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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It’s Halloween already, and we are officially sanctioned to go back to trick-or-treating and Halloween parties. The drugstores and grocery stores are teeming with bags of fun-size candy bars and candy corn pumpkins. Offices and schools have candy bowls and homemade cookies EVERYWHERE. You may be going to one or a few Halloween parties this weekend. This is NOT the time to white knuckle. There is a better answer.
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“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” – African proverb
The Whiteboarding. The coffee machine hissing. The Bright lights. The Big monitors. The hum of the printer and the sound of people chatter mixing with the clacks of the keyboard for an ambient tone (in fact, you can actually download it if you want.)
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“Wherever you are, and whatever you do, be in love.” – Rumi
The thrill of the pandemic workout craze is fading. UpSwell’s survey found that while 50% of respondents returned to the gym within 9 months of restrictions lifting, nearly a third (27.71%) of all respondents still have not yet returned to the gym, and 31.23% are working out less in 2022.
Peloton, the exercise bike company that saw huge success in the early days of the pandemic only to flounder as sales slowed, reported a $1.2 billion quarterly loss recently.
SoulCycle will close up to a quarter of its studios across the U.S., including six reportedly in the New York City area, amid adjustments related to the pandemic, the fitness company said Tuesday.
How do we bring it back? Enter Rumi, and Sufism.
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Pumpkin Spice is EVERYWHERE – the good, the bad, and the just plain weird (uh, pumpkin pizza anyone?)
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Spoiler alert: Other than the picture, this has nothing to do with cats.
But it does have to do with an important topic. Imagine walking through a gym. You pass by the weight room section and see various people sculpting their biceps with curls, benching, squatting, deadlifting, meticulously doing upper and lower ab work on the large mats. What is missing from this picture is that you do not see anyone working on the one body feature that defines us more than all of the other parts together – the face.
Now turn to your own face. Where is your tongue? According to the “mewing” phemonmenom, your “tongue posture” could potentially impact facial aesthetics, sleep and breathing quality and overall body posture.
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Financial fitness part I covered how to get the best bang for your buck from services. Financial services Part II will cover goods and products and how to save money on commonly needed items.
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There are murmursof a “false fall” or “early fall” happening. But despite some of these breezy days, we still have 3 weeks until real fall. So let’s get out there and enjoy some fun outdoor sports.
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“Time is money.” You’ve heard that phrase, right? But I argue it isn’t. Unlike money, you can never make back the time you waste. Yesterday is gone forever, and unless we find dramatic new technology to cryopreserve ourselves and freeze time, we cannot get it back.
But money is also money. And if you think about it, we waste a lot of it. The good news is, there are hacks that will make you richer and thinner.
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Did you know looking down at your phone is like putting the weight of a bowling ball on your neck? Not to mention, when you add stress, your neck will tense up further. The way we sit in front of the computer and look at our devices means we are always looking down. Overt time this causes your head to move forward, and eventually throw off your neck alignment. This is known as “tech neck.” And this is beyond an annoyance. Over time, untreated neck issues can cause massive tissue damage and harm to the spine including slipped or herniated discs. The good news is, there are easy hacks and exercises you can do right now to ease the tension in your neck and cure the related headaches.
Here is your guide to cure tech neck AND get better posture below.
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Smoothies, if done right, can be an excellent way to start the day or get through an afternoon slump. In fact, sometimes I have a smoothie as my lunch so I do not feel weighed down. Here are my top recipes with superfood ingredients that will energize you and slim you down.
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Finding time to exercise (see my earlier post) is half the battle. The other half is actually doing it. This is where we get struck by analysis paralysis. What workouts are the best for body goals – burning fat, maintaning muscle mass, and feeling great?
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Dipping veggies in tasty sauces has been an important factor in how I have been able to not only achieve, but maintain my weight. Let’s face it – when all is said and done, mainstream media and advertising content are showering us with temptation all day long. You cannot go about your normal day without having images of fried food shoved in your face. But you can outsmart the temptation and have your dip too.
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