I recently shared that I have decided to quit the gym and I joined ClassPass. For me the gym I was attending was the right price but not the most convenient to go to and one of the major things I felt like I was lacking was the social interaction that fitness can have. At the gym I wasn’t able to attend any classes so I simply headed straight to the cardio equipment, put in my ear phones and completed by workout. The only interaction I ever had with my fellow gym goers was a smile or a quick ‘hi’. Since I am a stay-at-home/work-from-home mom my interaction with other adults is often limited and I so desire the time to connect with other people.
Unfortunately when all you are doing is cardio at the gym there really isn’t much of an opportunity to interact with others. That is why I think I often prefer a workout class. It’s a time to connect with yourself and also with others. If you attend a class regularly enough you become familiar with the other regulars and overtime you can get to know them. Also if you live in a [small] big city like Portland you’ll most likely run into people from your classes when you are out around town. Just in these few short weeks that I have been reimplementing workout classes into my weekly routine I have already started to find that feeling of community and connection and I know it will only grow over the months to come.
Do you prefer solitary workouts or classes? It’s funny because when it comes to running I prefer to be alone but if I have the choice of the gym or a class I would prefer a class.
In January I joined the gym at Neil’s work. While not the most convenient gym for me to go to the facilities are top of the line and the cost for me to join was less than my monthly coffee habit. So I joined and I have been fairly dedicated to making it to the gym at least twice per week while supplementing with at home workouts.
The thing is I am only able to go gym when Neil gets out of work or on the weekends. For months we have been making it work but I’m going to be honest it’s not without it’s struggles. My gym time is right when I would normally be preparing our dinner so by the time I am done at the gym it is dinner time for our early birds. This means I either have to prepare a meal that can easily be eaten at the gym or we end up going out to dinner.
Sleep has also become a bit of an issue. Edith who is nearly four only naps [maybe] once per week and not for a lack of tiredness but for pure strong will that she doesn’t want to nap. That being saidcome 4pm I usually find her asleep in carseat on our way to the gym or both littles fall asleep on the way home from the gym which means bedtime is a struggle. Late bedtime means that often Neil and I have little time for each other and little time to work at night.
This weekend I was finally at my breaking point because we have been so behind on dishes, our organizing projects and oh the never ending laundry. To top things off because it’s a work gym most of the workout classes are during the day or just at a time that doesn’t work with our schedule so I haven’t been able to take advantage of them.
Since workout classes were a ‘no go’ for me I bought a personal training package assuming that I would be able to find a trainer that worked for my availability and not one was available. So since I usually just spend my time doing cardio while catching up on Pretty Little Liars I figured it was time to take the summer off from my gym membership. I can spend my time outside on walks and hikes with my family this summer and who knows maybe I’ll actually take up running again.
That all being said the decision to quit the gym was one that I was very conflicted about because I have fallen in love with routine and making that time for me. Unfortunately I just hate everything that comes along with it.
I thought about joining a gym closer to our house but it would still be a lot of the similar issues that I had with the work gym. I felt a bit at a loss but then I thought about ClassPass*. I had given it a try last May and while I loved the classes and the concept where we were living at the time just wasn’t ideal for me to keep with the pass after my trial month, but right now it seems perfect so I signed up. I have decided to go with the 5 classes for $45 option so I can see how much I will really use it. If I find that I am using it enough to get the the most out of the unlimited package I will bump it up.
With ClassPass* I can go to barre3, The Bar Method, a ton of yoga studios that I have had my eye on and a meditation studio that I am so excited to try. So my new workout plans include regular barre3 online at home, hikes and walks with my family [maybe some running?] and at least one workout class per week. It sounds pretty perfect, at least to me.
Where do you do most of your workout classes (home, classes, gym, etc)? Have you tried ClassPass*? If you are local to Portland or are traveling through Portland and want to attend a fitness or meditation class together let me know! I love to go to classes with others – especially new-to-me classes!
Running the same neighborhood loops over and over can start to be a little boring so it’s always nice to mix things up with a new route. Add in some scenic views and you’ve just made your run go from a workout to an adventure. So whether you are from Portland or are just stopping through for a visit these runs are fantastic ways to get some of the best of what Portland has to offer from city to nature. Honestly if you’re not a runner no worries these runs are also great for walkers, hikers, and bikers.
Waterfront Loop (2.5 miles): This is probably one of the most well known running loops and for good reason. You get views of both the East and West sides of the city while running along the Willamette River. A good spot to start this loop is at the Salmon Street Fountain on Portland’s West side. From there head North through Tom McCall Waterfront Park until you reach the Steel Bridge which you will then cross as you make your way to the East side. Once across the bridge head south along the Eastbank Esplanade until you reach the Hawthorne Bridge which you will crossand make your way back to your starting point. Fell like adding on a few extra miles? Keep running past the Hawthorne Bridge to Portland’s newest Bridge, Tillikum Crossing. Head across and then immediately loop back and head back to the Hawthorne Bridge to cross and return to your starting point
Lower Macleay Park to Pittock Mansion (5 miles out and back): This run is for my trail runners. Starting at Lower Macleay Park you’ll run until you meet Wildwood Trail and from there you will follow the signs to Pittock Mansion. Once at Pittock Mansion head over to the mansion and take in the city views from the top. Once at the top to complete your run you’ll head right back down the way you came.Tip: This run is great any day but for optimal views seek out a bright clear day.
Powell Butte (10 miles of trails): There are many spots to jump on to the Powell Butte trails but a great spot to start is the Visitor Center where there is a good amount of parking and restrooms. From the visitor center you will head up to the summit where you will find open meadows and a great running path. Make a stop at the mountain finder where on clear days you can see Mount Tabor, Kelly Butte, Mount Saint Helens, Mount Adams and Mount Hood to name a few. There are a total of around 10 miles of trails winding through Powell Butte so you can really make this run any distance that you like. Tip: These trails are used by hikers and bikers as well so stay alert!
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Before Edith I never really felt like I needed a high impact sports bra and most of the time I wore just whatever I thought was cute. Once Edith was born this all changed because of nursing and because my boobs found themselves a entire cup size bigger. I can still remember that first run after having Edith; I only made it about 1/4 of a mile down the road before I had to turn back and put on a second sports bra. That’s when I knew I had to go shopping and buy something that would really support the girls.
Those sports bras I bought when I was pregnant with Edith worked fine until Alder was born. I actually didn’t go up a cup size but the band size changed so all of my sports bras were on the too a bit too snug side. That being said having a toddler and a baby doesn’t always leave time to go sports bra shopping so I have been either squeezing myself into one of my more supportive bras or wearing one of my low impact bras. That is until now.
I was lucky enough to be invited to a media only Title Nine fit fest. At the fit fest I received a personalized fitting from a Title Nine “bravangelist” expert. First we went over what I was looking for in bra, what I thought my bra size was and we went from there. In my case I was looking for something for running that would hold everything in place. So after a selection of bras were chosen for me I headed to the fitting room to give them a try.
I ended up finding a few bras that worked for me (one of them was the one above but it’s not the one I took home). Once I found my winner, the 2-In-1 Full-Support Adjustable Sports Bra (unfortunately in the mocha color) I went out and tried the bounce test. Now the bounce test was completely optional but I figured since I was there I might as well try it out. So I grabbed a jump rope, I’m not sure why since I haven’t jumped rope since I was probably 10, and I did a few embarrassing jumps and determined that yes this was the bra for me. I will say this I didn’t love the color option but the support was awesome so I went with it anyways.
I have to say thank you to the ladies working at the Portland Title Nine shop who were really amazing, so friendly and welcoming . I look forward to returning and stocking up on more sports bras and other cute fitness clothes/gear.
Title Nine will be holding FitFest events throughout the spring and summer that span cities across the country and include:
Personalized bra fitting advice from a “bravangelist” expert
An expanded assortment of bras
Bras for sports, work-to-workout, everyday and date night
A “Bounce-ath-a-lon” for those who want to put Title Nine’s bras to the test, with stations like hula hoop, jump rope, cup stacking, run around the block, hippity hop ball & burpees
Anyone interested in participating should RSVP at the local Title Nine Retail Location.
Visit www.titlenine.com for a full list of cities and more information.
WHEN/WHERE for the Oregon FitFest:
June 3-4, 10am- 8pm
Title Nine Portland
1335 NW Kearney Street, Portland
June 10-11, 10am-8pm
Title Nine Eugene
5th Street Market
296 East 5th Ave. #229, Eugene
Giveaway:
This giveaway is open to anyone in the US and will include a personalized fitting (either in-store or by-phone, depending on location) and one bra.
Disclaimer: Title Nine provided me with free sports bra as part of attending this event. I was not required to blog about the event, provide a giveaway or to write a positive review. I am just sharing this with you because I had a great time and I am excited to provide one of you with the opportunity to win your own sports bra!
Take four 60-minute workouts per week Do one 10-minute outdoor workout per week Try one new summery barre3 recipe per week
You guys I can’t believe it’s almost June (and I’m still not back to running). This month I have been focusing a lot on my physical therapy exercises and taking advantage (when I can) of ClassPass. So that leads me to June plans. I am going to continue with PT for now and I’m still working at getting back to running but my big fitness plans are to participate in the barre3 Anywhere Challenge.
As many of you know I have been really into barre workouts lately and have been doing barre3 online workouts for the past few months and I also have attend a few barre classes this month (unfortunately not barre3-yet). That being said when I saw barre3 post about their June challenge I immediately went and signed up to participate (it’s $15 for a month of the online program but if you already have a membership it’s “free”).
While you could do all your workouts online with the exception of the 10-minute outdoor workout you could always drop into a studio and try out a class. I am really hoping that I can make it to a live class in June (fingers crossed) until then I’ll be sticking to online classes. There are so many new classes that I haven’t tired yet but I probably will turn to some favorites which include Post Baby Bounce Back and Studio Fit.
Who wants to join me this month?
*This post is not sponsored. I paid for my own barre3 membership through June.
Monday night I finally got myself out of the house and downtown for a much needed solo workout.Most of my workouts these days involve pushing a double BOB or trying to fit in an at home barre or yoga class either while the kids are sleeping or during the day while I trip over them. That being said when I found out about the ClassPass Fitness Night out at The Bar Method I was all over it. Now this was my very first The Bar Method class and actually it was my first official bar style class because while I love my barre3 online program I still have never taken an official class.
The Bar Method here in Portland is located in the Pearl District. The location is perfect for me and I had no problem finding street parking which was great considering it took me 40 minutes (I left 45 minutes early) to get there from my house yesterday so I had no time to spare searching for a parking spot.
I didn’t know what to expect when I arrived at the studio and honestly I was a bit nervous considering it was my first visit. Nothing to worry about though because as soon as I entered I was greeted with warm welcome of big smiles and hellos. I checked in, filled out my health history and waiver. Once all of the administrative tasks were completed I took a little tour of the facilities and let me tell you this studio is small but it is beautiful and fully equipped. There are lockers for you to use which include a key which is so prefect for me because I never remember a lock. There are also showers which is great for taking a class before or during your work day or maybe before heading out in the evening.
Finally I headed into the actual studio room (see above) and thankful another blogger I had met at an event the day before was also in attendance and had taken a bar method class before was there. She helped me out with getting the necessary items (two sets of weights and a towel) that I would need for the start of the class. Then it as go time!
You guys this workout seriously kicked my butt. I had an amazing time and the instructors are really great. During the class I received a little extra help because lets face it my form is a work in progress but I loved how the class was super hands on and personal – you don’t feel like you just an anonymous participant but actually are part of a group. The instructors provided little adjustments when needed as well as verbal instructions on how to improve positioning/stance which helped to make sure we all got the most out of the workout.
Conclusion: I will be back. I loved The Bar Method class and the studio and instructors.
After the class there was a mini-reception in the lobby thanks to ClassPass. We enjoyed snacks from Luna Bar and Portland Juice Co. Side Note: the best Portland Juice Co. juice (IMO) is the Karma.
Thank you ClassPass (and Jess from ClassPass for including me in this event) and The Bar Method for hosting! I look forward to trying more classes via ClassPass and returning to The Bar Method in the next week or so.
So all this mention of ClassPass – what in the world is it?
ClassPass is a monthly membership to the best boutique fitness classes in your city. There are thousands of classes available to ClassPass members, including cycling, pilates, yoga, strength training, dance, martial arts, and more.
For $79 – $99 a month (price varies by city), ClassPass members get unlimited classes to studios in the ClassPass network. While members can take as many classes per month as they’d like, they can visit the same studio up to 3 times per monthly membership cycle.
ClassPass is located in so many cities around the US, Canada and even London!
Have you ever tried The Bar Method? If yes, what did you think? How about ClassPass- have you given it a try? I just signed up for another The Bar Method Class for next week!
Disclaimer: I attend this event at no cost. I was not required to blog about my experience but I chose to because it was a great one. Additional Disclaimer: affiliate link included via “ClassPass” links.
Happy Friday! Sunday morning I received my run analysis from Jason at Therapydia Portland and I wanted to share it with you. For the run analysis Jason put little dots on my right side at all the points you see below for recording/analysis purposes. Once he did that I started walking at a level 3 on the treadmill for 3 minutes and then bumped the seed up too level 4/4.5 to a jog for 2 minutes.
Heads up the analysis is a bit technical so I moved it to the bottom for those of you who are interested in reading more!
April 16, 2015
Lindsay Ingalls RUN ANALYSIS Summary:
Summary: If we increase your trunk flexion by 5-8 degrees you will help increase glut activation improve shock absorption throughout your run. During your deceleration phase your knee comes slightly in front of your toe during peak knee flexion, which indicates more quad dominant mechanics versus hip dominant.
Recommendations are to increase glut med/max strength couple with core stabilization exercises with resistance theraloop to improve motor control for SL stance. We will continue with hip isometric exercises with progression for higher levels as appropriate with efforts to improve single leg shock absorption on the right and concurrently decrease contralateral hip drop leading to asymmetrical stride.
Posterior view displayed significant hip drop on left side further indicating weak hip abductor muscles during shock absorption on the right in stance. Excessive pronation noted on bilateral feet.
Lindsay Ingalls RUN ANALYSIS Details:
During initial contact we are looking for what type of contact you make: You are a heel striker, which indicates that you will recruit your hip musculature more effectively versus calf musculature. You have adequate ankle dorsiflexion however your hip flexion angle can improve. Decreased hip flexion angle at this phase can be caused by decreased velocity or inability to absorb shock at the glut med/max musculature. Trunk is actually extended ~ .13 degrees and we look for ~ 10 degrees of trunk flexion. We would like increased trunk flexion to recruit the hip shock absorption. Ideally we look for 20-40 degrees of hip flexion during initial contact to improve glut activity. During initial contact optimal knee extension reaches 0 degrees.
Next phase is peak knee flexion, which indicates shock absorption or deceleration. Ankle moves from ~4 degrees to 0 degrees indicating a 4 degree eccentric load, the knee goes from ~6 to ~26 degrees with a 20 degree eccentric quad load, and the hip remains moves from ~19 degrees towards ~14 degrees which indicates a negative shock absorption in the right hip. Your knee has a good positive excursion however in the ankle we would like to see greater than 10 degree positive change and in the hip we would like to see the hip flexion angle increase indicating some shock absorption in the glut musculature.
Next phase is toe off: We look at total hip excursion from initial contact to this phase: you have ~ 30 degrees of hip excursion, we would like to increase this by at least 10 more degrees. We are working towards this via the hip flexor stretching. Trunk is flexed at 7 degrees, we can improve this at least 5 degrees.
Last phase is just before initial contact. Hip is going back to a flexed position where we would like at least 20 degrees which you do very well! Also we would like 8-10 degrees of trunk flexion which you have ~1 degree.
Lindsay Ingalls RUN ANALYSIS Summary:
