“Why do you love to teach so much?”

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The other day, RM and I were talking about my schedule and ways to possibly take some of my load off. Lately, it seems like I’m running on empty more often than not. Between my new job and new commute, teaching and subbing, events with friends/coworkers after work, spending time with RM, spending time with my sister and friends, etc., there’s very little time for me to relax, which can really take a toll on the mind AND body.

I can do everything
Source– actually a good post to check out!
(This is basically how I feel like I should live… and what I’m trying to get away from!)

When we got onto the topic of teaching, he asked why I didn’t give up some of my classes, especially now that I make more money. My response? Because it’s not about the money. It’s because I love it. His response? What about it do you love so much?

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Source
I went on to tell him that there are so many things that I love about teaching, but I think the thing I love the most is the way it makes me feel knowing that these members take time out of their day to come to my class as a way help them do something healthy and good for themselves. When you think about it like that, it seems like a huge responsibility, right?

As fitness instructors, people come to us for motivation and encouragement. They come to us for advice to help them meet their fitness and health goals. They come to us to help push them outside of their comfort zones and help them achieve things they otherwise wouldn’t know they could achieve. They come to our classes when they’ve had a bad day and need to release negative energy. They come to us as a healthy part of their day.

Just writing down all those things we, as fitness professionals, provide to our members on a daily/weekly basis makes me SO PROUD.

And, as much as my members feel like I’m helping them, they are helping me be a better me and a better instructor for them. One of my favorite Recycle instructors has a mantra she shares during class: I push you, you push me. I think it’s great- Yes, I’m there to push and motivate and guide my members, but without them being there as a motivation for me to keep teaching, I might not be doing it.

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I’ll admit though, teaching isn’t always sunshine and roses. I’m sure we can all agree we’ve had one of those classes that we want to forget, right? And sometimes, I just don’t want to teach, but it’s those days where I’m reminded how much I love it because by the time I start the warm up, I am totally amped to be there. And the endorphins after a class is over? Priceless.

only one workout away from a good mood

So, with that said, even though I know I need to cut back on my teaching schedule, it’s going to be a very hard decision figuring out where I’m going to cut back. I’ve got such a great following at my various gyms, but does the location and commute to get to those locations make sense? That’s what I need to figure out. One thing is for sure, though, there’s no way I would ever give up teaching all together- I love it too much for that.

Questions for you: Fellow fitness instructors- Why do you teach? Do you love it? Class goers- what’s a reason you go to classes? If fitness isn’t your thing, what’s something you do because you love it, not because of the money?

Wednesday Workout: My favorite “towel” workout (aka, “Make your schoulders scream” workout”)

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The one thing I really love about the BSC is that they have a towel service. I don’t know about you, but I get SWEATY when I go to the gym, which means I need to towel off often throughout my workout. Using paper towels can be so wasteful, which is why I think every gym should have towel service, right?! But towels aren’t only good for wiping sweat, they can also be a great piece of “equipment” for your workout.

Why am I talking about towels, you might ask? Well, I’ve been meaning to post this workout for a while, but for some reason it keeps slipping to the back of my list. It’s a shame, because it’s a killer workouts that really doesn’t require much besides a mat and 2 of my beloved towels (or Gliders if you have those, or even paper plates).

What I love about the workout is it’s not your traditional “bicep curls/tricep extension/squats/lunges” type of workout. It’s  just body weight and resistance from the towels. I’ve incorporated strength exercises, core exercises and cardio exercises, but I will warn you now… it’s heavy on the shoulder burn!

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So, the way this workout goes (similar to this workout), is you do 60 seconds of move A, then 60 of move B. Before moving on to the next A and B moves, do 30 seconds of mountain climbers. The idea with this workout is everything will be done using the towels. They make an ordinary move seem so much harder, which is what I love about them. Just adding that extra bit of resistance or unsteadiness is a great way to change up your normal workout exercises. I promise you’ll feel it the next day!

Lastly, if you need help with some help with some moves, here are descriptions and/or videos:

  • Pendulum lunges- With your right foot on a towel, lunge/slide into a forward lunge and back into a reverse lunge. Repeat for 30 seconds then do it on the left side.
  • Side Squats- Stand with both feet on a towel. Step/slide right into a squat, slide it back to center and do the same going to the left. Focus on your abductors/adductors here- that’s where you should be feeling it if you’re really pushing and pulling your legs on the towels.
  • Tricep push-up & regular push-up- I do these on my knees because they are TOUGH. Place your hands on the towels in a high plank position. Perform a tricep push-up and then when you’re back in the high plank position, slide your arms out to do a regular push-up. Repeat.
  • Plank w/knee tuck- Place your feet on 1 towel and in a high plank position, tuck your knees into your chest. Repeat.
  • Spiderman plank- Place each foot on a towel and get into a high plank position- Slide your right knee up to your right elbow/tricep. Bring it back and repeat on the left. Focus on the obliques here!
  • Plank w/opp knee to elbow- Same as without towels, just do it with towels under your feet.

The cardio moves are performed just as they would be without towels, just do them with towels for the added challenge!

If you need more help or want demos, let me know 🙂

Questions for you: Do you ever use towels in your workouts? Do you have Gliders? What’s the most challenge move for your shoulders that you do?

 

My first Stitch Fix: Why didn’t I love it as much as everyone else seems to?

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If you’ve been reading blogs for a while, I’m sure you’ve seen Stitch Fix reviews here and there, right? Well, if you haven’t, Stitch Fix is an online type of “stylist” service. You log onto their site and fill out a very detailed questionnaire directed at your style, size, shape, likes and dislikes. Once that is completed, you’re given the opportunity to schedule your “fix”. You’re charged $20 per fix, regardless of whether or not you keep the clothes, but, if you keep anything, you get $20 off of that item. It’s a pretty good deal if you don’t necessarily like shopping and want to have some stylish pieces added to your closet. I don’t have the best sense in fashion, so having a little extra help is always nice!

Here’s where things start to go south for my first Stitch Fix experience. I was all amped up after completing my style questionnaire, so you can only imagine my disappointment when the first fix date wasn’t until June 4th (mind you, it was April 24th when I completed my fix…). But, whatever… I shrugged it off. Stitch Fix was amazing, right?! Everyone that does it loves it so it must be worth the wait, right? I convinced myself those doubts were silly and that it would be worth it.

Well, June 4th came and went, sans my Stitch Fix. To say I was bummed was an understatement; I had made a special request for white skinny jeans as I was heading to Miami on June 6th and thought they’d be perfect. Sadly, nothing came by the 6th and when I emailed them about it, they told me my fix had mistakenly been cancelled- say what?!? Luckily, they were able to schedule me a fix for the next week and the person I emailed with was super nice and understanding and ended up waiving the $20 styling fee.

Finally, on June 17th, I found this on my doorstep:

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I couldn’t wait to open it up!

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My first thought?! Ok, I like these colors… and look! They gave me my white skinny jeans! Sadly, after opening everything up, the jeans were not white (off white) and not skinny (boot cut). I still liked them, but they were a bit too small and too long and, well, not what I was looking for. Otherwise, I liked the colors of the shirts, but wasn’t CRAZY about anything. All of the items were totally my style and matched my profile, but I guess I had been looking for more “flashy” items that I might not otherwise buy myself. Looking back, I should have filled out my profile according to that- my bad!

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Here’s a look at everything on me. I didn’t think most of it would fit right, but I actually really liked the way everything looked on me, which did make my end decision on what to keep a little harder.

Henry & Belle Reese Slim Bootcut Jean- $88

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Even though they were a little too small and not what I was looking for, I really liked these jeans! The fabric was really nice and soft and I loved the gold accents.

Market & Spruce Corinna Striped Heathered Dolman Top- $48

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I ended up keeping this top. It’s not usually something I’d buy (I think I look better in fitted tops), but when I tried it on for RM he thought it looked great and would be a good shirt to wear on summer nights. Since I had a free credit, I decided it would be worth it!

41Hawthorn Montgomery Chevron Cross-Front Top- $48

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I actually liked this shirt much better on than when I first saw it in the box. It’s totally something I would buy and wear, I just felt like I could get it at Banana Republic on sale for half of the price it was from Stitch Fix.

Market and Spruce Breyson Split-Neck Tab-Sleeve Knit Top- $48

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This was my least favorite item in my fix. I thought it was boxy and just not my style, but, when I tried it on I actually didn’t think it was that bad. Not worth me keeping, though, so I sent it back.

The necklace was nice, but I’ve got lots of statement jewelry and can get it for a lot cheaper than they had it priced at.

So, even though my fix wasn’t exactly what I was hoping for, I liked it enough to keep a piece and sign up for my next fix.

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Everyone raves so much about the company that I felt like I needed to give it a second chance. I gave good comments for each piece and updated my profile so I think I’m going to love the next fix.

Oh! I almost forgot to tell you about the BEST PART of Stitch Fix. All you have to do to return your “non-keep” items is put them into the prepaid bag they provide and put them in any blue mailbox. How easy is that?!?! Part of the reason why I don’t do online shopping is because I hate returning stuff by sending it back, but this was a piece of cake!

So, if you’re interested in getting your own fix, click this link and sign up (that is a referral link- everyone gets one when they sign up for a fix!).

Questions for you: Have you heard of Stitch Fix? Have you done it? Do you like online shopping?

 

 

This Week: Workouts, Weekend Recap, Things I’m Looking Forward To

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Hi there! I hope you all had a great weekend. Mine was really fun, but also really busy. I was supposed to go to my gym friend, Jen’s, “Porch Friday” summer kickoff gathering, but after the week I had, I was beat and decided to lay low. I hate missing things, but knew I needed to take it easy since Saturday and Sunday were going to be nonstop. Instead, some wine and snacks at Piers Park helped me relax from the week.

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Saturday started with a super sweaty UXF Burn/SHRED class that I subbed at the Central Square BSC (my usual gym). It was awesome to see so many of my Wednesday and Thursday regulars in class! Here’s some of my new lulu that I bought 😉

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Paycheck + Lulu near my work= a little splurge 😉

From there, RM and I headed north for a BBQ at Christy and Jaime’s. Sadly, I didn’t take ANY pictures- whoops! But everything was amazing- the food, drinks, company, weather- all in all it was a great afternoon! From there, I headed to Liz’s house for a gym friends party. I always look forward to these nights because it’s so fun to chat with other instructors and share our crazy interesting teaching stories.

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(thanks for the photo, Liz! And hosting us 🙂 )

Sunday started with a UXF Burn class and then RM and I went for a nice, long 3 or 4 mile walk along the beach before going to Jess and Brian’s baby shower. They had it at Shake Shack in Harvard Square. I’ve never been there before, but I am sold- their burgers and fries were amazingggg. It was such a fun baby shower- they didn’t open gifts or play any games, which is more my style. We were able to chat and mingle- perfect!

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Phew! What a weekend- I love when I get to spend time with my college friends and it was fun having RM meet everyone! But, let me tell you- 3 parties and party food in 2 days makes me really ready for some clean eats. Indulgences are totally worth it (and sometimes why I workout 😉 ), though.

Last Week’s Workouts

  • Monday- I taught my 6am muscle class and did 15 minutes on the elliptical.
  • Tuesday- I ran 5 miles after work and it felt great! I had fast splits (for me!) and was able to clear my head.

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  • Wednesday- My new company had their summer outing after work so I got up to workout before I headed into the office. I was going to do a 2 mile jog and then body weight strength training but ended up running 3 miles and just some push-ups, squats, planks, etc.
  • Thursday- I taught SHRED and then Cardio Kickboxing. I did a 25-15-4 rep format for SHRED and liked it!
  • Friday- Rest day since I was teaching on Saturday and Sunday.
  • Saturday- I ran 2 miles on the treadmill before subbing UXF Burn/SHRED. We worked so hard and I loved every second of it!

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  • Sunday- I didn’t want to get out of bed, but I was happy I did. There were only 2 people in the UXF Burn class I subbed, but it was fun because I was able to do stuff I don’t usually get to do! Also, there was another instructor in the class who teaches Barre so I let her lead the last 5 minutes of core work and it was killer!

This Week’s Workouts

  • Monday- By the time this post goes up I will have taught my 6am Muscle Class and done a little cardio after.
  • Tuesday- I’m running the JP Morgan Corporate Challenge after work. It’s a 3.5 mile race, so nothing too crazy.
  • Wednesday- I’ll either run or do some other cardio before teaching UXF Burn. I missed them last week!
  • Thursday- Teaching SHRED and Cardio Kickboxing.
  • Friday- Probably a rest day besides a walk at lunch.
  • Saturday- Back at the Oak Square YMCA for my Cardio Kickboxing class… I hope my front row is back 🙂
  • Sunday- I would LOVE to get some yoga in. I need to make that happen.

Things I’m Looking Forward To

I’m looking forward to running the JP Morgan Corporate Challenge as part of the team at my new company. Our shirts are so dorky, but it’s kind of funny! I’m also excited to go out with some former coworkers, including my friend Tim, later in the week. Other than that, I’m excited for a weekend where I really have nothing planned. I may head to the Cape with RM on Saturday, but if I ended up sticking around here I wouldn’t be mad at all. I want to get my hair highlighted, so that would be great if I could fit that in on Saturday.

Questions for you: What was the best part of your weekend? Have you been to Shake Shack? What are you looking forward to this week? Are you running the JP Morgan Corporate Challenge?

My Summer of 2014 “Bucket List”

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Good morning! TGIF, right?! This week has kind of kicked my butt. I’ve been up at or before 6am every day… and for someone who might have only had to have done that once a week in the past, it’s taking quite some time getting used to it! Other than that, though, it’s been a fun week. Monday, RM and I went to watch the soccer game, Tuesday I made us delicious taco salads, Wednesday I had a company summer outing, drinks on my patio with Lisa and then RM and I went for a walk along the beach and he made us turkey burgers for dinner- summer is definitely here and I couldn’t be happier.

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Speaking of summer, as the weather has been getting warmer and more summer-like, I’ve found myself in “yes! Let’s totally do that” type of situations and conversations. Anyone else feel that way once the weather starts to get nice? I feel like I end up being more cooped up in the winter months, with less motivation to get out and do stuff, but as soon as spring and summer weather rolls around, I’m reminded of all the fun things I want to do to take advantage of the nice weather.

Unfortunately, even though I have the best intentions to DO everything I say I want to do and am going to do, it rarely happens. There’s always something else that gets in the way, right?!

Well, with the hopes of actually DOING more things this summer, I thought it would be fun to write a “Summer Bucket List” post. As I do the things on my summer bucket list, I will be able to cross them off… all my Type A friends can appreciate the feeling of pure satisfaction that we get by crossing things off a list, right?

2014 Summer Bucket List

  1. Go to the beach
  2. Have a picnic
  3. Go for evening walks
  4. Take a sailing lesson or go on a chartered sailing tour from Piers Park
  5. Have outside drinks at KO Pies
  6. Do an outdoor bootcamp
  7. Play mini golf
  8. Go to an outdoor yoga class (they have them at Piers Park)
  9. Watch fireworks
  10. Go to a parade
  11. Visit the SOWA open market for lunch at a lunch truck and to buy locally made/grown food from the vendors
  12. See a shooting star
  13. Have a bondfire
  14. Eat S’mores
  15. Walk around the North End/Quincy Market
  16. Skip a workout in favor of living spontaneously and grabbing drinks or going to dinner or something like that
  17. Play a round of golf
  18. Go kayaking on the Charles River
  19. Bring RM to Maine and do a tour of Kennebunkport, Wells and Ogunquit (making sure to stop in a Barnacle Billy’s for Rum Punches!)
  20. Eat organic and/or locally grown fruit and produce (hopefully mostly from my garden!)
  21. Get a grill and have BBQ’s
  22. Put away at least $10/week for “fun” savings
  23. Go on a hike
  24. Spend less time on social media and more time being present in whatever I’m doing
  25. Spend lots of time with friends, family and RM… hopefully crossing off things in #’s 1-24 😉

Phew! I’ve got a lot of things that I’d like to do this summer, huh? Just writing the list and reading back through it got me super excited for the summer!

Your turn! What are 3 things you’d put on your bucket list for this summer?