Athleisure Anytime: The Fashion Girl Guide to Fitness
Bruna Camargo
Summer is definitely over, and I'm still left searching for my "summer bod" which never came – mostly because a vanilla milkshake came instead. But now that I have 7 months left until the wedding, I'm (not) looking forward to kicking my butt into shape.
Luckily as it turns out, there are a few cheats into motivating yourself into working out, which may include tears, but most certainly include actually sweating. So without further ado, here is the:
Fashion Girl Guide to Fitness*
*Not a real guide. I made most of this shit up, but it works for me, so it may work for you, or whatever.
But probably not if your workplace has snacks.
\\ Photos by Remy Roman //
Step 1: Devise a Gameplan. Attack Via Push Notifications.
I was recently invited to try out FLEXCity Fitness, a new class-based studio gym with locations in metro Detroit, Grand Rapids and Lansing. It incorporates cardio and strength training in a 56 minute class. If you follow me on Snapchat (@bruntunes) you've seen me talked about how it has completely kicked my butt this month! I love how every class is different and completely challenging (spin bike, TRX, burpees, oh my!).
Whatever your thing is, embrace it, make a schedule and add 50 alerts reminding you of when you'll be going to said activity. FLEXCity Fitness uses the app MindBodyConnect, which is how you sign up for classes and add them to your calendar!
Push notifications mean business.
Step 2: DON'T GO HOME
If you plan to sweat after work, don't kid yourself. I've learned that if you go home and sit on the couch for just one second, its gravitational pull becomes stronger than G-Force and you will literally be forced to lay there and watch Sex and The City re-runs, until you're found crying into a tub of BBQ chips the next day.
Pack a bag and haul it around like a badge of honor. ORRRRR, you can scratch this step and jump into...
Step 3: Meet The Incredible World of Athleisure
Athleisure: Athletic + Leisure. Duh. Basically workout clothes that don't entirely suck. Stuff you could wear on-the-go and have others wonder if you're just done working out, or if you're heading to. Messy buns encouraged, but not required.
I love sports bras from Forever 21, which aren't an expensive way to collect pools of sweat and hold your boobs in place. The leather-panel sweats are Betsy Johnson and the long sleeve runner is from New Balance. These sneaks are Keds (not ideal for running, but for low-impact workouts) and the black sequin top is from H&M (OKAY, THIS IS NOT A WORKOUT TOP, BUT IT'S HELLA CUTE, AM I RITE?!)
I also love my Polar Heart Monitor, helping me keep track of calories burned and my heart rate during a workout.
Step 4: Pack Your Grub and Eat It, Too
This one seems kind of obvious, but probably the most annoying of all. Sometimes I find myself grilling frozen chicken breasts at 6am. Meal prepping is no fun. HOWEVER when lunch time rolls around, and everyone is running to Taco Tuesday, I gleefully hang on to my sad broccoli dish and wave as they head to their queso-filled excursion.
Because we all know leaving your food in the office fridge and drowning in taco meat won't help you shed any pounds (but then again the occasional office bagel won't kill you, though). Try to find work friends that bring a lunch, too. Save ya both a lonely lunch.
Step 5: Trust Your Gut
In the most literal sense, trust your gut. Listen to your body and know your limits. It's okay to push hard during workouts, but remember to keep it healthy, taking days off if you need. Also about your gut: ya know, go to the bathroom often. ;)
Hope you enjoyed the Fashion Girl Guide to Fitness! I'm not a health and wellness guru by any means, but this is what works for me. I have been totally enjoying FLEXCity Fitness and their packages for classes are great and very reasonable. FIRST CLASS IS FREE! So let me know if you need a workout buddy and I'm your girl. ;) Check out some of the class with my girl Taylor below:
