My legs—and lungs—are burning as I pedal. The cycling interval’s only 10 seconds long, but it sure feels like the clock is moving in slow motion. Coach Mauricio Andrade stands in front of me, offering support that’s motivating but firm. There’s not a chance he’ll let me slow down or slack off.

When he finally calls time and I ease up my cadence, I glance around to the view of snow-capped peaks. That, and the thin air, have momentarily transported me to a place like Leadville, Colorado or Cusco, Peru, at an altitude of about 10,000 feet.

But once I’m mercifully finished with my two rounds of 10 high-intensity intervals, I’ll step outside, inhale deeply, and get back in my car to drive to my apartment on the North Side of Chicago. That mountain view? It’s a wall-sized decal.

I’m working out this morning in the altitude chamber at Well-Fit Performance, a training hub for many of the city’s triathletes and other endurance athletes. In addition to endless pools, strength- and functional-training equipment, and a full complement of treadmills and bike trainers, Well-Fit has now installed one of the few altitude chambers in the country, and the first in the region. 

The facility’s expensive compressors essentially suck the oxygen out of the air, simulating some of what I’d experience if I hiked to Machu Picchu or ran the Leadville 100-miler. There are two other women near me, doing their own workouts on top-of-the-line Woodway treadmills; when I catch my breath enough to chat with them afterward, I learn they’re training for a trek in Kathmandu.

If I visit the room regularly—twice a week for four to eight weeks—I just might see my race times come down and my fitness level reach new heights, Well-Fit’s owner and head coach Sharone Aharon tells me. “There’s such enormous benefit to training at altitude, at high intensity,” he says. “If I say one sentence about it, you train less and you gain more.”

RELATED: 10 Simple Ways to Actually Enjoy Running

Why athletes train at altitude

For decades, elite endurance athletes have headed to the mountains for altitude training. Because there’s less oxygen in the air to begin with—and less atmospheric pressure pushing it into athletes’ veins—their bodies respond by boosting the production of red blood cells. The effect is temporary, so they have to time it right. But when they then head back down to sea level for competition, these adaptations deliver hard-working muscles an augmented supply of oxygen to power each contraction.

The problem is that sweating in thinner air isn’t just harder for us mere mortals, it’s also more challenging for the likes of marathon champions like Shalane Flanagan. You just can’t pedal as hard or run as fast at higher elevation. So athletes have to find other ways to push their bodies to the limit, says Andrew Subudhi, PhD, professor and chair of the department of biology at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs, who’s studied the effects extensively…

Post Malone isn't the only person who loves face tattoos. Celebrities like Lena Dunham, Minka Kelly, and even Mandy Moore have jumped on the face-tat bandwagon with the recent trend of microblading (to make your eyebrows appear fuller). And now there's a new beauty tat fad called dark circle camouflage—aka tattooing the dark circles under your eyes to make the skin lighter.

Professional tattoo artist Rodolpho Torres has gained over 2 million Instagram followers in part for his "eye camouflage" work of covering up dark circles via tattoo. He also uses this tattooing method to "camouflage" stretch marks on the legs and chest. (Side note: We love our tiger stripes and so does Padma Lakshmi.)

RELATED: A Celebrity Makeup Artist’s Steps for Covering Up Dark Under Eye Circles

While Torres has more than 10 years of tattooing experience, derms say you shouldn't trust anyone with such fragile skin if they aren't a doctor. "No nonmedical personnel should be touching that area of your eyes—especially with a sharp instrument," says Lance Brown, M.D., a leading dermatologist in New York City and the Hamptons. "Under the eye, you need to be very cautious—you can cause an infection around the eyelid, or a sty or cyst could grow around the hair follicles," says Dr. Brown.

RELATED: My Perfectly Microbladed Eyebrows Are Ruining My Life Right Now

It is common for tattoo scarring to occur if the artist is inexperienced or presses too deeply with the needle. Apply these potential mishaps to the skin beneath your eyes and it's a recipe for serious concern. Scarring on the lower eyelids, in particular, can create a contraction in the skin that pulls the lower eyelid down, causing ectropion, a condition where the lid pulls or sags away from the eye. "Ectropion can lead to tear duct issues, cysts, and more," says Dr. Brown.

For the record, traditional tattoos are largely safe (and can even boost your health according to the American Journal of Human Biology) but it's probably not worth taking the risk when it comes to the sensitive skin under the eyes—especially considering the new report from the FDA that they've seen an alarming rise of infections and adverse reactions to tattoos as a result of moldy ink. (One woman recently experienced a life-threatening infection after her microblading appointment went south.)

RELATED: I Tried Kim Kardashian’s Trick for Making Dark Under Eye Circles Disappear

RELATED: Hyperrealistic Nipple Tattoos Are Changing the Game for Breast Cancer Survivors

If vanity wins out over your health concerns, consider this: While tattooing your circles may save you from having to pack on the concealer (I mean, we can't deny that the before-and-afters look pretty impressive) since it doesn't address the underlying cause of dark circles, it's likely just a temporary band-aid solution…

The low-carb, high-fat ketogenic diet continues to be the trendiest weight-loss plan around. Maybe that's because following keto is relatively simple: by cutting way back on your carbohydrate intake while eating lots of fat and a moderate amount of protein, your body goes into a state of ketosis, burning fat instead of carbs for energy. 

Stories of keto diet weight-loss success are all over social media. Yet the plan isn't without some side effects, especially when it comes to the way it can affect your workout. Here are four must-knows if you’re an athlete or regular exerciser who’s gone keto—or is thinking of trying it. 

RELATED: Your Ultimate Keto Diet Grocery List

You might feel weak during the first few weeks

Transitioning from burning carbs to burning fat takes about two weeks, so at the diet’s start, your system is not in ketosis yet. “That means that your body is still using stored glucose for fuel rather than ketones," says Jim White RDN, ACSM exercise physiologist, and owner of Jim White Fitness and Nutrition Studios in Virginia. "But because your carbohydrate intake is restricted, the amount of stored glucose (or energy) is limited, which can cause you to feel weak and fatigued.”

Some people experience symptoms such as brain fog, headaches, chills, and a sore throat during this transition. These symptoms are collectively referred to as “the keto flu," explains Dave Asprey, founder and CEO of performance nutrition company Bulletproof. It's not really the flu, of course. But symptoms like these will make you feel like a flu sufferer and “will negatively affect your ability to tackle a workout,” says Asprey.

The "keto poops" could interrupt your workout

Yep, this is a real thing. It's also known as keto diarrhea, and it can strike in the middle of a gym session. Keto poops are a common side effect of the high-fat diet. “This is likely due to the gallbladder—the organ that produces bile to help break down all the fat in the keto diet—feeling overwhelmed or overworked,” says Josh Axe, a natural medicine physician and author of the upcoming book Keto Diet.

Feeling an urgent need to go number two during yoga or CrossFit isn't too much of an issue; you can just hightail it to the gym restroom or locker room and then resume your workout. But when you’re on an outdoor run, well, that could be a problem. If you’re a casual runner, just pick a shorter route or one with known bathroom stops. And consider adjusting your meal schedule, so any poop problems happen before or after you lace up your running shoes.

RELATED: Keto vs. Atkins: Which Is the Better Low-Carb Diet?

You'll need to hydrate a lot more often

Dehydration is another common side side effect of keto. “Ketosis causes you to lose electrolytes because it increases urine output," says Axe…

You already know that vitamin D is good for your bones, your brain, and your heart. Now, new research suggests that it may also give your workout routine a boost. According to a study published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, people with higher levels of vitamin D tend to be more physically fit.

Specifically, the study looked at cardiorespiratory fitness, a measure of how efficiently the heart and lungs supply oxygen to the muscles during exercise. People with higher cardiorespiratory fitness can exercise longer and harder, and they also tend to live longer and healthier lives.

For the study, researchers compared the vitamin D levels and cardiorespiratory fitness levels—measured by a treadmill test—of nearly 2,000 U.S. adults ages 20 to 49 who took part in a nationwide study from 2001 to 2004.

They found that people in the top quartile of vitamin D had cardiorespiratory fitness levels that were 4.3 times higher than those in the bottom quartile. Each 10-point increase in vitamin D was associated with a 0.78-point increase in VO2 max, the measurement for cardiorespiratory fitness.

RELATED: 12 Ways to Get Your Daily Vitamin D

Even after adjusting for participants’ age, sex, race, body mass index, and health history, fitness levels for those with the highest vitamin D levels were still 2.9 times higher than those with the lowest. The link held true for both men and women, and for all of the age groups and ethnicities in the study. It was also true regardless of whether participants were smokers or had hypertension or diabetes.

The study was observational, so it could not show a cause-and-effect relationship. But the association was “strong, incremental, and consistent across groups,” said lead author Amr Marawan, MD, assistant professor of internal medicine at Virginia Commonwealth University, in a news release from the European Society of Cardiology (ESC).

“This suggests that there is a robust connection and provides further impetus for having adequate vitamin D levels,” Dr. Marawan said, “which is particularly challenging in cold, cloudy places where people are less exposed to the sun.”

Vitamin D is known as the sunshine vitamin because the human body makes vitamin D in response to sun exposure. People can also get it from supplements or from fortified foods. (The study did not take into account how much vitamin D participants got from sun, supplements, or food.)

The study notes that vitamin D could potentially affect cardiorespiratory fitness in several ways. For starters, the nutrient has been shown to boost the production of muscle protein and aid in calcium and phosphorus transport on a cellular level. It may also affect the body’s makeup of fast-twitch muscle fibers, “suggesting that vitamin D may improve aerobic fitness,” the authors wrote.

RELATED: 27 Health Problems Linked to Low Vitamin D

This isn’t the first study to suggest a link between vitamin D and athletic performance: Previous research has noted that vitamin D-deficient ballet dancers jump higher and have fewer injuries—and pro athletes have better sprint times—when they take supplements…

What would you do if you were out for a Saturday morning run, training hard for your next race, and all of a sudden a car drives by and throws a McDonald’s cup at you? What about if a group of young boys comes up behind you and smacks your butt, giggling as they run away?

Believe it or not, both of these examples of supreme body shaming have happened to competitive runner Julie Creffield, author of The Fat Girls' Guide to Marathon Running ($9; amazon.com)

Creffield, who’s from the United Kingdom, considers herself a plus-size runner. But anyone who thinks her weight holds her back is seriously mistaken. She’s been running for about 15 years and has completed marathons, ultramarathons, and triathlons around the world. Now, she’s taking on what she calls her “bucket list” race: Sunday’s New York City Marathon.

RELATED: Everything You Need to Know to Train for a Half Marathon

For Creffield, 15 years of running has also meant 15 years of body shaming, exclusion, and misguided stereotypes. “People automatically think you run to lose weight, and then when you don’t lose weight, they’re like ‘Why are you still fat?’” she tells Health. “There’s this assumption that we only exercise for slimness, and for me that’s not the reason.”

Running is like therapy for Creffield. She used to struggle with depression, she says, and she credits exercise with pulling her out of it.

Another misconception Creffield can’t seem to escape: people thinking she’s a beginner. “They give you unsolicited advice about how to improve, and they say things like, ‘Once you’ve been doing it for a while, it’ll be easier.’ And I’m like, ‘Well, I’ve been running for 15 years.’”

RELATED: 6 Food Rules for Marathon Success

After years of putting up with body-shaming comments and actions, Creffield says she realized she couldn't be the only runner who had to deal with this kind of abuse. So in 2010, she started her blog, The Fat Girls' Guide to Running. In 2013, she turned it into a business, Too Fat to Run?

The name was inspired by one of Creffield’s most notable body-shaming experiences, when she went to the doctor with a pulled back muscle. As soon as she started complaining of pain, the doctor suggested she exercise more. “I was like, ‘Well actually, I’m training for a marathon,’ and he said, ‘Oh no, you’re too fat to run a marathon.’” Cue her determination to prove him wrong.

She calls her business a “virtual running club,” or an online resource runners can go to find carefully tailored workouts and training programs. It's also a platform for connecting with other women in the program. 

Creffield says she’s always felt excluded from the running community…

Hotly debated fitness topics are in no short supply: yoga vs. pilates, cardio vs. strength training, and the treadmill vs. outdoor running. But no dispute is as polarizing as the one surrounding morning vs. evening workouts.

Of course, the absolute best time to work out is whenever gym time meshes with your schedule so actually show up on the regular. If you can only squeeze in a jog or yoga flow late at night, it's smarter to do that then skip it altogether, exercise physiologists and trainers say.

But starting the day with a heart-pumping sweat session does come with indisputable health benefits. And now that daylight saving time has ended, mornings are brighter, so getting out of bed and into your workout leggings isn't as hard as you might think. Let us make the case with these five science-backed reasons to start setting your alarm a little bit earlier.

RELATED: How to Motivate Yourself to Go to the Gym on Cold, Dark Days

You’ll make better wellness choices all day

“When you start the day working on your health, you'll strive to maintain that healthiness," explains Zack Daley, head coach at Tone House in New York City.

Think about it: When you're proud of yourself for killing it at your 8 a.m. class, you won't want to ruin that healthy high by gorging on breakfast donuts, right? Instead, you'll likely try to keep that awesome feeling going by skipping the pastries, taking the stairs to get to your office, and indulging in a grain bowl at lunch rather than the taco Tuesday special. All of these little moves add up to a healthier you.

You’ll sleep like Sleeping Beauty

According to the  National Sleep Foundation (NSF), people who hit the treadmill at 7 a.m. sleep longer, experience deeper sleep cycles, and spend 75% more time in the most reparative stages of slumber than those who exercise at later times in the day. THe NSF also notes that those who sweat at night tend to have more trouble catching shuteye, possibly because working out raises your body temperature, which is a known sleep saboteur.

Anecdotally, Daley believes this to be true: “I find that when I work out early, I am able to get to bed easier at night. But when I work out later at night, my adrenaline is still going from my late night workout.”

RELATED: 20 Habits That Make You Miserable Every Winter

You might lower your blood pressure 

People with high blood pressure, aka hypertension, often need medications to control this dangerous condition. But lifestyle changes—such as morning exercise—may help. In one study published in the Journal of Vascular Health and Risk Management, researchers had participants exercise at three different times of day: 7 a.m., 11 a.m., and 7 p.m.

Those who worked out early in the morning reduced their post-workout blood pressure by 10%…

Nothing throws off your flow like teetering or even falling as you’re trying to hold your balance during yoga class. But there could be a reason you can’t seem to get your body weight to stay centered. Yoga instructor Kirby Koo says it’s not uncommon for students to need some guidance when they’re trying a new balance-focused pose, which is exactly what she’s going to give you in this video. Here’s how to fix three balances you get could be doing wrong:

RELATED: This Yoga Flow Will Instantly Boost Your Mood

Dancer pose

As you stand on one leg and extend the other high behind you, reach your arm over your shoulder and hold your foot in your hand. Keep your knee bent at a 90 degree angle behind you, and make sure your hips are square to the floor. Lift the arm that isn’t holding your foot so that it’s above your head and angled forward.

Shoulder stand

While extending your legs in the air, make sure your elbows are angled in toward your body and not poking out to the sides. Let your weight fall into your hands while they’re placed on your lower back, and keep your legs straight.

RELATED: The Best Online Yoga Workout Videos for Calming Your Mind and Toning Your Body

Side plank

With one hand and foot on the floor supporting your body weight, draw your shoulders back, preventing your chest from falling forward. Then lift your hips to the sky, and keep your eyes looking at the ceiling.

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Who doesn't love Thanksgiving—one of the few days of the year when you can put aside your usual healthy habits and pig out with no shame or judgment?

While we're totally on board with holiday indulgence, it's not a bad idea to try to do at least one food- or fitness-related move to keep your energy high, your mood bright, and successfully resist the urge to veg out on the couch after dinner nursing a monster food baby. To give you some inspiration, we asked fitness influencers, nutritionists, and Health staffers to tell us one thing they always do for mind-body health on Turkey Day.

RELATED: 11 Celeb-Approved Workouts for a Toned, Sculpted Butt

“I get out on the road early for a run before the festivities begin. I know later I most likely won’t have the time or energy. Running is also my 'me' time; on a day of giving thanks, it’s important to thank yourself for all you do! Having the ability to move, breathe, and share life with others makes me feel even more grateful. The crisp fall air and smell of fallen leaves doesn’t hurt in setting the mood either.”

—Rebecca Kennedy, New York based–fitness trainer

“I love taking recipes from Pinterest that look super yummy and find ways to make them healthier with organic and natural ingredients. It's fun because it's something the whole family can be part of. We're all cooking and being creative, and healthy!”

—Cassey Ho, fitness influencer and founder of Blogilates

“I always try to maintain a physical yoga practice during the holidays, even if it mean unrolling my mat in the one sliver of space that’s not occupied by a family member. It always helps me stay centered during what can be a very emotionally difficult time of the year and it helps validate my requisite gluttonous holiday meal choices. Plus, yogic twists make digestion of rich holiday food much easier.”

—Jessamyn Stanley, yogi and author of Every Body Yoga

“On Thanksgiving I pay close attention to my mind-body connection. It doesn't feel good to deprive myself, and it doesn't feel good to be stuffed and sluggish, so I make choices that allow me to feel both satisfied and energized simultaneously. This balance feels just right, both mentally and physically, and it's freeing to make choices motivated by feeling well, rather than numbers, rules, shoulds, or guilt!"

—Cynthia Sass, RD, Health contributing nutrition editor

RELATED: How to Handle the Holidays When You Have Food Intolerances

“I just make sure to get a run in, walk before and after eating, and then also pace myself between the main course and dessert. I'm never one to wildly indulge and I think if you give yourself a bit of a break between the main course and dessert it allows you some time to spend with your family, in addition to being actually able to savor the deliciousness of the sweets…

When it comes to anti-aging, there’s no greater tool than retinoids. We’re not exaggerating when we say they are the gold standard in preventing and reversing signs of aging. From plumping fine lines and fading hyperpigmentation, to increasing skin elasticity, there’s seemingly no aging issue they can’t improve. So why aren’t we all using retinoids?

Retinoids—unlike retinol, a gentler version that’s found in hundreds of over-the-counter products—are a controlled class of ingredients, meaning they are not available without a dermatologist prescription.

On the one hand, requiring a prescription is for our own safety. Retinoids are powerful tools, so improper use can lead to damaged skin, with the exact opposite side effects of intended use. But, for a huge variety of reasons, it’s not always simple to get a prescription. Maybe you live in an area with low access to dermatologists, maybe your insurance doesn’t cover them, or maybe it’s hard to make time to pick up your script at a far flung pharmacy.

RELATED: 3 Skincare Products You Should Never Use With Retinoids

It doesn’t have to be like that. Curology, a startup rethinking prescription treatments, has combined all of our favorite things about skin care—high-potency ingredients, expert formulations, a customizable experience, and the ease and delight of a subscription box.

Not quite just a product, Curology is a service. User’s can connect with Curology through its website by uploading selfies to their account, highlighting skin issues they’d like to tackle. Actual dermatologists then review and recommend custom ingredient blends, which are packaged into Superbottles, and mailed directly to the customer’s home.

Among the ingredients dermatologists can choose to include in your Superbottle are tretinoin (a type of retinoid also known as Retin A), Clindamycin (a prescription antibiotic that works wonder on acne-prone skin), and Azelaic Acid (another prescription miracle worker for skin cell turnover.) There wide range of highly effective ingredients mean they can recommend solutions not just for anti-aging, but for acne, rosacea, hyperpigmentation and more.

RELATED: The 27 Best Anti-Aging Tips of All Time

Today, Curology just announced two new products to even further streamline your path to great skin. Introducing: your friendliest cleanser and moisturizer yet. Now, Curology members can choose to add these new additions to their monthly or bimonthly deliveries, and be sure they’ll never have to deliberate using hand soap when their cleanser runs out.

If you’re new to the service, you can start out with your very own three-piece trial kit, which includes a totally custom Superbottle, plus the cleanser and moisturizer, for just the cost of shipping ($5; curology.com). Once you’re hooked (and when you start seeing results, you will be), a subscription will run you between $20-$60/mo, depending on your scheduling and product selections…

Yes, it can. According to Debra Jaliman, MD, a New York City-based dermatologist and author of Skin Rules ($13; amazon.com), sleeping in such a way that your face comes into contact with cotton pillowcases like on your side or stomach can lead to the creation of deep sleep lines on your forehead and cheeks.

Wrinkles are caused by the loss of collagen and elasticity, which reduces skin volume. But applying repeated pressure (such as sleeping with the side of your face on a pillow) or muscle motions (such as laughing and squinting) against the collagen will promote its breakdown, eventually leading to visible lines.

Here are the eight ways that you can prevent wrinkles while you rest.

Sleep on your back

Sleeping on your stomach or on of your sides means there is constant pressure on your face. Over time, this action will produce unwanted sleep lines. You can remedy this by sleeping on your back, says Dr. Jaliman, this way you will not apply any pressure to your face. For many people though, this might be uncomfortable, and you can't control your involuntary sleep movement leading you to a side or stomach position. But, you can practice and can get used to it over time.

Not a back-sleeper? Get a special pillow

Dr. Jaliman recommends the NIGHT Pillow ($150; amazon.com) for sleep. "It has many benefits including minimizing wrinkles, supporting clean skin, and assisting with hydrating your skin cells, which helps prevent the formation of fine lines," she says.

If you do want to promote sleeping on your back, try the Nurse Jamie Beauty Bear Age Delay Pillow ($69; dermstore.com), which is a contoured pillow designed to reduce facial contact with the pillow surface, reducing sleep lines.

There's also a lower-tech option for those who want to become back sleepers. You know those pillows they sell in airports so you can sleep comfortably on long flights? You can use them in bed, too. They make it easier to sleep on your back without eventually rolling onto your side. Try the Nap uPillow ($20; amazon.com), which uses silky-soft fabric for soothing support.

RELATED: 7 White Noise Machines That Could Help You (Finally) Get a Good Night's Sleep

Upgrade your pillowcase

If you just can't get comfortable sleeping on your back, you can still prevent those pillowcase-induced wrinkles by upgrading from cotton to silk or satin. "With a silk pillowcase, your skin slides on the pillow," says Dr. Jaliman. In other words, there is less traction and your face won't "crunch" against it like it does on a cotton pillow. Try the Spasilk Facial Beauty Pillowcase ($20; amazon…

Jennifer Lopez doesn’t need a cape to look and feel like a superhero.

On Wednesday, the “El Anillo” singer, 49, showed off her buff biceps in a clingy maroon dress and silver hoop earrings on Instagram. With her hair swept back, Lopez flexed her incredible arms as she looked confidently at the camera over her shoulder.

“Feeling like superwoman after the show tonight!” Lopez wrote.

In the caption, Lopez reflected on her jam-packed residency at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas, which comes to a close on Sept. 29.

“When I started this run I thought omg 15 shows in 27 days that’s a lot,” Lopez explained. “But I made a promise to myself that instead of letting it wear me down I would be even stronger at the end of it…I will work out and be in the best shape of my life…”

RELATED: Jennifer Lopez Is Missing Boyfriend Alex Rodriguez After Having Spent Just ‘One Day Apart’

She continued, “There were moments I was tired and there was travel and I had to fit in my workouts where I could… but here we are with only 3 shows left!! And I am having so many emotions but mostly just feeling strong, happy and grateful!!!”

Lopez tacked on the hashtags “#allihavefinal15,” “#3showstogo,” “#we’renotdoneyet,” “#letsgoooo” and “#makepromisestoyourselfandkeepthem.”

One way that Lopez stays refreshed for her performances is her pre-show ritual.

Before Lopez’s show earlier this month, her boyfriend Alex Rodriguez filmed Lopez grooving in front of a mirror while Cardi B‘s verse on their song “Dinero” played in the background.

“She does this before every show. Seriously,” Rodriguez quipped in the caption.

But it’s not all fun and games: Lopez revealed to Entertainment Tonight in August that she once suffered a dental disaster onstage.

“I’ve chipped my tooth on stage and had to finish the show,” Lopez said. “Like, literally knocked my tooth out and I’m like, ‘Oh!’”

RELATED: Jennifer Lopez & Alex Rodriguez Dine at Same L.A. Restaurant as Her Ex Casper Smart

People backstage motivated her to finish strong. “I went back thinking, ‘Can I finish the show like this?’ They’re like, ‘Yeah, yeah, it’s fine, it’s just a little chip,” she recalled.

When the air starts to chill, your body tries to hold in heat by narrowing the blood vessels, says Debra Jaliman, MD, dermatologist and assistant clinical professor of dermatology at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. As a result, she explains, the outer layers of the skin become dry and dull, leading to pesky problems like flakes and cracks. But the cold doesn’t discriminate, meaning even skincare professionals have to resort to strict winter skincare regimes.

We spoke with six dermatologists and got the inside scoop on how they care for their skin when the weather gets cooler. Sure, what they tell us when we're sitting in the patient chair is one thing, but the advice they actually take themselves, now that’s a whole different story.

RELATED: 7 Genius Ways to Prevent Wrinkles While You Sleep

Cleanse without drying out the skin

"First, I wash my face with a hydrating cleanser," says Joshua Zeichner, MD, director of cosmetic and clinical research in the department of dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. The key word here: hydrating. "Especially in wintertime, it’s important not to strip the skin of essential oils,” Dr. Zeichner adds. Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Hydrating Cleanser ($8; amazon.com) is his go-to during dry, frigid months, since it gets his skin squeaky-clean without compromising its protective barrier.

Deanne Robinson, MD, FAAD, president of Modern Dermatology of Connecticut, says she relies on ISDIN Micellar Solution ($28; amazon.com) for the same reason. She prefers non-soap cleansers like this one to remove makeup while hydrating at the same time.

RELATED: 7 All-Natural Deodorants That Actually Work

Use a sheet mask for moisture

Sheet masks allow rejuvenating ingredients to really soak into the skin, Dr. Jaliman says, which is why she puts one on right when she hops out of the shower. Her all-time favorite is Lierac Paris Comfort Mask ($22; dermstore.com). “This is good one to try because it contains shea butter, mango butter, and apricot oil,” she says, adding that these three ingredients have high concentrations of nourishing vitamins and fatty acids.

Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize

It's no secret your skin needs a moisture boost when humidity drops. Every dermatologist we spoke to stressed the importance of moisturizing as the seasons change, but they all had a slightly different way of doing so.

“I prefer ceramide-based products because this fatty acid is essential to our skin barrier and function,” Dr…

So there I was—about three-quarters of the way up a 100-foot rock formation in California’s Joshua Tree National Park. I was tired. But more than that, I was pissed off that this one section, which I dubbed “the Crack,” was giving me so much trouble. Below, my crew of strong women was cheering me on. Above me, Savannah Cummins, an adventure photographer and expert climber, was balancing on a rope like a ninja. She was offering me tips while capturing my every move, but with fatigue and frustration setting in, it sounded more like Charlie Brown’s teacher—“whaa-whaa-whaa.”

This particular rock face was nothing like the indoor climbing walls I had practiced on back in New York; it was infinitely harder. You see, in the gym, there were defined routes marked by colors, which represent degrees of difficulty, as well as pronounced nubs you use to grab or step on. But in the outdoors, I was unable to map out a clear path. So each chalky-hand move or toe placement felt like trying to fit a piece into a challenging puzzle—and my guess was often wrong.

Knowing that I needed to make a move, I gripped a section of rock, and it peeled away like a pistachio shell. I fell a bit before feeling my rope tighten. It was then I was reminded of my mortality. I closed my eyes and rested my forehead against the rock. “You can do this,” I said to myself. More important, I told myself to trust my belayer (the person on the ground charged with securing me).

Fundamentally, the art of rock climbing is about two things: overcoming physical obstacles and trusting in people. For me, the first part was no big deal. I’m not saying that using every muscle in my body to grip tiny crevices and sliding my frame along rock surfaces is easy, but I’ve run several marathons and even trekked through the Alps. Translation: I’m comfortable with physical discomfort and have taught myself how to persevere. But trusting others is tough for me. So the fact that the rope I am attached to is literally tied to the waist of another person and that is the only thing keeping me from smashing into this mountain, or worse, freefalling 100 feet? Yup, it’s my worst nightmare.

Knowing that, you may wonder what possessed me to try a sport that consists of putting my life in the hands of another person. Well, “sport climbing” is making its Olympic debut in 2020. For the most part, it’s male-dominated, and the North Face wants to change that, so it invited a group of female editors on a trip to explore the activity. Honestly, it seemed like a good idea while sitting at my cushy desk in New York City. I love athletic challenges and was into the whole female-empowerment angle. I didn’t even think about the trust aspect.

So on that rock—torn between giving up and fighting like hell to finish—I gave myself a moment to regroup…

I’m not your average exerciser. I grew up playing varsity sports (soccer, swimming, more soccer). I played on a nationally ranked rugby team in college. And I now CrossFit six days week. I have shapely arms and a strong core–yet, I hate my tush. (And I hated it even when my parents still called it my "patootie”.)

It’s the butt my relatives used as an excuse to kick me off their laps. “It’s too bony!” they'd say. The butt whose absence became even more apparent when I started strength training, the butt that’s the reason I wear long cardigans whenever I shimmy into a pair of jeans.

The truth is, the appearance of my butt is partially out of my control. “Genetics is a major component of where we store our fat and how we develop muscle, so genetics is a huge determinator of the size and shape of your butt,” physical therapist and certified strength and conditioning specialist Grayson Wickham, founder of Movement Vault, told me when he overheard me complaining of my flat rear.

Still, I thought there must be something I could do to make my bum a little more JLo and a little less JFlat. Besides, in addition to filling out pants, there are a ton of benefits of having stronger, bigger glutes: increased metabolism, improved posture, faster running, and lifting heavier weights during my CrossFit workouts.

So when I found out my CrossFit box was starting a nine-week squat challenge with CrossFit coach Ian Berger, founder of Altrufuel and the Endure Podcast, I was in. Could my peach really be just a couple months away? I decided I would squat (and squat hard) to find out.

RELATED: 11 Celeb-Approved Workouts for a Toned, Sculpted Butt

The plan in full is below, courtesy of Berger. The TL;DR version? On Mondays we front squat, and on Wednesdays we back squat, for eight weeks. On the ninth week, we test ourselves. 

9-Week Squat Cycle

Monday

Wednesday

Front Squat

Back Squat

Week 1

5 rep max (5RM)

5 rep max (5RM)

Week 2

4 sets of 9 reps at 75% of 5RM

4 sets of 9 reps at 75% of 5RM

Week 3

5 sets of 7 reps at 80% of 5RM

5 sets of 7 reps at 80% of 5RM

Week 4

7 sets of 5 reps at 90% of 5RM

7 sets of 5 reps at 90% of 5RM

Week 5

10 sets of 3 reps at 100% of 5RM

10 sets of 3 reps at 100% of 5RM

Week 6

3 sets of 10 reps at 65% of 5RM for speed

3 sets of 10 reps at 65% of 5RM for speed

Week 7

1 set of 5 reps of 90% of 5RM

2 sets of 4 reps at 92…

Monday just got a whole lot better. American tennis star Venus Williams is launching the newest EleVen activewear collection today, and it is so good. The best part? You don't have to be even the slightest bit good at tennis to appreciate it. 

The EleVen line may have kicked off in 2012, but we are super excited for the new Starlet collection, which is being released just in time for fall. Blue hues melt into crisp winter white, mimicking the night sky as it transitions from light to dark. Romantic, right?

"When designing this collection, I was inspired by one of my favorite parts of day, right after dusk when the stars and moon first become visible, and the hues of blue settle into the dark night sky," Williams told Health. As a result, her newest fitness capsule is romance, sophistication, playfulness, and edge rolled up into one spandex look.

Shop the collection: elevenbyvenuswilliams.com

In the latest drop, you'll find everything from comfy tanks and long-sleeve tees to fierce leggings and anything-but-basic jackets. Of course, it wouldn't be a Williams line without a few nods to the sport she's most passionate about: Adorable tennis skirts and dresses? Check and check.

The pieces in the Starlet collection also have eye-catching details such as back cutouts and sexy mesh panels, and were designed for layering—so transitioning from summer to winter is easier than ever. Sport these versatile, gym-to-street pieces all day long, whether you're heading into a fitness class, grinding it out on the courts, or running errands on the weekend.

Not only is the collection fashion-forward, but it's also functional. The brand uses technology that helps you perform at the best of your ability. EleVen Ozone provides protection from UVA and UVB rays, EleVen Pro-Dri offers breathability and quick-dry performance, and UPF 50 blocks 98% of harmful ultraviolet rays. All you have to concern yourself with is unleashing your inner athlete and crushing your sweat session.

Venus Williams's EleVen Starlet collection is available to shop today at at 1p.m. EST. Don't mind us: We'll be very, very busy adding our most coveted looks into our shopping carts.