Holiday Fit Tips

Holiday Fit Tips with Mary

As the holiday season begins, it's often difficult to find the balance between enjoying yourself and staying true to your health and fitness goals. To help keep you on top of your game over the holidays, ENRGi instructor Mary wanted to share a few tips:

1. Sweat a little each day

If you're missing your favorite ENRGi classes because you're out of town or there's a modified schedule, still prioritize moving some each day. Whether it's a run, a quick HIIT workout, or even a yoga video on YouTube, you'll almost always feel better getting that heart rate up with a little sweat! The earlier you do it, the more time you'll have to spend with loved ones, too. If you want more active social time, invite them to join you, even if it's taking a short walk.

2. Fill up on whole foods

While we all have our favorite holiday treats (you can find me at the dessert table!), try to first fill up on more nutritious dishes like vegetables. Fuel your body with the same wholesome nutrition you regularly do, and then fuel your soul with your favorite seasonal specialties. It's a marathon, not a treadmill sprint in SWAT, so remember that you can still try another dish later as a leftover. Avoid restricting yourself or shaming yourself -- you've earned it! At the end of the day, food is still fuel that will help give you ENRGi for your body.

3. Drink plenty of water

You may not have your Blender Bottle by your side at all times, but try to stay hydrated, especially before big meals. For every alcoholic drink, always alternate with a glass of water to stay feeling refreshed.

4. Enjoy this opportunity to sleep

Especially if you're a 6AM regular, take advantage of the holidays to sleep! You should always aim for 7-9 hours of sleep per night, and cooler weather is a good opportunity to sleep earlier and longer. You need adequate sleep to keep your body in rockstar-mode, so if nothing else, know that sleeping more will help you recover and reset as you return from the holidays.

Above all, enjoy yourself! The holidays don't happen all year round, and they'll go as quickly as they sneak up. Before you know it, we'll be crushing 2018 goals! You can be happy and healthy throughout festivities, and I hope you take time to celebrate and reflect on the year.

Too Much Sugar? Stefanie's Story & Tips

By now, many of us are familiar with the newest nutritional research trend: sugar. We understand that too much sugar can be a bad thing; studies link it to chronic illness, fatigue, weight gain, amongst other detriments to our health. But how many of us know how much sugar we are really eating? Below is instructor Stefanie's story and tips she uses to overcome sugar overload.

Stefanie's Story & Tips 
In 2016, you could find me frequenting the coffee maker at my full time job- somewhere between 3-5 times per day. I was hospitalized for digestive problems that never fully went away and despite my healthy diet and extremely active lifestyle, I was gaining weight and “puffy”.

In January 2017, I decided to embark on my first ever Whole 30. The W30 is a 30 day “reset” for your body- completely eliminating sugar in any form, as well as grains, alcohol, and dairy. It was extreme but I was desperate. The reset eliminated my addiction to large amounts of caffeine and helped me find a gluten allergy I didn’t know I had.

However, the most important thing the W30 did for me was open my eyes to just how many things we eat every day that have added sugar in them. You don’t have to do an entire W30 to reap this benefit; the steps below will help you become aware of your intake, as well as make better decisions daily.

1. Read EVERY Label
This sounds meticulous, but if you don’t do it, you will never know exactly what you’re eating. Everyday things like salsa, ketchup, salad dressing, canned veggies and store bought guacamole can have added sugars.

2. Decide what matters to you
If you truly enjoy having a glass of red wine or a square of chocolate after dinner, don’t deprive yourself. Simply remove the unnecessary sources of sugar in your diet. Most of the time, you can find a different brand of salsa, dressings or anything named above without added sugar to decrease your intake without giving anything up.

3. Check in with how YOU feel
The most important thing when it comes to nutrition is listening to your own body. If you are still feeling the effects of sugar after making modifications, experiment with having your indulgences at a different time of day paired with a lot of water OR limiting the days per week you have sugar.

If you'd like to connect with Stefanie, email info@enrgifitness.com. 

Member Spotlight - October 2017, Eduardo S.

Eduardo comes to the gym ready to work. His energy is infectious, and he is continuously making strides towards his fitness goals!

What motivates you to workout?
Working out gives me the confidence and energy to challenge myself on a professional and personal level. I enjoy ENRGi's awesome environment and instructors. The staff's commitment to health is what keeps me coming back!

What are your favorite classes at ENRGi?
swat, warrior, and yoga core

What is your favorite quote?
"Adapt what is useful, reject what is useless, and add what is specifically your own." - Bruce Lee

How do you recover post workout?
Protein Shake, Cold Shower, and a Greek yogurt parfait

What is your guilty pleasure?
Pistachio Gelato with a big brownie and Mezcal cocktails

Personal Achievement
30 in. Box jumps

5 Tips to Stay Fit During Pregnancy

When it comes to working out during pregnancy, there’s often a ton of mixed opinions. While many women are worried that physical activity during pregnancy can harm their babies, our Lead Instructor, Theresa is happy to share that this is not the case at all. First, get the all-clear from your OB/GYN.  

Exercise at least 30 mins each day: Cardio will become more challenging but even movement at a slower pace is better than none at all. Strength based exercises tend to be more manageable and are just as important, so don’t skip the weights! No matter how hard it is to get started, remember that you’ll always feel better after working out. You are preparing your body for the biggest physical challenge of your life - train for it. 

Don’t start a new routine: While exercise each day is important, now is NOT the time to start an intense new fitness routine. Be consistent with whatever your fitness habits were prior to getting pregnant. If snatches, swings and box jumps were an integral part of your workout then there’s no reason you can’t continue to do them as long as you feel comfortable. However, if you’ve never even heard of those exercises then now is not the time to attempt them. 

Properly fuel your body: As much as we love to think we are “eating for two” that isn’t quite the case. Your daily calorie intake will probably increase about 200-500 calories a day depending on your trimester and starting weight...that’s not that much! Plan for smaller snacks and meals throughout the day to help maintain your energy levels and this will prepare your body for your fitness routine. Most importantly, drink plenty of water! 

Core training: It’s time to think of your core as more than that desired 6 pack. Pelvic floor, transverse abdominis, and balance should be your new focus. Strengthening your pelvic floor will help with a speedy recovery post delivery and a strong transverse will aid in reducing low back pain as your belly grows. Developing and maintaining balancing skills will also help as you grow larger and your center of gravity is thrown off by the little one. 

Listen to your body: Ultimately, you’re growing a human and that’s hard work! Make sure you take time to rest when your body needs it. Maybe that means you need to take additional recovery days between workouts or some workouts just aren’t your best effort...that’s okay! Take it one day at a time, get your rest and hop back on board as soon as you feel ready. 

Staying active during pregnancy will make you less likely to experience pregnancy aches & pains AND you will have more energy throughout the day. Your little one will also benefit as developing babies of prenatal exercisers have more efficient hearts than those of non-exercisers.

If you'd like to connect with Theresa, email info@enrgifitness.com. 

Member Spotlight - September 2017, Morgan S.

Longtime member Morgan S. is always up for the next challenge and continually inspires us! Morgan can be found in most of our gravity classes completing L3 advanced exercises with a smile. 

What motivates you to workout?

I love the way I feel both physically and mentally after a work out, it helps clear my head and calm down after a stressful day...also I really like cookies so I have to even that out somehow.

What are your favorite classes at ENRGi? 

Gravity yoga and gravity fit are definitely my top two, but I like to sweat it out in a S.W.A.T. or calorie class occasionally as well!

How do you recover post workout? 

Lots of water and stretching (and some wine)

What is your guilty pleasure? 

Any and all horror movies 

What is your favorite quote?

"Happiness isn't enough for me, I demand euphoria" - Calvin and Hobbes