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 with For Two Fitness

It is our second week of pregnancy workout tips with For Two Fitness! This week we’ll be focusing on strength and toning exercises to keep you strong during your pregnancy and after! 

STRENGTH TIPS

Work your Biceps

In just a few months you’ll be lifting your little one every day, so you should focus on building strength little by little over the course of your pregnancy. Try bicep curls with five-pound weights. Make sure your legs are shoulder-width apart and knees are loose. Raise the weights slowly towards your shoulders, keeping the chest up. Do ten reps then rest.

Try some Squats

Did you know that some women deliver in the squatting position? Squatting strengthens your thighs and glutes, both of which you will definitely need during labor. Make sure to keep your heels on the ground, and try holding the squat for at least 10 seconds.

Do your Kegels

This is the perfect strength tip for the woman on the go. Kegels can be done anywhere! They tone your pelvic floor to prepare you for labor. So what is a Kegel? It’s the same exercise that you do when you have a very full bladder and have to hold it. Flex those muscles!  

LIVING IN BALANCE Work + Play

On the boxes of my cosmetics you'll find this printed:

“I believe in balance.

I believe that doing the right thing can be glamorous.
I believe in beauty without the baggage.”

While this speaks to my beauty philosophy, this also extends to how I want to live my life. How I think about work + play. How I strive to be.

As part of the journey through Chicological, I will be sharing ideas on healthy, active and green living whether from my own experience or from the friends and family that help me achieve this balance. And a huge part of this community is the team at Josie Maran Cosmetics. Every Wednesday, we throw on our workout clothes and sweat it out in an hour of serious exercise. Sure, it's grueling and we see each other red-faced and tired, but it brings us together. Starting next week, we'll give you a peek inside our "Workout Wednesdays" and bring you wellness tips to hopefully make your life better. So maybe you'll join us by running in your own neighborhood or simply by eating a nutritious breakfast, but whatever it is, just think: balance.

Sending you love from the Big Apple,