Bad Backs and Workout Apps
Happy hump day!
Hey party people! I’m releasing my newsletter on Wednesday instead of Tuesday this week. A little pick me up on hump day! In reality, I was wildly busy this weekend and didn’t have time to put out a quality newsletter any earlier than today.
I’ve also been terrible at practicing what I preach this week - meditating, a morning routine, reading the news, yoga, etc. I’ve had some hormonal changes going on recently which I’ll touch on next week. I’m just tired honestly.
If this week wasn’t the best for you either, that’s okay! Take a nap. It’s the shit.
Before you read, here’s a 5-minute breathing exercise this Goop article claims can help you orgasm. Starting of this newsletter STRONG. And if you haven’t already, please subscribe!
“Set your timer to two minutes. (I like using my iPhone as a timer.) For the next two minutes, breathe in for two seconds and out for four. Lengthening the exhale helps calm the nervous system, bring us into the present moment, out of our heads, and into our bodies.
When your timer goes off, engage your pelvic floor muscles. It’s a similar sensation to keeping your urine in. This is your mula bandha, similar to a Kegel. Set your timer for one minute and hold.
When that timer goes off, set another two-minute timer. Use this time to breathe in for two seconds and out for four.”
1. Workout Apps Worth Downloading
Stella, WTF do you know about working out? Aside from my recent three month hiatus, I’ve been pretty into working out for the past couple of years. I’ve tried so many different workout apps, paid for subscriptions, bought workout guides - the whole shebang. I’m sharing the list of influencers and apps I’ve loved the most. Let’s whip our butt’s into shape.
What are they? I find that workout apps and following fitness influencers encourage me to go to the gym with confidence. There’s a fine line between harming your own self confidence by following too many influencers with perfect bodies and looking to them for motivation. I’ve followed these influencers for years. I’m pretty confident that most have never had work done and have achieved their bangin’ bodies through a lot of hard work, healthy (but manageable) eating, and discipline. That fact, combined with their personalities, makes me feel encouraged instead of jealous.
Whitney Simmons: Whitney Simmons is my girly. She is real, raw, and constantly preaching positivity. For my subscribers who love weight lifting at the gym or at home, Whitney Simmons has plenty of free workouts on her Instagram that are hard as shit. You can also get a 7-day free trial to tryout her app. I personally love her app for home workouts. For the gym, I look to her Instagram instead. I also decided to test out her pre-workout collaboration with Alani Nu and will report back on that in a later newsletter.
Meggan Grubb: Meggan is the love of my life. She is the reason I worked out at all during quarantine. I did her live workouts 4x a week and found them to be the hardest home workouts of any that I tried. Many of her Instagram live workouts are saved on her Instagram page if you want to check them out. I also bought her Peach Plan a while ago, but because I prefer apps to pdf guides, I didn’t use it that much.
Melissa Wood: I feel like Melissa Wood Health is all the new rage. Melissa preaches that any workout is better than no workout, and makes short, pilates-style workouts that are easy to squeeze in anytime, anywhere. I even did one in a swimming pool. What I will say about Melissa is that she’s vegan and wildly healthy. As someone who loves to eat meat and also McDonald’s, I’m well aware that I’ll never achieve her slender physique. I know that’s not my body type, and I’m okay with that!
Tammy Hembrow: I’m hesitant to put Tammy Hembrow on here because I don’t follow her as closely or relate to her as much as the influencers above. I also believe she’s gotten some work done to achieve her body. (BTW, I totally support this and personally wish I had money for a boob job). Regardless, she’s a beast in the gym. I’m currently trying Hembrow’s full body gym program, which I’ve loved so far. The days are separated by muscle group and allow you to input weights to track your progress. The app also includes meal plans (I don’t use those), and macro tracking for anyone interested.
For my male subscribers skimming over this - I bet you could learn a thing or two from these badass women!
P.S. If you need a dank workout playlist, I love Beast Mode on Spotify.
2. Talking to My Plants: A Memoir
WTF are you talking about? Until I recently moved into my new apartment, the closest thing I owned to a plant was a fake one gathering dust in the corner of my room. I also bought a succulent from Trader Joe’s and it died in a month. But then I ended up in Home Depot and fell in love all over again (with the massive corn plant in the garden section).
Why it matters? I’ve heard all sorts of stories about people talking to their plants to help them grow (I now talk to my plants, especially Bruce the corn plant). Several of my friends also claim that being a plant parent inherently boosts their happiness levels. So I did a little research. Turns out, this isn’t just BS preached by people like the guy below.
First, talking to your plants is in fact proven to help them grow. To me this translates to: if anyone catches you talking to yourself, you can blame it on your plants. Research also shows that plants eliminate harmful toxins from the air (up to 87 percent in 24 hours). They can also improve your concentration and productivity by 15 percent, reduce stress levels and boost your mood.
No green thumb? Same. I downloaded an app called Planta, which tells me when to water and how to take care of my plant children. Ugh, I’m one of those people now aren’t I.
3. Vital or Not? The Collagen Debate
What is it? Collagen itself is the most abundant protein in the body. The powder sold in stores is made from bovine and aims to supplement the collagen we lose as our bodies become older and by default, less efficient at producing collagen. My favorite brand, Vital Proteins, claims that by taking their product daily, “the results you'll experience include better skin, healthier nails, more hair growth, increased joint mobility, better digestive health, just to name a few.”
Why it matters? Some people *cough* *Kourtney Kardashian* swear by this shit. I was initially recommended collagen by a friend who claimed this product was the key to hair growth. I sadly didn’t reap these same benefits, but I did notice crazy nail growth and great skin. I started taking this product about a year ago for reference. When I tell you that my nails grow crazy fast because of this stuff, I mean that I can literally go from stubs to claws in two months. While it’s hard to attribute these results to collagen alone, I still see so many benefits of taking this product.
Why should I care? I see collagen as a sort of vitamin. While this might be an unnecessary supplement to add into your daily routine, it usually won’t harm you, it will only help you. So, if you have damaged hair, dry skin, brittle nails, or just want to do something good for your bones and digestion, try this stuff.
Disclaimer: Collagen is pretty nasty in my opinion. I personally found that adding it to tea kills the taste completely. Collagen also has about 18 grams of protein per serving, so for anyone struggling to reach their protein goals every day (fitness junkies WYA), this will definitely help.
4. My Chiropractor Experience
What is it? So as I mentioned, I went to the gym last week for the first time since February. I was super discouraged by how weak I was and decided to not listen to my body. I tried squatting more weight than I was capable of and fucked up my back in the process. I couldn’t bend down the next day. Or the day after that.
My back has always caused me issues because I have scoliosis. Scoliosis combined with working out, sitting for too long, or moving my body the wrong way, pretty much always destroys my back. But going to a chiropractor was never an option for me. Something about having my back blown out the wrong way *wink* turned me off. But last week, I became so frustrated and angry at my old grandma back, I decided to give the good ole’ chiro down the street a shot.
What it’s like: Depending on your symptoms, your experience will definitely vary. My chiropractor determined that I didn’t need an X-ray after asking me a series of questions to figure out the source of my pain. She then examined my back and immediately determined that my right hip was raised and pinching my sciatic nerve. She put me in a fetal position and worked some voodoo magic. My hip literally cracked back into place. That night, the pain reduced a little, but I was sore for the next 2-3 days.
I went to the gym again five days later and noticed that I could touch my toes - something that used to be impossible for me because of excruciating lower back pain. I also noticed that I could lay in a child’s pose without a throbbing pain in my right hip.
Why should I care? If you’re anything like me and have joint pain or a limited range of motion, go to the goddamn chiropractor. It’s worth it.
I’m going in again tomorrow.
*Most major insurances will cover chiropractors and the doctor will usually work with you to get you a fair deal. However, I didn’t have insurance up until last week so I understand the financial restrictions and limitations of going to see a chiropractor in the first place. It’s definitely not necessary, but something worth checking out if you’re able to do so.
5. New Music
What is it? I found the best new playlist and music app.
The playlist: Chillout 2020 on Spotify. There are already like 643,000+ followers on this playlist for a REASON. The music on here is my ideal background noise: deep house, tropical, electronic vibes. And it’s 16 hours long.
The app: First of all, can I just say THANK GOD for TikTok. That app led me to discovering a new app called Bopdrop - Instagram for music. Someone posts a song they love, which pops up on your feed. You can then like and comment on the post, or go straight to Spotify by clicking on the song. I genuinely believe that if this was our preferred method of social media, the world would be a better place.
Why it matters? Music is the one thing I can always rely on to pull me out of a funk. It makes me more productive, it makes me happy, it makes me feel like I’m the main character. And at the end of the day, that’s what really counts.
Let’s donate together. Each week, I’ll post a link to a place I’m choosing to donate to. From $1 to $100, donate what you can, if you can.
This week’s donation link goes to The Bail Project. My heart is shattered for Breonna Taylor and her family who were wronged by the United States court system. Let’s help bring protestors home.
Next week: I’m working on an interview about a heavy topic everyone should be familiar with. I’m also getting up close and personal about my hormonal journey and ways we can manage our hormones through the foods we eat.
Thank you so much for reading. Please share this newsletter with friends or fam if you you can <3