Healthy Chicks

Last night, I was invited to attend “New Year, NEW YOU!” a fitness-inspired fashion event at Athleta on Newbury Street. Since I love fitness and fashion (well, when it comes to my workout gear) I was IN.

The event was hosted by Eventbrite and Athleta, two fabulous community-oriented companies in my book, so unsurprisingly was a huge hit. The evening entailed a sneak peek at Athleta’s new spring line, with local fitness teachers walking around to mingle and show off their beautiful clothes.

When I walked in there was a great crowd of ladies, all looking to have a good time and get their Fitness & Fashion on! After I signed in and chatted with some of the management team, I head over to the apps & drinks table to grab some quick, healthy bites. I filled my plate with a variety of cheese, some toasted pita, hummus and stuffed grape leaves and also snagged a Peach HINT Fizz for a light and tasty treat.

I was so excited to see Melina’s juice (from e.t.c Juicery) being served too! “How cool, I know her!” It’s safe to say her new juice is going to be a … Read More!

As I’ve mentioned before here on Healthy Chicks (and as I’m sure you can tell by the badge on the right), I am a proud FitFluential Ambassador. If you haven’t checked out the FitFluential community before, which was founded by Fitness Rockstar Kelly Olexa, I strongly suggest you do so over here.

While FitFluential is packed with an amazing group of like-minded enthusiasts sharing their passion for wellness every hour on the hour, today I wanted to share with you what “FitFluential” means to me. More specifically, my very own definition of living a “healthy lifestyle.”

Discovering an Exercise Routine that Makes you Shine

[Move100 Campaign; Photo Cred: Move100.org]

Just like there is no Perfect Man for every woman, there is no perfect exercise that works for everyone. In fact, I don’t believe in rules or perfection at all.

Some live for CrossFit and Pilates, while others feel their best by doing yoga and running. Some spin 6 days a week, while others enjoy being one with nature and going for long hikes with loved ones.

The point is, it’s not going to work for you unless you enjoy it. Find the exercises that make you … Read More!

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I have a confession: I don’t stretch nearly as much as I need to. Scratch that. I barely stretch at all. Sometimes I’ll go for my long runs, and hit the shower before I even think to stretch out my hamstrings. Not good, not good at all. I know we hear this all of the time, but stretching is vital, especially for those who are physically active.

Not only does does stretching help prevent injuries, but if often improves our athletic performance along with many other benefits such as flexibility. Maybe that’s why I can barely touch my toes without bending my knees, and to think I used to be The Queen of sit-and-reach in gym class when I was younger. Hm, maybe it has a little something to do with the lack of stretching, don’t ya think?

The other day my hamstrings were so tight from running that I could barely lift my legs up during Core Fusion class, when the rest of the class made it seem like a piece of cake. I was ashamed, but tried not to get too down on myself. It’s simply a matter of fact: I need to stretch more. … Read More!

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The other day, I came across this article “77 Surprising Health Benefits of Yoga” on NursingDegree.net. The author split the benefits up into seven categories: health benefits within, health benefits without, emotional health benefits, body chemistry, exercise health benefits, disease prevention and symptom reduction or alleviation. I was shocked at how many different ways yoga could improve your health. Sure, I knew it was good for you, but seventy-seven health benefits? That’s pretty darn incredible.

Coincidentally, lately I’ve been working on adding yoga back into my life, my intentions being mostly for the emotional benefits. As listed in the article, these include mood improvement, calmness, mind-body connection, stress reduction, and even self-acceptance among others. And during last night’s Vinyassa yoga class, it did just that for me. I left the studio feeling at ease, happy with myself, and extremely carefree. It felt amazing.

While the emotional aspect has been the main goal to take out of my personal yoga practice, after reading this article, I’m excited to explore and learn from all of the other benefits. Did you know yoga can help improve your metabolism, improve your posture or even improve your sexuality… Read More!

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Hello ladies! I had SUCH a busy week – filled with starting a new job, attending several events, picnic-ing and going out with the girls last night – that I totally forgot to post my weekly Friday Faves post. But don’t you worry: it’s here (even if it is a day late).

Road trips: I’m going on a road trip with The Boy to drive his grandparents car from FL back to NY. Yes, we are flying down to Florida, staying a few days and then road-tripping all the way back up the East coast. Some people hate long, drawn-out car rides. But I personally love them. I love making mixed CDs. I love asking random questions, and playing silly car ride games. I love rolling the windows down and running my hands through the breeze. I love singing…even though I have no tone AT ALL. I love checking out the scenery and stopping a random restaurants and hotels along the way. Road trips are the absolute greatest…I’m getting like a giddy school girl already just thinking about it!

My Yoga Teacher: No, I don’t have a crush on my yoga teacher. But I do love some … Read More!

In yesterday’s post, I touched briefly on the fact that I want to start getting into yoga again, and that I love the way it makes me feel. Today, I wanted to go into a little more detail as to what exactly I’m talking about what I refer to this “feeling.”

You see, I used to practice yoga quite regularly and then sort of fell off track like we all do at certain times in our life. The road to my  born again yogi-ness all started Tuesday morning, when I asked my friend Jen (a yoga lover & relationship expert) over at Blonde Bronzed Twenty-Something if I should take a yoga class or spinning class that evening. “Yoga, 100%” she said. At first, I had trouble banking on a yoga class for my workout, rather than a sweat-inducing, fast-paced spinning class. I was doubtful, highly doubtful.

Then she went on to tell me how amazing and focused I’d feel after the class. “Plus, it’ll be a great workout for your core and strength.” With a little more convincing on her end, I was sold. After all, Jen was right…and I owed it to myself to dedicate 75 minutes to … Read More!

1. I’m leaving in FIVE minutes to take a Power Yoga class at the gym. I haven’t taken yoga in a gym-setting in ages so this makes me super giddy. Power Yoga is especially exciting, because it’s a fitness based yoga, with emphasis on strength and flexibility while holding challenging poses. I love challenging my body!

2. The yummy gluten free waffles from Trader Joe’s that I just had for breakfast…topped with agave and Smart Balance Butter…with a little Teddie’s PB on the side. Do I even need to explain this one? I was in heaven. Oh and I paired it with cinnamon hazelnut coffee with vanilla soy. YUM!

3. I’m going to see The Social Network tonight with my roommates. I’m not only excited to see the move, but I’m thrilled for a night of relaxation & non-drinking. 

4. Boston Local Food Festival is finally here…TOMORROW! I can’t wait to volunteer and then spend the day tasting delicious, local food! A plus? It’s supposed to be a crisp 66 degrees and sunny tomorrow : ) 

5. I’ve been focusing lately on strength training and I’m feeling wonderful. Yes, strength training is possible to do WITHOUT a gym ladies! The … Read More!

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This morning a side of me I don’t like came out: impatience. Blah. Impatience. It’s both unnecessary and unhealthy. It even sounds unhealthy. I would say in the grand scheme of life I’m a pretty patient girl, but this morning I was far from patient, and I don’t like to be that way. I don’t know if I woke up on the wrong side of the bed or what, but something was up. It may have been the fact that my mother woke me up at 7:30 a.m. and tried to have a conversation with me while I was half asleep (sorry mom, it wasn’t really me). Anyway, my not-so-patient mood increased when I was informed that UPS was indeed not going to redeliver my package I missed on Saturday, and that I had to go pick it up. Grrr, I don’t have a car. They expect me to walk? Why can’t they just bring it to me? (impatience getting the best of me in my head. They are busy too. I’m not entitled for royal treatment). 

Once I realized that I was not going to win this battle and that the package was not … Read More!