Tag Archives: fitgirlsinspire

Fitness Friday: Equinox Ropes and Rowers

Posted on by

0

For those who haven’t been to Equinox, you’ve been missing out on a luxury fitness experience.  Think top tier fitness instructors, a wide array of fitness tools at your fingertips and a cool lavender towel resting on your neck after busting your butt.  If that weren’t enough, Equinox’s group fitness classes keep you on your toes as they constantly think of new ways to challenge your svelte regime.

19882614189_f08f28b3ba_o

Equinox has two new classes in heavy rotation: Best Butt Ever (who can say no to that! Bounce a quarter off this pup) and Ropes and Rowers.  We wrangled our schedules to make time for Ropes and Rowers and the calories were roasted!  We loved the interval format as we moved through 4 different stations: Rowing, Battle Ropes, Step Work, and Weighted Exercise Balls.

19448312073_6ba7d19451_z

Here’s how to survive this intense class and feel like an Olympic Champion:

  1. COME EARLY! We had a major fitness faux pas as Kate thought the class started at 6:30..soo…but our instructor Tanya from Equinox Lincoln Park not only made space for us but took time to get us set up and explain what was happening.
  2. Get tough!  Neither one of us have experienced a Battle Rope before.   Battle Ropes are said to improve body balance, encourage functional fitness and boost mental toughness.  Our favorite station included thwaping this heavy rope first, then pulling the ropes (attached to a heavy weight) all the way to you, and finishing with pushing the weight all the way back to start.  Killer abs here we come. 20061180962_9b45200960_z
  3. Pace yourself and keep going!  Even though the class isn’t super long (40 minutes with about 5 minutes of stretching), you will be surprised how exhausted you get after donkey kicking, speed water rowing, and Russian twisting your tail off!  One of our rowing segments, consisting of 100 meter row sprints, took our breathe away (and not in the romantic way)! 19881273140_94eede02cf_z

Ready to battle?  Check out Ropes and Rowers at any Chicagoland Equinox.  Has anyone experienced the battle royale of battle ropes?  Let us know what you think!!

19881310540_1a00022c1b_z

Extra Extra: Get Your Daily Greens Here!

Posted on by

0

Do you get green with envy when you see pictures of other people’s magical green smoothies?  Not all of us have the leprechaun touch for fruits and veggies.  Most of us know, however, that it does a body well to consume raw produce yet only a small percentage of people even eat them every day.  Hmm but how can you consume a bunch for optimal daily health on those days when you can’t get it together?

2015-08-02

About

Daily Greens organic & cold pressed juices seeks to help Americans infuse their lives with nutrition.  Dark leafy greens are full of vitamins and minerals our body needs.  Founder, Shauna Martin, turned to juicing in her personal life for a more serious reason than just well being maintenance.  Diagnosed with breast cancer at the early age of 33, Shauna was determined to get back to health.  She picked up a regime of daily juicing and once she completely recovered from breast cancer, she wanted to share her good habit with her social sphere.  Her meat lovin’ friends and family, however, couldn’t wrap their minds or mouths around the idea of the very green smoothie.  She experimented and came up with the original Daily Greens drink, Vitality, which became a hit to the Austin crowd before it spread past Texas.

20150728_192032

It’s quite easy feelin’ green

There are 6 different types of core Daily Green.  We were given 2 different samples of the core Daily Greens to experiment on our own taste buds.

Renew was packed to the max with greens and features mint, dandelion greens and Himalayan pink salt. Elevate caters more to those who maybe think Green Smoothies taste a little tooooo green. With fancy Madagascar vanilla and pear, this Daily Green mixes it up and its juicy sweet touch makes it more palpable to non green people.  All core Daily Greens are 1 serving bottles and relatively low in calories.

Daily Greens also offer 3 different Chia-Infused greens (high in omega-3, 2x more protein and 5x more calcium) and 3 different Hemp Milks for plant based protein (high omega 3 and 6).  We would love to try the Replenish (includes cocoa)!  A bonus is the Half Pint for your kids to drink, too!

Shauna isn’t afraid for you to venture on your own green journey as well.  Her book, prefwell by Mayim Bialik (of Blossom and Big Bang Theory fame), gives guidance on how to greenify on your own, including how to prep for a cleanse and what light foods to eat after. The book also displays clean and vibrant images of all the delicious juice creations.

EXTRA BONUS!!  Shauna is touring Chicago to share the news of her new Daily Greens: 4-Day Cleanse book that details her story and includes raw foods, juice and smoothie recipes for a health-focused cleanse.  She’ll be signing books and sampling juices at the Lincoln Park Whole Foods August 3and the Streeterville Whole Foods location between 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. August 4.

An Honest Tea Honestly Brewed GIVEAWAY!

Posted on by

17

Caught ya with the word giveaway eh?  Yes, honestly we love giving stuff away especially when it’s a product we like too. This spring, Honest Tea launched two herbal non-caffeinated spiced teas to spice up your seasons.  Honest Tea was started by two entrepreneurs, Seth Goldman (co-founder and current TeaEO) and Barry Nalebuff (co-founder), who were looking for a less sweet, more flavorful alternative to soda. Fun Fact: It’s also rumored to be President Obama’s choice for thirst quenching but don’t let your political beliefs sway your taste buds!

We were given samples of the new Unsweetened Ginger Oasis and Cinnamon Sunrise Herbal Teas to check for quality control before offering you all a whole case of these goodies! It’s too good to TEA true (hehehe, if we don’t laugh at our own jokes who will). These teas are organic, Fair Trade certified (nothing like a company who prides itself on helping others!) and bikini body certified (our own moniker for no calories, beachhhhh).

So what’s the flavor, tell us what’s the flavor?  We are channeling early 90’s music for this one.

Tea-totalers and non teetotalers alike will like these teas.
image

Can’t you imagine heating up some peaches with a little bit of this tea for a tasty cinnamony dessert?

image

  • Ginger Oasis Herbal Tea: Organic Indian ginger, green rooibos, and Egyptian lemongrass are twisted together for a swish of citrus and spice.

Ginger is one of our best tummy tamers after an overindulgence.  Overindulgence seems to be synonymous with summer so don’t take our advice to try this tea too gingerly!  Also, doesn’t ginger go really well as a mixer for a summer adult beverage?  We keep it clean for the kids but you get it…wink*.

Both teas are offered in 16 ounce glass recyclable bottles (so you can reuse um at your next outing!).  Now on to the winnings!  Enter our Rafflecopter giveaway below and tell us what type of tea you love in the summer in our comments section.  The winner will receive one case of either Cinnamon Sunrise or Ginger Oasis Herbal Honest Tea!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Feel the Burn with OrangeTheory Fitness

Posted on by

2

Finding time to work out can be challenging enough without worrying about whether or not what you’re doing is effective!  Recently, we were invited to try out OrangeTheory Fitness.  Breathe a sign of relief, there are no solving of the math problems involved but there is SCIENCE, a science-y type theory forms the foundation for OrangeTheory.  Co-founder, Dave Long, and the OrangeTheory team started OrangeTheory in Fort Lauderdale, Florida centered around the concept of the very epic EPOC (excess post-exercise oxygen consumption).  Read all the beaker and measuring kind of details here.  In laywoman’s terms, when you work out, you monitor your heart rate and try to get as much time as possible in the orange zone.  This zone gives you a stronger afterburn, aka you burn more calories sitting around on your tushy after.

18911369640_25be78a496_o

We traveled to newly opened Wicker Park location to get our afterburn on.  Troy, our instructor, was kind enough to give us an overview of the class before we started.  We wrangled our heart monitors around our rib change (to check our orange essence) to prep for the workout.  The class was large so we split into 2 groups. Our group started with weight bearing sets while the other group cardio-ed it up with intervals on the treadmills.  After half an hour, the groups switched.

18475119494_7775329c13_o

What we dug:

Technology!  Screens showed examples of the order of each of our weight sets and demonstrated how to do the exercise.

18911224009_cdb497c1bc_o

Another monitor showed group members’ names and what zone they were in at all times.  Our heart monitors, linked to the screen, showed green, red or orange depending on zone.  It definitely made you strive for that orange and kept you engaged.

Class goers also get a full report of their workout sent to their email so they can track their progress.

No boredom!

The equipment options and intervals keep you on your toes!  Each class promises variety.  You may row on a water rower one interval, move on to TRX the next, and then on to free weights and have a totally different set of exercises next class.

19100593031_65c4c92da3_o

Best news!

First timers to OrangeTheory can try out 2 sessions for FREE!  Get ready to burn baby burn for hours after you check it out.

Whether you are looking to lose weight or just improve your speed, strength or stamina, OrangeTheory will make you say “Orange you glad you came to workout!”

18911342440_c14924e13e_o (1)

Super Sonic Health Tonic: Tonica Kombucha

Posted on by

0

If you haven’t been reading our blog since the good ol’ days, you may not know we are Krazy for Kombucha.  Kombucha, a fermented tea, provides a boost of B vitamins, probiotics to help your tummy, and is rumored to have detoxing and immunity boosting powers.  We tend to go for kombucha when when we have have the digestive downers and are known as kombucha pushers on our friends with colds.

Now that has been cleared up, we have to tell you about a new Kombucha we are loving, Tonica Kombucha.  Tonica comes from our neighbor to the north, Oh Canada.  You may know Canada as the land of yummy things like poutine, ketchup fries, and Makintosh toffee.  Now you can also equate it to something healthy!

Tonica Kombucha was started by Zoey Shamai who, in our opinion, is sort of an Emma Stone doppelganger as well as (more notably) a traveling yoga teacher and home kombucha brewer.  Once she started sharing her home brew, her Canadian crew went crazy too so she expanded into a business.  Her Toronto based Kombrewery pumps out 8 different fuzzy flavors of Kombucha: Ginger Rapture, Green Tea Revival, Nude Brew, Peach Resolution, Mango Passion, Coffee, Vibrant Blueberry and Jasmine Tea.

We were given samples of Jasmine Tea, Coffee and Peach Resolution to try and review.

Coffee:

We were a quite curious to see how this kombucha would taste.  The coffee kombucha had a bubbly texture and light coffee flavor.  It also provided a decent boost of energy that could replace a moderated coffee drinker’s caffeine needs. It had a balance of sweet without being overpowering.

Tonica coffee

Jasmine Tea: 

Most of us know that tea is a go to health drink as it has super anti-oxidants and Jasmine tea happens to be a star in the tea world.  The Tonica Jasmine tea has a fresh floral flavor along with the fizz and a sweet fragrant balance.  Jasmine tea also has caffeine (surprise) so you can sub it in for a detoxifying morning jolt!

Tonica 1

Peach Resolution:

If you have a resolution to lose weight or kick a sugary drink habit, try this inspired flavor. Peach resolution has only 30 calories, 4g of sugar and a mix of fermented organic green and black tea, rooibos, which are great for metabolism boosting and halting hunger. It surprises your palate with blackberry leaves, ginger pieces, calendula petals and organic peach extract as well.

18316256433_537a46db99_o

Tonica is only 45 calories for 1 bottle with natural carbonation.  It’s 100% raw and certified organic.  It’s also full of healthy bouncing baby bacteria, the kinds you need to keep a balanced body PH.  Tonica can be purchased in ‘Merica at Whole Foods.

18750733389_0001918737_o

FINAL FIZZ THOUGHTS:

One kind tip for 1st time kombucha drinkers: Tonica, like most kombuchas, is a fizzy party.  Unless you want to shower in kombucha, DO NOT shake the bottle and for extra precaution, open over a sink so all your delicious kombucha doesn’t escape.  Ready to taste Tonica?  6 flavors are available at our Chicago area Whole Foods or you can check to Tonica locator here!

Be Bold with Brooklyn Boulders and Luna Bar

Posted on by

0

It’s FITNESS FRIDAY and if you’re stuck in a fitness rut, we know just the way to climb out!  Try indoor rock climbing!  Being bold on the boulders not only challenges your body, it can also calm stress and amp up your brain.

17817572153_b47940e2d3_o

Last Wednesday, Luna Bar continued it’s #LUNAChiReveal with their Salted Caramel Protein Bar, Brooklyn Boulders and a host of talented and strong Chicago women to give us a chance to try indoor rock climbing.  Brooklyn Boulders Chicago is one of facilities in the U.S.  Not only can visitors try traditional bouldering, auto belay or rope climbing, but they can also sample fitness classes like Acro-Yoga, weight training or bring a laptop and get some work done in between climbing in the relaxing upstairs meeting space.

18249375190_57dc38bb94_o

Luna Bar mixed it up with 3 stations for us rookie climbers:

Bouldering

Bouldering is a form of rock climbing sans a harness or ropes.  Ob-v, Brooklyn Boulders loves safety so there’s a crash mat waiting for you in case you can’t find your way down.  There are various routes, called problems in the rock climbing world, with easy level climbing and ultra hard climbing.  First, BKB staff had us practice falling.  We call it the upside bug technique.  Basically, the goal is to land face up with the impact on your cushiony butt and your extremeties curled in like a insect that’s been flicked over.  Next, we scurried our way up the simpler routes.  Monica is a natural as she made her way to the top and back no problem (or maybe she’s part squirrel).

IMG_20150603_193535209

Auto Belay Certification

The auto belay, an automatic rope connected to a harness that supports the climber, is a daunting yet thrilling. BKB instructors demo-ed the proper way to connect the auto belay to the harness as well as how to descend (although none of us Luna participates did it quite as gracefully).  Once connected, you freely ascend up the problem of your choice and when you feel you can’t move up any longer, you let go.  The auto belay catches and lowers you safely.  Once certified by staff, visitors of BKB are allowed to move about different courses with auto belays.

18439963105_c8ab64b5e8_o

Dream Space

We named this ourselves but Luna put together some inspirational crafting, delish new Salted Caramel Protein Bar samplin’, and blogger minglin’ in the upstairs work space.  Postcards with antique style ink stamps were set up in a cute mailboxes and we were encouraged to write encouraging words to our selves!  There was also a colorful chalkboard set up to channel your motivational side by writing when you feel the most strong.

18250657530_4cfffe0042_o

We highly recommend rising (ahaaa) to the challenge of indoor climbing.  BKB staff are friendly, professional an truly made us feel safe as first timers.  Step up to Brooklyn Boulders with a Salted Caramel Protein bar to replenish yourself after a grueling but rewarding advance!  Has anyone else been to Brooklyn Boulders?  What do you think!?

18248899960_f62e144a92_o

Give Some Good with Outshine Frozen Snacks

Posted on by

0

We have a unique chance to give a little this month with a new first of it’s kind charity effort, the “Give Some Good” campaign, situated at one of our major transportation hubs, Union Station.  Outshine Frozen Snacks, maker of fresh fruit and yogurt bars, is spearheading a creative movement to reduce food deserts.  National attention was drawn to the concept of a food desert in 2006 when Mari Gallagher’s research illuminated a lack of access to healthy and fresh foods in areas of poverty.  The gap is closing but we still have a way to go.  In Chicago alone, over 383,954 Chicagoans were living in a food desert as of 2011.

So how can you help?

A charity promoting billboard (that is secretly a superhero robot…jk), is currently located in the BNSF tunnels of Chicago’s very own Union Station through June 9, encouraging travelers to get involved with reducing hunger!

Outshine_MG_6459

It’s easy to give!

  1. Simply do a secure swipe of your credit card straight down the middle of the billboard and $1 is donated to hunger.  That’s a 4th less than your daily latte habit!
  2. Each swipe starts a film sequence on the billboard screen that shows a bounty of fresh produce falling into the hands of a girl (symbolizing your awesome charity efforts)
  3. Each $1 swipe supports Feeding America in donating 9 POUNDS of fresh produce to hungry families.

Outshine Frozen Snacks is teaming up with Feeding America, one of the nation’s top hunger combatants, to help bring produce to those in need, with the goal of donating two million pounds of fruits and vegetables (we kinda feel like Dr. Evil saying “one million dollarsss” but this is for GOOD!!).  Even if you aren’t in Chicago, you can help during June and July by purchasing specially marked boxes of new Outshine Simply Yogurt Bars in stores.  Made of 100% frozen yogurt blended with real fruit like Strawberry Banana, Mango and Pineapple, they are perfect for your next summer BBQ.

Outshine Simply Yogurt Bar - Blueberry

Each time you buy a promo box of Outshine Simply Yogurt Bars, you help the Outshine brand and Feeding America provide one pound of fruit and vegetables to those in need.  Outshine Simply Yogurt Bars are available at major retailers like Target, Mariano’s, Walmart, Jewel and more.

So what are you waiting for, after all Fro-YOLO (fro-you only live once so feel great by helping others)!  Snack or swipe to help Chicagoans get the fresh food they need with the #GiveBrighter campaign.

*Full Disclosure: We are being compensated by Nestle to promote the GiveBrighter campaign*

A Souper Lunch Option: Smart Soups

Posted on by

1

Forget you, Olive Garden!  We are bringing our own soup and salad to work.  Soup is an awesome option to consume more veggies AND feel full with fewer calories but packaged soups often have too much sodium, weird looking meat pieces, or too many additives.  We were souper (hehe) excited to try some samples of Smart Soups because they are (ehem..be jealous cans o’ soup) none of those things.  Creator, Anne Chong Hill has long history in the prepared food industry and recognized the need for high quality, easy to make food and her recipes are inspired by her international background and travel experiences.

20150602_170946

Smart Soups are:

  • Vegan
  • Vegetarian
  • Gluten Free (Hooray!)
  • Made with REAL FOOD and no preservatives
  • American Heart Association Certified (cholesterol free!)
  • Low Calorie and controlled sodium (as one of our friend with high blood pressure was amazed to notice during our lunch break)

Taste:

With 7 souperb (ha ha ha) flavor options, we had a hard time choosing what to try first.  We received 5 options.

20150602_171043

Greek Minestrone was Kate’s first go to.  Packaged minestrone tends to be bland or have too many noodles in the way.  The Greek Minestrone was packed with veggies and rich in herby flavor, possibly the best Minestrone out there except what your grandma might be able to make (if she can cook).  Pairing tip: Greek Salad with feta, olives, artichokes and mixed greens.

Thai Coconut Curry is Mon’s fave Smart Soup.  Full of coconut water blended with fresh red curry made an amazingly authentic dish, especially tasty on a rainy day.  It includes plenty of baby corn, bamboo shoots and red pepper.  Pair with side of grilled spiced tofu.

17871766755_9cdc777d78_o

Sante Fe Corn Chowder is vibrant with red peppers, black beans, and corn, balanced with a squeeze of lime.  Dunk a vegan tostada and plenty of avocado in it!

2015-06-08

Vietnamese Carrot Lemongrass is filled with rich tasty Asian flavors and veggies.  Pair the satisfying soup with a Tofu Bahn Mi sandwich.

17879427306_f929f10280_o

French Lentil Soup makes a hearty meal with green and red lentils, leeks and moorish spices.  Mix it up with a baguette and nicolaise salad.

Cooking:

Smart Soup stores easily in the freezer and couldn’t be more simple to make.  You open the bag and pop it on the stove or in the microwave and then you’re done.  You can get creative with Smart Soups too by integrating them into new recipes as well.

What’s the most delicious soup you’ve ever tried?  Maybe you could inspire a new Smart Soup!

Get Soxy with the Strike Out ALS 5K

Posted on by

1

Did you know May is ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) Awareness Month?! We certainly did not until we learned about an awesome charity run on July 14th, the Strike Out ALS 5K.  Go beyond the ice bucket and #challengeALS by raising … Continue reading →

Conquer your Core at the 3rd Annual Free FusionFest!

Posted on by

0

Free Core Fusion Classes on May 19th!

FF_LandingPg_2015.jpg

WHO: Women’s Health & Exhale’s Core Fusion

WHAT: Women’s Health magazine and Exhale Spa are proud to celebrate the 3rd annual FusionFest.  Open to the public, the event will include complimentary evening Core Fusion classes, lite bites, goodie bags, giveaways, DJ’s and more at 18 exhale locations nationwide.

In conjunction with the FusionFest events, Women’s Health is kicking off its 3rd annual “Next Fitness Star” (thenextfitnessstar.com) competition with its July/August issue.  After vetting thousands of submissions, Women’s Health has selected the top five finalists who are competing to star in their own DVD series and become a fitness industry leader.  In select cities, the finalists will be in attendance at FusionFest to participate in the Core Fusion workouts and offer health consultations with attendees.

Exhale leads the barre fitness industry with a full suite of transformational classes including Core Fusion Barre, Core Fusion Barre+Cardio, Core Fusion Boot Camp, Core Fusion Cardio, Core Fusion Extreme, Core Fusion Sport and Core Fusion Yoga.  All classes focus on core strength for the ultimate full body workout. Using weights, balls, bands, and your own body weight as resistance, each class keeps you burning calories long after the class is over. Prepare to sweat, shake and melt the fat away as you lengthen and tone your body, and revive and refocus the mind.

WHEN:  Tuesday, May 19, 2015

WHERE: Exhale Chicago 945 North State St., Chicago, IL 60610

PRICE: FREE!

BONUS: Anyone attending the complimentary FusionFest classes will receive a free month subscription to WH Fit Club, the online fitness center that gives access to the hottest, most coveted workout studios and leading fitness experts across the country—including exclusive workouts from exhale co-founders Fred DeVito and Elisabeth Halfpapp and exhale’s National Yoga Director Stefanie Eris.

RSVP: To book your complimentary Core Fusion class at FusionFest, visit info.exhalespa.com/fusionfest.

*Above content and pictures are utilized courtesy of Rodale Publishing*

Our Take: Going to exhale spa makes you feel like you’ve been transported to a tropical vacation.  The lighting and decor of the studio space are smooth and inviting.  Before or after class, you can pamper yourself with exhale blended hot teas. Classes are challenging, mats are cushy and nice to the wrists, and teachers are hands on, supporting and pushing you at the same time.  Women’s Health Magazine is a leader in the fitness mag industry and we love their unabashed covering of “taboo” women’s health topics and up to date research on nutrition and workout topics.  We hope we snag a free mag in our swag bags (yup, rhyming is too cool)!  Come join us next Tuesday for a free fabulous workout class and more at Fusionfest!