Health & Wellness

Event Recap: “Excellent is Strong” Girls Night Out with New Balance Back Bay

1 Comment / Health & Wellness /

This past Thursday night, I was lucky enough to be the blog hostess/MC for New Balance’s second GNO celebration in Boston.
The theme of the action-packed evening was “Excellent is Strong” and the New Balance team did an incredible job bringing that to life.

New Balance is on a mission to re-define the meaning of girls night, and a part of that is hosting these kick-ass celebrations in various cities in order to bring girls together for fitness, food and fun. I was so honored to be a part of the evening, as one of my #1 passions is inspiring women to do more connecting & cheering one another on (vs. judging & comparing).

I arrived to the New Balance Boston Experience Store (right on Boylston St) early to get my bearings & walk through the Run of Show with the PR team so there were no surprises. Once the ladies began arriving, they got their wrist band (labeled with group number) & enjoyed some wholesome granola bars & water to energize and hydrate.

After settling in, all of the ladies set out for their workout portion of the evening: 3 different bootcamp-style circuits (one in … Read More!

Event Recap: “Excellent is Strong” Girls Night Out with New Balance Back Bay Read More »

New Balance Boston Girls Night Out June 26: Excellent is Strong

93 Comments / Health & Wellness /

Note: This event is now full. Please stay tuned for updates regarding additional spaces.

Remember last month when I posted about New Balance’s Girls Night Out campaign? If you missed the post, no worries you can catch it here! In short, New Balance is working to redefine the meaning of “girls night,” focusing on empowering women through fitness, socializing and simply having a good time.

And I am absolutely thrilled to announce that I’m going to be playing a part in hosting the upcoming “GNO Celebration” in Boston this month (and in July, more on that later)!

The Details

The big event will be held on Thursday, June 26th at 6 p.m and it’s 100% free of charge. Participants will meet at the New Balance Experience Store (located at 583 Boylston St in Copley Square) and then take off for a bootcamp-style workout with New Balance Fitness Ambassador Holly Perkins.

After the workout, we’ll all come together for the ultimate girls night fully stocked with appetizers, cocktails, music by BrekOne and swag bags.  Oh, and did I mention SHAPE Magazine’s fitness editor Laurel Leicht will be their sharing insights on what makes her strong?

Excellent is Strong

Speaking … Read More!

New Balance Boston Girls Night Out June 26: Excellent is Strong Read More »

Monday Inspiration: Spring Clean Your Life

6 Comments / Health & Wellness, Lifestyle /

When you think of spring cleaning what’s the first thing that comes to mind? For some of you it may be cleaning out your closet, or perhaps dusting all the nooks ‘n’ crannies in your apartment. For others, you may think of cleansing, dieting or losing weight to get in shape for summer.

This season, I’m challenging you to to rethink the term “spring cleaning,” broadening it to include all aspects of your life: mind, body and soul. Here are some super simple tips to get started right now.

1. Drink more water. Period. Start your morning off with a cup of warm water + the juice of half a lemon, and hydrate yourself throughout the day. Currently, I’ve been loving Essentia Water, which is purified & enhanced with electrolytes with a pH of 9.5 to promote an alkaline environment. Learn more here.

2. Eat Clean(er). OK, OK, you’ve been hearing the whole “eat clean” thing everywhere lately, but what the heck does that mean and where do you even begin? Eating clean is easier said than done, until you get invited to 2 weddings in a row, and your co-workers burger starts staring at you during … Read More!

Monday Inspiration: Spring Clean Your Life Read More »

New Balance Kicks Off Healthy Girls Night Out Campaign: Light Up the Night with NB Boston

5 Comments / Health & Wellness /

If you know me well, you know I love a good, solid girls night out. There’s nothing like getting all dolled up, sipping cocktails or going out dancing (er, trying to dance) with your favorite gal pals.

Mix in a sweaty run + healthy apps + being surrounded by empowering women? Um, I’m sold.

You heard me right. This week, MA-based company New Balance launched their very own Girls Night Out campaign, bringing a refreshing new meaning to “Girls Night.” In their own words, “Less primping, more pavement pounding. Lipstick’s optional, footwear’s not.”

By signing up online you are given all the tools needed to plan your perfect “Girls Night Out” no matter where you live, or who you run with. Map your routes based on fave running hot spots, get alerts on other sweet runs going on in your area, and even share upcoming runs with your lady friends! Because, I mean c’mon, running & sweating is always better with your best friend followed by a solid catch-up sesh.

Oh, and it gets even better! This one-of-a-kind brand is actually hosting a series of special, 100% FREE “GNO Celebrations” in cities near you including our very own Beantown!

Next … Read More!

New Balance Kicks Off Healthy Girls Night Out Campaign: Light Up the Night with NB Boston Read More »

10 Little Ways to Amp Up Your Self Care

20 Comments / Health & Wellness, Lifestyle /

Try as we might to keep it all “together” 24/7, sometimes life just gets a little nutty. Whether you’re busy working a full time job you love, chasing your dreams or putting in the hours at a 9-to-5 job you can’t really stand, every now and again we need a little mental breather.

Unfortunately when we lead action-packed work-hard, play-hard lifestyles, one of the first things that tends to go is our self care. You know, that precious time we have with ourselves to feel a little bit more sane, a little bit more you.

This past year, I’ve had nothing but love + luck come into my life including 2 big life events: an engagement, an offer at my “dream job.” While I’ve been full of passion, joy and everything in between, I can’t lie that my self care has been put on the back burner (well maybe not all the way on the back burner, but at least pretty close). When you love the life you are living, it’s easy to forget about the most important person out there, that is yourself.

Heck, I’ll be the first to admit that it can be exhausting trying … Read More!

10 Little Ways to Amp Up Your Self Care Read More »

On Finding Your Drishti (In Yoga & In Life)

2 Comments / Health & Wellness /

Last week, I took my first yoga class at Om Warrior in Boston with the owner & highly talented yoga teacher Marc McDonald. Before I walked into class, I was feeling a bit off (my mind was swirling with thoughts, doubts & fears) and life just seemed…chaotic. I knew I could resort to my yoga mat to find some answers, some clarity.

During class, the instructor (Marc) was taking us through a tree pose series and encouraged us to find or drishti for balance. Suddenly, I looked up and saw a beautiful, odd little elephant figure by the window with the sun subtly shining in, and thought That’s it. From that point on, suddenly my worries and fears from the outside world didn’t seem to matter. I was here, I was present, I was living in the now to its truest form.

In yoga or meditation,” finding your drishti” is a technique involving focusing on one point or object for greater concentration or balance, in my case the elephant. But if you take it into everyday life, I like to think of it as simply living in the now, experiencing life to its finest.

It’s finding peace with the … Read More!

On Finding Your Drishti (In Yoga & In Life) Read More »

ClassPass launches in boston: 4 reasons why you need to get on it (like, now)

1 Comment / Health & Wellness /

It’s no lie I have a love affair with fitness, particularly group fitness and boutique classes. Actually, I’m kind of a serial fitness fanatic, bouncing around from studio to studio. Hey, a girl has her needs.

So when I was informed that NYC-based fitness startup Class Pass was launching in Boston, I was immediately intrigued!

What is Class Pass, you ask? It’s exactly what is sounds like: a “pass” to various fitness classes near you. Essentially, they’re a gym membership but for boutique studios. With the membership fee, you have access to 10 classes a month, up to 3 classes at any given studio. Pretty cool, huh?

This week, I attended their Media Launch Party at Flywheel Sports in Boston, and completely fell in love with the brand (and the girls behind it). Such a fun-loving, cheerful bunch! Plus, who doesn’t love a good sweat session at Flywheel, I mean c’mon?

After class, we all enjoyed tasty goodies from sweetgreen and bolocco, and mingled with the group. Plus, we were given little goodie bags packed with a water bottle, natural energy drink, muscle rub sample from mio scincare, and an adorable tee that I may or may not … Read More!

ClassPass launches in boston: 4 reasons why you need to get on it (like, now) Read More »

Back Into Running: New Balance Fresh Foam 980 Review + Giveaway

47 Comments / Health & Wellness /

It’s no secret that it’s been a really rough winter for us New Englanders; I honestly don’t remember a time with this much snow in years! That being said, I still love to stay active & keep my body moving through yoga, spinning, zumba and various indoor group fitness classes.

Unfortunately because of the temps, I’ve let one of my all-time favorite workouts fall by the wayside: running. And try as I might to fall in love with the treadmill, it’s just not really my thing.

I need the outdoors. The fresh air. The people. The nature. The sunshine. And I know outdoor winter running is possible with proper gear and all, but I just wasn’t doing it.

So when the lovely folks at New Balance sent me a pair of their brand new Fresh Foam 980 running shoes, I took it as a sign to go back to my running roots & get back into it. (This was also around the same time as Chestnut Hill True Runner’s “Ladies’ Night Out,” where I bought a new running headband, socks and some other apparel.) Running Rachel was about to make a comeback!

I was super excited when the sneakers arrived … Read More!

Back Into Running: New Balance Fresh Foam 980 Review + Giveaway Read More »

attention boston salad-lovers & flywheel enthusiasts: announcing #flyforsweetgreen

5 Comments / Health & Wellness /

Attention Boston ladies, if you love salads & you love a good ol’ sweat session, this contest is for you! On Thursday, January 30th two of my favorite Boston hot-spots, sweetgreen + flywheel, are joining together for the promotion of a lifetime.

Take a class at Flywheel Boston + grab a meal at sweetgreen back bay on Jan 30th, and you’ll be entered to win a fabulous swag-filled prize pack including flywheel classes, credit to sweetgreen, goodies to encourage your healthy lifestyle & more!

To enter, you must “check in” on Facebook to both Flywheel & sweetgreen Boston and use hashtag #flyforsweetgreen

Not sure how to “check in?” Follow these simple instructions:

1. On your News Feed, tap Check In (You must “like” flywheel boston + sweetgreen to check in) Search for sweetgreen back bay & Flywheel Boston in the search bar.

2. Write a status update, tag friends or add a photo (Be sure to use hashtag #flyforsweetgreen )

Enjoy,

Rachel… Read More!

attention boston salad-lovers & flywheel enthusiasts: announcing #flyforsweetgreen Read More »

My Letter To The Woman Behind Me In Aisle #5 (And My Defense of Real Food)

8 Comments / Health & Wellness, Lifestyle /

Yesterday, while grocery shopping, I couldn’t help but check out the grocery cart of the woman behind me. I am oddly overly interested in what other people are buying at the supermarket, as I imagine some women are interested in what others are buying at the mall. What can I say? I love food.

Anyway, back to the point. I was shocked to find that this woman’s cart wasn’t filled with food at all. Rather it was filled with fake “food-like” products.

5 packs of sugar-free Crystal Light.

a box of splenda.

1 tub fat-free yogurt (or was it go-gurt?)

2 bottles of diet cream soda

A few packages of diet “low cal” microwavable meals

Zero real food.

Mind you, this woman was overweight and judging by her diet-filled cart was likely trying to lose weight by the good ol’ tactic: cutting back on calories. She looked sad, fatigued and downright exhausted.

First of all, I wanted to give her a hug. And tell her it was going to be OK and that she is beautiful & enough. (Seriously, it’s incredible how so many women just need that boost of confidence).

At the same time, I wanted to smack … Read More!

My Letter To The Woman Behind Me In Aisle #5 (And My Defense of Real Food) Read More »