This Maternity Activewear Helps Pregnant Women Work Out in Style

Why Your Flexibility Stalls

As though going through puberty weren’t enough of a struggle, it’s also the time when you start to lose your natural flexibility. “No one is more flexible in their life than they are as a child,” says Dr. Leython Williams, a doctor of physical therapy at Athletico Physical Therapy. “However, during puberty, children often become temporarily less flexible. Some children have slow growth spurts, while others grow very quickly. This temporary decrease in muscle length/flexibility is a result of their bones growing faster than their muscles and tendons can stretch.”

Note that Dr. Williams refers to this particular loss of flexibility as temporary — meaning we can’t blame puberty for the fact our toes seem to be getting farther away every time we try to touch them.

“There is no specific age when we wake up and our flexibility has ‘officially declined.’ However, it is a fact that as we age our flexibility decreases, which leads to decreased functional ability and mobility,” he explains. “As our bodies get older, we lose a small amount of flexibility as a result of the normal aging processes. There is loss of water in our tissues and intervertebral discs, increased stiffness in our joints, and a loss of elasticity in muscles and tendons. In our 20s and 30s, it is important that we develop a consistent static and dynamic stretching regimen to establish and maintain flexibility and range of motion more easily into our older years.”

That’s right: What you do now matters later. And this isn’t just about keeping up in yoga, Dr. Williams cautions. “It becomes imperative that we stretch regularly to decrease our likelihood of various injuries.” Jill Belland, co-founder of Barre Belle, agrees. “It’s easy to feel invincible if you’re young and injury free! Flexibility will reduce your risk of injury: What doesn’t bend will break. Increased range of motion, balance, and mobility are all linked to flexibility and contribute to overall strength and fitness.”

How to Get It Back

When you’re a kid, flexibility comes naturally; when you’re an adult, you have to take responsibility for improving and maintaining it. “Peak flexibility age for adults can differ person to person and depends largely on their physical activity habits,” says Dr. Rachelle Reed, PhD, Pure Barre’s manager of training development and barre kinesiologist. “Notably, flexibility can be improved at any age when flexibility training is incorporated into a regular exercise routine. It’s important for adults to be strategic about including flexibility training into their workouts, because maintaining flexibility and physical function as we move into middle and older adulthood is associated with better quality of life and independent living.”

There’s no one flexibility standard everyone has to meet, Belland reassures: “There is no golden rule for what perfect flexibility is person to person, but there are simple markers such as touching your toes from a forward fold for hamstrings/lower back, or reaching for your hands behind your back, with one hand behind the head and the other behind the waist, for shoulder mobility. You don’t need to be a contortionist; moving around with fluidity in your everyday life and having good range of motion in your favorite activities without feeling pain or tension is a better way to gauge your own personal goals.”

But where do you start if you want to improve your flexibility? Dr. Reed explains, “There are two main types of flexibility training that you should aim to incorporate into your routine: Dynamic stretching, where a stretch is performed by moving through a challenging but attainable range of motion several times in a row, and static stretching, where a stretch is held in a challenging but attainable position for a longer period of time (at least 10-30 seconds).”

How do you know how far to go? “Our muscles have a natural stretch reflex that prevents us from going too far into a stretch, which can also cause injury,” Belland tells us. “Aim to gently stretch through this reflex. The key to increasing flexibility is about time under tension: It takes around 20 seconds to ease through the stretch reflex. Reintroduce the stretch and hold it for 10 seconds longer, working up to one minute. The second time you introduce a stretch, the stretch reflex will diminish, allowing your body to get deeper into your stretch and also building better muscle memory.”

If you’re still worried about injuring yourself — especially if you’ve been injured in the past — Dr. Williams recommends seeing a physical therapist for guided stretches. Belland reminds us that you don’t have to go to the gym or spend hours on stretching. “Stretch a little bit every day when you can fit it in after a workout or in front of the TV. If you just don’t think you’ll stretch on your own, getting to a yoga or a barre class is helpful if you need the accountability of a dedicated time and space.”

Speaking of the gym, just as your phys ed teacher told you, stretching is especially important before and after a workout. “Far too often active individuals begin their workouts without a dynamic stretch,” Dr. Williams says. “Dynamic stretching increases one’s range of movement and blood flow to soft tissues prior to physical exertion and/or sport performance. This type of stretching is vital in improving performance and reducing the risk for injury.”

But you don’t have to be an athlete to benefit — in fact, stretching is an important antidote to all that sitting those of us with desk-based jobs tend to do. “Sitting at your desk all day can lead to decreased flexibility in hip flexors and hamstrings by keeping them in a shortened position for a prolonged period of time,” Dr. Williams warns. “Consider a standing desk or work station or taking several breaks throughout your work day to stand up and stretch.”

Wellness is an umbrella term — it looks and feels different to each individual person. Despite the fact that I just named five exercises I attempt to partake in weekly — life gets busy! — I really try to branch out of my usual workouts, due to both the need for a challenge and a general interest in looking for new ways to move my body. What are my most recent exercise acquisitions? Breakdancing, hot yoga, and, well, getting TORCH’D. Goop booked us with celebrity trainer, Isaac Boots, to add the last workout to that list.

Boots has a long roster of celeb clients: Vanessa Hudgens, Kelly Ripa, Jessica Chastain, Gwenyth Paltrow (of course!) and more. I’ve always been a bit envious of how the celebrities of today are able to build at-home gyms and call for private sessions in a flash. Yet, beyond the affordability aspect, I’ve been more curious on how they become so fit — diet and personal chefs aside — with such busy schedules.

I found out in the Bahamas. And the workout is not as easy as it looks.

Boots first created virtual at-home sessions to teach TORCH’D classes during the pandemic, with the main premise of the workout focusing on the flow of body resistance, dance conditioning, and targeted repetition with the intention of burning fat. We — the other gal pal journalists and influencers on the trip — were set to complete two morning classes, both Saturday and Sunday. I, unfortunately, missed my connecting flight on Friday and wasn’t able to make it to the Saturday class due to a series of unfortunate travel events (let’s not rehash it, for my sake). But, after talking to the girls who were able to attend that morning session, it seems that the only thing I missed was waking up really sore on Sunday. My quads thanked me for that missed flight.

Group fitness is also something I’ve gotten used to over the years, especially when moving to LA where it's common practice, but going into workouts that I’ve never done before is intimidating. Exercising in front of others, especially when you aren’t familiar with the form of exercise, can be a particularly vulnerable activity.

Therefore, before attending the 45-minute TORCH’D session, I searched for the workouts online to study them a little. I’ll admit, I didn’t think they looked that difficult. But boy, was I absolutely proved wrong. Keep in mind that the Sunday session was outdoors, and although on a shaded rooftop with a stunning ocean view, the Bahamas was in the middle of a heat wave. I already didn’t stand a chance against my already innately sweaty and red-faced self during any form of physical movement.

Boots started the music — an upbeat, EDM like tune — to get us moving to the rhythm.

We began with small movements like arm circles and donkey kicks, pulsed for a bit, and then went ‘double time’ (AKA we picked up our speed). Those rotations would continue throughout the workout. It was during the pulsing portions of the workout where I really felt it target my biceps, triceps, and glutes. A burning sensation formed in my upper arms and legs several times, making it hard to keep going. There were a few instances when I had to take a quick break to get back into it. It was during those breaks when I noticed I wasn’t the only one taking a breather.

As I’ve grown sick of my mundane daily gym routine, I’ve noticed that having fun while I workout is a priority. Boots’ liveliness and charisma matched with his eagerness to teach really helped me get out of my own head (I have the tendency to become frustrated and want to quit during certain moves.)

I now understand now how a lot of celeb women — like Gwenyth — exercise with time constraints. Workouts like Torch'd are simple and tough, but effective at toning all the right places. While I would 10/10 recommend this class to anyone, I (and my sore muscles) definitely encourage you to take a rest day (or two) afterwards. 😉

Is Blake Lively Lady Deadpool?

Yes! Blake Lively makes a cameo as the masked Lady Deadpool, while Inez Reynolds appears as Kid Pool and Olin Reynolds makes their onscreen debut as Baby Pool. But Blake doesn't only act in the movie — she also ended up helping behind the scenes! Director Shawn Levy revealed that a note from Blake about the Deadpool 3 ending ended up changing the movie.

“Credit where credit is due. It used to be that there was no suspense, that the power room blew up, and our heroes had survived,” Shawn told Games Radar. “It was Blake Lively who said to us, ‘You know, I’ve been with you this whole movie. I want to sit in the fear that they’re lost. Let me be in that place of suspense so the triumph of their survival is more emotional and visceral.’”

“We did just a day-and-a-half of reshoots on the movie, which we’re very proud of," Ryan Reynolds adds. "These kinds of movies typically involve weeks of reshoots. But this speech that Matthew has is one of the pieces that we reshot. And he is miraculous.”

In an Instagram post celebrating Deadpool & Wolverine, Blake Lively revealed the first time Ryan Reynolds told her about "meta" superhero Deadpool was when they were working on The Green Lantern.

"We understood in theory, but how it would come together for an audience was murky, for everyone but [Ryan]. It wasn’t a real dream. The movie was never gonna happen," she says. "Just before all this in 2010, [Rob Liefeld] drew an unmasked Lady Deadpool for the first time." Lady Deadpool is an alternate universe's version of the famed superhero.

"12 years later I read Rob’s post," she continues. "A year after that, @deadpoolmovie 3 was filmed...The universe has such a magical sense of humor sometimes."

Some fans immediately jumped to the conclusion Blake is in the new Deadpool movie, especially after she rocked a Lady Deadpool-esque 'fit + high pony to the premiere alongside BFF Gigi Hadid.

Is Deadpool and Wolverine streaming?

Yes, you can rent Deadpool & Wolverine on platforms like Apple TV+ and Amazon Prime! There's nothing like fighting the universe's biggest and baddest in the comfort of your own home.

Is Taylor Swift in Deadpool 3?

No, Taylor Swift is not in Deadpool 3. But this dazzlingfan art will have to tide us over until she decides to make an appearance!

In a new interview with Fandango, Ryan Reynolds addressed the cameo rumors...kind of. “There’s so much speculation about so many people that might end up in the film,” Ryan says. “I saw one that was convinced that Elvis is in the movie. Anything can happen and that’s sort of what I love about this universe. Surprises are the essence of Deadpool.”

The rumor that Taylor Swift will appear as Dazzler (which has been on the internet since Taylor tooka picture with the cast and crew of 2016's X-Men: Apocalypse) gained traction after a video from The DisInsider. The mutant, a singer who can turn sound into light, has been one of MCU boss Kevin Feige's favorites for a long time.

"Many years ago I asked Kevin Feige if he were to ever direct his own Marvel movie, which character would he want to focus on," Fandago's Eric Davis tweeted. "He said Dazzler. He’s a big fan."

In addition to manipulating sound and light, Dazzler (whose real name, Alison, also happens to be Taylor's middle name) can also create holograms. "The louder the source, the more powerful the output," says Marvel's official site. "She can also shoot bursts of light out of her fingers, hands, eyes, and other parts."

Not only would the character's popstar similarities make sense, but Taylor is also good friends with Ryan Reynolds and his wife Blake Lively. Their kids have been included in Taylor's music (like the intro to Reputation's "Gorgeous" and the names of folklore's fictional characters). Ryan lent Taylor his Deadpool suit for Halloween and both the Deadpool 3 announcement and All Too Well: The Short Film were filmed in Ryan and Blake's house.

On February 16, the official Australian Marvel Entertainment account posted a photo of some Deadpool and Wolverine friendship bracelets, in addition to a rainbow bracelet confirming the July 25 release date. "Besties," the caption reads. Considering Taylor Swift's Eras Tour has become known for friendship bracelets, and she was in Australia at the time.

Who's in the Deadpool & Wolverine cast?

In addition to Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman, we'll see Morena Baccarin as Vanessa, Stefan Kapičić as Colossus, Brianna Hildebrand as Warhead, Shioli Kutsuna as Yukio, Owen Wilson as Mobius (who became a fan favorite after Loki), as well as Succession's Matthew Macfadyen and The Crown's Emma Corrin.

As far as cameos, Deadpool & Wolverine did not disappoint! We also see Jennifer Garner as Elektra from 2003's Daredevil and 2005's Elektra, Chris Evans as the original Fantastic 4's Johnny Storm, Wesley Snipes as Blade, and Dafne Keen as Laura/X-23 from Logan. Channing Tatum also appears as Gambit.

What's the Deadpool 3 release date?

Deadpool 3 hits theaters July 26, 2024. The movie was originally scheduled for May 3, 2024, but because of the strikes happening in Hollywood, it became one of many delayed movies.

What is Deadpool & Wolverine about?

Ryan Reynolds announced Deadpool & Wolverine with a hilarious Instagram post on September 27, 2022. "[Deadpool's] first appearance in the MCU obviously needs to feel special," he says in the video. (The first Deadpool was distributed by 20th Century Fox). "We need to stay true to the character." He goes on to joke that despite all his brainstorming, he has no ideas for the film — except bringing back Hugh Jackman as Wolverine.

"Hey Hugh," Ryan says as Hugh crosses the background of the video. "You want to play Wolverine one more time?"

"Yeah, sure Ryan," Hugh responds.

The announcement immediately started trending on social media (Ryan's original post currently has 3.8M likes), and while we don't have many official plot details yet (Marvel loves to keep their surprises, well, surprising), we do know that time travel will play a role.

Watch the hilarious, gory, and unhinged Deadpool 3 trailer here! The movie brings the classic funny-yet-gory story we've come to expect from Ryan Reynolds, but it also introduces newer MCU details like the TVA from Loki and the next chapter of superheroes thanks to Wolverine! We haven't seen the X-Men in the MCU before and I cannot wait to see how they make their mark on the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Is there a Wolverine variant in Deadpool & Wolverine?

Yes, Deadpool 3 shows us multiple Wolverines — not just Hugh Jackman's version. We also see Henry Cavill! After the introduction of the TVA, the multiverse, and series like What If? (not to mention Dr. Strange and the Multiverse of Madness giving us John Krasinski as Mr. Fantastic!!), literally anything is possible when it comes to casting in the MCU these days.

Is Deadpool's girlfriend alive in Deadpool 3?

Yes, it appears that Vanessa is alive in Deadpool 3 — what?! Turns out, Wade used a time device (with a little help from Warhead and Yukio) to go back and save her before she met her untimely end. However, it looks like that one decision gets him trouble with the Time Variance Authority (TVA). TBH, he shouldn't be surprised. They don't mess around.

Why is Deadpool 3 part of the MCU?

After Disney acquired 21st Century Fox in 2019, characters like the X-Men, Deadpool, and the Fantastic Four joined the MCU. Hugh Jackman's involvement in Deadpool 3 marks Wolverine's introduction to the MCU. And we finally got official word that our Fantastic Four will be played by The Last of Us star Pedro Pascal, The Crown's Vanessa Kirby, Stranger Things' Joseph Quinn, and The Bear's Ebon Moss-Bachrach. Talk about a star-studded cast!