Do you get out of bed in the mornings and wonder where your
get up and go…got up and went? Most women find that, as they hit the half
century mark, they aren’t as flexible as they once were. Can those days of
limber legs and flexible spines ever return?

Today’s guest, Sheena Nancy Sarles, is a yoga instructor,
life coach, and author of Growing
Younger Gracefully, talks to Margaret about how we can actually become more
flexible as we age if we chose to!

Flexibility is NOT Age Related

“We are in these physical containers and to keep them
flexible, we need to keep moving” Sheena says.

There are 6 directions when it comes to flexible and Sheena
demonstrates these directions beautifully, even within the limits of a video
camera!

The First Two Directions

Sheena suggests spending just 4 or 5 minutes in the morning
performing these 6 directions to start your day off right.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, arch your back, stick out
your backside, lift your chin up towards the ceiling as you breath in. Then
exhale as you bring your belly to your spine and point your chin towards your
chest.

This releases all the toxins in your body. Repeat these two
movements as many times you wish.

The Second Two Directions

The next set is a side to side motion pulling each arm over
your head, inhaling and exhaling, visualizing your spine in positive movement.

Never strain, never stress, and never press too hard. These
stretches should feel good and not be exercises in pain!

The Last Two Directions

This is a twisting motion that also detoxifies the body. Put
your hands on your shoulders and twist at the waist, never forgetting to
breath.

These same stretches can be done with all the other joints
in your body. You can move your feet and toes forward and back, move your legs
from side to side, and twist your neck or your hips from side to side.

It’s More Than Just Moving

Margaret notes that, while watching Sheena perform and talk
about these movements, she puts out a vitality of spirit. Sheena reminds us
that whatever happens to one cell impacts all cells since the body does have a
cellular memory, so it’s important to visualize how your body is moving.

For example, while we are moving our shoulders, we should
think about how flexible our hips or legs will be when we perform this
movement.

Sheena’s website
has some videos where she demonstrates some of these movements, and her book
also has photos if you need more help with the movements.

Balance and Flexibility Matter!

Building muscle is important because we do lose some as we
age, but flexibility and balance issues are important functions no one wants to
lose. Since about 60 percent of hospital admissions are due to falls from
balance problems, remaining flexible and practicing our balance skills is
extremely important.

Sitting is the new smoking, so Sheena says get up and shake
it, move it, and get yourself moving!

Sheena’s energy is contagious, and we hope you watch the
video to see exactly how these movements are done.

What do you do to
keep your balance skills strong? What types of exercise or stretching do you
engage in to stay flexible? Tell us your experiences and join in the
conversation!

All these years we’ve been downing coffee like it’s our job—without even realizing that putting a DIY coffee scrub on our face could change our lives as much as it does our groggy mood every morning. Any cheap, easy DIY beauty recipe is golden in our eyes, and when you consider the beauty benefits of coffee—like antioxidants and exfoliation—it only makes sense to use it in our regular routines. As a natural exfoliator, coffee helps to slough away dry, dead skin to reveal a real glow. It also can add an extra shine to dull, dried out hair. Plus, it smells amazing.

Most of the ingredients for the recipes below are already in your kitchen, so what are you waiting for? Smoother skin and shinier hair, right this way.

For Smoother-Looking Skin…

Simply Laura Leigh.

It’s been tried and tested, and while it’s hard to completely eliminate cellulite, this body scrub works particularly well. The properties in coffee have been found to help diminish the look of cellulite, and the added benefit of olive oil in the recipe will keep your skin moisturized and super-smooth.

For Head-to-Toe Exfoliation…

Eco Living Mama.

With only four natural ingredients—including grapeseed oil and organic sugar—this full-body scrub will make your skin look healthier after the first use. The caffeine in coffee helps to eliminate unwanted oils, making your skin look flawless. The rough texture of the coffee grounds will slough away dead skin, leaving you with amazing, smooth skin.

For Brightening Dull Skin…

As long as you don’t add water, a batch of this all-natural, multitasking coffee scrub can be used for up to six months, saving you a lot of time and money. We recommend adding in the optional arrowroot powder.

For Going H.A.M. on Dry Hands & Feet…

Holly Habeck.

Because this coffee scrub includes a slew of ingredients for both exfoliation (brown sugar) and replenishing moisture (honey), it’ll be especially effective on overworked hands and feet. It’ll scrub away all the dead skin without causing irritation afterward.

For Your Glowiest Selfie Yet…

Crunchy Betty.

Adding coffee into a morning face mask will rejuvenate and keep your skin glowing all day long. It’s loaded with antioxidants, which help to eliminate toxins from your skin.

For Exfoliation On-The-Go…

When you have back-to-back work trips on your calendar, these adorable coffee scrub cups are proof that you can have a little self-care moment without going to the hotel spa.

For Buffing Away Makeup Residue…

Shutterstock.

We all need a good exfoliator, so why not choose one with natural properties to buff all those pesky lines and dry skin? A coffee scrub will help to eliminate dead skin while working with your body’s natural renewal process to produce new skin cells, which creates the glowing effect everyone wants. The creator also notes that when choosing an oil, grapeseed is best for sensitive skin and cheaper than most of the others.

For Shiny, Stronger Strands…

The Indian Spot.

This amazing coffee face, body, and hair treatment will renew your hair and bring it to a shiny, healthy state. Additionally, the disease-fighting antioxidants found in coffee can work for stronger hair follicles that help with hair growth.

For Handling Hyperpigmentation…

According to the overwhelmingly positive comments, this gem of a mask is heaven in a jar for oily and acne-prone skin, in addition to the diminishing dark spots.

For Softening Tangled Hair And Stimulating Growth…

Shutterstock.

As we learned earlier, the antioxidants found in coffee not only lead to stronger hair follicles that help with hair growth, but coffee also helps to soften your hair, add natural shine and help prevent hair loss. This recipe will do just that.

For Exfoliation That Smells Like a Spa…

Shutterstock.

Adding essential oils to your DIY scrub is a great way to make your home feel a bit more like a spa. This recipe utilizes lavender for its calming benefits.

For Brightening Dull Skin…

Naptural85’s exfoliating body scrub is a great DIY option for brightening your complexion and healing body acne.

For Nixing Blemishes…

Naturally Hannah.

Rose oil is a must-have, all-natural ingredient for healing and diminishing the appearance of acne-related blemishes. As noted in this recipe, just be sure to start with a small dilution rate and test on a patch of skin; especially if you’re a sensitive skin type.

Our mission at STYLECASTER is to bring style to the people, and we only feature products we think you’ll love as much as we do. Please note that if you purchase something by clicking on a link within this story, we may receive a small commission of the sale and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.

If you were a teenager in the mid-2000s, chances are Jessica Simpson, Kelly Roland and Kelly Clarkson had the exact hair you wanted. It was all about the super-heavy highlights and high-contrast color. Well, the look is back with a modern-day twist. Bella Thorne’s new chunky highlights prove early-aughts beauty styles are bigger than ever. The star traded in her blue highlights for face-framing brightness and it looks great on her.

Thorne was not a teenager in the mid-2000s. In fact, she was born in 1997 so she was a bit too young to jump on the chunky highlights train. We’re not sure if she was inspired by the celebrities from the time. But the look is back with a vengeance. Even Jennifer Lopez debuted heavy highlights back in early March and Kylie Jenner has been sporting heavy blonde highlights lately. Now, don’t panic that low-rise jeans are coming back, too. (Though there are some rumblings that they might be.) These trends are getting a 2020 spin.

Thorne, like Lopez and Jenner, chose heavy face-framing highlights instead of all the allover high-contrast ones from the 2000s. This keeps the look fresh and modern.

Source: Instagram

We’re not sure exactly how Thorne updated her hair during safer-at-home orders (six feet away, people!) but it’s possible she or a housemate gave her hair the “E-girl” update. We’re loving the look, though we liked her blue highlights from March, as well. There’s something about her. It’s either confidence or allover style but whatever look she tried ends up being a success. We have a feeling this one will be sticking around.