Active Womens Media

If you’re just now grasping how important your gut is is for your overall health, you’re not alone. “[Gut health] is really an emerging field,” said Christopher Gardner, PhD, director of nutrition services at the Stanford Prevention Research Center. And while much is being discovered when it comes to how the gut works and how

If you spend large chunks of your day driving around or sitting at a desk, this one’s for you. Fitness instructor Jayen Wells is here to help you strengthen your upper body and even relieve some of that back pain. Starting at the spine, expect to work through the shoulders, lats, and triceps using Pilates

Kate Hudson has a positive feeling about 2024. “It was a lot of good energy on New Year’s Eve this year,” she tells POPSUGAR. “It’s going to be good.” After stealing the show as the unapologetically extra Birdie Jay in “Glass Onion” and recently teasing her debut album, it seems like exciting career moves are

Something was in the air at the 81st Golden Globe Awards, and it wasn’t just hairspray. As more and more stars hit the red carpet, the normally glowing guest list struggled to make eye contact with the cameras, seemingly on the verge of tears. Attendees like Amanda Seyfried smiled at the camera through red, watery

Honey possesses remarkably beneficial medicinal properties that can aid in alleviating symptoms of common illnesses. Its natural antioxidants, enzymes, and antibacterial properties make it an ideal therapeutic remedy for a sore throat or cough, often experienced during sickness. Honey soothes the inflamed throat lining, reduces cough frequency, and improves sleep. Furthermore, it helps in boosting

Probiotics — nicknamed “good” or “helpful” bacteria by health professionals — are live bacteria and yeasts that help keep your gut healthy and improve digestion. However, when you start upping your probiotic intake (either through supplements or eating probiotic-rich foods, like yogurt), it’s not always easy to spot the signs that probiotics are working. “There

I was on a ship in the middle of the ocean, sitting next to a table covered in sparkles, hair bows, gems, earrings, and pretty much every kind of accessory imaginable. I was getting a makeover from a girl even more decked out than the table. She wore her signature, head-to-toe sequined outfit that was

Buried deep in your brain, you might have a memory of shakily attempting — and maybe failing — to do a handful of push-ups during your fifth-grade gym class. It was the era of the agonizing (though some say scarring) Presidential Fitness Test, and you may be apprehensive about performing the upper-body-building exercise to this

You may think you have this whole “breathing” thing taken care of. After all, it’s one of those processes that’s (blessedly) automatic and (blessedly) doesn’t need real estate on your to-do list. But beathwork — a practice of being a little more intentional with your inhales and exhales — is a way to get even

From an early age, we’re taught the golden rule: “Treat others as you would like to be treated.” The irony here? Many of us don’t even treat ourselves the way we’d like to be treated. A 2023 poll found that the average person has about 11 negative thoughts concerning their bodies and self-worth per day,

This is exactly the kind of energy we need going into 2024. Shake off any bad vibes with a fiery dance cardio workout led by trainer, dancer, and choreographer Meagan Kong. The 30-minute session is comprised of multiple short and sassy dance routines designed to engage your entire body and ensure you start the new

We’ve all been there: obsessed with one specific workout, whether it’s a so-hard-it-hurts HIIT class, a makes-your-bod-rock Pilates class, a zen-AF yoga class, or a gives-you-literal-life regular run. It’s not always easy to exercise, but looking forward to this particular workout helps with motivation, so it’s pretty much the only workout that gets done. But

Having trouble falling asleep is an experience many people (hi, there are 50 to 70 million of us) know like the backs of our eyelids. You would think such a ubiquitous issue would have an equally ubiquitous solution — but alas, here we are. When it comes to getting a good night’s rest, many of

If you’re looking for a mega-quick, mega-efficient workout, one great option is Tabata training. What is Tabata? It’s a super-charged version of high intensity interval training (HIIT) in which you go all out for 20 seconds, rest for 10 seconds, then repeat that eight times for a total of four minutes. Sure, it’s quick and

If I know anything about myself, it’s that my body needs zero excuse to feel motion sick. I get nauseous in the car, during movies, on roller coasters, and even just swimming at the beach. So when I was invited to the XOMG POP! Royal Caribbean cruise, I was immediately concerned. But the thrill took

As we wrap up 2023, the impact of the Supreme Court’s decision in June 2022 to overturn Roe v. Wade is coming into clearer focus. Just this month, a decision by the Texas Supreme Court denying a woman a court-approved abortion set an important legal precedent around medical exceptions. And, looking ahead to 2024, the

The Five Minute Journal ($21, originally $30) According to this journal, all it takes is five minutes to completely re-adjust your mindset, start your day off on the right note, and get better about practicing your gratitude habits more frequently. Who knew? One POPSUGAR editor even said it made her a morning person in this

Refined carbs have gotten a bad rap over the years, much to the dismay of carb-loving girlies everywhere. But what are refined carbs, exactly? Also known as simple carbs, these carbohydrate sources have two categories: sugars and refined grains. Some examples of refined grain products include white bread, white rice, and white flour. Table sugar

Conversations around weight are tricky enough to tackle and process as an adult. But guidelines out of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) are encouraging that children as young as age 6 get looped into the discussion. More specifically, the panel is building upon previous recommendations given in 2017, which stated that starting at

Experts are constantly telling us that cooking at home is linked to better diet quality. In some cases, it can be nicer to your wallet, too, since cooking at home tends to cost less than dining out. But what you add to your dishes when you cook your homemade meals can be an important detail

Fitness goals often vary from person to person; a newfound cardio enthusiast may have their sights set on running a 10k, while a beginner weightlifter might dream of deadlifting 100 pounds. But no matter the workout passion, one exercise seems to be at the top of every newbie’s ambition list: the pull-up. So how do

At this point, recounting the benefits of meditation is akin to singing the praises of the sun or Birkenstocks or chocolate cake. The jury is back, and meditation kind of rules. But if you’re just getting started, you may have questions about how to make the most of the time you spend with your eyes