… but actually I don’t.
At all. I know, I know. The irony is that I was technically a D1 athlete. Truthfully, sports in general have just never been my thing. I’ve done almost every sport at some point in my life, but never stuck with anything. (Until rowing, of course.) Soccer, gymnastics, ice skating, softball, dance, swimming, tennis, golf, horse back riding, basketball, track, one whole synchronized swimming practice… Yep.
what? shinguards over the socks and denim shorts, obvi.
I was a coxswain for so long that sometimes I forget that I actually rowed for more than a year. It was the first (and kind of last) time that I was super athletic. And yes, even though I was a rower, I spent most of my time either erging and running.
But anyway.
Being more active is something that I definitely need to make a priority. I know that I am not nearly as healthy as I should be. On so many levels. For starters, I have a serious addiction to coffee and sugary anything. And then there’s the small thing about me sitting at a desk all day long. Wearing my Jawbone UP band has certainly helped to remind me to walk more… but I definitely need to come up with some sort of exercising regimen.
(I’ve tried running before, but it made me capital-C Crazy.)
Back in December when I was writing goals for the year, I designated June as the month for exercise. I’m planning on trying out some different things throughout the month to try to figure out what works for me and my schedule. Currently, I have to be at work around 7:30 in the morning, so working out before that just doesn’t make sense.
Today (gulp) I’m doing a spin class at SoulCycle with Local Levo NY. I’ve never done a spin class before and I am nervous and also excited! I’m also really curious to see what all the hype around SoulCycle is all about. Wish me luck!
I’m going to be signing up for some yoga classes (#theregoesmyshoebudgetforthemonth) and recruiting friends to go on walks with me (#yayforwarmdays) and searching for a Pilates studio (#eep).
(If you’re in NYC, I’d love recommendations for your favorite studios and gyms!)
Oh, and I’m also excited about getting a few new outfits for working out, of course. Shop the widget below:
What kind of exercise do you do?
xoxo
Hey Carly! I do everything and anything to get exercise, including leg lifts and seated jumping jacks under my desk. I love yoga, and pilates, and spinning, but a just a heads up that sticking to any of these as your go-to fitness regime can get pricey. Lululemon not only has the cutest workout gear but also has free yoga every Sunday. I LOVE that it is a) free b) there are many locations nation wide so you can always get your sweat on AND explore a new NY neighborhood (for upper east siders, that usually just means going downtown) 😉
Here's the calendar:
http://www.lululemon.com/newyork/66thstreet/events/
Hope you like it!
Hiya Carly!
I'm not from New York so I unfortunately don't have any suggestions for you there. However, if you're interested in some good workouts that you can do from home, you should definitely check out Cassey Ho. She runs posts videos and printable workouts of workouts and moves that she creates. The exercises are a combination of pilates and yoga as well as other elements and are mostly pretty simple. Since there are videos, you can just follow along for the length of the video and since the videos are pretty short (averaging around 5 minutes), you can do a few of them a day for a nice workout. If you're interested, just go to blogilates.com or search Blogilates on Youtube.
Good for you for staying fit and good luck finding a workout schedule that works out (heehee at that unintended pun) for you! 🙂
~Alice
Ainfinitaire
Check out http://www.blogilates.com! She has a YouTube channel of pop Pilates videos (basically Pilates moves to pop songs) she is AMAZING. literally the only exercise I ever do. And her videos are short enough that you can do a couple throughout the day when you have time!
I advise yoga 100%. Not only is it exercise without being high-impact (I'm fairly certain that it's going to help me keep my knee, by that's besides the point), the stretching and strengthening the muscles that happens in yoga helps prevent injury in the future and reduces stress.
Regarding exercise that gets your heart rate going, I advise the Nike Training Club app. Do 15-45 min workouts straight from your phone for the purpose and kind of workout that you want! I can't rave about it enough.
Happy exercising!
Kate
katethealmostgreat.blogspot.com
I'm sure NYC has a bikram (hot) yoga studio! It might be something fun if you're in the mood for trying new things. I really enjoyed it. Right now I'm taking a vinyasa yoga class and in the past I've done zumba and really enjoyed it! I'm also a runner though XD I was going crazy trying to get my 5k down to 20 minutes (i'm only at 21-22! the horror!) but I realized I needed to back off and now i'm doing longer runs and focusing on improving my breathing. 🙂
Yoga To The People on St. Marks Place is donation-based, so you can pay what you want for each class and not kill your budget.
i'm curious as to how runnng made you crazy, unless it was you super obsessive, which is not desirable.
There are some great dvds you can do at home, I love the ones by Ellen Barrett and Self Magazine ones.
Hi Carly!, this month I'm trying to start working out and losing weight too. I've been loving Jillian Michaels workout DVDs, and going for long walks with my dogs. Good luck on your month of exercise!
http://ring-a-roundarosey.blogspot.com
SO JEALOUS – I am dying for Soul Cycle to come to DC! Please let us know what you think. I used to loathe spinning (I would count the minutes until it ended) but now I genuinely enjoy it. Hope you do too!
Definitely get the NYC Yoga Passbook! It is around $80, but you get over 400 passes to try yoga, Pilates, and dance classes all over the city. Or check Groupon and similar sites for trials. On the UES, I like Yoga Works, and also Yo Yoga on 59th – I think classes are only $10 and they have some on their roof deck.
Check out Prana Power Yoga in Union Square! I went to their Boston studio in college, and go the one in Union Square now a few days a week. It's a heated Vinyasa class and AMAZING. Try the hour of power first (one of the hour long classes) rather than the 75 minute classes, because they kick your butt.
In addition to circuit workouts five days per week, I walk or ride my bike just about everywhere!
If you're just starting out, I wouldn't recommend jumping straight into circuit workouts because they can be a bit intense. I'd start with two per week. However, I do them often because they're no-nonsense! They're fast-paced, and you get a good workout in a short amount of time. I'm also a huge fan of group fitness here at the University of Florida.
You should totally check out barre (there are a bunch of different studios…Barre 3, pure barre, etc) it is a combination of yoga, Pilates and ballet…except dont worry oh don't have to be coordinated like a dancer (I'm certainly not) but you use a ballet barre to help with certain yoga and Pilates moves. I love it so much, I can feel myself becoming stronger and leaner and having way better posture after every single class! I highly recommend it!
xxoo
Jordyn
http://www.thefairyprincessdiaries.com
Maybe try a stand up desk?
Soul Cycle is great! Love it. I highly recommend using a site called Fitist. I love it so much I dropped my gym membership for that and Soul Cycle – and I am someone who works out religiously, six days a week. You can buy a package of classes on Fitist and use them at a ton of different studios – my faves are SLT (it's like pilates on steroids), Barry's Bootcamp, Fly Barre (Barre Class), Fly Wheel and they have a bunch of yoga studios too but I recommend signing up for yoga separately from Fitist bc it ends up being cheaper. You live on the upper east by Pure which is some of the BEEEEEESSSST yoga in the city (I wish they would come down by me in SoHo) If the choices seem overwhelming on Fitist and you don't know what to sign up for, there's this great site rateyourburn.com where you can check out what people thought of specific classes and instructors, and I always love wellandgoodnyc.com to follow new trends in classes and studios.
I've done a few soulcycle classes and, honestly, i just dont like it. its like someones coxing you (yes, im a rower) but youre dying of heat with music thats too loud and i only like being coxed through races and erg pieces. i also always feel self-contious in their classes with the moms around you that are really, really good at it. if you ever want to row/cox in the city, look up Row New York! they have a masters team and the boathouse is in such a calm area of the city. after rowing there for a year (im varsity now yay!) its so nice to go there and the staff and rowers are all so nice!
Road cycling, on an actual bicycle, outside. Nothing better. None of this paying out the nose to pack into a hot stuffy room with loud terrible music blaring, a perky woman yelling fake spiritual bullshit at you while you spin away on a stationary bike to nowhere. Get a real bicycle, be free!
Oh my goodness I absolutely LOVE spinning. I don't know if SoulCycle is exactly the same, since I take classes when I'm at school through our rec center. I'm one of those people that needs the extra motivation that group classes provides. I find that I work so much harder when someone's leading me through tough exercises than if I just try to make it up as I go!
Spinning is also great because you can do it year-round!
You got this! I am not an athletic person by nature (more of a bookworm/creative girl), and have never played an organized sport. So when I started working out a few years back, I thought I'd hate it! But I was sooo wrong. I've become more active, but this summer I've kicked it into high gear, training for a half marathon and taking hot yoga. My trick: instead of thinking about it as something I have to do, or dread doing, I remember that this is me time where I don't have to worry about anything else. If I'm at home reading a book, I feel like there are a million other things I should be doing. Working out gets me out of my head! Good luck 🙂 Hope you have fun!
You're lucky you have such a naturally small frame! The moment I stop exercising regularly or eat too unhealthily, the scale goes up and my pants stop fitting.
The way I always get back into it if I fall out is to try smaller workouts to build up stamina. 30 minutes on the elliptical a day and then build up to swimming, running, circuit training, etc. Also, have you heard of the Tone It Up girls or Blogilates? They have great workouts you can do at home (especially the latter) with their youtube videos, and you can still have your shoe budget!
I LOVE SPINNING!! I go to regular spinning classes and ride outside during the summer and fall. I recommend trying a TRX class as well.
Hi Carly!! I highly suggest SoulCycle (soooo much fun), Strala Yoga (Tara Stiles is amazing), and Pure Barre.
Hey Carly! I think it's definitely a good idea to try a couple of different fitness classes, it's the best way to find out what works for you. When I lived in NYC I tried Bikram Yoga [on the UES], Vinyasa classes at Pure Yoga [UES], dance at Broadway Dance Center, Spinning at FlyWheel [also UES]. Friends of mine love Yoga to the People and Crossfit [I hear the one is Hell's Kitchen is awesome]. Good luck finding your groove!
Soulcycle is great! I used to go every day (sometimes twice a day) for 3 months straight. If you are in the city, try laughing lotus yoga on 5th avenue in Flatiron. And if you are looking for a new spin class, try aqua cycle in TriBeCa- it came here from France!
You should try a barre class! So much fun!
I am a DIE-HARD Xtend Barre fan!! It is definitely the best out of the 4 different types I have tried. It doesn't have a "bulking" effect, and oh my goodness, I just love it!
Hey! I follow blogilates.com and toneitup.com. They have a lot of great at home workouts!
You MUST try Strala yoga in Noho! It's a great yoga studio for people of all levels, they're very welcoming and you never feel pressure to do any part of the class that isn't for you. Plus, the first time discount is fantastic. I think it's $80 for an unlimited month. Definitely something to try out! Good luck creating your own workout regimen, it's definitely one of those important, but oft-annoying things. 🙂
You absolutely need to try Pure Barre! It's like a mix of pilates and ballet and tones and shapes your body in just a few classes!!
I do a martial arts class at least 4 times a week. It helps me not think about everything going on outside of class and let off steam from hard work days with hard customers!
Definitely look into Strala yoga with Tara Stiles & Co! I'm visiting my friend in the city this summer and am forcing her to go with me! $15 for a single class I think.
Check out lithe method! They just opened a studio in the flatiron section of NYC. It is by FAR my favorite place to work out here in Philly. Yoga+pilates+barre method+cheerleading. What more could a girl ask for?
I'm totally un-athletic, but I like being active so that means I try out a lot of non-traditional things like pilates, yoga, etc. The only suggestion I would give you is to find a time you can stick to, so if you can't do mornings then maybe get active at lunch depending how long your break is. Sometimes classes are the best way to start because you feel like you have to go and for things like pilates and yoga your posture is critiqued so you aren't doing damage. If you don't want to do a class and are super self-motivated from the get-go I love Cassey Ho's (http://www.blogilates.com/) free online workouts. You have to find something fun (at a consistent time) or you won't stick to it and I found a lot of success with her. I would also highly suggest blocking out workout time as a sort of "me time" or "meeting time" so that you don't feel like you can skip it. Also, check out Lululemon for great workout gear and classes. Seriously amazing stuff. I know the clothes are expensive but it pays off tenfold. I have a hoodie, two pairs of pants, a pair of shorts, 3 tops, and a bag from the past 6 years and all of them are still in perfect condition.
Ok, Carly, I'm going to put my two cents in as an "older" follower, and advise you to skip the stress and expense of keeping up with the "exercise du jour" and find a sport you are passionate about. I would suggest tennis! It fuels any competitive nature, keeps you fit (amazing arms and legs) and serves you well socially for life. Highly recommend!
I just love the apparel that you have wore for this purpose.Good work.
http://www.apparelnbags.com/athleticwear-athletic-shorts.htm