Table of contents for January/February 2021 in Shape

#SHAPESQUAD Start 2021 strong with the 21-day fitness challenge plan from Shape’s Goal Crushers squad. Join Shape digital content director Sade Strehlke—that’s her in this hiking ’gram—at shape.com/challenge. Then tag your own pic with #ShapeSquad to potentially be our next spotlight here. GET SHAPE WITH APPLE NEWS+ Subscribe to Apple News+ to tap into a year of Shape right on your phone. Now you can keep all the go-to inspo on these pages in your back pocket. LAST CALL! Ready to try a Dry January (that is, alcohol-free) while optimizing your health along the way? We’ve whipped up a simple, expert-backed guide to show you how at shape.com/dryjanuary. Check it out now to start 2021 with a refresh. SCAN HERE FOR GREAT HAIR We’ve found star products that work magic…

ROCK THESE IN RAIN OR SHINE The City Dry collection from La Canadienne ($465 to $675, lacanadienneshoes.com) are crafted from waterproof Italian suedes and leathers for sleek winter footwear that repels moisture while babying feet in a shearling-lined interior and memory foam cushion. Pair with Spanx Faux Leather Moto leggings ($110, spanx.com), and you’re good to snow. SHOP IT! Click here to shop products on these products. Cute Boombox The Nest Audio Wi-Fi speaker ($100, store.google.com) is here to be your wingman, taking voice commands so Google Assistant can cue up music, podcasts, audiobooks, and weather forecasts. Go for a pair, and you can tell one speaker to send Lady Gaga ahead to play on one in the next room, so you can continue your groove as you move around…

Playing dermatologist is something we’ve all had to do. We choose, say, a moisturizer or a treatment serum based on general issues, like if we’re dry or oily or want fewer wrinkles or breakouts. Then we cross our fingers and hope. But there’s a new no-fail approach. Thanks to some genius chemistry, your products can make the call, eliminating the need to guess how and when (and whether) to apply for optimum results. “Smart skin care assesses your skin’s specific condition,” says Shape Brain Trust member Ron Robinson, a cosmetic chemist. “Then it adapts to provide only what it will thrive on.” Here, the three biggest smart-beauty breakthroughs. INGREDIENT ENCAPSULATION With this engineering, active ingredients are housed in microscopic pill-like coatings that dissolve over time. “It controls the rate…

A robust sex life changes the way your body functions, scientists have discovered. Women who have sex regularly are physiologically different from those who abstain, with distinct variations in their hormones, says Tierney Lorenz, Ph.D., the director of the Women, Immunity, and Sexual Health lab at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. Sex can also affect your heart health, mood, and stress level, says Alyssa Dweck, M.D., a gynecologist and an adjunct professor at New York Medical College. Prioritize your sex life, and: You’ll Feel Younger Longer When you’re having sex, your body may be more likely to keep your reproductive system humming, so you’ll enter menopause later, researchers from University College London say. Data from nearly 3,000 women over 10 years showed that those who had sex weekly were up…

WE’RE ALL YEARNING for some fun and relaxation right about now. Fortunately, a great winter excursion is a road trip away. “People are looking at outdoor activities and saying, ‘We should go snowshoeing or cross-country skiing,’” says Dave Belin of RRC Associates, a market research company specializing in outdoor recreation. In fact, in an RRC survey of travelers last year, 67 percent of respondents said they wanted to go to a mountain resort. “It’s the ideal year to explore ski areas that are within driving distance,” says Adrienne Saia Isaac of the National Ski Areas Association (NSAA). “Skiing—and winter sports in general—can really boost your wellness and your mood.” Turn the page for three winter wonderlands with something for everyone. Woodstock Inn & Resort WOODSTOCK, VERMONT Nestled in the Green…

Jessica Chastain is a woman of many talents. There’s acting, of course. The two-time Academy Award nominee has starred in over 25 movies, including The Forgiven, which explores the dramatic fallout following a random accident (to be released this year); The Eyes of Tammy Faye, about televangelist Tammy Faye Bakker; and The 355, an international spy thriller about female agents trying to retrieve a top-secret weapon, which comes out in early 2022. But you may not know that Jessica is also a trained chef who loves cooking, a former ballerina who once went on tour, and the founder of a production company, Freckle Films, who has some forward-thinking business ideas. Case in point: For The 355, which she also produced, Jessica, 43, came up with a plan for all…

BE WATERPROOF NEAL SCHULTZ, M.D. Dermatologist DENDY E. ENGELMAN, M.D. Dermatologist MONA GOHARA, M.D. Dermatologist ELIZABETH K. HALE, M.D. Dermatologist MICHELLE HENRY, M.D. Dermatologist MELISSA KANCHANAPOOMI LEVIN, M.D. Dermatologist ELLEN MARMUR, M.D. Dermatologist RON ROBINSON Cosmetic chemist GITA BASS Makeup artist PORSCHE COOPER Makeup artist NUNZIO SAVIANO Hairstylist BE STRONG + WELL JEN WIDERSTROM Consulting Shape fitness director, trainer, life coach ADAM ROSANTE Strength and nutrition coach NICOLE KEITH, PH.D. President of the American College of Sports Medicine CEDRIC X. BRYANT, PH.D. President of the American Council on Exercise JORDAN METZL, M.D. Sports medicine physician MICHELE OLSON, PH.D. Clinical professor of sport science SHAUN T Celebrity trainer ALEX SILVER-FAGAN Nike Master Trainer HARLEY PASTERNAK Celebrity trainer JAY WRIGHT Trainer, studio owner CARRIE PAGLIANO Clinical specialist in orthopedics CHRISTINE CARTER,…

Flood Skin With Moisture Dry skin looks dull, and the cold air exacerbates that. “It draws moisture from wherever it can—and that usually means sucking it right out of your skin, leaving you even drier,” celebrity aesthetician Renée Rouleau says. So skin care that both protects and boosts moisture is a top priority right now. At night, use a gentle, milky, or creamy cleanser, which is less drying than a superfoamy one (Rouleau recommends her own Moisture Protecting Cleanser, $38, reneerouleau.com). But in the morning, just splash your face with water to avoid overstripping. “Next, look for a moisturizer with humectants like hyaluronic acid to help draw moisture back in,” says Kavita Mariwalla, M.D., a dermatologist in New York. She suggests Vichy Mineral 89 ($20, vichyusa.com); apply morning and night.…

“WHEN I HEAR my kids cackle, it’s the most healing sound. It’s contagious,” says the singer and author of her memoir, Open Book. “My whole family starts giggling together, and it’s like some form of happy laughing therapy.” It’s abundantly clear that family is where Jessica Simpson draws so much of her joy. She and her husband, Eric Johnson, have three children, and she relishes in creating little traditions with each of them. For daughter Maxwell, it’s making Rice Krispies Treats together. (Coating their fingers with butter is their delicious secret to keeping the marshmallow from sticking to them.) “We eat half the pan, and then the boys get jealous,” she says. Simpson balances that togetherness by making sure to spend time alone, which has helped her stay creative and…

It’s a simple formula: If you exercise, you’ll feel more energized. “Exercise induces changes in several neurotransmitters—brain messengers that play a role in wakefulness and plea-sure—and that is likely important in the response,” says Patrick O’Connor, Ph.D., a kinesiology profes-sor at the University of Georgia who has con-ducted years of research on the exercise-energy link. Over time, these hits of exercise have a lasting effect. One of O’Connor’s findings showed that 20 minutes of low-intensity exercise (walking) or moderate exercise (cycling on a sta-tionary bike) three times a week could increase your energy level by 20 percent. “It takes four to six weeks of regular exercise for the brain to adapt in a way so that you regularly feel more energetic,” he says. Meanwhile, a single session—at least 10 minutes—can…

It all happened so fast. It was August in Ann Arbor, and Ariangela Kozik, Ph.D., was at home analyzing data on microbes in asthma patients’ lungs, her University of Michigan lab closed since the COVID-19 crisis had shuttered the campus. Meanwhile, Kozik had been noticing a wave of awareness campaigns spotlighting Black scientists in various disciplines. “We really need to have a similar movement for Black in Microbiology,” she told her friend and fellow virologist Kishana Taylor, Ph.D., who is conducting COVID research at Carnegie Mellon University. They were hoping to correct a disconnect: “At that point, we were already seeing that COVID was disproportionately impacting minoritized individuals, but the experts we were hearing from on the news and online were predominantly white and male,” Kozik says. With little more…

Your body works daily to balance its resources for defense. “The immune system has to deal with a range of potential challenges,” says Julienne Bower, Ph.D., a researcher at the Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology at UCLA. “A bigger immune response isn’t always better. For some of its processes, you want it to be low; for others, you want it to be robust, depending on what your body is dealing with at a particular time.” These expert moves can help you keep your guard up efficiently. TURN DOWN THE STRESS EFFECT Mental stress is associated with inflammation in the body, which is a helpful immune response to an actual wound but otherwise consumes resources and can ultimately have negative effects on your health. “You generally want low levels of inflammation and,…

Rich in vitamins and minerals and packed with earthy goodness, the season’s bounty, like beets, squash, and Romanesco, deserves some praise—and a prime role in your meals. “They’re robust in flavor,” says chef Eden Grinshpan, the author of Eating Out Loud and the host of Top Chef Canada. “The right cooking technique and ingredient pairings will give you the perfect balance of textures and taste.” Turn the page for all her cooking tips and secrets. Creative Ways to Prep THE WHOLE APPROACH “Heads of cauliflower, broccoli, and Romanesco are indulgent and beautiful when they’re roasted whole,” Grinshpan says. “They’re fun to serve too. Place the head on the table with a knife, along with toppings, and let everyone dig in.” TO DO 1 Blanch the head for a few minutes…

Here are a few of the productive things I’ve done during the pandemic: almost daily yoga and four-plus-mile walks, organizational home projects, my job. Here is the less productive thing I’ve done during the pandemic: getting tangled up in a zillion meandering thoughts, primarily on those long walks. I can listen to only so many playlists or podcasts while I close the Move ring on my Apple Watch before my brain starts to dig around for something, or someone, to devote an epic bout of overthinking to. This quirk of mine comes out when I’m under duress. It’s useful when born of good stress, like a major project or a presentation, when my obsessive thinking can lead to quick results. But without a clear and specific problem to solve,…

Your Calm Squad Anxiety affects our mental state, but it also triggers the release of stress hormones, like cortisol, which can cause your skin to become drier and spur flare-ups of acne, eczema, dermatitis, and psoriasis, says dermatologist Mona Gohara, M.D., a Shape Brain Trust member. When your skin is in this state, it can’t handle potent antiagers like retinol and alpha hydroxy acids. Instead, it needs proven soothers. These new formulas contain ingredients like calendula, chamomile, cannabidiol, and aloe, each one a powerhouse that can quell the skin’s inflammation. Even just the act of applying them helps: Skin stimulation is known to trigger oxytocin, the hormone in our body that lowers stress and increases well-being. The result is a moment of serenity and calm for both skin and mind.…

For wrinkles, there’s Botox. For age spots, peels or lasers. But when it comes to the tricky issue of addressing loose, saggy skin, doctors haven’t had a proven go-to. “Plenty of devices can help with texture, fine lines, and scarring, but they won’t necessarily restore your skin’s bounce,” says Shereene Idriss, M.D., a cosmetic dermatologist in New York. Now, however, there are exciting new developments. Tightening the skin requires technology that goes deeper than your typical at-home skin-care treatment. “Finally, we’ve found a way to do that without incurring scars or a lot of downtime,” Dr. Idriss says. WHAT CAUSES SKIN LAXITY Think of a baby’s bouncy cheeks. Under the surface, there are layers of soft collagen and lots of elastic fibers set up in a strong scaffolding-like structure…

INSPIRE A VISION “It’s empowering to have something in your home that invites you to look ahead with excitement daily,” Israel says. “There’s research showing that hanging artwork you can project yourself into—a painting or a photo of a beautiful landscape, an exotic locale, a thrilling adventure scene—can actually summon those positive feelings.” PLAY TO YOUR CLUTTER PERSONALITY For some, visual noise is mentally overwhelming. For others, being überorganized feels rigid and tense. Mismatching your decor and your natural inclination can generate a lot of stress, Israel says. Stashing things out of view will calm the clutter-anxious. For those less tidy, sticking important notes to the fridge and stacking papers on side tables will create order while staying casual. CREATE BOTH SOLO AND SOCIAL ZONES “For a healthy, happy…