Category Archives: Fitness

I’ve got two words for you: Spring Break

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By Allie DeLay

The countdown begins, 30 days till the most important week of a college student’s life, and no I’m not referring to finals. I’m talking about a full week of sun-kissed glory, a week without sitting through any lectures, picking up a pen, or writing one blessed note. If you haven’t already figured out what I’m talking about, I’ve got two words for you: SPRING BREAK.springbreak

That’s right ladies and gentlemen spring break season is upon us. A fabulous time of year where everyone in snowy New England braces themselves for a week, where for once the weather is consistently sunny, by purchasing new bathing suits and for my fellow fair skinned friends, an obnoxious amount of sunscreen. And of-course it’s the special time where everyone and their mother makes their way to the gym to get in to last minute “swimsuit shape.” Continue reading →

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Haterz.

Posted in Fitness, Motivation & Happiness by

By Eliza Shirazi

Have you ever seen those people who have their noses up in the air? Walk around like they not only run the treadmill, but the entire gym? Like they have not just two, but three weights up their ass? Yeah, I have too! It is particularly uncomfortable when you are at a new gym or class and you can feel the intimidation fume off of people. It may be a territorial thing for them or they could have their own insecurities. Either way, do not let people deter your goals or make you think you are not worthy of shakin’ your booty in Zumba, bending in half in yoga, or pumpin’ iron with the guys on the floor. You can do it all.

I used to feel this when I would lift weights at the UMass Rec Center and I refused to go with out my partner in crime, Rachel. I was always nervous, hesitant, and constantly thinking about what everyone else thought — Can that guy see me nipping? Shit, I think I’m doing this machine wrong. Wait, did that girl hear me fart? (No, but really.) And now I can’t help but think what a waste it was to be worrying about others when I came to the gym to work on myself. College gyms can be especially stressful due to the fact that everyone you go to school with has access to the gym, aka you just might run into that one nightstand or your dreaded enemy, but do not let this rattle you.

Now that the gym is packed because of New Years resolutions, which almost always consists of leading a healthier lifestyle, remember that in order to succeed you need to focus on you. So smile at that biddie giving you a dirty look, waive to the meathead who is laughing at you and close your eyes for a quick second to envision your goal which includes none of them and all of yourself.

The same goes for your eating habits. If you are a healthy eater you may get criticized in the college culture we are in. Do you get dirty looks when you pick up greens, tofu, or anything that may be remotely good for you? Well GOOD. Think of it as envy because it is not easy to do what you are doing. Treat your body with nutritious foods and offer it to the person who is shooting you the devil eyes… Chances are they need more of it than you do.

Eliza Rose here telling you to never look down on someone unless you’re helping them up… Or complimenting their cleavage.

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YOU CAN DO IT ALL!

February Challenge: Plank-a-day

Posted in Fitness, Videos, Workouts by

By Emily McLaughlin

I just put together a *quick*  video about my February challenge. As many of you know, I am doing one new challenge every month to keep me on my toes and test my willpower in the new year. In January I managed to keep to a vegetarian/pescestarian diet (here are some benefits I found). Last night, I celebrated my accomplishment by going out for a lovely burger dinner… except… I might have gotten a veggie burger. BUT, it was only because this restaurant apparently had the best veggie burger in Boston. Plus, Ryo had an inkling that I probably would opt out of a meaty burger anyways (he knows me too well).

Anyways… Here is the video:

Follow my challenge here and on Challenge Loop. I’m doing #EricasPlankChallenge!

And I’m back… New Zumba Fitness classes

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By Emily McLaughlin

Since leaving UMass, I haven’t really been teaching fitness classes and, yes, this has been killing me. It’s much harder to find motivation to workout when you have to do it all by yourself.

I haven’t taken a total hiatus though — I’ve been instructing Zumba once a week at a treatment center for teenage girls with, in most cases, complex behavioral, psychological and learning challenges. For a while this was a voluntary position and a rewarding one at that. Recently I was taken on as a paid staff member and couldn’t be more excited to spend more time with these girls. Once I have a yoga certification in the Spring, we will be adding a yoga class for the girls to stretch and relax for an hour or so.

TONIGHT is my first class at Mount Ida College in Newton, MA. If you know someone there, are in the Mount Ida network or just want to spread the word… tell them I’m coming! Class will be every Wednesday night, times vary between 7 and 8 week-to-week.

While we are talking Zumba, check out my Zumba Webpage: http://emilymclaughlin.zumba.com/

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9 Tips for new skiers: My first time (ouch, my legs)

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By Emily McLaughlin

Learning to stand...

Learning to stand…

Yesterday, I went skiing for the very first time… ever! Well, I had tried snowboarding on two different occasions but never went on a regular basis. Leading up to this ski-day, I had massive amounts of anxiety. I would try to visualized myself skiing, taking all of these pointers I had collected from friends into consideration, but every visualization ended in tragedy. I would be going down the mountain and then… BANG! I’d lose control and hit a tree. I pictured myself doing the pizza move and then… CRASH! My skis would cross and I’d tumble down and have a “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up” kind of moment. I even visualized my skis getting stuck in the snow toe-first, something that I now realize is near impossible.

Then there were other anxiety-inducing aspects of the trip like:

1. What to wear.

2. How to get on the chair lift.

3. How to get off the chair lift.

4. How to avoid other skiers.

5. What if I break a bone.

Ask anyone, I was FREAKING out.

Pizza pizza pizza

Pizza pizza pizza

My report… skiing isn’t all the bad. In fact, I really liked it — I might like it better than snowboarding (although, I haven’t tried that in a while) — plus, it’s a GREAT workout. On my first run down the bunny hill, I fell twice — mostly because it was my first instinct when I started gaining speed. On my second run down, I realized how simple the pizza pie thing is. Finally, after my third run down, I was ready for bigger and better things. We did two runs down half of the mountain and then probably almost ten runs down the whole mountain before the clock struck 4pm and the misty rain rolled in.

The big shocker, I didn’t fall again for the rest of the day! Granted I stayed on the easy green trails and had a few close calls, but no wipeouts! I would definitely go again and make a hobby out of it. I’ll admit, maybe my dramatics were a slight overreaction. Also, I probably didn’t need to Google search article after article about skiing for newbies on the way up to NH.

Regardless, fear of the unknown is pretty legitimate, I’d say. No matter how many times my friends told me that I would be a great skier, I couldn’t believe it until I saw it for myself. Moral of the story? Put yourself out there and try something new, you might just find a new love. 

Here are my tips for newbies:

1. Get rid of those negative thoughts. The things you’re visualizing happening, are probably unrealistic and will only lead to increased anxiety. Be positive. You are going to have a good time if you go in with a good attitude.

2. Dress appropriately to stay dry and warm. Being cold and wet will ruin your day, I promise. If you don’t have a helmet or goggles, rent them for safety purposes.

3. If you are anywhere near remotely active, you will be able to ski. If you’re not very active, you’re still going to be able to do this — just with a few more runs down the bunny hill.

4. If you don’t have gear, rent it! You’re friends or relatives might have some old gear for you to borrow, but you might be better off renting from the mountain resort. That way the equipment is newer and safer. If you are on a budget, and your friends promise the equipment is great, go ahead and borrow.

5. Take a lesson. You’ll meet people like you, new skiers of ALL ages. You also won’t feel bad that you’re holding your friends back — you can always catch up with them later. *I didn’t take a lesson because I have some wonderful friends who were really confident in my ability, but an official lesson couldn’t have hurt.

6. Don’t get frustrated. Remember, you are NEW to this just like a lot of other people on the mountain. Just because that little four-year-old is skiing past you, doesn’t mean you’re bad. They’ve been skiing since the came out of the womb anyways. Psh.

7. Pizza pie saves lives. Learn to stop and slow down before you learn anything else. It will make you feel better, I promise.

8. Bring snacks to refuel. Skiing is a sport, a tiring one at that. Bring snacks along to keep you going. A hungry new skier, is not a happy new skier.

9. Be proud of your accomplishments!

Cruisin'

Cruisin’

Happy skiing, everyone! Side note: Ryo also took a couple videos, one of my first run down the bunny hill (I could kill him) and one of my second run down the bunny hill (much improved). Maybe I’ll show y’all some time. ;)

Tips for a hot yoga newbie, from a hot yoga newbie

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By Lauren Duffy

So, I’m back! I haven’t been writing lately because of the craziness of college finals and end-of-semester tasks, but now I’m happily home in Wrentham, MA for winter break with my beautiful mother and with more time on my hands than I know what to do with.. so, I’ll write!

This past Monday I went to a heated yoga class for the first time and I think I fell in love with it– it was amazing! I went with Emily, so we went to the studio she’s been practicing at, Inner Strength in Watertown, MA. All I knew about hot yoga was that it was yoga.. that was hot.. and you leave looking like you just jumped in a pool. I hadn’t worked out for over a week before Monday because I had allergies that were making me wheeze, so I was more than ready for a really good sweat… but I had no idea what I was in for.

So here are a few mistakes that I made and things that I learned as a newbie in the class that will hopefully help any of you wanting to try out a hot yoga class have a wonderful experience. hot yoga

  1. Don’t have your first Yoga class be a hot one. This is just my opinion.. I think the best part of the class was having background knowledge of the poses. All I could think during the class was how happy I was that I had taken yoga and taught my basics yoga class at UMass. It allowed me to focus on and listen to my body more rather than be concerned with keeping up with the class.
  2. Drink water before! I made the mistake of not drinking enough water before the class and it was not a fun outcome. When we were in Warrior II and I looked at my hand and noticed that it was shaking, and shaking a lot. And, I blacked out once while in downward facing dog; that was kind of scary. I had forgotten my water bottle that I carry around with me at all times that day so I definitely hadn’t had enough to drink before the class. So definitely hydrate before you take a hot yoga class!
  3. Be wary of any injuries or issues. I was born with hip dysplasia and my hip still tends to pop out of place when I exercise. I’ve used yoga and other exercises to strengthen it, but I have to be careful with it to minimize pain. I had a little pain during the class, but I was ignoring it in hopes that it would subside, but it didn’t. In fact, when we were doing side planks my hip completely gave out and I fell to the mat; however, I probably could have prevented this had I stopped participating in the class for a second to adjust my hip. So if you have an injury or issue that you’re aware of, pay attention to it and give it some love, especially in a hot yoga class!
  4. Be prepared to be touched. Emily warned me when we got there that the instructor might have an assistant going around correcting people and helping them achieve proper forms, and sure enough, she did. This kind of freaked me out. Why are you going to touch me when I’m gross and sweaty? But to my surprise this helper was pretty amazing, and I didn’t mind her adjusting at all. She only came over to us once or twice, but at one point she did some kind of massage thing on my back when we were in child’s pose — she started from my neck and came down to my back where she paused, noticed how lop-sided I was, and whispered “wow.. your hip”. I have no idea what she did, but she fixed my hip by giving it a push from the side… now THAT was amazing! So don’t dread it if there is a helper– embrace it!
  5. Expect the unexpected. Finally, if you haven’t read Emily’s post “You must be better at yoga” then go read it! Now! It’s so completely true. I was in awe of all the lululemon attire I was surrounded by in the class, but I was horrified at a few of the skimpy outfits. The woman next to me was moaning from time to time, and I remember looking at Emily in pure horror once someone in the back passed gas, loudly, for the millionth time. So when you enter a class, definitely expect the unexpected!

If you haven’t taken yoga.. take it! As soon as possible! I was the biggest non-believer a while ago because I was being a brat about not being flexible, but yoga has shown me that I can do things that I never thought possible… like a split on my bad-hip side. And now I’m a huge believer in hot yoga, too!

Oh yeah.. one more thing.. from those allergies that I mentioned, I had almost completely lost my voice and sounded ridiculous before the class. But when the class finished, I could talk!! Humidity + deep breaths + relaxation = a voice! Pretty cool, huh?

Happy yoga practicing!

yoga

Happy Holidays!

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Dear lovely followers,

Sorry I’ve been MIA lately. I’ve been very busy getting in gear for the holiday and… NYC! Yes, you read right. Today I’m leaving for a weekend trip to New York City. This is only my second time going, but I don’t really count my first trip since I was stuck in a hotel ballroom for most of the weekend (#DanceConventionProblems).

I hope that everyone is enjoying the holidays and may the New Year bring you all of the health and happiness you could wish for. I’ll be saying in touch and, of course, Instagramin’ up a storm over the weekend. ;)

Stay healthy, stay happy, 

Emily 

 

Twitter: @emireerose

Instagram: @emireerose

Facebook: Stay Healthy, Stay Happy

Big news, big news!

Posted in Fitness, Motivation & Happiness by

By Emily McLaughlin

20402_392160730862561_27457442_nI will soon be a 200-hour Registered Yoga Instructor! … by soon, I actually mean May. In any event, I am still BEYOND excited about this.

I’ve been really into yoga since going to college, but didn’t start seriously considering a training program until after graduation. First, I started asking around–asking the people I’ve work with at the gym, asking other bloggers, asking anyone, really. Then, I started looking for studios in my area that hosted teacher training to try them out. Finally, I found somewhere that felt like home and a practice that worked for me.

Inner Strength Studio is a half-mile from my apartment (how convenient!) and their “Four Pillars of Freedom” training is one of the less-expensive ones in or around Boston. The teacher training spans from February to May, making up 8 weekends total. The training fits in perfectly with my (real world) work schedule and has some off-weekends so I can do a little vacationing here and there.

Even at this point, after finding a studio I love with instructors that seem down-to-earth and knowledgeable, I was still hesitant in putting down a deposit. Ultimately, a few different circumstances/occurrences led to my decision:

1. I didn’t apply to grad school.

In fact, I haven’t even taken my GREs as of yet. At one point I realized it’s not going to all miraculously come together for the upcoming fall semester, so I am going to put it off. To pass the time, why not do something productive and make some extra money? The GREs can wait until the summer and grad school can wait another year.

2. Support helps, a lot.

There were a few different people in my life that said what I really needed to hear when I was thinking about putting down a deposit for this RYT training. At first my roommates seemed iffy about it because it will be time-consuming and take away a lot of my weekends. One night, after having a brief discussion about it with Kathleen and Hannah, I felt as though I had made no progress in deciding if this was right for me. Hannah was about to walk out the door to go somewhere, then came back into my room and said, “If it’s something you really want to do, you should do it.” She told me not to let the lost time thing get in my way because she knew it was something I wanted… something I wanted real bad.

When I told my dad about the training, his main concern was the price tag (which, was also one of my bigger concerns). After our first conversation about it, I was a little discouraged, wondering if I could pay for it… wondering if this was a good financial decision. The next time we spoke, my dad told me that he had been thinking about it more and said he would do whatever he could to help. This is an investment, a second career, something to fall back on if needed — and he knew how badly I wanted it. I really needed to hear that.

The notion of time lost came up again when I discussed this with Ryo. There were already a few things we had planned on doing weekends this winter and this was definitely going to get in the way. I went back in forth, thinking about how I hate missing out on things when he told me, “You will regret it if you don’t do it.” He told me that he supported me and that we’d work things out as they came up… this meant a whole lot.

3. It felt right.

Practicing has become a crucial part of my life again. While at school, I was instructing 3+ mind/body classes per week, but never really understood how much my mind and my body needed those classes. Now that I am practicing regularly again… It just feels right. By body feels good and I am calmer than usual. Yoga has also improved my running and made me feel a lot stronger.

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Of course, in the end… I knew that this was meant to be. Hesitating about money and lost time was a little silly. Sacrificing 200 hours now, will offer so many opportunities in the future — so, it’s not so much a sacrifice, but a gift. I might have been over-thinking it all, but now I am more certain than ever.

Thank you to all of my supportive friends and family. <3 Can’t wait to start this new journey — and enlighten you along the way!

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Last minute gift (card) ideas for the healthy

Posted in Fitness, Food & Diet by

By Emily McLaughlin

You waited last minute, didn’t you? It’s okay, so did I. Instead of getting all stressed out by crowds at the mall while picking over half-empty shelves, just go right to the register and grab a gift card. Here are a few gift cards your health/fitness friends would LOVE to get this holiday season:

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Trader Joe’s: Whether it’s for $5 or $50, a  gift card to Trader Joe’s is always appreciated and could go a long way!

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Lululemon: Put off that gift for that special someone in your life? You best friend loves yoga but you don’t know what the heck to get them? Mom is on a health kick? Get the person a Lululemon gift card. Some of the items in the store are a little pricey, so take a look around before you decide on a number.

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Bike/run/dance shop: Ask around and find out if there is a local shop that your gift-ee likes to go to. (This goes for health food stores as a well.) If there a place they go locally, get them a gift card there. Coming up empty? Resources not pointing you in the right direction? Google nearby shops — they are everywhere!

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Spa: This is something that few people buy for themselves… even if they understand the health benefits of a good massage/skin treatment. If you have someone on your list who is always busy or often working out, do them the biggest favor even and give them the gift of relaxation. For the ladies, a mani-pedi packages works too!

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Gym/studio: It costs a lot of money to stay healthy. One of the most costly things is a gym membership or yoga package. Help a brotha’ or sista’ out and get them a month to their favorite place.

How do I know these gift cards will not disappoint? Well, it’s a hunch based on the fact that I, personally, would love to receive any of these gift cards for Christmas. <3 Hint, hint.