For A Good Workout, Great Music is Necessary

Great Music = Good Workout!
Image: Shutterstock

I don’t know about you, but for me great music can be the difference between a good and a bad workout. Going for a run is nice and all that, but with music it feels inspiring. Lifting weights (for me) is incredibly boring, but add in some intense music and I feel way more powerful.

I recently joined a yoga studio, and one of the deciding factors was that this yoga studio in particular plays great music at a healthy volume.  I’m not talking about your normal flowy yoga music. I’m talking about Radiohead, Daft Punk, and a multitude of other music. It makes me feel strong, inspired, and ready to push myself. Sit me in a hot yoga studio without music, and I’m far less excited.

Running to a great song makes me feel inspired.
Image: Shutterstock

For me, the best music to work out to falls in one of two categories: current musical obsessions (Ellie Goulding, Robyn, Lindsey Stirling) and music from my teenage years (Blink-182, Foo Fighters, Third Eye Blind). Sometimes the two categories cross over, if I still listen to the same band from back then (Radiohead, Daft Punk, Muse). And sometimes I just like some random song—this often happens with electronic music, since I don’t generally listen to that genre as a whole (I’m very picky when it comes to liking techno).

What kind of music gets you up and moving? Is it heavy metal? Hard rock? Pop? Techno? Dubstep? 90s? We all have our different musical tastes and preferences, but I’m always looking to add new tunes to my repertoire. Share your favorite tunes and artists in the comments!

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Fitness Tip: Do What’s YOU

What makes you happy? Do that.
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I have some confessions to make: I hate lifting weights. I hate doing pushups. I hate working out while I’m isolated.

I don’t “do” treadmills; I prefer going for a jog around the neighborhood. When it’s just me, it’s a 50/50 whether I will follow through with a workout; but when I have a workout buddy, I’ll happily go 99% of the time. 

Does the fact that I have all these dislikes mean that I just need to suck it up and adjust my attitude? I don’t think so. I think it means my body and mind are trying to tell me something.

You see, I have a philosophy on how to live life: happy. If a workout makes me miserable and I have to force myself to do it five days a week, that’s five hours of happiness that I’ve cheated myself out of. The solution lies in finding the activity that’s right for me. Something I can enjoy. Something that makes me happy. Something that makes me love myself, not something that makes me miserable.

I do hot yoga because it makes me happy <3
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If you follow me on Twitter, you might have seen my tweet earlier about my newfound love of hot yoga. I’ve posted about it before, and I finally tried it last week—and let me tell you, I’m completely hooked. In a week I’ve been back three times, and I’ve no intention of slowing down. The best part is, I absolutely love it. I love the challenge, the group mentality, the calming effect, and hell, even the heat and sweat.

Is hot yoga right for everyone? Maybe not (although I do suggest trying it sometime). But I do believe that there is something out there for everyone, if not many things for everyone. Some people get in shape doing one specific type of workout, and others mix it up to keep things interesting—do whatever works best for you!

Jessica Alba mixes up her workouts.
Image:Helga Esteb / Shutterstock.com 

I was just reading about a woman named Kelly O’Malley Mattone, M.D. She was trained at Mount Sinai, owns her own Boutique Cosmetic Practice called O_MD Med Studio, and is married to Carl Mattone, a successful real estate mogul in New York. But what caught my eye about her was her pursuit of passion. She ice skates, kick boxes, rock climbs, skis, plays tennis, and loves ballroom dance. What’s more is that she’s opening up her own ballroom dance and fitness studio to share that love with others. To me, she’s a great example of figuring out what it is that you love and then just going for it.

Another great example is Jessica Alba. She mixes up her workout routine with a variety of workouts, from Bootcamps to the gym to swimming to yoga. She also constantly eats “clean” all the time. She also founded The Honest Company, which specializes in baby, bath & body, cleaning, and health & wellness products that are safe to use in the home and around children.

What are you passionate about? Is it running, lifting weights, doing yoga or pilates, dancing, playing sports, or something else? If you don’t know, find out! It will make leading a healthy, happy life so much easier. 

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Lululemon’s Latest Problem Revealed

While I do love Lululemon, the news this week hasn’t exactly been flattering. After numerous complaints from customers, the yoga clothing line came clean with a not-so-great admission: some of their black Luon women’s pants were made just a tad too sheer. Okay, quite a bit too sheer, actually.

Lululemon makes getting fit fun & communal
Image from nymag.com

Right now, it’s unclear how the mistake came about. But it is clear that women doing yoga in the pants were rather unhappy when they found out their pants were fairly transparent while practicing any number of yoga stretches and positions. The company has recalled the line, pulling the pants from its stores and offering full refunds or exchanges to women who have purchased them.

Unfortunately, this isn’t the first issue Lululemon has had with sheerness in the past year. Their stock, which has skyrocketed in the past three years, took a 5% dip on Tuesday when the recall was issued. The recall of the pants will also cause their profits to take a significant dip for the quarter.

Image from lululemon.com

But the main problem here is the potential loss of loyal customers. So many women and men have come to love the brand, which, although a little pricey, has a strong mission and ideals. Hopefully this flub up won’t lose them too many customers.

It’s certainly frustrating that a mistake on this grand of a scale could happen because of what appears to be a lack of proper oversight in its overseas factories. But one thing Lululemon does have going in its favor (besides the large customer base) is its friendly, fun appeal to anyone wanting to live a healthy lifestyle.

What makes it so? It’s in everything from the company’s many inspiring phrases found on its website, bags and more (“run against the grain, take the road less travelled,” “Breathe deeply,” “Friends are more important than money”) to its colorful and exciting lines of exercise clothes.

Lululemon's inspiring manifesto
Image from lululemon.com

Lululemon makes it fashionable to be fit and living a healthy life, and it makes people feel connected to each other—just like I feel connected to all of the other fitness and health bloggers I find on social media sites. Lululemon offers free yoga classes in its stores, connects customers with qualified yoga instructors, and generally cultivates a sense of community.

And business flub up or not, that makes them one of the few retailers who do.

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A Beautiful Pregnancy: Tips and Suggestions

Pregnancy changes a lot of things in women’s bodies. Hair and nails begin growing faster, along with the belly and breasts. Pregnant women are often described as having a “healthy glow,” and other physiological changes take place as well.

Because women’s bodies have to work so hard during pregnancy, it’s important to remember to allow for some pampering as well. That glowing look that we see on people like Kate Middleton, Lauren Santo Domingo, and Natalie Portman comes with its fair share of pampering—you can bet those ladies allow themselves to indulge sometimes. So why shouldn’t the average working woman do the same?

Tip #1: Moisturize skin everyday (be sure to use an all-natural moisturizer to avoid unhealthy chemicals!) and exfoliate one to two times per week. This will keep skin “glowing” and prevent splotches from showing up.  That healthy “glow” comes from the increased blood flow that comes with pregnancy.

Tip #2: Wear sunscreen. Not only will this protect baby from powerful UV rays, but it will also help prevent sunburns. Skin will be more sensitive during pregnancy, which means that even those who don’t often burn might still be at risk.

Tip #3: Enjoy your thicker, faster growing hair. Hair and nails will grow much faster and thicker than normal. Enjoy it while it lasts! Consider a new haircut or color (though if you dye your hair be sure to use vegetable-based dyes or only highlight).

Tip #4: Invest in a good bra. Your breasts will grow during pregnancy, and it will be much more comfortable for you if you invest in a new, supportive bra. Ideally, it should be well fitted and should keep your breasts from resting on top of your belly.

Tip #5: Get a massage. This is one of the most relaxing things you can do during pregnancy. However, be sure that your massage is by a trained massage therapist with a certification in pregnancy massage. Special equipment should be used to prevent pressure on the belly, and some essential oils and herbal body rubs should be avoided.

Tip #6: Have your nails done. Pedicures and manicures are a great way to get a little relaxation in. Be sure that tools are properly sterilized and there is ventilation to reduce toxic fumes. Just keep in mind that your nails are growing more quickly now, so consider light or clear colors that will be less noticeable when they grow out.

 Tip #7: Practice Prenatal Yoga. Doing so will strengthen, stretch, and relax your body.  It can also help keep energy levels up and encourages breathing techniques. Prenatal Yoga includes only poses that are appropriate and safe for every stage of pregnancy, from pre-conception to delivery.

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Afternoon Exercise May Be The Best

It turns out that the best time to exercise might be in the afternoon, according to a new study published by the LA Brain Research Institute in the Journal of Physiology. Our bodies have an endogenous circadian rhythm, an internal clock, which controls everything from our hearts to our brains. Sometimes that clock gets out of whack, and researchers say that exercise can help put it back on the right track.

The preliminary results, based on results on mice, suggest that midday is the time when exercise most affects our circadian rhythm in a positive way. We have cells within our brains that help us tell what time of day it is, which influences when we naturally sleep and wake, among other things.

Signals from light and darkness cause genes within these cells to produce proteins and release them into the body. From there, they move to all our vital organs and keep them synchronized.

The problem is, sometimes our internal clocks don’t function like they ought to. They get confused and off because of things like artificial light in the evening; even aging makes the internal clock less functional. When this happens, we have a harder time falling asleep, sleeping through the night, and staying awake during the day. More severe consequences are a higher risk for diabetes, obesity, some types of cancer, memory loss, and mood disorders.

But Dr. Christopher Colwell and his colleagues believe that exercising may be the key to getting our circadian rhythms back to normal. After several weeks of letting healthy mice run on a regular basis, they found that their circadian protein production was up, meaning their internal clocks were being regulated effectively.

Some mice had malfunctioning internal clocks, so the researchers had these mice exercise at different times of the day to see if running would also help “fix” them. As it turned out, these mice also started producing more of the proteins, especially those who ran during the equivalent to our “afternoon.” Their internal clocks were functioning better than they had been before.

What this study tells us is that exercising in the morning and afternoon does help our internal clocks regulate. Colwell says that some evidence he’s gathered suggests that late-night exercise might actually be harmful to our sleep rhythms, though. More research will need to be done before the specifics can be nailed down. But one thing’s (still) for certain: exercise is good for us!

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