The holidays are upon us once again with every falling leaf and cool, brisk breeze. Thanksgiving means plenty of time spent with family, and tons of turkey and stuffing being stuffed into our stomachs. The next day is followed by lethargy and feelings of “Eater’s Remorse.” Questions enter your head like, “Why did I eat everything?” And you thus declare, “I need to find a treadmill, fast!” When in reality, the only exercise you partake in is walking the corridors of Southpark mall! Before you know it, December is upon us and, "Tis’ the season of giving," as they say. Well, a good way to overcome the Thanksgiving food guilt is by using December’s holiday season to purchase gifts that are fitness-related. Here are four fantastic fitness gift ideas that fitness columnist Dr. Ryan Shum and I have conjured up for your wish lists.
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Are You Squeaky Clean? (Oct. 2011 Issue)
A motivational speaker once posed the question, “If you treated your friends like you treat your body, would you have any?”
Some of you reading this article may respond, “Yes, I would have many friends,” but others like myself are probably raising their eyebrows in shock while picturing their number of friends decreasing rapidly. I am not a fast food junkie nor do I habitually abuse my body, but I know that I could stand to make healthier choices from time to time.
One option I have yet to try is that of cleansing. Many of the times I mention the word “cleanse” to people, they shudder in disgust and quickly change the topic. It wasn’t until I saw the reactions of two people close to me that I began to consider the option of doing a cleanse…
So why the act of doing a "cleanse"?
Some of you reading this article may respond, “Yes, I would have many friends,” but others like myself are probably raising their eyebrows in shock while picturing their number of friends decreasing rapidly. I am not a fast food junkie nor do I habitually abuse my body, but I know that I could stand to make healthier choices from time to time.
One option I have yet to try is that of cleansing. Many of the times I mention the word “cleanse” to people, they shudder in disgust and quickly change the topic. It wasn’t until I saw the reactions of two people close to me that I began to consider the option of doing a cleanse…
So why the act of doing a "cleanse"?
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Summer Fitness Events in the QC (July 2011 Issue)
Immediately after my editor asked me to feature some upcoming events in Uptown this August, I got a text message from William, an ex-boyfriend and close friend of mine:
William: “What are you doing this upcoming weekend?”
Me: “Probably the usual…hanging out…reading…finding a cure for cancer. What’s up?”
William: “I just saw something interesting that I want to get into—Metro Dash is in Charlotte this weekend!”
“Metro Dash,” I thought. “What in the world is Metro Dash?” Naturally I asked him, but that only prompted him to send me the link for me to research it myself, along with one for “Warrior Dash.” Thus I began my research and decided that not only am I unaware of all that Charlotte has to offer, but he has just inspired my next article!
William: “What are you doing this upcoming weekend?”
Me: “Probably the usual…hanging out…reading…finding a cure for cancer. What’s up?”
William: “I just saw something interesting that I want to get into—Metro Dash is in Charlotte this weekend!”
“Metro Dash,” I thought. “What in the world is Metro Dash?” Naturally I asked him, but that only prompted him to send me the link for me to research it myself, along with one for “Warrior Dash.” Thus I began my research and decided that not only am I unaware of all that Charlotte has to offer, but he has just inspired my next article!
What baby weight? (June 2011 Issue)
I was watching E! News the other evening and noticed one of their headlines featured a very skinny Kourtney Kardashian for her Shape Magazine photo shoot. For those of you who have been living in the dark for the past three or more years, Kourtney Kardashian is the eldest of the entire Kardashian clan. The quick Kardashian run-down is that they are America’s reality-TV royal family per se, with Kim Kardashian sitting as princess. Their mother (Kris Jenner) is wife to former Olympian Bruce Jenner and is the ex-wife of OJ Simpson’s lawyer, Robert Kardashian. Are you caught up now?
The reason I am mentioning Kourtney is because she gave birth to her son Mason in December of 2009 and by the looks of it, shows no remnants of her labor whatsoever. In fact, she seems smaller than ever! So what exactly was her secret, I wondered?
The reason I am mentioning Kourtney is because she gave birth to her son Mason in December of 2009 and by the looks of it, shows no remnants of her labor whatsoever. In fact, she seems smaller than ever! So what exactly was her secret, I wondered?
Monday, May 16, 2011
LoZe your eXcuse (May 2011 Issue)
The Queen City is slimming down! Starting in May and continuing throughout the summer, Elevate Lifestyle is partnering up with ZX Fitness for their highly anticipated “LYX weight loss challenge,” better known as “LoZe your eXcuse” (notice the capitalized “Z” and “X”). ZX Fitness will be choosing participants for this weight loss challenge. This is the second annual challenge that ZX Fitness has hosted in the Charlotte area, so for those of you who are timid or lackadaisical, this isn’t for you! This event will prove to be bigger this year and the final four contestants will be the apple of the Queen City’s eye!
Turbofire? (March 2011 Issue)
Whenever I lie awake in bed watching TV during the wee hours, I notice how many commercials are shown that are not aired during the day. I have been introduced to the “Flirty Girl Fitness” infomercial, and of course the “Shake Weight” infomercial along with other fitness trends, but the most recent eye-catcher was one for “TurboFire."
What caught my eye about this infomercial was the humongous room of smiling people, jumping around and learning choreography in an aerobic style format. The presenter was Chalene Johnson, who spoke enthusiastically about the program and was introducing music mixes for the demonstrating class. It was like watching my Zumba class sans the Latin music: very cardio-intensive and energetic. I laid in bed and watched in amazement! What is this TurboFire?!
What caught my eye about this infomercial was the humongous room of smiling people, jumping around and learning choreography in an aerobic style format. The presenter was Chalene Johnson, who spoke enthusiastically about the program and was introducing music mixes for the demonstrating class. It was like watching my Zumba class sans the Latin music: very cardio-intensive and energetic. I laid in bed and watched in amazement! What is this TurboFire?!
Crossfit, Anyone? (Feb.2011 Issue)
The Queen City has a secret. When meeting with my editor to discuss our goals for the New Year, I quickly learned that there is a workout facility of which I was totally unaware! Eager to investigate, I responded to an e-mail inquiry my editor received, and excitedly scheduled a meeting with the owners of the Crossfit Facility in South Charlotte.
Dr. Brian Strump and his wife Lisa are practicing chiropractors with an office in the Steele Creek area. Their Crossfit Facility is not the gym with a thousand members, thrown into a space with tons of machines they don’ t know how to operate, and probably never will. This is a close-knit concept, where their membership numbers are less than 200 and people care to know your name. When I walked into Crossfit, I was pleasantly intrigued and surprised. There wasn’t a treadmill or elliptical in sight. The room was grand and housed various apparatuses along the walls from rings to bars.
The workout I participated in was a form of circuit training.
Dr. Brian Strump and his wife Lisa are practicing chiropractors with an office in the Steele Creek area. Their Crossfit Facility is not the gym with a thousand members, thrown into a space with tons of machines they don’ t know how to operate, and probably never will. This is a close-knit concept, where their membership numbers are less than 200 and people care to know your name. When I walked into Crossfit, I was pleasantly intrigued and surprised. There wasn’t a treadmill or elliptical in sight. The room was grand and housed various apparatuses along the walls from rings to bars.
The workout I participated in was a form of circuit training.
Monday, January 24, 2011
Winter Escapades (December Issue)
It’s the holiday season, a time of year known for being spent with family and loved ones. My family is fairly spread out throughout the East Coast and some are still living in Jamaica, so typically a lot of traveling is made this time of year.
I find that if I’m not with my family then it’s the most opportune time to do some vacationing with loved ones or friends. I’ve never been to Vegas so I would save that thought for New Year’s Eve. Though for Christmas, I tend to prefer a trip to a warmer climate like Jamaica’s for some fun in the sun! But let’s face it, unless you’re Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon in Four Christmases, you’re probably not going to a Caribbean island for the holidays, instead venturing to log cabins or ski resorts. Gone are the times for jet-skiing and zip-lining, here are some ideas for winter vacationing activities.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)