Fitness

Getting Hitched Near NYC? Join the Fit to Be Bride Bootcamp!

April 29, 2013 at 3:29 pm
By Colleen Moody

As someone who is feverishly planning her own nuptials, I came to a realization I’m sure many brides arrived at much quicker than I did: Weddings are expensive! To then even think about shelling out beaucoup bucks on a pricey boot camp tailored toward brides made me want to curl up in a ball (or elope, though I’m not sure Mom would be too pleased about that).

Luckily, The White Gown, a bridal boutique in Dumbo, Brooklyn understands that brides want to look great despite their budget and are setting up a series of public workout sessions this summer in NYC at Pier 46 in Greenwich Village. Workouts will be led my Molly Winter Stewart of Molly Winter Fitness, and will be designed to hit the spots most visible on your wedding day based on your dress shape–mermaid, halter, strapless and backless. The best part? You can cross “find fitness plan” off your very long wedding to-do list without spending a single penny.

Fit to Be Bride Bootcamp starts Saturday, May 18 at 9:30 a.m., at Pier 46 in Manhattan. Sign up by emailing info@thewhitegown.com.

More from FITNESS: Vow to Stress Less: Wedding Day Tips from Brides

 

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Give These Races a Tri

April 19, 2013 at 2:30 pm
By FITNESS Editors

Written by Alyssa Shaffer

Has our 10-week triathlon training guide in our May issue got you itching to sign up for a race? We don’t blame you! Whether it’s near your own backyard or across the country, these beginner-friendly sprint races will transform you into a true triathlete.

If you want…

An urban experience

• TriRock Philadelphia: Swim, bike and run in the City of Brotherly Love, starting with a dip in the Schuylkill River and finishing with a ride and run through scenic Fairmount Park. There’s also an Olympic-distance race the next day. (June 22, trirock.competitor.com/philadelphia)

• Life Time Tri Chicago: One of the largest tris in the world begins with a swim in Lake Michigan then follows Lake Shore Drive past such scenic landmarks as Buckingham Fountain and the Shedd Aquarium. There’s also a super sprint distance and an Olympic course if you want to go shorter or longer. (August 25, chicagotriathlon.com)

Something scenic

• Mini-Mussel Sprint Triathlon: Spend the weekend in upstate New York’s popular Finger Lakes region. The 10th annual race includes a swim in a canal, a bike ride along vineyard-dotted roads, and a fast, flat run through a lakefront park. For hearty types, there’s also a half Ironman the next day. (July 13, musselmantri.com)

• Coeur d’Alene Triathlon: The new Scenic Sprint in Idaho lives up to its name as one of the most picturesque courses in the Pacific Northwest, with a placid lake swim, a winding bike course and a triumphant finish inside Coeur d’Alene City Park. (August 10, cdatriathlon.com)

• Nautica Malibu Triathlon: Race alongside celebs (last year’s finishers included Claire Holt, Jillian Michaels and Alison Sweeney) on a course that’s a little longer than your usual sprint—a half-mile ocean swim, an 18-mile bike ride and a four-mile run—with amazing views of both the mountains and the Pacific along the way. (September 8, nauticamalibutri.com)

To celebrate girl power

• Athleta Iron Girl: With a shorter-than-usual swim leg (in some cases, just one-third of a mile) and lots of festivities before, during and after, this series of women-only sprint tris are for newbies of all abilities. Eighteen races take place nationwide, from April through September. (Dates vary; irongirl.com)

More from FITNESS: Sign Up for a Triathlon in Your Area

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SpaFinder Wellness Week is Here!

March 13, 2013 at 11:05 am
By FITNESS Editors

Who doesn’t love a good deal on fitness classes and spa treatments, right? Which is why we’re pretty psyched it’s Wellness Week over at SpaFinder Wellness *right now.* What this means: Well, what’s most enticing is that if you buy a $25 gift card, you get an extra one to use this week. (Sounds like a good girls’ date to us!)

But it also means that throughout the week, leading wellness experts, chefs, and celeb trainers from the nation’s top gyms, spas, and wellness providers have been sharing their tips, tricks, recipes, and tools. If you check out the SpaFinder Wellness site, you can find some of the free events, open houses, workshops, consultations, and more.

FITNESS is headed to a special event in NYC tonight to check out product demos from some of the nation’s top beauty, skin-care, and wellness companies. Click on over to @FITNESSColleen’s Twitter feed later tonight or tomorrow to see how it went! 

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ZICO Latte: Your New Workout Beverage

March 12, 2013 at 4:00 pm
By FITNESS Intern

Written by Carrie Stevens, editorial intern

Rise and shine—it’s workout time! This morning, FITNESS headed to The Sports Center at Chelsea Piers for a little rock climbing to celebrate the launch of ZICO Pure Premium Coconut Water’s latest beverage, ZICO Latte. Coffee and coconut water together at last? This is too good to be true.

After summiting about 35 feet and completing two climbs (hello, full-body workout!), we tested ZICO’s non-dairy, coffee-infused concoction. Billed as “The Official Sponsor of Early Risers,” ZICO Latte contains five electrolytes, provides 45-59mg of natural caffeine and packs as much potassium as a banana.  Thanks to its unique flavor fusion—the latte taste takes the forefront and masks the notes of coconut—the drink can both jumpstart your morning and keep you hydrated during your workout.

For more information, visit www.zico.com, check out the ZICO Facebook page or follow @ZICO on Twitter.

More from FITNESS: Q&A: When Should I Drink Coconut Water?

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Harley Pasternak on Losing Weight Fast (As in This Week)

March 12, 2013 at 9:00 am
By Colleen Moody

Megan Fox. Jennifer Hudson. Amanda Seyfried. Katy Perry. Those are just a few of the celebs trainer Harley Pasternak has whipped into A-list shape. Here at FITNESS, we’ve been getting a lot of Harley time lately (lucky us!). Not only is he the newest member of our advisory board, he recently treated us to an exclusive staff workout to talk about his latest collaboration with New Balance with the New Balance 5 Factor997 for cross-training and his latest book The Body Reset Diet, which helps you lose weight fast (we’re talking five days fast) in a healthy, non-cleansing or detoxing way. See what Harley had to say about his new program below (spoiler–it involves quitting the gym!) and find out why if you don’t already have one, you should go get yourself a blender ASAP!

What prompted you to create this new plan for The Body Reset Diet?

I finally understood the sense of urgency women have in wanting to see a difference in the way they look and feel. They don’t want it to take weeks, they want to see a change this week. It made me realize that I need to offer them a healthy option to quickly drop weight and transform their body. I wanted to talk them out of doing cleanses and using diuretics and show them that there is a healthy way you can lose weight and feel great.

In the book, you map out a three-phase plan to slim down that incorporates smoothies in each phase. What are some common myths you’ve heard in the past from your clients about smoothies?

People definitely don’t know the difference between blending and juicing. They think blending is for body builders and they are all just forms of protein shakes packed with calories that bulk you up. But that’s wrong. Believe it or not, a fresh cold pressed apple juice can have twice the calories of an entire blended meal and four times the sugar! Read more

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Cheryl Burke’s Snacking Secrets: Being Curvy Is In!

March 8, 2013 at 11:09 am
By Lauren Cardarelli

Last week, the Season 16 Dancing With The Stars cast was revealed and to our excitement, two-time champ Cheryl Burke will be back March 18 for another year of gracefully stiff competition—this time with comedian D. L. Hughley. We cha-chatted with Cheryl before the big announcement about leading a FITNESS-approved lifestyle. Read on to find out how she stays fueled and fit every quickstep of the way—plus why she’s thanking all the haters out there.

You’re a force to be reckoned with as DWTS’ only professional to appear in the finals four times…plus you’ve taken home the Mirror Ball trophy twice, back-to-back! Spill your tactics.

During the show, it’s all about showcasing my partner. I feel like sometimes people think their partner’s going to be a professional dancer at the end of the day and for me, it’s just about making my partner look comfortable and not awkward and really developing a great chemistry with whoever I dance with. Dancing is a hard sport to do, especially when you have no experience coming into a show like ours. It’s just important that I showcase my partner and not showcase myself. I feel like the people at home want to see the progress of these celebrities and how they progress each and every week.

So how will you bring that experience to Season 16?

Every celebrity I dance with always brings something new to the table. Everyone has their own personality and their own way of learning so I feel like every season is a challenge for me regardless. It’s even more challenging now that I’ve done it for so long because I put pressure on myself to make sure that every season that I do is better than the last one I did. Read more

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Jennie Garth on Giving Back, Weight Loss Secrets and Staying in Shape

March 7, 2013 at 4:30 pm
By Colleen Moody

Have you ever walked into a Lindt store before? I had not, until this week when I went to go see actress Jennie Garth kick off the Lindt Gold Bunny Celebrity Auction to raise funds for Autism Speaks. Let me tell you, it is a deliciously terrifying place if you have a sweet tooth. The walls are covered with chocolate, not to mention the gold bunnies that basically spoke to you as soon as you walked in the door. (I swear one of them whispered to me that I could take all their chocolate ears and no one would care). But luckily, watching Garth sign her bunny and looking more in shape than ever was enough motivation to keep me from ransacking the walls. Below, Garth chats with us on her latest fitness routine, weight loss tricks and how she stays in shape.

What made you decide to get involved in the Lindt Gold Bunny Celebrity Auction this year?
I have three daughters and Easter is a big family time holiday for us. It’s also a valuable time to tell them about the importance of giving back, so partnering up with Lindt for this is just something I can really feel good about.

What’s your fitness routine like these days?
I’m really into hiking and jogging with my dog right now. I recently got a really big dog and he needs exercise all the time, so that is something that is new for me. I work out in a gym with a trainer two to three days a week on top of that. Read more

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Pro Tennis Star Vika Azarenka on Staying Positive and Keeping Workouts Fun

March 7, 2013 at 9:23 am
By FITNESS Intern

Written by Carrie Stevens, editorial intern

In case you haven’t heard of professional tennis player Vika Azarenka, we’ll catch you up to speed: She’s won two Australian Open singles titles (2012 and 2013) and two mixed doubles Grand Slam titles (2007 US Open with Max Mirnyi and 2008 French Open with Bob Bryan), plus an Olympic bronze medal for singles and gold for mixed doubles (with Mirnyi) at the London Games. Impressive for a 23-year-old, right? Before the BNP Paribas Showdown against Serena Williams at Madison Square Garden (Williams won the exhibition match 6-4, 6-3), we chatted with Azarenka about how fell in love with the sport, what she enjoyed about the 2012 Olympic Games and how she keeps her workouts fun.

When did you first pick up a racket?
I started to play tennis when I was seven years old. I was very close to my mom, and she worked at a tennis center. I couldn’t go anywhere without her, so after school, I would come back and walk around with her. She didn’t get a chance to work, so she had to distract me somehow. She gave me a tennis racket and a ball, so I started hitting it against the wall, and it was fun. One of the coaches saw me and asked if I wanted to join the group with the other kids. I was scared at the beginning, but once I started I was so happy. I really found a love for the game as a kid.

As they say, the rest is history! Aside from winning your medals at the London Games, what was your favorite part about the Olympics?
The whole journey. It was very tennis-oriented because we played far away from the other sports, so I didn’t get a chance to visit anything else. It was an amazing experience. The transformation from Wimbledon to the Olympics was completely different. Playing in singles and mixed doubles was incredible. Read more

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Olympic Gymnast McKayla Maroney on Getting Back Into the Gym and Finally Being Impressed

March 1, 2013 at 1:57 pm
By Colleen Moody

Olympic gymnast McKayla Maroney might have been less than impressed with her vault silver medal at the 2012 Olympic Games, but her attitude these days is straight gold. I got the chance to chat with Maroney as she helped launch TEN, a line of 10 calorie sodas from the Dr. Pepper Snapple Group on the lessons she learned in London, recovering from injury and what she thinks about teammate Aly Raisman’s Dancing with the Stars announcement.

I love that the tagline for the TEN campaign is “McKayla is finally impressed.” Are you so sick of hearing about and seeing your not impressed face all over the Internet?

I wouldn’t say I am sick of it, but it definitely comes up in every topic with every person I talk to. It’s great that now I can turn it into something positive, and be impressed with TEN. My favorite out of the line is the Sunkist TEN; I have always loved orange soda so now I can enjoy it without all the sugar.

What are some of the lessons you learned from your time in London at the 2012 Summer Olympics?

The first thing I learned was how to deal with the media. I came to the Games and I had no media experience and I didn’t know how to take it all with a grain of salt. All of us on the team had our media issues, Gabby with her hair and then my face – so we had to learn how to let it roll off our backs. At the beginning it was hard, because I was just a gymnast. I was never famous, I was used to being in the gym eight hours a day and I never had anyone judging me because of my face, they were judging me on my gymnastics! Now I handle life way better and I’m actually happy that it happened because nothing hurts my feelings anymore. And since I want to get into acting I have to be ready for a lot more of that kind of attention. Read more

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Amazing Race Season 17 Winner Nat Strand Talks Diabetes Control & What It Takes To Win

February 15, 2013 at 10:26 am
By Samantha Shelton

A new season of The Amazing Race begins February 17th on CBS, and we’re more than ready for a healthy dose of adrenaline-soaked TV. Watching teams work together to conquer obstacles, solve clues and race against others to be the first across the finish line for $1 million is our kind of reality TV (but we love a good episode of The Bachelor, too). While still dreaming of competing on the show ourselves, we connected with Nat Strand, one half of the winning team during season 17. Not only was she the winner, but she and best friend, Kat, were the first all-female team to win – and Strand, now 33, was the first diabetic victor. Can you say rock star?

What made you want to try out for The Amazing Race?

I was with Kat at a friend’s wedding, and for some reason that night we started watching episodes on her computer and just fell in love with the show. It was travel, adventure, competition and culture. I had just finished my medical training and this was a breath of fresh air to celebrate that. And I knew it would be a fantastic platform to show that having Type 1 diabetes doesn’t have to limit you. One minute you’re scaling a castle wall, the next you’re bungee jumping off a crane. I just knew that if I could get on the show, I would have such a wonderful platform to inspire people who are dealing with chronic disease.

How did your diabetes diagnosis affect how you approached a situation?

It just requires a lot of forethought and planning. One challenge, for example, was floating on a shield. People kept falling into the water, and I had a non-waterproof insulin pump. So I had to plan how I would take it off, how to store it, etc. And I always had to plan and make sure I had fast-acting carbs on hand, like sports beans, because exercise affects your body a lot.

But you’re only allowed one backpack for the whole show. What did you make sure was always in yours?

When I was first packing, I put in everything that was diabetes related, and I couldn’t fit anything else – not even a single sock! So I obviously had to reconsider things. In the end, I made sure that, along with my diabetes management products, I had a lot of shot blocks and sports beans for electrolyte replacement, and a letter in every language explaining that I was a diabetic so I could get through customs. My teammate also had a full supply of diabetes stuff in her backpack, in case I ever lost mine.

Read more

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