I have not worn a wearable fitness device in years. I have no idea exactly how many hours I have slept, what my resting heart rate is, how many calories I burned at SoulCycle, or how many steps I made each day. In this case, ignorance is truly bliss. And more evidence is starting to show that it is worth considering whether these devices actually are really improving our overall health – including mental health.
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There was a Wall Street Journal article published just before the end of 2022 that caught my eye, titled: The Way You Tell Your Life Story Matters, Start Now. The opening paragraph had a quote: Death steals everything except our stories, by the poet Jim Harrison. But the article cautions if we are not careful, death can steal those, too.
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It’s a new year and a new start, which means it’s the perfect time to focus on yourself and make some positive changes. One way to do this is to “glow up,” or make improvements to your physical and mental well-being. You can “glow up” in many ways, and a lot of it is bigger than what you see on the outside. A true “glow up” is an inside AND outside job.
Here are some tips on how to glow up this January.
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The Wall Street Journal had a recent article, “Why Working Out During the Workday Is the Ultimate Power Move”. The article has an interview of CEOs who humblebrag about being able to disappear for two hours unaccounted for to do sets at the gym. This is the exact kind of messaging that makes the rest of us think that we have to be some big wig to “get away” with midday workouts.
I beg to differ. I have been doing mid-day workouts for years – when I was an on the clock government worker, as a junior associate at a law firm, and now as a director at a Big 4. The secret is knowing exactly what you will do and exactly how you will do it. And being PREPARED. You may not be the CEO of a company, but you should be the CEO of your own body.
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At the end of 2022, the Internet almost broke in a maelstrom of heated debate about narcissm. In case you were busy Christmas shopping and missed it, an article in Politico Politico profiled the year of 2022 for “narcissists” including Meghan Markle and some other famous and infamous personalities. Markle’s inclusion in the piece, titled “The Year We All Finally Got Tired of the Narcissists,” was met with pushback on social media which necessarily was based on the underlying assumption that being a narcissism is a bad thing not to be associated with. But did you know, according to psychologists that some types of narcissism are good, even aspirational?
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Many New Year’s resolutions involve quitting. Quitting drinking, quitting smoking, quitting sugar, Or starting some big challenge – mainly involving working out. We see the gyms and workout studios fill up with determined people who may have been in a holiday cookie blur but could be mistaken for ironman training competitors. So hardcore and leaving no space on cardio machines, workout classes and you can forget the bench press. You may go to a yoga class and experience namaste or a foot in your face.
The hard and simple truth: You can’t outrun, outdance, outkickbox, or outnamaste a bad diet. And I am looking to partially prove that and some other things by my 2023 New Year’s Resolution.
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A collection of the top 5 articles and videos from this year. will inspire you and give you some ideas for workouts to start the New Year. Enjoy the holidays and Happy 2023!
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Yes, that’s right, 2023 is going to be our year! But first, you have to get through day 1. And most of us will not wake up on January 1st fresh as a daisy. It’s ok, you earned the right to celebrate. Whether you stayed up later, ate more treats or just had one too many glasses of champs (or um, shots) here is your ultimate DAOFitLife hangover toolkit.
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– and sustain it. If resolutions are not sustainable, then what IS sustainable? Changing your daily HABITS is a sustainable way to make lifelong differences. That is because you…
As the New Year approaches, many of us are focusing on getting back into shape. With so many diet plans out there, it can be tough to find one that is right for you. Below are some helpful tips on how to lose weight and keep it off, catalogued with some of my best weight loss posts.
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It’s cold outside. It’s snowing. You are so ready to sit under your Ugg throw and snug with a book or a binge watch.
Maybe you already got your workout in, and it’s time to relax. But what you nosh on during that sesh can totally erase whatever calories you burned during spinning.
But that does not mean you have to miss out on what you love to eat when the weather is so chilly. I have found a way to enjoy my favorite comfort foods without guilt, and I am sharing a list of the usual suspects with you, and my recommended substitution.
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It is time to level up your workout game. But you have to start somewhere. And that’s what you will learn here whether you are at ground zero or reaching for that next rung of the ladder.
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It is the debate that has rocked the fitness world. When you want to level up, combining cardio and weights is ideal. But when you do go for that combo, what do you do first? The answer can make a difference in how quickly you level up your fitness game.
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It’s a workout that has attracted the biggest celebrities and gained a reputation as THE place to be if you want to push yourself to the limits. As most global brands do, it started with a crazy dream. Barry Jay founded this fitness craze together with his partners in West Hollywood in 1998 and has since opened dozens of studios in 15 states and 15 countries (including Norway, the UAE and Qatar). It has attracted celebrities like Jessica Alba and Jake Gyllenhaal, David Beckham, Adriana Lima, and Harry Styles (who was rumored to have been recently in the DC Studio – unconfirmed)
Barry’s can be summed up as this: a red room, blasting music, a motivating instructor, and everyone going so hard you would think it’s the Hunger Games.
The DAOFitLIfe Guide to Barry’s follows (note: all views are my own opinion and not supported by any outside organization).
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Would you rather be sad, or skinny? Would you rather be fat and happy, or thin and sad? These are questions that magazines are actually asking mostly women about the fact that treating depression and anxiety would some forms of medication could potentially cause weight gain
The articles featured in Vice and Self magazine echo a deeper sense of self- conflict about mental health – at what cost do we pursue our well-being and happiness? For some this can mean taking prescribed medication, which can lead to intended and unintended consequence. And one of the biggest ones whispered about in anonymous forums is this: weight gain.
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Drink more water! That’s what we are told for maximum health and hydration but it turns out we may be drinking water the wrong way. Here’s 5 reasons we are drinking water the wrong way and how to fix it.
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According to the Smithsonian Magazine, the world’s first selfie was taken in 1839 by Robert Corneulius, an amateur chemist and photography enthusiast, in the back of the family store in Philadelphia.
Whether you remember taking rolls of film to the drugstore or only have ever taken pictures with a Smartphone, photos define our lives – our headshots invite potential employers and connections on LinkedIn, and we capture real life moments on vacations, with friends and family in real time.
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If you are in a professional services field, you know that conferences are like our Superbowl. It’s the ultimate opportunity for companies to showcase their talent, swag, and brand power.
It’s also the ultimate opportunity to pack on the pounds. A lack of choice for food options, many of which are not healthy. Wining and dining. Little sleep from compressed schedules for presentations and time zone differences.
Slowly, you make decisions that you would never make if you were at your own home base. Like, maybe that stale mini cheese Danish IS a good idea.
If I know one thing from being a professional in this workforce for many years, pre and post-pandemic, I know how to navigate this minefield. And I am here to tell you all the best tricks and tips so you can come and go like the fit boss that you are.
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It was the fall of 1992. Kieran and Olivia* had just been married. Kieran went to the bank to make a deposit in their joint savings account (note the date – none of this was avaiable via online transaction).
The teller asked him “which account?”
He snapped his head up and asked her back. “What do you mean which account? There’s another account?”
There was another account.
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Fitness is definitely far more than just what you do for food and exercise. The whole way you take care of yourself inside and out is essential to defining your health and well-being.
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