Gabrielle Kassel

If you're a parent, the term "clenched butt" might bring to mind a toddler gunning for the potty. For sex educators and havers, meanwhile, it's an anal-play nonstarter. But to pelvic-floor therapists, butt clenching is the name for a particular pelvic-floor position that can lead to a slew of issues — and this is the type of butt clenching we're exploring today.
Ahead, we break down exactly what butt clenching is, why it happens, and how to stop doing it.
What's Butt Clenching, Exactly?
There...

Between messages asking 'WYD' and 'ASL,' STI testing, and profiles featuring CNM and ENM signage, the wonderful world of sex and dating is no stranger to acronyms. There’s one acronym, however, that should be much (much!) more present in people's sex lives: CBD.
In case you’ve been living under a rock, here’s the quick and dirty: Cannabidiol (CBD) is a non-psychoactive compound found in the marijuana plant that can be infused into a wide variety of products. Thanks to its calming benefits, CB...

Plus, alternative moves you should try instead.
In This Article
Smith Machine Squats
Leg Extensions
Conventional Barbell Deadlift
Crunches
The Elliptical Machine
Running
Olympic Lifts
There are some things — season finales, first dates, fake eyelashes — that can be easily separated into categories of ‘good’ and ‘bad’. Exercises, however, cannot.
“There is a time and place for almost every exercise,” according to strength and conditioning specialist Alena Luciani, M.S., C.S.C.S., founder of Tr...

Heavy menstruation is unlikely after endometrial ablation. That said, the goal of the procedure is to stop, shorten, or lessen your menstrual flow — not put a stop to your overall menstrual cycle.
Most people experience light vaginal bleeding or spotting the first 1–3 days following surgery, according to Dr. Jill Purdie, a board certified OB-GYN and medical director at Pediatrix Medical Group in Atlanta, Georgia.
You might also notice an uptick in clear vaginal discharge over the next 2–3 wee...

If your treadmill workout is as entertaining as being on hold, waiting for a computer update, or listening to former prom royalty blather on about the glory days, you’re doing it wrong! Sure, your workouts might not always be quite as captivating as a post-game-analysis call with your BFF or people-watching at your local first-date spot. But, your time on the treadmill — or any exercise machine for that matter — should not be boring.
Thankfully, if your treadmill jaunts are starting to feel a...

Fact: Getting penetrated feels amazing. Even better, there's a whole category of sex toys available to lend a helping hand when you're hungry to receive (or give) the sensation of fullness: Dildos.
A dildo, at its most distilled, is a sex toy designed with penetration, explains sexologist Carol Queen, co-author of The Sex & Pleasure Book and sexologist with sex toy company Good Vibrations. Typically phallic-shaped, dildos can be inserted into a mouth, anus or vagina.
You can use a dildo in an...

It's high time that dry massages got the same bad PR as dry hand-jobs. After all, the only time there should be that many scales on that many scales is when two snakes are making sweet-sweet love. Here to add a little wet to your rub down is the best massage oils.
As the name suggests, massage oil is an oil designed to be incorporated into self- or partnered-massage in order to reduce unwanted friction. “In addition to nourishing and hydrating the skin, most massage oils are made with ingredi...

The low-impact, low-intensity exercise taking over TikTok may have some benefits.
In This Article
Benefits
A fitness trend taking over social media, cozy cardio is an at-home fitness trend that prioritizes comfort over intensity, vibes over weights, and self-care over buckets of sweat. Essentially, it’s exercise that’s been hygge-ified.
Does a group fitness class, run race route, or CrossFit metcon sound about as appealing to you as, say, a colonoscopy? You could be a good candidate for cozy ...

IVF may be as effective at helping people with endometriosis become pregnant as it is for those without.
Endometriosis can lead to inflammation, scarring, and atypical growths that affect different organs in the pelvic region. Depending on the location, this can interfere with overall function.
“For some people, these distortions can obstruct the fallopian tubes, making natural conception unlikely,” explains Alex Robles, MD, a fertility expert at Columbia University Fertility Center in New Yo...

PCOS is often associated with excess body hair, menstrual irregularities, and acne. Hives are a possible, although less common, symptom.
PCOS occurs when the ovaries produce irregular amounts of testosterone and other androgens. This disrupts the menstrual cycle, which can lead to imbalanced levels of:
estrogen
progesterone
follicle-stimulating hormone
luteinizing hormone
The endocrine system — the system responsible for hormone production — helps manage mood, growth and development, organ fu...

Herpesviruses use DNA as their genetic material. They don’t cause lupus, but lupus can increase your overall chance of infection.
Lupus is an autoimmune condition, which means that it affects your immune system’s ability to function. Generally speaking, autoimmune conditions can make you more susceptible to infection.
“Lupus, in particular, has been associated with an increased likelihood of several herpesvirus infections,” says Michael Ingber, MD, urologist and female pelvic medicine special...

Working with an endometriosis specialist — or an intentional team of informed healthcare professionals — can help you get the care you need to effectively manage your symptoms and improve your overall quality of life.
Endometriosis is a chronic pain condition that affects at least 11% of people assigned female at birth. That’s more than 190 million people worldwide.
Despite its frequent occurrence, many healthcare professionals might need more preparation to diagnose or treat the condition. T...

The calendar year and your favorite TV shows have seasons—and your exercise program might, too. One such season, affectionately known as “bulking season,” is a duration of time wherein an individual’s primary goal is to lift and eat in such a way that they gain muscle mass, explains dietitian and strength coach Albert Matheny, R.D., C.S.C.S., COO of ARENA and co-founder of SoHo Strength Lab in New York City. “During bulking season, people are more concerned with future performance and aesthet...

For CrossFit aficionados, November may mark ~100 days until the open, crunch time before Wodapalooza and a turkey day WOD.
More globally, however, November marks Movember (with an “M”).
A portmanteau of “mustache” and “November,” Movember is a world-wide initiative designed to raise awareness around men’s health — specifically, prostate cancer, testicular cancer, and suicide —vis-a-vis mustaches.
Most commonly, participants commit to growing mustaches for the duration of the month. When their...

A flag pole isn't just the thing Flick gets his tongue stuck on in "A Christmas Story," a gathering point at day camps, or a place to hang a Pride flag in June — it's also an exercise making the rounds on social media. More specifically, a calisthenics exercise. Even if you don't quite know what calisthenics is, exactly, you've probably seen it in action. The training method has been around for a long time now, and sounds fancy, but is quite simple — and it's booming in the aftermath of the C...