Get rich, find love and look hot in 2017
Get your life in gear. Experts from fashion to fitness share their tips for staying fit, fab and mindful all year long.
STYLE
Simon Doonan, creative ambassador, Barneys New York
“The first rule for having a fabulous 2017 is, if you don’t already have one, then you must, must, must develop a signature flourish,” says Doonan. “I have my flowery shirts that I always wear, Iris Apfel has her giant glasses.
“Secondly, take all your sensible clothes — all the basics and essentials — to Goodwill, and keep all your fun clothes, because clothing is an antidepressant. If you step up your look, you’re going to feel better.”
HEALTH
Dr. Mehmet Oz, host of the ‘The Dr. Oz Show’
“We’re making a big push to move into vegetable-based proteins,” says Oz. “It’s not only important to save the planet, but also increasingly important for our health.”
Although Oz says you shouldn’t ditch beef and poultry entirely (eat meat twice a week, he says), sources like beans are great alternatives.
“Nori, this seaweed-like vegetable, and sea vegetables are becoming more popular. And they’re inexpensive and sustainable,” he adds.
In the new year, Oz says New Yorkers should experiment with newly popular grains like buckwheat.
“Strictly speaking, buckwheat’s not a grain. It’s a seed from a flower, and is probably going to be the most popular new carb source for folks as it’s full of nutrients, including B vitamins,” says Oz, who recommends eating it whole and roasted.
The Oprah-approved doc says to make sure any New Year’s diet is realistic.
“The biggest mistake is that people go on a fad program,” he says. “If you make it too Spartan, you won’t follow it.”
In other words, you have Oz’s permission to keep drinking the vino in January.
“Alcohol is an important part of socialization,” he says, “and there’s nothing healthier than socializing with your friends.”
FITNESS
Robin Arzón, Peloton cycling instructor
Set reasonable fitness targets, says Arzón.
“For example, make a goal to complete a 5K by Jan. 31; attend yoga two days a week, four weeks in a row. The extent to which we can make fitness goals specific and attainable, the more likely they are to be accomplished,” says Arzón.
Once you set your goals, scream it from the rooftops (or the digital equivalent: your Facebook account).
“Now you have virtual accountability partners,” she says. “You can tell your network of 300 Facebook friends about your goals, and nine times out of 10 they’re going to celebrate you.”
DATING
Amanda Bradford, founder of the dating app the League
Play the field, and use online dating to figure out what you want in a long-term mate, says Bradford.
The dating guru says New York singletons should optimize their online-
dating profiles this year by spending more time filling out the Interests and About Me sections.
“If you’re really honest about what you want, you will have more people swipe left on you,” she says, “but the ones who swipe right will have a higher conversation rate.”
Once you have a match, try to schedule a date within the first six messages — “The chance of you meeting drops drastically after that,” she adds.
Finally, broaden your horizons.
“A lot of people are quick to write someone off if one photo looks weird or if they have a dorky opener,” says Bradford. “But in general, it’s worth your time to meet that person.”
MINDFULNESS
Arianna Huffington, founder of Thrive Global
“Get adequate sleep, because it changes your whole day,” says Huffington, NYC’s new resident sleep expert. “A good day begins the night before.”
Huffington recommends turning off all devices and getting them out of the bedroom before turning in for the night.
“If you wake up in the middle of the night, you are more likely to be tempted to check what’s happening on Snapchat or Instagram, and then you go down the rabbit hole,” she says.
Once you’re up and rested, remain mindful.
“Make personal connections with people that we normally have impersonal transactions with during the day, like the person who you buy a cup of coffee from,” says Huffington. “It changes the quality of our day.”
She also recommends taking two-minute breaks to consciously inhale and exhale, and engaging in walking meetings with your colleagues.
Finally, keep meetings device-free.
“We don’t bring our laptops and phones into meetings at Thrive,” says Huffington. “People claim that they’re using them to take notes, but in fact, people most of the time are multitasking, answering e-mails and texting, and becoming distracted and depleted.”
CAREER
Jennifer Fleiss, co-founder of Rent the Runway
Millennials have much higher expectations of their employers, says Fleiss.
“They want to have their career path laid out really early on, have feedback all the time, and they ask for promotions often,” she says, adding that newbie employees should keep their heads down and get some wins under their belt first. “It shows character.”
And everyone, millennial or not, can benefit from setting clear, concise daily goals.
“I try to start and end every day with a priority list — what are three or four things I need to get done today?” she says. “And at the end of the day, what are the three or four things I want to look at tomorrow?”
FINANCE
Jim Cramer, host of ‘Mad Money’
Don’t let the stock-market boom scare you off from investing in 2017.
Cramer says a lot of Americans may be wary the market has hit its peak — but it’s a mistake to stay out of the stock game.
Instead, Cramer advises starting out small by investing savings in monthly increments.
“I want them to invest in an index fund, preferably the S&P 500 index fund,” he says. “But I only want them to put one-twelfth of the money [they have to invest] in each month.”
For example, if an individual has $1,200 to invest, start with putting $100 into the S&P 500 in January, and another $100 in February.
But don’t do anything if you have credit-card debt.
“Credit-card debt is a sucker’s game,” says Cramer. “It’s ridiculous. If you have any, pay it down before you save. It will wreck you.”
CAREER
Robert Reffkin, co-founder of Compass
Reffkin believes saying no to things is more important than saying yes.
“Often I think the inability to say no to nonessential meetings gets in the way of being productive and efficient,” he says. “If you look at the average person’s calendar over the last year, [you’d see] so many things that weren’t critical.”
FASHION
André Leon Talley, contributing editor, Vogue
“Invest in one thing you just can’t live without, whether it’s a coat or jacket or dress. Buy one thing you covet that’s a craving, an obsession,” says Talley.
Just make sure it’s not too ’80s, he warns.
“Those leather bomber jackets with the exaggerated shoulders — they probably aren’t going to come back,” says Talley.
“But keep your shredded jeans. They will always come in handy.”
FITNESS
Holly Rilinger, creator of LIFTED
“For the last couple years it’s been, ‘Go as hard as you can and do as many classes as you can,’ ” says Rilinger. “[The year] 2017 is about being more mindful. Pick a certain amount of workouts per week, and give them your full attention.”
The former star of Bravo’s show “Work Out New York” also recommends buying a foam roller and spending 10 minutes a day on it to avoid painful knots.
“The more we work out, the more locked up our body gets,” she says. “If you foam-roll it out, it’s almost like self-massage.”
FITNESS
Tracy Anderson, celebrity trainer
Anderson, trainer to the stars and creator of the Tracy Anderson Method, says New Yorkers can jump-start their New Year’s exercise plans with these four moves. But Anderson, whose 59th Street studio launches this winter, says, “Your muscles get smart fast, strong fast and stupid fast. Do this workout until you can do each move well, and then move on to new exercises.”
Butt workout:
Balancing back arabesque kicks
1 Kneel on your hands and knees. For a challenge, extend your supporting arm straight out to the side.
2 Lift your working leg back at hip height, keeping the leg straight and supporting knee bent.
3 Kick your leg out to extend to an arabesque, with the leg lifting higher and toes pointed, then return to the starting position. This movement has a quick pace and sharp kick.
4 Complete 30 reps, then switch arms and legs.
Ab workout:
Wide plank with double-knee drop and passé
1 Get into a plank position with your legs in a wide split.
2 Bend your knees to kneeling position and tap the floor quickly, then return to a wide plank.
3 Pull your right knee into your chest.
4 Return to a wide plank.
5 Switch legs. Complete 30 reps.