Tag: BostInno

#BosFIT Review/Recap & Other Weekending Things

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As I mentioned yesterday, the #BosFIT event I attended over the weekend was amazing!!! I kind of knew it would be, because anytime you combine fitness, friends and free stuff, I’m a pretty happy girl, but I have to say that it exceeded my expectations.

Since I knew I had to be up and out relatively early for a Saturday, my Friday night was spent much like this:

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Saturday morning, my sister and I headed to The Club by George Foreman III for the #BosFIT event.

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My gym friend (and most loyal class-goer everrr) Dana won my tickets since Julie ended up buying her own. Another BSC member, Caroline, also bought tickets, so it was fun to workout WITH some members rather than teaching them. My YMCA gym-friend, Steph, was also at the event, so it was a blast!

The event offered 4 classes to everyone and you could pick from Bags and Beats, Boxing Bootcamp, BollyX, Suspension Training, Core Fusion Barre, Barry’s Bootcamp, and Turnstyle Cycle. I think the hardest part of the day was deciding what class to take at what point in the day… ok, that’s a lie. Barry’s for the last session was the hardest part of my day!

My first class was Bags and Beats. George introduced himself and gave us a high level overview of the punches. What I liked about this class was that you were punching to the beat of the music, very similar to how I teach, except it wasn’t cardio like I do. Anyway- we had our hands wrapped and wore boxing gloves and got to it for a bunch of songs. The combos were easy to pick up and I liked that we altered our tempo and added in squats, lunges, push-ups and planks throughout.

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Steph and I tried to do Barry’s next, but it was already full. From there, we tried to do a suspension class, but that was also full (I think if they do it again they should have people sign up for classes before the event rather than on a “first come first serve” basis). We ended up taking a BollyX class, which is similar to Zumba in that it’s a dancing workout, but different in that you’re supposed to “strike a pose” at the end of each song. It was a little weird, but my heart rate was up the whole time and it was fun to dance.

There was a break after this where you could “ask the experts” questions on nutrition and training and things like that. Caroline did a fantastic job moderating the panel- proud of you, girl!

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My sister and I headed to a Turnstyle Cycle class after the speaking session and it.was.awesome!! We were both drenched by the time we left. I really need to get there for a class.

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Steph signed us up for Barry’s as our last workout of the day. Holy moly. I don’t know how I survived! Running at a 12% incline and running backwards and sprinting after 3 other classes was rough, BUT we did it and felt amazing after!!

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Check out this calorie burn for the day- solid start to my Saturday 😉

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All in all, it was such a fantastic event! I loved working out with so many friends and getting to see Caroline in her element.

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Thanks to some pretty sweet swag bags, I get to go BACK to many of the studios who participated in the event.

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Post #BosFIT, I headed to Charlestown to have a late lunch and drinks with Jessi and Amy at Pier 6. Man, it was HOT, but the view was worth it!

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Jessi and I continued to drink throughout the afternoon and evening (her place, Tia’s and then dinner and a glass of wine at Sterling’s) and between that, the sun and being dehydrated from the morning’s workout, I woke up with a wee bit of a headache on Sunday. Whoops! Such a fun night, though.

Sunday was spent cleaning, running errands, grabbing a quick lunch with my sister and then heading to Jessi’s for our first book club meeting.

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Check out that spread! I made 2 Stromboli’s and they came out SO GOOD! Seriously, look at these beauties:

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Anything with ooey, gooey, cheesy goodness cannot be bad in my book! The next book we are reading is Sharp Objects, by Gillian Flynn- anyone want to participate? If you do, leave a note in the comments. We are meeting on November 2nd and after that date I can put together the questions and discussion topics we went over if you’re interested? Let me know 🙂

I hope you all had a great weekend, too! I hope this one goes by slower than last weekend- I feel like I blinked and it was over.

Questions for you: For those of you who went to #BosFIT, what did you think?? What was your favorite part? Has anyone else been to The Club for a boxing class? What was the best part of your weekend? Did you do fall or summer things? Have you been in a book club before?

 

 

Introducing #BosFIT: Workouts, advice and swag bags (and a chance for you to go for FREE)

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Good morning! I don’t have a workout for you today, but I DO have a chance for you to attend an awesome workout event this weekend, so I think that counts for something, right?! I feel so fortunate to have been contacted by an event coordinator at Bostinno to introduce me to an AWESOME event they are hosting this weekend. #BosFIT is being held this Saturday from 9-12:30 at The Club- by George Foreman III.

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#BosFIT is THE event to attend if you’re a fitness addict like myself. They’ve got a bunch of 30 minute workouts to try from some of the leading “boutique” studios in the city, including Barry’s Bootcamp, BollyX, The Club by George Foreman III and even more that they haven’t announced yet. On top of that, they are holding panel sessions with some top nutritionists and trainers in the Boston area AND everyone will go home with a pretty sweet swag bag which includes 2 free weeks of classes at Health Yoga Life, a free class at Pursuit Boston and Burn Fitness Studios, a 3 pack of classes at The Club and so much more.

Oh, and did I mention it’s only $27?! That’s the price of going to ONE class at some of Boston’s leading studios.

If you’re like me, you’re probably wondering where the heck you can buy a ticket because the event sounds THAT awesome, right? I’ll help ya out 😉 Head on over to the Eventbrite page to get additional details and to purchase your ticket.

But… it gets even better! I was lucky enough to be given TWO tickets for the event, which means I get to give away one of those tickets to one of you. Cool, right? There are 4 ways to enter:

1. Leave a comment telling me what excites you the most about the event.

2. “Like” Burpees to Bubbly on Facebook

3. Follow Burpees to Bubbly on Twitter

4. Tweet or share details about the even on Twitter or Facebook. Make sure to use the hashtag #BosFIT and also tag @BostInno

Leave a comment for each thing you do- I will pick a winner on Friday morning. I can’t wait to workout with one of you 🙂

I cannot tell you how excited I am for the event this weekend. I love getting a chance to try out a bunch of different classes at different studios in Boston because it gives you a chance to see what you like and don’t like and what ones you’d want to visit for the “real deal”. I can’t wait to see what professionals they are going to have on the various panels AND since we all know I’m a sucker for free swag, that swag bag with all those free class offers is pretty much like Christmas for this girl. I hope to see some of you there- it’s a great way to start your Saturday and #earnyourweekend, like I always like to say.

Dealing With Injuries & Modifying My Workouts

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Good morning and happy Monday! I hope you all had a great weekend and feel rested and ready for the week.

So, last week I had to deal with something I HATE dealing with: injuries. I know most people probably don’t like them, but I have a really hard time dealing with and accepting them; I often keep pushing myself and ultimately making things worse… when will I ever learn?!

You may remember me mentioning last week that I tweaked my knee while at the driving range, but that after some ibuprofen and taking it “easy” at the gym and in my class, I felt totally fine. Fine enough to move heavy things up and down 2 flights of stairs all weekend, run 3.5 miles and teach kickboxing. On top of that, Monday morning started off early with my Muscle  Mix class, Tuesday night my bootcamp and Wednesday a 30 minute outdoor run before teaching UXF Burn.

I know, I know. You’re probably shaking your heads at me going “you dummy. Of course you got injured. That’s a recipe for disaster and you haven’t taken a rest day in going on 2 weeks!”. And, you’re totally right for thinking that. All of those workouts and moving finally caught up with me and I woke up on Thursday morning with so much pain in the same knee I tweaked the week before.

Luckily, Thursday was a planned rest day for me anyway, and with some ibuprofen and ice, I woke up on Friday feeling better than I did on Thursday. However, I made a pact with myself that I would take it easy all weekend.

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Again, I know what you’re probably thinking: “Wow, Monique. You gave yourself a 4 day break. Whoop-dee-freaking-do”. But guys, taking it down a BIG notch for 4 days is so hard for me. My body is used to moving (actively) every day, so telling it to slow down for 4 consecutive days is a huge challenge for me.

But, I gave myself {multiple} pep talks and worked hard to convince myself that taking a little break wasn’t the end of the world, and certainly didn’t mean I was going to lose all of my strength, cardiovascular health and gain 5lbs (I know, I’m so dramatic).

The craziest part about all this is I’m SO GOOD at giving this advice to others. I’m so good at telling people to rest and listen to their bodies and that we all have muscle memory and we’ll bounce back faster than we think. Why can’t I be SO GOOD at giving-and taking- this advice for myself? Will I ever learn, or will I forget all about this until the next time I am faced with another injury (remember the post I wrote about rest days? I haven’t listened to that much lately…) ? It’s so frustrating that I am so bad at listening to myself and my body and that I am so addicted to the feeling during and after a good workout. Don’t get me wrong- it’s great to have a passion and a healthy passion, but when does it get to the point of being unhealthy. An injury? A different set back? When will I get to the point where I see the signs BEFORE things get too far. Before a healthy thing turns into an unhealthy, injury prone obsession?

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So, although all of that is hard to admit, it’s true, and injuries are an eye opener for me. I’m happy to say that I did rest for 4 days (with the exception of short walks) and plan on taking it easy with my workouts this week. I don’t need to be beating my body into the ground every day like I generally do. If I want to have a lifetime of physical activity, I need to take care of my body now and not wear it down.

Phew. how’s that for a heavy Monday post. Thanks for listening, though. It always feels good to get this stuff out- I hope some of you can give me good advice and if you’re dealing with the same thing as me, I’m hoping you can find relief in the fact you’re not alone.

This Week’s Workouts

  • Monday- I’m not teaching today so my plan after work is to go to the gym and do some light, steady state cardio (I just want to sweat!!) and some upper body and core work. I’m going to take it easy with squats and lunges this week.
  • Tuesday- It’s the first week of my second bootcamp session and I’m SO excited. A bunch of people from my office have expressed interest, so it could be a decent size crowd!
  • Wednesday- Teaching UXF Burn at 6:30 in Central Square. Before class I may do some steady state cardio or lifting. I’ll see how I feel.
  • Thursday- Not sure! Maybe my own workout, maybe a class, maybe a walk. I’m going to see how I feel.
  • Friday- Probably a rest day.
  • Saturday- I’m supposed to be teaching my cardio kickboxing class at the Oak Square YMCA, but I was invited to attend #BosFIT, an AWESOME fitness event hosted by Bostinno, so I’m trying to get a sub for my class. Check back here on Wednesday for a chance to attend the event for free!
  • Sunday- After the classes I’m planning to take on Saturday, Sunday will be my second rest day of the week

Questions for you: What was the best workout you had last week? What’s the last injury you’ve had? How do you deal with injuries? Any good advice to share?

How to stay fit when you’re stuck behind a desk all day

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If you follow me on Twitter or Facebook, then I’m sure you’ve seen the guest post that I wrote over at BostInno the other day. But- in case you missed it, I thought I would share it with you here, too. I’m sure a number of you are fellow “9-5’ers”, so hopefully some of these tips will help serve as a reminder of ways to stay active throughout the day.

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9-5 jobs. Whether we like it or not, this is the harsh reality that most of us face on a day to day basis. When you factor in your commute to and from work, sometimes an 8 hour work day turns into a 10 hour commitment, which can leave very little time for staying active and healthy. It’s all to easy to hit snooze in the morning and to say yes to after work drinks with friends or coworkers instead of workout, right? Over the years, I’ve learned how to manage working an 8-9 hour/day desk job AND stay fit. Want to get in on my secrets? Check it out:

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Put your workout in your calendar

If I write down my workout and make it part of my day, I am less likely to skip it. Every Monday, I post a Weekly Workout Log which helps me figure out what workouts I want to do for the week and hold me accountable for doing them. I get motivated by seeing my weekly workouts listed out in front of me.

Plan workout “dates” with friends

Working out with friends is not only fun, but it serves as motivation to get to the gym. Plan a date with a friend or a few friends to try out a new studio or a new class. Most gyms will offer you free guest passes or a free “first class”.

Stay active during the day

This may seem like a no-brainer, but I work with people who sometimes go HOURS without even standing up! I drink lots of water during the day, which serves 2 purposes: keeps me hydrated AND causes me to need to get up and go to the bathroom all the time. This is a great way to make sure you’re getting up and moving around every hour or so. Take the stairs when you can, walk during your lunch break, walk to someone’s office or cube instead of emailing them or calling them- all of these things help get you up and our of your chair. Every little bit counts!

Workout before work

If I know I have something going on or want to be ready in case after work plans evolve during the day (Thursday or Friday nights in the summer when outdoor cocktails are too hard to resist), I make sure to workout in the morning. I set my clothes out and mentally prepare for an early morning workout. It may not be easy to get out of bed, but I remind myself of how good I’ll feel after my workout is done, which helps. Remember: you never regret a workout!

Bribe yourself

Still having a hard time getting to the gym before or after work (or working out at home)? Bribe yourself with something to get you there and get a workout in. For instance, sometimes I tell myself that I can meet up with friends after my workout or that I can treat myself to a glass of wine when I get home if I spend 30 minutes at the gym. Sometimes even something as simple as signing up for a new class or buying a new workout top serves as enough motivation to get to the gym.

So, even though I, too, sit behind a computer most of the day, I am able to stay fit and active by doing some of the things I’ve listed above. Working out and committing to a healthy, active and fit lifestyle isn’t easy, but the more you do it, the easier it gets!

Questions for you: What’s something you do to stay active during the day? Are you a fan of making fitness dates? Do you workout before work, after work or during your lunch break?