Located on East 4th Street a few blocks away from SoulCycle Noho and David Barton Gym Astor Place, the studio has 30 Woodways–the same high-tech, otherworldly equipment that you’ll find at Barry’s Bootcamp. These aren’t your mama’s treadmill, but, don’t worry, they’re remarkably easy to use. And, if you’re like me, who generally steers clear of the “dreadmill” while exercising on my own, Mile High Run Club is our chance to mix things up in the company of others.

Each Woodway is stocked with a cheat sheet, breaking down the 4 different training levels for novice Joggers or more experienced Racers. And, there’s plenty of space for a water bottle and towel.

I chose a class called Dash 28, structured intervals for 28 sweaty minutes plus 10 minutes of kettlebell training for 45 total (the other option is an hour-long class called The Distance, with 50 minutes of treadmill work).

Pro golfer and über all-around instructor Andia Winslow took our all-female group through a challenging mix of sprints from 1% to 5% incline, staying mostly within Levels 2 and 3. At the end, we popped off behind our treadmills and finished strong with sets of lunges, squats and pushups holding 3- and 8-pound kettlebells.

Despite mic trouble and a playlist including “Mambo Number 5″ that should be curated with an ear for much newer endorphin-inspiring tunes (like Row House), this was, for sure, the fastest half hour that I’ve ever run inside.

And, on the way out, a list of upcoming races got me thinking.  In New York, as always, the options are endless. Which races are you running this season?

When I start to feel the pinch, what do I do? I drink.

Water. Lots of it.

Why? Hydration is a huge step toward looking and feeling our best.

And, right now, water is always with me in a bobble Sport. It’s a new slim-style bottle, designed to fit in most equipment at the gym or bikes at the indoor cycling studio. And, it’s convenient because I can fill it at a sink or fountain anywhere and still eliminate chemicals and impurities via a carbon filter contained within the bottle, itself.

In the morning, I toss in a few slices of fresh lemon to detox. (Plus, if you don’t love the taste of water, or lack thereof, lemon, lime, berries and/or cucumber can easily come to your rescue.)

At the office, my bottle is always on my desk, next to my computer. (If that’s not enough, set Outlook “sip” reminders for yourself every hour.)

And, I’ve got it with me around town, too.

Every New Yorker has a quirk or two. Mine is: I never, ever get on a subway without water. Because, hey, ya never know.

So, here’s to celebrating the holidays in good health. Eat, drink and be merry. And never find yourself on the subway, or at the office, thirsty again.

bobble Sport comes in 7 colors, find them all here. And, follow bobble on Twitter and Instagram.

Thank you to bobble for partnering on this post.
As always, all thoughts/assessments are my own.

Designed to burn fat and sculpt muscle simultaneously, HIIT includes a mix of kettle bell training, burpees, lunges and squats. This class incorporated those–and then some. It was a sold-out show, with 21 clients, and we each occupied a fixed spot in the studio vs. other HIIT classes, which often rely on circuits and continuous movement of small groups between stations.

In addition to the music, those of us who’d chosen to wear a Wahoo heart rate monitor supplied by the front desk were also able to push ourselves using the numbers displayed on a flat screen.

I always find this type of information inspirational vs. defeatist, so, whenever I saw my intensity level change from orange to yellow, I knew it was time to step it back up.

After several rounds of exercises, laid out for us on a chalk board at the beginning of class, we ended with abs: side and center planks plus scissor kicks. Ugh. What I need and dread most.

And, before I picked up my berry smoothie and headed out the door, I grabbed Robert plus a kettle bell for a sweaty photo opp. Posing for the camera and on the mic in class, this guy was born to do it.

My advice? Run, don’t walk!

Showing through February 15, 2015.

First, there’s the bike. In my opinion, it’s the most superior indoor cycling bike out there. Highly connected, it offers up each rider’s personal cadence, resistance and output along with a real-time leaderboard, so that we can see how we measure up against the rest of the class and others tuning in from home.  It rides like a dream.

For virtual cyclists, Peloton is the first experience to provide streaming of live and on-demand classes, right from their home gyms, libraries or living rooms.  So, if you skipped Lisa Niren‘s 10:30am class last Sunday because you slept in, were on a plane or simply live in Detroit, don’t worry, because it’s available…24/7. (And, trust me, if you want to be in amazing shape, you don’t want to miss Lisa’s Endurance ride–check out her way enviable abs.)

For New Yorkers, Peloton’s 23rd Street studio is the brand’s home base. With a spacious lobby lounge that’s like a comfy-meets-chic living room and a Jack’s outpost with freshly-brewed coffee and fruit-infused water, the pre-and post-ride experience is made to feel equally important.

And, as always, there’s a full collection of branded tees, tanks and crop capris on your way in and out. (If you don’t have your own cycling shoes, they’re complimentary with the ride, along with water.)

In New York, we often grumble that everyone is always looking for the next best thing in lunch spots, labels and even love. But, after having taken three Peloton classes with another scheduled for tomorrow morning, I gotta admit: my present is pretty perfect.

For me, the source of my equipment intimidation has always been weights machinery that seems too complicated to figure out and use by myself.  So, I decided to make a date with my fear and scheduled an appointment to work out with trainer Gary Peters at Equinox, who took me through a fast-paced, lower-body focused routine that I would definitely not do on my own. 

From squats with a barbell to chin ups assisted by a HOIST, these moves were challenging and out of the ordinary for me, and, an hour later, I could definitely feel the difference in comparison with my usual resistance training. The day after, I couldn’t sit or walk down the subway stairs, so, I know that it was effective! I can’t wait to go back for more. I also made a point of taking note of the settings and sequence of the moves on my iPhone, so that I can repeat the routine on my own.

So, next time you’re inside the studio or at the gym, don’t let a seemingly complicated Schwinn or a group of grunting guys stop you from mixing up your workout, surprising your body–and seeing major results.

Want to train with Gary? Find him here: gary.peters@pt.equinox.com

So, instead of saying nothing and waiting for my next class, I’ll say this: sometimes, being part of a team, whether as a couple, a colleague or a family member, trumps being leader of the pack.

Here are a few shots of what I’ve been up to lately and don’t worry, the sweat-meets-shrink session is still happening. Stay tuned.

Not a bad way to toast the bday, no?

I’ve been live Tweeting and Instagramming from our fall fashion and shopping events. This is a branding statement which I firmly stand behind.

And, a busy schedule means squeezing in my favorites right in the neighborhood: FlyWheel’s Chelsea studio and late night strolls on The High Line’s newly-opened section 3.

More soon!

And, tell me: how do you juggle work, life, fitness and family?

Check out these videos for an intro to foam rolling and 3 essential moves that you need to know.

For your quads:

Get into your glutes:

Don’t make this mistake when foam rolling your calves:

And, what type of foam roller should we use?

These ladies ROCK.
Follow Emily (@EMpowerednyc) and learn more about training with her here.
Check out Finish Line Physical Therapy and book a session with Brynn here.

You’re wrong.

Welcome to Tone House, the hardest workout in New York City.

Bathed in red light, you’ll breathe harder than in any other class in town, you’ll sweat profusely as you carry the weight of a 70-pound harness on your back and you may even see black spots in between sets. But, you’ll be back for more.

Founder Alonzo Wilson lettered in every high school sport and went on to play college football. He now models for Wilhemina (that face, those guns!) and in conversation, he’s surprisingly soft-spoken for someone who designed a workout so crazy fierce.

The 15-minute warm-up consists of several rounds of hurdles, like these.

Then, there are pushups and burpees wearing the harness, strapped to the wall.

And, sprints back and forth across the studio, followed by resistance exercises using TRX bands that leverage your full body weight.

You’ll do all of this for an hour until it’s time to stretch and gather for one last team huddle signifying “game over.”

But, if you’re like me, the next morning, as you tell your friends about your more-than-grueling evening the night before, you’ll maybe, just maybe, also check the schedule.

In addition to instructors and studio founders, the “Fit Icon” series is now expanding to include industry insiders like my friend Daina Falk, founder of The Hungry Fan®. At 5’10”, she’s a great example of a woman whom you might assume has always been thin and has never worried about her weight, despite the fact that her job is, literally, all about food. Read her story below. It’s inspirational, informative and really simple–all things that can help us grow stronger in the day-to-day experience of building–and maintaining–our healthiest, happiest bodies.

Enjoying Food Sensibly
by Daina Falk, The Hungry Fan®

We all eat to live. I also live to eat. I launched a company called The Hungry Fan®, which is centered around food—and not the healthiest of foods. I make what I call “sportsfood,” what you would eat or serve at a Super Bowl party or at a stadium or arena during a game. And I think we can all agree that this kind of food is comforting and downright yummy.

When I started this sportsfood concept, I tried to make recipes that were healthy spins on sportsfood classics because I stick to a healthy-eating lifestyle. (I’ve been obsessed with kale for over 8 years.) “Healthy” can be a vague term that covers a lot of adjectives, so, let me define healthy food for you as food that comes from a combination of clean, organic ingredients and is as low in calories as possible without getting into chemical/crap/non-food substitutes.

My healthy spins on the classics are totally tasty and I’m proud of them. But, let’s be honest. On gameday, you want to let yourself go. You don’t want to worry about calories. So I say, go for it! Watch your diet 6 days a week, but on the 7th day (gameday), you get a pass. And you know what? According to my favorite Nutrition Science professor in college, more people die from stress each year than they do from being slightly overweight. So why fuss over calories at the ballpark? It’s stressful, ruins the experience and is likely more dangerous to your health than that hot dog you’re eyeing (assuming that you eat sensibly the rest of the week).

Who am I to tell you this? Let’s start here—this is me today:

Would you believe that I was 196 pounds about 8 years ago? Well you should, because I was. I was always pudgy even though I played sports and I worked out. My main problem was that I ate garbage from the time I was a young kid. I grew up on Doritos, multiple sodas a day, tuna fish salad, and Oreo cookies. Those were my dietary staples. Damning from the start.

But then I moved to Los Angeles after college, cut soda and high fructose corn syrup out of my life, along with the majority of the gluten I was eating (just because, not due to health issues), and I started incorporating into my diet tons of farmers-market-fresh veggies and produce along with lots of clean, grass-fed, wild-caught, and organic protein. In about 3 years, I gradually (and sustainably) lost 60 pounds. That’s basically a fourth grader! I had to re-learn how to play tennis (my collegiate sport) because I could move so much faster around the court! But then again, so could you, if you weren’t carrying the weight of a small child on your back (and knees).

After about seven years in Los Angeles, weighing in at 136 pounds, I moved to New York. Since then, I have put back on about 10-15. Uh oh! Yo-yo, you ask? Nope. When I moved here, I was a size 10. I am now a size 4-6. The new 10-15 pounds is lean body mass, aka: MUSCLE, my friends (said as I flex my sweet guns).

This easily segues to a great lesson for anyone concerned with body, body mass, and appearance:

Do not judge yourself by what you weigh (as muscle weighs more than fat). Judge yourself by how you feel and how you fit into your clothes.

Now, to be fair, as most women can attest to, clothing sizes often vary quite a bit by brand. But, how do your clothes of one particular brand’s size fit you? Jeans feeling a little more snug than usual? Maybe you should cut your caloric intake a bit.

And how do you feel? Are you sluggish and cranky? Or do you feel energized, able to get through a long day, and rest well at night? I may wake up cranky because I’m not a morning person. But after a trip to the gym, I feel reinvigorated and ready to begin my day. Exercising and getting on a good sweat truly brightens my mood. And I have found that finding fun, engaging classes at the gym have improved my ability to keep that “buzz” going throughout the week. For instance, I take hip hop dance class on Sunday evenings and I come home so happy, pumped up, and ready for a great healthy dinner and a good night’s rest. And I awake Monday morning feeling fantastic; ready to start my week!

My total body transformation has made me the person I am today. I’m happier, more confident in myself, and I have way more energy than when I was younger. I attribute this change in part (80%) to my food choices and in part (20%) to my exercise. Here’s what I have learned through experience and can tell you:

At the end of the day, when all is said and done, gaining and losing weight boils down to the calories in vs. calories out equation. If you want to maintain your weight, eat no more and no less than what you burn (at the gym and simply by being alive). If you want to lose weight, burn more than you eat. And if you need to put on some pounds, eat more than you burn (but keep the calories nutritionally-dense).

I am not a registered dietitian. But, I am essentially a professional eater and I work on-camera. These tips and tricks have worked for me for years and allow me not only to feel good and appear well, but to also indulge on gameday without guilt or stress. I am the original Hungry Fan, constantly in search of delicious gameday grub, but, I’m also a woman who wants to look good and live a long, healthy life. If you find we may have something in common, then maybe these tips will work for you as well.

Check out Daina’s recipes at TheHungryFan.com and follow her @TheHungryFan.