Gabrielle Kassel

We asked literal bug experts to share their recs — and then we put these bug-banishers to the test.
In This Article
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Mosquito repellent is the categorical opposite of pheromone perfume. Unlike the latter, which attracts babes, the former bucks bugs.
True to its name, mosquito repellent uses a combination of active ingredients — like DEET or picaridin —to d...

We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Learn more.
Today is the day of your long-awaited beach trip with your besties. Or maybe it’s the day of the triathlon you’ve been training for. Or maybe it’s the day of the most important swim meet of the year.
It should be the most exciting day of the year, when the unthinkable happens: You get your period.
If you're a person-with-a-period, you know how much it suc...

Plyometric boxes are the Cetaphil of fitness equipment, the little black dress of gym gear. In other words: simple, versatile, and (usually) reasonably priced.
As their namesake suggests, these boxes are primarily used for plyometric exercise. ICYDK: Plyometric exercises — like box jumps, burpee box jumps, and depth jumps — primarily train your fast twitch fiber muscles. “[Plyometric exercises] require a great deal of power and strength to perform, so incorporating them into a routine can hel...

Is too much data weighing you down? Experts share what numbers to keep an eye on — and what metrics you can ditch.
These days, fitness apps, activity trackers, and heart-rate monitors give health and fitness enthusiasts access to numbers galore. From pace to rank, hours slept to calories burned, quantitative data is just a click or tap away.
On one hand, all this data can be seriously useful in and out of the gym, according to Haley Perlus Ph.D., sports and performance psychologist. “It gives...

When your goal is to build your glute strength, is a barbell front squat or back squat more effective? Here, experts break down the front squat vs. the back squat.
There are more squat variations than there are nicknames for the muscle all that squatting helps build (peach, booty, bum — you get the picture). But if putting on muscle mass or boosting strength is your prime fitness goal, then very likely your training regime includes some barbell squat variation. After all, it's much easier to ...

The benefits of tracking ovulation go beyond pregnancy planning and prevention.
Unless you're currently trying to conceive, you probably haven't heard or thought about ovulation since high school biology or sex education class.
But given how much information ovulation can tell you about both your reproductive and overall health, all uterus-owners can benefit from knowing when they're ovulating and what's going on with their body during that time. Ahead, a fertility specialist and registered n...

Learn which strength training tool is best for your specific goals, experience level, and space limitations.
Now that the benefits of strength training are getting the attention they deserve, companies are releasing more and more tools and gear to help you add weight to your workouts — ankle weights, monkeyfeet, and wrist weights, to name just a few. But none of these 'grammable new gym gadgets beat the weight room classics: barbells and dumbbells.
"Weight training with either barbells or dum...

Not sure which lower-body move to choose? Here, experts break down the benefits of deadlifts vs. squats.
When you want to strengthen your lower-body muscles, you've probably got questions about whether the squat or deadlift is best. Without a doubt, both compound exercises can effectively and efficiently work your leg muscles. However, the squat and deadlift target your lower body muscles to a different degree, and therefore which one you use should depend on your specific health and fitness ...

While it's not the end-all-be-all factor, your diet can impact your fertility. Here, fertility experts share six tips for optimizing your diet to promote fertility.
From using an ovulation tracking app to cutting back on caffeine, people who want to get pregnant will do a variety of things to boost their chances of conceiving. But something as simple as altering your food intake might also make a difference, according to fertility specialists.
"Maintaining optimal daily nutrition and food cho...

The terms 'aerobic exercise' and 'anaerobic exercise' get thrown around by health and fitness professionals with the same frequency that Gen Z spits out the terms "bet," "suss," and "no cap." But while TikTok can familiarize you with the latter, this article is the best guide to the former. Below, a complete breakdown of the the benefits of aerobic vs. anaerobic exercise, including how to incorporate each into your routine.
Aerobic vs. Anaerobic Exercise: The Basics
Just as a car needs fuel t...

Here's your complete guide to rock climbing shoes, including a breakdown of different types, sizing tips, and whether you really need dedicated shoes for rock climbing.
Whether you fell in love with climbing after a Bumble bouldering date, are a long-time enthusiast, or finally watched Free Solo, odds are you're here because you've got questions about rock climbing shoes. Likely, including: Are they an essential investment? What qualities should I look for in a rock climbing shoe? And which a...

Here's your complete guide to compassion fatigue, including how it differs from burnout and how to avoid it.
If you've been feeling "meh" and have been helping someone more than Sookie helps Lorelei, Jules helps Rue, or Gary helps literally everyone else on A Million Little Things, you might have compassion fatigue.
At its most distilled, compassion fatigue is chronic exhaustion of the mind or body that results from helping people who have experienced trauma. The COVID-19 pandemic has helped ...

Find out how protein chips compare to regular chips and whether they're a healthy snack option, according to dietitians.
Most people with muscle-building goals are not strangers to protein-infused variations of traditional snacks. After all, recipe ideas from protein pudding to protein cookie dough are all the rage on TikTok and Instagram alike. It should come as no surprise, then, that protein chips have hit the market, promising a chip alternative for those who want in on the benefits of pr...

While they may seem counterintuitive at first, deload weeks may be a useful tool for maximizing your progress while avoiding injury.
If you have strength goals, lifting things up and putting them down is part of the plan. But depending on your specific strength goal, designating time to not lift may be beneficial.
Indeed, many well-programmed strength programs have full weeks devoted to scaling back on or even completely avoiding lifting. Known as deload weeks, these intentionally programmed ...

Here's your complete guide to compassion fatigue, including how it differs from burnout and how to avoid it.
What Is Compassion Fatigue?
Who Is at Risk for Compassion Fatigue?
What Are the Signs of Compassion Fatigue?
How to Determine If You Have Compassion Fatigue
How You Can Address Compassion Fatigue
The Takeaway
If you've been feeling "meh" and have been helping someone more than Sookie helps Lorelei, Jules helps Rue, or Gary helps literally everyone else on A Million Little Things, you m...