Wellness

woman stretching

Photo courtesy of Sakara Life

5-Minute Routines for Daily Wellness

In partnership with our friends at Sakara Life

There’s something big to be said for the quickest routines. Sometimes it feels like if you can do this one little thing, you can take on the bigger ones, too. And even if that little thing is the only thing today, you did it—that’s a win. Point is: The small stuff adds up. Here are some of the wellness-centric habits—like a daily supplement pack and a comprehensive oral-care routine—that deliver results in five minutes or less a day.

Sakara Life The Foundation

SENT PACKING

Even the most diligent among us tend to have some nutrition gaps in our diet. That’s not a failing—it’s usually the result of a good life and a healthy relationship with food. But it’s also why a solid and consistent supplement regimen comes in handy. Sakara has created a supplement pack to fill those gaps: It contains a multivitamin made from whole-food ingredients; a chelated magnesium-calcium blend to support bones, joints, and nerves; a B-vitamin complex with added adaptogens; an algae-based omega-3 capsule; and a complete probiotic with fiber and digestive enzymes. The formulas are vegan and third-party-tested for purity and potency, and each day’s serving of vitamins is individually packaged to keep your lift low: You just empty a sachet into your hand and knock the pills back.

Sakara Life The Foundation, Sakara Life, $120/$105 with subscription. Take 20 percent off a box of The Foundation using promo code FOUNDATION20 until January 31, 2020.
Therabody Theragun Pro

POWER TOOL

A percussive massager can make quick work of the little aches and annoyances that crop up throughout the day. And there are so many reasons to pick a Theragun. They’re surprisingly powerful, comfortable to hold at any angle, and made to last. The Pro and Elite models are Bluetooth-enabled to pair with the Therabody app, which guides you through routines designed by a chiropractor to best treat whatever it is that’s bugging you. (Which is helpful. Sometimes, a pain here is caused by and resolved in a muscle way over there.) While the entire Theragun range does the job and does it well, the Pro model yields the quickest results: It packs sixty pounds of force—twenty more than the Elite and forty more than the Mini—which gets you to that good-as-new feeling faster.

Therabody Theragun Pro, goop, $599

MANY THANKS

In the past few decades of positive psychology research, we’ve learned just how potent a gratitude practice can be. Some of us may have known that intuitively, but the research results are affirming—studies show gratitude is consistently associated with overall happiness, greater self-esteem, better sleep, empathy, and resilience. There’s no one right way to do it, either. But if you aren’t sure where to start, here are some ideas: Plug yourself in for a guided gratitude meditation, jot down one thing (however general or specific) you’re thankful for once a day, write a letter to someone who means a lot to you, or follow Brené Brown’s lead and list off your gratitudes when you’re feeling vulnerable or scared.

goop Beauty G.Tox Ultimate Dry Brush

SWEPT UP

A three- to five-minute dry brushing routine is a simple ritual but a powerful one. Before hopping in the shower, take the brush in your hand and, starting at your feet, work your way up, sweeping the brush toward your heart. Feeling good should be your guide; don’t brush so hard that it hurts. And if it feels unexpectedly bristly the first time, stick with it. Once we got accustomed to how the brush feels, we ended up craving the sensation—as well as the tingly, awakened skin it leaves us with.

goop Beauty G.Tox Ultimate Dry Brush, goop, $20
BOKA Mindful Kit

THE SHINING

We’re hoping that brushing your teeth is a two-minute wellness ritual you’ve already got going. We’re also hoping that this kit from BOKA might bring out the oral-health enthusiast in you. The floss slides perfectly between the teeth, feels good against your gums, and is the perfect amount of minty. The toothbrush is made with odor-reducing activated binchotan charcoal in the bristles. Don’t skip tongue scraping: It’s foundational to Ayurvedic oral care and protects fresh breath. But the star of the show is definitely BOKA’s toothpaste, which has a balanced flavor of mint and green tea and swaps out fluoride for nanohydroxyapetite—a gold-standard ingredient in Japanese dentistry that works to remove plaque and remineralize teeth.

BOKA Mindful Kit, goop, $30
Womanizer Premium

SUCK IT

Think you can’t get off in five minutes? Think again. The Womanizer is a vibrator made to approximate the feeling of oral sex. Using a good water- or oil-based lube as a foundation, place the mouth of the vibrator over your clitoris, cycle through its twelve intensity levels until you find the one you like best, and let it do its thing. While every body is different—maybe you need or want to stick around a bit longer—we’ve found it’s a consistent path to an intensely satisfying orgasm.

Womanizer Womanizer Premium, goop, $199