From a Morning Workout to a Midday Plunge to Sleep-Ready | Goop
Jenna Cady (above) is one of our primary guinea pigs. She’s the assistant buyer for beauty and wellness at goop, so, many of the products that we carry pass through her house and inbox. The first thing people typically notice about Jenna is her grace. What keeps her calm and radiant? Unfortunately, a cold ocean plunge may be involved.
FIRST, SLEEP
I love Avocado’s environmental mission. The vegan mattress is made with organic latex and organic cotton, and they do not use toxic fire retardants. It’s the highest quality and so comfortable. Investing in your sleep makes sense to me as it’s such a big part of our lives and well-being. I’m an early-to-bed, early-to-wake person, and I enjoy my relaxing time when I crawl into a cozy bed.
TONING
In the morning before work, I do an online Pilates or barre class. I love the Bala bangles for a little added intensity and weight to the movements. I’ve been doing a lot of Pilates on a Reformer—the Pilates apparatus with wheels and springs—and I’ve been playing on it and teaching myself some traditional Pilates movements. I’ve been a yoga person for a long time, but I’m finding that Pilates is giving me even more balance and alignment, as well as strength and toning. When I’m not on the machine, I do a Melissa Wood mat workout with the bangles on my ankles or wrists.
MOVES
When I want an additional strength workout, I use the Bala ring to do some more-creative exercises. It’s a cool wheel-shaped ten-pound weight that’s made of stainless steel coated in silicone. It’s soft and easy to hold and move from hand to hand. I do twists for an obliques workout. You can hold it doing lunges. And Bala has workout videos using the ring and bangles. I haven’t used the ring while I’m dancing yet, but that sounds fun.
DIGESTION
I take my supplements in the morning with breakfast. I’ve been taking probiotics for years to help with some stomach irregularities. Seed is different from other products I’ve taken because it also contains a prebiotic. The prebiotic is in the outer capsule, and the probiotics are protected in the inner capsule. I also like that it is a higher dose and has a higher number of strains of probiotics. I’ve been using Seed for a month, and I’ve noticed a difference in my overall digestion since I started.*
INSIDE SOLUTION
I’ve been taking vitamin D not only because of winter but because it’s good for immunity. I’m outdoorsy and normally spend a lot of time in the sun—camping, hiking, running. But I’m not out as much as I’d like to be these days, so I don’t get a lot of sun, which you need to make your own vitamin D. I think the supplement is a good add-on to my diet and lifestyle right now.*
CHILL
I love to do cold plunges. I live in Encinitas, San Diego, and my house is close to the beach. On my lunch breaks, I sometimes walk down to the beach and jump in the ocean. The water has been pretty chilly this winter, but it’s so refreshing. It relaxes me and shifts my attitude.
LOOSEN
My neck gets tight because I’m at a desk all day, so sometimes during the day, even during a meeting when I’m just listening, I’ll massage a little Vagus Nerve Oil into my neck. Loosening those muscles feels good immediately. And I like the idea that this is for de-stressing and tending to your parasympathetic nervous system and vagus nerve. I think it’s the combination of aromatherapy and movement that gets me to slow down and breathe. The oil smells really good, kind of earthy. It has bergamot, juniper berry, chamomile, and lavender in a jojoba-seed-oil base.
DOWNTIME
The acupressure mat and pillow have a bunch of small protrusions for acupressure treatment, but they’re surprisingly comfortable. I try to meditate as often as I can, usually before bed, and sometimes before work. I feel like I’m getting two for one when I meditate on the acupressure mat. Using the mat—it’s the size of your back—forces me to sit or lie on the floor, and I feel more grounded and as if my muscles are encouraged to relax during my meditation. I usually lie still on the mat, but sometimes I walk on it to massage and stimulate my feet. I got my dad one for Christmas, and he is obsessed with it. He’ll sit or lie on it while he’s watching TV.
SCORE
I just started using the Oura Ring, which tracks activity and sleep quality. It’s user-friendly. And it’s been keeping me accountable. Last night, the reminder to get into a prebed state gave me the push I needed to meditate. I’m strict about not looking at a screen before bed for thirty minutes to an hour. I notice a huge difference in my sleep if I look at a screen before bed. I’m more restless. And I feel like alcohol and stress affect my sleep. I want to use the Oura Ring to help me track how screen time and other habits affect my sleep quality and time in deep sleep and REM sleep. It’ll help me figure out the best routine for me and stick to it.
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
This article is for informational purposes only. It is not, nor is it intended to be, a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment and should never be relied upon for specific medical advice. To the extent that this article features the advice of physicians or medical practitioners, the views expressed are the views of the cited expert and do not necessarily represent the views of goop.
This article was originally published by goop.com. Read the original article here.
