rooted center

Before Thanksgiving I attended the most amazing event at the Rooted Center and I can't stop talking about it to all my friends.  Never have I been to a place or event where you're asked to remove your masks and just be true to yourself.  This therapeutic event was unique, memorable and one that I encourage others to experience especially during those moments of discomfort in your life.

amazon prime

So I quit the gym.  Ok, I take that back.  I didn't really "quit" the gym per se.  I let my membership run and didn't bother to renew it.  Making time for fitness is tough.  Finding motivation for fitness in the dead of winter is tougher.   Thus, quitting the gym.

However, working out is important to me so instead of thinking that pounding weights is the only option, I'm taking a different approach with an option that can be done in the comfort of my own home....Amazon Prime.

• It's convenient
• It's free (if you have an Amazon Prime subscription)
• It has options for different types of workouts
• It will whip your butt into shape (well ok Jillian Michaels will, but you get what I'm saying)
• It doesn't harass me by trying to upsell me with personal training, membership renewal, etc.

fit•ness (fit-nis) | running

There was brief stint in my mid-twenties when I thought I could be a runner.  I emphasize strongly on the word "thought".  I was active in a boot camp, which really should have been called a running camp, and even signed up for a series of races that year.  Welp - that was a few years ago.  Fast forwarded to today, where I still take fitness very seriously, but running is in a whole other category.  I was forced to put all cardio aside when I had major ankle surgery and solely concentrated on weight training for the last 3 years which proved to work really well for me.  While I'm at my pre-baby weight and perfectly content with my body, chasing after my crawling son the other day made me realize that I MUST get back to running.

While the little guy was crawling (quite speedy I must say) I was tiring out fairly quickly and it hit me.  I'm not in my 20s anymore and age is catching up to me.  So the next morning when I arrived at the gym, I went straight for the treadmill and established myself as runner in progress. It feels great to be able to keep up with Liam as he squirms away.  Even though I'm still working on my pace, I need all the motivation I can get so here are some of my favorite inspirational running boards on Pinterest!

bRUNch Running has a "I Run for Cocktails and Beer" board that serves as a reminder that hard work can be rewarded...preferably with a great bottle of wine or a bloody mary at the finish line.

Jill Will Run has a great "Running" board full of the inspirational sayings perfect to make you feel great about your progress.

As you can imagine, NIKE has a great "Gear" board that showcases all the fitness gear you wish you had to look adorable while on your run.

Last but not least, Travel Blah Blah has a "Workout Looks" board that will only make you work harder.  The board features celebs in their workout gear, which makes me hate celebs more because they prove that they look flawless even as they sweat, but it works as great motivation.

|What are some of your favorite Pinterest boards that motivate you to run or workout?|

fash•ion (fash-uh n) | workout wear

There are so many cute Fall items (some that I shared over at Johanna's blog last week), but I can't stomach to spend the money on new wardrobe pieces until I'm back to my pre-pregnancy weight and size.  I have 5 more pounds to lose and although I'm fitting back into my pre-pregnancy jeans, I want to make sure that if I stick them in the dryer I don't have to do the "stretch them out" dance in order to feel comfortable.  You know the dance I'm talking about - the one where you do a series of squats, lunges and tug from the waist band to make sure they've stretched out just the right amount to feel confident. 5 pounds may not seem like a lot, but the number on the scale is so different from how my clothes are fitting. 

So instead of stocking up on Fall essentials, first thing is first.  I'm going to nab some new workout wear to get me in the right mindset to not only lose those pesky 5 pounds, but 5 more than that.  To get my head in the game, I'm filling my closet with some of these new workout essentials and adding some fun tunes to my new playlist I'm officially calling, "Motivation Station".

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

|What are some of your favorite workout wear must haves? What motivates you to work out?|

fit•ness (fit-nis) | nike training club

Even through pregnancy I've been trying to maintain my fitness regime doing at least 4 days of physical activity that is a combination of cardio and weights.  Grant it you should "take it easier" when you're pregnant, but you're not totally limited on the type of workouts you should be doing.  Since my workout pre-pregnancy consisted of a ton of weights I needed to find a workout that was still challenging, but didn't require heavy weights.  That's when the Nike Training Club app became my best friend.

 

 

I've had this app on my phone for awhile, but it wasn't until I became pregnant that I started using it more frequently.  The app is like having your own personal trainer right in your ear.  You select from a number of pre-programmed workouts that range from 15 - 45 minutes and can also base it on the type of workout you're looking for.  Whether it's legs, abs, arms or circuit training, you'll find a workout that fits your time limit and area of concentration.

Once you start the workout there are thorough instructions that are easy to follow, as well as videos to show you how the workout should be performed.  In addition, you can set your workouts to the music of your choosing, so if you have a rocking workout playlist that you like to sweat to you get the extra boost of motivation while you're performing each step.  When you complete a workout you collect points/rewards and the more you accumulate, the more additional workouts you unlock.

I absolutely love this iPhone app and if you're someone that sometimes likes going to the gym without thinking about what your next step will be definitely download the app.  It's free and is the best $0 I've spent!

|Have you tried the Nike Training Club app? What are your thoughts on it?|

fit•ness (fit-nis) | foursquare

If you follow me on Foursquare you'll see that my check-ins are pretty random.  Ok totally random. Between running errands at Target and restaurants I honestly check-in when I remember.  However, the one place I'm pretty consistent about checking-in to is the gym.  Whether I check in to the gyms I have memberships with or a workout room at the hotel I'm staying at when I travel, I'm sure to use Foursquare as a way to document how many days I'm working out each week.

Yesterday, Foursquare reminded me that it's been 15 consecutive weeks that I've checked-in to my local gym and that I've been there 50 times within these 15 weeks.  I remember a while back I used to question the whole purpose of "checking-in".  In my case - it's a way to keep me accountable and motivate me to keep going.  

With today's check-in make that 51 times I've been at the gym within the 15 weeks.

|What keeps you accountable or tracks your fitness regime? Do you use a program or have a journal that documents it all?|

fit•ness (fit-nis) | chicago marathon

I live right by Mile 26 of the Chicago Marathon route and although I have a love/hate relationship with it, the only thing I seem to love about it is the joy of watching the runners approach the finish line and run the last stretch of the race.

I discovered last year that living at this part of the route you get to experience something that many might take for granted - watching the first runners as they lead the pack.  It is so motivating, inspirational and truly emotional. So much, that I wanted to experience that feeling again this year.

This year, as I watched the first runners round the corner of Mile 26, I couldn't help but think of  how much they were inspiring me.  I thought, "I could learn a few things from this moment".  So from here on out I will remember this:

• Just like anything in life - Work at it if you want to get better.  These are people who started out as amazing runners, these are people who have worked (and worked hard) to get where they are today.  If you want to be good - keep trying until you reach a point that you're happy with.
• Never say you can't - because you can.  I watched many of the wheelchair athletes as they approached the finish line and for every day I complain about something I can't do - I need to remember how much harder it is for someone else.  Life is never easy, but it's not so hard enough that you should ever give up.
• Do everything with a smile.  As I watched the first male and female runners approach the finish line I couldn't help but notice that despite the fact these people have ran the distance from my place to O'Hare airport - they remembered to smile.  Hard work is that much more enjoyable if you do it with a smile. 
• Be someone's cheerleader (even if you don't know them).  Encourage others, pat them on the back, scream in celebration...just show someone that you believe in them.  It's amazing how much you start to believe in yourself when you believe in others.
• Make it to the finish line.  Even if it takes you longer than expected, push yourself to finish what you've started.  It'll be fulfilling and worth celebrating in the end.

Even though I don't personally know the first runners that crossed the finish line, I was there to cheer them on and in return, they gave me an invaluable lesson.  Here's a few pics of the first athletes as they approached the finish line.

|Congrats to all the athletes that participated in the Chicago Marathon and THANK YOU for inspiring me in so many ways.|

fit•ness (fit-nis) | inspiration

What inspires you to push yourself harder, faster, longer and stronger?  I used to keep a picture of myself when I was 60 lbs heavier (see image below) in my wallet to really drive my motivation.  These days, it's a size 4 dress that I wear and display in my closet that remind me to keep up with my workout regime, but sometimes it's as simple as new workout gear to really get me inspired.

I've been in the market for some new kicks for a few months now and in all honesty I just haven't found the pair.  I'm just as selective in my workout gear, as I am with everyday wear to pick out something that's unique and shows a bit of personality.  For awhile, I was debating on creating a pair of custom NIKE ID shoes, but I didn't want to wait that long to get them...that was over 2 months ago.

If I had ordered them, I wouldn't be writing this post, but I'm so glad I didn't because NIKE is unveiling their limited edition Chicago LunarGlide+3 shoe designed by local artist Tara D.  To celebrate its launch, NIKE is inviting YOU to partake in all the festivities this Saturday in Chicago!  What better way re-boost your workout routine than to checkout NIKE's latest Fall running/marathon gear complete with a DJ, drinks, food and raffle to keep you motivated.  To join in the festivities check out the invite below.

Timing for this event couldn't be better.  In exchange for inviting you all to this awesome event, NIKE will send me a pair of these amazeball kicks - the inspiration I need to get my butt in gear for my Mexication Part Dos happening February 2012.   I've got 3 months and 20 pounds to lose before I head over to Cabo for my best friend's wedding and my birthday.  I can't think of a better way to be motivated than new kicks and the thought of a new figure to celebrate in 3 months.  If you're in Chicago, come check out NIKE + Akin's event this Saturday and snag a pair of Tara D's limited edition LunarGlide+3 - I guarantee with these bad boys someone will definitely have shoe envy.

|What inspires you to stick to a workout routine or start one?|

fit•ness (fit-nis) | pull-ups

Nope not the diapers. Pull-ups as in the activity you dreaded in gym class when you were in grade school.  Friends, meet my worst enemy. So much that I have made it my goal to defeat it. Pull-ups with no weights whatsoever.

Last year Matt bought a pull-up bar for our condo and he makes doing pull-ups look so easy. I can't even do one without having the support of the machine that has weights to lift you up. In fact, a few years ago I couldn't even do that - whenever I used the machine my personal trainer would have to assist me by lifting me up just to make sure I could at least do one. Yeah, talk about fat kid.

So I made a deal with myself. This week, I'm going to work on doing (3) sets of 12 pull-ups with only 40 pounds to lift me up (right now I'm at 60). I'm going to show this pull-up machine who's boss!

|Is there a machine at the gym or exercise you are determine to be better at?  What is your plan to improve?|

fit•ness (fit-nis) | namaste

Now that my staycation is officially over I've got to get my butt back in gear. When my friends were in town I ate too much, drank even more and hardly did any type of aerobic activity. Unfortunately I was also sick right before my friends arrived so there was an entire week of no fitness. Although I dragged my friends around the city by foot, "It's hardly aerobically effective. I doubt I've worked off the calories in a stick of Carefree gum." (Can anyone name that movie?)

I haven't talked much about fitness, but it's something that's really important to me. I'm strictly an AM fitness goer and have no motivation to do any type of physical activity after work unless it's me exercising my drink options at happy hour (just speaking the truth). If you follow me on Twitter you might catch on that I reference #improvementmovement a lot, which is my hopes of improving my health, and I hope to do much more of that since I was doing really good during the first half of this year.

My weekly workout routine involves minimum cardio, lots of strength training and at least a day of yoga. Those little downward dog suckers really does a body good and if I go a week without a good stretch I really notice a difference. In the summertime my friends and I take advantage of Millenium Park's free Saturday AM workouts on the Great Lawn which include back to back hours of yoga, pilates and Zumba. It's a great way to be active, enjoy the great outdoors, save money on drop-in classes (which average $15/class) and be social.

The free workouts are amazing because the park rotates instructors from studios all around the city, so you get a good feel for different types of practices.  It's a great way to be introduced to yoga without feeling totally intimidated by all the yogis who have perfected their back bends and eagle poses. Just in case you've never tried yoga, or you're looking to expand your practice, I would highly recommend looking into free workouts in the park or investing in a Passport to Prana.   It's a great way to try different classes and studios at minimal cost. 

|Are you a yoga enthusiast?  If not, what is your favorite workout and what does your weekly workout routine consist of?|