Workouts – The Athleisure Teacher

A Very Athleisure Teacher Summer

Published on July 15, 2019 by The Athleisure TeacherLeave a comment

Good morning friends and happy Monday! I hope you’ve enjoyed the first two weeks of summer! I wanted to check in and let you know what I’ve been up to, because it’s been a minute, and truthfully today is the first day I’ve actually had some downtime to reflect on the last couple of weeks.

My summer began with a surprise delivery of the most incredible charcuterie/grazing box from Savourly Society. I don’t know what I did to get it, but I felt like the luckiest girl alive, and devoured that beautiful baby that evening!

We’ve also had a lot of quality family time, going to splash pads and Wonderland almost every weekend! It’s been fun, because the kids are becoming a lot more independent and don’t need us as much, and my daughter has even become much braver and started going on coasters!

Despite not having a spring at all, the weather the past few weeks has actually been super hot and sunny! I’ve been hydrating with my Welo watermelon lime cucumber probiotic drink, and it’s the perfect summer drink (other than say, margaritas or mimosas on a patio). I don’t think I’ve ever shared this before, but I’m an ambassador for this incredible Canadian company, and have a coupon code for you all if you want to order any of their delicious probiotic beverages or bars. They make adult sized bars AND kids one, and my kids are obsessed. To get 30% off your order on their website, use my code THEATHLEISURETEACHER30. Their products are already very well priced, but 30% off can’t hurt. I highly recommend the spicy pineapple drink, as well as the matcha almond bars. They’re both my personal favourites.

Another incredible opportunity I had was shooting a campaign for EATABLE, a line of alcohol-infused popcorn. We shot it at the waterfront down in Etobicoke, and it was such a fun experience! I haven’t seen the photos yet, but I’m excited for how they turned out!

I’ve also finally been able to try some of the restaurants on my extensive list of places I’ve wanted to go, but couldn’t, because…well, teacher life. I had brunch at Bluestone Lane, which is a really cool Aussie-inspired restaurant chain from NYC. They do iced matchas and coffee, as well as avo toast and bowls, so clearly it’s the restaurant of my dreams. I also went to KOST, which is some next level exciting ish for me. It’s on the rooftop of the Bisha hotel, and you dine poolside with legitimately the best view of the city. It was a gorgeous day, I had frose, and obviously endless photo ops, so clearly I was the happiest basic b*tch in the world. Funny story about my “belt bag” (euphemism for fanny pack, let’s be real). It’s from Aritizia (duh, obvs, sponsor me you cows), and it was “on sale” from $128 to $118. BUTTTTTTT some moron labeled the sale price as $75, and they had to honour it, so SCORE FOR THE ATHLEISURE TEACHER. Don’t be jealous.

Aaaaaand a summer roundup blog wouldn’t be complete without me addressing my self care routine. I’ve honestly felt so relaxed this summer. I’ve been working out 3-4 mornings a week, gone for a massage, and just generally been taking very good care of myself. There’s been no partying (yet…I feel like it needs to happen), and I’ve stayed consistent with my early ass bedtimes. The one thing I’ve been slacking on is my meditation, but I intend to resume that as well.

So there you have it. 2 weeks of my life, all shared in my typical mediocre way. I hope you enjoyed and see you again in another 2 weeks, k thx bye.

Thankful.

Published on October 8, 2018 by The Athleisure TeacherLeave a comment

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving friends! I know I haven’t blogged in forever, but the reason for this is threefold:

I’ve been bogged down with planning and marking at school.
I’ve been focusing on our podcast (episode 2 about food and nutrition as self-care is now available on the podcast app! Just search “Self-care with Lauren and Blair” to listen!)
Aaaaand I just haven’t been inspired to write, unfortunately, and I didn’t want to blog for the sake of blogging.

But here we are, and damnit, I’ll try to write something relatively coherent and engaging for all of y’all, because I know my 5 loyal followers want it.

What am I thankful for this year? Like, a lot. It’s been a really good time both personally and professionally, and I need to make a list because I love lists and lists are awesome.

1. My health. Always first and foremost. How lucky am I that my body is healthy enough to allow me to do high impact exercise 3 days a week? To run around with my children? To get out of bed every day and live a productive life? I will never ever take this for granted. When I sit on that spin bike, I thank gd for my health multiple times. I also thank gd I’m not pregnant, because being in that body really freaking sucks, but that’s a whole other blog post.

2. My family. I mean, duh. I’m eternally grateful that my children are happy and healthy and not the spawn of Satan. I also feel so blessed to have a wonderful husband, the best parents, and the cutest of sisters eva.

appleorchard

Apple picking when it’s still hot out is fun too. (TB to a few weeks ago…)

3. My friends. I tightened my inner circle A LOT this year and it’s been very liberating. I have the world’s most patient friends, because for the last four months, my conversations, meals, and life in general have revolved around Instagram. They don’t get to eat until I’ve photographed (or rather, they’ve photographed because I’m a shitty photographer) their meals, and my conversations with them are a steady stream of follows and unfollows, podcast plans, and asking which picture to post. I’m sorry guys. I really truly suck. You’re all amazing for tolerating me.

4. Impromptu weekend trips to NYC. The fact the most incredible city in the world is just a one hour flight away is nothing short of amazing! I don’t want to live there, but every few months I just feel the pull of the city and gravitate towards it. It’s an addiction, I suppose, but the energy, food, nightlife, and shopping are beyond magnetic.

5. My job. I have the best students this semester. We have the most interesting class discussions, and they’re all so engaged and participatory. It’s rare to get a group where the majority of the students have strong opinions, so this is pretty much English teacher heaven for me! Also, in case people think teenagers are rude and disrespectful, I want to tell you that every morning, my students come into my class and greet me with a “hello” or a “good morning.” When they leave the class, they say “have a good day miss,” or “bye!” They’re such mensches! I really appreciate their warmth and kindness, because it keeps me in a good mood and sets a really positive tone for the day.

6. Refined carbohydrates and gluten. Pizza. Donuts. Tacos.

This maple bacon donut from Dipped Donuts in Kensington Market is pretty much the epitome of fall in Canada, amirite? I think I am most grateful for this donut. Like, I love my family and stuff, but…donuts win.

Summer Workout Regimen and Beauty Staples

Published on July 17, 2018July 17, 2018 by The Athleisure TeacherLeave a comment

Hellllooooo! A lot of you have been asking me what my workouts have been looking like this summer, so I thought I’d share. Many of you would be surprised to know I only exercise three days a week, maximum four. Maybe my Instagram is slightly misleading, but I personally need rest days in between workouts, and have never been able to do the daily exercise thang. Plus, sometimes I like having nice hair. I feel like if I exercised daily, I’d be a perpetual mop head, and that’s just not a good look. Clean hair trumps everything.

Monday mornings I do Body Pump. Pump is a Les Mills full body workout, using weights and a barbell to work and isolate each large muscle group. Each track corresponds to a different muscle group, and if you don’t leave shaking, you’ve done something wrong. I love being able to take a Monday morning class because it sets the tone for the week, and encourages me to make better choices.

Tuesday mornings I do a barre class. Last summer I was running, but my old lady knees don’t permit this as often anymore. I’m just not willing to sacrifice my joints and injure myself. I love running, but I fare better with low impact exercise that doesn’t wear on my body as much. As I’ve mentioned previously, I’m loving barre. It targets all the small muscle groups I never activate, and it forces me to work on my core, which I despise. Who knows, maybe at the end of this summer, I’ll have amazing, toned abs (no I won’t).

Thursday mornings I take a spin class. Obviously. I could never not incorporate spin into my week. I’d go through crazy withdrawal. I need those cardio-induced endorphins, and I need to be in that electric atmosphere.

So that’s all. Just three workouts per week that I feel maximize my productivity and leave me feeling mentally stable and energized. I love not having to exercise on the weekend and leaving it free to be present with the kids.

I also wanted to share my summer beauty staples with you, because I made a little trip to Sephora the other day.

This is Too Faced’s Sun Bunny bronzer ($38). I have quite the tan going this summer from being outdoors a lot (which is rare for me because I usually go from hella pale to red real quick and rarely in between), and this bronzer really accentuates my facial tan. I also have to apologize to my best friend here, because I know she’s going to yell at me for tanning. LB, please know I’ve been wearing sunscreen lately and I haven’t been sitting out (ok I have), so please don’t yell at me. Aaaaanyway, bronzer is always > blush in my books, so get this one because it’s the perfect shade.

This is Urban Decay’s All Nighter makeup setting spray (travel size is $19). We all know I’ve dubbed this summer the summer of “midlife crisis,” and I’ve been partying a bit (a lot), so I need something to lock in my makeup so I don’t look like a hideous troll by 11 pm. And this shit works. Once you’ve put on your face for the night, spray it in an X motion (close your eyes, because this dummy didn’t and umm yeah it stings), and once it dries, you’ll have makeup perfection until last call.

And then the next day, you’ll need this little baby here. This is First Aid Beauty’s detox eye roller ($32), and if I could, I’d slather this all over myself to detox after a rough night. But alas, it’s just for eyes. I love all things First Aid Beauty (shout out to my former student Jason for hooking me up with the moisturizer), because the entire line is super hypoallergenic and I am the most delicate flower in all the land. This eye roller helps depuff and make me look slightly less of a hot mess than I usually do. Key words, slightly less. I still look forever exhausted and zombie-like, but hey…I try.

Day Drinkin’ and Gym Etiquette

Published on July 5, 2018 by The Athleisure TeacherLeave a comment

(Separate topics. I could see how one would read that title and think I’m day drinking and then hitting up the gym.)

Hi friends! Tomorrow I leave for NYC for four days, so I wanted to just check in with a few tidbits from my week before I go.

This week has been busy, but glorious. The kids are off to camp/daycare, and I’ve been feverishly trying to get in months of neglected chores, indulgences, and missed opportunities of day drinking on patios.

drinks

Playing catch up quite nicely.

I reunited with a friend I hadn’t seen in YEARS, which wasn’t okay, and I’m so happy we got to bask in the sun and each other’s company. Also, I’ve been hitting the gym like a fiend, trying to get in as many workouts as possible before I travel, because I probably won’t be exercising much beyond walking in New York. I tried barre for the first time (now offered at my GoodLife for free [!!!], since many people have been asking), and have been walking crooked for days. It was SO challenging! I think likely because my typical workouts focus on major muscle groups (spin, running, Pump), and barre engages smaller muscles that I don’t typically use. Also, holy ab work. My core is shit. Summer goal: strengthen core!

So regarding gym etiquette, there was an incident yesterday that left a sour taste in my mouth and I need to rant about it. I was using the leg adductor machine (or abductor, truth be told I don’t know which is which, but I know they both work inner and outer thighs), and a woman approached me. It was clear she was itching to use the machine. In broken English, she says to me “What you do is no good. Here, I show you.” Like whaaaaaaaat? Excuse me, but if you wanted to work in with me, that’s fine, but don’t tell me I’m using the machine incorrectly and try to teach me! I was so offended! As it is, I’m not overly receptive to instructors correcting my form (big pride and ego over here folks), but even less receptive to some random older lady telling me I’m doing it wrong. Umm, I’ve been working out since I was 18, for half my life and I’m not interested. So I firmly told her that I was okay and knew what I was doing and she skulked away. I did, however, watch her go use the machine after I vacated and couldn’t help but giggle as I watched her use it for her glutes as she stood on it in some bizarre splits type position. You do you, boo.

Okay so last thing. I recently posted to my Instagram asking if anyone used the Calm app and invested in the $77 yearly membership. I’ve been using the trial and I LOVE it. The woman’s voice is amazing, and I love the sounds and visuals. They really help me relax and get into meditation, which is something I struggle with. My mind still wanders terribly, but I’ve made a bit of progress. Anyway, a former colleague informed me that all teachers are entitled to a free membership! Mind. Blown. Here’s the link to anyone who might want it:

Calm for Schools

I’m still waiting for my confirmation code/to hear back, but I’m eagerly anticipating having the app for free! If you benefit from it too, I hope you enjoy! #sharingiscaring

Focus On: Les Mills RPM™

Published on June 5, 2018June 5, 2018 by The Athleisure TeacherLeave a comment

I get asked a lot of questions about the spin class I go to, so I thought I’d share a little bit about it in today’s blog. I took my first Lesmills RPM class exactly 10 years ago, in 2008. At first I found it incredibly intimidating, and I had to stop periodically to catch my breath, but it’s the kind of exercise that if you persist with it, it becomes easier over time.

An RPM class is typically about 50 minutes. Track 1 is a warm up track where you’ll do a few short, light races seated in the bike to gently raise your heart-rate. Track 2 is a pace track, where you do a bunch of seated race work to really ramp up your heart-rate. At this point you’ll be itching to get out of the saddle, and track 3 allows you to do just that. You’ll do some seated *and* standing climbs, and use the resistance knob to challenge yourself and make the bike heavy. Track 4 is a race track, where you’ll once again be seated on the bike doing a series of very fast races. Track 5 consists of very challenging interval training, where you’ll be at peak cardio intensity, both in and out of the saddle. Track 6 is another race track, and track 7 is a hill track, mostly out of the saddle. Tracks 8 and 9 are cool down and stretching. This may all sound daunting, but I can assure you the 45-50 minutes FLY by. Instructors recommend that you only do about half the class when you take it for the first time, but most newbies stay the entire time and live to tell the tale.

Sample tracklist:

(Photo Source)

RPM differs from some of the more freestyle spin classes out there, in that it’s extremely prescribed and the moves are choreographed to a setlist that can’t be altered. The new releases get progressively more challenging, but the music is infectious, as is the atmosphere in the studio. For me personally, there are several reasons why it’s an incredible workout:

Less knee strain than other forms of cardio, like running and the StairMaster. My joints are in rough shape because I’m old af, and I can’t run much anymore. Spin is a more gentle alternative.
The aforementioned infectious music and atmosphere. I’ve really never felt anything like it. The endorphin rush is addictive, and I’m actually able to practice mindfulness during this time, because I’m totally present, feeling the sensations in my body, hearing the sounds blaring from the speakers, etc. I leave feeling calm, centered, and blissful.
The calorie burn. I often wear my Polar heart-rate monitor in class, which is a chest strap and very accurate, and I tend to burn between 400 and 450 calories in 45-50 minutes. This is more than any other form of cardio I do.
The singing, hooting, and hollering. I’m here for all. of. it.

Tips and modifications:

If you think RPM is something you can see yourself doing often, I 100% recommend investing in cycling shoes. I got mine for about $100, and I could never go back to putting regular running shoes in the top part of the pedals. The cycling shoes give you a sense of security, as you’re clipped in, and they really intensify the workout. You have to engage your quads more to pedal, and the resistance feels more difficult. Some people also like to invest in padded shorts because sometimes the bike seat feels a little..err..chafe-y, but they’re not necessary imo.
If you have a bad back, raise the handle bars to match the height of your seat. Back strain from spin is no bueno.
You control your workout. If you’re feeling strong, ramp up the resistance. If you just want to get a feel for the class, leave the resistance light. Pace your speedwork. Sometimes I go a little too hard in the warmup, and my heart-rate accelerates too quickly, so I burn out fast. Always go at a pace that’s comfortable for you.

Aaaaaand if you’ve made it all the way to this point in my post, 1. kudos for reading a novel, and also 2. I should probably mention I’m not a trained professional…yet. So please use caution if you do attempt to take a class, or better yet, wait until I’m accredited and employed and take mine!