Tag Archives: travel

Best of Fitbloggin 2024: Recap and Swag Bag Giveaway

My lunch on Friday, June 28 was the best I’ve had in a while. A roasted chicken sandwich with a basil aioli, lots of fresh veggies, and a table surrounded by new and old friends – it was exactly what high noon at Fitbloggin’ is supposed to look like. I was three meals in to this year’s conference when I could whole-heartedly say it was the best food that had ever been served at this event. And then, the noon hour entertainment pushed beyond anything we’ve seen at Fitbloggin’ before.

mizfit fitbloggin fashion show

I’d seen a fashion show on the schedule and admittedly balked. By the time the third person stepped on to the catwalk I was fighting back tears. I tweeted out that what was happening in that room was redefining strength and beauty. Organized by Emily Ho Sandford, women of every body shape and size graced the stage to rousing applause, often bearing nothing more than a bra and workout pants. They donned wares by Handful, Enell, and Reebok and showed that what was on the outside hardly defined what was on the inside.

If that fashion show didn’t set the tone for the weekend, I don’t know what would have.

It was the conference’s fourth year and proudly our fourth to be involved. This year, a special scavenger hunt with a hot prize awaited the more than 200 attendees. Every goodie bag had one of our token blue cowbells stuffed inside. But hidden around the conference center were five golden cowbells earning the recipient a seat at an upcoming Google+ Hangout with Biggest Loser’s Dolvett Quince. One winner announced she’d have to leave her husband, another was on the verge of tears, and all seemed to be on the cusp of exciting new detective careers!

dolvett dietsinreview cowbell (more…)

13 Hot New Workouts to Try This Summer

Summer is not boring – fact. Some of your workouts are getting pretty tired – fact. There’s nothing you can do about it – false.

The summer season officially starts on June 20, also known as the summer equinox. There’s never been a better time than right now to shake up your workout routine. We challenge you to try a new workout every week of summer. By fall, you’ll have found a few new things you really love and those are sure to carry you through the winter workout doldrums. Summer is all about adventure, and your workout routine deserves a little vacation too, don’t you think?

Here are 13 fresh workout ideas that will have you fitter by Labor Day!

orangetheory

Orangetheory Fitness

They call it the “best one-hour workout in the country,” and with studio locations across the country you’ve got plenty of opportunity to see for yourself. It’s interval training and strength training combined for a results-focused workout. You’ll spend 60 minutes in a group session doing treadmill intervals, indoor rowing, and weight training. Don’t have a location near you? See if they have an Orangetheory studio at your vacation destination! OrangetheoryFitness.com

beyond barre

Beyond Barre

It’s not ballet, but it uses a lot of the dance style’s principals to push you through a cardio-focused full body workout. Created by Colleen Ketchum, the 55-minute session will work your legs for a leaner look, abs for a flatter tummy, heart with GlideBoard simulated ice skating, and free weights for stronger muscle tone. Colleen’s flagship studio is in Warwick, New York with a growing number of studio locations around the country. BeyondBarre.com (more…)

Dark Chocolate Quinoa Candy Bars Replace Your Crunch Bar Habit

My daughter is three and loves chocolate, or “chock-wit” as the case may be. It’s her one vice, and speaking woman to woman, can you blame her? Considering how well she eats, I let us both indulge in this little craving on occasion, especially after a business trip.

Before taking off on one of my trips last year, I promised, as most parents do, to return with a present. Days later, barely awake at the airport before dawn, I remembered my promise and grabbed the first thing I could find – a three-pack of Ghirardelli chocolates. My daughter was overjoyed at this unusual gift, and somewhere along the line decided all business trips should end in chocolate.

quinoa dark chocolate

So on a recent visit to New York City, I was hounded at each of our morning and evening calls. “Have you got my chocolate yet?” she would anxiously ask. I said no most days, until finally, I’d found the perfect chocolate. At a small grocer in Brooklyn I happened upon Alter Eco’s Dark Quinoa bars. If you have a thing for Nestle’s Crunch bars like I do, you’ll never want to look back after snacking on these.

dark chocolate quinoa bar

An organic, sustainable, undeniably addictive little chocolate treat, I’ve raved to everyone since finding them. My daughter and I have since depleted our stash. I’m left wanting more, but haven’t found it locally yet. So we turned our chocolate craving in to a play date in the kitchen and crafted our own.

Ingredient wise, it’s as simple as dark chocolate and quinoa. Preparation wise, it’s just a tad more work. (more…)

World Travelers Betsy and Warren Talbot Lost 80 Pounds by Simply ‘Paying Attention’

Betsy Talbot, 42, and her husband Warren, 41, are healthy, happily married, world travelers these days, but that hasn’t always been the case. The couple who used to be overweight, unhappy and tied to office jobs now travels the world “full-time,” living out their dreams.

At their heaviest, Betsy and Warren weighed 210 and 178 pounds, respectively. But today, Betsy is a trim 160 pounds (just 10 pounds shy of her goal weight) and Warren has already reached his goal weight of 145 pounds. We had the pleasure of speaking with this adventurous pair recently about their weight loss journey as a couple. Here’s what they had to say.

Tell me when your weight struggles began.
Our weight struggles really began in adulthood when we began sitting for our jobs and our entertainment instead of being active. And we “over-busied” ourselves into thinking we had to eat fast and cram meals in instead of planning and enjoying them. This is a deadly combination for weight gain that most people can relate to. (more…)

The Key to a Healthy Spring Break is Moderation

By Stephanie Barnes for HelloGiggles.com

It’s finally here! Spring Break – the most magical time of the year for students everywhere. It’s time to leave your books and the stresses of real life behind and head out to find your little piece of paradise. Sounds perfect, right? What could go wrong while laying out on the beach sipping pretty drinks with hundreds of other bikini and Speedo clad college students? Many spring breakers get so caught up in the excitement of getting away that they go a little overboard – ending up on a wild ride of debauchery. But with a little pre-party planning, you can have an amazing time without all the superfluous stuff.

Be a Better Beach Baby

First thing you’ll probably want to do is hit the beach. Sea, sun and sand. Don’t forget your sunblock as overexposure to the sun can be extremely taxing on your body.

The beach is also great for reading. Catch up on the latest gossip from your favorite magazine or dive into that novel you’ve been dying to get your hands on. Put your cellphone away and focus entirely on your present moment. Just enjoy the pleasure of being unplugged, because your mental health is as important as your physical health. (more…)

Jillian Michaels’ Maximize Your Life Tour Scheduled for 35 Cities in US and Canada

Jillian Michaels teased the announcement of her spring tour last week via Twitter, but made the “Maximize Your Life” tour official today. It’s the first time Jillian is mobilizing her message, and the tour promises to make this an inspiring, motivating, life-changing experience.

It all starts April 4 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, continuing on through a total of 35 cities in Canada and the U.S., with the tour coming to an end in Toronto on May 21. There are a total of nine tour dates in Canada, with U.S. tour stops hitting every corner of the country.

“It’s time to ask why not you?” poses Jillian.

She’ll help you answer that question in an empowering two-hour show, and leave you more prepared and focused to live what she calls your authentic truth. It’s not just about the sweat, or inclines, or what you’re eating, Jillian will show a live audience what she does best on Biggest Loser – break through. She has an uncanny ability to help people get out of their own way, dig deep and look inside to find the answers. (more…)

Commuter Yoga: 3 Poses That Make the Drive to Work More Bearable

Getting stuck in traffic is enough to turn your hair grey. Blood pressure rises, muscles tense, and a positive attitude plummets when your car is at a standstill. Thankfully, there are things you can do to make the experience more pleasurable, and gain some health benefits while in the process.

The following are three easy yoga inspired exercises you can do the next time you find yourself wedged bumper to bumper.

Axial Extensions

Scoot your hips back so that your spine is upright against the seat of your car. Lift the crown of your head toward the sky as you inhale deeply, and press your hips down into the seat as you exhale fully. By doing this, you are creating space and decompression between each vertebra. As a result, you will gain energy, not to mention have to readjust your rear view mirror to take on your new height. (more…)

Stomach Balloon May Aid in Weight Loss, but You Have to Go to Canada for It

As the amount of weight loss surgeries in the U.S. continue to rise, doctors are finding different and better ways to surgically treat obesity. One of the newest players in the game is called an intragastric balloon, and as it’s not approved for use in the United States, many patients have chosen to cross the border to Canada to do the procedure.

The intragastric balloon is less invasive than traditional bariatric surgery. It involves inserting a tube down the esophagus into the stomach, so there’s no surgical incision. A deflated balloon is then threaded down the tube, and once placed, blown up to the size of an orange and filled with sterile blue water. It can stay there for up to six months, at which point it is removed to prevent ruptures. This can be done multiple times if the patient continues to need the support the balloon provides. The balloon decreases the patient’s feelings of hunger, making them eat less and lose weight.

Although the average weight of Americans continues to bound upward, there are still very few bariatric surgeries performed annually. Less than one percent of individuals who meet the criteria for bariatric surgery actually have surgery, according to the American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery. Each year, about 250,000 Americans choose to have some form of weight loss surgery, the most popular being gastric bypass, a gastric band, sleeve gastrectomy, or duodenal switch. These involve removing a portion of the stomach, restricting how much food can go into the stomach, rerouting the intestinal system, or a combination of these methods. The gastric sleeve is cheapest, costing around $10,000, while the others range from $17,000 to $35,000, according to the Consumer Guide to Bariatric Surgery. (more…)

The Obese More Likely to Die in Traffic Accidents and 5 More Shocking Obesity Facts

Obesity is killing Americans faster than a speeding train. OK, I might be exaggerating, but this disease, flagged as an epidemic, isn’t getting any better unless we as a society start actively living healthier lifestyles. Obesity causes a host of diseases and health problems that include high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, high cholesterol, joint problems, and even death.

That all seems par for the course, but did you know that obese individuals are more likely to die in car accidents? According to statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there was an 80% increase in fatalities in traffic accidents for obese individuals. What could be causing obese people to die more often in car accidents? An obese drivers’ lower body is ejected farther before the seat belt safely engages the pelvis, plus the extra tissue on the driver stops the seat belt from fitting snugly, thus making it harder for the driver to be held safely upon impact.

Another factor at play is the design of cars. Researcher Thomas M. Rice said, “Vehicle designers are teaching to the test – designing so that crash test dummies do well. Crash-test dummies are typically normal size adults and children.” (more…)

Use Yoga to Reduce Aches and Pains after Snow Skiing

If someone told you how much their body ached after a day of skiing, you’d probably never want to click into a pair of bindings and hit the slopes. Do not fret. Pain and agony are not the only words you need to describe the first day of your ski vacation. With a little bit of preparation and maintenance, freedom from post-ski day soreness can be yours.

The following are a few yoga-inspired tips and techniques that will help sharpen your fitness edge and get your body tuned up for some downhill fun.

Just say no to quivering quads

At least six weeks before a ski vacation, take every opportunity you can to strengthen your quadriceps. Perform wall sits, yoga chair pose, warrior lunges, and horse stance squats as often as you can, intermittently throughout the day. There is no need to try and fit a full yoga class into your already busy schedule. A little bit of time spent here and there will suffice. Just be sure and do it, or you will suffer the consequences of tired legs too early in the ski day. (more…)

Pairing Yoga and Wine Blends Complementary Health Benefits

Increased levels of heart-healthy high-density lipoproteins, better sleep, and reduced anxiety are just a few of the shared benefits of yoga and…can you guess? Wine!

As yoga rises in popularity, yoga and wine retreats are also making an appearance as some of the most sought after vacations in the world of self-pampering spa-like escapes.

In addition to booking a week of yoga and wine tasting at some fabulous resort with some fabulous instructor, such as Wine and Yoga in Tuscany with Sadie Nardini, yoga studios and businesses are also taking advantage of the delightful combination loved by so many.

For example, The W Hotel in San Diego is on the cutting edge of the wine and yoga craze by offering the popular Vino and Vinyasa series sponsored by Lululemon Athletica. Consisting of an all-level vinyasa flow class followed by wine and appetizers, yoga and wine lovers can take to the hotel’s rooftop to strut their poses before satisfying their palates.

But, it is not just businesses and retreat centers who are keenly tuned in to the dynamic relationship between wine and yoga. Colleen Saidman, wife of acclaimed yoga teacher Rodney Yee, has partnered with Estancia winery to assist in their campaign to sell wine. Pairing wines with health tips, Saidman believes that yogis need not steer clear of drinking alcohol, but rather find an appropriate balance and avoid overindulging. (more…)