Are Stretching Classes Really Worth It?

Stretching is like flossing: We know it's good for us, but we typically avoid it like the plague. Maybe it conjures awkward memories of being the inflexible one in high school, reaching for our toes on those over-glossed gymnasium floors and just not quite making it. (Just me?) Or maybe it's those last two or three minutes at the end of a group fitness class that stand between you and your morning coffee, and let's face it: Coffee always wins.

But a new crop of fitness classes focuses just on stretching. Sessions last anywhere from 25 to 75 minutes and often involve hands-on assistance from a designated (and hopefully certified) stretcher. The purported benefits include everything from anti-aging to better sex. But to find out if an assisted stretching class is really all it's cracked up to be, we asked the experts.

What is assisted stretching?

If the idea of assisted stretching sends you reeling with visuals of your semi-useless old gym teacher, know that this is different. These sessions more closely resemble some hybrid of physical therapy, personal training, massage therapy, and yoga. Typically, the sessions are one-on-one, though in some instances they look a lot like traditional group fitness classes.

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"Anatomically, we all have our problem areas, and stretching can minimize pain and improve function," says Emerald Lin, M.D., a physiatrist and a physician of physical medicine and rehabilitation at New York's Hospital for Special Surgery. Lin says that sessions involving Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF) stretching can be an incredibly effective technique, as it combines multiple major forms of stretching—passive, static, and dynamic.

Curious, I tried a session at Stretch*d, an NYC-based studio that offers one-on-one dynamic, assisted stretch sessions. The "stretch*r" (yep) asked me for my problem areas—lower back, hips, and shoulders—and got to work, strapping me down on a massage table. The strap, he explained, was to keep me from rolling off the table.

He took me through a series of stretches designed to provide relief to my problem areas, starting with dynamic stretches and more traditional stretches like those for the quads and calves. Although the moves felt familiar, through the pressure and weight of his body, I was able to achieve a deeper stretch and range of motion than I might on my own. By the end of the session, he said he observed a larger range of motion in my hips than when I'd walked in, and he sent me home with some stretches I could do on my own. I expected to melt off the table, like I might after a massage, but was pleasantly surprised to just feel OK—not mushy, but not tight either.

Should I try it?

While there's no question that stretching has its benefits, assisted stretching has shown no significant advantage over stretching alone—good news for those who don't have access to one of these fancy studios (or the bank account to sponsor a $100 stretch-sesh every week).

"If you can be disciplined enough to do it for longer in a class, that's great," says Liz Barnet, a certified personal trainer in northern New Jersey. "But you certainly don't need to stretch for that long." And if you're doing a strengthening or cardio endurance workout, Lin says you should ideally be stretching every time. "With strengthening, you tend to tighten up the muscles, so you really want that mix of strength and flexibility," she says. And just a few minutes will help.

Lin and Barnet agree that stretching shouldn't stand alone as someone's only form of exercise. "It's important to remember that these types of classes are meant to be recovery from your other workouts; it's not a workout in and of itself," Barnet says.

In fact, it shouldn't feel like much "work" at all. "Some people abuse themselves by going too hard, and that type of stretching should be left to the professionals: physical therapists or massage therapists." Lin suggests making sure that you either have some type of warm-up or start with dynamic stretching so you're not stretching with cold muscles. If you're set on taking a class, Lin advises looking for smaller class sizes so you can have more personal attention—and less opportunity for self-inflicted injury.

Theodora Blanchfield is an NYC-based writer, social media consultant, and fitness nut who also happens to be a NASM-certified personal trainer and RRCA-certified run coach. She can usually be found in search of either a cup of coffee or glass of wine, depending on the hour. She has been blogging at preppyrunner.com since 2009.

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7 Things You Think Are Good for Your Pet but Really Aren't

This article was created in partnership with Instinct as part of A Better Way.

The bond we share with our pets can make us do silly things—like buy designer booties so our pup won’t have to get his paws wet or throw a raging second birthday party for our cat. Pets are family, so it’s OK to go a little overboard from time to time. But not everything that seems good for your pet actually is. We teamed up with Instinct, a high-quality raw pet food made with real meat, fruits, and vegetables, to uncover all the things you're probably doing but shouldn't be.

1. Giving your pet free rein in the backyard.

If you have a fenced-in yard, there's nothing wrong with letting your dog out for bathroom breaks or to stretch his legs, says Carly Fox, DVM, a staff doctor at NYC Animal Medical Center. But lengthy, unsupervised time in the backyard isn't recommended.

"Dogs are still dogs," she says. "And they're going to get into things. Taking them for a walk or being outside with them means you can regulate what they eat and monitor [bathroom habits], which is important medically so you can notice any potential health issues."

Hang time in the backyard also isn't a replacement for exercise. While needs differ by breed and age, Fox recommends a minimum of 30 minutes of exercise per day for most dogs and up to two hours per day for high-energy breeds such as Australian shepherds and heelers.

2. Buying pet food based on pretty packaging or price.

We're suckers for good branding too, but don't get mesmerized by a cool package, a fancy price tag, or a catchy commercial. Since most pet food labels are notoriously vague and difficult to understand, the best thing you can do is read up on a brand before purchasing, says Fox.

"You want a brand that has research behind it," she says. "Look for words like balanced nutrition and brands that have veterinarians or pet nutritionists associated with it."

Unlike many other pet food brands that use grain fillers and by-products and chemical preservatives, Instinct is made with real, raw whole foods. Rather than cooking those ingredients (and thus depleting them of important nutrients), Instinct uses cold-pressure technology to lock in all the vitamins, minerals, and enzymes your pet needs to thrive. It's also the only raw diet that fits the Association of American Feed Control Officials's standards for being "complete and balanced" through all life stages.

3. Relying on teeth-cleaning treats and toys.

Some days it's hard to remember to brush your own teeth, let alone your pet's, but Fox says it's crucial to scrub those pearly whites.

"It's never too late to start," she says. "Brushing gets beneath the gum line, which toys and treats can miss. And I know cats can be more difficult than dogs, but if they will let you, definitely brush their teeth too!"

If you don't have time for daily upkeep, aim to brush your pet's chompers at least once a week.

4. Using a one-size-fits-all grooming brush.

There's a whole world of pet brushes out there: rubber, metal, de-shedders, slicker brushes, brushes shaped like a tongue so you can really bond with your cat at grooming time. But buying the first brush you see at the pet store can set you up for unnecessary discomfort on both ends, says Heather DePietro, a licensed veterinary technician at Banfield Pet Hospital.

To avoid skin irritation and a wrestling match with your pet, choose a brush that best fits their hair type. Shorter coats benefit from a bristled brush, DePietro says, while an edged style (also known as a "grooming rake") is a good option for pets that shed.

5. Rewarding your pet with food for every. little. thing.

Don't get us wrong: Good behavior should be rewarded—in moderation.

"As people, we're taught [giving] food means we love someone, but unfortunately with our pets that can endanger them," Fox says. "Overfeeding can lead to obesity, diabetes, arthritis, and chronic disease."

Treats are also a common source of sneaky calories, which can lead to overfeeding. For a lighter treat, Fox suggests a small amount of regular food or kibble, or a couple pieces of air-popped popcorn (unsalted and unbuttered). Both are low calorie and pet friendly.

6. Letting your pet off-leash.

No matter how well trained your dog might be, letting him off-leash can lead to injuries and unpleasant run-ins with other dogs—or put you at risk of losing him.

"I know it's a thing people like to do," Fox says. "They might've gone off-leash a hundred times before, but the hundred-and-first time is the time something bad will happen."

Even if it means having to walk farther than you'd prefer, keep them on the leash anytime you're somewhere other than your fenced-in yard or a dog park.

7. Being clingy.

Sometimes you just want to hug your pet. For two hours while you binge-watch Netflix. Is that a crime?

We hate to say it but kinda. Cuddle time might be the best part of being a pet parent, but your dog (and oy, especially your cat) is an independent creature, even if he relies on you to take care of him.

You don't have to be a pet whisperer to know when your four-legged friend wants to snooze in their own space, says DePietro. Ignoring those cues—like shaking, wide eyes, and pushed-back ears—can cause anxiety, frustration, and stress that leads to poor behavior (shoe chewing, table scratching, spraying). Read the room and respect their space.

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4 Red-Flag Ingredients Sneaking Into Your Pet Food

This article was created in partnership with Instinct as part of A Better Way.

If you’re like us, your pets are your children—full-fledged members of the family with their own personalities, food preferences, toys, and clothes (no judgment). And guess what? You're not alone. According to a 2016 Nielsen report, 85 percent of pet parents “believe they can extend the lives of their pets based on the foods they feed them,” and—get your gasps ready—the majority of pet owners would be willing to sacrifice personal luxuries like chocolate or Netflix if that meant feeding their pets a healthier diet.

So we're all cool with splurging on top-quality chow (U.S. pet owners spent a staggering $29 billion on pet food in 2017), but does spending more mean we're buying the best food? And do we even know what we're feeding them?

We're partnering with the folks at Instinct to demystify pet food and help you shop smarter. They make natural, minimally processed, raw pet food using cold-pressure technology to preserve vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients. Because Instinct cares just as much about your pet's nutrition as you do, we went straight to the experts to uncover the five not-so-great ingredients that might be sneaking into your pet's bowl.

1. Undefined Animal By-products

A broad term covering a lot of different ingredients, animal by-products are often used as a source of protein in pet food. They’re also perhaps the most controversial. Animal by-products are defined as "parts of animals or products of animal origin... not intended for human consumption," which (look away if you're squeamish) can include anything from tissue and fat to feet and bones.

Animal by-products are not necessarily bad in and of themselves—organ meats, for example, can be a rich source of protein and nutrients. But pet food companies don't have to specify the type of meat or the parts being used and often just list them generically as "meat meal" or "meat by-product meal."

Vet nutritionist Andi Brown refers to it as the Four Ds: “In our research, what we found is that companies are allowed to use what’s called four-D meats, and that is animals that arrive at the slaughterhouse dead, diseased, dying, or disabled,” Brown says. “Anything that was rejected for humans to eat was going to pet food plants [and then] bombarded... with a number of chemical agents and preservatives and dyes."

Instead, look for labels that say exactly what type of meat is being used (e.g., "turkey" or "turkey meal" instead of "poultry meal" or "meat meal") and do your homework.

Instinct, for example, uses only real ingredients, like high-quality, single-protein-source meats and meals. It also doesn't cook its ingredients to death or add chemical preservatives. Instead, the brand uses high-pressure processing to keep nutrients intact and provide a safe, raw option for pets.

2. Artificial Coloring/Food Dyes

One of the most common additives found in commercial pet food and treats is artificial coloring. “A lot of times someone buying pet food sees the packaging and the colors and thinks it’s OK for dogs to eat,” Patrick Mahaney, VMD, a holistic pet nutritionist says. “It’s confusing as a consumer, [but] the dog doesn’t care about the color of the food—it’s the taste that matters."

For example, that caramel color in your pet's food may contain something called imidazole, also known as 4-MIE. "That is a known cancer-causing agent and not something that your pet should be consuming," Mahaney says.

So why is it in pet food in the first place? For one, dog food doesn’t have to pass the same regulatory standards as people food. But even the use of FDA-approved color additives is controversial—many people worry about the potential cancer-causing effects of eating dye. While more research is needed, it’s not a bad idea to steer clear of artificial coloring when possible.

3. Corn, Corn Gluten, and Cornmeal

While research has shown dogs have adapted to a starch-rich diet thanks to human domestication over the last 11,000 years, the nutritional benefit of corn for pets is widely debated. Some vets believe corn is a perfectly healthy protein source; others have linked it to pet allergies and digestion trouble.

“Corn is actually the No. 1 ingredient found in common pet foods today, but it’s difficult for pets to digest,” Brown says. “So just because something is human grade or natural does not mean that it’s the best choice for your pet.”

4. BHA and BHT

If you've ever wondered how your pet’s food stays fresh, it isn’t by happenstance. According to the National Institute of Health, BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole) is a known chemical preservative in pet food that has been found to consistently produce certain types of cancers in animals. BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene), a form of carcinogen that causes kidney and liver damage, is also used to help preserve food longer.

“Anything with a number or letters attached to it when it comes to dry food you want to avoid,” Mahaney says.

Gross! So what now?

If you're feeling a little freaked out, it's important to remember there are plenty of brands without these less-than-stellar ingredients. Read labels and look for a high-quality pet food with minimal processing and no mystery ingredients.

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Is Inflammation Messing With Your Body?

The term "inflammation" has been popping up everywhere lately, right? Whether you're reading about anti-inflammatory diets or having brunch with your friend who won't shut up about the (admittedly pretty excellent) benefits of probiotics, inflammation has become weirdly... trendy. But it's also confusing—after all, isn't "inflammation" also what happens when you slam your finger in a door?

How can something that seems so basic also be the cause of heart disease or depression? With a little help from the experts, we broke down the different types of inflammation—so the next time your hypochondriac friend brings up the subject, you'll be ready.

Acute Inflammation

This is the kind that happens when you stub your toe—in this case, inflammation is part of the body's natural defense against invaders like bacteria and part of the system that repairs damaged tissue after an injury.

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This classic biology textbook illustration shows what happens when you get a splinter, for instance: First, defense cells recognize that something is wrong and send out the signal for other cells to report to duty. In response, mast cells release chemicals that cause the blood vessels in the area to dilate. This creates little holes that allow white blood cells and fluid to exit the vessel, begin to fight the invading microbes, and heal any tissue damage. And that fluid is what causes swelling. Once the injury is fixed, the micro war is over, and everything goes back to normal.

Of course, your body doesn't always do what it's supposed to. Allergic reactions happen when your body mistakenly identifies a substance as harmful and releases antibodies, triggering the above battle scene—even though there's really nothing to fight. And sometimes it doesn't even take a full-on allergy—just a milder intolerance—to make that happen.

"If you're putting something in your body that it doesn't agree with, that can set off an inflammatory reaction and a whole host of issues," says Deepa Verma, M.D., AIHM. Those issues can be the classic allergy symptoms like itchy eyes and a runny nose—or potentially less-obvious responses, like bloating or irritable bowel syndrome.

The Chronic

While inflammation is a natural part of the healing process, when it's constantly being triggered—whether by potentially harmful microbes or cases of mistaken identity (allergies and stress)—that can lead to a dangerous situation.

Josh Axe, DNM, DC, CNS, says that long-standing inflammation is often an underlying finding in autoimmune diseases. "Over time, this can lead to an increased risk of many serious conditions, including heart disease and cancer. Not only that, but it can also exacerbate symptoms of inflammatory diseases like Crohn's and rheumatoid arthritis."

It would be handy if chronic inflammation were as obvious as an ingrown toenail, but Axe says it often takes a more subtle form before it leads to those above-mentioned diseases.

"Fatigue, extra belly fat, high blood sugar, and digestive problems are a few of the symptoms that may signify chronic inflammation," he says.

The Inflammation-Disease Link

The science on how inflammation affects the body is still relatively new. Some diseases aren't necessarily caused by inflammation, but inflammation can trigger their worst symptoms. We know that inflammation of the intestines in Crohn's and ulcerative colitis causes intense pain, diarrhea, and nausea, as it becomes difficult for food to pass through the GI tract and for nutrients to be absorbed through the intestinal wall. The autoimmune diseases rheumatoid arthritis and lupus also result in inflammation throughout the body.

The list of correlations (but not quite causation) goes on: Studies have shown that the proteins released during the inflammatory process might promote cancerous tumor growth. Obesity can cause inflammation in adipose tissue (wherever the body stores fat), which in turn makes the body resistant to insulin (leading to diabetes).

Studies have shown that suppressing inflammation with drugs can drastically reduce the risk for heart attack and stroke. They're still trying to work out the details as to why that works, but the prevalent theory, according to the American Heart Association, is that the immune system forms a blood clot around ruptured cholesterol plaque, which in turn blocks the flow of blood to the heart or brain. Researchers have concluded that both Alzheimer's disease and depression are the result of inflammation in the brain.

Medicinal First Responders

Just as aspirin and ibuprofen help the swelling and pain in your muscles, those anti-inflammatory drugs have been shown to help chronic symptoms too. Corticosteroids are the next-level solution, used to treat serious issues like asthma.

But scientists such as Adam Moeser, an associate professor at Michigan State University's College of Veterinary Medicine, are working on a way to target the process before it even starts. He and his team discovered the receptors in mast cells that signal an immune response during stress, and the next step is to figure out how to block that receptor from setting off a false alarm.

Can You Eat Your Way Out Of This?

According to Axe, such staples as corn and soybean oils, pasteurized dairy, processed meat, and refined carbohydrates can promote inflammation in the body—and there's research to back that up. And if one of Verma's patients complains of any inflammation-related symptoms, she tests their blood to determine any underlying food intolerance that may be triggering a histamine reaction.

More importantly, there's a lot of evidence out there about the good foods we should be eating to prevent inflammation. That good-old Mediterranean diet—lots of grains, fruits, and vegetables; a little red meat; plenty of fish—is an easy place to start. Foods high in fiber promote healthy gut bacteria, so you'll keep those intestines happy. And fruits and vegetables rich in antioxidants, like blueberries and leafy greens, help the body neutralize the free radicals that cause inflammation.

"Oftentimes, medications are used to simply treat symptoms without treating the root of the problem," Axe says. "I've had several patients with heart disease taking a slew of medications designed to lower cholesterol levels and keep blood pressure in check. Ultimately, upping their intake of anti-inflammatory foods like fruits and vegetables has actually been key to reversing heart disease, restoring heart health, and going medication-free."

Just don't go thinking you can have a salad and be done with this process. "Going back to old eating habits will cause symptoms to return and will continue to wreak havoc on health," Axe warns.

Chill Out

If this article has alarmed you in any way, don't panic—stress may also be a factor in inflammation (fun!), and it seems like we have our prehistoric ancestors to blame.

"If we're faced with any kind of stress, the body responds initially with immune activations to protect ourselves while we decide between fight or flight," Moeser says.

Retraining the brain from its primitive fight-or-flight patterns can be done through self-care practices such as yoga and meditation—and another proven method is just to hit the gym. "Besides switching up your diet, getting in more regular physical activity can also have a major impact on alleviating inflammation," Axe says.

When you're done with your workout, go hang out with your friends—science says it's a way to lessen inflammation. Whether you choose to talk their ears off about inflammation, of course, is on you.

Sabrina Rojas Weiss lives in Brooklyn, surrounded by her fellow freelance writers and competitive stroller-pushers. Follow her on Twitter @shalapitcher.

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