WORKOUT WEDNESDAY To the Core

We've been really into core workouts lately in our Workout Wednesday classes. Sure, they're pure torture while we're doing them, but afterwards we do feel pretty fit! We stumbled across this adorable little set of core workout illustrations on Pinterest, and we thought we'd share them to help you feel the burn too! Not only do core workouts like the ones illustrated above make your stomach tighter, they have myriad other benefits like strengthening your back, improving your overall balance, and making other types of exercise easier! Give it a try!

Lots of love,

Team JMC

WORKOUT WEDNESDAY Good Morning Yoga

Usually when I'm on Pinterest, I'm looking for delicious dessert recipes, cute DIYs, and fashion ideas. But I recently discovered this gem from the blog Thoughts by Natalie. I've been giving this little routine a try, and it really makes me feel calmer and more awake before I get my day started. Amazing what a little stretching can do to get the body (and mind) moving!

With love and downward dogs,

Josie

WORKOUT WEDNESDAY GIVEAWAY WINNER & Confidence with Solow Style

Today marks the end of our special series with  Jill McIntosh and Solow Style! Today, Jill is teaching us how to improve our posture and confdience! And thanks to Solow Style, we have a winner of the very stylish workout gear we showed off in this post! Scroll down to see if you’re the winner. But first, here’s Jill and her tips on working your spine.

CONFIDENCE Spinal Extensions

These are the absolute best exercises you can do to improve your posture, and there is a strong correlation to good posture and confidence.  Practicing spinal extensions helps balance out all the frontal movements we do everyday and can help alleviate pain in the entire length of the spine.  It will help you walk taller and move through your world more confidently.

Lift and hold 10 times with hands and feet on the ground.

Lift arms and legs as high as possible and tap inner thighs together 25 times.

Alignment cues:

1. Keep your toenails, hipbones and palms of your hands pressed into the ground to maintain foundation and stability of your low back for lifts.
2. Think about leading with your ribcage.  This will ensure that you’re engaging the muscles the entire length of your spine rather than just your low back.
3. Keep your focus on the ground so your neck stays in line with your spine.
4. When lifting your arms and legs up keep your chest wide and arms and legs as straight as possible.
5. Use inhalation to get your body longer and exhalation to lift up higher.

Thanks, Jill! Congratulations to Lacey, winner of the Solow Style Giveaway. Lacey won with her comment on her favorite way to get moving:

“Running. I was born to run free. It allows me to clear my mind. It takes me places.”

Congrats, Lacey! Thanks to everyone who participated and to Solow for providing us with this amazing giveaway. Be sure to check out Solow's site for more cute styles like the one Jill's wearing.

WORKOUT WEDNESDAY Tone with Solow Style GIVEAWAY

Today we continue our special edition of Workout Wednesday with Jill McIntosh and Solow Style! Today, Jill is schooling us on how to get a shapely behind while strengthening and relieving back pain! And thanks to Solow Style, you could win the very stylish workout gear we showed off in last week’s post! Simply enter your favorite, active way to make your body feel good in the comments, and we’ll pick a random winner in next week’s edition. Enter by Tuesday, March 19 for your chance to win! Here’s Jill!

TONE Kneeling Seat Work

A high lifted seat is a great motivator for exercising, but also strengthening the gluteal and hamstring muscles helps you stand taller and offset back pain.  Added benefit: feeling better in your swimsuit!  Position yourself against a wall, like I am in the pictures above, and try these easy exercises.

Press your leg back 25 times

Curl your heal to your seat 25 times

Lift your knee up at a diagonal and do small lateral presses 25 times.

Alignment cues:

1. Arms straight and core stabilized as if in plank.  Use your abdominals to make sure there is no movement in your low back.
2. Curling your heel into your seat adds the benefit of toning the hamstring which helps lift your seat.  Make sure your knee stays behind your hip as you curl.
3. In lateral lifts keep your hips square and try to turn your foot out wider than your knee.  This will ensure that the pelvis stays squared and that you can truly target your seat.

WORKOUT WEDNESDAY Strength with Solow Style

Today is a very special edition of Workout Wednesday! We are starting a three-week series on jumpstarting your spring fitness routine! Each week, Jill McIntosh—L.A.  fitness guru and brand ambassador for Solow Style, a divine eco-conscious fitness brand—shares some of her favorite tips for getting your body in shape! And thanks to Solow Style, we have a super chic new workout outfit (pictured above) we’re giving away to one lucky winner at the end of Jill’s series with us. Details to come on how to win this flattering fitness top and pants next week! Be sure to check out Solow Style’s site for more great looks. Take it away, Jill! 

I know that feeling strong and toned leads to internal confidence, and confidence is something that you can carry out of your practice and into your daily life—where it really matters! Jumpstart your fitness routine for spring and add some strength into your life with this tip. 

STRENGTH: Forearm Plank  

We call the plank the powerhouse of all exercises because it works almost every muscle in your body.  The plank strengthens your abdominals, back, shoulders, quadriceps and calves.  By forcing your body to stabilize itself, planks can help you learn how to align your body and recruit deep stabilizing muscles to support this alignment.

Hold for 60-90 seconds

Alignment cues:

1. Keep your forearms parallel with each other and palms of hands pressed firmly down.
2. Focus on your shoulder blades lengthening down your back and heart reaching forward.
3. Use your abdominals to tip the hips up and stabilize your low back.
4. Press your thighs up towards the ceiling and reach your heels and head in opposition to each other.

WORKOUT WEDNESDAY Feeling Sporty

The last time we seriously played sports was probably in a middle school P.E. class. But after hearing that a few of our coworkers have joined adult sports leagues—playing fun childhood standbys like dodge-ball, kickball, and softball—we’re thinking we should get back into it. What better way to break a sweat while having a blast with some friends? If you have a great adult team experience, please share in the comments! We’d love to find out more! Team JMC has a nice ring to it…

Image via: The Guardian

WORKOUT WEDNESDAY Warm Up

Things have been brrrrr! here in L.A. We Southern Californians really aren’t used to anything below 65 degrees, so we’ve been going to all kinds of lengths to get warm—bringing heated blankets to work and madly sipping hot tea like we just got off the set of Downton Abbey. This morning when our trainer Michelle entered the building, it was freezing inside! Her solution? To heat things up with a fast-paced 10 minute warm up. Here are a few ways you can get all the benefits of our (very sweaty) warm up.

Keep Bundled: Today, every time we tried to remove our sweatshirts within the first ten minutes of our workout, Michelle yelled “No way! Keep it on!” Why? Because warming up the body not only helps you make the most of your workout, but it also prepares the muscles and joints for more intense activity. Heat increases the flexibility of your muscles, so you can do more without the danger of hurting yourself.  Don’t worry! You can shed your warm clothes after your body feels nice and toasty so you don’t overheat.

Head to Toe: Try warm up exercises that get your whole body moving like jumping jacks. That way, all your muscles are getting warm. Some of Michelle’s other favorites? High knees and cross-body punching. 

Keep Your Heart Rate Up: To get your body super warm, you want to get your heart going and your blood pumping. Michelle gives us short bursts of intense exercises followed by equal bursts of slightly less intense moves to give us a break. The trick is, the less intense ones still keep our heart rates up. So while it might feel like we’re “resting,” our bodies are still working hard. 

Images via: The Berry, Fit Sugar

WORKOUT WEDNESDAY Burn Off That Thanksgiving Feast

We all over-indulged over the Thanksgiving holiday. Hey, that's what it's for, right? But then came our day of reckoning: today, Workout Wednesday. Our trainer, Michelle, had us running, jumping, squatting, and sweating to help us burn off the sweet potatoes and pecan pie. If you're carrying a bit of bulk yourself, help yourself to an extra serving of Michelle's fat-burning regimen.  

Get Your Heart Going: This means cardio! Running, jogging, swimming, jumping jacks. Try interval training—alternating short bursts of intense activity with bursts of lighter cardio. Try walking for five minutes, then jogging for five. Interval training burns more calories, and therefore more fat. 

Feel the Burn: Got a resistance band? If so, you can do your full-body strength training at home. Michelle had us doing bicep curls and tricep kicks for sculpted arms, squats for great gluts, and crunches for those pesky abs. 

Eat Clean: To help your body recover from the Thanksgiving binge, eat extra clean foods like leafy greens and fresh fruits and veggies; drink plenty of water. If snacks are your downfall, try to eat smaller portions more frequently to keep your blood sugar steady and your urge to snack at bay. And just say no to the Cheez-Its and Oreos! 

Image via: Pinterest

WORKOUT WEDNESDAY Getting Sweaty

Every Wednesday when we work out here at the office, we see each other all gross and sweaty—especially on cardio-heavy days like today. But we live with the icky stickiness because we know sweating is so good for us. It helps the body regulate its temperature, helps flush out toxins and chemicals, and... 

Makes skin glow: Every day, toxins and dirt build up in our pores. Sweating breaks down these toxins, cleaning the skin and increasing circulation, all of which makes skin look healthier and be less congested.

Makes you better when you get sick: Sweating when you have a fever is your body’s way of fighting the illness by helping flush it out. Drinking plenty of liquids during these times will keep you hydrated.

Helps you relax and feel good: We sweat when we're overheated; it helps the body cool down. This, in turn,  causes the body to produce hormones known as endorphins, which create a sense of well-being. Warming up and sweating also increase circulation to the muscles, encouraging relaxation and greater flexibility. That's why saunas and steam rooms have been used for centuries: they make you feel happy and help you chill out.

Happy sweating!

WORKOUT WEDNESDAY Postnatal Exercise

Can you believe that my little Indi Joon is already 3 months old? She’s already smiling and cooing, and has even had a few rather adorable cases of the hiccups. While breastfeeding has helped me lose a lot of my baby weight, I’m still struggling to find time to devote a few minutes to exercise. So, I’ve been doing some reading up on postnatal exercise to find a few tips and tricks that I can fit in to my schedule. By now, I’m all healed and ready to go, but you should always check with your doctor to make sure your body is ready to jump back into your exercise regime (especially when it comes to workouts for your abs.) Enjoy these tips!  

Try Some Gentle Yoga: Yoga can be a soothing way to get back in the game and get your body pumping. You may want to avoid some poses, especially inversions and intense ab work, but you can probably do most of the poses in a beginner class. Let your instructor know that you’re a new mama, and she’ll guide you to the right poses for your body.

Play with Baby (and break a sweat): This is a great tip for moms with babies who can already hold their heads up (3-4 months). Try dancing around with your baby. Put on some rockin’ tunes and keep your abs drawn in as you hold baby close. Or, if you’re good-to-go on working out your abs (ask your doc!) do a few curl ups with your munchkin sitting on your lower belly as you lie on your back. Lift your head, neck and shoulder blades. It becomes a fun way to play peek-a-boo and work out your belly.

Join a Mommy Group: Having the support of other moms can be so helpful with getting back into shape, not to mention all the good advice you’ll get. A few of my best girlfriends just had babies too, and we’re constantly sharing tips and tricks, even when we can’t always be in the same city. Try a postnatal yoga class or a group like Stroller Strides to find some friends with little ones.

With lots of mama love,

Josie

Images via: Fit Pregnancy