Exercises That Can

6 EXERCISES THAT CAN IMPROVE YOUR MENTAL HEALTH

BY HANNAH CHALKER

Exercise has been proven to promote mental wellness alongside physical health. Exercise can improve mental health by reducing anxiety, depression and negative moods by improving your self-esteem and cognitive functioning. Thirty minutes of exercise a day has been proven to help alleviate poor mental health, even if that means you just take three 10 minutes walks every day. Here is a list of six exercises and how they can improve your mental health.

YOGA According to the American Psychological Association, yoga is beneficial in helping ease stress. Yoga can help eliminate high stress levels for people with uncontrollable negative thoughts that are prevalent with depression, anxiety and PTSD. Yoga can provide a sense of relaxation that relieves stress and anxiety. One of the main reasons that yoga can stimulate better mental health is because it is a type of exercise that integrates both the body and mind.

CYCLING Exercises that focus on motor skills are super important for improving the health of white matter in the brain, which is important for helping the brain process thoughts more clearly. Regular exercise promotes the growth of new brain cells which allows for the brain to focus better and learn quicker. Cycling may be a good exercise for those suffering from ADHD. Spin classes also give you a chance to form new friendships with fellow classmates.

RUNNING People with depression can suffer from a lack of motivation. While it can be difficult to find the motivation to workout, some exercises actually provide you with a boost of energy. Runners can experience what is called a “runner’s high,” which is a sense of clarity that one feels after a jog. Running can provide you with the perfect time to process complicated thoughts, giving you a clear head when you’re done.

BOXING If you’re looking for an outlet for aggression you should give boxing a try. Boxing can be both empowering and healing. Short boxing rounds can release endorphins which improve your overall mood. While boxing you can get into a state of mind in which you are only focusing on the task at hand, which is sparring. This “flow” is a state of mind that even Buddhist monks try and achieve.

PILATES Pilates is a great way to reduce stress and promote relaxation. It’s also great for people who would consider themselves “alpha” types as there is no competitive element in Pilates. Like yoga, Pilates focuses on breathing and relaxation which can help with sleep.

BELLY DANCING The idea of belly dancing or any other “erotic” exercise such as pole dancing can be scary, but it offers a sense of empowerment that is unlike any other. Belly dancing is a great way to burn calories while also boosting your self-confidence. These classes can be a great way to meet others, which can help people with social anxiety make connections.

BY GABBY DANCE

If you Google “Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville,” an avalanche of search results pop up about the WWE tag team duo’s rumored relationship. From Reddit posts to wrestling blogs, WWE fans can’t stop wondering, “Are they dating?” Deville, the first openly lesbian WWE wrestler, and Rose, a public LGBTQ+ ally, have been inseparable since they met on WWE’s “Tough Enough” in 2015. The pair even pitched a relationship angle to WWE producers on an episode of the wrestling reality show “Total Divas” last year. However, if you’re reading this and already “shipping” the two wrestlers, we’ve got some bad news for you: they’re not dating. Instead, they’re best friends and somewhat like twins.

“We're very similar in a way,” Rose said. “We actually joke around that we are kind of like twin energies, and it's kind of creepy. We say the same things at the same time; it's really weird.”

Their personalities and even their backgrounds are notably similar. Both wrestlers hail from Italian American families in northeastern suburbs: Deville from New Jersey and Rose from New York. Both have the same favorite food: donuts. Just like twins, they do almost everything together. The tag team called “Fire and Desire” undergo intense training workouts together, and they later eat their cheat meals together on their YouTube show “DaMandyz Donutz.”

“We do everything together,” Deville said. “She's the friend that I want to, like, raise my kids next door to her kids.”

Outside of their Mary-Kate and Ashley-esque professional friendship, the two complement each other’s differences and offer the other support just like most best friends. Through hard moments like public breakups, exciting career opportunities or daily workouts, they’re each other’s biggest cheerleaders. Even now, when rumors are swirling that WWE’s production may be ending, their inside-the-ring partnership and outside-the-ring friendship remains strong. “[It’s great that] we have each other for emotional support because, you know, it's a crazy business that we're in,” Rose remarked.

Their bond is so profound that they have gained a fan following for their friendship. Fans flock to watch A their YouTube series where they sample donuts and other guilty pleasures from fried chicken wings to cheese curds. The two started the series after a trip to Krispy Kreme following a workout at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida.

“[After finishing a workout] we were always starving because we burned so many calories,” Deville said. “We [would get] take-out Cuban food and then afterwards, we + HER COVER

would always go get Krispy Kreme Doughnuts. [One day,] we were posting about it on our Instagram, and fans were being mind-blown that we can eat like that…People were fascinated with our balance of diet and exercise, so we decided when we got on the road together to try donuts in every town we go to.” From there, “DaMandyz Donutz” was born and the two started taking quick breaks from their intense training schedules to find the best glazed donuts in the country. So far, Rose says their favorite donuts reside in Lafayette, Louisiana, at a restaurant called “Messy Donut.”

Now established as a joint brand, “DaMandyz Donuts” may transform into a brick and mortar donut shop someday, according to Rose. Through their series, the duo hopes to make it known that health does not equal restriction.

Even with careers focused heavily on fitness and looks, the two wrestlers advocate for eating your favorite “cheat meals” in moderation. “[There’s nothing wrong with] a donut here and there, especially with how hard we train,” Rose said. “If one week we feel like we don't deserve that couple cheat meals a week…we'll pass up on it, but it’s not worth stressing over it. I think the less stress you have about having had this meal or whether you can have this food, the better.”

Most WWE fans recognize and appreciate their unity and synergy on camera, but who are they as individuals? Read on to learn more about the wrestling stars’ career journeys that led them to their current success.

MANDY ROSE’S RISKS AND REWARDS

When the world saw Mandy Rose, real name Amanda Rose Saccomanno, publicly go through a breakup with her fiancé on the reality show “Total Divas,” she learned firsthand what it was like to have her personal life under a microscope. “Obviously everything was exploited, which is what you sign up for when you go on reality TV,” Rose said.

The now 29-year-old is a key player in the WWE world, a place where the lines between the real and the produced are + HER COVER

often hard to distinguish. The opportunity to show her real self is why she says she appreciates her time on the reality show. “‘Total Divas’ is a great opportunity to showcase your life outside of the ring and, you know, for the fans to kind of interact and get to know you personally at a different level,” Rose acknowledged.

The show gives fans an inside look into the female wrestlers’ families, relationships and emotions, which are often

“I've always wanted to be able to teach others and just to provide a healthier lifestyle for people.”

only expressed through their TV personas. “Obviously [our purpose on TV is] for entertainment, so we play a certain character and you're either liked or disliked,” Rose said.

Since “Total Divas” and in tandem with her continuing career in the WWE ring, Rose has turned her onscreen appeal into an entrepreneurial powerhouse. Last year, she launched her own app called Fit With Mandy, and she has a skincare line called Amarose set to release this year. Both brands were created to fulfill her personal mission of inspiring others to prioritize health and self-care. “I've always wanted to be able to teach others and just to provide a healthier lifestyle for people,” Rose said. “Part of my job is, you know, not only looking good, but we have to take care of ourselves. In the entertainment business, we have to take care of our bodies and especially with my character on TV, I'm all about lookinggood.” Fit With Mandy, specifically, works to make exercising at home easy. The 12-week program requires little to no equipment and can be accessed from anywhere on your phone. “I designed it because we're always on the road traveling with wrestling right now, and sometimes we don't have access to a good gym,” Rose said. “[The app is] designed for all different skill levels, both male and female, and it's a lot of high intensity circuit training, and a lot of training I do on a daily basis. I did it so it can be accessible to pretty much anyone— mothers that are home that had a baby or younger kid that you know, can't afford a gym membership or whatever it may be.” She says the app has received positive feedback since its release last summer, and she plans to keep developing different exercise programs to add in the future. The app is free but requires in-app purchases for certain features.

The 2014 WBFF Bikini World Champion has always had this passion for fitness. Growing up with three older brothers, she was constantly playing sports and wrestling with them. When she got to high school, she joined a dance company. Her passion for fitness was always there, but she didn’t initially plan for a career in it. She went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in speech pathology from Iona College and then went on to get her master’s degree.

While studying in school and working to support herself as a bartender and waitress, she fell into the world of body building and fitness modeling. When she entered her first fitness competition in 2013, she took first place.

“It was kind of quick,” she noted. “I did my first show and I got my pro card and I didn't really know much about it. I was like, ‘oh, seems like a lot of fun.’ And from then on, when I went on stage, I felt such a passion for fitness. I liked looking and feeling good about myself and kind of being able to show it off on stage. [I loved] getting my body to a point that I never thought I could get it to. I really fell in love with that.”

Life since then has ushered a whirlwind of changes. She landed a spot on WWE competition show “Tough Enough” in 2015, finishing in second place and signing a five-year contract with the company. Today, she’s one of the company’s well-known wrestlers, appearing in two WWE video games and gathering a strong fanbase.

“You never know where you're going to end up in life,” Rose said. “I was going to school because I thought that was what I wanted to do at the time and then I ended up becoming a bikini world champion and then going on to become, you know, a sports entertainer in WWE. Growing up, I never thought that I would one day going to be on stage walking in a bikini and heels and then one day fight in a WWE ring wrestling.”

Despite the glamorous world of TV, within Mandy Rose lies Amanda Rose Saccomanno, a woman who prefers life’s simple pleasures, such as spending time with her family alone. When she’s not working, she resides beachside in Florida where she takes care of her mother. When she needs to clear her mind, she reaches for her bicycle. “I'll go and ride my bike to the beach and…it’s like my therapy session because it's no stimulation. I just kind of go by myself or with my mom and just really enjoy [the scenery]. We’re constantly surrounded by people and airports and TV, and it can be overwhelming and too much stimulation, so it’s good for me to just enjoy [riding my bike] alone.”

Overall, she said she is grateful for her life in the spotlight. To her fans or to anyone aspiring for success, she advises them to take risks and aim high. “I wasn't really 100 percent when I got called for [Tough Enough],” Rose said. “I was a little iffy about it, but you know, I took the risk and that changed my life. So, you never know where things could take you, and what's the worst thing that could happen? Always find something that makes you happy.” + HER COVER

SONYA DEVILLE’S COMING UP AND COMING OUT

On January 5, 2020, Sonya Deville, real name Daria Berenato, felt a personal connection when watching “Saturday Night Live” cast member Kate McKinnon’s heartfelt Golden Globes speech commenting on how comedian Ellen Degeneres’ coming out story paved the way for other LGBTQ people to have careers in TV. The speech helped Deville, the first openly lesbian WWE wrestler, feel that her own efforts to pave the way for LGBTQ wrestlers are likewise worth it.

“Ellen was a gay female in this time hosting a show in Hollywood, and she wasn't always accepted,” Deville said. “It’s stories like that that make me want to share my story and help change the way the world views minorities in general. Although it's not always butterflies and rainbows, I put myself out there on the ledge because I'm passionate about people accepting who they are.”

The wrestler came out in 2015 during an episode of “Tough Enough” when she was asked whether she was in a

relationship. She responded that she had a girlfriend. “It was kind of this moment where I didn't even realize I was coming out and then when I said the words, I was like, ‘Wait, I've never said that out loud before,’” Deville said.

“I want to share my

story and help change the conversation around minorities in general.”

Despite her conversational way of coming out on the show, Deville didn’t always feel comfortable with her sexuality. “I spent a lot of my teenage years pretending to be someone that I wasn't because I was afraid and didn't know that [being myself] was okay,” Deville said. “I want to kind of be that voice like, ‘Hey. I can relate to you.’ But take it from me, being open and being out is the best thing that I ever did. I wish I did it sooner.”

Growing up in a small, conservative town in south New Jersey, she said she always knew she was gay. She also always knew that she wanted to be a professional athlete. She played school sports, specifically basketball, soccer and track, until she was 16 and wanted to try something new. She started watching UFC and MMA fighting and looked up to the women breaking into the wrestling world, which was maledominated at the time. She approached her mom about wanting to learn MMA fighting and showed her footage of MMA fighters Gina Carano and Cris Cyborg.

From there, her wrestling training began. She trained throughout the rest of high school, preparing to make her dreams a reality upon graduation. “The day of my high school graduation, I packed everything in my car and I drove it to South Florida and walked into American Top Team, which is one of the best agents in the world, and said, ‘I want to play with you guys.’ [From there,] I moved around from Jersey to South Florida to LA pursuing that dream of fighting and acting.”

Her introduction to WWE came in June 2015 when she was cast on “Tough Enough” while pursuing a career in MMA in Los Angeles and hosting a UFC podcast on AfterBuzz TV, a platform maintained by entertainment personality and frequent WWE guest star Maria Menounos. Menounos came to one of her matches and encouraged her to apply for “Tough Enough.” “I didn’t really watch [WWE] wrestling growing up, so I did my research and I was like, ‘Oh my God, this is exactly what I want to do.’ [It includes] athleticism and fighting, which is what I love, and also acting and entertaining, which is the other thing that I love. So, it's kind of like my two worlds combined in this world that I never even knew about.”

She got on the show but ended up being the third person eliminated. She amped up her training and continued reaching out to WWE’s hiring team until she was offered and signed a contract in October 2015 with WWE’s NXT brand. When she returned to the reality TV world to appear on WWE’s “Total Divas” in 2019, she was ready to show the world a more vulnerable side of herself and connect with fans. “I think it's the most important thing, being in the WWE, + HER COVER

to connect with your fans,” Deville said. “I think that's how people like John Cena and The Rock and, you know, even like Charlotte Flair and Sasha Banks, I think that's how the most successful people in the industry become successful because they connect with the audience.”

She said the experience was simultaneously exciting and terrifying. The show gives fans an up-close look at its contestants lives, both the good and bad. When Deville entered the show, she and her girlfriend had just broken up. They later got back together—all while the cameras watched. “When the show started, me and my girlfriend just broke up; we decided not be together anymore,” Deville said. “So, the show started when I was newly single, and then as the show was being filmed, we decided to get back together. The cameras were rolling and capturing every phone call, every situation while, you know, I'm trying to figure out what I want in life and my relationship…I took a risk, and I let the fans see what really happened. I'm so glad I did because I feel like it allows me to show the fans who I really am…outside of the ring.”

Sonya strikes her colorful opponent. (Photo/WWE)

She said the experience brought her closer to her fans, something she truly values. One of her favorite parts of being in the public eye is being a role model for her audience, specially its LGBTQ+ members. “I get so many messages from the LGBTQ community and that's literally why I do this, because of stuff like that,” Deville said. “It changes me and it moves me in such a way that I can't even explain it. It's like, ‘Wow, I'm actually helping somebody feel okay with who they are,’ you know? We all have moments where we need that little push or we need that little piece of motivation, so for me to be able to see that is really cool.”

As someone trailblazing a space for LGBTQ people, she has, predictably, received her fair share of hate. However, she chooses to push past it in pursuit of a bigger cause—being that Ellen-like figure for young, LGBTQ wrestlers. “[I love] to see the thousands of people that I help every day just by sharing my story and letting them know, ‘Hey, it's okay. It's okay to be gay. It's okay to be who you are, whether that's gay or not gay.’ That's the message. And yeah, you’ve got to take the love with the hate with everything in life, but [getting to be] that person with this platform is changing the way that people think.”

8 ISSUES FOR JUST $12.99

FEATURES • HEART • FLAVOR • H E A L T H LESSONS • WORK • PLAY