Everyone knows the benefits of frequent and consistent exercise, but not everyone has the time or resources to head out to the gym several times a week. Another problem that not only a great deal of people have, but I’m willing to bet most people have when it comes to exercise is not knowing how to start. When someone doesn’t know how to start doing something, chances are that person isn’t going to make it a priority to learn how or just throw themselves into it, regardless of the fact that they know it is good for them.
Luckily, the folks over at Sears Blue Crew HQ have put together an extremely simple exercise guide full of basic, but sometimes overlooked tips on how to create a dedicated, motivating and inspiring workout space in your own home.
Let’s face it, not everyone has the time to drive to the gym, work out and then drive home (or wherever they may need to go) afterward. After all that driving, the time really adds up and it can become more of a commitment than you were hoping for. Furthermore, a lot of people simply have no interest in joining a gym, regardless of how accepting, accommodating, or convenient that gym may be. By creating a home workout space, you have a dedicated space you can work out freely in, without having to take more time out of your day than you need to. You also have the freedom to decorate your space to match your taste and add little things that will make your workout experience more enjoyable. Your surroundings have a lot to do with your mood and by adding small, personal touches to your decor, you’re guaranteed to walk into that space whenever you want and immediately feel refreshed, at ease and ready to begin your workout. According to the Sears Blue Crew HQ, you want to make sure your space is safe, pleasant, roomy and entertaining.
But all of the decorating, accommodating and endless music selections mean nothing without the right equipment. The Sears Blue Crew HQ has also laid out what equipment is used most often in workout spaces and what you’ll need to exercise. Of course, the best equipment for you is the equipment you wil use, so think about what you like doing and also be sure to have some variety in routine–and the equipment to make it possible.
Floor mats are perfect for stretching, yoga, Pilates, or old-fashioned push-ups and sit-ups. Look for non-slip, easily washable surfaces.
Free weights are dumbbells and barbells for strength training. They are excellent because they allow a full range of notion, but get some training so you use them correctly. Also, they tend to be quite loud when dropped on the floor, so purchase proper weight-lifting mats to protect your floor and lower the noise level.
Weight systems sometimes called home gyms, provide a variety of strengthening exercises without the noise of dropping heavy weights. They can take up a fair bit of space, so be sure to measure your area before you buy. They also greatly increase the load on your floor system, so be sure you have the structural support for it.
Punching bags offer a great combination of aerobic workout, upper body strength building and stress relief. Get some training if you’ve never done bag work before, to avoid hurting your hands. Hang your bag securely in a way that won’t send vibrations through the whole house. Freestanding bags are also available, and you can set them up in an out-of-the-way corner of your home.
Treadmills are a long-standing favorite. Good models have a variety of programmable workouts and an incline feature for added exertion. Look for higher horsepower in the motor and a sturdy frame. Treadmills need 6 feet of clearance behind them, in case of unexpected dismounts.
Ellipticals give a good cardio workout with less impact on your knees – and your home. Most have reversible direction, and the better models offer an incline feature to maximize your workout. Like the treadmill, you need clearance around them for safety.
Exercise bikes are no-impact and take up the least space of the cardio machines, because you don’t need safety space behind them. Like the others machine styles, they have a variety of programmable workouts. They also don’t cause much vibration and so can be put on almost any surface.
Rowing machines give great low-impact, full-body and cardio workout. Proper technique is important, so read the manual or get some help before you start. Foldaway models make this an ideal machine for multi-purpose spaces.
Looking to recharge your body and mind? On Wednesday, August 11th, join Urban Girl Squad for a night of mingling and working out at Exhale! From 6:30PM – 7:30PM, we’ll have an exclusive discussion with a top Exhale ‘Nutrition + Wellness’ coach who will speak about achieving balance in our lives. During this session you’ll have the opportunity to have your nutrition questions answered and mingle with other amazing moms.
We’ll then enjoy an exhilarating 60-minute Core Fusion class, one of Exhale’s signature classes, from 7:45PM – 8:45PM. Core Fusion incorporates elements of core conditioning, Pilates, Yoga, the Lotte Berk Method and interval cardio training. The class is a complete mind body experience with upbeat and inspirational music.
And of course, no Urban Mom Squad event would be complete without a fantastic gift bag and raffle prizes!
At this event you’ll meet new moms in NYC and receive:
A full-length Core Fusion class ($35 value) and mind and body tips from an Exhale ‘Nutrition + Wellness’ coach
Gift bag with Exhale beauty products ($50+ value)
Gift certificates for a FREE future class at Exhale and 25% off a therapy at Exhale’s spa
A raffle with a prize of five free Exhale classes ($157 value)
Special discounts at the Exhale boutique
Sign up now for this special experience exclusively for Urban Mom Squad. * Please note that socks are required for this class.
Fast Facts:
Date: Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Location: Exhale
150 Central Park South
New York, NY 10019
About Urban Girl Squad Amanda Hofman created Urban Girl Squad, a community-based social group for women in their 20’s and 30’s in New York City, in January 2008. Urban Girl Squad creates opportunities for these women to try new things, spend time with friends, and meet new people. Our events include food and wine tastings, beauty and fashion nights, dance and fitness classes, sports events, cocktail parties and more. We provide special, discounted access to the city–you’ll meet store owners and designers, taste gourmet food and drinks, receive personal attention from popular venues, and score some amazing gift bags. The welcoming atmosphere at our events makes it easy for members to attend on their own or with friends!
Whenever talk about your health starts, someone is always quick to point out that if you hit the gym a few times a week, your health could greatly improve over all. This belief has been reinforced throughout the years and because of it, more and more people are getting out there and hitting the gym whenever they can. But a new study suggests that if you work out at the gym every day, but also spend a good amount of your day sitting down, going to the gym is in fact doing very little to decrease your risk of death.
The study was conducted by Alpa Patel, a researcher at the American Cancer Society (ACS) and his colleagues. They analyzed 123,216 participants (53,440 men and 69,776 women), all whom has no history of cancer, heart attack, stroke or emphysema. The participants were followed for 13 years, from 1993 to 2006.
The study found that women who reported more than six hours of sitting a day (outside of work) were 37% more likely to die during the 13 year time period the were studied than women who sat fewer than three hours a day. The men who were studied were 18% more likely to die if they sat more than six hours a day (also outside of work) than those who sat fewer than three hours a day. These results remained virtually unchanged after the participants adjusted their physical activity level.
Patel said of his research that several factors could explain the positive association between time spent sitting and higher all-cause death rates, saying “prolonged time spent sitting, independent of physical activity, has been shown to have important metabolic consequences, and may influence things like triglycerides, high density lipoprotein, cholesterol, fasting plasma glucose, resting blood pressure, and leptin, which are biomarkers of obesity and cardiovascular and other chronic diseases.”
This study does not seem to bode well for me and people like me, who work very long hours in front of a computer (while also sitting down) and work out a few times a week.
Lululemon Athletica is celebrating their community of faithful yogis by hosting a national outdoor yoga event called Salutation Nation.
Salutation Nation will take place at participating Lululemon Athletica stores across North America where a complimentary yoga class fit for all levels will be held on August 7th from 9am to 10am (in all time zones.) Keep in mind not every Lululemon Athletica store in the country will be hosting a Salutation Nation event, so to make sure your local store is before you head on down with your yoga mat in tow, check out the list of locations or call your local store ahead of time.
Practicing yoga by yourself is all well and good, at least when you have a good grasp on what you are doing, but being a part of a group greatly benefits everyone involved. Yoga classes can be a lot more expensive than we’re prepared for, so for Lululemon Athletica to host this event, and also make it completely free, is great for every yogi living in a community with a participating store. This is a fabulous way for Lululemon Athletica to not only celebrate their community, but also bring them together to celebrate each other.
Check out the promotional video for Salutation Nation below and don’t forget to head to your local participating store on August 7th at 9am.
One in five people in the United States is affected by a disability of some sort. That is an astounding number of people who every day, attempt to put their best foot forward and who are working every day to gain greater independence and create new possibilities for themselves.
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) has worked to eliminate the barriers and discrimination that those who live with a disability can face, including in the workplace. While the ADA has made great strides in it being unlawful for an employer of any kind of refuse to hire someone with a disability, about three quarters of people with a disability are unemployed and it isn’t by their own admission. Also, internet access for people with disabilities is only about half of what it is for those who are not living with a disability.
There is still a lot of work to be done in this country to ensure that those who live their lives with a disability are granted the same opportunities as those who are not and can still live happy and full lives.
Bloggers Unite is raising awareness and supporting people with disabilities and the people and groups who empower them by raising awareness. Bloggers Unite is asking that all bloggers, young and old, novice bloggers and veterans, band together on July 24th to empower people with disabilities.
It takes very little time to write a blog post and participate in Bloggers Unite’s People First: Empowering People with Disabilities blogging event. By all bloggers coming together on one day, you can really raise awareness and make a difference.
Join the event and publish your post on Saturday, July 24th letting people know that despite major gains, more needs to be done to ensure that people with disabilities enjoy the same access to resources and opportunities as those who do not live with a disability. There are currently 295 bloggers registered at Bloggers Unite for this event, so it is sure to be an amazingly resourceful and empowering day.
I recently mentioned that I started going to a gym. I’ve been going to Planet Fitness, which I’ve been enjoying very much. I like that it’s a gym that caters to people (like me!) who have always believed that they were not fit enough to walk into a gym.
I used to work as a barista at a very pretentious coffee shop that just so happened to be located downstairs from a gym. I made health drinks, smoothies and teas more than anything else and I became very familiar with Whey protein. I also figured out very quickly how much I hate the smell of Whey protein, never mind even considering putting it in my mouth. The people I served these so-called healthy drinks that really weren’t all that healthy, but people ordered them because of the geniuses behind the marketing of said drinks, were very snobby. They were snobby and they were built! From the looks of these people, there was no way I was going to walk into a gym like that. I’d get the weird looks and the people wondering what Fat Planet I was just warped from.
Enter: Planet Fitness. A gym that is open, accepting and diverse. A place where I do not get the weird looks or the condescending fake-friendly smiles when I claim an elliptical machine. It’s a place of freedom! And hey, if anyone does pass judgment on you, they get thrown out and that is policy. Pretty cool, huh?
One of the policies at Planet Fitness is that you have to wipe down your machine after you use it. No matter what. No exceptions. There are little stations set up throughout the place where you can grab a paper towel and some spray solution that they put out and make sure your machine is clean before you leave. I’m paranoid though; especially when it comes to cleanliness. I won’t touch a machine until I wipe it down first and after finding some pretty scary information about gyms and workout centers and how they are being connected to MRSA, I’m so glad I have been so paranoid about this.
Late last month a hospital in Idaho voiced concern with an increasingly-spreading, antibiotic-resistant staph infection within the community. This staph infection, called MRSA, causes skin rashes or bumps that are incredibly difficult to treat.
The biggest concern the hospital has is that MRSA is now being found and transmitted in public settings like school gyms, workout centers and any public place or area where the skin transfers. While the health district will not keep track of the reported cases because it is not “evasive” beyond the outer skin layer, it is still very important to remember that when you enter a gym, wipe down the machine you are using both before you hop onto it and after you’re done.
I just recently began going to a gym fairly-regularly. Before just a month ago, I had never really put much emphasis on staying fit. As a plus-sized woman in my early 20′s who is also a smoker and a techie, not to mention I consume way too much caffeine, I am so not the candidate to be preaching about staying fit or how important it is. I am however, realistic.
Now, more than ever in recent years, I am experiencing a great deal of stress. There are some personal aspects of my life that bring on a good amount of daily stress, as well as a great big financial burden that has become my life. Put them together and add a good 12 hours a day, frequently more, in front of a computer and you basically have one of those Jiffy Pop containers on the stove that at any minute will erupt and start sending popcorn flying out every which way. So me and my partner joined a gym with our two very good friends.
With just a few workouts in, mostly me on an elliptical machine for an hour at a time as I zone out to televisions that are positioned from the ceiling or focusing on absolutely nothing but the decibel level of the music blaring from my headphones, I feel a lot different.
No, I am not in peak physical condition and it isn’t even a goal of mine to lose any weight at all. I’m comfortable with my weight and while it would be a healthy move to lose a few pounds, I refuse to believe I’m at a terrible risk for anything at my current weight. No, with just after my first hour on the elliptical machine I knew very well why I was going to keep up my gym-going efforts. I felt refreshed and my stress levels went way, way down.
A study back in 2007 has already proven that those who are physically fit produce less chemicals in the body that have been linked to damaging inflammation in adults who are stressed. In short, exercise makes you less-stressed and the less-stressed you are, less damaging chemicals will be released throughout your body and the healthier your heart will be.
In addition to reducing your stress, people who work out two times a week also have lower cholesterol and are at less risk of diseases like diabetes. These findings are more than enough motivation for anyone to start getting out more and begin getting just a little more active.
Get out of the city this summer with Urban Girl Squad! On Sunday, August 8th, Outdoor Bound will be leading us on a five-mile hike in a series of trails in a hilly area known for its numerous lakes and impressive views. There are also opportunities for bouldering, if you are up for it! Enjoy magnificent scenery along the hike and gorgeous vistas from the tops of three mountains. We’ll eat lunch and rest at a stunning lake.
Over four hours, we will gain 1,300 feet in elevation. You will sweat, and the trail will be rocky, so join us if you’re in adequate physical strength. You’ll be rewarded for your efforts with a wine tasting at a real farm winery in New York’s Hudson Valley. You will sample Chardonnays, Cabernet Franc, barrel fermented reds and delicious fruit wines including Hard Apple Cider from the local vineyards. Every wine is produced in a “limited edition” with almost every bottle spoken for as soon as it’s made. There is also a wonderful cafe, where you can order delicious food prepared by a CIA-trained chef.
There is very limited space in this event. We’ll provide the transportation — so sign up today for this fantastic opportunity to get out of the city!
Departure Time: 8:00 AM. Meet at 7:45 AM for check-in. Return Time: Approximately 6:00 PM Departure and Return Location: 73rd and Broadway, Northeast corner (in front of Apple Bank). Subways 1, 2, 3 to 72nd Street. Bring: Backpack, your lunch and two liters of water. Wear: Hiking boots or trail shoes, swimsuit if you care to swim, weather-appropriate athletic clothing.
About Outward Bound
Outward Bound is an education-based adventure company that offers numerous group activities that provide a safe environment for people to develop new skills, aspire to new challenges and attain greater health and awareness. These opportunities include unique international excursions, outdoor fitness programs, youth development programs, corporate team-building activities and a variety of single and multi-day excursions.
Fast Facts:
Date: Sunday, August 8th, 2010
Location: New York Hudson Valley
73rd Street and Broadway (Northeast corner)
New York, NY 10024
About Urban Girl Squad Amanda Hofman created Urban Girl Squad, a community-based social group for women in their 20’s and 30’s in New York City, in January 2008. Urban Girl Squad creates opportunities for these women to try new things, spend time with friends, and meet new people. Our events include food and wine tastings, beauty and fashion nights, dance and fitness classes, sports events, cocktail parties and more. We provide special, discounted access to the city–you’ll meet store owners and designers, taste gourmet food and drinks, receive personal attention from popular venues, and score some amazing gift bags. The welcoming atmosphere at our events makes it easy for members to attend on their own or with friends!
Stacey Joiner is a Licensed Massage Therapist and Certified Yoga Instructor, but she only entered that line of work after realizing what her path in life was and what she, in her heart, truly wanted for her life. She wanted to help people and with the release of her book You Deserve The Royal Treatment, she gives the people who have the pleasure of reading her book the inspiration to do the same.
Women have this natural instinct to nurture those around us, whether it’s our husbands or partners, our children, our parents or other loved ones we surround ourselves with, although we often don’t make time to nurture ourselves. We make sure the people around us happy, fed, clothed, that our houses are clean and decorated, we bake cookies for our children’s bake sales and we strive to perform above-par in our careers and satisfy our managers and bosses. We lead very hectic lives and if there’s one thought that crosses our minds the most often, it’s that days need to include more hours so we can do more every day. Women are keen to putting more pressure on ourselves than we are often able to deal with. When I had first started to read Stacey Joiner’s book, I had felt this way. I was working for a person who did not appreciate the hard work that I put in day after day, many more hours than I had first agreed to work, and all of this was at the expense of what I truly wanted to do with my life career-wise.
Stacey Joiner cuts through every excuse every woman has ever used to not treat herself like royalty; to not make time for themselves, to not relax with a mug of coffee or tea and enjoy the fall leaves that are changing color and falling from the trees in your backyard, to not take a relaxing bath, to not take an hour before bed and read a book, to not treat yourself to a massage that could save your sanity. While living in New York City after September 11th and in the transition from corporate citizen to owner of a massage and yoga practice, Stacey Joiner experienced first hand what chaos ensuing around you could do to your stress levels and overall to your life; she also distinctly experienced what women think when they see another woman taking the initiative to take care of themselves, their well-beings and their mental stability; she knew that what the doctor ordered for her at that time was a massage to relax herself while all of her problems, obstacles and impending triumphs stayed exactly where they were. When she told her mother that she was going for a massage, she thought she was crazy, but Stacey knew exactly what she needed–and she was right; that self-care made it possible for her to perform greatly in her practice and tend to the other priorities in her life.
At the end of every chapter of You Deserve The Royal Treatment is a section entitled ‘Your Royal Duty;’ at the end of the first chapter are instructions to log onto YouDeserveTheRoyalTreatment.com for a free, two-minute audio meditation, which I strongly recommend you do. As for the rest of the Your Royal Duty Sections, she gives a yoga pose–it’s name, what doing the yoga pose will do for your body and for your mind, and bullet points instructing you how to perform the pose. However, even if you currently don’t do yoga or aren’t familiar with it, reading this book is still, as far as I’m concerned, a royal duty in itself.
Stacey Joiner hits the nail on the head again and again, but if you only take one thing away from her book, let it be that if you don’t take care of yourself first, how would you ever have successfully tend to all of the priorities in your life? When you neglect your own needs, illness, anger, resentment, disappointment and frustration invite themselves into your life. Joiner is changing the mindset and in turn, the lives of women for the better just by giving them sound advice that Joiner herself had learned throughout her life and is now spreading the good word to women everywhere. She stresses the truth in the fact that it does not matter how much or how little money you have in your bank account, if you live in an extravagant house or a studio apartment, if you’re single or married, if you have no children or have nine, nothing can stop you from making the most of your life and truly living royally. In case you were wondering, from the time I finished You Deserve the Royal Treatment, I have since ceased working for a person who does not appreciate the hard work that I put in to their business and I have begun working, albeit a little too much, but doing what I truly want and love to do.
Sexuality is something to be celebrated and explored and we hope to help you do just that with the articles and reviews we publish in our love and sex category.
Everyone knows the benefits of frequent and consistent exercise, but not everyone has the time or resources to head out to the gym several times a week. Another problem that not only a great deal of people have, but I’m willing to bet most people have when it comes to exercise is not knowing how to start. When someone doesn’t know how to start doing something, chances are that person isn’t going to make it a priority to learn how or just throw themselves into it, regardless of the fact that they know it is good for them.
Whenever talk about your health starts, someone is always quick to point out that if you hit the gym a few times a week, your health could greatly improve over all. This belief has been reinforced throughout the years and because of it, more and more people are getting out there and hitting the gym whenever they can. But a 
Lululemon Athletica is celebrating their community of faithful yogis by hosting a national outdoor yoga event called 
One in five people in the United States is affected by a disability of some sort. That is an astounding number of people who every day, attempt to put their best foot forward and who are working every day to gain greater independence and create new possibilities for themselves.
I recently mentioned that I 
