Trends and Confessions

Welcome to the eXert Podcast!
In this episode, Martha and Dellanney dive into the wild world of 2024 trends in fitness, vanity, and wellness. From the latest workout fads to the beauty treatments we've bravely—or painfully—experimented with, we're sharing our honest thoughts on what’s worth the hype, what needs to go, and what we can expect to see in 2025. We've tried it all—sometimes with hilarious (or cringe-worthy) results—and we're laughing at ourselves along the way. Join us as we break down the trends we’ve loved, the ones we regret, and the ones we're still curious to try. If you’re looking for some real talk on the ever-evolving wellness world, this episode is for you!

Transcript

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Okay, I'll start. Hi, I'm Martha. I'm Delaney. Welcome to the Exert podcast. You're doing a great job at setting the stage because today we decided we're going to talk about trends, Vanity or beauty trends, because sometimes when I look up vanity on Google, it actually comes back with like bathroom recommendations. Not looking at bathroom recommendations today. So what we thought we'd do is we're going to share what some of the trends were of twenty four across all social media, Internet, everything, you name it. And talk about some of the things we've done in twenty four. Mm hmm. and then kind of leading into twenty five, like what we want to carry over. Right, so let's kick off for beauty and vanity. One of the ones that, you know. Haven't tried, but I find it interesting, I think it was huge, was the glass skin. Yeah, I didn't try that either. That was kind of a weird one to me. Yeah, and I don't know if it's because it's age-wise. I was about to say, you know, I think that some of the, I'll just say girls, that I saw it on, like, Instagram, I mean, they were young. They were, you know, twenty-one or whatever. They already have perfect skin. And seeing them, you know, it's like, okay, that's interesting. Um, but then, well, so I guess what I wonder is it's like, you're creating that filter on Instagram, right. Or on a camera where like your face is just porcelain. Um, and then it made me think of like, you know, sometimes when you go on, like you really like, I don't know, your people actually clean their car. Like you're waxing your car. It's like a shiny, it's like a brand new wax car. Right. As soon as you touch it, what happens? it gets all smudged it gets smudged or you have like a fingerprint or and it dulls and yeah I know yeah so I kind of marked that one as like not sustainable um probably not one that I'd look to do in I guess it's fading. I don't know if it is or not. I don't know. Tell us. Is the glass skin thing? Or are we just too old to know any better? Those that are in the know, please let us know. And I just have to say, this is driving me crazy a little bit. I put on a shirt thinking it was kind of like holiday, Christmassy, and it looks like I have pajamas on. I'm sorry. That looks like I have pajamas on. I did actually make an effort. Just memo to you, like Christmas usually doesn't have black in it, but I know it's hard for you to not wear black. No, it's buffalo plaid, right? So that's... It's in. Yeah. I mean, Beth does a great job with it on Yellowstone. She looks good in it. You look great in it. Okay. So next, what'd you find? Like what are some of the things... Well, you know, staying in like the beauty kind of thing of vanity, one of the things that you and I talked about a little bit, again, is it a trend or is it just talk? But the no makeup thing that is in our age group. Yeah. So you have Pamela Anderson kind of at the helm of that. And I love her. Yeah. I don't care what any of you think about her. I love her. She's at the helm of it. And she really is doing a good job. You know, it's as she says, it's kind of given her feeling of freedom. Yeah. And liberation. And I understand that. But, you know, is what but she still looks good. Like she dresses and still makes an effort. Yeah. I guess to me, where is the line between not wearing makeup, which is totally fine and totally cool and just not trying anymore. Um, or just maybe being comfortable with yourself. Sure. Right. Absolutely. I think Alicia Keys did it like a long, long time ago when she was, I think she was, it was a voice that she just went without makeup and she would do red carpet without it. And, you know, I guess what I wonder, is it truly without makeup? And we don't know, cause we're not standing near them because I can say that tinted moisturizer is that makeup or is that not? And that's a big, huge fad this year, right? Is well, hopefully at least at our age is constantly wearing, um, skin cream or sorry not skin cream um sunscreen and skin cream but the sunscreen is tinted does that mean it's makeup or is it not makeup I don't know um but yeah I like the no makeup um I try it um yeah I usually just try it when I'm at home I've got genetics against me and for me and all the same conundrum of like circles underneath the eyes and. Yeah, I mean, I've never seen circles under your eyes, but I believe you if you feel like you see it. But, you know, I was about to say, you know, with you, I feel that women with darker skin, dark hair, dark eyes, dark eyelashes can get away with it so much easier. then, you know, I mean, I turned to white, you know. Fortunately, it doesn't snow in Georgia. I am very melanin deprived. So, you know, and then I have blonde hair and light eyes and I just look like I don't exist. At least mascara on. Well, we'll save it for Halloween next year. The ghost look. um okay microneedling so that was one of the things that continues to be in but somehow when we were doing our research it's part of like the uh the glass skin treatment I think but I've not been doing it for glass skin it's been more so for natural collagen production um is what I'm told I just need to be more regimented in it and um you know I guess what I think about when I think about doing this treatment, and I've done it a couple times, is a couple analogies. Like one, I'm letting myself be a pincushion, or like a pinata at a holiday party. Um, because we talked about it before, right? It's like my face was so red. I felt like I was hanging out in the sun, like a little bit too long on, on actually the actual sun. Um, and it felt like your face was at that point, I said, slapped by a Flamingo and one of our series I hold true. Until I tried Resurfix. So I'm blending the two together because I know you've done laser. Yeah. And my son said, okay, compared to, because he's going to have to go through treatment for his acne scars. Mm-hmm. like mom what does it feel like like well one is like the flamingo slapping my face you know kind of cute I guess they're cute and just hurts and it's a little heat but then the resurfix um a laser to me I was like and then I graduated from a flamingo to a dolphin tail right yeah once I didn't learn from one time it slapped me a few times back and forth And when you're in the middle of it, you have to really sit there and go, I signed up for this. I said, please do this to me. And I'm going to give you money. And I'm going to pay you money. And dear, sweet baby Jesus, could you please make sure that the lidocaine works? You know, this is like the nightclubs that I went to in the nineties, you know, that were like the I went to a few. Moving on. Yes. So you did laser. I did. And that's, you know, that's still a trend going forward. So I did the fractional laser, not fraxel, but fractional laser. Fraxel is the same. That's a brand. And it's... It's something. But yeah. And it's pretty much exactly what you had done too. So it's something. Have you, have you, you saw differences? Like you'll go back and do it in the new year and see Mandy? I'm going to go see Mandy and she wants me to do my, to have it catch up with my face. Cause my skin is doing okay in my face. She thinks I think it could be better, but, but yeah, she's guiding me toward the neck and I'm just going to say, okay. Yeah. She knows. Yeah. Excuse that noise. That was my dog. Red light therapy. I've not done that. You have a red light thing, right? Just got it. It was part of my, I don't know, Black Friday, Cyber Monday, just part of like I'm buying them. I just will keep buying them. um I got the device though I was looking for something I saw the mass I'm like that cannot be comfortable and sustainable and I don't know I felt like I would have been a stormtrooper um so I got the device it sits I've got a little morning chair where I read my devotionals, say my prayers, and then quickly pivot into news and what's going on in the world today. You name it, I cram in thirty minutes of just me time before my kids get up and we're rolling. So I started doing it because I'm a multitasker, so I'm thinking I can multitask. So I put the little lamp by my chair for the um infrared light therapy the near one I can read I can multitask because it's a lower it's not burning your eyeballs out right for the red I wear goggles um because I'm don't want my vision to get any worse than it is as I'm getting older what I think about is if my neighbors were as crazy as me and up as early as I am that they would think I have this hydroponic system in the house because it's glowing um and it's red and um I'm sitting there with goggles on Thank goodness I have dogs that can't talk. They're the only ones who've seen me do this. But it's almost like I'm waiting to be called to outer space. I'm staring at this red thing with goggles on and I'm just hanging out for ten minutes because I can't do anything. Too soon to know. But I'm going to keep doing it. All right. I'm anxious to see your findings from that. I'll keep you posted. Well, it's between that and then I know you've done. You're the one who got me onto the new face. Did you get one? I did. Yes. It's interesting, isn't it? It is. I'm not sure what's going on yet, though, because I don't feel certain things. Okay, right. I don't feel it here, but where I do feel it... And it goes all the way to my scalp. So then that's when I know when it's working, but I had to Google up. So anyone who's looked at new face, right? This is like a machine. It's a microcurrents. I've done it before at a spa and you could really feel it. So that was a medical grade that I'm like, I don't need to be electrocuted like that. This one is super simple that I was wondering why you put it on high when you talked about it before, but now I can see because it's, Until I get to my forehead or sometimes here on my neck, you can feel a little tingling. But verdict is still out. I'm going to try it because obviously I got it. All right. All right. We'll have to talk about that more offline. I'm curious about your experience. It's part of my going out routine because I'm trying to do the no makeup makeup. My face has just been, you know, massaged. It might look better. Yeah. before you go out a little electrocution. And so then while we're talking about rollers, facial rollers, like the which ones Oh, you mean like the Jade or like the crystal rollers? Those are fantastic. Yeah. Yeah. I know I have one some people put them in the refrigerator. I put mine in the freezer. And it's awesome. I also got the steel cryo globes, which are amazing. I have done that in front of my husband and I'm just going to do like a dot, dot, dot, like what do men think with more than their brain? And I've got two cryo globes that look like circles. I'll just leave it for our audience to go from there. And you're rubbing them all over your face. And it delights him and he wonders why he can't. Just going to say it. Things we do. Okay. Next. Yep. So, gosh, I'm trying to think of everything. We have so much. Obviously, PRP has been and still is in the front for... Haven't tried it. Haven't either. Maybe I will. Well, maybe a little pricey. I've done different kinds of PRP, but that was for, for an arthritic hip. Yeah. And a broken butt. Um, I know I, I, my tendonitis. I know. So I say that I broke my butt cause it felt like I broke my butt. Anyway, I had PLP for that. Different kind of PRP though. Um, so, Oh, my goodness. The squirrel. Sheep. Facials. Sheep mouse. Yes. Tell me your experience with them. I do them in private. My husband travels for work. So instead of sending him like a super sexy text, I'll send him a photo with my sheet mask on saying, aren't you happy you're gone? Do you have like a favorite one, like a favorite formula or a favorite brand that you use? I'm using a collagen one right now and I can't recall the name of it. I've just done it two times. I actually did it last night. Um, and it's a leader. I've got tactile things going on and, um, You just, yeah, you just, you got slime that you're putting on your face and then you got to figure out how to sleep in it. Have you done the snail slime? No. Okay. Obviously that's not something I'm ever going to do, but I was just curious if you had. No. Okay. Maybe a try for twenty twenty five. Maybe people will let us know. Maybe. Maybe. Okay, so I think we've covered like the majority of them as I look at the list. Yeah, I mean, going into next year, the things that, you know, are not on our list of things to do or try, you have like people adding jawlines to their faces, which is a huge thing apparently coming up this year. Mandy had mentioned it to us offline, but I'm seeing it all over the place now. And that's just interesting. Very interesting. It's not... Okay. I think twenty five. I'm seeing more in the news about men actually talking about injections. Obviously, the chin is more of a. Yeah. Usually something that men would do that and they will do their eyes. Apparently, that's you're going to see them do more of that than any other procedures. Yeah, I get that. Yeah. And then the mini facials, I think, is what you said, or the mini facelifts. Yeah, mini facelifts. That's something that apparently people are trading in, you know, people who have been doing fillers for years and years and years, and they're seeing kind of a disruption in their face. And also, you just kind of get tired of paying for certain things over the time. So if you want something that is a little bit more long-term. I mean, I don't know how long facelifts last. I mean, your skin is going to stretch no matter what, but I guess it'll give you. Again, not recommending, but it's, it's one of those that we were talking about it earlier, right? In your twenties, you thought like fourty was old. And now that we're in our fifties, we're like, You know, ask me when I'm seventy. Yeah. Ask me when I'm seventy. You know, when I was in my thirties, I said I will never do Botox. And then I was like, well, I say that, but ask me again when I'm fifty. And then when I was fifty one, I was like, OK, well, I'll try Xeomin, which isn't Botox exactly, but it's very close. It's just it's vegan and they don't test on animals. So, I mean, you know, I did that and, you know, whatever. yeah so I think across the trends in twenty four one of the things we have planned for the new year is to actually get a panel of a couple friends family um that are in their twenties thirties forties and fifties oh yikes getting old well that's fifties but we're the fifties I know we're the um so we're going to talk about what they're doing and kind of what they've tried and kind of going forward, what's worked and what's not. And have our friend Mandy back. And it's kind of what are they planning and how do they feel they're prepping? As you age. Yep. Because, I mean, that's why they're doing it, right? They want to hold on to beautiful youth as long as they can. Yes. We keep trying. Okay. Fitness. Talk to me about fitness. Fitness, you know, one of my favorite terms from this last year, and it's just a re-terming of something, but hybrid fitness. So there's apparently a couple of different versions of hybrid fitness. If you are Gen Z, from what I understand, you consider hybrid fitness to be like, you go to the gym and you work out at home. To us, that's working out. Yes. Period. No shade or anything to people that think that. It's just that's what we think of. It's kind of because they grew up in the hybrid work environment. Yeah. Yeah, exactly. And but hybrid fitness is really more of like you see a lot of CrossFitters doing it now that they're working for endurance as well as like this insane mobility strength balance. Cute. And so you see a lot of that. And then, you know, just people who are looking for gains as well as extreme cardio fitness. Yes. And that to me is a very fascinating one. I love watching these athletes. My favorite one, she's only thirty two, but her name is Lottie Combs, I believe. And she's just. Not a planet. she's amazing um but it's it's fun to watch them and see what they eat and and how they get through their day like I mean they give it two hundred percent every single day well I mean when you think about fitness right we were talking about this earlier of fitness and wellness like the facial routine is something that is a you may have less interruption in trying to keep that consistency and that regimen. And that interruption might be you go out one night and you get home really late and you don't feel like washing your face. Or you wake up in the morning, you get a run out the door and you're not doing that, whatever it might be. But with the fitness and the wellness, right, we're saying it's more of like a seasonal. So to see influencers and athletes that are just, like you said, two hundred twenty percent doing it all the time. I got to tell you like kudos to them as much as I love fitness. Nope. I, I love having a fun weekend where, you know, I'm a flexitarian. I try to keep it clean and real Monday through Friday weekends. I try my darndest. I'll get a couple of good healthy meals and then you just got to have some fun. And if you're active, you're probably active with your family, right? So, you know, you go out, you walk your dogs. I got two teenage boys. They say hello. Love my little eagles at home because I know that they like to watch the show. So that the hybrid is like another word for CrossFit. So I think people are going to be wondering it is it is up a CrossFit. It's been more classes, whereas this is like really you're focusing on trying to get two things at once. Two to three things. Yeah. Two to three things. Yeah. Yeah. So it's crazy. Yeah. Balance. I don't know what their life balance is by, by living that way. Right. And they may do it perfectly. I have no idea. Yeah. No, that's just, I just gotta be real. That's just not, if people think we're like that, we're not. no and you know and I really I was looking for some in our age group that are like that and trying specifically to find people who like have kids because in our age group you have kids that are expanding and in the gen x specifically you have kids that are spanning kindergarten to college and beyond yes And the people that I've seen that have been successful with maintaining any sort of like hybrid fitness or insane routine, their kids are out of school. Something sacrifices. That's right. Yep. And I just, I haven't seen it as much. That doesn't mean it doesn't happen. It's just harder to find that. And I think those people are amazing that are able to find that kind of balance that they're able to be part of their family and be an amazing athlete. slash whatever influence or whatever their, their game is. Um, what some of the big trends, let's see wall Pilates. I kind of saw that everywhere. I see it in my Pinterest as it, as it comes up. Um, not one I've tried. Um, but we're fortunate. We've got a performer at home. My husband got into Pilates a long time ago and we've had it. And for a while it was just kind of, you know, decoration. Um, But I've started getting back into it. I've been more of the high intensity lifting and now I'm allowing myself a few days a week or giving myself a few days a week the ability to do my twelve thirty three. But since I'm crazy, I go fifteen thirty three. Another big trend of this year, just because twelve is not good enough for me. And my sheen goes to fifteen. So using the performer, I love doing that. The wall Pilates, though, it's like the way when we were reading and researching or I was reading and researching, you know, I guess what I come back with and we'd love to hear for those that have tried. But my thinking is like, I you know, if you ever had that experience where you bumped into the wall, like a wall can cause pain unplanned. You didn't mean to non-intentional with wall Pilates. You're intending the wall to become pain. I understand. It's just, it's a different form of muscle burn. So I may try it. I might put that into the twenty twenty five. All right. May try. You're laying on the ground. How bad can it be? It can be bad. It can be what I keep thinking. What would be worse is my husband coming in and seeing with my feet up on the wall because he really doesn't like anyone touching the walls. It's a pain job waiting to happen. He doesn't watch the show. So it doesn't matter. I am going to do it. I'm going to get the kids to do it too. So we'll have three. That's awesome. Yeah. I might even get the dogs in on it too. There's one that I think I want to try and it's not Pilates, but in the same vein. So it's, it's yoga. And I've been trying to find a place that does it like locally. And there's finally a studio that incorporates weights with yoga. Oh, it's great. Yeah. So I've, you know, years ago I heard about iron yoga, I was like, I've heard about iron yoga, I've heard about iron yoga, I've heard about iron yoga, I've heard about iron yoga, I've heard about iron yoga, I've heard about iron yoga, I've heard about iron yoga, I've heard about iron yoga, I've heard about iron yoga, in Atlanta is is doing that now. So I appreciate them and I will be visiting at some point in twenty twenty five to give it a try. Yeah. No, it's awesome. I kind of miss living up here that it's not there, but it's five pounds are going to be humbling. Yes. Yes, I'm looking forward to that. I think that's exciting. And that kind of gets your your hybrid thing. Yes. OK, so There was one that we were talking about yesterday. Gamification. Yes. Talk to me about that one. I don't have it. So VR, virtual reality. And it is fascinating. I got one of those masks for my son and my husband and I use it far more than he does. But you can do yoga. You can do boxing. You can do aerobic classes. You can do, you know, pretty much anything that you can think of. And you're dialed in on this little thing and you feel like you're in it. So you have an instructor led if you were doing like a yoga or something like that. I mean, depending on, I think, which one you sign up for. Yeah. So, you know, like that you have the. the boxes that you can put on the wall and you can box according to the beat of the music. And I think those are pretty cool. So it'd be kind of similar, but you, I mean, you just don't have, you're not hitting an actual wall for that impact, but you would be doing something that would be kind of better. That's cardio. It is, it is cardio and it's, it's really interesting. And you can set it that when you walk into your, your new world that you're in, like ours is set to this amazing house that we would love to live in. It's just, it's gorgeous. So I go there just to sit and look around the room. It can also be used to escape. It is absolutely escape. I might have to try. There with me. I do have my little she shed that I did last year when I was working and I've got the, Oh, I always go wrong on camera. My little Christmas gift. See this right here. You can't really see it, but it was from the boys too. Good job boys. I think that's adorable. Um, okay. We talked to all three, three, which were right. But Oh, we're um it's sustaining it's not going I like it it's a keeper I I'm gonna bring it in we're talking about giving ourselves a challenge in twenty twenty five so I think that's a delaney martha like check but you've already said you're doing fifteen I mean I'm an overachiever what can I say give me a chance to catch up okay I can do that Maybe I'll try doing it over the holiday and then maybe by January when we start to do something else. No, I'll start at twelve. Yeah, fifteen. I do fifteen for fifteen and then I get myself down to twelve and I'm like, every time I go down, I kind of go up a point on speed. I'm excited to do that. Mobility training. I started It's been around for a long time. I've seen it more and more. I think this one's just going to boom in twenty-five. I think so too. And not just for people our age, right? I mean, my son is going through some physical therapy and trying to regain strength in his hip. And kicking hip, he's got a hip or two legs, but mainly the one that kicks is not in good shape. And I think it's fantastic. I think if anything, I wish that it would be inserted like his team does while they're young and in their teens, because all you think about as we age, and especially if you follow fitness or your children or your spouse or whatever follows fitness, that when you're building muscle, your muscle is contracting, which is why it's getting bigger and you have all the fibers that are getting tight. And all trainers will say like stretching is fundamental, whether you're lifting or walking or running or swimming or whatever it might be, because it all elongates your muscles. And then now imagine just the general joy of aging. Right. And so for me, one of the things I'm setting as a goal is not only doing it, but maybe looking into getting more education into it and certification on it just because it's huge. It is. It is so huge. And you know, there are so many different kinds of ways that you can do it. I know that it really started more in like the realm of PT and it's made its way into, you know, gyms and DVDs. Well, we don't do DVDs anymore, but whatever, you know what I mean? You just age yourself. Well, I have my VHS. It's a nineties thing. I still have VHS. But so, I mean, yoga is a wonderful, for some people, yoga is a wonderful mechanism for mobility. One thing that I have never been able to do, and I really would love to try and master it this year. Have you ever done animal flow? I know what you're saying, but my head went in the opposite direction. No. I've seen it though. Do you have to do it from what I've seen? You have it down. I should drive down there and we should record ourselves doing it because you guys have it down there. Oh my gosh. I'm sure we probably have it up here in the country where I live as well too, but I'm not sure what animal you might get to work with. A chicken? Chicken capital of the world. That's all my twenty five to do. I'll come down and see you. Yes. Get a little good or a little puppy. We'll meet like halfway. I could do a little puppy. Use my little puppy. All right. I know we're like we've got so much to talk about. Ice baths. No, thank you. No, thank you. No. No, I know all the things that they say about all the things. But this one person that I follow and she made such a great point. She was like, you know, actually, when you're putting your body through that stress of doing that, you're aging faster because you're creating so much stress in yourselves. Apparently the recovery though is, is awesome. I just like, I've done cold plunges. I have done just not with ice. Like the, I guess the analogy that I had is I'm putting myself in a container of the whole bunch of ice and I'm not as pretty as the umbrella that should be in there versus the human being. Think about it. Like ice is for cocktails or ice is. skiing or whatever or ice skating um yeah I don't recommend it I had I had the um privilege and opportunity of going to a wonderful spa uh on vacation one time that um they had the super duper hot pool and then you're supposed to plunge into the super duper cold pool that was zero degrees yes and you know it's moving water so obviously it's not freezing and I mean it I really had to take my breath to do that. It took me twenty minutes to convince myself to get in and I finally did it. And I was like, OK, I did it. So I have My relatives, some hail from Massachusetts, and my cousins, like at Christmastime, repeatedly in Massachusetts, they would go in, willingly walk themselves into the ocean and take a cold plunge. And amen, but that's just not for me. But I have done cryotherapy. And what did you think? You know, so I'm a stalker for anything that says like, ooh, burn more calories, just because... Carrot cake is my favorite dessert ever. Still is. You remember that from way back when. So I remember I tried it around my birthday time and that is my birthday cake every year. My husband now makes it and it's just as good, if not better. and I liked it it was I think two or three minutes maybe um the experience though is a little interesting because you get a bathrobe and you're there and you're supposed to disrobe and they give you paper panties and you know so that part of it I'm like okay so like I'm totally getting naked standing naked with paper panties in this thing where like from you know shoulders down and I'm pretty tall you're covered And then they start it and it's for three minutes and you just sit there and you kind of breeze yourself through it. But I've never done the ice plunge. I can't imagine it's as intense. It's kind of like a rush because you're sitting there and three minutes could not be any longer. However, you know, you feel good afterwards. You have some tea and then you're like, oh, I just burned calories just standing there cringing for three minutes. I stopped doing it because I don't know what it was really doing outside of me getting cold you know I didn't I back then I was a lot younger too so maybe I didn't have the problems um so I think that's a good recovery napping is huge for me in the recovery plan yeah yeah and you you're really good about kind of keeping that um on your schedule so to speak you know when you need it when you fall into it but you You don't overdo it, which for a lot of people, if you, you know, if you need an hour and a half nap, take it. But for the most part, if you can do fifteen to twenty minutes and get up, you're good. That's what you're supposed to do. Yeah. The whole thing. Yeah. You don't you don't want to see me if I don't get my nap. I understand that. I did nap quite a bit. I went through a period where I'm sure it was hormonal, but yeah. I exchange that for meditation now. And for me, it does the same trick. It's almost like, what is that called? No sleep, deep rest, I think is what it's called. Okay. It's one of the new things. But so no sleep, deep rest. And so meditation does that for me. Well, so now we've just jumped into the wellness. So meditation. I've tried. I've tried for a long, long time. I've gone to Buddhist temples. It's not for everyone. I have this. I think we talked about it yesterday. The analogy is, you know, we've got a chihuahua. She's a year old. Darn, they're cute, but not very smart. Her little brain is constantly going. And so it's like this whole, you know, there's a guy on Instagram that has great just videos about animals. It's like they have a whole bunch of jumping beans in their brain and they're like popping from here to there. It's like little popcorn popping. I can't slow down. I try, but it's on my twenty five. I'm going to push myself to do it. So I will say it took me years. to be able to do it. And I gave up so many times because I have the monkey mind problem. And I also have the jumping minds like a gorilla. And it was a lot to deal with, but I... Two years ago. Yeah. Two years ago. And last year, or maybe it was, I can't remember. Anyway, I took training for Reiki. So I actually am a student of Reiki. Not bold enough to say I'm a practitioner, but I can practice it. And through that workshop and through having to sit there and do it and having the proper guiding, it got me to a level of meditation that has stayed with me now. I can't, I can't think of not having it now. So I think I'll try it. I've got master class and I was starting to listen to that to learn how to do it. Um, so I think that'll be a keeper with me, um, with my Reiki practitioner. I would do that. She's amazing. Yeah. Yeah. You might. Everyone's eyes are closed. Cause you don't know what I'm going to be doing. That's okay. You know? Um, Okay, so wellness. Yes. Last, was it last before we talked about supplements? Adaptogens. Which is what? You're drinking right now. Yeah, my hot chocolate is adaptogens. Of course, I'm going to mention moon juice again because that's what my heart is. I started taking it. I like it. I use it in the morning. I use her ting in the morning and then I use ting. It's kind of like I'm in Jamaica now. And then I use their magnesium in the evening. I like it. I'm becoming a fan. I might explore a little bit more when we get back from vacation. There's a lot. I'm always curious about adaptogens, nootropics, natural supplements. My counter is like a pharmacy. Me too. Yeah. I know that I have keepers, right? Like the Ashwagandha, I'm keeping, I think I'm probably going to keep the ting and the magnesium multi. I just take naturally. But I think that's one that sometimes it's just hard to tell, to be quite honest with you. They stick out when they work. And then if not, you're like, ninety days has been enough. I'm good. You know, so often for me, when I'm sitting there thinking, well, I don't know that it's working. And then I take time off from it. That's when I realize that it is working. Well, that's probably true. Yeah. Because at this point, it's ingrained. Twenty five trends. Mushrooms. I mean, mushrooms have been perking up. Well, they've been around since I was in college and there were a lot of fun then, but now it's more than micro dosing. Although that is another wellness thing that, you know, I don't have the education to talk on, but people doing actual dosing of that to reach higher mind. PTSD, anxiety. I even read an article where corporate executives are being guided and going into a spiritual retreat. Yes. On, on psychedelics on mushrooms. Um, and so I think we're going to see more of that. I, the, you know, the question is, is it'll be, well, it's probably going to be at a slower pace just because of federalization of drugs. And I don't know how it's classified. That's funny. I mean, we did, we have never even talked about this topic, you and I, so that's, that's funny that it went that way. Um, but yeah, I actually know people who have done it and it was life changing for them. Yeah. Some places in America, you can do it legally, but other people that I know have gone out of the country to do it. For United, it's not recreational at all. It's very intense. It's like a therapy session on mushrooms. I'm not sure how that would turn out for me. I know we have a lot more. We're going to run out of time with the audience. Wearables, wearables. Yeah, always. Or whatever watch of the day. We'll see what they come up with next. Sadly, I'm hooked. They came out with earrings. We would probably buy them. I was thinking like underwear. That's an everyday thing. Yeah. But it tells you a lot is what I'm finding, especially now wearing the aura. Sadly, it doesn't prevent me from having my cocktail like on the weekend or cocktails because I'm only human and seeing the impact that it has to my sleep. It's just it's like no one's going to put me baby in a corner when it comes to. The weekend indulgence. Reference to the eighties. I think it was eighties. You talked about VR workout, holistic nutrition, plant-based diet. You live it. um, we're going to see more and more of it. And, and I think it's exciting for those that are carnivores like myself. I think it's what I challenged my household to do is we insert plant based in several meals throughout the week. Um, kind of like, you know, when you think about spirituality, I try to present my kids with different options. And so when they're older, they can kind of pick and choose what they want to do. Yeah. Same thing with food, same thing with spirituality both yeah most importantly it's um you want to talk about the benefits of of the food that we eat versus being obsessed on the food that we can't eat this kind of how we how we do it um perfectly said sleep optimization Been trying that one forever. That was a big one. We were just talking about napping. The reason why I nap is because I am not a, I have a hard time sleeping at night. So, fifteen minutes, I'm good to go. Right. And you need your magnesium now. Hopefully, you'll find that over time, it'll help that. Yeah. But I was thinking, you know, as we were looking down this list, I was like, if only we could age like Benjamin Button, like on certain things. But, you know, when the kids were little, like they would just run and like you would just want them. Like you would just be praying for nap time. And if Max wasn't a napper, I think my guys were kind of nappers. They still are. But just when little kids just run, run, run and run and then they just face plant. Yeah. I do the running minus the face plant every day. I'd like to face plant just to wake up like totally refreshed instead of wishing nine was here. Yeah. Um, we cannot avoid GLP one, um, not on my list to try. I don't really qualify for it. What I do find interesting though, is the benefits that we're hearing about it that are not necessarily weight loss. Right. Um, so I've got high, uh, cholesterol, like that would be kind of interesting. I completely obsessed with, with, uh, mental health, most importantly, kind of dementia. It's said to be right now. It's sounding like the miracle. It's such a cure. Everything, um, that I think the jury's probably still out until we see it more in market and the impact that it's having long-term and seeing kind of the, sadly, the aging of the people that are really taking it right now to see the impact that it has on them long-term. Right. But you see the face, the thunder nest, and that's just got to cause a lot of stress to your body if not done right. Yes. Yeah. I mean, there's got to be some... Mindfulness involved in doing that. Yeah. And, you know, are people getting that kind of well-rounded approach? When dealing versus eating not the best quality of food, but knowing that your body's not absorbing everything and you're not feeling hungry, but your diet still hasn't changed. And maybe you're not working out and you think you don't need to work out because you're doing this. You know, it's kind of like I'm going to take blood pressure meds and high cholesterol meds, but I'm going to use whatever I want. And I'm not. Yes, but I'm not going to go out and work out. And because the medicine will do it for me. Yeah. So that's not what we're advocating, which is why we like all three things. And then the one gut health. So let's talk about what we're going to do with gut health, because that's maybe how we'll end this talk. Yeah. So as we keep telling each other, poop don't lie. So we're going to be getting a biome check coming up at the beginning of the year. Each of us through a company called Biome. I have recommended this company to other people. I've actually never done it myself, but I have told other people to try it. And they've seen wonderful benefits from the knowledge that they got with the company. You can sign up for their supplements and, you know, whatever. That's not what we're doing. Right. We're just getting the information. Yeah. Martha and I like information. So much so that we're willing to package our own poop and spit off. Yeah. Lots of things we will do in the name of vanity. So gosh, lots of trends in wellness, right? Yeah. But kind of vanity because it helps your skin too, I think. We'll find out. So gosh, lots of confessions. Lots of trends. What do you think the craziest thing is that you've done this year? You know, whether it's... vanity or fitness or you know whatever what do you what do you feel is the craziest I don't know if it's crazy um I don't know fitness is just kind of fitness it's just a way of life for me so there isn't really any time I try something new I don't think it's crazy it's just because I'm passionate and inquisitive about it Um, wellness wise, same thing. I'm an eighty twenty kind of follower. So I'd probably have to go into the beauty category that it could either be putting myself through, um, laser treatment, um, or the feeling of the sheet mass, which is just like slime all over your face. So I don't know if it's like hot and sunny and heat or that. Um, what about you? starting this podcast with you oh come on you totally set me up yes well of course there's that and then in general when it comes to life was quitting my job which is what led to us doing this and now I can be a stay-at-home mom and eat bonbons and you know because that happens I have more time to think about these things and chat with you about it Yeah, well, you are making time to do this because I know full well as a mother of a teenager, you have less time. Busy. So I'm glad you say that. So why was this the craziest? Well, you know, think of the things that we're exploring. And, you know, I'm not a trend follower, for example. And, you know, I do things like for my skin just because, you know, you're researching. Yeah. I'm researching. Um, but so it's been kind of interesting looking into trends and what people are doing. Um, and like we've said, we're going to try and do some challenges this coming year, which I'm so ready for because I want to be a mile marker year for me. This last year was crap. Yeah. Um, after being in a car accident that derailed me for a really long time and I'm still getting back. Um, and, um, But, you know, that's life. Things happen. And so I'm looking forward to next year that we're going to do some challenges. And because you are who you are and while I don't compete with you, it makes me compete harder with myself to want to do these things, because like you said, it's part of my life and it's fun. It's not like it's a thing to work out, but I like trying new things. Yeah, well, that means a lot. I mean, I think we started this journey as therapy. So hopefully it's something for our listeners to especially as our base grows, you know, help us understand what's helping and what's not. But we want to add a little fun to aging because we can't take ourselves seriously. It's just heck no. Life's too short. It's too short. And I know that there are people out there doing awesome things. And if you want to talk to us about it, why don't you reach out to us? Because we'd like to hear from you. Absolutely. Well, cool. Yeah. Catching up. Yeah. Good catching up with you. Be sure to check us out at Uh, Martha, uh, exerts underscore exerts. Oh, there you go. Yeah. That way too. And we have our blanket podcast or our blanket Instagram, which is exert podcast on Instagram. And then I'm exert underscore Delaney. So you can catch us on Instagram that way. And if you are watching us, please, if you're watching us on YouTube, please subscribe and follow. And if you are on any of the other mediums that we are on audibly, then please continue to follow us and continue. We get excited seeing the numbers. Absolutely. Yep. Well, happy new year. If we don't talk to some folks sooner. Holidays. Yes. I'm going to maybe leave my pajamas on. Tis a day. All right. We'll see you later. All right. Have a great one. Bye.