May 21, 2023 - Krish Catapang

If there is one lesson that Filipinos took away from the extended lockdown, it is the importance of maintaining our general health. During the peak of the pandemic, many of us experienced sudden changes in our routines. It was also during this time that we realized the importance of prioritizing physical health and self-care. For Filipinas, one form of self-care that has become more popular and important is intimate care or taking good care of their vaginal health.

With the increase in mobility and return of social activities, how can Filipinas take proper intimate care and practice good vaginal health – dealing with daily discharge, wetness, and odor management – while they are out and about?

According to Dr. Mary Ann Ceferina Gonzaga, an OBGYN practitioner, vaginal health can be managed by taking care of your overall health. This means eating healthy, having regular exercise, ensuring that you are well hydrated, sleeping well, and avoiding stressful activities. “Vaginal health is an important part of a woman’s overall health. It is important to maintain a healthy vulva and vagina to help prevent infections, discomfort, and to prevent the stress that comes with relationship problems and one’s self-confidence. If your vagina and intimate areas are healthy, you are more comfortable and confident which can equate to a better quality of life for women, their partners, and their families.” She also added how women can properly take care of their vaginal health, “Proper hygiene by keeping the intimate area clean, fresh, and dry is key in taking care of your vagina. We recommend using water and a natural mild soap or wash for cleaning, and using a natural, thin, light, comfortable, cotton, hypoallergenic pantyliners to keep women dry the whole day.”

Carefree, the number one pantyliner brand in the Philippines, believes that it is high time for women to start taking charge of their vaginal health now as they go out more. Through an online campaign called the #CarefreePantyLove Movement, Carefree aims to spark conversations in helping women keep their intimate area fresh all day, one clean panty at a time with Carefree pantyliners.

Carefree also tapped a new brand ambassador, Rei Germar, who embodies what it means to be Carefree fresh and clean. Rei shares how she practices #CarefreePantyLove by demonstrating to her followers how to keep her panties clean and fresh from wetness and odor by using Carefree pantyliners.

“I am a big believer of self-care and one of the ways I take care of myself is by making sure that even my most intimate areas are properly taken cared of. Now that I am going out more because of work and personal activities, I don’t want that icky feeling of vaginal discharge and having to worry about odor get in my way. With Carefree, I get to show #CarefreePantyLove by keeping my panties fresh and clean!” Rei Germar, content creator and Carefree ambassador.

“Now that women are starting to go out more, Carefree wants to empower every woman to take charge of their intimate care. With Carefree Breathable pantyliner, we want women to keep their panties feeling fresh all day, so they do not have to worry about wetness and odor when they do their daily activities,” Jason Khu, senior brand manager for Carefree.

Carefree has a wide portfolio of pantyliners that is customized for every woman’s need.

Carefree Breathable provides better air circulation to maintain that fresh panty feel all day. It is 3x more breathable (vs Carefree Super Dry) allowing air to circulate so your skin can breathe. It is cotton soft that provides superior comfort on skin.

Carefree Super Dry keeps you feeling fresh and dry from heavy daily discharge. It has moisture proof backing technology to prevent leakage and keep you dry and odor-free all day. Carefree Super Dry is designed with body shape contour for a close and comfortable fit. It is also made with cottony soft cover for maximum freshness. To add, Carefree Super Dry contains natural plant extract to help neutralize any odor causing bacteria.

Carefree Healthy Fresh gives you up to 8-hour odor and germ control with natural tea tree extract to control the growth of odor causing bacteria.

To know more about the Carefree #PantyLove Movement visit and follow our social media accounts at https://www.facebook.com/CarefreePH/ and @carefee.ph on Instagram and Titkok. Carefree pantyliners are also available in all leading supermarket and drugstore nationwide as well as on official Johnson & Johnson Philippines Shopee and Lazada pages.

Up and coming holistic fitness center aims for pain-free, gradual journey towards a healthy body

Awaken co-founder and celebrity coach Culver Padilla believes in training by design which improves the 4 human movements: standing, walking, running and throwing
“If we learn what it takes to perform these movements to the highest degree, the benefits will transfer to literally every other movement we do,” says Coach Culver
Functional training is a classification of exercise which involves training the body for the activities performed in daily life
Pro volleyball team F2 Logistics Cargo Movers consider Awaken their ‘second home’
Gym use and group classes open to non-members for free during anniversary week

Functional training workout with Coach Culver Padilla (leftmost)

No pain, no gain? Not if you ask the trainers of Awaken Gym. “No pain? More gain!”

Headed by Culver Padilla, co-founder of the gym and a personal trainer to celebrities, the coaches in this Pasig-based fitness center subscribe to the belief that working out should not leave you sore and aching. Instead, post-workout sessions at Awaken will leave you satisfied, energized and ready to take on the challenges of the day.

“Our workouts are challenging but not overwhelming which makes it very sustainable,” explained Coach Culver. “Pain is a sign that your muscles are either not used to the workout or it exceeded its capacity. By working with our highly trained professionals here at Awaken, we will start with an assessment so we curate the routine according to your body’s needs and current capacity, with just enough intensity that would still allow you to function normally as you go about your daily lives.”

This mindset and practice towards working out is what makes the fitness lifestyle sustainable, he added. And it does not start and stop with physical exercises. Awaken Gym prides itself in the holistic development of its members, making sure eating and sleeping habits are reformed, if not improved altogether.

“Rest and recovery are just as important as working out. Exercise creates microscopic tears in your muscle tissue. But during rest, cells called fibroblasts repair it. These help the tissue heal and grow, resulting in stronger muscles,” said Coach Culver. Awaken is one of the few, if not the only, gyms offering red light therapy—part of its NSDR method or the practice of Non-Sleep Deep Rest, he explained. It puts the body into a deep relaxation state to allow it to reset and go back to recovery mode after triggering the fight-or-flight response during the workout, Coach Culver added.

Home away from home

The F2 Logistics Cargo Movers, a perennial title contender in the pro volleyball scene, are proud to call the Awaken Gym their second home. Sonny Montalvo, who doubles as the team and the gym’s strength and conditioning coach, leads the weekly training of the athletes to ensure that they are in their best form to compete.

F2 Logistics Cargo Movers training at Awaken

“While Awaken serves as a home to those looking to improve their fitness lifestyle, this gym is also a home to elite athletes who wish to train for high-level competitions,” Coach Sonny said. “Since F2 Logistics started training here at Awaken, the team got back to the podium.”

“Thank you Awaken for being our second home and providing us a conducive space to better ourselves,” said Cha Cruz, outside hitter for F2 Logistics. “I’m in the best shape of my life so far and I’m looking forward to getting stronger and better. The people at Awaken are so welcoming and helpful, and I’m very grateful that they do everything they can to support my team and myself,” setter Iris Tolenada added.

Something for everyone

Effectivity and variety are the bread and butter of Awaken Gym. Coach Culver has made it a point for himself and the other coaches to continuously study the latest developments in physical fitness, training, and the like, and apply those in their gym. Paraphrasing Bruce Lee, Coach Culver said of this practice, “Research, absorb what is useful, discard what is unnecessary, and add what works for you.”

One of the most effective routines for the gym’s members is the Functional Training Fundamentals (FTF). “You might just be carrying grocery bags up the stairs and afterwards you’re already gasping for breath. That’s what FTF works on: the muscles you use and the movements you do everyday to improve overall health and lifestyle. These are workouts that actually make sense, and by being consistent with it you also get a bonus of above average physique,” Coach Culver said.

Coach Sonny added that variety is important for non-athletes looking to get fit. Without variety, people would tend to get bored doing the same things over and over. By applying new learnings and strategies, as well as getting the latest certifications, the coaches of Awaken Gym have expanded their offerings to include the following, aside from Strength and Conditioning and FTF:

Animal Flow workout—ground-based movement designed to improve strength, flexibility, mobility, and coordination;
Calisthenics; Athletic Performance; Biomechanics Training;
High Intensity Interval Training; Circuit training; Spartan training;
Therapy, including but not limited to: sports taping, dry needling, physical therapy, myofascial release, and the like;
Kids workout; Corporate team building;
And others, like meal prep, merchandise, as well as a meeting and small event venue.

Kids workout with Coach Anjo Resurreccion

Hendrick Young, who has been a member of Awaken for the past year, testified to the holistic development that the gym works towards. “One of the greatest things I learned from Awaken is that working out is a lifestyle, not just an activity we do a few times a week. Awaken also helped me to see that nurturing and developing mental fitness is just as important as physical fitness.”

He added, “When I joined Awaken, I expected to become a member of a gym but I ended up being a part of one big family.”

Dr. Jeffrey Ang, who also started on his fitness journey nearly a year ago, attested to the welcoming atmosphere that Awaken exudes. He shared, “What drew me in is the heart and soul of Awaken—the coaches and staff. I have always had a hard time every time I do trials in a gym. I am fortunate enough to have the privilege to train with one of the best coaches in the country, Culver. He was able to push me and my boundaries to the limit, like I was able to go outside of the box, learn and develop myself without compromising each other’s individuality.”

Dr. Ang added, “The community is one of the factors that really sold it for me. From the staff to the different clients that I met, I never felt like I was someone less. The people all understood that we are in this together—a collective of people helping and pushing each other for the betterment of each individual.”

For those interested, visit its Instagram page @awakengymofficial for more details.

Day: May 21, 2023

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