Inner thigh work outs...for those who really like laying down.

We, ( Private Part-y posters) are always looking for was to multi-task. We dream about the day we will be able to find someone who has figured out how to make cookies that taste fattening but are really made out of veggies. Until that day comes we search blog sights for ways to work through the laziness or crabbiness our Menstrual Cycles. Heres what we found via Pop Sugar: 

If you're looking to tighten and strengthen your inner-thigh muscles, this exercise series will tone your legs and help you feel more confident, whether you're in tight jeans, a bathing suit, or . . . well, you get the picture.

       

Don't let the "lazy" lying position of this move fool you; this inner-thigh series is challenging and will make those muscles shake! Here's how to to do it.

Inner-Thigh Series

Starting position: Lying on your side, lengthen your bottom leg, and cross your top leg over, resting either your top knee (as pictured above) or the top of your foot on the floor. Prop your head up with your hand, or rest your head on your arm. Work in side-lying neutral to keep your torso steady, and concentrate the work in your inner thigh rather than allowing your back to create the motion. To find neutral, reach your top hip down so your pelvis is level. Your waist should pull away from the floor a bit. Maintain this position as you do the movements below.

• Straight-up lifts: As you exhale, lift your bottom leg, and inhale as you lower it back down without letting it touch the floor. Your torso should stay still while you do this. This counts as one rep. Perform 15 reps.
• Tiny pulses: As you exhale, lift your bottom leg up, keep it in the air, and pulse 10 times. Then lower the bottom leg to your mat.
• Small circles: Exhale, lift your bottom leg, and keep it in the air. Begin to draw tiny, controlled circles forward, and be sure your torso remains on the ground. Circle 10 times forward, then 10 times backward. Lower your leg to the ground.
• Go halfway: As you exhale, lift your bottom leg halfway up, and pause on your inhale. On your exhale, lift your bottom leg all the way up, and pause your inhale. Then lower halfway down, and pause before lowering your leg all the way down to the ground. This completes one rep. Perform 15 reps.

Once you finish the series, be sure to switch sides so both legs get to enjoy this workout! Work your way up to repeating all four variations two or three times on both sides.

When your face Breaks...out.

What type of acne do you get during your Private Part-y?

When I think back though,  I wasn’t quite sure which type of spot a ‘whitehead’ was… and I’m still not even sure if I’ve ever had cystic acne, or if what I’ve had would be more classified as nodules… or maybe even just bad papules…

Either way! Here is your acne types with plenty of pictures:

Whiteheads

whiteheads

We’ll start with whiteheads. To me, it made perfect sense that whiteheads would be the smallish red pimples with the tan-ish white pussy “heads” on them. But apparently those are actually called pustules. 

 Whiteheads are simply clogged pores that are not inflamed. They are clogged below the surface of the skin, so they remain closed and flesh colored, but create a little bump on the skin. 

Blackheads

blackheads

Then comes blackheads. Blackheads are basically the same as whiteheads – a non-inflamed clogged pore – but the difference is that the top is open and therefore exposed to the air. The air oxidizes the sebum and keratin that’s stuck there and it turns black.

Papules

papules

And now we get into inflamed acne. Inflamed acne is when a clogged pore – a whitehead or a blackhead – gets irritated and becomes inflamed. This mean it swells, turns red, and begins to hurt. This is why cleansing after wearing make up and perfume is so improtant. 

Papules are tender red bumps … usually fairly small, up to a cm in diameter, and somewhat raised. The defining factor is that they are not filled with pus, although they may go on to fill with pus later on and become a pustule.

 Do not squeeze these!!! It’s only going to make matters worse and encourage scarring. And the cycle continues. 

Pustules

pustules

Pustules are your classic zit. Hard, inflamed, and full of pus that has the defining yellow-ish centre. Like a fleshy volcano. While it’s  tempting to pop these, please try to refrain. It may not be as harmful to pop one of these vs squeezing some other varieties, especially if it’s waiting to burst…but still keep your dairy intake down and your face clean while your hormones are raging popping these babies up all over your beautiful skin

Nodules and Cysts

Cyst

And now on to severe acne lesions… nodules and cysts. These are large (much larger than papules and pustules) painful bumps under the skin that take quite a while to go away and can create scarring.

Nodules are generally hard and not filled with pus. Cysts are filled with pus and feel like fluid filled sacs underneath the skin.

Inflamed acne happens when a plug ruptures a follicle wall and leaks fluid into the skin, which your immune system then responds to with inflammation. if this rupture happens near the surface of the skin, the result is usually a minor papule or a pustule. If it happens deep within the skin, it’s much more likely to become a serious nodule or a cyst (another great reason to never squeeze your skin… you push the bacteria further into your pores, making it more likely for you to get nodules and cysts. And if you do get them, don’t ever, ever, EVER even dare THINK of squeezing this type of acne. Since caused by bacteria you may want to think of seeing a doctor, but beware antibiotics can lead to a whole host of other problems below your bikini line. Diet and topical treatments may be the way to go. 

Nodules is where I’ve gotten confused about my own acne… in the past, whenever my acne started taking a turn for the worst, I would begin getting a lot of big, hard inflamed spots that don’t have heads on them, mostly around my chin. I have never really known if these are actual nodules or just bad papules, because I’ve never had a ginormous one that has lasted for months. I still don’t know the answer.