Pre-Holiday Season Fitness Reboot

T-minus two weeks until Thanksgiving. Can you believe it? Let’s collectively not wait until after the ever-lengthening holiday season to reboot fitness goals! Here’s a  look at the bigger picture.

Let's look at the bigger picture
Let’s look at the bigger picture. Photo Credit Andia Winslow

How can you tell if it is time for a fitness reboot?

If boredom sets in during the regular fitness routine, followed by apathy towards exercise in general, it’s definitely time for a fitness tune up! If you avoid outings or leisure time that involves physical activity –hiking, biking, bowling, beach play, recreation league softball even– for fear of sweating and breathing hard or you avoid form revealing workout clothes, that tune up needs to come sooner than later. The mental stress and self-deprication associated with “not working out enough (or at all)” shouldn’t supersede the physical stress that a normal body endures during exercise. Avoiding friends and family who’ve seen your “normal” for fear that they will comment, critique and judge “the new you,” make the tune up a priority. Altering lifestyle routine(s) and personal relationships instead of changing fitness routines is a sign that you are no longer “living” and simply existing. Tune up!

How do you pick a fitness routine that works for you?

It’s important, especially as you age, to approach exercise and wellness in a balanced manner. This means a healthy combination of nutrition, hydration, cardio, resistance training, stretching and core work, both abdominals and lower back. In my experience, many folks’ attempts at “tune ups” involve too much too soon. A better exercise goal is to design a program that is manageable, sustainable and changes every four weeks to ensure that the body does not become too accustomed to the work and plateau.

Depending on the intensity of workouts, the American Heart Association advises working out for at least 30 mins, 5 days per week. Remember though, the greater the intensity, the shorter the required duration and frequency per week. Understanding typical busy working-adult lives, I usually advise that clients workout at least three times per week emphasizing different modalities each day (resistance, stretching, cardio) to keep the body fresh and mind engaged.

Photo Credit: Todd Anderson / USA Today
Photo Credit: Todd Anderson / USA Today

Why, besides “looking good,” is exercise important?

Heart disease is the number one killer in the United States, more than all cancers combined, and it is both preventable and reversible through commitment to exercise and healthy diet. For many, this means simply engaging in aerobic activities like walking and jogging. Resistance training is often neglected but it should be brought to the forefront, especially for women as they often suffer from bone density issues as well. Also, training fast twitch muscle fibers will help people be more reactive in daily life — avoiding falls, being more responsive, etc.

What’s more exciting is the fact that physicality stimulates drive, innovation and creativity! This is especially important in an ever-changing and increasingly competitive society. Sure, the black dress or tailored  blazer may fit better but being more connected with one’s body is the true measure of success and a gift to oneself.

What can you do to start your fitness reboot, right now? 

The awesome thing about exercise that many people forget is that is doesn’t have to be punishment! In fact, it can involve play and even fun. Dancing, playing with your kids in the backyard, frolicking with your pet at the dog park, joining a recreational kickball league, planning a “heart hour” with friends. What’s more, exercise bouts add up! What does this mean? Interstitial moments of physical activity during a busy day add up and create the same value as sustained workouts. 5 minutes here, 10 minutes there, 12 minutes later!

Heart Hour with Danielle Alex + Andia Winslow. Photo Credit: Kerri Lynne Hamm
Heart Hour with Danielle Alex + Andia Winslow. Photo Credit: Kerri Lynne Hamm

I encourage clients to curate their own workouts in nontraditional places and with non-traditional exercise equipment when they can’t make it to the gym. Often times these workouts don’t require any equipment and minimal space is needed. At work, setting an alarm for every hour and standing up from the desk to do 15 squats and arm circles. In the kitchen, doing overhead presses with the fruit bowl (Kitchen Workout), while tackling mountains of laundry using the dryers edge as a push-up platform (Laundromat Workout) and even while commuting to work in the city center (Subway Workout).

Finally, I recommend note taking and data analysis. What did you eat — snap a photo with your smart device. You know that you were planning to post on instagram anyway! Keep record of your workouts in a notebook or with tracking software. Analytics will keep you on track, help with goal setting strategies and prove that the commitment to self was worth it!

Turn up and Tune up, Andia
 
 
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6 Ways to Train Like a Professional Athlete

My journey to one of the biggest fitness meccas in the world was not direct by any means. Before New York City, I lived in Lake Placid, NY at the Olympic Training Center as a USA Bobsled & Skeleton Federation athlete training in preparation for the Winter Olympic Games. The frigid tundra was about as extreme as those sliding sports and seemingly worlds away from the scorching summer deserts of Arizona where I had become a Professional Golfer years prior. My later-than-normal exposure to the world of professional Track & Field is the athletic tape that holds this story together.

Photo Credit Todd Anderson, USA Today
Preseason Barefoot Sprinting. Photo Credit Todd Anderson, USA Today

Even before I settled in Arizona, I lived in Orlando, Florida and had the most extreme fortune of cross-training with Jesse Owens Olympic Hall of Fame Coach Brooks Johnson and his team of Olympic and World Champions. Our time together  —his analytical coaching, directed mentorship and the elite examples set by my training partners— served to solidify my understanding and love for the marriage of sport, science and athletic performance. I didn’t know then that my speed and sprinting skill would years down the road secure an invitation to join America’s best and fastest in the snow and on the ice.

What does sprinting and speed have to do with golf? Everything. Kinetic sequencing, conservation of angular momentum, maximum velocity. This list continues until acted on by an outside and superior force! All Sir Isaac Newton jokes aside, form and rhythm —the proper sequence of events— is what sets apart the winningest golfers and sprinters alike. The awareness of body, breathing and centeredness can’t be overlooked either; though the former aren’t as sexy as the importance of strong glutes and sound core so desired by athletes and non-athletes alike.

Photo Credit Laura Barisonzi
My golfer/sprinter legs. Photo Credit Laura Barisonzi

In golf, we strive to create torque. It’s that rotational spring effect created when one’s torso (think core: abdominals and lower back) is disassociated (turns away) from a quiet, and strong, lower body (hips) on the backswing. This is how golfers generate power. In the same way, sprinters generate power and propulsion by means of their hips stability (axis) and legs (radius) speed. Everything comes full circle in the creation of speed and the application of force. Beyond understanding the underlying science and technical skill required for athletic performance, it’s important to acknowledge what else makes elite and professional athletes perform at such high levels.

Tips to train like a pro athlete:

1/ Program Design.

Periodization, for optimum in-season or pre-event performance. Believe it or not, most professional athletes don’t workout for the sake of working out. There is a science behind the timing and modality of the work that we do. Not everything is “all out” extreme strength work all of the time nor is everything is sport-specific.

2/ Support Team.

Sport-specific coaches, strength and conditioning trainers, massage therapists, physical therapists, nutritionists and sport psychologists can all assist in creating well balanced performers. They most-often communicate with each other in the best interest of the athlete.

3/ Inventory.

What’s good? What skills need to be improved?  A good notebook or digital tracking system can help an athlete record their programs, recall gains over time and reflect on the process of becoming greater than the season before.

4/ The Little Things.

Often neglected but integral to consistency: proper sleep, lack of stress, non-sport outlet(s), structure/organization, mental health.

5/ Diet and Hydration

Rather than think of what’s being cut out, think about what intake yields maximum performance. Also, depending on the sport, the timing of meals and post-event recovery strategies can prove game changing.

6/ Game Film. 

Reviewing footage of games/races/tournaments and analyzing stats. There is no better way to organize improvement strategies. Analytics forever!

Photo Credit Todd Anderson
Photo Credit Todd Anderson

Manhattan Beach Workout

 

Screen Shot 2014-08-20 at 7.10.50 AM
Photo Credit: Monique Walton

Check your ego before you step onto the sand. You may need for it to carry you home after the workout. -Christopher Grant

A resounding thank you to all participants of last week’s  “Strength in the Sand” event sponsored by Under Armour at Chelsea Piers. Over 55 people turned out over two sessions to workout and to watch the festivities which celebrate #IWillWhatIWant, the international Under Armour Women campaign.

Headlined by the amazingly talented American Ballet Theatre soloist Misty Copeland, the campaign seeks to empower and inspire women, and men alike, to be active and engaged in their own bodies. This, as you may know, is a message near and dear to my heart and I’m honored to have been asked to be a part of the team. Stay tuned over the next months as I will be hosting Under Armour sponsored fitness events around New York City.

But that’s not all! Manhattan Beach Workout has been making quite a splash with press recently (yes, I went there). Check out our features by The New York Times, Well+Good and Self Magazine. I choreographed the class with the intention of helping athletes  to re-establish the natural signature of the foot and  to directly strengthen the foot/ankle complex. Not to mention strengthening the entirety of the leg, core and body. Low impact conditioning at it’s best, the workout varies, at times focusing on body-weight-only strategies while at others employing variable resistance equipment.

#ManhattanBeachWorkout sprints and drills in the sand –some disguised as games– made for a very fun, dynamic and challenging workout! -Shavaun Christian

Until the next time, get beached! Andia 

Brown v. Board of Education

Today, Saturday, May 17th 2014, marks the 60th Anniversary of the Supreme Court’s unanimous Brown v. Board of Education (of Topeka) ruling to end de jure (legal) racial segregation. Leading the charge to fight for equal protection under the law and challenge the precedent of “separate but equal” established in Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) was Thurgood Marshall (b.1908 – d.1993) a Civil Rights Pioneer, Presidential Medal of Freedom Awardee and, in 1967, the first African-American Justice of the Supreme Court.  A decade later, the Court’s decision was translated into the enforcement of both the Voting Rights and Civil Rights Acts.

“In recognizing the humanity of our fellow beings, we pay ourselves the highest tribute.” — Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall

Early in 2014 and in honor of the 60th Anniversary of Brown v. Board, Monique Walton and I created a living history –education, art and fitness– project called the Legacy Workout. One of our sources of inspiration was Justice Thurgood Marshall and his movement to secure a better future for all. Each physical movement within our project was choreographed to reflect a person, a people, or a point in time — an era. Thus, each physical movement was curated to spur a mental movement. Each physical and mental movement expressed concurrently to help inspire a MOVEment based movement. We do hope that you reflect on this day and the nuanced meanings of activism.

Enter Lateral Raises whose anatomical focus is the shoulder(s), one of the most mobile joints in the human body. Its range of motion makes the shoulder responsible for important functional movements —pushing, pulling and lifting— but also makes it highly unstable. But upon some shoulders balances the weight of the world as was the case with our contemporary Titan, Thurgood Marshall who stood at the borders of mobility and stability. His scales of justice helped to engineer one of the greatest social transformations in American history. Stand that ground.

Get it in where you can fit it in! –Andia

10 Ways To Maximize Your SXSW Experience

The SXSW Interactive Festival is an amazing experience that you won’t soon forget. The following are cues to maximize your on-the-ground resources and minimize the “could have, would have, should have!” Adventure is near the beginning of the dictionary, and that is where this story will start too. Let’s look at it from a sports perspective.

Pre-Game:

  • Prepare your game plan by downloading the official SXSW App for your mobile devices and peruse all scheduled offerings – both official and “un-official” events. Next, strategize which are “Must Attend,” “Maybe” and “Hey, I’m curious.” RSVP in advance for events, talks and parties if required. But remember, sometimes plans don’t pan out and opportunities that you hadn’t expected present themselves. Game-time decisions are for the bold, just do it!
  • Organize your roster of teammates, coaches and subs. Are you traveling with a group? Set up “group text” to build a community around you and maximize intel. Make a list (or several) of people/businesses whom you want to meet and pre-schedule face-to-face time if possible.  Take advantage of mentorship sessions offered by industry leaders and have your pitch and questions prepared. Follow Twitter handles and hashtags of folks and/or trends you’re interested in, you just might “street meet.”

  • The “Go-Bag” is  a must for organized players. In it, consider including: business cards, a Sharpie (permanent marker), and a Mophie self-charging cell phone case or mobile power station (you can bet the provided charging stations and outlets will have long lines). Always have at least 3 pens. You’ll lose one, you’ll let someone borrow another, and that will leave you with your one and only. A protein bar, —or a zip-lock bag full of almonds or other non-perishable protein foodstuffs— bottle of water and breath mints. Hand sanitzer — hopefully you’ll be shaking a lot of hands.
  • Rest and recovery. You won’t get much when you touch down to Austin so organize your sleep schedule to include less hours per night. Start tonight.

Game Day(s):

  • Comfortable trumps cute. But comfortable and dapper? You’re a winner, especially in the shoe department! Chuck Taylors are a go-to for many, just add an insole and you’ll be ready for action whether dressed up or down. Also, don’t forget your sweater or light jacket —the conference rooms are often air-conditioned.

Screen Shot 2014-03-01 at 12.28.30 PM

  • It’s been said that SXSW is the sum of serendipitous meetings. Compliment someone on their exquisitely tied Chucks, ask a friendly face what sessions they’re excited about, strike up conversations with strangers while waiting in line for lunch. There’s no danger there and it’s prime networking time. Remember, that’s just the point of Interactive and no one will find it awkward. Also, try to venture out on your own, you’ll meet friends as you go (plus yours will probably be late to scheduled meet-ups anyway) and you might encounter an awesome session or experience that you hadn’t intended. Snatch a flyer here or there too. If the company/party spent money on advertising, the promotion might just be worth it.

  • Get in the zone, live in the present and if you don’t like it —leave it. If there is an event that you’ve had your eager eye on, you had better get there early. Don’t be late. Don’t be on time. Be early. Remember what your grandma said, she was right! The lines may astound many first timers. Then once you’re in a session, engage. Avoid the habit of thinking about what’s next or what could be better that you’re missing. Finally, if you need to take a time out in the form of leaving midway through an unfulfilling session or a taking an unscheduled nap, just take that knee and don’t chastise yourself later.

  • Don’t get placed on Injured Reserve. Most likely you’ll be operating on little sleep, high salt, sugar and hops intake and suffering from “tech neck.” Do your body and brain a favor. Hydrate. Hydrate. And then hydrate some more. Try to get fresh air whenever possible, stand up, stretch and un-crane your neck at least once per hour. Also, try to walk to venues whenever possible. Often times lines for free rides and traffic will take longer anyhow.

  • Unsportsmanlike conduct can take you out of the game. Get familiar, but don’t get too familiar. The parties and after-hours festivities are memorable but if you go too hard you’ll miss the wealth of day-time opportunity. Don’t forget that the camera is always watching and now more than ever. Folks will take great pleasure in posting your lowest moments to social media and watching them go viral overnight. Be mindful that you represent the company you work for and/or your own personal brand. Have fun? Of course! But don’t do anything that can’t be undone.

Post Game:

  • Did you get the win? Not until you follow up post-conference. This means taking account of all that you saw and learned —review your notes and devise implementation strategies. But the human element will prove most important in your game stats accounting. Hopefully you collected business cards on which you wrote the date, time and place where you met the person, and a unique quip or conversation cue that will allow for a personalized email or tweet correspondence.

  • Plan for next year! It’s bigger + better every year. And you know this, MAN!

Get it in where you can fit it in! –Andia

Legacy Workout

They who MOVE you.

The Legacy Workout is dedicated to the memory of bodies of work. Of bodies at work. And at play. Of minds committed to mining greatness, to combating injustice, to insuring a future for future bodies, and minds. The Legacy Workout is dedicated to legacy makers past, present and future. The black body. The celestial body. The empowered human body, in motion.

This is not trivial. This is tribute. Each movement reflects a person, a people, or a point in time — an era. Because they dreamed us, because they dreamed of a better place for us -and for themselves- we owe them. We owe it to ourselves to do/be better. To be caretakers of our bodies without which we cannot persist; we cease to exist. Infinity is our limit. THIS, is the Legacy Workout. Visit: www.LegacyWorkout.com

Get it in where you can fit it in! –Andia

February like no other

February is the shortest month of the year but it just might be the fittest. Have you honored your New Year’s dietary and exercise resolutions? Whether you have or whether you haven’t, I’ve got just the treat for you! A cool take on “abs are made in the kitchen,” I’m honored to present to you my newest fitness video –a collaboration with Monique Walton and the American Heart Association– Kitchen Workout. If you need encouragement of the daily variety, I’m excited to join new online outfit BK Nation as a wellness blogger and February #BKN28 Fitness Challenge Captain. There you’ll find my blog, “The Write Fit,”  in which I offer exercise tips, workout videos, giveaways and more. And if you prefer TV, I’ll be joining you every Tuesday at noon as a Sports Segment host on BK LIVE.

Why all of the health and sport talk, you ask? Because! On February 2nd, this team from my home town met this other team from my dad’s home town. The result? Seattle Seahawks won the Superbowl for the first time in franchise history! It’s American Heart Month; the 50th Anniversary in fact.  February 5th is National Girls and Women in Sports Day, championed by one of my favorite organizations, the Women’s Sports Foundation. February 7th is National Wear Day  — a day that celebrates heart disease prevention awareness. And February 7th is also the start of the Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia. Faster, Higher, Stronger! What a day it will be. RED, white and blue speeding all over the place!

For those of you who recall my time training for the Olympics in the sport of Skeleton, I’ve helped to design an Olympic themed workout with the editors of popular app and website DailyBurn. You can bet it will challenge all of your senses, especially common sense, if you accept the challenge! If you want to work out with me in person in New York City, I’ve developed a dynamic sand and alternative resistance training class called Manhattan Beach Workout. Talk about getting ready for Summer with plenty of time to spare! 

DailyBurn | Expert Contributor, Workout Design | FEB 2014
DailyBurn | Expert Contributor, Workout Design | FEB 2014

 

Oh, one more thing. We’ve been nominated for a Shorty Award in #SocialFitness! This online award recognizes people who “help others make healthy choices in their lives through their influence on social media.” If you’d like to vote, you can do so via Twitter by tweeting: “I nominate @AndiaWinslow  for a Shorty Award in #SocialFitness because…” Be certain to write in your reason after “because…” or the vote won’t count. Thank you for your continued support!

Get it in where you can fit it in! –Andia

World Stroke Day

GoRedForWomen.org website landing page for #HeartHour Partner Workout
GoRedForWomen.org website landing page for #HeartHour Partner Workout
Andia Winslow partners with Go Red for Women® for the organization’s 10th Anniversary Year: New fitness movie launch and contest winner announcement highlight exciting collaborative work to help fight the No. 1 killer of women worldwide.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 
 NEW YORK, NY (October 29, 2013) – Today, in honor of World Stroke Day, Andia Winslow announces the winners of her Fall 2013 Fitness Contest. Designed in conjunction with the announcement of her ambassadorship role with the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women® Campaign, “this contest is to celebrate everyday women in their personal quests for wellness!”
Congratulations to these lucky ladies!
1st – In-person Wellness Consultation | 1HR Fitness Session | Fitness Swag
Brandi Stewart, Harlem, NY

2nd – Skype Wellness Consultation
Danita Hall, Phoenix, AZ
Yvette Odu, New Haven, CT
Lili Stansberry, Kent, WA

3rd – Small Group Fitness Session 
Kerri Lynne Hamm, Shrub Oak, NY | Leslie Hewitt, New York, NY | Bridget Jackson, Phoenix, AZ | April Joyner, Brooklyn, NY | Felicia Meggison, Providence, RI | Marelina Ortiz, New York, NY | Keely Robinson, New York, NY | Lynette Rodriguez, Queens, NY | Celia Sabino, Miami, FL | Alexcia Smith, Long Island, NY | Erin Williams, New York, NY
Heart disease remains the No. 1 killer of women worldwide –stroke, the No. 2 cause of death and severe long-term disability for both sexes– and in it’s ten years Go Red for Women® has worked to educate women of all backgrounds about the importance of prevention and care. A topic dear to her own heart, Andia partnered with filmmaker Monique Walton to create a fitness inspired short movie that encourages women, and men alike, to get active with friends in fun, non-intimidating ways.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpP5oRTtk98&w=640&h=480]
Heart Hour: Partner Workout” encourages people to “trade in the sweet alcoholic drinks and savory tapas of traditional Happy Hour for free-flowing H2O and electrolytes. It shows us how to join forces with friends for dynamic and time efficient workouts. We are our own answer!” To learn more about heart disease and the warning signs of heart attack, visit: GoRedForWomen.org. To better understand the differences between heart attack and stroke –know the warning signs of stroke– remember F.A.S.T:

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About Andia Winslow
Professional Golfer, master Certified Fitness Professional and a contributor for the American Heart Association Go Red For Women campaign. Andia’s innovative health and wellness efforts have been recognized globally, with Forbes recognizing her work as the “Smartest, Sexiest Workout Videos Ever”. She works to inspire folks to harmonize their bodies with their environments. Follow her #MOVEment online @AndiaWinslow.

About the American Heart Association – Go Red For Women®
The American Heart Association is devoted to saving people from heart disease and stroke – America’s No. 1 and No. 4 killers. Go Red For Women® is the national movement to end heart disease in women. The Dallas-based association is the nation’s oldest and largest voluntary organization dedicated to fighting heart disease and stroke. To learn more or to get involved, call 1-888-MY-HEART (1-888-694-3278) or visit GoRedForWomen.org

About The Fit Cycle
Founded in 2010, The Fit Cycle is a multimedia health movement that is defined by resourcefulness. It works to inspire folks to make the most of what they have –however little, be it time, capital or possessions– to live more active and engaged lives. The Fit Cycle is a cinematic wellness endeavor that is inspired by art, music and a culture of collaboration. The Fit Cycle is moving at the rhythm of life.™ www.thefitcycle.com

For press inquiries, please contact: Publicity at TheFitCycle@gmail.com

For booking, please contact: Pamela Davis at pkaycreative@gmail.com

Activist | Athlete | Artist