New (Healthy!) Snacks

June 29th, 2010

One of the things I have noticed as a regular gym-goer is that 3 meals a day definitely doesn’t cut it.  Having small and healthy snacks in between meals keeps your blood sugar stable and also keeps you from pigging out at breakfast/lunch/dinner.

One of my favorite snacks is fruit, but a lot of what I’ve been reading lately says that fruit is best not combined with other foods (proteins, vegetables and starches) nor consumed within an hour of these other foods.  Why?  Apparently, our body digests fruit much faster than it digests proteins, veggies and starches – so if you combine fruits with these other foods, or eat fruit after a meal with these other foods, the fruit gets “stuck” behind them in the digestive process – which causes the fruit to ferment in your stomach (ewww), which causes unpleasant gas/bloating.  I’ve suffered from these side effects, and when I tested out this theory, they went away.  So for me it works (for you, it might not).  The same theory of food combining says that tomatoes can be combined with low starch veggies, nuts or avocados; and avocados (also known as “alligator pears”) are best combined with low-starch veggies.  I’m not saying this is gospel – “the only way” – but it works for me, so I’m sharing.  Nutrition is such a personal thing – what works for my body and lifestyle might not work for everyone else’s.

So what else can we snack on?  If I don’t have the hour cushion for my fruit,  I do love my veggies.  Carrots/celery/cucumbers/avocados – those are my favorite veggie snacks.  I love raw almonds, too.  I know not everyone has time to cart fresh produce around everywhere they go – so what can we get from the grocery store that is quick and easy?  Two of my favorite grocery store snacks are LARABARS and Pop Chips.  Both are natural, containing ingredients that don’t take a bioscience degree to figure out what they are.  Both are gluten free, and contain no preservatives, artificial flavors or colors.  And both are low enough in calories so that they’re not going to derail your health and fitness efforts (when consumed in moderation).

I discovered LARABARS after I did a cleanse earlier this year and was looking to eat more naturally.  I noticed that many of the “energy”/protein bars had so many artificial ingredients and seemed more like science food.  LARABARS are different – most of them have no more than 5-6 ingredients, and usually 1 bar is in the neighborhood of 200 calories.  My favorite is the Cinnamon Roll bar, pictured above (ingredients:  dates, walnuts, almonds, raisins, cashews, cinnamon).  They just launched 4 new flavors (Carrot Cake, Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, and Chocolate Chip Brownie).  I’ve tried the the Carrot Cake and PB Chocolate Chip, both are amazing.  My other favorite flavors are Apple Pie, Cherry Pie, Peanut Butter & Jelly, Coconut Cream Pie, Banana Bread and Peanut Butter Cookie.  I loved their Pistachio flavored bar, but that one was retired in May (sad face).

I first tried Pop Chips at an Equinox event in Chicago.  I tried in vain to find them around here, having to settle for buying several bags the last time I was in NYC and schlepping them back on the train.  Thanks to the handy store locator on the Pop Chips website, I am starting to find them at more and more places.  The City Convenience in my neighborhood has big bags (3 oz) of the Original and BBQ flavors (AMAZING) and smaller 0.8 oz bags of all of the other flavors (Sour Cream & Onion, Sea Salt & Vinegar, Salt & Pepper, Cheddar, Parmesan and Parmesan Garlic).  Pop Chips have no gluten ingredients, no preservatives, no artificial flavors/colors and closer to 100 calories/serving (120 calories/serving for the original flavor – which is about 23 chips).  The chips are not fried, not baked, but “popped” using heat and pressure.  The original flavor’s ingredients are:  potato flakes, potato starch, safflower and/or sunflower oil, rice flour and sea salt.

So if you’re looking for a natural “on-the-go” snack that you can grab at the neighborhood convenience store, either of these are a good bet.  Or just munch on some fruits or veggies!

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

A Break From Our Regularly Scheduled Programming

June 18th, 2010

So as some readers of BFF.com may know, I am a HUGE Boston sports fan (in addition to being a complete gym whore). The Red Sox are my favorite, followed (in order) by the Pats/Celtics/Bruins (though sometimes the Pats and Celtics flip flop). Last night, the Celtics lost Game 7 of the NBA Finals to the hated LA Lakers in pretty painful fashion – up 13 points in the 3rd quarter, they blew it. It was a series between two evenly matched teams and Game 7 was there for the taking. Neither the Celtics nor the Lakers seemed to want it though – sloppy basketball by both teams, nobody really stepping up and controlling the game.

The game was won not by Kobe Bryant, but on two huge 3-point shots by Derek Fisher and Ron Artest, and by Sasha “I’m really a girl” Vujacic making the two most high pressure free throws of his life. It was tough to watch (moreso because I hate Phil Jackson and Kobe Bryant and the Lakers franchise with every fiber of my being), but it doesn’t TOUCH the awfulness of Superbowl XLII (Patriots blow the chance for a perfect season and wiping the 1972 Dolphins off our radar forever) or Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS (Aaron freakin’ Boone). So at least I have that going for me. . .which is nice.

The bottom line is this – the 2010 Celtics (to quote my friend Mike’s Facebook status) “exceeded expectations”.   He’s 100% right.  A lot of “insiders” picked the Miami Heat to topple them in the first round, nobody thought they were going to beat LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers, and people didn’t think they had a shot against the Orlando Magic in the Conference Finals or the Lakers in the Finals.  And they made it to Game 7 vs. the Lakers and had a solid chance to win it.  C’est la vie.  This playoff run was a great ride and I (for one) thoroughly enjoyed it.

Second sports item on the agenda is the eagerly anticipated Sox-Dodgers series at Fenway this weekend – aka, Manny Ramirez’s first game back at Fenway after he was traded to LA in 2008.  A lot of Boston “fans” don’t like the fact that Manny “quit” on the team in 2008 (being sent for an MRI and not remembering which knee was hurt was my favorite anecdote brought to light).  Since his departure from the Red Sox (which netted us Jason Bay for 2 seasons, the only player who could make Manny look like a gold glove left fielder in comparison), Manny has been linked to PED’s (serving a 50-game suspension for the use of a fertility drug designed to mask steroid use) and has seen a steep drop in his power numbers (just 19 HR in 104 games in 2009, 7 HR in 48 games to date in 2010 – though he did slug .531 last year and is at .514 this season).

The conundrum for a lot of Sox fans is this – to cheer or boo Mr. Ramirez when he is introduced at Fenway Park.  I am definitively in the “cheer” camp.  The man was an integral part of 2 World Series championships (MVP of one of them) and was the best right handed hitter I ever saw in a Sox uniform.  I relished getting to watch him hit every day for 8 years, and I can’t begrudge him the fact that he has the worst agent in sports (Scott Bora$$) who likely manipulated Manny’s little stunt to get traded in 2008 because he wasn’t going to get paid if the Sox picked up the $20 million option on Manny’s old contract (negotiated by former agent Jeff Moorad).

It comes down to this – October 2004 was the best month of my life, and I could never boo someone who was such a big part of that.  I have cheered for each member of “the 25″ when they have returned to Fenway in other uniforms – Pedro Martinez, Derek Lowe, Nomar Garciaparra, Trot Nixon, Dave Roberts (!!!), Kevin Millar, Orlando Cabrera and even Johnny Damon (who left the Sox for the Yankees via free agency after the 2005 season).  I will not boo the 2004 World Series MVP when he returns to Fenway in Dodger blue this weekend, and I hope he gets a nice reception from all the fans at Fenway – we would still be mired in a World Series-less existence were it not for #24.  But I still hope the Sox sweep this weekend!

Tags: ,
Posted in Sports | No Comments »

Long Time No Blog

June 15th, 2010

Forgive me Lord, for it has been 10 months since my last blog entry.

A lot has happened since August 2009 – I got certified to teach Zumba, and have subbed a few classes in the burbs and I got my AFAA Group Exercise certification.  Some of my friends joke about how many certifications it will take for me to actually teach something (I was also certified in Budokon back in the day).  Getting those certifications, then actually putting together classes and teaching gave me a new perspective on how difficult it is to be up there in front of a room full of people who are cranky because you’re not their favorite teacher (karmic retribution anyone?)  And because my teacher (Marc McDonald at Om Warrior) is going to be running Pure Yoga teacher training at Equinox starting this fall, odds are I’m going to be getting my certification to teach real yoga (instead of a hybrid).  If you’re interested in a yoga teacher training, you can get more information here.

In terms of new fun classes I’ve tried, here’s a cheatsheet:

My New Favorite Thing – Aerial Arts

This is one of the most amazing workouts I’ve ever done – climbing silks and ropes and trapezes and doing fun tricks in mid-air.  It takes a ton of core and leg strength, and after 5 sessions, I can feel my upper body strength increasing (it’s much easier to climb now and hold myself up).  Aircraft Aerial Arts in Boston is located in the new Crossfit in the Fenway (on Boylston across from Basho, in the old Goodyear building that they share with Marshall’s Farm Stand).  There are a max of 5 people per class, and classes are mostly sold in packages ($25/class).  You can also arrange with Jill to have a private ($60/hour) or duet ($30/each per hour), or set up a special 75-minute class with 3-5 people for $25 per person.

Yoga Teachers and Classes

If you’re looking for a great yoga class, you won’t be sorry if you attend any of the following teachers’ classes:

Kate Greer’s “Rock Your Asana” class at Back Bay Yoga on Sunday at 4pm – Kate is one of the best teachers in Boston, she has a very zen way about her and has a gift for actually TEACHING how to get into the more advanced postures.  Unfortunately, rumor has it that she is moving to Florida soon, so that will be the end of that.  If you are someone who enjoys a physically challenging class while still reaping the spiritual benefits of yoga, you NEED to go take Kate’s class before she leaves.  She also teaches “Rock Your Asana” at BBY on Wednesday at 5:50pm and is on the schedule at Equinox (both Franklin Street and Back Bay).

Lynne Beiger’s “Hip Hop Yoga” class at Back Bay Yoga on Friday at 10am.  Lynne is the owner of BBY, and this class is a challenging, sweaty flow to really fun and funky music.  Nothing like being upside down to the strains of Tupac Shakur, Will Smith or other old school/new school hiphop artists.  Guaranteed to get your toes tapping in standing poses, and you’ll want to sing along as you get your yoga groove on.  She also teaches Hip Hop Yoga on Saturday at noon.  Drop-in rate at BBY is $15, or new students can get 2 weeks of yoga for $25 (an excellent deal).

Sarah Sturges at Exhale Spa.  I’ve known Sarah for a LONG time, but had never had the chance to take her yoga class until a recent holiday Monday.  Not surprisingly, her class was amazing.  Sarah just has a very peaceful way about her, and a couple of years ago, went to India and immersed herself in yoga for a few months.  She is also an amazing Core Fusion teacher.  What I really loved about her yoga class was that it was challenging while still being peaceful, which is a really hard thing to achieve.   Her regular yoga class times are Monday and Friday at 9:30am.  Sarah also teaches at both Equinox locations in Boston.

Adena Muncey’s “Max Power” at Sports Club/LA on Tuesday at 10am.   I have seriously been trying to take Adena’s class for two years (we have a mutual friend in Renee Leblanc, who runs Yoga Power in Waltham and is an amazing teacher herself), but unfortunately for me, the only time she teaches at SCLA is mid-morning on Tuesday.  On an off-day, I moseyed over there excitedly and was NOT disappointed.  She teaches an intense class filled with advanced postures that MOVES – by the time you get to the floor at the end of the 75 minute class, probably 60+ minutes into class, you are DYING (in a good way).  Hands down, the best yoga class at SCLA – it’s a shame she doesn’t have the opportunity to teach a prime-time advanced class so more members would get the chance to experience her.  Adena also teaches at Equinox and the aforementioned Yoga Power in Waltham (at much more user friendly class times).

It’s interesting, since Marc left SCLA, I don’t do much yoga there anymore – they used to have a really diverse schedule, but now the same people teach all the classes.  And while their teachers are good, I feel like they should be bringing in the Kate Greer’s and Sarah Sturges’ of the world (both of whom are elite enough teachers to work at Exhale and Equinox) to mix things up and add a little variety.

Best “New” Class – Helixing at Revolution Fitness

What is a Helix, you ask?  It’s a cardio machine that moves laterally (and gives your hips, glutes and legs an amazing workout) instead of back and forth.  Rev Fit, one of the more underrated gyms in the city, is the only gym in the area (that I’m aware of) that has classes on the machine (the Helixes live in their spinning room).  They feature 30-minute classes on Monday at 6:30pm, Wednesday at 6:15am and 6:00 pm, and Thursday at noon.  You can check out the Helix website here to see a video and get more info on the machine.  There is seriously nothing else out there like this (photo below from SNEWS)

Abduction (it also does adduction)

Abduction (it also does adduction)

I know I’ve said it before, but I’m really going to try to be better at keeping up the blog.  I feel like I attend SO many classes both here and in other cities that I should be writing more.  I may also sprinkle the blog with fun personal anecdotes and nutrition/food bytes just so I don’t lapse into not having anything to write about.  Peace out for now!  :)

Tags: , , , , , , ,
Posted in Cardio, General, Mind Body, Strength | No Comments »

Injuries = Not Good Times

August 27th, 2009

Nothing much to report from my trip to Tennessee last week – I was exhausted the day after flying/driving, so I didn’t get to check out the Sports Barn in Chattanooga – next time!  I’m heading to Miami over Labor Day weekend to visit my friend Kim (who moved down there to open/run the new Exhale in Miami).  I’m excited about checking out the SCLA in Miami while I’m there, and any other fun gyms/classes I can find  :)

A lot of people ask me how I work out so much without getting seriously injured.  While not immune to injuries (I’ve had minor problems with knees, hip flexors, IT bands and my back in the not so distant past), I think one of the most important things I’ve learned is “if it doesn’t feel good, don’t do it”.  That, and “don’t throw your body around” – if you move slowly and with purpose, you’re more likely to stop a movement before you go too far and get hurt.  I am a believer in modifying movement to fit your body and any lingering issues you may be dealing with.

I’m definitely in the camp that hates taking time off from the gym – I’d rather exercise comfortably at a lower intensity if I’m nursing an injury than not do anything.  I think that is actually one of the reasons I haven’t (knock on wood) suffered from a completely debilitating injury – I’ve conditioned my muscles to be able to work through trouble and heal.  Important to note that I’m talking about relatively minor issues here – no broken bones, tears, sprains – those are injuries that you can’t recover from without rest/taking time off.

Recently, I’ve been dealing with a very tight right hamstring.  The left hamstring has always been noticeably more flexible (in things like the splits, single leg stretching and forward folds) – but the right one was never painful, until about a month ago.  So I’ve had to modify quite a bit of my routine recently – adding in a lot more stretching before/after working out (with the foam roller and myofascial release rolling pin), less Expresso bike (which isn’t that unfortunate, since they’ve sadly been offline for the last 2 weeks and nobody at SCLA seems to know how to get them connected to the internet again – so no tracking workouts or using the Premium routes I’m paying $9.99/month for), no more EasyTone shoes (I walk so much where I think my hamstrings were being over-activated) and not giving into my ego in certain yoga postures (I really miss being able to do sundial pose on the right side)

Photo credit - Barry Stone, About.com

Photo credit - Barry Stone, About.com

I also had a great deep tissue massage (from my friend Guerda Victor at Exhale Spa – she is AMAZING – and I am not typically a fan of female massage therapists because I prefer stronger/man hands and a lot of pressure).  That and all the stretching have been helping, but I’m still not 100%.  I’m still fully functional and it’s definitely getting better, but it’s a slow recovery.  I figure it’s good for me to work on being patient though (it’s never been one of my strong suits).

Posted in General | No Comments »

The Expresso Bike

August 12th, 2009

I’m really not good at keeping quiet about things I like – which can be a problem when you like something that not a lot of people know about.  After all, who hasn’t experienced frustration when something you’ve liked forever explodes in popularity and then all of a sudden you don’t have as much access to it?

Even knowing that, I still can’t keep quiet about my new favorite machine at the gym – the Expresso bike.  The SCLA has 2 of these, sitting quietly next to the spin bikes by the stairs to the cardio loft.  At peak times in the gym, when every elliptical machine is taken, somehow these bikes remain unused.  Inexplicable.  For anyone who has ever wanted an indoor bike that perfectly simulates an outdoor ride (including steering!!!), you need to find a gym that has one of these ASAP (which you can conveniently do here).

I have never sweat more in my life than I do on this piece of eqiupment – you are working. . .the hills feel like you’re riding up a hill outside, and you can shift gears using the buttons on the handlebars.  My heart rate usually stays between 80-90% of my “max” during my workout.  I think my favorite feature about these is the ability to track your workouts at Expresso.net - all you have to do is sign up for a free account (or you can pay $9.95/month for “Silver” membership – which unlocks additional routes not available to the general populace and keeps track of all your best times compared to other people).  Expresso.net also has messageboards with member tips, comments and fastest times. 

If you complete a course and then choose to ride that same course again, the system will have a “ghost” rider of your previous best time on that course, so you know how to pace to keep up with yourself.  Each course also has a “pacer” – a biker in a yellow jersey who can goad more competitive riders into going faster.  My second favorite feature is the ability to race your friends – if you sit down at the bike at the same time as a friend and choose the same course, you can see each other and “race” – who can finish faster?  The one time I have raced a friend, I got the workout of my life and my best time ever on one of my favorite courses, “Wicked Workout”.

Which brings us to my favorite courses - two of them are the black diamond courses – Wicked Workout and Oh Mama (both take around 30 minutes to complete).  The “Extreme” courses I like best are Vindicator (took me about 45 minutes) and Savage Revenge (75 minutes and my legs were shaking when I got off the bike).  I am more a fan of biking hilly courses with high resistance and lower (but not standstill) RPM’s.  When you are choosing a course, it will show you the mileage and the layout – so you can choose hillier courses, or flatter ones if that’s what you prefer.

Now, the seat on this bike is not the most comfortable – which is why I couldn’t be on it for more than 20 minutes when I first started using it.  Maybe that’s why it’s not more popular.  But if you are looking for a cardio workout on a machine that is also fun while getting your heart rate up, this is the best piece of equipment in the gym.  I’ll race you there! 

Tags:
Posted in Cardio | No Comments »

Random Musings

August 9th, 2009

Interesting week this past week, as my favorite teacher was away for most of it. I actually had to (gasp!) branch out and take classes from new instructors. I find that most of the teachers at SCLA are very good – and I can appreciate that it has to be really hard to step in for an extremely popular teacher – but I don’t get why some of them feel the need to force energy in a class.

I went to a class I sometimes attend that had a sub this week – very nice girl – but I should’ve known when she announced at least three times before class that she was “not Teacher X and we should all feel free to leave if that’s what we were expecting – she wouldn’t be offended” that it probably wasn’t going to be the best experience. I don’t mind teachers that try to talk/engage with the class – I usually am pretty vocal back because I feel bad when nobody answers and I can’t imagine being up in front of 30 people and feeling ignored. However, this girl would not shut up. I’m not kidding. Whether it was asking “is everybody ready” before a drill, not being satisfied with the 3-4 people who answered, and asking again (this happened at least 3 different times in the class) – or assigning “row captains” to cheer and motivate (???!!!) other riders – I almost felt like I was back in kindergarten. The thing is – the class was actually a really good workout – but she was so annoying that for the last 10 minutes I tuned her out and did my own thing (a friend of mine thought the same thing and left early).

What I also found weird was that 45 minutes into class, she said “just want to let everyone know, it’s 6:30 – so feel free to leave if there are other classes you want to go to”. Who does that?!!! I have to think this is a self confidence issue – which hopefully she gets over because she has the potential to be a solid teacher if she would just stop trying to force her brand of energy/interaction onto people. And no, I’m not naming names. My philosophy has always been that if I don’t like a class, I don’t need to complain to anyone – nobody’s forcing me to go to it and there are plenty of other classes I can take.

In other news – took an AMAZING spin class on Wednesday at lunch at SCLA with Kelly C – who IMO is one of the best spinning instructors in the city – and whose class I wish I could go to more often. She also teaches at Equinox. Great music, great energy and a workout so intense that I had to wring out my top halfway through the class because I was sweating so much.

I also went to Life in Synergy on Friday night for “Bollywood Dance Party” – again, LiS delivers a fabulously fun event on a Friday night (they did this a few weeks ago with “Thriller”). We learned the dance to Jai-Ho this Friday – which actually has much simpler choreography than Thriller (a lot of the Jai-Ho stuff repeats itself). I think they’re planning more of these Friday night dance party type events – definitely worth attending (with or without pre-gaming at Vinny T’s downstairs) if you’re looking for a fun class. LiS has no memberships – strictly pay per class ($15 for 1, or you can buy a 10-pack for $120) – and an amazing schedule.  Their two Zumba teachers (Lauren and Katie, both of whom led Friday’s event) are really good.  Eventually I am going to make it to that Cheer Fit class that I’ve been dying to try (taught by a former Patriots cheerleader)!

(Broken record alert!)  My primary yoga teacher, Marc McDonald, opened up his new studio Om Warrior this week.  SUCH an amazing space.  Marc is one of the best teachers in the city – if you’ve never taken his class you should head over to 133 Pearl Street sooner rather than later – the space has a very zen and comfortable feel to it.  I took 6 classes there this week and haven’t had that much fun doing yoga in a long time.

This week will involve squeezing classes in when I can with the Sox back at home (going Tuesday and Wednesday nights – so gotta rearrange the gym sched).  At the end of next week, I’ll be visiting the Reebok HQ to be a guinea pig for a new class they’re developing – which I likely won’t be able to talk about (assuming I’ll have to sign an NDA).  I live for doing stuff like that though – always fun to give honest feedback about fitness.

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Cardio, General, Mind Body | 1 Comment »

I heart Jukari (and Reebok!!!)

July 31st, 2009

I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to take Jukari at the Reebok Headquarters in Canton for the second time on Wednesday night (the first time I went was when they were developing the class and seeking feedback from instructor-types and workout fiends like myself).

Promotional image of woman with Jukari flyset

Promotional image of woman with Jukari flyset

SUCH an amazing workout – you can do a lot of exercises on the flyset (which is a contraption that hangs from the ceiling into which you can secure a 4lb weighted bar (to make a trapeze) or one loop on each side of the bottom for suspension training). Jukari combines suspension training with core/strength training and gives it a Cirque du Soleil twist. Some of the moves will really make you feel like you’re flying.

For those people who may not think it is a “serious” workout – I seriously got my sweat on doing this – some of the pull-up and bicep variations were extremely difficult – definitely felt it in the shoulders the next day. And the seemingly endless sequence of squats was killing me after my thighs had been toasted in a lunchtime spin class. Our instructor was Jeff, who incidentally brought Cardio Striptease and Pole Dancing to Crunch Fitness back in the day.  Needless to say, he was awesome!

The only unfortunate thing about this is that neither of the city’s “premier” gyms (SCLA or Equinox) have ceilings that can accommodate the flyset fixtures (which require the ceilings to be able to support 2,000 lbs of weight). . .so it’s TBD where Bostonians are going to be able to go to get their Jukari fix.  It is in Equinox gyms in several major cities (New York and LA for sure), so if an Equinox near you has it, you should definitely check it out.

Another awesome part about attending this class at the Reebok HQ? The Reebok concept store!!! Got a few new pairs of sneakers (I heart EasyTone sneakers for non-gym use!) and a Reebok black running skirt (we’ll see how it compares to Lulu – who apparently is sold out of all black running skirts in my size – very sad). And of course, more Reebok socks (I love their workout socks – I actually think they’re better than Thorlos – the Reebok socks hold up much better through the laundry).

I would be remiss to not mention the following – for any readers who may be in Miami – Exhale Miami opens tomorrow – being run by my good friend Kim Welby (she is a phenomenal teacher and person).

And my favorite yoga teacher Marc’s new studio Om Warrior opens on Monday (8/3) at 133 Pearl Street in the Financial District (the space formerly occupied by Yoga Power’s Boston location). You can get more information by visiting http://www.omwarrior.com (site not live yet), becoming a fan of Om Warrior on Facebook, or following @omwarrior on Twitter.

Happy exercising! :)

Tags: , , ,
Posted in General | 2 Comments »

My new favorite workout gear

July 26th, 2009

So as someone who is at the gym as much as I am, I have a ton of workout clothes. . .what I’m into varies based on what activities I’m doing most.  For Zumba, I like Ion Actif scoop tank tops with a Lululemon sports bra – I really like the way the Ion fabric wicks moisture and doesn’t leave me feeling like I jumped into a swimming pool fully clothed after I get my sweat on.  For Core Fusion, I usually do Ion/Lulu or just a Lulu tank (from my vast collection before all their tops became constricting, low cut and uncomfortable – I miss the Spark tank!)  For weight training, I have shorts or Be Good pants that I’ll pair with tank tops (gotta be able to check out the guns in the mirror!)  And for yoga, it’s always Lululemon.

So with the aforementioned issues with the evolution of Lululemon’s tank tops, I don’t shop in there nearly as much as I used to (another big pet peeve about them is that they tweak their fits/designs ever so slightly all the time – so you could buy a top from one shipment in a color you love, decide you love the top and go back to get it in more colors – and it fits completely differently – MADDENING for people who like to be in and out of a store without having to try stuff on).  But I love the girls who work there and they have a lot of fun events at their store, so I get all their newsletters and Facebook updates.  A few weeks ago, I noticed a new product – a “running skirt”.  As an aside – I love skirts.  LOVE them.  Could live in them.  I don’t like wearing shorts in the summer – only skirts.  Not to sound egotistical, but I also have really nice legs.  So “skirts + me” work well together.

I was still a little skeptical, but when I saw one of the Lululemon girls at Zumba wearing said skirt, I knew I needed to go at least try one on.  So I did – and let me tell you, this is the best athletic invention since wicking fabric (this is only a slight exaggeration).  The Lululemon “Speed” skirt is one of the most comfortable pieces of athletic wear I have ever worked out in.  It’s a fitted spandex-y skirt that stretches really nicely (the way it fits, you might not guess this).  It’s got a moisture wicking band on the top, and cute little spandex shorts underneath that are shorter than the skirt and have a special seam that keeps them in place.  It’s shorter on me than it might be on others – I have a very short torso and long legs.  I have no problem with short though.  Not only is it super comfortable, it looks adorable.  Got a lot of compliments at the gym from friends in class.  Naturally, I purchased the 3 skirts they had in stock in my size, in 3 different colors.  I’m hoping they don’t tweak it too much, because I need to have more of these.

Just what I need, a renewed love of a Lululemon product and a reason to spend more money on gym stuff!

Big week on tap – Marc McDonald’s last class at the SCLA is tomorrow at noon (end of an era) – he departs to open his new studio at a location TBA where I will surely be spending a lot of time.  Jukari class at the Reebok HQ on Wednesday (for the second time – I was lucky enough to be a Jukari guinea pig a few months ago, I’m very excited to try it again!!!)  And I am going to need to figure out what yoga classes I’m going to take this week since my primary yoga teacher (Marc) is not going to be teaching anything (new studio won’t open for another couple of weeks).

Tags: ,
Posted in General | No Comments »

Long time, no post!

July 17th, 2009

OK, it’s been awhile. . .due to the urging of friends and some outstanding classes I’ve been to lately, I’m going to try and post at least once a week from here on out.

A lot of changes on the Boston fitness scene in the last few months: Equinox opened up their Franklin Street location (I tried it out with a week-long pass – it’s a beautiful club), one of my favorite teachers (George Dossas) left the SCLA to be “exclusive” to Equinox, one of his replacements (Christine Holmes) is one of my new favorite teachers (more on this later – she teaches Tuesday night at SCLA and has been filling in on Saturday mornings), I paid $25 to work out at BSC on July 4 because SCLA was not open (doh!), and I took one of the most fun classes of my life last Friday night at Life in Synergy.

So when Michael Jackson passed away, everyone seemed to remember that he actually made really good music.  We heard it more on the radio, it was all over the internet, and it was all the rage in exercise classes.  The most creative use of MJ was Life in Synergy’s special “event” last Friday night.  Promoted via Facebook, it was advertised as “learn the dance from the Thriller video”.  But it was much more fun than that.  The class sold out – 40 people – and LiS divided us into 2 groups (1 for each of their studios).  We learned the dance for an hour and a half (SO fun) and then had a dance-off.  I was there with some of my friends from Exhale, and all of us had a blast (the post-workout sangrias at Vinny T’s definitely enhanced the evening).  Who would have thought that an MJ-themed dance class at 7pm on a Friday night (and on a Friday where we actually had nice weather for the first time in awhile) would be packed to capacity?!  Thanks to LiS for a great time!  If you haven’t been over there, it’s at 867 Boylston Street – no memberships, strictly pay per class (and they have some great classes).  Check it out at http://www.lifeinsynergy.com. 

Anyhow, I am going to make a more concerted effort to post.  One of my friends calls me “the fitness bible”, and I should be putting my gym whorish ways to good use!  :)   Until next time. . .

Tags: , ,
Posted in General | No Comments »

As they would say on Jeopardy, “Potpourri” (Mind/Body style!). . .plus, my favorite yoga class!

March 1st, 2009

It’s been a busy week for me, as I had a lot to squeeze in before an 8-day trip away from Boston.

When I travel, I always get to know the layout of the land gym-wise of where I’m going.  I’ll be in Palm Springs for a work conference through Wednesday (hotel has a gym and yoga studio that I can use and I know it’s acceptable since we had our conference at the same place last year – so I’m good for yoga/core fusion).  Wednesday, I fly to Texas for some quality time with family there.  I’m pretty familiar with the gym scene in San Antonio, as I am down there 1-2x per year.  Per usual, I printed out some class schedules at local gyms and I’m excited to try Zumba, Texas style!

I find that yoga is always such a crapshoot on the road – I’m usually better off doing my own practice (you know you’re going to be on your own when you call the hotel to ask what styles of yoga their instructors teach, and they say, “oh, its just regular yoga” – thanks for clarifying that, guys!)

I had a great week yoga-wise this week – getting to 5 classes, plus one private yoga class with my primary (and favorite) teacher, Marc McDonald.  I’ve been practicing yoga for 7+ years, and have been taking class with Marc for almost the last 4 (though only working one-on-one with him once a week for about the last year).  His class at the Sports Club/LA on Wednesday nights at 6:30pm, a Level 2/3 ashtanga-based vinyasa class, is my favorite yoga class in the city (and I think one of the most challenging classes I’ve taken on a regular basis anywhere) – it’s the 3rd of my “can’t miss” classes (his “Advance Your Asana”, a workshop-style yoga class on Tuesday nights at SCLA, is rapidly approaching this same “can’t miss” status).

He’s had such a positive effect on not just my yoga practice, but my outlook on life.  There are some people in this world who are just inspiring in how they live their lives – Marc is one of those people.  I feel truly privileged to have been able to learn from him these past 4 years.  Posturally, working with him has helped me have that “a-ha” moment about some of the more challenging postures – single legged crow, handstand, *really* floating my feet forward and floating back into low pushup, bound half moon, transitioning from crow to 8-crooked limbs. . .the list goes on and on.  He teaches a challenging vinyasa class that allows students to work on the postures that NOBODY else teaches.  He’s helped keep yoga interesting and fun for me over the years (his class has been a respite during those times when I’ve been frustrated by monotony in yoga since it has become so mainstream).  His sequencing is original, and really stresses that the transitions from asana to asana are actually asanas themselves.  I feel much stronger and have so much more control of my movement since I’ve been working with him. 

He preaches non-attachment to outcome, humility, practicing in the moment and not taking yourself too seriously (as evidenced by his jokes during class).  I think it also says something that everyone I’ve ever brought to his yoga class (from yoga beginners to experienced practitioners to people who don’t generally enjoy yoga) has loved it, and have commented not just on what a great workout his class is, but on the positive energy he exudes. 

As one of his biggest fans (and there are quite a few of us who take his classes all over the city) – he’s at Sports Club/LA teaching yoga on Mondays at noon, Tuesdays at 6pm, Wednesdays at 6:30 and Thursdays at 12:30; Equinox Back Bay on Monday at 7:30pm and Friday at 12:30pm and Yoga Power Studio (www.yogapowerstudio.com, on Pearl Street in the Financial District) on Thursdays at 5:30pm and Friday at 5:30pm (Yoga Power is heated – not bikram style heated, but warmer than a class you would take in the gym).  If you like yoga (or even if you haven’t had great experiences with it), you would be doing yourself a favor by hitting up one of his classes (or workshops) at some point.

People who are reading this who know me also know that Marc is a good friend of mine – someone I respect and admire immensely.  One of the reasons I held off on writing this was because I wanted to be able to present my opinions without coming off as biased (while at the same time not downplaying how phenomenal of a teacher and person he is).  I hope I succeeded in doing justice to one of my favorite people and (in my humble, objective opinion) the best yoga teacher in Boston (which was my opinion before we were friends).

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Mind Body | No Comments »

« Older Entries