This article originally appeared on Departures.com.
As we adjust to life during this challenging time, it’s crucial, now more than ever, to maintain your health, both physical and mental. And while this can be difficult, it’s not impossible. All you have to do is find the time and willpower to adjust your wellness habits to your current surroundings. Fortunately, thanks to technology and express shipping, you don’t have to make compromises with your fitness and beauty routines. Here’s how to elevate your at-home wellness routine, from fitness and clean eating to mindfulness and self-care regimens.
Platforms That Incorporate Fitness and Clean Eating Into Your Home Routine
“Along with being great for body and mind, exercise plays a very important role in the health of your skin. Increasing circulation will help to move toxins and keep your skin fresh and dewy,” said Rita Moon, lead aesthetician at Hawanawana Spa at the Four Seasons Resort Lanai, an American Express Fine Hotels & Resort property.
And the same principle holds true for eating right. It’s all connected; improving your exercise routine and your eating habits can ultimately have a positive impact on your skin—not to mention your mood. As exercising goes, the American Heart Association recommends two and a half hours of cardio per week, or 75 minutes if your workouts are especially grueling. We know that motivating yourself to get up from the sofa to make a healthy meal or get a workout in can be challenging, but these platforms should make it easier:
SoulCycle At-Home Bike, Powered by Variis
The SoulCycle bike lets you bring the spin class experience into your home. The state-of-the-art bike lets you tap in (or, as SoulCycle would say, tap back) by connecting you to unlimited classes through the Variis app. Not only does the 12-month Variis membership, which you’ll purchase in conjunction with the bike, give you access to on-demand SoulCycle classes, it lets your stream classes from workout platforms like Equinox and PURE Yoga.
Master Class
Want to shoot three-pointers like Stephen Curry? Or, would you rather learn to cook like Gordon Ramsey? You can do all of that, plus a lot more, with coaching from some of the world’s most talented athletes, actors, entrepreneurs, and chefs if you sign up for Master Class—arguably one of the best online learning platforms. The annual membership gives you unlimited access to all classes, videos, and downloadable workbooks on your phone, TV, iPad, or any other device. If you’re working on health-conscious meal planning, we recommend starting with the art of home cooking with Alice Waters.
obé
Fitness sensation obé may be just two years old but the company is incredibly popular thanks to their signature 28-minute (very intense) workouts. The membership gives you access to 100 live classes per week and an on-demand library of even more workouts, including yoga, barre, stretching, cardio, and many more. The classes are super fun, and you may even learn a new move or two if you opt to try out any of the dance sessions.
Sakara
Sakara is, truly, your field guide to healthy living. From meal programs to vitamin regimens, they offer everything you need to detoxify your body, and ultimately, rejuvenate your mind. Their meal program is all about “clean eating designed for results.” Start with their Signature Program, which allows you to try a two, three, or five-day schedule of healthy and delicious ready-to-eat meals delivered to your door.
Therabody
What started out as Theragun, a game-changing line of “percussive devices” designed to treat your body after a workout, has now become Therabody, a holistic approach to wellness at home. Through the Therabody app, you can take on high-intensity workouts, track your fitness efforts in real time, and get personalized routines that target specific parts of your body. After an app-based workout, and a Theragun recovery, unwind with TheraOne, a line of restorative self-care products, like sleep tinctures or topical CBD creams.
The Best Meditation Apps
To deal with anxiety caused by the novel coronavirus, the Harvard Medical School recommends practicing yoga, meditation, and controlled breathing. Whether it’s five minutes or an hour, the benefits of practicing any one of the three have been scientifically proven. These apps will make it so much easier to get into the habit at home:
Calm
A lot of meditation apps only offer meditation sessions, but Calm takes a more well-rounded approach to your well-being. Calm offers breathing exercises, sleep stories sometimes narrated by celebrities (like Scottie Pippen), calming music, natural sounds, and exclusive mindfulness classes to help you deal with stress and anxiety by helping you create long-term healthy habits.
Glo
Glo is one of the most popular yoga apps right now. Actually, we stand corrected, it’s a yoga, meditation, and pilates app. Glo started out as a yoga studio in Santa Monica, California, by brothers Derik and Ryan Mills, whose goal was to make yoga accessible to as many people as possible regardless of their location.
Now, there are more than 4,000 on-demand classes divided into 16 styles taught by world-class instructors. If that’s too overwhelming, the app will recommend classes based on your experience, style, and teacher preferences. So whether you are a complete rookie or have been practicing for years, there is a class for you on Glo.
Headspace
Headspace is a community of more than 60 million people all united by their commitment to mindfulness. If you become a member you will get a new meditation session every day and get access to guided breathing exercises and videos that will not only improve your mood and overall well-being, but also help you sleep better.
There is also a ton of useful information on Headspace’s website about how meditation can help you deal with anxiety and stress.
Spa-Worthy Beauty Treatments
“Skincare should be consistent. I always recommend an at-home facial every week, which is my routine. Do it on the same day each week and it should include a good cleanse, an exfoliation, and a mask to address your skin’s needs whether it is to hydrate, heal and soothe, or to rejuvenate,” said Moon.
She recommends taking “a cocktail approach” when using serums.
“I think the two most important antioxidants are Vitamin C and Hyaluronic acid. Use the Vitamin C at night and the Hyaluronic acid in the morning. It is a humectant and will help to draw moisture to your skin all day.”
If a retinol product is part of your skincare routine, she recommends applying Vitamin C first and then the retinol. Since retinol can irritate some skin types and it will also make you sun sensitive, go slow with it as your skin will thin a bit. Moon’s favorite organic skincare line is OSEA Malibu. The brand has an excellent Vitamin C Probiotic Face Polish that will make your skin more radiant and help with hyperpigmentation thanks to its formula that is enriched with pomegranate enzymes.
Here are a few other suggestions for face masks and treatments that will help you maintain a beaming complexion, even if you skip a couple of visits to your facialist.
Guinot Nutrition Confort Mask
The secret of this nutrition mask, used in thousands of spas around the country and in Europe, is the potent blend of oils (rosemary, thyme, and jojoba) that deliver an instant boost of hydration leaving your skin looking brighter, younger, and more plump after only 10 minutes.
This miracle treatment also targets fine lines and other signs of aging, so it’s perfect for more mature skin.
Tata Harper Resurfacing Mask
This best-selling natural mask delivers a healthy glow in no time. It is formulated with BHA from white willow bark that deeply penetrates the pores and pomegranate enzymes that remove dead skin cells to reveal a smoother, glowing complexion.
Herbivore Botanicals Blue Tansy Mask
If you have acne-prone skin or enlarged pores, this face mask is your one-way ticket to clear and smooth complexion. It is a clay-based treatment with blue tansy oil—an ingredient known for its anti-inflammatory and skin-calming effects—that removes impurities and dead skin cells and unclogs pores.
One Ocean Detox Mask
One Ocean is a sustainable beauty brand that formulates its products with powerful, marine ingredients sourced from around the world. This mask purifies and exfoliates the skin at the same time thanks to a blend of blue spirulina algae, marine silt, and coconut shell particles.
The result is pretty impressive—after only 15 minutes, your skin looks brighter, feels softer, and sports a healthy glow.
Youth to the People Superberry Hydrate + Glow Dream Mask
We don’t use the term lightly, but this mask has definitely reached cult status. Thanks to its powerful blend of antioxidant berries and Vitamin C, it hydrates and nourishes the skin overnight to give you the glowing complexion of your dreams. If your skin is dull and very dry, use it every night as the last step of your nighttime beauty routine and you’ll notice your skin becoming not just more plump but also less prone to breakouts.
La Prairie's Cellular 3-Minute Peel
This is a quick and effective peel that helps reveal younger cells resulting in a skin that is more radiant and refreshed. La Prairie’s peel is easy to apply using the brush that comes with it and acts in only three minutes without irritating your skin.
La Mer The Brilliance Brightening Mask
This two-step mask layers a cream over a serum and will leave your face looking like you just had a pampering facial at the spa. Its powerful formula contains La Mer’s proprietary “Miracle Broth”—a cell-renewing extract infused with giant sea kelp that is known for its self-regenerating powers. Apply a few drops of the soothing primer first and then follow with the gel cream. Allow it to act for eight minutes and then massage it gently into your skin. If you’re worried about hyperpigmentation or dark spots, you will love this brightening mask.
L.Raphael Correcting Mask
This anti-aging face mask that is a favorite at the property delivers younger-looking results in 20 minutes. Its formula helps the natural cell renewal process of the skin and locks in moisture. Over time, it also helps with collagen production and skin brightening.
