How to de-age your ‘tech-neck' if you're over 50
I admit it, I've been fretting about my neck. Not in the Nora Ephron wrinkles and sag sense (ok, maybe a bit/lot of that). But a few months ago, it began aching, intrusively.
Occasionally it has been Voltarol-worthy. I should have done something about it years ago. Every masseur/facialist I've ever encountered has juddered to a halt when they reached my neck. 'My Gaaad, it's like rock/stone/wood/concrete .
I assumed everyone who sits at a computer or has a smart phone has a traumatised neck. I let things slide.
Vanity brought me to my senses. To be precise, a photograph of myself in semi profile. I looked like a chicken, my neck's so far forward.
We all know bad posture is a chief culprit when it comes to making us look and feel older. But those tense neck muscles may also be contributing to the pesky marionette lines that make one look so miserable.
I don't fancy surgery. Besides, a friend in her early 70s who has an un-touched neck that's cross hatched with lines is still one of the most beautiful, elegant women I know. Good posture, among other things.
I'm hydrating with oils rich in Vitamins E and A, and SPF-ing like there's no tomorrow. I've even tried a neck cream, which smells divine, but won't do what I need, which is to strengthen my upper back and remind me to pull my head back. I'm paying extra attention in my Pilates classes to protect my neck and wearing reading glasses whenever I'm at my computer, so I don't strain forward to see the screen properly.
I spend five to ten minutes in front of the tv gently massaging the large muscles (trapezius and SCM since you ask) at the side of my neck with my hands.Some people like to use fascia balls . You don't need a fancy oil for this – good old almond or jojoba will do.
I'm also enjoying trialling Keren Bartov's The Wand, a light weight hand held tool that combines Radio Frequency (RF) technology, infrared and red light therapy in the optimal ranges to deliver targeted heat deep into the skin's layers, purportedly stimulating collagen production and boosting blood circulation.
It's easy to use, good for applying gentle pressure where you need it, and has attracted a lot of celebrity support, but it's a steep £1,650. More affordably, Currentbody's light mask specifically designed for necks is £359.99.
Other steps I've taken: sleeping on a memory foam U-shaped pillow which supports my neck and ensures crease-free cheeks if I turn on my side, and seeing an osteopath specifically about my neck tension. He's also giving me acupressure and showing me correct ways to exercise without straining my neck.
The dull ache has gone. Meanwhile, I think the marionettes are softening. Is it the pillow, better posture, hydration, massage, osteopathy? All of it, probably. But drawing my neck back, tucking in my chin slightly and that old fashioned method of feeling a string coming out the top of your head and lifting you to the ceiling is a game changer.
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Daily Mail
a day ago
- Daily Mail
Kylie Jenner flashes toned torso at Pilates class with sister Kendall after shock admission about her boob job
Kylie and Kendall Jenner both showed off the work they put into their stellar figures when they were glimpsed leaving a Pilates class in Beverly Hills on Wednesday. The 27-year-old cosmetics mogul and the 29-year-old supermodel both highlighted their astoundingly fit figures as they emerged from the gym in in athleisure ensembles. Kylie favored a sleek black look featuring a sports bra that emphasized her cleavage. She put the spotlight on her bust just days after she shocked her fans by revealing the intimate details of her breast augmentation surgery, which came two years after she first admitted to having implants. Kylie paired her skimpy black top with slim black sweatpants that emphasized her hourglass figure and revealed her toned midriff. She completed her look with sporty green-and-black trainers, a slim gold luxury wristwatch with a metal band and a black handbag, and she wore her voluminous raven hair styled down in thick waves with a middle part. Kendall, who recently spilled the details on the 200-calorie breakfast she eats to maintain her slim figure, contrasted her younger sister with a bright athletic ensemble featuring a white tank top that revealed just a hint of her flat tummy. The 5ft11in catwalk star contrasted the top with scarlet leggings that hugged her long legs and left little to the imagination. She walked out of the gym with casual black flip flops and tied her dark hair back in a ponytail. Both Kylie and Kendall work black masks as they headed out to their car, and they also carried large insulated tumblers. Kylie started off the week by surprising her fans when she responded to a TikTok user's request for details about her breast augmentation surgery. Rachel Leary posted a video of herself Monday in which she begged Kylie to share what she 'asked for' when consulting with her surgeon. She praised the Kardashians star for having 'the most perfect, natural boob job ever,' adding that her chest is 'perfection.' And though Rachel admitted that she didn't expect to ever hear back from Kylie, she was astounded to receive a reply in the comments. '445 cc, moderate profile, half under the muscle!!!!! silicone!!! garth fisher!!! hope this helps lol,' Kylie wrote with little fanfare. Kylie was referring to Dr. Garth Fisher, the cosmetic surgeon who has long been a go-to resource for members of the Kardashian–Jenner clan looking to tweak their appearance. He performed a facelift on Kris Jenner that was featured on an episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashians, and he also assisted Caitlyn Jenner with a similar procedure prior to her gender transition. In addition to doing Kylie's boob job, he was responsible for her older sister Kourtney Kardashians breast augmentation surgery, and he even helped out Khloé by removing a tumor from her face. Fisher has also been an in-demand plastic surgeon for other stars around Hollywood, even though the Kardashians may be his most visible patients. Although Kylie was now willing to reveal the intimate details of her surgery, it wasn't always that way. For years, she denied having gotten breast augmentation surgery, and it wasn't until a 2023 episode of The Kardashians that she publicly admitted to getting implants during a conversation with her BFF Anastasia 'Stassie' Karanikolaou. In the emotional chat, Kylie admitted that she got her 'within six months' of having her first child Stormi Webster, whom she shares with ex Travis Scott. '445 cc, moderate profile, half under the muscle!!!!! silicone!!! garth fisher!!! hope this helps lol,' Kylie replied to a fan who wanted to know what she asked her doctor for She told Stassie she hadn't been planning on having a child at 20 at the time, and she noted that her breasts were still healing from the surgery by the time Stormi was born. Although she has subsequently seemed to warm up to her larger breasts, she admitted to regretting getting the procedure at the time. 'I had beautiful breasts, like natural t**s, just gorgeous, like perfect size, perfect everything, and I just wished, obviously, I never got them done to begin with,' she said. 'I would recommend anyone who was thinking about it to wait until after you have children,' she added, noting that becoming a mother altered how she felt about plastic surgery. 'Obviously I have a daughter too. I would be heartbroken if she wanted to get her body done at 19,' Kylie admitted. Following Kylie's admission about her surgery details, the plastic surgeon Dr. Terry Dubrow urged her to be more careful about how she speaks about her surgery due to the mixed messages she may be sending to some women. 'I'm very happy that she's admitting to having that done, but I think a year ago she said she regretted it,' he told TMZ on Wednesday while out on the town with his wife Heather Dubrow in Los Angeles. 'I think she should qualify it. I think she should say, "It's great," but it's important that she caution people,' he continued. 'Age 19 is not cool to have a breast augmentation.' Another top plastic surgeon warned that Kylie's particular breast augmentation specifications could be 'disastrous' for other women who try to get the same results during an exclusive interview with
The Independent
3 days ago
- The Independent
I tried swapping the gym for Pilates – and I was impressed with the results
Variety is the spice of life, and this applies to your exercise routine too. As a fitness writer, I like to think I practice what I preach here, but of late I've been training hard for a Hyrox and it's made my exercise plans a bit one-dimensional. So when I had the chance to add a Pilates class into my usual cocktail of lifting weights and running, I was excited to see what it had to offer. By the end of the hour-long session, I was impressed. Despite never lifting anything heavy and moving at a snail's pace throughout, my muscles had been recruited in a way my usual workouts overlooked. As a result, my aching abs and I were eager to have another go. In the months since, I've kept up Pilates classes once per week (albeit via an app) and found my body feels all the better for it – particularly my spine and hips. I've also been able to learn a few things from the practice, and apply these to my regular training to change it for the better. 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I'd visited the island on my first wellness retreat keen to find out more about the birthplace of the method currently trending at the top of the fitness charts. The class catered to beginners with a mixture of exercises including variations of crunches, planks, boat pose, roll-ups and more. We worked our way slowly through each one, focussing on posture, control and time under tension. Throughout, the instructor provided clear cues on how to tweak our technique to get the most out of each move. Lesson one: Sweat isn't a sure-fire sign of a good workout As a fitness writer and coach, I've found people tend to conflate sweaty workouts with successful workouts – completing a circuit session that leaves you struggling to climb the stairs is often worn as a badge of honour. But rather than wondering if a workout is good, it's usually more appropriate to ask: 'Good for what?' My brow remained largely dry during this Pilates class, but it was still effective. This is because it wasn't designed to challenge my heart and lungs, but rather targeted improvements in other attributes such as my coordination, balance and mobility, as well as developing strength in smaller muscles around my joints and core. Take the Pilates roll-up for example – the act of moving from lying flat on your back to sitting upright. Unlike the sit-ups I might see in my usual workouts, where you power your torso forward to sit up quickly, I was instead asked to lift one vertebrae at a time away from my yoga mat over the course of a few seconds. Very soon, the abdominal muscles on the front of my stomach (the rectus abdominis) were shaking, and felt far more involved than they do during standard sit-ups. This trend continued throughout the class. 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There needs to be a balance; a qualified instructor should value their product, while also considering the cost of expensive equipment such as reformer machines. However, I'm also a big proponent for the democratisation of fitness, and think fun, effective exercise should be accessible for all. The mat-based class I attended is available for £12, which felt reasonable to me. It didn't require me to own any specialist equipment either – the t-shirt and tracksuit bottoms I turned up in served me just fine. However, there are cheaper ways to try Pilates still. A decade ago, as a skint student, I found a guy on YouTube who did free follow-along videos from various fields. Sessions would take anywhere from 10 to 50 minutes, and he would allow me a much-needed breather whenever his dog interrupted an exercise – it was great, it was accessible, it was affordable, and it left my joints feeling enjoyably strong and mobile. But there's one major downside to this. Lesson four: In-person coaching elevates the experience I've actually done forms of Pilates on and off for the last 10 years, but never in a class setting. Instead, it's always been via apps, YouTube and online routines. There are some fantastic (and often free) resources out there, but they all share the same flaw: a lack of individualised feedback. During my first in-person class, the instructor was able to appraise my movements first-hand and suggest subtle technique tweaks which upped their effectiveness. Her physical and verbal cues were catered specifically to me, and if one of these didn't quite land then she would go back to the drawing board and try another one until I was performing a move correctly. Contrastingly, in a follow-along online class, all you can do is copy the instructor's form and try to take their verbal cues on board. If these miss the mark, you'll be left doing the move wrong for the foreseeable future, with no one to intervene or suggest otherwise. For this reason, I would always recommend beginners attend a class if they can. Here, you can be taught the foundational movements and principles of the practice, then apply these to online classes later down the line as a more cost-effective option if needs be. Even for more advanced exercisers, assuming a permanent student mindset is never a bad idea. Seek out top coaches, experience as many activities as you can, learn from each one, then use this knowledge to further your own fitness horizons. Lesson five: Betray your tribe The fitness world can be oddly tribal. This makes sense, given the importance of a sense of belonging and connection in forging an identity, as well as combatting conditions such as loneliness. Runners will only run, belittling the benefits of other aerobic activities, while ardent gym-goers claim there's no other effective way to build muscle. But I can't help feeling this is a somewhat limiting approach. Not only can opening up your exercise routine to new activities challenge you to move in different ways, paving the way for unexpected fitness perks, but it's also incredibly enjoyable. As long as you're steadily progressing the activities you're doing over time, good things are sure to follow. This was certainly something I found during the Pilates class. Swapping my usual Sunday CrossFit workout left me feeling fresh as I moved into the new week, and trying something new was undeniably fun. The verdict Nowadays, thanks in no small part to social media, everything and everyone in the fitness world has a label. This might be the proverbial 'Pilates princess', who spends their day wearing head-to-toe activewear while seeking out the latest wellness trends, or the 'hybrid athlete' with their uniform of running sunglasses, hydration vest and gels stashed in every pocket. I'm all for this – if you've found something you're passionate about, by all means pursue it. But I also want to point out that it's not the only way to exercise – something this Pilates class brought home to me. Did it persuade me to drop my beloved dumbbells, ditch strength training and sign up to seven sessions per week? No. But it did broaden my training horizons, provide an enjoyable alternative form of exercise and teach me lessons I can use in my wider exercise plans. Since the class, I've incorporated Pilates into my weekly routine. The resulting improvements in strength, stability and mobility around my hips and shoulders have improved my performance in other sports I enjoy like padel and Olympic weightlifting, and I find I now look forward to the change of pace once per week. Which leads me on to my two main takeaways. One: The best exercise routine is the one you enjoy, rather than one that fits a certain identity. Fun is the factor that will keep you coming back for more, and doing an activity consistently is the key to getting better at it. And two: Variety is, indeed, the spice of life. A varied exercise routine can not only boost enjoyment and keep you on your toes, but also blend the benefits of multiple activities to deliver some bonus mental and physical perks too.
Press and Journal
3 days ago
- Press and Journal
Entrepreneur opens new reformer Pilates studio in Aberdeen
Aberdeen entrepreneur Jonathan Harper has jumped headfirst into the global wellness wave, investing £60,000 to transform his west end fitness space into a high-end reformer Pilates studio. StudioBe, based at 13 Carden Place, has relaunched with a luxury fit-out and mission to bring reformer Pilates, hot yoga, barre classes and more to the city. Just two days in, the studio had already notched up over 500 class bookings and a host of influencer visits. The launch comes as interest in reformer Pilates continues to surge nationally, fuelled by celebrity endorsements from the likes of Ed Sheeran and Margot Robbie. With six state-of-the-art reformers, two mat studios, barre classes and new heaters going in for hot yoga, StudioBe has hit the ground running and is now working to keep up with demand. 'We've gone from old-school PT and heavy lifting to something completely different – calm, holistic, wellness-led,' says Jonathan. 'Such is the power of these reformers and all this mat Pilates now, we've got to the point where it is such a hype and such a big vibe, that everyone's talking about it. 'We thought 'let's embrace it' and that's what we're doing'.' Jonathan says there are currently seven full-time trainers working at StudioBe, with plans to buy more reformer machines to meet growing interest. 'Everything has been fully booked,' he adds. 'We have had all the influencers round and it has gone crazy on socials.' While the fit-out is high-end, Jonathan says prices remain competitive, with an inclusive, community feel central to the vision. 'We want to be a destination – a one-stop wellness hub,' he adds. 'You can come for Pilates and then head upstairs to Pink Lily for hair, make-up or beauty treatments. It's about making wellness easy and accessible. Pilates and a pamper.' StudioBe is also keen to team up with neighbouring west end businesses to offer bespoke classes for the workers on its doorstep. 'That's our target for the next few months, connecting with businesses nearby,' says Jonathan. 'There are real benefits for companies and from an employee point of view it creates a sense of belonging and camaraderie.' And the target audience for reformer Pilates? 'Younger women are obsessed with it, but I'm a real advocate for us men getting into it as well,' he adds. 'It's great for golfers, swimmers, anyone wanting to improve their core. We are getting a lot of early enquiries from guys.' Business-wise, Jonathan has big ambitions beyond the Carden Place studio, with discussions already under way on expanding into clothing and equipment. Jonathan, who also works in commercial property, said the shift to wellness was not just about capitalising on a trend. He said it is part of a broader rethink on how former office space in Aberdeen could be repurposed – especially in light of the downturn in oil and gas. 'It's about sweating your assets,' says Jonathan, who owns the building and masterminded the transformation. 'There are so many great spaces and people need to be creative. 'We have great community and it's a good city to do business in. 'I'm committed. I'm born and bred in Aberdeen and we have to have a bit of self-belief.'
