Sunshine and Eggs

 

 

As winter starts to thaw, we put away the puffers, and peel off the layers, many of us have a spring awakening by what’s left underneath. The body is not as toned as we’d like, and there is a spring realization that it’s time for a spring cleaning. The search begins for a quick fix: a restrictive diet, cutting out a food group, intermittent fasting, a juice cleanse – something radical to lose that winter weight fast. But what if the answer was a back-to-basics approach of 3 balanced meals a day, real food, and eating more, not less?

Robin Barrie Kaiden MS, RD, CDN, CSSD, one of the nation’s leading experts in wellness, nutrition, and fitness, and frequent contributor to CBS, NBC, ABC, Parenting, and Forbes.com, among other media outlets, says of her 2-week Reset program, “It’s not a strict diet where you lose a pound only to gain three the next week. I want to teach people lifelong healthy habits to take with them going forward. The only way to lose weight and keep it off is to change your habits.”

Kaiden is a graduate of Cornell University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Nutritional Sciences and an Exercise Science minor. She has a Master of Science Degree from Columbia University as well. Her post graduate work was at Mount Sinai Beth Israel, studying nutrition and dietetics at the hospital level. Read More

 

Everyone Can Be A Ballerina

 

BALLET BODY(TM) BARRE

Barre3, The Bar Method, Pure Barre are just a few of the countless barre fitness studios across the country. Barre classes are very popular sculpt and tone workouts that integrate small isometric movements designed to work muscles to fatigue. Ballet Body(TM) Barre is a very different kind of barre workout.

Developed by former ballerina Roberta Senn, Ballet Body(TM) Barre follows the format of traditional barre classes ballerinas have taken for years to maintain their long and lean physiques and develop the strength required to perform at the highest level. The result is what Senn calls “the most beautiful bodies on the planet.”

Senn was discovered by Jerome Robbins on her very first audition after moving to New York City, who cast her in the original production of Fiddler on the Roof on Broadway in 1964. She left the production a year later to pursue dancing in a ballet company, and spent many years abroad with the Geneva Ballet, Israel Ballet, and Iranian National Ballet (disbanded after the Islamic revolution of 1979). Read More

 

Pumped Up Pilates

 

 

WEEK 2 OF 52 WEEKS OF FITNESS:

PILATES MEETS STRENGTH TRAINING AT VAURA PILATES, TOP; RE/GEN METHOD, BOTTOM

 
According to ClassPass, Pilates was the most popular workout of 2023, overtaking strength training as the number one choice of fitness enthusiasts. There are countless Pilates fitness studios across the country — many of which we have featured like SLT, SolidCore, Club Pilates, and Lagree Fitness – with classes on a Pilates reformer machine or a variation thereof. All are slightly different, but at their core is core – core strength that is.

A few new studios have popped up on the fitness landscape like Vaura Pilates and Re/Gen Method that combine the popularity and benefits of Pilates and strength training into one workout. It’s a new approach to Pilates and a new approach to strength training. Though there is an emphasis on core work, core strength alone is not the end goal. Maintaining your stability and form on the Reformer as you slide the platform and pull the straps against the resistance of the spring makes Pilates classes a total body workout. These new classes add weights into the mix for added difficulty and results.

Vaura Pilates is a new Australian import that just opened in NYC, and I took their first class opening day. Billed as an “athletic” Reformer class, Vaura mixes dumbbells, a weighted ball, and the traditional Pilates ring into moves on the Reformer. Every class is different and each teacher encorporates the equipment in their own way. My instructor, for example, integrated upper body dumbbell moves like bicep curls, triceps extensions, and shoulder presses into lower body moves like lunges and squats on the Reformer. Read More

 

Jitter-Free Jolts

 

 

Pop into almost any 7-11, CVS, or convenience store, and you’ll see the refrigerated section filled with assorted flavors of Celsius. The top-selling energy drink on Amazon, Celsius has taken over the market from brands like Red Bull, Monster, and other sugar and caffeine enhanced energy drinks that once dominated the market. While this “natural” energy drink still contains 200mg of caffeine, almost twice the amount in a cup of coffee, the boost in Celsius comes from the alternative plant-based ingredients like Guarana and Green Tea, which offer other health and fitness benefits as well. Plus Celsius contains no added sugar.

In addition to Celsius, there are other naturally caffeinated, low or no sugar energy drinks on the market, promoting sustained energy and mental focus without the caffeine jitters. Accelerator Active Energy, endorsed by football and Swifty fan favorite Travis Kelce, also gets its caffeine boost from Guarana and Green tea, along with Yerba Mate, a thermogenic blend said to boost metabolism and burn more calories.

 

“Many energy boosting, focus-inducing beverages on the market today do contain the same amount of caffeine that you would find in a cup of coffee,  but the addition of ingredients that calm the nervous system reduce the ‘jitters’ associated with caffeine, and therefore can make the user feel more focused”

-Sarah Herrington, MS, CNC, CPT 

 

Other energy drinks have added adaptogenic and nootropic ingredients like Ashwagandha, Gaba, and L-Theanine, known for their cognitive and relaxation enhancing benefits.  Adaptogens support the body’s response to stress, including the stimulation from caffeine, while nootropics elevate cognitive function such as memory, focus, and mental clarity. Drinks like BioLift, Kin Spritz, and MTE have been formulated and are marketed to promote those benefits. Read More

 

Fit From Home

 

CLICK ABOVE FOR SHOPPING LINKS

Get fit, feel good, and have fun at home. This collection of new health and fitness gear will amp up your workout and recovery too.

 
CLOCKWISE TOP LEFT: THERAFACE MASK $599. A LED skincare mask that delivers Red + Infrared and Blue light with added tension-relieving vibration therapy for firmer, smoother, healthier-looking skin.

HIGHERDOSE INFRARED PEMF GO MAT $699. The PEMF Go Mat provides pain relief, workout recovery, and total-body relaxation from the comfort of your chair. Pulsed Electromagnetic Field (PEMF) grounds you in the earth’s magnetic field for a full-body reset, while Infrared’s deeply-penetrating heat doubles your dose of recovery and detox.

REP SHEATHED BATTLE ROPE $79.99. It’s muscular endurance and cardio conditioning all in one with these easy-to-install, high-quality Sleeve Battle Ropes. Grippy handles help keep the rope from slipping. Read More

 

The Five Minute Journal

 

 

Journaling is a simple and easy way to help improve mental health and overall wellness. The act of writing down issues we’re facing, problems we’re having, and goals we want to achieve, helps us process thoughts and understand our feelings. When we’re stressed, it feels like everything’s out of control, but journaling is a tool that can put things into perspective. The externalization lets us view those issues in an objective way and make the overwhelming seem manageable. Journaling can make you feel more positive and optimistic in as little as 5 minutes a day.

“Boosting your mental wellbeing can be as simple as taking a moment to reflect on your daily wins, big or small”, says Jasmine Eskenzi, Founder and CEO of The Zensory, an app designed to improve focus, creativity, relaxation, and positivity. “At the end of each day, intentionally jot down two or three positive moments — whether in a journal, on a sticky note, or even by saying them out loud. These victories might include achieving important goals or just savoring a pleasant lunch. The idea is to find happiness in the little things, acknowledging your worth, and appreciating the effort you put in.” Read More

 

The Hydration Situation

 

 

Winter is probably the time we think about hydration the least, but in fact, it is when we need to think about it the most. The weather is cold, we feel less thirsty, and our instinct to drink water is diminished when compared to the hot summer months. But even if you are drinking the traditionally prescribed 8 glasses of water a day, it doesn’t necessarily mean you’re hydrated. To many people, the term hydration refers to water, but that is not enough when it comes to hydration on a cellular level.

A common belief is that you only need to replace electrolytes — which are minerals like magnesium, potassium, and sodium — after an intense and sweaty workout. Every cell in our body requires fluid to function properly. In order to maintain a balance between water inside and outside the cells, the body relies on electrolytes which regulate osmotic pressure and control fluid levels in each cell. “Hydration is very different from cellular hydration”, says nutrition expert, Sarah Wragge. “We can drink 3-4 liters of water everyday, which is what I recommend, but you need to add minerals to hydrate at a cellular level.”

“We lose water all day through sweat, urination, and even breathing, and in that process we also lose essential electrolytes and minerals.” Adds Sarah, “Our habits are very dehydrating. Things like coffee, sugar, alcohol, and all the fun foods we love are very depleting. Not to mention our food is no longer mineral rich because of modern farming processes and pesticides. We need to hydrate to replenish not just water, but minerals too.” Sarah has just introduced her own mineral replenishing supplement, Restore.
Read More

 

Turn Up The Heat On Your Workouts!

 
 
CLOCKWISE TOP LEFT: TRUFUSION, HOTWORX, WHITFIT NYC,
MELT HOUSE OF FITNESS (2)

 
Hot Pilates, Hot HIIT, Hot Barre… While hot yoga has been popular for quite some time, other hot workouts have popped up on the fitness landscape. Many hot yoga studios have added these new classes to their schedules, finding that those who enjoy yoga in a heated room like other hot workouts as well. New state-of-the-art, infrared heated studios have also opened specifically designed for all kinds of hot classes.

Hot studio temperatures range from 90 to 108 degrees, with varying levels of humidity depending on whether they are heated with blown HVAC air or infrared heat. Among the benefits of the heat are increased flexibility, greater exertion, and higher calorie burn. Because of how much you sweat, hot classes are detoxifying for the body, and can help promote relaxation and reduce stress.

But these same benefits can also be dangerous if one is not careful. Some of the risks of hot workouts, according to Maria Restrepo, CPT at FitDominium, are dehydration and overexertion that can cause dizziness, nausea, headache, and, in severe cases, heatstroke. It is critical to stay hydrated before, during, and after a hot fitness class. Participants need to be cautious and listen to their bodies, stopping or modifying exercises as needed. Read More

 
 

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