Ginger x Sunshine: fitspo

Getting Back on the Saddle

Thursday, June 11, 2015

Courtesy of InspireMeThin/Tumblr

Being healthy is best thing that you can do for yourself. You only have one body and you have to take care of it well. Food should be used as medicine, not abused as a drug. There are so many things that I could say about health. I've read all the tabloids, books and online articles about weight loss.

I've watched friends lose weight. I've watched friends gain it all back plus some. The fact is that our bodies were made to be worked. Back in "the mother land", food was prepared each day. Now, we are constantly on the go. It seems to be harder to eat right and exercise. Being in a big city can help, it's walkable. You don't drive. For one, it's a waste to have a car. And for two, think about all the beautiful things you are passing by like a hole-in-the-wall boutique.

Let's say you get on the saddle. You did good for 3 weeks and now you're starting to slip back into your old ways. When you are changing habits, your body being rewired. It's like when you wear your part on your right side of your head. After a while you realize, the left is actually your good side. Or when you change your cards in your wallet, everything is in a different place. However, they way it's organized, it better for you. That hump you feel, is your body rewiring itself to want or crave exercise or that healthy choice of broccoli over french fries.

What do you do? How can you get back on the saddle or start our way toward a healthier life style?

Nike had it right: Just do it. The worst thing you can do for yourself is to put off your health. It's easier said than done. You work all day, come home, throw something in the microwave, watch Netflix, sit on the couch with your kids... I get it, you have your days set. But this is something you can incorporate into your life. Instead of watching Netflix tonight, take a walk around the park for a half hour.

I'm not perfect, I am still trying to get back on the saddle. I fell off in April. Although my eating habits are still in tact, I need to exercise more. We can all motivate each other. And to start, I give you this. A stretch workout to do every morning.

Courtesy of Darebee.com

Rome wasn't built in a day and neither can abs. It's like those color blocks from elementary school. Just take it one block or habit at a time. You build too fast, they all come crashing down. But I believe in myself and everyone else. We can get fit together. We will be healthy together.

fitspo

Find Your Soul

Tuesday, June 09, 2015

The words on the walls of the 92nd West SoulCycle Studio

I was offered a free class from the SoulCycle team. For those of you that don't know, SoulCycle is an indoor cycling class. It's extremely fun. With the combination of upbeat music, a supportive coach, and really cool lockers... It will leave you wanting more.

I woke up at 7:35am slamming the snooze button at least 8 times before rolling myself out of bed. Slushishly walking across my wood floor towards my mirror, I see my headband and biking outfit all in place. In retrospect, my last bike ride was probably in 2006, around the time that I started high school. I had no idea what to expect but I did expect to get sore.

I take the A train to the 1 train and walk toward 92nd Street. At the top of the store you see SoulCycle with a bright yellow wheel. It just screams "fun" and "cycle". What a sight!

The SoulCycle Logo

Everyone was so inviting and welcoming. The SoulCycle staff were extremely encouraging and excited for me to be there. I met the coach named Michael, a real athletic guy; tall, dark and handsome. If you needed a reason to work harder, he was it. After the warm welcome, I was given cycling shoes and taken to my numbered bike (31). I clicked shoes into the pedals and away I went! My coach was super inspirational. There was never a dull moment, I felt as if I could go forever. The music was perfect. It went with every kind of cycling we did: intervals or speed training. Don't be fooled, this was a full body workout, they added small 3 pound weight to use for upper body strength. It doesn't seem like much but when you're tired, it's enough. They even give you a towel for when you sweat. Nice, right?

It being my first time, I was tired. All I did for the rest of the day was sleep. My body was not used to it. However, it was nice to break out of my normal routine and do a completely different workout. I will say, I was sore and felt it for a couple of days thereafter. To be transparent, because I was new to this workout, when the coach asked us to turn the dial up for resistance, I did not. I didn't want to exert myself or hurt myself in the process. But as you can tell, no resistance was enough for me.

Would I recommend it to friends? Absolutely. If you're looking for something different from your normal workout, I think this is for you. Instead of happy hour at the bar, why not do this with your girlfriends. It's a fun, healthy alternative that I think everyone will love. I've already recommended it to my sister. When my mom comes to visit, I'll ask her to tag along. Check it out and let me know what you think!