Fitness Friday: Travel Fit with Hyatt Chicago and The Barre Code

Music festivals, street food, Summer Dance, Taste of Chicago, baseball games: Chicago is a tourist’s dream.  Even us natives like a good hotel staycation to explore all that this great city has to offer.  But after all those donuts, Chicago dogs and Malort, you may need a good workout!

As travelling and fitness aren’t always synonymous, the Hyatt Regency Chicago is giving your health a helping hand with heart pumping in-room workout videos from the Barre Code.  Started in Chicago, the Barre Code has expanded across the country due to its’ poppy music, female friendly environment and muscle shaping moves.  Instead of Bearing Down (Chicago Bears!), you can barre up with specially created sets of body weight based strength training and intense cardio.  Each video unexpectedly uses common in-room items like towels, chairs and pillows to add functionality.  Guests can pump up the difficulty by borrowing free weights and yoga mats for no extra cost.  The 24 hour availability of workouts insure that business or pleasure doesn’t barre fitness endeavors!

Hyatt Chicago is seated downtown at 151 East Wacker Drive near Mag Mile.  This Sunday, April 26th 11 AM – 2 PM, Hyatt Chicago and The Barre Code are hosting a complimentary fun-filled fitness.

The Barre Code has studios throughout Chicago and is opening a new studio in Oak Park, IL at the beginning of May.  Studios also exist in Wisconsin, Indiana, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Texas with more to come!

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Get Sauced with Chicago’s Underground Culinary Culture

Two mysterious events this week entice those strong of heart and sound of mind. Darling, will you wander down dark hallways to weave your culinary wants?

Tonight!  The Sauced Night Market makes its way to Emporium Logan Square.  This night market takes place once a month on a Tuesday and hops from hip spot to hip spot (how hop hip).  Meander through aisles of local vittles like Bang Bang Pie and Biscuits while you sip on a apertif (a·pe·ri·tif noun an alcoholic drink taken before a meal to stimulate the appetite) from Chicago Distillery. Get sassy (or saucy) to DJ beats and peruse the fine elixirs of Windy City Beard Co (works for your mustaches too ladies and gents!).

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Do you dare to join us!?

Sauced Night Market
Tuesday April 21st

6 pm – 11 pm

Emporium Logan Square

1366 N. Milwaukee Avenue

Free

sauced market

Wait, you don’t dare?  You prefer to prep for an impending apocalypse?  Build your emergency fridge ideas with Sauce and Bread Kitchen’s event: The Stew Survivalist Supper.  After all, if your last moments on earth are filled with culinary delights perhaps you can eat away the memories of those zombie attacks. Sauce and Bread Kitchen outlines it best

“Cooks Anne Kostroski (Crumb Chicago, SBK) and Mike Bancroft (Co-op Sauce, SBK) are digging back into this freeze dried genre after a 5 year hiatus with wide mole eyes.  They will wow you with a multi-course menu that without advance warning, one would never know could have come from canned, foraged, dried, or fermented foods.  If you are going to survive the apocalypse the least you can do is rock it in style”.  And rock it, you shall.  Hunker down and bunker up.

The Stew Survivalist Supper
Wednesday April 22nd

7 pm – 10 pm

Sauce and Bread Kitchen

6338 N. Clark Street

Fit, Free and Fun for Spring

Finally!  Events are starting to pick up and Chicago is bringing it’s S game.  Super. Spectacular. Spring.

We are so excited to share some of our secret spring events this week to put that sprang back in your step.

Tuesday April 14th (Lincoln Monument) and Thursday April 15th (Pritzker Pavilion) and every Tues, Thurs in April

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North Face Mountain Athletics

We got our first taste of Mountain Athletics at the kickoff event at the end of March on a clear 50 degree day and man, we didn’t know what to expect.  Our duo of personal trainers explained that each week focuses on a different body area all while integrating the core.  We went through a series of intervals all using our own body weight.  Exercise sets can be modified to fit your level of fitness which makes the workout approachable yet challenging.  We loved the partner exercises so bring a pal and get ready to sweat.

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Tuesday 4/14 (and Tuesday nights each week)

BENDER FLAVOR LAB

Calling all house heads slash yogis!  Bender Flavor Lab serves up a hot serving of unique fitness and jams each Tuesday at the Lab Dance Studio.  Each week holds a different theme and DJ set but always gives you snacks and water in an urban street art styled loft space.

Bonus: Free Cone Day at Ben and Jerry’s on Tuesday 4/14!

Wednesday April 15th

Big City Blonde and Goldplaited presents a trivia and pampering event: “Blondes vs. Brunettes”.  Get competitive, red heads and dark locked people can rock the trivia too.  Participants can win glam make up prizes, indulge in styling and make up tutorials from Goldplaited, and obvs flex their hair color knowledge.  We need to study up!  Rsvp here.

Friday April 17th (through Sunday April 19th)

Pure Barre is is partnering with Real Simple for a “Beauty & Balance” Weekend April 17-19.  Stop by any of the participating locations to take a “Pure & Simple” specialty class.  To register for one of these special classes, please visit the local studio page and find the “Real Simple’s ‘Pure & Simple’ Class” on your studio’s schedule and click “Sign Up Now.”  New clients are welcome to try a complimentary class using the promo code “REALSIMPLE” – make sure to select the “Real Simple Class” option and enter this promo code upon checkout.

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Saturday April 18

It is time to Live Out Loud Everyday with Lole Activewear.  In celebration of the new Lole Southport location, they are having a grand opening party and fashion show brunch across the street at the Yoga Loft located at 1350 W Newport.  The store is directly across the street at 3434 N Southport Ave.

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image borrowed from Lole

Lole Spring/Summer Collection Preview Fashion Show
Doors Open:  10am
Show Time:  11am
Mimosa’s and brunch from Kitchfix, a $15 Lole voucher, and a Goodie Bag.  $10 Ticket donation going to CTF Children’s Tumor Foundation.

Giveaway: Getting Fly with the April Flywheel Fitness Challenge!

Are we the only ones who threw on bikinis under our parkas in the 70s Chicago weather Wednesday?  Yes, us Chicagoans are weather obsessed because dang it!  Our favorite very short spring/summer season is finally on the horizon.  With that in mind, we have been picking up the fit pace by trying new workout options in the Chi.  On Monday, we were honored to be invited to Flywheel Old Town for an intro to their Spring Flywheel Challenge.  Starting 4/20, Flywheel will be offering a support system to help you meet whatever your health and fitness goals are.  So if you want to throw off the parka and prance around the Maggie Daley water slides, now is the time to focus on those goals.

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What is the Flywheel Challenge?

Allison, our Flywheel instructor and a challenge coach explained that the challenge can be whatever you want it to be.  Whether you want to lose weight, gain endurance or speed or build muscle, the staff at Flywheel will cater the plan to meet your needs.  The basic skeleton is this:

There are 3 options for the 4 week challenge – The Flywheel Challenge, FlyBarre Challenge and FlyPlus Challenge (both Barre and Flywheel).

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(Below description of Flywheel Challenge is described by the Flywheel promotional team)

Flywheel Challenge
·      4 classes per week / 16 classes total

·      Optional weekly weigh-ins with designated Flywheel Coach

·      Kick-off event with a nutritional seminar and a Flywheel technique workshop that addresses proper bike set-up, positioning, arms and more to ensure that participants understand how to get the most out of their workout

·      The Flywheel Challenge is optimal for those looking to burn calories, increase endurance and improve cardiovascular health

FlyBarre Challenge
·      4 classes per week / 16 classes total

·      Includes optional weekly measurements with designated FlyBarre Coach

·      Kick-off event includes nutritional seminar and a FlyBarre 101 workshop where various portions of a FlyBarre class will be highlighted (at a broken down pace) to ensure participants have a better understanding of movements and technique

·      The FlyBarre Challenge is optimal for those looking to tone and sculpt, improve core strength, and increase muscular stamina

FlyPlus Challenge
·      3 Flywheel classes and 3 FlyBarre classes per week / 24 classes total

·      Includes optional weekly weigh-ins and/or measurements with designated FLY Coach

·      Kick-off event includes nutritional seminar, a Flywheel technique workshop and a FlyBarre 101 workshop

·      The FlyPlus Challenge is optimal for those looking to burn calories, increase endurance AND tone and sculpt

All Challenges include other perks like community discussions with other challengers to get peer motivation, professional nutrition support and meal plans as well as a kick off and closing party.

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Our Experience at Flywheel:

So spinning…is somewhat intimidating for those who have barely done it.  You have these shoes that strap you in and bike pedals that lock and load so it’s best to know what you are doing.  We liked Flywheel’s friendly front desk staff and sleek studio space.  The studio had support gentlemen who helped us get the perfect bike set up while the instructor was preparing to start class. The atmosphere during the class was less competitive and more like a fun dance party.  We definitely needed to towel off the sweat and were challenged by the intensity of the interval portions of class.

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Interested in getting a taste of the challenge?  WIN WIN WIN

One lucky winner will receive a free Flywheel class* to prep for summa summa timeeee.  Just comment on this blog post and tell us what your health and fitness goal are in preparation for the warmer months.

*Winner will need to set up a (free) account and username to access the class.

Sign up here to get on that cycle and ride into the sun, friends!

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