For some people, the idea of going to a traditional gym for self-directed workouts is a significant barrier to exercising. Such a space can be intimidating, especially for beginners who don’t have a routine or a lot of experience with equipment, and it can even feel like a chore, something to simply check off your to-do list.
Luckily, there is more than one way to incorporate movement into your life. Breaking out of the conventional workout box means you can experiment with alternative approaches that encourage creative expression, flexibility, and just plain fun!
With this type of yoga, silk hammocks are attached to the ceiling and support your body’s weight as you hold poses or maneuver into tricks. It’s very joint friendly since you are held by the fabric through most of the class, and you can gain easier access to some poses or moves that are tough to do without assistance. This practice is not only photogenic but also really good for your body, offering cardio and muscle-mass benefits. Plus, because a lot of the workout is off the ground, you are forced to engage your core continuously to help stabilize yourself.
Founded by educator and movement coach Mike Fitch, Animal Flow takes its cues from various other body-weight exercises such as parkour, gymnastics, and breakdancing. The program grew out of Fitch’s frustration with how beaten up his body felt doing more traditional weight training. Using gymnastics as his starting point, he eventually created the six components of Animal Flow: wrist mobilizations, activations, traveling forms, form-specific stretches, switches and transitions, and flow. Leaning hard into the animal theme, some of the basic positions include ape, beast, and crab. Suitable for all fitness levels, this fitness discipline is backed by peer-reviewed studies that tout its ability to increase mobility, strength, and muscle coordination, among other benefits.
This full-body workout uses your arms, shoulders, back, and core to grasp holds and lift your body weight up a rock wall. As you navigate routes, you’ll work on grip strength, flexibility, and coordination, and the exertion will boost your cardiovascular health. Plus, a lot of rock climbing involves having someone to belay and spot for you to keep you safe, providing social benefits as well, especially if you join a climbing gym. You’ll start seeing the same people and forming a community—such support and encouragement is important both when trying more advanced climbs and for life in general.
To get started with this workout, strap on a pair of rebound boots, which are specially designed bouncy shoes. They are perfect for all ages and fitness levels and can be used in group classes or on your own while jogging, running, or cross-training. The design of the footwear reduces the impact on your joints while also enabling you to burn more calories and increase bone density. Another perk of the boots is their ability to correct your posture by holding you in alignment, starting from the ankles. The up-front cost of the boots is steep at $265 to $285, but they should last around five years. And hopping around on something so futuristic looking will definitely motivate you to move more.
You’ll find it hard not to smile while participating in this African dance–inspired workout. Creator Kukuwa Kyereboah is on a mission to “help people feel and be the best version of themselves through African dance, fitness, wellness, curated travel, community service, and positive energy.” She excitedly encourages participants to “move your boombsey” while grooving to music and rhythms from all over Africa. However, this program is about so much more than just dance—it combines movement with the best aspects of traditional African wellness to help participants feel better from the inside out.
If you love music, socializing, and tricking your body into exercising, swing dancing is for you! Originating in Harlem in the late 1920s, this art form was invented by Black dancers at the Savoy Ballroom, the place to be to hear great jazz musicians like Ella Fitzgerald and Chick Webb and see dancers like Frankie Manning and Norma Miller. Lindy Hop scenes exist all around the world (just search online for “Lindy Hop groups near me”) and are some of the friendliest in terms of welcoming newcomers—no partner is needed since dancers switch partners after each song. A night of Lindy Hopping will have your heart pumping, your feet moving, and your brain processing.
Adrenaline junkies will be quickly hooked on this discipline that falls under the umbrella of circus arts. In your initial lessons, you’ll be introduced to the foundations of trapeze, including the safety gear and how to climb the ladder, take off from the platform, and knee-hang from the bar. (That first jump will take your breath away!) You will also learn how to do a backflip dismount off the trapeze to land into the net. Once you perfect the knee hang, you’ll move onto catching, which means hanging upside down on your bar and grabbing an instructor’s wrists to then swing with them on theirs. It’s a practice that involves tremendous focus, pushing the limits of both your mind and body by improving your strength, coordination, and confidence.
However you choose to incorporate fitness in your life, make it a priority to find something that nourishes your mind and spirit as well as your body. The more you look forward to exercise, the more you’ll do it. And with so many options, from musical to social to exhilarating, there is something for everyone.
Discover a world of vegetarian culinary excellence with these two delicious recipes from Jeanne Kelley’s cookbook Vegetarian Salad for Dinner. Using simple ingredients, one presents a delightful blend of textures and flavors, while the other offers an innovative twist on a beloved classic.
This salad encompasses a tasty blend of tart greens, creamy miso, and sesame-flavored tofu.
Delightfully herbaceous, this egg salad features a mix of ricotta, sour cream, and crispy lettuce for an extra layer of deliciousness.
Vegetarian Salad for Dinner: Inventive Plant-Forward Meals by Jeanne Kelley. Photography © The Ingalls. © Rizzoli, 2023.
recipe by jeanne kelley
photos by the ingalls
The tart, lightly dressed greens meld well with the creamy bed of miso and sesame-flavored tofu. When tomatoes are in season, they make a lovely addition to the mix. You can serve the salad with Japanese crackers for a fun bit of crunch.
4 servings
recipe by jeanne kelley
photos by the ingalls
For something as common as egg salad, hard-boiled eggs made creamy and herbaceous can taste downright decadent. I have made lots of egg salad in my life, mostly in spring when my backyard chickens are most productive. Years of tinkering led me to a favorite mix of ricotta and sour cream. The ricotta moistens and lightens the salad without weighing it down (mayo!) or adding too much tang (yogurt!). Mint, tarragon, and chives celebrate spring but can be swapped for green onions or dill. Optional nasturtium flowers add color and a subtle garlic kick. For the best “toasties,” look for sprouted whole-grain bread that doesn’t list sweeteners in the ingredients.
4 servings
If your resolution this year is to be more environmentally friendly, a good place to start is with your refrigerator. Plastic products, from single-use bags to plastic wrap, often end up in landfills. And while containers may be longer lasting, they can also contain chemicals that are hazardous to your health, even when they are BPA-free. Here are some greener alternatives to consider instead.
For those who adore cute fabrics, these reusable coverings are the bee’s knees. Pliable and breathable, they’re excellent for storing cold or room-temperature breads, cheeses, fruits, and veggies—but not raw meat or fish, since you can’t sterilize the wraps with hot water without melting their beeswax coatings. Avoid using them with hot items for this same reason. If you hand-wash your wraps in cold water and hang them to dry, they should last about a year, at which point you can compost them.
Instead of storing your produce in plastic bags from the grocery store, consider wrapping it in biodegradable fabric like a cotton or muslin produce bag or a tea towel. Since these can be easily washed, you’ll be able to reuse them potentially for years, eliminating a high amount of plastic waste. For leafy greens, asparagus, and herbs, be sure to dampen the fabric first to help keep them fresher.
Although somewhat fragile, glass is one of the best eco-friendly choices since it’s 100 percent natural and recyclable. It’s also nonporous, so it won’t absorb germs or food smells. Glass containers can serve multiple functions since they are fridge and dishwasher friendly and can often be safely used in the microwave, oven, and freezer. Popular options include Pyrex sets and Mason jars, or you could repurpose your empty pasta sauce, pickle, or other food jars for storage. Some glass container sets are sold with matching plastic lids, but you can also get ones with earth-friendly bamboo covers.
If you commonly use plastic wrap or bags to preserve your food in your fridge, you could switch to a various assortment of biodegradable paper. For instance, wrap a loaf of banana bread in parchment or wax paper, place lettuce in a damp paper towel, or store strawberries in a closed brown paper bag. A plus is that paper can help absorb extra moisture.
Since they can be cleaned and reused multiple times, silicone bags are a more sustainable option than single-use plastic ones. They’re also convenient for packing on-the-go foods like sandwiches and snacks, and most can be used in a refrigerator, microwave, oven, and freezer and washed in a dishwasher. However, stick with brands like Stasher, which uses natural, food-grade silicone; otherwise, your containers could contain unhealthy impurities.
These items, which are durable and nonporous, don’t absorb food odors or bacteria and won’t leach chemicals like cast iron or copper would. Paired with airtight lids, they can also reduce the chance of your food going bad too quickly. They’re great for storing leftovers because they can go straight from the fridge into the oven (though they can’t be used in the microwave). Look for options that contain between 8 and 10 percent nickel, which will help reduce the possibility your containers will rust within a few months.
Using less plastic in the kitchen can be a rewarding first step toward making your entire home more eco-friendly. Just make sure to recycle your plastic storage containers when you swap them out for any of these more natural options—you can do so through TerraCycle or perhaps even through your local municipality. The environment will thank you.
Starting therapy can be a pivotal step toward improving your mental and emotional well-being. With a plethora of approaches available, though, finding the right one can be overwhelming. To help you navigate this often complex landscape, here’s a closer look at ten types of therapies that are catered to various needs, goals, and preferences.
Art therapy employs creative processes, such as drawing, sculpting, or painting, to enhance emotional expression and self-discovery. Through these mediums, individuals suffering from stress, depression, trauma, grief, or anxiety can learn how to express themselves and communicate feelings that might otherwise be challenging to verbalize. Analyzing the results can lead to deeper insights into what they’re experiencing, enabling them to better work through it and learn more about who they are.
A widely practiced form of therapy, CBT focuses on identifying and altering unhealthy thought patterns and emotions. It can help people better understand how negative thoughts and feelings may impact their behavior in certain situations and allow them to develop healthier, more constructive ways of managing those challenges. CBT can be an effective treatment for a variety of mental health conditions, including anxiety, depression, and anger issues.
DBT, which combines cognitive-behavioral techniques with mindfulness strategies, is a present-oriented and skills-based form of therapy that often requires homework and practice within a group setting. It’s particularly useful for individuals dealing with intense emotions, such as those resulting from PTSD and mood disorders, helping to center them in the present as they learn to confront and accept uncomfortable thoughts and feelings. Through DBT, patients may improve their interpersonal skills and develop coping mechanisms to assist them through distressing situations.
Focusing on the dynamics within familial relationships, this type of therapy aims to improve communication and resolve conflicts between family members. There are many reasons a family may be facing tension, whether because of a stressful situation, shared grief or trauma, or a mood disorder, anxiety, or substance abuse experienced by one or more individuals. Family therapy, typically done as a group, can help identify these underlying issues and allow everyone to work through the different patterns of negative behavior to find better solutions.
Group therapy involves a therapist leading a community of individuals who are facing similar concerns, such as depression, anxiety, or trauma. For some people, focusing solely on themselves can be a barrier, so the group setting provides a safe environment where they can choose when to share and get more comfortable opening up and practicing new skills. Even if they simply listen to the stories of others, they can still gain insights into their own thinking and emotions.
A form of talk therapy, this approach focuses on the individual and emphasizes self-exploration and personal growth. The therapist provides a supportive and nonjudgmental space where the client can engage in a dialogue that helps them discover how their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are interconnected. This, in turn, allows them to develop a deeper understanding and acceptance of themselves. Different forms of humanistic therapy, including gestalt and person-centered therapies, are often used to treat depression, anxiety, panic disorders, and addiction.
MBCT integrates meditation, mindfulness practices, and breathing exercises to help alleviate chronic anxiety, stress, and depression and encourage living in the present. These techniques teach individuals to pay close attention to their current emotions without judging them, enabling them to confront their feelings before they can fully take hold and break away from negative thought patterns.
Capitalizing on music’s healing properties, this approach utilizes musical activities to address an individual’s emotional, cognitive, and social issues. Each session may involve singing, writing music, or playing an instrument; it all depends on the person’s goals and needs. Ultimately, music therapy can help both children and adults improve their communication skills, reduce stress, and enhance their emotional regulation.
With this strategy, an individual can reframe and reconstruct their life story by separating their identity from their problems and unhealthy behaviors, empowering them to see themselves as an agent of change. This can be a particularly beneficial treatment for those who feel overwhelmed by negative emotions and thoughts or deal with anxiety, depression, or grief. It may enable them to recognize that these feelings and conditions are something they simply have rather than defining characteristics of who they are.
Derived from psychoanalytic therapy, which focuses on bringing subconscious emotions, thoughts, and patterns into conscious awareness, psychodynamic therapy explores underlying processes, feelings, and behaviors that are shaped by past experiences, especially childhood ones. It’s primarily used to treat depression and other psychological disorders. Because it is an in-depth form of talk therapy, the therapist-client relationship is vital here, as discussions often revolve around dreams, memories, and other external aspects of life.
Each therapy type offers a unique lens through which individuals can address their mental and emotional challenges. The effectiveness of a particular one often depends on the individual’s preferences and goals and the nature of the issues at hand. If you’re considering therapy, take the time to research and consult with professionals to find the approach that resonates most with you.
*This article is for informational purposes only and is not intended to treat or diagnose. Consult a health professional for any medical advice.