovar. “But skipping breakfast often sets you up for sugar cravings and overeating later in the day. Prioritize protein, fiber-rich carbs, and healthy fats at breakfast to give you the energy you need for your day and keep your blood sugar stable until lunch time.” Eating breakfast will also decrease snacking after dinner and lead to fewer swings in hunger, energy and mood.
8. Power your plate with plants
If vegetables were more of a side dish when you were growing up, it’s time to make them the main dish. Think about filling most of your plate with non-starchy vegetables and adding protein and whole grains on the side. “I can’t stress enough the importance of focusing on eating more plant foods (fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, beans, oils) and less animal products (meat and dairy),” says Gagnon. “A plant-based diet is rich in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber, all of which will help decrease your risk of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, inflammation and cancer.”
This is exactly how people in the Blue Zones eat—the five regions of the world where people live the longest. Their diets consist of mostly fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes and seafood with very little animal products and minimal alcohol. They also stay social, physically active and keep stress low.
Try swapping meat for beans a few times a week. “Beans are rich in polyphenols, antioxidants that may help decrease inflammation, cancer risk and aging. Beans are an excellent source of soluble fiber, which can help decrease LDL (bad) cholesterol levels, and stabilize blood sugars,” says Gagnon. She also encourages eating more cruciferous vegetables like, “Brussel sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, turnip, collard greens and kale. They are low in calories (25 per serving), and rich in folate, vitamins C, E, and K and fiber. Glucosinolates give them their unique flavor and smell and may help prevent cancer from forming and/or spreading.” (Try our tips for starting a plant-based diet.)
9. Work with your hormones, not against them
“Eat for your hormones!” says registered dietitian and certified aromatherapist, Amanda Liptak, RDN, CA. “Progesterone begins to decrease as early as your early 30s and one of the most magical benefits of this hormone is calming your nervous system, making it easier to cope with stress. So aim for nutrient-rich, mood-boosting foods high in omega-3 fatty acids and Vitamin B6. You can find them in salmon, whole eggs, walnuts and flax. Foods high in magnesium also support mood and help boost progesterone, so make sure to include pumpkin seeds, dark leafy greens, black beans and lentils.”
10. Exercise smarter, not harder
Last but not least, and not technically an eating change but just as important, focus on exercising smarter, not harder. Muscle mass decreases 3-8% per decade after age 30. So while your metabolism doesn’t “break,” it does slow because you lose muscle. Muscle is metabolically active, meaning it burns calories even when you’re sitting at a desk all day. The less muscle you have, the fewer calories you burn at rest.
Add strength training to your routine 2-4 times per week to build muscle. No, you will not get bulky. Instead, you will burn fat, get lean and boost your metabolism. If you’ve been trying to lose weight unsuccessfully, and are not strength training regularly, your 30s is the time to get started. Strength training helps people not only lose weight but also maintain weight loss.
“Create an exercise routine you enjoy,” says Anzlovar. “Exercise offers so many benefits—from stress relief and mental health to cardiovascular benefits and feeling strong and confident in your body (independent of your body size!).”
Those who exercise also live longer and have reduced risk of chronic diseases, like heart disease, diabetes and cancer. “If you haven’t found a type of exercise you like, experiment with different forms from studio classes to dancing or even walking. While it’s never too late to start moving your body, the longer you go without creating an exercise habit, the harder it can be to start,” Anzlovar says.
Finally, don’t forget to eat enough protein to support muscle growth. Daily protein needs from ages 19-70 years old are 0.8-1 gram per kilogram of body weight, but depending on your goals, you may need more.
Autumn 